Mbese Mélito w’i Sarudi yarwaniriye inyigisho za Bibiliya?

BURI mwaka Abakristo b’ukuri bizihiza Ifunguro rw’Umwami rya Nimugoroba ku itariki ihuza n’iya 14 Nisani kuri kalendari y’Abaheburayo. Icyo gihe baba bubahiriza itegeko rya Yesu rigira riti “mujye mukorera mutya kugira ngo munyibuke.” Mu by’ukuri, kuri iyo tariki mu mwaka wa 33, ni bwo Yesu yatangije Urwibutso rw’Urupfu rwe rw’igitambo, amaze kwizihiza Pasika. Yapfuye uwo munsi utararangira.—Luka 22:19, 20; 1 Abakorinto 11:23-28.

Mu kinyejana cya kabiri, hari bamwe batangiye guhindura igihe urwo rwibutso rugomba kubera n’uburyo bwo kurwizihiza. Itariki Yesu yapfiriyeho yakomeje kwizihizwa muri Aziya Ntoya. Ariko kandi, nk’uko igitabo kimwe kibivuga, “abantu b’i Roma n’abo muri Alegizandiriya bizihizaga izuka rya Yesu ku Cyumweru gikurikira itariki Yesu yapfiriyeho,” ibyo bakabyita Pasika y’izuka. Abantu bari bagize itsinda ry’abo bita Ab’umunsi wa cumi na kane baharaniye ko kwizihiza urwibutso rw’urupfu rwa Yesu Kristo byajya bikorwa ku itariki ya 14 Nisani. Uwitwa Mélito w’i Sarudi na we yemeraga iyo nyigisho. Mélito yari muntu ki? Ni mu buhe buryo yarwaniriye uko kuri kwa Bibiliya hamwe n’izindi nyigisho zayo?

‘Yazanye umucyo’

Mu mpera z’ikinyejana cya kabiri, Eusèbe w’i Kayisariya yanditse mu gitabo cye ko Polycrate d’Éphèse yandikiye i Roma aharanira ko bajya bizihiza “Pasika yo ku munsi wa cumi na kane nk’uko Ivanjiri ibivuga, badaca ku ruhande, ahubwo bagakurikiza itegeko ryo kwizera” (Ecclesiastical History). Dukurikije iyo baruwa, Mélito wari Musenyeri w’i Sarudi muri Lydie, yari umwe mu bantu bashyigikiraga ko bajya bizihiza itariki ya 14 Nisani. Iyo baruwa yavugaga ko abantu bo mu gihe cya Mélito bamubariraga mu itsinda ry’‘abazanye umucyo bapfuye.’ Polycrate yavuze ko Mélito atashatse kandi ko “yitaga gusa ku bintu bijyanye n’Umwuka Wera, kandi ko yahambwe i Sarudi aho ategerereje ko ijwi ryo mu ijuru rimuhamagara akazuka.” Ibyo byaba bivuga ko Mélito yari umwe mu bantu bemeraga ko umuzuko utari kuba mbere y’uko Kristo agaruka.—Ibyahishuwe 20:1-6.

Uko bigaragara rero, Mélito agomba kuba yari umuntu w’intwari kandi wakomeraga  ku migambi ye. Mu by’ukuri, yanditse inyandiko yise Apology avuganira Abakristo, ikaba ari imwe mu nyandiko za mbere zivuganira Abakristo, ayoherereza umwami w’Abami wa Roma witwa Marcus Aurelius, wategetse hagati y’umwaka wa 161 n’uwa 180. Mélito ntiyatinyaga kuvuganira Ubukristo no gushyira ahabona abantu babi b’ibisambo. Abo bantu bashakishaga amategeko yatanzwe n’umwami bakayagira urwitwazo kugira ngo batoteze Abakristo kandi babarenganye maze babone uko babatwara ibyabo.

Mélito yashize amanga, nuko yandikira umwami ati “turabasaba iki gusa, ko mwakwigenzurira mukamenya abatumye izi mvururu zose zivuka [Abakristo], kandi mukoreshe ubutabera murebe niba bakwiriye gupfa no guhanwa cyangwa kurindwa no guhabwa ubudahangarwa. Ariko niba iryo teka rishya, ridakwiriye gucirwa ndetse n’abanzi b’abagome ruharwa, ritaraciwe na we Mwami, turakwinginze ngo we kutwirengagiza rwose, ngo uturekere mu maboko y’abanyazi bica amategeko.”

Akoresha Ibyanditswe ngo avuganire Ubukristo

Mélito yashishikazwaga cyane no kwiga Ibyanditswe Byera. Ntidufite urutonde rw’inyandiko ze zose, ariko kandi hari imitwe y’inyandiko ze igaragaza ukuntu yakundaga kwandika ku ngingo zifitanye isano na Bibiliya. Imwe muri iyo mitwe ni iyi: On Christian Life and the Prophets (Iby’ubuzima bw’Abakristo n’abahanuzi), On the Faith of Man (Iby’ukwizera k’umuntu), On Creation (Iby’irema), On Baptism and Truth and Faith and Christ’s Birth (Iby’umubatizo, ukuri, ukwizera n’ivuka rya Kristo), On Hospitality (Ibyo gucumbikira abashyitsi), The Key (Ibanga ryo gusobanukirwa Bibiliya) hamwe na On the Devil and the Apocalypse of John (Ibya Satani n’Ibyahishuriwe Yohana).

