Umbono WeBhayibheli

Imikhosi Yenkolo Yokuzijabulisa—Ilungile Noma Ayilungile?

“AKULULA ukuwugwema,” kusho uMichael. “Umculo ukushukumisa esihlalweni, unyakazisa izinyawo, unqekuzisa ikhanda—lowo-ke umoya womkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa!” Ngempela, unyaka ngamunye umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa ujabulisa izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke, kodwa ayikho enye indawo lapho lomkhosi unesasasa elikhulu khona njengasezweni uMichael ahlala kulo, eBrazil. Phakathi nesonto elandulela uLwesithathu Lomlotha, abantu baseBrazil bagqoka izingubo zabo zikanokusho, bakhohlwa indaba yesikhathi nezibopho abanazo, futhi bangene shí embukwaneni onyakazisa lonke izwe kusuka emahlathini ase-Amazon kuya emabhishi aseRio de Janeiro. Yisikhathi sokuhlabelela, sokudansa i-samba, nesikhathi sokukhohlwa.

“Leso esinye sezizathu ezenza ukuba uthandwe kangaka,” kuchaza uMichael, owayeshisekela ukugubha umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa iminyaka eminingi. “Umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa unikeza abantu ithuba lokukhohlwa usizi lwabo.” Futhi ikakhulukazi izigidi zabampofu—ukuphila ngaphandle kwamanzi anele, ngaphandle kukagesi, ngaphandle komsebenzi, nangokungabi nathemba—ziningi izinto ezifuna ukuzikhohlwa. Kuzo umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa unjengesidambisa-zinhlungu: ungase ungazixazululi izinkinga, kodwa okungenani uyazidambisa izinhlungu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, cabangela umbono abanye abefundisi bamaRoma Katolika abanawo ngomkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa—omunye umbhishobhi wathi umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa “uyinzuzo kakhulu ekuzinzeni kwabantu ngokwengqondo.” Ngakho kulula ukubona ukuthi kungani abantu abaningi benomuzwa wokuthi umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa uyindlela yokuzilibazisa ewusizo futhi evumelekile. Ngakho, uyini umbono weBhayibheli ngemikhosi yenkolo yokuzijabulisa?

Ukuzithokozisa Noma Umbuthano Oxokozelayo?

IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi kukhona ‘isikhathi sokuhleka . . . nesikhathi sokusina.’ (UmShumayeli 3:4) Njengoba igama lesiHeberu elithi “hleka” lingase futhi lihunyushwe ngokuthi “gubha umkhosi,” kusobala ukuthi ngokoMdali wethu, akukho okungalungile ngokuzijabulisa okwakhayo. (Bheka eyoku-1 Samuweli 18:6, 7.) Eqinisweni, iZwi likaNkulunkulu lisitshela ukuba sithokoze futhi sijabule. (UmShumayeli 3:22; 9:7) Ngakho iBhayibheli liyakuvumela ukuzithokozisa okufanele.

Nokho, iBhayibheli alizigunyazi zonke izinhlobo zokuzijabulisa. Umphostoli uPawulu uthi umbuthano oxokozelayo, noma ukuzithokozisa okunomsindo, ‘kungokwemisebenzi yenyama’ nokuthi abakwenza umkhuba ukuxokozela “ngeke bawuzuze njengefa umbuso kaNkulunkulu.” (Galathiya 5:19-21) Ngakho-ke, uPawulu wayala amaKristu ukuba ‘ahambe ngokufaneleyo, hhayi ngemibuthano exokozelayo.’ (Roma 13:13) Ngakho, umbuzo uwukuthi, Umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa ungena kumuphi umkhakha—ukuzithokozisa okumsulwa noma umbuthano oxokozelayo ongenakuzithiba? Ukuze sithole impendulo, ake siqale sichaze ngokwengeziwe lokho iBhayibheli elikubheka njengombuthano oxokozelayo.

Igama elithi “umbuthano oxokozelayo,” noma koʹmos ngesiGreki, livela izikhathi ezintathu emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki, ngaso sonke isikhathi ngomqondo omubi. (Roma 13:13; Galathiya 5:21; 1 Petru 4:3) Futhi akumangalisi ngoba i-koʹmos ivela emikhosini enedumela elibi eyayaziwa amaKristu okuqala ayekhuluma isiGreki. Imiphi leyo mikhosi?

Isazi-mlando uWill Durant siyachaza: “Iqembu labantu eliphethe i-phalli engcwele [umfanekiso wesitho sobulili sowesilisa] futhi lihlabelelela uDionysus ama-dithyramb [izihlabelelo] . . . ngokwesiGreki kwakwenza i-komos, noma ukuxokozela.” UDionysus, unkulunkulu wewayini ezinganekwaneni zamaGreki, kamuva wamukelwa amaRoma, amqamba kabusha ngokuthi uBacchus. Nokho, i-koʹmos ayizange ishintshe lapho kushintshwa igama. Isazi seBhayibheli uDkt. James Macknight siyabhala: ‘Igama elithi koʹmois [okuyindlela ewubuningi belithi koʹmos] livela kwelithi Comus, unkulunkulu wokuzitika nokuxokozela. Lokhu kuxokozela kwakwenzelwa ukudumisa uBacchus, owabizwa ngokuthi u-Comastes ngenxa yalokho.’ Yebo, imikhosi kaDionysus noBacchus yayiyiyo kanye imibuthano exokozelayo. Kwakwenziwani kulamadili?

