Banakristo Bakutaanguna Abaleza Bamu Roma

MULUGWALO ndwaakalembela Mwami Trajan waku Roma, Pliny Musyoonto, imweendelezi waku Bituniya wakaamba kuti: “Eeci ncindasala kucita kubantu aaba ibapegwa mulandu wakuba Banakristo. Ndakababuzya kuti naa bakali Banakristo alimwi kuti naa bazumina, ndakali kubabuzya ziindi zyobilo naa zyotatwe akubakonga kuti ndilabasubula. Ikuti naa bazumanana kuzumina kuti Mbaanakristo, ndakali kupa mulawo wakuti bajaigwe.” Kuli baabo bakabukaka Bunakristo akumutukila Kristo alimwi akukomba baleza mwami Pliny mbaakaleta kunkuta, wakalemba kuti: “Ndakali kubalekelela.”

Banakristo bansiku bakali kupenzyegwa akaambo kakukaka kukomba mwami alimwi amituni yabaleza baindene-indene. Ino mbuti balo bazikombelo izimbi zyakali mu Bwami bwa Roma? Ino mbaaleza nzi bakali kukombwa alimwi ino bana Roma bakali kubabona buti? Ino Banakristo bakali kupenzyelwa nzi nibakali kukaka kukomba baleza baba Roma? Ibwiinguzi bwa mibuzyo eeyi bulakonzya kutugwasya kuti naa twaba mumapenzi aakusyomeka kuli Jehova.

Zikombelo zya Mwami

Baleza bakali kukombwa mu Bwami bwa Roma bakali banji mbubwena mbuli misyobo azilengwa zyakali kucitwa mucisi eeci. Nokuba kuti bukombi bwabama Juda tiibwakazyibidwe kabotu kubana Roma pele bukombi oobu bwakatambulwa alimwi bwakali kukwabililwa. Ziindi zyobilo abuzuba bakali kupa cipaizyo kutempele mu Jerusalemu, bakali kutola mbelele zyobilo amusune kuli Kaisara aku cisi ca Roma. Kufwumba naa zipaizyo eezyi zyakali kukkomanisya buyo leza omwe naa banji, bana Roma tiibakali kubikkila maano. Ncibakali kubikkila buyo maano bama Juda, nkupa bulemu kucisi ca Roma.

Bukombi bwakubeja bakali kubutobela banji. Bukombi bwaba Giliki bwakali kusyomwa koonse alimwi banji bakali kusonda. Zikombelo eezyi zyakubeja izyakazwa Kujwe zyakali kwaambila bantu kuti tabanakufwidilili alimwi akuti balakonzya kubandika amizimo akupaila kuli baleza babo. Zikombelo eezyi zyakali kujanika mucisi coonse. Baleza bakadumide mumwaanda wamyaka wakutaanguna bakali baleza bacikombelo ca Egepita ba Serapis a Isis leza mukaintu, Atargatis leza mukaintu wanswi waku Suriya a leza wazuba waku Persiya wiitwa kuti Mithra.

Ibbuku lyamu Bbaibbele lya Incito lyaamba mbobwakabede bukombi bwakubeja ciindi Bunakristo nobwakatalika.  Mucikozyanyo, mweendelezi muna Roma waku Kupro wakali kubeleka antoomwe asimasalamuzi mu Juda. (Inc. 13:6, 7) Bantu baku Lustra bakayeeya kuti Paulo a Banaba mbaaleza ba Jupitere a Merkuri. (Inc. 14:11-13) Naakali ku Filipi, Paulo wakajana mwana musimbi mubelesi iwakali kusonda. (Inc. 16:16-18) Ku Atene mwaapostolo wakaamba kuti bantu bakooko ‘bakali kukomba mizimo kwiinda bamwi.’ Mumunzi ooyu wakabona cakalembedwe kuti: ‘Kuli Leza Uutazizilwe.’ (Inc. 17:22, 23) Bantu bakkala ku Efeso bakali kukomba leza mukaintu wiitwa kuti Atemi. (Inc. 19:1, 23, 24, 34) Kunsumbu ya Melita bantu bakaamba kuti Paulo nguleza akaambo kakuti tanaakaciswa naakalumwa nzoka. (Inc. 28:3-6) Muzyintu zili boobu, Banakristo bakali kuyandika kucenjela kutegwa batayungwi abukombi bwakubeja.

Cikombelo Cabana Roma

Bana Roma nibakali kuyaabuzunda, bakatalika kuyanda baleza bapya balo mbobakali kubona kuti mbaaleza mbamunya pele bakali kulibonya buyo bumbi. Muciindi cakubulesya bukombi oobu bupya, bana Roma bakabuzumina. Aboobo ibukombi bwabana Roma bwakavwula mbubwena mbuli zilengwa ziindene-indene mbozyakavwulide. Bana Roma tiibakali kukomba buyo leza omwe. Bantu bakali kukonzya kukomba baleza banji aciindi comwe.

