UJustin—Isazi Sefilosofi, Umlweli Wokholo, Nomfel’ ukholo

“SIFUNA ukuba amacala amangalelwe ngawo amaKristu aphenywe, nokuthi, uma lamacala enobufakazi, lamaKristu ajeziswe njengoba ekufanele . . . Kodwa uma kungekho muntu ongasimangalela ngotho, ukwahlulela okulungile kuyanenqabela, ukuba kuthi ngenxa yamahemuhemu amabi, nilimaze abantu abangenacala . . . Ngoba, uma senilitholile iqiniso, ningakwenzi okulungile, aniyikuthethelelwa phambi kukaNkulunkulu.”

Ngalamazwi, uJustin Martyr, owayethi ungumKristu wangekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E., wadlulisela icala kumbusi waseRoma uAntoninus Pius. UJustin wacela ukuba ukuphila nezinkolelo zababethi bangamaKristu kuphenywe ngokwahlulela okuhle. Lokhu kufunwa kobulungisa kwaqhamuka kumuntu owayenesizinda nefilosofi ethakazelisa kakhulu.

Ukuphila Kwasebuntwaneni Nokuqeqeshwa

UJustin wayengoweZizwe, wazalwa cishe ngo-110 C.E. eSamariya edolobheni laseFlavia Neapolis, iNablus yanamuhla. Wazibiza ngomSamariya, nakuba cishe uyise noyisemkhulu babengamaRoma noma amaGreki. Ukukhuliswa kwakhe ngamasiko obuqaba, okuhambisana nokomela iqiniso, kwaholela ekufundeni ifilosofi ngenkuthalo. Enganelisiwe ukuhlola akwenza kumaStoyiku, kubalandeli baka-Aristotle, nakubalandeli bakaPythagoras, waphishekela imibono kaPlato.

Kwenye yezincwadi zakhe, uJustin ulandisa ngesifiso sakhe sokuxoxa nezazi zefilosofi futhi uthi: “Ngazinikela kumStoyiku othile; futhi lapho sengichithe isikhathi eside naye, lapho ngingakalutholi noma iluphi ulwazi olwengeziwe ngoNkulunkulu (ngoba wayengazi naye), . . . ngamshiya ngase ngiya komunye.”—Dialogue of Justin, Philosopher and Martyr, With Trypho, a Jew.

UJustin ngokulandelayo waya kumlandeli ka-Aristotle owayenesithakazelo esikhulu emalini kunaseqinisweni. “Lomuntu, ngemva kokuba esengamukele ezinsukwini ezimbalwa zokuqala,” kusho uJustin, “wangicela ukuba ngikhokhe, ukuze ukuxoxisana kwethu kungabi okungenanzuzo. Naye, ngamshiya ngenxa yalesizathu, ngikholelwa ukuthi akasona nakancane isazi sefilosofi.”

Elangazelela ukuzwa “ngefilosofi yekhethelo,” uJustin “waya kumlandeli kaPythagoras, owayaziwa kakhulu—umuntu owayecabanga kakhulu ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe siqu.” UJustin uthi: “Lapho ngixoxa naye, ngizimisele ukumlalela futhi ngibe umfundi wakhe, wathi, ‘Uthini-ke? Ingabe ujwayelene nomculo, isayensi yezinkanyezi, kanye nesayensi yokulinganisa ubukhulu bezinto? Ingabe ulindele ukuqonda okunye kwalezozinto [zokwesaba uNkulunkulu] ezibangela ukuphila okujabulisayo, uma ungazange waziswe [ngazo] kuqala?’ . . . Kwathi lapho ngivuma ukuthi angazi wangixosha.”

Nakuba ayedumazekile, uJustin waqhubeka efuna iqiniso ngokuphendukela kubalandeli bakaPlato abaziwayo. Uthi: “Ngemva kwalokho ngachitha isikhathi sami esiningi ngangokunokwenzeka nomuntu othile kamuva owayesehlala edolobheni lakithi—umuntu onobuhlakani, owayesesikhundleni esiphakeme phakathi kwabalandeli bakaPlato,—futhi ngaqhubekela phambili, ngenza intuthuko enkulu kakhulu nsuku zonke . . . , kangangokuba ngesikhashana nje ngacabanga ukuthi ngase ngihlakaniphile; futhi babunjalo,” kuphetha uJustin, “nobuwula bami.”

Ukufuna kukaJustin iqiniso ngokuthintana nezazi zefilosofi kwakuye kwaba yize. Kodwa lapho esazindla ngasogwini lolwandle, wahlangana nomKristu osekhulile, “ikhehla elithile, elalibonakala lihloniphekile, libonisa imikhuba emihle yokuthobeka neyenza laba nesithunzi.” Ingxoxo eyalandela yaqondisa ukunakekela kwakhe ezimfundisweni eziyisisekelo zeBhayibheli ezigxile esidingweni solwazi oluqondile ngoNkulunkulu.—Roma 10:2, 3, NW.

