UKULOTSHWA kweBhayibheli kwaphela ngekhulu lokuqala C.E. Izimfundiso ezaholela ekusabalaleni kukaZiqu-zintathu zasungulwa ngokusemthethweni ngo-325 C.E.—ngemva kweminyaka engamakhulu amabili iBhayibheli lalotshwa—emkhandlwini owawusedolobheni laseNicaea e-Asia Minor, osekuyi-Iznik, eTurkey. Ngokwe-New Catholic Encyclopedia, isivumo sokholo esasishiwo uMkhandlu waseNicaea sasinencazelo yokuqala engokomthetho ‘yenkolelo yobuKristu,’ ehlanganisa nencazelo kaNkulunkulu noKristu. Nokho, kungani kwabonakala kudingekile ukuchaza uNkulunkulu noKristu ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka iBhayibheli laqedwa ukulotshwa? Ingabe iBhayibheli alizichazi yini kahle lezi zihloko ezibalulekile?

Lapho uConstantine eba ukuphela kombusi woMbuso wamaRoma, ababezibiza ngamaKristu babenemibono engefani ngokuhlobana okukhona phakathi kukaNkulunkulu noKristu. Ingabe uJesu wayenguNkulunkulu? Noma wayedalwe uNkulunkulu? Ukuze axazulule le nkinga, uConstantine wabizela ndawonye abaholi benkolo eNicaea, hhayi ngoba ayefuna amaqiniso angokwenkolo, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi wayengafuni inkolo ihlukanise umbuso wakhe.

UConstantine wacela ababhishobhi, okungenzeka babebalelwa emakhulwini, ukuba bavumelane ngazwi-linye, kodwa isicelo sakhe saba yize. Wabe esesikisela ukuthi umkhandlu uvumelane nomcabango oyindida wokuthi uJesu “wayenesimo esifana” (homoousios) nesikaYise. Le nkulumo yefilosofi yamaGreki engasekelwe eBhayibhelini yabeka isisekelo semfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu njengoba kamuva ivela ezivumweni zokholo zesonto. Empeleni, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine, uZiqu-zintathu wawusunale ncazelo ekhona namuhla, ehlanganisa nalokho okuthiwa ingxenye yesithathu kankulunkulu, okungumoya ongcwele.

UJesu wathi ‘abakhulekeli beqiniso bayokhulekela uBaba ngeqiniso.’ (Johane 4:23) Lelo qiniso lilotshwe eBhayibhelini. (Johane 17:17) Ingabe iBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi uBaba, iNdodana nomoya ongcwele kungabantu abathathu kuNkulunkulu oyedwa?

 Okokuqala, iBhayibheli alikhulumi ngegama elithi “Ziqu-zintathu.” Okwesibili, uJesu akakaze athi ulingana noNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, uJesu wakhulekela uNkulunkulu. (Luka 22:41-44) Ubufakazi besithathu buphathelene nobudlelwane uJesu anabo nabalandeli bakhe. Ngisho nangemva kokuvuswa ekufeni evuselwa ekuphileni komoya, uJesu wabiza abalandeli bakhe ngokuthi ‘abafowabo.’ (Mathewu 28:10) Ingabe babengabafowabo bakaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke? Lutho neze! Kodwa ngenxa yokholo lwabo kuKristu—iNdodana kaNkulunkulu evelele—nabo baba amadodana kaBaba oyedwa. (Galathiya 3:26) Qhathanisa eminye imiBhalo eyengeziwe nala mazwi alandelayo avela esivumweni sokholo okuthiwa saqanjwa uMkhandlu waseNicaea.

Okushiwo iSivumo Sokholo saseNicaea:

“Sikholelwa . . . eNkosini eyodwa uJesu Kristu . . . efana nesimo sikaYise, uNkulunkulu kaNkulunkulu, ukuKhanya kokuKhanya, uNkulunkulu uqobo kaNkulunkulu uqobo.”

Okushiwo yiBhayibheli:

• “UBaba mkhulu kunami [Jesu].”—Johane 14:28. *

• “[Mina Jesu] ngenyukela kuBaba noYihlo‚ kuNkulunkulu wami noNkulunkulu wenu.”—Johane 20:17.

• “Kithina kukhona uNkulunkulu munye‚ uYise.”—1 Korinte 8:6.

• “Makabongwe uNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.”—1 Petru 1:3.

• “Nakhu akushoyo u-Amen [uJesu]‚ . . . ukuqala kokudaliweyo kukaNkulunkulu.”—IsAmbulo 3:14. *