Ifilosofi YamaGreki—Ingabe Yabuthuthukisa UbuKristu?
“Nakuba ubuKristu babuphikisana nobuGreki bamaqaba nesiko lamaRoma, eqinisweni bayamukela ifilosofi yangaleso sikhathi.”—The Encyclopedia Americana.
PHAKATHI kwalabo ababa nethonya langempela endleleni yokucabanga “yamaKristu,” akungabazeki ukuthi “uSanta” Augustine uphuma phambili. Ngokwe-New Encyclopædia Britannica, “kusengqondweni [ka-Augustine] lapho kwahlangana khona izimfundiso zeTestamente Elisha nesiko likaPlato lefilosofi yamaGreki; kwakuyingqondo yakhe futhi eyadlulisela umphumela wale nhlanganisela [ezinkolweni] zeLobukholwa zobuRoma Katolika nezobuProthestani Bezinguquko benkathi ephakathi.”
Ngempela ifa elashiywa u-Augustine alipheli. Ekhuluma ngezinga ifilosofi yamaGreki ethonye ngalo eLobukholwa, uDouglas T. Holden wathi: “Imfundiso yenkolo yamaKristu isixubene nefilosofi yamaGreki kangangokuba ivezé abantu abacabanga ngendlela yamaGreki kakhulu nabacabanga ngeyamaKristu kancane.”
Ezinye izazi zikholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi lelo thonya lefilosofi labuthuthukisa ubuKristu lapho busaqala, lenza ngcono imfundiso yabo futhi labenza bakholisa. Ingabe kwaba njalo? Langena kanjani futhi nini ithonya lefilosofi yamaGreki? Ingabe ngempela labenza ngcono ubuKristu noma labonakalisa?
Ukuhlola izenzakalo eziningana zekhulu lesithathu B.C.E. kuya ekhulwini lesihlanu C.E. sisebenzisa izinkulumo ezine ezingavamile, kuzosikhanyisela: (1) “UbuJuda Obuguqulelwe EbuGrekini,” (2) “UbuGreki Obuguqulelwe EbuKristwini,” (3) “UbuKristu Obuguqulelwe EbuGrekini,” (4) “ifilosofi yobuKristu.”
“UbuJuda Obuguqulelwe EbuGrekini”
Eyokuqala ethi “UbuJuda Obuguqulelwe EbuGrekini,” ngempela iyaziphikisa. Inkolo yokuqala yamaHeberu, eyamiswa uNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, kwakungamelwe ingcoliswe imiqondo yenkolo engamanga. (Duteronomi 12:32; IzAga 30:5, 6) Kodwa kusukela ekuqaleni, ukukhulekela okumsulwa kwasongelwa ukonakaliswa yimikhuba nokucabanga kwenkolo yamanga—njengethonya elalivela eGibithe, eKhanani naseBabiloni. Kuyadabukisa ukuthi ama-Israyeli avumela ukuba ukukhulekela kwawo kweqiniso konakaliswe kakhulu.—AbAhluleli 2:11-13.
Ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka, ngesikhathi iPalestina yasendulo iba ingxenye yoMbuso WaseGrisi owawuphethwe u-Alexander Omkhulu ngekhulu lesine B.C.E., lokhu konakala kwafinyelela amazinga amasha futhi kwashiya ifa elingapheli nelonakalisayo. U-Alexander wabuthela amaJuda ebuthweni lakhe. Ukudlelana kwamaJuda nomnqobi wawo omusha kwakuthonya ngokujulile ukucabanga kwamaJuda ngokwenkolo. Ukucabanga kwamaGreki kwangena emfundweni yamaJuda. Kuthiwa umPristi Ophakeme uJason wavula isikole samaGreki eJerusalema ngo-175 B.C.E. ngenjongo yokugqugquzela ukuba kufundwe ngoHomer.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, umSamariya othile, owabhala engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu lesibili B.C.E., wayefuna ukuloba umlando weBhayibheli ube umlando ovumelana nobuGreki bamandulo. Izincwadi zamaJuda ezikuthembeka kwazo kuyangabazeka, njengethi Judith nethi Tobit, empeleni zibhekisela ezinganekwaneni zothando zamaGreki. Kwaba khona izazi eziningi zefilosofi ezingamaJuda ezazama ukuhlanganisa ukucabanga kwamaGreki nenkolo yamaJuda neBhayibheli.
