Bushe Cine Cine Yesu Afwilile pa Musalaba?

ICITABO cimo catila: “Umusalaba e cishibilo ca Bena Kristu icaishibikwa sana.” Ifikope ifingi ifya mapepo ifyo balenga ne fya kubasabasa filanga Yesu nabamupoopela pa musalaba. Mulandu nshi amacalici ayengi aya batila Bena Kristu babomfesha umusalaba? Bushe cine cine Yesu afwilile pa musalaba?

Abengi batila e fyo Baibolo yalanda. Ku ca kumwenako, Baibolo ya Icipangano Cipya, yatila ilyo Yesu balemwipaya, abaletambako balemupumya abati “ika pa musalaba!” (Mateo 27:40, 42) Ifi fine e fyo na maBaibolo yambi ayengi yalanda. Baibolo ya Diocese of Mbala yalanda pali Simone uwa ku Kurene ukuti: “E o bapatikisho kumusendelako umusalaba.” (Marko 15:21) Muli ifi fikomo, ishiwi lya ciGriki ilyo bapilibula ukuti “umusalaba” ni staurosʹ. Bushe kwaliba icalenga ukuti bapilibule ili ishiwi ukuti umusalaba? Bushe ili ishiwi lya ciGriki lyalola mwi?

Bushe Wali Musalaba?

Uwasoma umuGriki W.E. Vine atila, ishiwi lya kuti staurosʹ “lipilibula icimuti icaololoka nelyo umulando. Pali ifi fimuti e po balepoopela incitatubi pa kushipaya. Amashiwi ya kuti staurosʹ na stauroō yonse yabili tayalosha ku musalaba uo aba mu macalici babomfya.”

Icitabo cimo icilanda pa mashiwi yaba mu Baibolo catila ishiwi lya kuti staurosʹ “lipilibula fye umulando, icimuti icaololoka ico bengakobekako ifintu.” (The Imperial Bible-Dictionary) Ici citabo catwalilila ukusosa ukuti: “Nangu fye ni ku bena Roma ishiwi lya kuti crux (ilya ciLatini, ilyo bafumyako ishiwi lya kuti umusalaba) cimoneka kwati pa kubala lyalepilibula icimuti icaololoka.” E mulandu wine icitabo ca The Catholic Encyclopedia casosela ukuti: “Cishinka ukuti pa kubala umusalaba wali fye mulando uwasongoka ku ntanshi.”

Kwaliba ishiwi lya ciGriki na limbi ilya kuti xyʹlon, ilyo abalembele Baibolo balebomfya pa kulondolola apo Yesu bamwipaile. Icitabo cimo calondolola ishiwi lya kuti xyʹlon ukuti “mulando, cimuti.” (Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament) Catwalilila no kulanda ukuti ishiwi lya kuti xyʹlon lipilibula fye cimo cine ne shiwi lya kuti staurosʹ, e kutila “icimuti icaololoka nelyo umulando apo abena Roma balepoopela abo baipaya.”

Ukulingana ne fyo aya mashiwi yapilibula, muli Baibolo ya Diocess of Mbala, bapilibula Imilimo 5:30 ukuti: “Lesa wa fikolwe fyesu abuushishe Yesu, uo mwaipeye pa kumutanika pa cimuti [xyʹlon].” Mu maBaibolo yambi bapilibula ishiwi lya staurosʹ ukuti “umusalaba,” lelo ishiwi lya kuti xyʹlon lyena balipilibula ukuti “icimuti.” Pa Imilimo 13:29, Baibolo ya Cibemba iya mu 1956 ilanda pali Yesu ukuti: “Awe ilyo bafishishe fyonse  ifyamulembelwe, e pa kumwisha pa cimuti [xyʹlon] no kumubika mu nshiishi.”

Ukulingana ne fyo amashiwi ya ciGriki aya kuti staurosʹ na xyʹlon yapilibula, icitabo ico twambwilemo kale catila: “Aya mashiwi yabili tayapilibula umusalaba wa muno nshiku, uo tumona sana mu fikope.” (Critical Lexicon and Concordance) Kuti twatila, ico abalembele amabuuku ya Mbila Nsuma balelandapo ilyo babomfeshe ishiwi lya kuti staurosʹ te co abantu beta pali lelo ukuti umusalaba. E mulandu wine Baibolo ya Amalembo ya Calo Cipya yabomfesha ishiwi lya kuti “icimuti” pali Mateo 27:40-42 e lyo na mu fikomo fimbi umo babomfya ishiwi lya kuti staurosʹ. Na Baibolo ya Complete Jewish Bible ibomfya ishiwi lya kuti “icimuti ca kwipailapo.”

