Mmene Chigiriki Chinakhudzira Zochita za Akhristu Oyambirira

ANTHU ambiri amene Akhristu oyambirira anawalalikira ankalankhula Chigiriki. Malemba amene ankagwiritsa ntchito pofotokoza za Yesu anali mu Chigiriki. Anthu ambiri amene anauziridwa kulemba malemba amene amatchedwa kuti Malemba Achigiriki Achikhristu anawalemba mu Chigiriki. Iwo anagwiritsanso ntchito mawu komanso mafanizo amene anthu achikhalidwe cha Agiriki sakanavutika kumva. Komabe Yesu, atumwi ake, komanso ena onse amene analemba Malemba Achigiriki Achikristu sanali Agiriki. Onse anali Ayuda.​—Aroma 3:1, 2.

Kodi zinatheka bwanji kuti chinenero cha Chigiriki chikhale chofunika kwambiri chonchi pofalitsa Chikhristu? Kodi Akhristu amene ankalemba Baibulo komanso amishonale ankatani kuti uthenga wawo ukhale wogwira mtima kwa anthu olankhula Chigiriki? Ndipo n’chifukwa chiyani tiyenera kuchita chidwi ndi zochitika za nthawi imeneyo?

Kufalikira kwa Chikhalidwe cha Agiriki

Cha m’ma 300 B.C.E., Alesandro Wamkulu analanda ufumu wa Perisiya kenako anayamba kugonjetsanso madera ena ambiri. Pofuna kuti anthu a m’madera onsewo akhale ogwirizana, iye ndiponso  mafumu amene anabwera pambuyo pake analimbikitsa anthu kutengera “Chihelene,” kapena kuti chikhalidwe ndi chinenero cha Agiriki.

Ngakhale pamene Aroma anagonjetsa Agiriki n’kuwalanda ulamuliro, anthu ambiri oyandikana nawo anapitirizabe kutsatira chikhalidwe cha Agiriki. Kuyambira m’zaka za m’ma 100 B.C.E., anthu apamwamba a ku Roma ankakonda kwambiri zinthu za Chigiriki monga zojambulajambula, zomangamanga, mabuku ndi nzeru zakudziko zimene ankaphunzitsa. Zimenezi zinachititsa wolemba ndakatulo wina dzina lake Horace kunena kuti: “Agiriki atagonjetsedwa anachititsa kuti owagonjetsawo akhale akapolo a zochita za Agiriki.”

Mu ulamuliro wa Aroma, chikhalidwe cha Agiriki chinafala kwambiri m’mizinda ikuluikulu ya ku Asia Minor, Suriya ndi Iguputo. Chifukwa cha zimenezi chikhalidwe cha Agiriki chinakhudza zochitika zonse pamoyo wa anthu, kuyambira mabungwe aboma, azamalamulo, mpaka pa nkhani za malonda, mafakitale ndi mafashoni. M’mizinda yambiri ya Agiriki munali nyumba zimene achinyamata ankachitiramo masewera olimbitsa thupi, komanso maholo kumene anali kuchitirako masewero a Chigiriki.

Wolemba mbiri wina dzina lake Emil Schürer ananena kuti: “Mwapang’onopang’ono Ayuda nawo anakakamizika kutengera chikhalidwe cha Agiriki chimenechi, ngakhale kuti sanali kufuna.” Poyamba, changu chimene Ayuda anali nacho pakulambira kwawo chinachititsa kuti asatengere kalambiridwe ka chikunja kamene kanabwera ndi chikhalidwe cha Agiriki, koma n’kupita kwa nthawi chikhalidwechi chinakhudzabe mbali zosiyanasiyana za moyo wawo. Ndiponso malinga ndi kunena kwa Schürer, “dera limene Ayuda ankakhala linali laling’ono ndipo linazunguliridwa ndi madera amene anatengera chikhalidwe cha Agiriki. Ayuda ndi anthu a m’madera enawa anali kukumana pochita malonda.”