Mélito ubwe yagiye mu bihugu bivugwa muri Bibiliya ashaka kumenya umubare nyawo w’ibitabo bigize Ibyanditswe bya Giheburayo. Yanditse ibirebana n’ibyo agira ati “igihe najyaga i Burasirazuba aho ibyo bintu byabwirizwaga  bikanakurikizwa, maze no kumenya neza ibitabo bigize Isezerano rya kera kandi nkandika ibyo nabonye, narabikoherereje.” Urwo rutonde ntirurimo igitabo cya Nehemiya n’icya Esiteri, icyakora ni rwo rutonde rwa kera kuruta izindi zigaragaza ibitabo bigize Ibyanditswe bya Giheburayo byemewe zakozwe n’abavugaga ko ari Abakristo.

Muri ubwo bushakashatsi, Mélito yakusanyije imirongo yo mu Byanditswe bya Giheburayo irimo ubuhanuzi buvuga ibya Yesu. Hari igitabo cya Mélito kivuga ko Yesu ari we Mesiya wari warategerejwe kuva kera, kandi ko n’Amategeko ya Mose yari yaramwerekejeho n’Abahanuzi bakavuga ibye (Extracts).

Yemeza ko igitambo gifite agaciro

Mu mijyi ikomeye yo muri Aziya Ntoya habaga Abayahudi benshi. Abayahudi babaga i Sarudi, aho Mélito yari atuye, bizihizaga Pasika y’Abaheburayo ku itariki ya 14 Nisani. Mélito yanditse ikibwiriza yise The Passover (Pasika) cyagaragazaga ko Pasika yo mu gihe cy’Amategeko ari yo yari yemewe kandi gishyigikira ko Abakristo bizihiza Ifunguro ry’Umwami rya Nimugoroba ku itariki ya 14 Nisani.

Mélito amaze kugira icyo avuga ku gice cya 12 cyo mu Kuva no kugaragaza ko Pasika yashushanyaga igitambo cya Kristo, yasobanuye impamvu Abakristo badakwiriye kwizihiza Pasika. Ibyo biterwa n’uko Imana yakuyeho Amategeko ya Mose. Hanyuma yagaragaje impamvu igitambo cya Kristo cyari ngombwa: Imana yashyize Adamu muri paradizo kugira ngo ahabe yishimye. Ariko umuntu wa mbere ntiyumviye itegeko ryamusabaga kutarya ku giti kimenyesha icyiza n’ikibi. Ni yo mpamvu byabaye ngombwa ko hatangwa incungu.

Mélito yasobanuye ko Yesu yoherejwe ku isi kandi agapfira ku giti kugira ngo acungure abari kumwizera bose, ababature mu cyaha n’urupfu. Igishishikaje ni uko ubwo Mélito yavugaga iby’igiti Yesu yapfiriyeho, yakoresheje ijambo ry’Ikigiriki xylon, risobanura “ingeri y’igiti”—Ibyakozwe 5:30; 10:39; 13:29.

Muri Aziya Ntoya si ho honyine bari bazi Mélito. Tertullien, Clément d’Alexandrie na Origène bari bazi ibitabo bye. Ariko kandi, umuhanga mu by’amateka witwa Raniero Cantalamessa yaravuze ati “Mélito yatangiye kwibagirana, bikaba byaratumye n’inyandiko ze zita agaciro, ubwo Ab’umunsi wa cumi na kane batangiraga gufatwa nk’abahakanyi, umuco wo kwizihiza Pasika ku Cyumweru umaze guhabwa intebe.” Amaherezo, inyandiko za Mélito zaje gusa n’izibura burundu.

Ese ubuhakanyi bwaba bwaragize ingaruka kuri Mélito?

Nyuma y’urupfu rw’intumwa, ubuhakanyi bwari bwarahanuwe bwinjiye mu Bukristo bw’ukuri (Ibyakozwe 20:29, 30). Uko bigaragara, ibyo byagize ingaruka kuri Mélito. Uburyo bwe bwo kwandika buhambaye, busa n’uburimo filozofiya yo mu nyandiko z’Abagiriki n’imitekerereze y’Abaroma. Birashoboka ko ari yo mpamvu Mélito yise Ubukristo “filozofiya yacu.” Nanone, yabonaga ko kuba icyo yitaga Ubukristo cyarivanze n’Ubwami bw’Abaroma ari “igihamya gikomeye cyane . . . cy’uko bageze ku byiza.”

Mu by’ukuri, Mélito ntiyazirikanye inama ya Pawulo igira iti “mwirinde, hatagira umuntu ubanyagisha ubwenge bw’abantu n’ibihendo by’ubusa bikurikiza imihango y’abantu, iyo bahawe na ba sekuruza ho akarande, kandi bigakurikiza imigenzereze ya mbere y’iby’isi bidakurikiza Kristo.” Ku bw’ibyo, nubwo Mélito yavuganiye inyigisho za Bibiliya mu rugero runaka, hari ahantu henshi yagiye ateshuka.—Abakolosayi 2:8.

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 18]

Yesu yatangije Ifunguro ry’Umwami rya Nimugoroba ku itariki ya 14 Nisani