Umuntu okuthiwa wasampula kulokhu uPhilo, umJuda wekhulu lokuqala C.E. Wathatha izimfundiso zikaPlato (wekhulu lesine B.C.E.), ezabalandeli bakaPythagorus nezamaStoyiku. Imibono kaPhilo yawathonya kakhulu amaJuda. Efingqa lokhu kungena ngokuhlakanipha kokucabanga kwamaGreki esikweni lamaJuda, umbhali ongumJuda uMax Dimont uthi: “Zithonywe ukucabanga kukaPlato, ukuhlakanipha kuka-Aristotle nesayensi ka-Euclid, izazi ezingamaJuda zabheka iTorah ngendlela ehlukile. . . . Zaqhubeka nokwenezela imiqondo yamaGreki esambulweni samaJuda.”
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, amaRoma athatha uMbuso WaseGrisi, athatha neJerusalema. Lokhu kwavula indlela yezinguquko ezibaluleke nakakhulu. Ngekhulu lesithathu C.E., izimfundiso zefilosofi nezenkolo zezihlakaniphi ezazama ukuthuthukisa nokuhlanganisa imibono kaPlato zavela ngokucacile, zakha lokho namuhla okwaziwa ngokuthi iFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva. Nakanjani leli qembu lezazi lalizoba nethonya elikhulu ebuKristwini bezihlubuki.
“UbuGreki Obuguqulelwe EbuKristwini”
Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka amahlanu okuqala enkathi yethu evamile, ongqondongqondo abathile bafuna ukuveza ukuhlobana kwefilosofi yamaGreki neqiniso elembulwe eBhayibhelini. Incwadi ethi A History of Christianity ithi: “Izazi zefilosofi ezingamaKristu zaveza amaGreki ayephila eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambi kukaKristu ezikhandla ngokuzimisela efuna ukufinyelela ulwazi ngoNkulunkulu nokho ehluleka, kunjengokungathi azama ukwakha uJesu ngefilosofi yase-Athene engenasisindo, nokusungula ubuKristu ngezingqondo zawo zamaqaba ezintulayo.”
UPlotinus (205-270 C.E.), umanduleli walezo zihlakaniphi, wakha uhlelo olwalusekelwe ngokuyinhloko emfundisweni yemibono kaPlato. UPlotinus wasungula umbono womphefumulo ohlukene nomzimba. UProfesa E. W. Hopkins wathi ngoPlotinus: “Imfundiso yakhe yenkolo . . . yaba nethonya elikhulu kubaholi bamaKristu.”
“UbuKristu Obuguqulelwe EbuGrekini Nefilosofi YobuKristu”
Kusukela ngekhulu lesibili C.E., izihlakaniphi “ezingamaKristu” zenza umzamo wokuzimisela wokukhanga izihlakaniphi ezingamaqaba. Naphezu kwesixwayiso esicacile somphostoli uPawulu ‘ngezinkulumo ezingenangqondo ezingcolisa okungcwele nokuphikisana okubizwa ngokungeyikho ngokuthi “ulwazi,”’ labo bafundisi baxuba izimfundiso zabo nefilosofi yesiko lamaGreki ayebazungezile. (1 Thimothewu 6:20) Isibonelo sikaPhilo sabonakala sisikisela ukuthi iBhayibheli nemibono kaPlato kungahlanganiseka.—Qhathanisa neyesi-2 Petru 1:16.