Baibulo la Septuagint

Ayuda ambiri amene anasamukira m’madera ozungulira nyanja ya Mediterranean anakakhala m’mizinda imene munali chikhalidwe cha Agiriki komanso anthu ake ankalankhula Chigiriki. Ayuda amenewa sanasiye chipembedzo chawo ndipo ankapita ku Yerusalemu kukachita mapwando achiyuda apachaka. Koma m’kupita kwanthawi ambiri anaiwala chinenero chawo cha Chiheberi. * Choncho panafunika kumasulira Malemba a Chiheberi kuti akhale m’Chigiriki chifukwa chinali chinenero chimene anthu ambiri anali kulankhula. Akatswiri a Chiyuda, mwina amene anali mumzinda wa Alesandiriya womwe unali kuchimake kwa chikhalidwe cha Agiriki ku Iguputo, anayamba kugwira ntchito yomasulirayi mu 280 B.C.E. Pamapeto pake anatulutsa Baibulo la Septuagint.

Baibulo la Septuagint lakhala lothandiza kwambiri. Linathandiza kuti anthu a m’mayiko a Kumadzulo adziwe zimene zili m’Malemba a Chiheberi. Popanda Baibulo limeneli, anthu ambiri sakanadziwa zimene Mulungu anali kuchita ndi Aisiraeli chifukwa zinalembedwa m’chinenero chosadziwika kwa anthu ambiri, ndipo sizikanatheka kulalikira padziko lonse m’chinenero chimenechi. Koma Baibulo la Septuagint linachititsa kuti mfundo za m’Malemba limodzinso ndi maziko ake zikhale m’chinenero chimene chinathandiza anthu a mitundu yosiyanasiyana kudziwa Yehova Mulungu. Motero chifukwa chakuti Chigiriki panthawiyo chinali kulankhulidwa m’mayiko ambiri, chinali choyenera pofalitsa choonadi chonena za Mulungu.

Anthu Otembenukira ku Chiyuda Komanso Anthu Oopa Mulungu

Pofika m’zaka za m’ma 100 B.C.E., Ayuda anali atamasulira mabuku awo ambiri kukhala  m’Chigiriki ndiponso ankalemba ena atsopano m’chinenerochi. Zimenezi zinathandiza kuti anthu a mitundu ina adziwe mbiri ya Aisiraeli ndi chipembedzo chawo. Akatswiri a mbiri yakale amanena kuti panthawi imeneyi, anthu ambiri a mitundu ina “anali kuchita zinthu ndi Ayuda, moti anali kulambira limodzi ndi Ayudawo ndipo nthawi zina anali kutsatira malamulo awo onse.”​—The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ.

Anthu ena anali kutsatira zinthu zonse zimene Ayuda ankachita, analolera kudulidwa ndipo anali kutembenukira ku Chiyuda. Pamene ena anali kungotsatira zina ndi zina za Chiyuda koma sanali kutembenukiratu. M’mabuku a Chigiriki anthu oterewa anali kutchedwa kuti “oopa Mulungu.” Ndipo Koneliyo anatchedwa kuti “wopembedza ndi woopa Mulungu.” Mtumwi Paulo anakumana ndi anthu ambiri oopa Mulungu omwe ankakhala limodzi ndi Ayuda ku Asia Minor ndi ku Girisi. Mwachitsanzo, polankhula ndi anthu amene anali m’sunagoge ku Antiokeya wa ku Pisidiya anawatchula kuti, “anthu inu, Aisiraeli, ndi ena nonse oopa Mulungu.”​—Machitidwe 10:2; 13:16, 26; 17:4; 18:4.

Motero pamene ophunzira a Yesu anayamba kulalikira uthenga wabwino kwa Ayuda amene anali kukhala kunja kwa Yudeya, anthu ambiri amene anakumana nawo anali a chikhalidwe cha Agiriki. Ndipotu m’madera amenewa Chikhristu chinafalikira mosavuta. Ndiye ophunzirawo atazindikira kuti Mulungu wayamba kupereka chiyembekezo cha chipulumutso kwa anthu a mitundu ina, anaona kuti Mulungu alibe kuti uyu ndi “Myuda kapena Mgiriki.”​—Agalatiya 3:28.