LomKristu ongashiwongo ngegama watshela uJustin: “Esikhathini eside ngaphambili, kwakunamadoda athile ayengawasendulo kakhulu kunalawo ayizazi zefilosofi ezihlonishwayo, elungile futhi ewathanda uNkulunkulu, . . . abikezela izenzakalo ezazizokwenzeka, futhi ezenzekayo manje. Abizwa ngokuthi abaprofethi. Yiwona kuphela abona futhi amemezela iqiniso kubantu, . . . egcwele uMoya oNgcwele.” Elola ilukuluku likaJustin ngokwengeziwe, lomKristu wathi: “Imibhalo yawo isekhona, futhi umuntu oyifundile uyasizakala kakhulu olwazini lwakhe lokuqala nokuphetha kwezinto.” (Mathewu 5:6; IzEnzo 3:18) Njengoba lomnumzane onomusa ayenxusile, uJustin wayihlola ngenkuthalo imiBhalo futhi kubonakala sengathi wathola isilinganiso esithile sokuqonda imiBhalo kanye nesiprofetho seBhayibheli, njengoba kubonakala ezincwadini zakhe.

Ukuhlolisisa Izincwadi Zakhe

UJustin wayehlatshwe umxhwele isibindi samaKristu lapho ebhekene nokufa. Futhi wayezazisa izimfundiso eziyiqiniso zemiBhalo YesiHeberu. Ukuze asekele amaphuzu kweyakhe ethi Dialogue With Trypho, uJustin wacaphuna kuGenesise, Eksodusi, Levitikusi, Duteronomi, 2 Samuweli, 1 AmaKhosi, AmaHubo, Isaya, Jeremiya, Hezekeli, Daniyeli, Hoseya, Joweli, Amose, Jona, Mika, Zakariya, noMalaki, kanye nasemaVangelini. Ukuzazisa kwakhe lezincwadi zeBhayibheli kubonakala engxoxweni yakhe noTrypho, leyo uJustin akhuluma kuyo ngobuJuda obabukholelwa kuMesiya.

Kubikwa ukuthi uJustin wayengumvangeli, ememezela izindaba ezinhle ngawo wonke amathuba. Ngokunokwenzeka, wayehamba kakhulu. Esinye sesikhathi sakhe wasichitha e-Efesu, futhi ngokunokwenzeka wahlala eRoma isikhathi esithile.

Izincwadi zikaJustin ezifundwa kakhulu zihlanganisa izinkulumo zokulwela ukholo ezazibhalelwe ukuvikela ubuKristu. Kweyakhe ethi First Apology, ufuna ukuchitha ubumnyama obukhulu befilosofi yobuqaba ngokukhanya okuvela emiBhalweni. Uthi ukuhlakanipha kwezazi zefilosofi kungamanga futhi akunangqondo ngokungafani namazwi anamandla nemisebenzi kaKristu. (Qhathanisa neyabaseKolose 2:8.) UJustin unxusela amaKristu ayedelelwa lawo azihlanganisa nawo yena. Ngemva kokuguquka kwakhe, waqhubeka ezibiza ngokuthi uyisazi sefilosofi, ethi wayethole okuwukuphela kwefilosofi yeqiniso.

Ngenxa yokwenqaba ukukhulekela onkulunkulu bobuqaba, amaKristu ekhulu lesibili leminyaka ayebhekwa njengabantu abaphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu. “Asibona abantu abaphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu,” kuphendula uJustin, “njengoba sikhulekela uMenzi wendawo yonke . . . Umuntu osifundisa lezizinto nguJesu Kristu . . . UyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu weqiniso.” Ngokuqondene nokukhonza izithombe, uJustin wathi: “Benza lokho abakubiza ngokuthi unkulunkulu; esingagcini nje ngokukubheka njengokungenangqondo, kodwa njengokumethukayo uNkulunkulu . . . Yeka ubuwula! ukuthi abantu abangenakuzithiba kufanele kuthiwe banenzele futhi banakhele onkulunkulu enizobakhulekela.”—Isaya 44:14-20.

Ngezikhombo eziningi zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, uJustin uzwakalisa ukukholelwa kwakhe ovukweni, izimiso zokuziphatha zobuKristu, ubhapathizo, isiprofetho seBhayibheli (ikakhulukazi esiphathelene noKristu), kanye nasezimfundisweni zikaJesu. Ngokuqondene noJesu, uJustin ucaphuna uIsaya, ethi: “Uhulumeni uzoba semahlombe [kaKristu].” UJustin futhi uthi: “Uma sifuna umbuso womuntu, kufanele futhi simphike uKristu wethu.” Uxoxa ngezilingo nezibopho zamaKristu, ugcizelela ukuthi inkonzo efanele eya kuNkulunkulu ifuna ukuba umuntu abe uMenzi wentando yaKhe, futhi uyaqhubeka ethi “abantu kufanele bathunywe nguYe ezizweni zonke ukuba basakaze lezizinto.”