Ukwafumine Umusalaba

Nga ca kutila Baibolo tailanda ukuti Yesu afwilile pa musalaba, ninshi mulandu nshi aba mu macalici yonse ayatila yasambilisha ifyaba mu Baibolo, pamo nga ba Katolika, ba Protestanti, na ba Orthodox, babomfesha umusalaba nge ca kubeshibilako ukuti Bena Kristu? Kabili cinshi baubikila pa fikuulwa fyabo ifya mapepo? Bushe cali shani pa kuti abantu batendeke ukulabomfya sana umusalaba?

Icalenga ca kuti ababomfya umusalaba te bantu fye abaya ku calici abatila bakonka ifyaba mu Baibolo lelo na bantu bambi abashasumina muli Baibolo kabili abo imipepele yabo yatendeke kale sana ninshi no buKristu tabulabako nabo balaubomfya. Ifitabo ifingi ifilanda pa fya mapepo fyalondolola ukuti ukubomfya umusalaba, uo bapanga mu misango yalekanalekana, kwatendeke kale sana. Ku ca kumwenako, pa filembo fya kale sana ifya bena Egypt na pa fipasho fya balesa babo abaume na banakashi, ilingi line palaba umusalaba uumoneka kwati ni T na kabulungana pa muulu. Uyu musalaba bawita ukuti ansate kabili batila cishibilo ica mweo. Mu kuya kwa nshita, aba mwi calici lya mu Egypt abaletila Bena Kristu ukubikako fye na ba mu macalici yambi batampile ukulabomfya sana uyu musango wa musalaba.

Icitabo cimo ica ba Katolika catila “cimoneka kwati umusalaba balebomfya sana kale ni ulya uo beta ukuti ‘gamma’ (crux gammata), uwaseeka sana ku bena Asia na ku basambilila ifya kushula ifyalebomfya abena kale uo beta mu ciSanskrit ukuti swastika.” (The Catholic Encyclopedia) Abalebomfya sana uyu musalaba baHindu ba mu India na baBuddha aba mu Asia yonse kabili na pali ino ine nshita balaubomfya mu fya kuyemfyayemfya kuli ishi ncende.

Inshita iyo umusalaba waishileba cishibilo ica batila Bena Kristu tayaishibikwa bwino bwino. Icitabo cimo citila: “Ilyo  calefika muli ba 250 C.E. ninshi amacalici yalileka ukukonka amasambilisho ya cine aya Bena Kristu, nelyo ninshi yalitendeka ukunyonganya amasambilisho ya Bena Kristu. Pa kuti aya macalici ya basangu yalumbuke, balepokelela abasenshi mu macalici yabo, aba kuti tabalatendeka no kusumina mu masambilisho ya Bena Kristu, kabili balebasuminisha ukutwalilila ukubomfya ifishibilo fyabo ifya cisenshi,” ukubikako no musalaba wine. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)

Abalemba ifitabo filanda pa fya mapepo bamo balanda sana pa fyalandile Konstantino uwalepepa lesa kasuba. Atile mu 312 C.E., ilyo alelwa inkondo, alimwene icimonwa umo umusalaba wali pa kasuba na mashiwi ya mu ciLatini aya kuti “in hoc vince” (cimfya ukubomfya ici). Mu kuya kwa nshita, umusalaba, icishibilo ca “Bena Kristu,” baliubikile pa mendela, pa nkwela, na pa fya kufwala fya bashilika bakwe. (Nge fyo icikope cilelanga.) Konstantino umwine aleti alisangwike Umwina Kristu, nangu cingati aishilebatishiwa pa numa ya myaka 25, ninshi ali mupepi no kufwa. Bamo balitwishike nga ca kuti cine cine alisangwike Umwina Kristu. Icitabo cimo catila: “Mu nshita ya kulakonka amasambilisho ya kwa Yesu umwina Nasarete, Konstantino alefwaya ukwalwila ubuKristu mu mipepele iyo umwine alemona ukuti e yo abantu bakwe bengapokelela ukuti e mipepele ya katolika [iyo bonse bali no kulakonka].” (The Non-Christian Cross)