Kulalikira kwa Agiriki

Chifukwa cha kapembedzedwe ndiponso makhalidwe a anthu a mitundu ina, poyamba Akhristu ena a Chiyuda oyambirira, sankalola kuti anthu a mitundu ina alowe mu mpingo wachikhristu. Koma zitadziwika kuti Mulungu anali kulandira anthu amenewa, atumwi ndi akulu ku Yerusalemu ananena momveka bwino kuti anthu amenewa ayenera kupewa magazi, dama ndi kupembedza mafano. (Machitidwe 15:29) Malangizo amenewa anali ofunika kwa onse amene kale anali kutsatira moyo wa Chigiriki chifukwa chakuti “zilakolako zamanyazi za kugonana” ndiponso kugonana kwa amuna kapena akazi okhaokha kunali kofala m’madera a Agiriki ndi Aroma. Makhalidwe otere sankafunika ngakhale pang’ono kwa Akhristu.​—Aroma 1:26, 27; 1 Akorinto 6:9, 10.

Mtumwi Paulo anali mmishonale amene anadziwika kwambiri ndi kulalikira m’madera a anthu olankhula Chigiriki kuposa amishonale achikhristu ena onse m’nthawi ya atumwi. Ngakhale leroli, anthu akapita ku Atene m’dziko la Girisi amatha kuona chipilala m’tsinde mwa phiri la Areopagi chokumbukira nkhani yotchuka imene Paulo anakamba mu mzindawo. Nkhani imeneyi imapezeka m’Baibulo pa Machitidwe chaputala 17. Paulo anayamba nkhani yakeyo ndi mawu akuti “Amuna inu a mu Atene.” Umu ndi mmene Agiriki anali kuyambira nkhani zawo polankhula pagulu, ndipo mawuwa anachititsa kuti anthu onse, omwe ena mwa iwo anali Aepikureya ndi Asitoiki, amvetsere mwachidwi. M’malo mokwiya kapena kudzudzula zimene omvera ake ankakhulupirira, Paulo anawayamikira kuti anali anthu opembedza kwambiri. Anafotokoza za guwa lawo lansembe lolembedwa kuti “Kwa Mulungu Wosadziwika,” ndipo anati akufuna kuti akambirane za Mulungu ameneyu. Iyetu anayamba ndi zimene anthuwo anali kuzidziwa kale.​—Machitidwe 17:16-23.

Paulo anawafika pa mtima omvera ake mwa kugwiritsa ntchito mfundo zimene iwo akanavomereza. Asitoiki anavomerezana naye pamfundo zakuti moyo wa anthu unachokera kwa Mulungu, anthu onse ndi a fuko limodzi, Mulungu sali nafe patali, ndiponso yakuti anthu amadalira Mulungu kuti akhale ndi moyo. Paulo anatsindika mfundo yomalizirayi mwa kunena mawu a m’ndakatulo ya Aratus (yakuti Phaenomena) ndiponso ya  Cleanthes (yakuti Hymn to Zeus). Andakatulo amenewa anali Asitoiki. Nawonso Aepikureya anagwirizana naye Paulo pamfundo zochuluka, monga zakuti Mulungu ndi wamoyo ndipo n’zotheka kumudziwa. Iye sasowa kanthu, safunikira kupatsidwa chilichonse ndi anthu, ndiponso sakhala mu akachisi opangidwa ndi manja.

Mawu amene Paulo anali kugwiritsa ntchito anali odziwika bwino kwa omvera ake. Buku lina limati mawu akuti “dziko (kosmos),” komanso akuti “mbadwa” anali mawu amene Agiriki a nzeru zadziko anali kuwagwiritsa ntchito kawirikawiri. (Machitidwe 17:24-29) Si kuti Paulo anali kunyalanyaza mfundo za choonadi kuti akope anthuwo. Tikutero chifukwa chakuti pomaliza ananena za kuuka kwa akufa komanso za chiweruzo, ndipo mfundo zimenezi zinatsutsana ndi zimene iwo anali kukhulupirira. Koma ngakhale zinali choncho, iye anakonza bwino uthenga wake n’kuufotokozanso mosamala kuti ukhale wokopa kwa anthu anzeru za dziko amene ankamumvetsera.

