UDiocletian Uhlasela UbuKristu
EMKHOSINI kankulunkulu wamaRoma uTerminus ngoFebruary 23, 303 C.E., owawuseNicomedia eAsia Minor, inhloko-dolobha entsha yombuso, amadoda ayencintisana ebonisa ukushisekela kwawo izwe lakubo. Kodwa umphakathi omningi wamaKristu wawungekho ngokuphawulekayo.
Besendaweni abangabona bekuyo esigodlweni sabo, uMbusi uDiocletian nongaphansi kwakhe uGalerius Caesar babheka indawo yokuhlangana yamaKristu yasendaweni. Lapho benikezwa uphawu, amasosha nezikhulu zikahulumeni baqonda esakhiweni samaKristu, basiphanga, futhi bashisa amakhophi eBhayibheli abawathola. Ekugcineni, basidiliza sonke lesisakhiwo.
Ngaleyondlela kwaqala inkathi yoshushiso eyangcolisa ukubusa kukaDiocletian. Izazi-mlando zilubiza ngokuthi “ushushiso olukhulu lokugcina,” “ushushiso olunobudlova obukhulu,” ngisho nangokuthi “kwakuwukuqothulwa ngokuphelele kwegama lobuKristu.” Ukuhlola isizinda salezenzakalo ezishukumisayo kunikeza ukuqonda okukhulu.
Ubuqaba Bumelana NobuKristu
UDiocletian, owazalelwa eDalmathiya, isifunda sendawo eyaphenduka yaba iYugoslavia, waba ngovelele ngezikhundla zebutho lamaRoma. Emiswa njengombusi ngo-284 C.E., waduma ngenxa yenguquko engokombangazwe lapho emisa ubutetrarki, ubuholi obuhlangene babantu abane, ukuba bube inhloko yombuso. UDiocletian wamisa uMaximian, isosha elidala ayekanye nalo, ukuba asebenze kanye naye njengombusi wesibili, omlandelayo ngokuphakama, enomthwalo wemfanelo okhethekile engxenyeni engasentshonalanga yombuso. Bobabili uDiocletian noMaximian babenoCaesar ongaphansi kwabo lowo owayenikezwa amalungelo okulandela esikhundleni. UConstantius Chlorus waba uCaesar kaMaximian, kuyilapho uGalerius waseThrace enegunya ngaphansi kukaDiocletian.
UGalerius Caesar, njengoDiocletian, wayengumkhulekeli oshisekayo wonkulunkulu bamaqaba. Elangazelela ukulandela umbusi esikhundleni, uGalerius wenza sengathi usaba ukungethembeki okukhona ebuthweni. Wayengalithandi ithonya elikhulayo lamasosha ayethi angamaKristu. Ngokombono wombusi, ukunqaba kwawo ukuhlanganyela ekukhulekeleni kobuqaba kwaba inselele egunyeni lakhe. Ngakho uGalerius wanxusa uDiocletian ukuba athathe izinyathelo zokuqothula ubuKristu. Ekugcineni, ebusika buka-302/303 C.E., umbusi wanqotshwa umuzwa kaCaesar wokumelana nobuKristu futhi wavuma ukususa ibutho nezindawo zombuso zalabantu. Kodwa uDiocletian wakwenqabela ukuchitha igazi, esaba ukuthi abafel’ ukholo ngenxa yesisusa sobuKristu babeyoshukumisela abanye ukuba banqume ukuvukela.
Noma kunjalo, enganelisiwe yilendlela yokubhekana nalenkinga, uDiocletian wathintana nabaqondisi bempi nezikhulu, kuhlanganise noHierocles, umbusi waseBithiniya. Lomuntu oshisekayo owayephila ngezikhathi zobuHellenist wasekela isenzo sobudlova ngokumelene nawo wonke amaKristu. Ukusekela kukaDiocletian onkulunkulu bamasiko baseRoma kwaholela ekulweni nobuKristu. Umphumela, ngokweDiocletian and the Roman Recovery, kaStephen Williams, waba “yimpi engenamngcele kwaze kwaba sekugcineni phakathi konkulunkulu baseRoma nonkulunkulu wamaKristu.”