Yebo, isisulu sangempela kwakuyiqiniso leBhayibheli. Abafundisi “abangamaKristu” bazama ukubonisa ukuthi ubuKristu babuvumelana nesiko lamaGreki namaRoma. UClement wase-Alexandria no-Origen (bekhulu lesibili nelesithathu C.E.) benza iFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva yaba isisekelo salokho okwaba “ifilosofi yobuKristu.” U-Ambrose (339-397 C.E.), umbhishobhi waseMilan, “wayethole imfundo ephambili yamaGreki, yamaKristu neyamaqaba ngokufanayo—ikakhulukazi izincwadi . . . zeqaba elingumlandeli weFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva uPlotinus.” Wazama ukunikeza amaRoma afundile uhlobo lobuKristu olwaluhambisana nesikhathi sakhe. U-Augustine naye wenza okufanayo.
Ngemva kwekhulu leminyaka, uDionysius wase-Areyophagu (owayebizwa nangokuthi uDionysius-mbumbulu), cishe oyindela yaseSiriya, wazama ukuhlanganisa iFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva nemfundiso “yobuKristu.” Ngokusho kwenye i-encyclopedia, ‘izincwadi zakhe zabangela indlela yokucabanga enethonya leFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva engxenyeni enkulu yezimfundiso nasengokomoyeni lamaKristu angenkathi ephakathi . . . eye yathonya izici ezihlukahlukene ezingokomoya zemfundiso yamaKristu kuze kube manje.’ Yeka ukudelelwa ingcaca kwesixwayiso somphostoli uPawulu esixwayisa “ngefilosofi nenkohliso eyize ngokwesiko labantu”!—Kolose 2:8.
Izinto Ezingcolisayo
Kuye kwaphawulwa ukuthi “abalandeli bakaPlato abangamaKristu bagqamisa isambulo esivela kuNkulunkulu futhi babheka ifilosofi kaPlato njengethuluzi elingcono kakhulu lokuqonda nokuvikela izimfundiso zemiBhalo nesiko lesonto.”
UPlato naye wayeqiniseka ukuthi kukhona umphefumulo ongafi. Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi enye yezimfundiso ezingamanga ezivelele kakhulu ezangena isinyenyela emfundisweni “yamaKristu” eyokungafi komphefumulo. Ukwenza ubuKristu bukhange kubantu abaningi akusona neze isizathu esifanelekile sokwamukela le mfundiso. Lapho eshumayela e-Athene, kubo kwalo isiko lamaGreki, umphostoli uPawulu akafundisanga imfundiso kaPlato yomphefumulo. Kunalokho, wafundisa imfundiso yobuKristu yovuko, nakuba abaningi ezilalelini zakhe ezingamaGreki bakuthola kunzima ukwamukela ayekusho.—IzEnzo 17:22-32.
Ngokuphambene nefilosofi yamaGreki, imiBhalo ibonisa ngokucacile ukuthi umphefumulo akuyona into umuntu anayo kodwa uyiwona. (Genesise 2:7) Ekufeni, umphefumulo awube usaba khona. (Hezekeli 18:4) UmShumayeli 9:5 uyasitshela: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi lutho, futhi abasenawo umvuzo, ngokuba ukukhunjulwa kwabo sekukhohlakele.” Imfundiso yokungafi komphefumulo ayifundiswa eBhayibhelini.
Enye imfundiso ekhohlisayo iphathelene nesikhundla sikaJesu engakabi umuntu, inkolelo yokuthi wayelingana noYise. Incwadi ethi The Church of the First Three Centuries iyachaza: “Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu . . . yasuka emthonjeni ongahlobene nakancane nemiBhalo yamaJuda neyamaKristu.” Kwakuyimuphi lowo mthombo? Le mfundiso “yavela futhi yafakwa ebuKristwini, ifakwa oFata ababeguqulela abantu ezimfundisweni zikaPlato.”
Ngempela, njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka noFata bamaSonto beya bethonywa iFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva, abasekeli bakaZiqu-zintathu bathola abalandeli abengeziwe. Kubonakala sengathi ifilosofi kaPlato yekhulu lesithathu yabenza bakwazi ukuhlanganisa izinto ezingahlangani—ukwenza uNkulunkulu onezingxenye ezintathu abonakale enguNkulunkulu oyedwa. Besebenzisa ifilosofi, bathi abantu abathathu bangaba uNkulunkulu oyedwa bebe benobuntu babo obuhlukile!