Makalata ambiri a Paulo analembera mipingo imene inali m’mizinda ya Agiriki kapena m’madera olamulidwa ndi Aroma omwe anali atatengera chikhalidwe cha Agiriki. M’makalata amenewa, omwe analembedwa m’Chigiriki chomveka bwino, munali mawu ndi zitsanzo zambiri zimene zinali zofala pachikhalidwe cha Agiriki. Paulo anatchula za masewera osiyanasiyana, mphoto imene wopambana ankalandira, namkungwi amene ankaperekeza ana kusukulu, ndi zinthu zina zambiri zochitika pa moyo wa Agiriki. (1 Akorinto 9:24-27; Agalatiya 3:24, 25) Komatu ngakhale kuti Paulo anagwiritsa ntchito mawu a Chigiriki, sanayese ngakhale pang’ono kutengera makhalidwe a Agiriki kapenanso maganizo awo pankhani ya chipembedzo.

Kukhala Zinthu Zonse kwa Anthu Osiyanasiyana

Mtumwi Paulo anazindikira kuti anafunika kukhala “zinthu zonse kwa anthu osiyanasiyana” kuti athe kugawira ena uthenga wabwino. Iye analemba kuti ‘kwa Ayuda anakhala ngati Myuda, kuti apindule Ayuda,’ ndipo kwa Agiriki anakhala ngati Mgiriki kuti awathandize kudziwa zolinga za Mulungu. Paulo anachita zimenezi bwino kwambiri chifukwa anali Myuda ndiponso nzika ya m’mzinda womwe unatengera chikhalidwe cha Agiriki. Masiku ano Akhristu onse amafunika kuchita zofanana ndi zimenezi.​—1 Akorinto 9:20-23.

Masiku ano, anthu ambiri amasamukira ku mayiko ena, komanso amachoka ku chikhalidwe china n’kupita ku chikhalidwe china. Zimenezi zimabweretsa ntchito yaikulu kwa Akhristu chifukwa iwo amayesetsa kulalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu ndiponso kumvera lamulo la Yesu lakuti mupange “ophunzira mwa anthu a mitundu yonse.” (Mateyo 24:14; 28:19) Iwo nthawi zonse amaona kuti anthu akamamva uthenga wabwino m’chinenero chawo, amakhudzidwa mtima ndipo amamvetsera bwino.

Chifukwa cha zimenezi, magazini ino ya Nsanja ya Olonda Yolengeza Ufumu wa Yehova, imafalitsidwa m’zinenero 169 mwezi uliwonse, ndipo magazini yathu ina ya Galamukani! m’zinenero 81. Ndiponso pofunitsitsa kuuza anthu amene asamukira m’dera lawo uthenga wabwino, Mboni za Yehova zambiri zayesetsa kuphunzira chinenero china, ngakhale zinenero zovuta kuphunzira monga Chiarabu, Chirasha, ndi Chitchaina. Cholinga chawo masiku ano ndi chofanana ndi cha m’nthawi ya atumwi. Mtumwi Paulo anafotokoza bwino zimenezi pamene anati: “Ndakhala zinthu zonse kwa anthu osiyanasiyana, kuti mulimonse mmene zingakhalire ndipulumutsepo ena.”​—1 Akorinto 9:22.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Mapu patsamba 18]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

Roma

GIRISI

Atene

ASIYA

Antiokeya (wa ku Pisidiya)

KILIKIYA

SURIYA

YUDEYA

Yerusalemu

IGUPUTO

Alesandiriya

Kurene

NYANJA YA MEDITERRANEAN

[Chithunzi patsamba 19]

Baibulo la “Septuagint” linathandiza anthu a m’nthawi ya atumwi kudziwa Yehova

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Israel Antiquities Authority

[Chithunzi patsamba 20]

Chipilala cha ku Areopagi chokumbukira nkhani ya Paulo