Imiyalo
Ukuze alandelele umkhankaso wakhe wokushushisa, uDiocletian wamemezela imiyalo emine elandelanayo. Osukwini ngemva kokuhlasela eNicomedia, wayala ukuba zonke izindawo zokuhlangana zamaKristu nempahla yawo kubhujiswe futhi wayala ukuba kulethwe izincwadi ezingcwele futhi zishiswe. AmaKristu ayesezikhundleni eziphakeme zikaHulumeni kwakumelwe ehliswe kuzo.
Lapho kuthungeleka umlilo kabili khona kanye ngaphakathi esigodlweni sombusi, kwasolwa amaKristu ayesebenza lapho. Lokhu kwabangela ukushaywa komyalo wesibili, owayala ukuba kuboshwe futhi kugqunywe ejele bonke ababhishobhi, amagosa, namadiyakoni. Ugunyaza ukuhlupha uma kudingeka, umyalo wesithathu wazama ukwenza labantu bahlubuke, ufuna ukuba benze imihlatshelo konkulunkulu bamaRoma. Umyalo wesine wafuna okwengeziwe futhi wakwenza kwaba icala lokufa nganoma ubani ukuba athi ungumKristu.
Igagasi lonya elaba umphumela laveza isigaba esabizwa ngokuthi amatraditor (okusho, “labo abanikezela”), amambuka kuNkulunkulu nakuKristu azama ukuvikela ukuphila kwawo ngokunikezela amakhophi awo emiBhalo. Ngokwesazi-mlando uWill Durant, “izinkulungwane zamaKristu zahoxa okholweni . . . Kodwa iningi labashushiswa lama liqinile; futhi ukubona noma umbiko wokuthembeka okukhulu ngaphansi kokuhlushwa kwaqinisa ukholo lwalabo ababentengantenga futhi kwawazuzela amalungu amasha amabandla ayezingelwa.” AmaKristu eFrigiya, eKhaphadosiya, eMesopotamiya, eFenike, eGibithe, nakwezinye izingxenye eziningi zoMbuso wamaRoma aba ngabafel’ ukholo.
Isazi-mlando sesonto uEusebius waseKesariya salinganisela ukuthi izinkulungwane zamaKristu zafa phakathi noshushiso. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uEdward Gibbon, umlobi weDecline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ukhuluma ngenani elingaphansi kwezinkulungwane ezimbili. “UGibbon ubheka eziningi zalezindaba ngokungabaza okuthile, njengoba zivela emithonjeni yamaKristu enongiwe okuhloswe ngayo ukudumisa abafel’ ukholo nokuqinisa abathembekile,” kuchaza omunye umlobi. “Akungabazeki,” eqhubeka, “yihaba elenziwa abalobi abaguqula kalula nje ukufa kwabambalwa kube ‘okwezixuku’, abangahlukanisi phakathi kokufela ukholo okungaceliwe kanye nalokho okuba umphumela wendelelo yangamabomu; futhi abalandisa indlela izilo zasendle ezinkundleni zemidlalo ezazidwengula ngayo ngolaka zonke ezinye izigelekeqe kodwa zavinjwa ‘amandla angaphezu kwawemvelo’ ekuthinteni amaKristu. Kodwa, ngisho nokuzakhela ngenjongo yokukhohlisa, lokho okusalayo kubi ngokwanele.” Ngokuqinisekile ushushiso olunonya kakhulu lwenzeka ngezinhlaka zokuhlupha, ukushiswa, ukubhaxatshulwa, nangezindlawu zokuhlupha.
Eminye imithombo inombono wokuthi nguGalerius, kunokuba kube uDiocletian, owayengumshoshozeli woshushiso. “Akusikho ukuthi akukhona ukubaluleka okujulile ngokokuziphatha,” kusho uProfesa William Bright kwethi The Age of the Fathers, “ukuthi umzamo omkhulu wombuso wezwe wobuqaba wokubhubhisa ukuphila koMbuso okungewona owalelizwe kufanele kuthiwe okaDiocletian, kunomsunguli wako wangempela uGalerius.” Nokho, ngisho nangaphakathi kobutetrarki, uDiocletian wayenamandla amakhulu kunabo bonke ekulawuleni, njengoba umlobi uStephen Williams egcizelela: “Akungabazeki ukuthi uDiocletian wayelawula zonke izimiso ezinkulu eMbusweni kwaze kwaba ngo-304, futhi uyena kakhulu owayegqugquzela ushushiso kwaze kwaba yilolosuku.” UDiocletian wagula futhi ekugcineni wayeka ukulawula ngo-305 C.E. Eminyakeni engaba isithupha ngemva kwalokho, ushushiso olwaqhubeka lwabonisa inzondo embi kaGalerius ngazo zonke izinto eziphathelene nobuKristu.