Ukubonakaliswa Kokuxokozela

NgokukaDurant, phakathi nemikhosi yamaGreki yokudumisa uDionysus, izixuku zabantu ababegubha umkhosi “zaziphuza ngokungazithibi, futhi . . . zazimbheka njengesiwula umuntu owayezithiba. Zazihamba zishaye ujenga zixokozela, . . . futhi njengoba zaziphuza futhi zidansa zazivukwa amadlingozi ziphelelwa ukuzithiba.” Ngendlela efanayo, uMacknight ubhala ukuthi emikhosini yamaRoma yokudumisa uBacchus (okwakuthiwa iBacchanalia) kwakuphuzwa futhi kunezingoma nomculo ovusa inkanuko nezigcawu “zokuziphatha okuhlazisa ngempela.” Ngakho izixuku ezazivukwe amadlingozi, ukuzitika ngotshwala, ukudansa nomculo ovusa inkanuko, nokuziphatha okubi ngokobulili kwakuyizici eziyinhloko zemibuthano exokozelayo yamaGreki namaRoma.

Ingabe imikhosi yenkolo yokuzijabulisa yanamuhla inalokhu kuxokozela? Cabangela izingcaphuno ezimbalwa zemibiko yezindaba ngemikhosi yenkolo yokuzijabulisa: “Izixuku ezinomsindo ovala izindlebe.” “Izinsuku ezine zokuzitika ngophuzo nedili ubusuku bonke.” “Ibhabhalazi lomkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa lingathatha izinsuku eziningi kwabanye abagubha lomkhosi.” “Umsindo ovala izindlebe oseduze wenza amakhonsathi amaqembu ‘omculo onesigqi esinamandla’ . . . abe ubala uma kuqhathaniswa.” “Namuhla, noma yimuphi umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa ongenabo ongqingili unjenge-steak au poivre engenapelepele [uduma].” “Umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa usuyindawo yokuba nqunu.” Imidanso yomkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa “yayinezigcawu zokushaya indlwabu . . . nezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zokuhileleka [ngokobulili].”

Ngempela, imikhosi yenkolo yokuzijabulisa yanamuhla ifana nsé neyasendulo kangangokuba umuntu owayegubha umkhosi wokudumisa uBacchus ubengeke abe nenkinga uma ebengavuka phakathi nomkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa wanamuhla. Futhi lokho akufanele kusimangaze, kusho umdidiyeli wezinhlelo zethelevishini waseBrazil uCláudio Petraglia, ngoba uthi umkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa wanamuhla “uvela emikhosini kaDionysus noBacchus, eqinisweni, okuyimikhosi efanayo.” I-New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi lomkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa ungase uhlotshaniswe nomkhosi wamaqaba waseRoma yasendulo i-Saturnalia. Ngakho lomkhosi wenkolo wokuzijabulisa, nakuba ungowenkathi ehlukile, uyefana nemikhosi eyandulelayo. Liyini igama lemikhosi yalolu hlobo? Umbuthano oxokozelayo.

Ukwazi lokhu kufanele kuwathinte kanjani amaKristu namuhla? Kufanele kuwathinte ngokufanayo nendlela okwathinta ngayo amaKristu okuqala ayehlala ezifundazweni ezazithonywe amaGreki e-Asia Minor. Ngaphambi kokuba abe amaKristu ayezitika “ezenzweni zokuziphatha okuxekethile, izinkanuko, ukweqisa ewayinini, imibuthano exokozelayo [koʹmois], imincintiswano yokuphuza, nokukhonza izithombe okuphambene nomthetho.” (1 Petru 1:1; 4:3, 4) Nokho, ngemva kokufunda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubheka imibuthano exokozelayo ‘njengemisebenzi yobumnyama,’ ayeka ukuhlanganyela emikhosini yokuzijabulisa efana neyenkolo.—Roma 13:12-14.

UMichael, oshiwo ekuqaleni, wenza okufanayo. Uchaza isizathu: “Njengoba ulwazi lwami lweBhayibheli lwalukhula, ngabona ukuthi imikhosi yenkolo yokuzijabulisa ayivumelani nezimiso zeBhayibheli—kumane nje akuhlangani.” Ngo-1979, uMichael wenza isinqumo. Wayeka unomphela ukuhlanganyela emikhosini yenkolo yokuzijabulisa. Yikuphi ukukhetha oyokwenza?

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Isitsha samaGreki angaphambi kobuKristu esibonisa uDionysus (umfanekiso ongakwesobunxele)

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of The British Museum