ISecond Apology of Justin (okucatshangwa ukuthi imane nje iwukuqhutshekiselwa phambili kweyokuqala) ibhalelwe iSigele SaseRoma. UJustin unxusa amaRoma ngokulandisa okuhlangenwe nakho kwamaKristu, ayeshushiswa ngemva kokuba nolwazi oluqondile ngoJesu Kristu. Ubuhle obuphakeme bokulunga bezimfundiso zikaJesu, obabonakala ekuziphatheni kwezakhamuzi ezingamaKristu, babonakala bungabalulekile kangako ezikhulwini zamaRoma. Kunalokho, ukuvuma nje ukuthi umuntu wayengumfundi kwakungaba nemiphumela ebulalayo. Ngokuqondene nomuntu ngaphambili owayefundisa izimfundiso zobuKristu, uJustin wacaphuna umuntu okwakuthiwa uLucius, owabuza: “Kungani nijezise lomuntu engesona isiphingi, noma isifebe, noma umbulali, noma isela, noma umphangi, noma olahlwe icala lanoma ibuphi ubugebengu, kodwa oye nje wavuma ukuthi ubizwa ngegama lokuthi umKristu?”

Izinga lokubandlululwa kwalabo ababethi bangamaKristu ngalesosikhathi livezwa inkulumo kaJustin: “Ngakho-ke, nami ngilindele ukuba ngakhelwe uzungu futhi ngiphanyekwe esigxotsheni, ngabanye balabo engibashilo, noma mhlawumbe nguCrescens, lowomuntu othanda ukuzikhukhumeza nokuqhosha; ngoba umuntu osimangalela obala ezindabeni angaziqondi alimfanele igama lokuthi uyisazi sefilosofi, ethi amaKristu aphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu futhi awahloniphi, futhi lowomuntu enza kanjalo ukuze athandwe izixuku ezikhohlisiwe, ukuze futhi azenze zijabule. Ngoba uma esihlasela engazange azifunde izimfundiso zikaKristu, wonakele ngokuphelele, futhi mubi kakhulu ukwedlula abantu abangafundile, ngokuvamile abangakhulumi noma banikeze ubufakazi bamanga ngezindaba abangaziqondi.”

Ukufa Kwakhe

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwakusezandleni zikaCrescens noma zabanye abaGxeki, uJustin wamangalelwa enduneni yaseRoma njengovukelayo futhi wagwetshelwa ukufa. Cishe ngo-165 C.E., wanqunywa ikhanda eRoma futhi waba “umfel’ ukholo” (martyr) (okusho “ufakazi”). Ngakho, ubizwa ngokuthi uJustin Martyr.

Indlela yokubhala kaJustin ingase intule ubukhazikhazi nesu ayenalo amanye amadoda ayefundile osuku lwakhe, kodwa ukushisekela kwakhe iqiniso nokulunga ngokusobala kwakungokoqobo. Ukuthi waphila ngezinga elingakanani ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo kanye nezimfundiso zikaJesu akunakushiwo ngokuqiniseka. Nokho, izincwadi zikaJustin ziyaziswa ngenxa yalokho ezikuqukethe okuphathelene nomlando kanye nezikhombo eziningi zemiBhalo. Zinikeza ukuqonda ngokuphila nokuhlangenwe nakho kwabantu ababethi bangamaKristu bekhulu lesibili leminyaka.

Okuphawulekayo yimizamo kaJustin yokubonisa ababusi ukungabi nabulungisa koshushiso olwaluqondiswe kumaKristu. Ukuyenqaba kwakhe inkolo nefilosofi yobuqaba ukuze abe nolwazi oluqondile ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu kusikhumbuza ukuthi eAthene umphostoli uPawulu ngesibindi wakhuluma nezazi zefilosofi zamaEphikuru namaStoyiku ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso nangoJesu Kristu owayevusiwe.—IzEnzo 17:18-34.

UJustin ngokwakhe wayenolwazi oluthile ngokuvuka kwabafileyo phakathi neMinyaka Eyinkulungwane. Futhi yeka indlela eliqinisa ngayo ukholo ithemba eliqinisekile leBhayibheli eliphathelene novuko! Liye lasekela amaKristu lapho ebhekene noshushiso futhi lawenza akwazi ukukhuthazelela izilingo ezinkulu, kwaze kwaba ngisho nasekufeni.—Johane 5:28, 29; 1 Korinte 15:16-19; IsAmbulo 2:10; 20:4, 12, 13; 21:2-4.

Khona-ke, uJustin wafuna iqiniso futhi wenqaba ifilosofi yamaGreki. Njengomlweli wokholo, wavikela izimfundiso nemikhuba yabantu ababethi bangamaKristu. Futhi ngokuthi yena ngokwakhe athi ungumKristu, wabhekana nokufela ukholo. Okwakuphawuleka ngokukhethekile kwakuwukulazisa kukaJustin iqiniso nokufakaza kwakhe ngesibindi lapho ebhekene noshushiso, ngoba lezimfanelo ziyatholakala ekuphileni kwabalandeli abaqotho bakaJesu namuhla.—IzAga 2:4-6; Johane 10:1-4; IzEnzo 4:29; 3 Johane 4.