Ukutula iyi nshita, abantu balabomfya imisalaba iya misango yalekanalekana. Ku ca kumwenako, icitabo cilanda pali Baibolo citila uo beta ukuti umusalaba wa kwa St. Anthony “wali kwati ni T, iyo bamo batila baifumishe ku cilembo ca tau icishibilo ca kwa lesa Tamusi [uwa ku Babiloni].” (The Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Kwali no musalaba wa kwa St. Andrew, uwaba kwati ni X, e lyo no musalaba waseeka sana, uwakwata icapindama. Uyu musalaba twalekelesha ukulandapo, uo beta ati umusalaba wa ciLatini, e o batila “e musango wa musalaba uo Shikulwifwe afwililepo.”

Ifyo Abena Kristu ba Kubalilapo Basuminemo

Baibolo ilanga ukuti mu nshita sha batumwa, abengi abakutike ku fyo Yesu alesambilisha balitetekele no kusumina ukuti imfwa yakwe yali no kubalubula. Baibolo itila ilyo umutumwa Paulo ashimikile ku baYuda aba mu Korinti, ukubapeela ubushininkisho bwa kuti Yesu e Kristu, “Krispi umukalamba we sunagoge alitetekele Shikulu, pamo na bonse aba mu ng’anda yakwe. Na bena Korinti abengi abaumfwile balitetekele no kubatishiwa.” (Imilimo 18:5-8) Paulo tabebele ukuti balingile ukulabomfya icishibilo nelyo icipasho mu kupepa, lelo aebele Abena Kristu banankwe ‘ukufulumuka ku kupepa utulubi’ na kuli fyonse ifyo abasenshi balebomfya mu mipepele yabo.—1 Abena Korinti 10:14.

Abasambilila ilyashi lya kale na bafwailisha pa fintu balifilwa ukusanga ubushininkisho ubulanga ukuti Abena Kristu ba kubalilapo balebomfya umusalaba. Icitabo cimo ca-ambula amashiwi ya walelemba ifitabo muli ba 1600 uwaipwishe ukuti: “Bushe Yesu kuti atemwa ukumona abasambi bakwe balecindikisha icipasho ca cintu bamwipailepo ico [abene batila] e co aculilepo, ilyo asuulile insoni?” Bushe kuti mwa-asuka shani ici cipusho?

Ukupepa uko Lesa apokelela ni kulya uko bashibomfya ifipasho. Paulo aipwishe ukuti: “Bushe itempele lya kwa Lesa kuti lyaumfwana no tulubi?” (2 Abena Korinti 6:14-16) Baibolo tayalandapo ukuti Abena Kristu bafwile ukulabomfya icipasho ca cintu baipailepo Yesu.—Moneni Mateo 15:3; Marko 7:13.

Nomba cinshi twingeshibilako Abena Kristu ba cine? Beshibikilwa ku kutemwa, te ku musalaba nelyo ku cishibilo icili conse. Yesu aebele abasambi bakwe ukuti: “Ndemupeela ifunde ilipya, ilya kuti muletemwana; ifyo namutemenwe, e fyo na imwe muletemwana. Nga muletemwana, e lyo bonse bakeshiba ukuti muli basambi bandi.”—Yohane 13:34, 35.

[Amashiwi pe bula 19]

Ico abalembele amabuuku ya Mbila Nsuma balelandapo te co abantu beta pali lelo ukuti umusalaba

[Icikope pe bula 18]

Icikope ca mu ma 1600 apali umuntu nabamupoopela pali staurosʹ, icaba mu citabo ca “De cruce” icalembele lipsius

[Icikope pe bula 19]

Icikope calengele abena egypt (ica muli ba 1300 b.c.e.) apali umusalaba beta ati ansate, uwali cishibilo ca mweo

[Abatusuminishe]

© DeA Picture Library / Art Resource, NY

[Icikope pe bula 19]

Umusalaba beta ati gamma mwi Tempele lya bahindu

[Abatusuminishe Ukubomfya Icikope pe bula 20]

From the book The Cross in Tradition, History, and Art (1897)