Kodwa iqiniso leBhayibheli libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi nguJehova kuphela onguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, uJesu Kristu uyindodana yaKhe eyadalwa enesikhundla esingaphansi, kanti umoya ongcwele ungamandla aKhe asebenzayo. (Duteronomi 6:4; Isaya 45:5; IzEnzo 2:4; Kolose 1:15; IsAmbulo 3:14) Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu ihlaza okuwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso futhi idida nabantu, ibenza bamfulathele uNkulunkulu abangamqondi.
Esinye isisulu sethonya leFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva ekucabangeni kwamaKristu kwaba ithemba elisekelwe emiBhalweni leminyaka eyinkulungwane. (IsAmbulo 20:4-6) U-Origen wayaziwa ngokugxeka abantu abakholelwa eminyakeni eyinkulungwane. Kungani ayemelene kangaka nale mfundiso esekelwe eBhayibhelini yokubusa kukaKristu kweminyaka eyinkulungwane? I-Catholic Encyclopedia iyaphendula: “Ngenxa yeFilosofi KaPlato Yakamuva ezazisekelwe kuyo izimfundiso zakhe . . . , [u-Origen] wayengakwazi ukuvumelana nabakholelwa eminyakeni eyinkulungwane.”
Iqiniso
Kulezi zenzakalo okukhulunywe ngazo ngenhla asikho nesisodwa esasihlangene neqiniso. Leli qiniso liyiyo yonke indikimba yezimfundiso zobuKristu njengoba zitholakala eBhayibhelini. (2 Korinte 4:2; Thithu 1:1, 14; 2 Johane 1-4) IBhayibheli liwukuphela komthombo weqiniso.—Johane 17:17; 2 Thimothewu 3:16.
Nokho, isitha sikaJehova, seqiniso, sesintu nesokuphila okumi phakade—uSathane uDeveli, ‘umbulali wabantu noyise wamanga’—uye wasebenzisa izindlela ezihlukahlukene zobuqili ukuze alonakalise lelo qiniso. (Johane 8:44; qhathanisa neyesi-2 Korinte 11:3.) Phakathi kwamathuluzi anamandla kunawo wonke awasebenzisile kukhona nezimfundiso zezazi zefilosofi yamaGreki ezingamaqaba—empeleni ezibonakalisa ukucabanga kwakhe—ezama ukushintsha okuqukethwe izimfundiso zobuKristu nomongo wazo.
Lokhu kuxutshaniswa okungavamile kwemfundiso yobuKristu nefilosofi yamaGreki kuwumzamo wokululaza iqiniso leBhayibheli, wokulenza lingabi nasisindo futhi lingakhangi kwabafuna iqiniso abamnene, abaqotho nabafundisekayo. (1 Korinte 3:1, 2, 19, 20) Lo mzamo uthanda nokungcolisa ubumsulwa bemfundiso yeBhayibheli ecace bhá, ufiphaze umehluko phakathi kweqiniso namanga.
Namuhla, ngaphansi kwesiqondiso seNhloko yebandla, uJesu Kristu, imfundiso yobuKristu beqiniso iye yabuyiselwa. Abantu abaqotho abafuna iqiniso bangalibona kalula ibandla lamaKristu eqiniso ngezithelo zalo. (Mathewu 7:16, 20) OFakazi BakaJehova bazimisele futhi bayakushisekela ukusiza abanjalo ukuba bathole amanzi eqiniso angonakalisiwe futhi babasize ukuba babambisise ifa lokuphila okumi phakade elinikezwa uBaba wethu, uJehova.—Johane 4:14; 1 Thimothewu 6:19.
[Isithombe ekhasini 11]
U-Augustine
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]
Greek text: From the book Ancient Greek Writers: Plato’s Phaedo, 1957, Ioannis N. Zacharopoulos, Athens; Plato: Musei Capitolini, Roma