UbuKristu Bangekhulu Lesine Leminyaka
Lezizenzakalo ezethusayo ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka ziqinisekisa lokho okwakubikezelwe abaphostoli uPawulu noPetru, kanye nabanye ababhali abaphefumlelwe. “Umuntu ongenamthetho” owayebikezelwe, isigaba esibusayo sabefundisi samaKristu okuzisholo, kakade wayesengenile, njengoba umyalo kaDiocletian, ikakhulukazi owesibili, ukufakazela. (2 Thesalonika 2:3, 4; IzEnzo 20:29, 30; 2 Petru 2:12) Ngekhulu lesine leminyaka, imikhuba yezihlubuki yayisivamile kakade. Inani elithile elikhulu lamaKristu okuzisholo lalingamalungu ebutho lamaRoma. Ingabe emuva ngalesosikhathi ayengekho amaKristu ayethembekile ‘esibonelweni samazwi aphilayo’ ayewathola kubaphostoli?—2 Thimothewu 1:13.
UEusebius uzibiza ngamagama ezinye zezisulu zoshushiso, echaza ngisho nangokucacile ukuhlushwa, ukuhlupheka, nokufela kwazo ukholo ekugcineni. Ukuthi bonke labafel’ ukholo bafa beqotho yini eqinisweni elalambuliwe elalitholakala ngalesosikhathi, okwamanje asinakukwazi. Ngokungangabazeki abanye babezithathe ngokungathi sína izixwayiso zikaJesu zokugwema umoya wamahlelo, ukuziphatha okubi, kanye nokuhlehla okholweni nganoma iyiphi indlela. (IsAmbulo 2:15, 16, 20-23; 3:1-3) Ngokusobala, abanye abathembekile abasinda bahlala befihlekile embonweni ongokomlando. (Mathewu 13:24-30) Empeleni, imizamo yokuvimbela ukukhulekela kobuKristu komphakathi yaphumelela kangangokuba isakhiwo sesikhumbuzo saseSpain sangaleyonkathi sihalalisela uDiocletian ngokuba eye ‘waphelisa inkolelo-ze kaKristu.’ Nokho, imizamo yokuphuca nokubhubhisa amakhophi emiBhalo, isici esiyinhloko sokuhlasela kukaDiocletian ubuKristu, yahluleka ukuqothula iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngokuphelele.—1 Petru 1:24, 25.
Engaphumelelanga ukububhubhisa ngokuphelele ubuKristu, uSathane uDeveli, umbusi walelizwe, waqhubeka nezenzo zakhe zobuqili esebenzisa uMbusi uConstantine, owabusa kusukela ngo-306 kuya ku-337 C.E. (Johane 12:31; 16:11; Efesu 6:11, umbhalo waphansi weNW.) UConstantine oyiqaba akazange alwe namaKristu. Kunalokho, wakuthola kufanelekile ukuba ahlanganise izinkolelo zobuqaba nezobuKristu enkolweni entsha yoMbuso.
Yeka isixwayiso okuyiso kithi sonke! Lapho sibhekana noshushiso olunonya, uthando lwethu ngoJehova luyosisiza ukuba sigweme ukuhlehla okholweni ngenxa yanoma iyiphi inkululeko engokwenyama yesikhashana. (1 Petru 5:9) Ngokufanayo, ngeke sivumele inkathi enokuthula ukuba inciphise umdlandla wethu wobuKristu. (Heberu 2:1; 3:12, 13) Ukunamathela ngokuqinile ezimisweni zeBhayibheli kuyosigcina sithembekile kuJehova, uNkulunkulu ongakhulula abantu bakhe.—IHubo 18:25, 48.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 28]
Musei Capitolini, Roma