OFata Abangabaphostoli—Ingabe Abakubhala Kwakuvumelana Nezimfundiso Zabaphostoli?

EKUQALENI kwekhulu leminyaka lesibili C.E., izimfundiso zamanga zase ziqalile ukudunga iqiniso lobuKristu. Njengoba nje isiprofetho esiphefumulelwe sasibikezele, ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli, kunabathile abafulathela iqiniso baphendukela “ezindabeni ezingamanga.” (2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4) Cishe ngo-98 C.E., uJohane, umphostoli wokugcina owayesaphila, waxwayisa ngalezo zimfundiso eziyiphutha nangabantu ‘ababezama ukudukisa’ amaKristu athembekile.—1 Johane 2:26; 4:1, 6.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, kwavela amadoda ayaziwa ngokuthi oFata Abangabaphostoli. Basabela kanjani ekukhohliseni okungokwenkolo okwase kukhona? Ingabe basilalela isixwayiso somphostoli uJohane esiphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu?

Babengobani?

Ababhali bezenkolo okungenzeka babazi omunye wabaphostoli bakaJesu noma okungenzeka bafundiswa abafundi abafundiswa abaphostoli babizwa ngokuthi “oFata Abangabaphostoli.” Amaningi ala madoda aphila ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E kwaze kwaba phakathi nekhulu lesibili.a UClement waseRoma, u-Ignatius wase-Antiyokiya, uPapias waseHiyerapholi noPolycarp waseSmirna bangabanye bawo. Kunababhali esingawazi amagama abo ababhala phakathi naleso sikhathi futhi ezinye zezincwadi zabo zibizwa ngokuthi i-Didache, i-Epistle of Barnabas, i-Martyrdom of Polycarp kanye nencwadi yesibili kaClement.

Namuhla, akulula ukubona ukuthi izimfundiso zoFata Abangabaphostoli zivumelana kanjani nezimfundiso zikaJesu. Akungabazeki ukuthi la madoda ayehlose ukulondoloza noma ukuthuthukisa uhlobo oluthile lobuKristu. Akulahla ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe kanye nokungabi nasimilo. Ayekholelwa ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu nokuthi wavuswa kwabafileyo. Kodwa ehluleka ukunqanda ukuhlubuka okwakwanda. Kunalokho, amanye awo anezela kulokho kuhlubuka.

Ingabe Lezo Zinguquko Zazingasho Lutho?

Eqinisweni, izimfundiso ezithile zalobo “buKristu” bokuqala zachezuka ezimfundisweni zikaKristu nabaphostoli bakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokuphambene nalokho uJesu akwenza ngesikhathi emisa iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa, umlobi wencwadi ethi Didache wathi kufanele kudluliswe iwayini kuqala ngaphambi kwesinkwa. (Mathewu 26:26, 27) Lo mlobi waphinde wathi uma engekho amanzi amaningi okungacwiliswa kuwo umuntu uma ebhapathizwa, ukumfafaza ekhanda kuyobe kwanele. (Marku 1:9,10; IzEnzo 8:36, 38) Yona le ncwadi yakhuthaza amaKristu ukuba ayibheke njengesibopho le mikhuba, azile ukudla kabili ngesonto futhi aphindaphinde uBaba Wethu kathathu ngosuku.—Mathewu 6:5-13; Luka 18:12.

U-Ignatius wafundisa ukuthi kufanele kube nenhlangano entsha ehlukile ebandleni lobuKristu, enombhishobhi oyedwa owengamele “esikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu.” Lo mbhishobhi nguye owayezoba negunya phezu kwabafundisi abaningi. Ukusungulwa kwezimfundiso ezinjalo kwavele kwavula ithuba lezimfundiso zamanga eziningi.—Mathewu 23:8, 9.

Ukweqisa, Ukufel’ Ukholo Nokukhonza Izithombe

Enye yezinto ezenza oFata Abangabaphostoli baqhela nakakhulu eqinisweni kwaba ukweqisa. UPapias wayelangazelela iqiniso futhi wabhekisela emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, wayekholelwa ukuthi phakathi nokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane okwabikezelwa, imivini yayiyokhiqiza amagatsha angu-10 000, igatsha ngalinye imilibo engu-10 000, umlibo ngamunye amahlumela angu-10 000, ihlumela ngalinye amahlukuzo angu-10 000, ihlukuzo ngalinye amagilebhisi angu-10 000 bese igilebhisi ngalinye lilingana namalitha angu-1 000 ewayini.

UPolycarp wayezimisele ukuba umfel’ ukholo kunokuba aphike ukuthi wayengumKristu. Kubikwa ukuthi wayefundiswe ngabaphostoli kanye nabanye ababazi uJesu. Wayecaphuna eBhayibhelini futhi kubonakala sengathi wenza konke ayengakwenza ukuze aphile njengomKristu.

Nokho, indlela abanye ababemthanda ngayo uPolycarp yenza kwasala kancane bamkhulekele. I-Martyrdom of Polycarp ithi ngemva kokufa kwakhe, “abathembekile” babefuna ukuthatha amathambo akhe. Babewabheka “njengayigugu ukudlula izinto zokuhloba zenani elikhulu nanjengacwengeke ngaphezu kwegolide.” Ngokusobala, izimfundiso zezihlubuki zase ziqalile ukwanda.

Izincwadi Ezingaphefumulelwe

Abanye oFata Abangabaphostoli bamukela ezinye izincwadi ezingekho eBhayibhelini njengeziphefumulelwe. Omunye wabo nguClement waseRoma futhi wacaphuna izincwadi ezingaphefumulelwe zika-Wisdom no-Judith. Umlobi we-Epistle of Polycarp ubhekisela kuyi-Tobit ukuze asekele umqondo wokuthi ukwenza iminikelo yesihle kungamkhulula ekufeni lowo onikelayo.

Ekhulwini leminyaka lesibili C.E., amavangeli angamanga mayelana nokuphila kukaJesu ayesethé chithi saka, futhi oFata babevame ukuwamukela nokuwacaphuna lapho bekhuluma. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Ignatius wacaphuna elinye elaziwa ngokuthi iVangeli LamaHebheru. Ngokuphathelene noClement waseRoma, omunye umthombo uthi: “UClement ubonakala emazi uKristu, hhayi ngoba emfunde emaVangelini, kodwa emibhalweni engekho ezinhlwini zeBhayibheli.”

Inqwaba Yamaphutha

Ngokuphendukela ezinganekwaneni, emibonweni eyimfihlakalo nakumafilosofi ukuze achaze ukholo lobuKristu, la madoda avulela inqwaba yamaphutha. Ngokwesibonelo, uClement wabhekisela enganekwaneni ekhuluma ngenyoni i-phoenix ukuze afakazele ukuthi uvuko lukhona. Le nyoni eyaziwa ngokuthi ingumaf’ avuke yayihlotshaniswa nokukhulekelwa kwelanga ezinganekwaneni zaseGibhithe.

Omunye umbhali owasonta amaqiniso emiBhalo ngumlobi wencwadi ethi Epistle of Barnabas. Wachaza uMthetho KaMose ngokuthi wawumane nje ungumfanekiso. Ngokusho kwakhe, izilwane ezihlanzekile—ezetshisayo nezidabula inselo—zazifanekisela abantu abazindla ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu. Lo mbhali wathi ukudabula inselo kusho ukuthi umuntu olungile “uphila kuleli zwe” ngesikhathi esifanayo abheke phambili ekuphileni kwasezulwini. Izincazelo ezinjalo azisekelwe emiBhalweni.—Levitikusi 11:1-3.

Ubufakazi Bomphostoli UJohane

Phakathi nekhulu lokuqala, umphostoli uJohane waxwayisa: “Bathandekayo, ningakholwa yizo zonke izinkulumo eziphefumulelwe, kodwa zivivinyeni izinkulumo eziphefumulelwe ukuze nibone ukuthi zivela kuNkulunkulu yini, ngoba sekukhona abaprofethi abaningi bamanga ezweni.” (1 Johane 4:1) Yeka ukuthi lawo mazwi ayefaneleka kanjani!

Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala, abaningi ababethi bangamaKristu base bezishiyile kakade izimfundiso zikaJesu nabaphostoli bakhe. Esikhundleni sokuba bamelane nalelo gagasi lokuhlubuka, oFata Abangabaphostoli nabo benezela kulo. Baxuba iqiniso namanga. Ekhuluma ngabanjalo, umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Wonke umuntu odlulela phambili angahlali emfundisweni kaKristu akanaye uNkulunkulu.” (2 Johane 9) Kubo bonke abantu abaqotho ababefuna iqiniso, lesi sixwayiso esiphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu sasicace bha—futhi sisenjalo nanamuhla.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 29]

Abanye oFata Abangabaphostoli, kuhlanganise noClement, bacaphuna ezinganekwaneni, emibonweni eyimfihlakalo nakumafilosofi lapho bebhala izincwadi zabo

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

UPolycarp wayezimisele ukuba umfel’ ukholo

[Umthombo]

The Granger Collection, New York