Leza mupati akati kabaleza baba Roma wakali Jupitere ooyu wakali kwiita kuti Optimus Maximus, izyina lyaamba kuti mubotu alimwi mupati. Bakali kuyeeya kuti wakali kulibonya mumuwo, mumvwula, mululabo alimwi amumizuzumo. Mucizyi wa Jupitere alimwi wakali mukaintu wakwe wazyina lya Juno walo ngobakali kuyeeya kuti mwezi, wakali kwaambwa kuti nguubalanga bamakaintu boonse. Mwanaakwe musimbi Minerva wakali leza wazyintu zyakubeza, zyakuzekaula, zyakubumba alimwi ankondo.

Bana Roma bakali kusyoma kuti kuli baleza banji. Lares a Penates bakali baleza bamumukwasyi. Vesta wakali leza mukaintu waacikko. Janus iwakajisi masyu obilo wakali leza wamatalikilo. Mulimo uuli woonse wakalijisi leza. Bana Roma bakali kusyoma kuti kuli baleza mbuli Pax leza waluumuno, Salus wabuumi, Pudicitia wakulibombya akulilemeka, Fides wakusyomeka, Virtus wabusicamba alimwi a Voluptas wakulikondelezya. Zyoonse nzyobakali kucita  bana Roma mubuumi bwabo bakali kwaamba kuti zilijisi baleza. Aboobo, bakali kuyeeya kuti kutegwa zyintu zibeendele kabotu, bakeelede kupaila, kubapa zipaizyo akucita mapobwe.

Nzila yomwe njibakali kubelesya kutegwa bazyibe nzyaakali kuyanda leza wabo, nkusonda. Inzila njobakali kubelesya kapati nibakali kusonda bakali kulanga mala aazyinyama zyakali kwaabwa kucipaizyo. Kufwumbwa buyo mala mbwakali kulibonya, bakali kuyeeyeela kuti baleza bazumina naa bakaka.

Kumamanino aamwaanda wabili B.C.E., bana Roma bakazyi kuzyiba kuti baleza babo bakaleelene abaleza baba Giliki—Jupitere a Zusi, Juno a Hera, abaleza bamwi. Bana Roma alimwi bakatalika kusyoma twaano twaamba baleza baba Giliki. Ootu twaano twakali kutondezya kuti baleza aaba abalo bakali kulezya mbuli mbubalezya bantu. Mucikozyanyo, Zusi wakali kutondezyegwa kuti wakali kujata bamakaintu abana, akucita zitondwa abantu alimwi amizimo. Akaambo kamicito iijazya nsoni njibakali kucita baleza aaba, iyakali kutondezyegwa mumasena aakali kusobaninwa lyansiku, ibakombi bakali kuyeeya kuti zyoonse zibakali kweebelela zyakali buyo kabotu kuzyitobela.

Kuboneka kuti bantu basyoonto buyo ibayiide mbibakali kutusyoma twaano ootu kuti ntwamasimpe. Bamwi bakali kuyeeya kuti ootu twakali buyo twaano. Eeci ncicakapa kuti Ponto Pilato abuzye mubuzyo uuzyibidwe kapati iwakuti: “Ino bwini ninzi?” (Joh. 18:38) Imubuzyo ooyu upa kuti bantu kabayeeya kuti tacikonzyeki kuzyiba kasimpe kujatikizya zyintu zyoonse.

Kukomba Mwami

Kuzwa naakatalika kulela Agusto (iwakalela kuzwa mumwaka wa 27 B.C.E. kusika mumwaka wa 14 C.E.) bantu bakatalika kukomba bami. Bantu banji, ikapati Bagiliki ibakali kukkala kuzyooko zya Kujwe bakamulumba Agusto akaambo kakuleta luumuno alusumpuko nikwakainda ciindi cilamfwu kuzwa nkondo niyakamana. Bantu bakali kuyanda kukwabililwa amweendelezi ngobakali kubona. Bakali kuyanda kupanga mfwulumende yakali kukonzya kukamantanya zikombelo, kukulwaizya bantu kuti kabayanda cisi cabo alimwi akukamantanya bantu munyika yoonse kuti kabalelwa “amufwutuli” wabo. Akaambo kaceeci, bakatalika kukomba mwami kuti ngoleza wabo.

Nokuba kuti Agusto tanaakali kubazumizya bantu kuti kabamwiita kuti leza naakacili kupona, wakabaambila kuti beelede kukomba Roma, ngobakali kwaamba kuti nguleza mukaintu—Roma Dea. Agusto naakafwa bakatalika kumukomba kuti nguleza wabo. Aboobo, bantu boonse bakatalika kukomba ŋanda yamwami alimwi abami. Kukomba mwami ooku kupya ikwakali kucitika muzyooko zyoonse yakaba nenzila njobakali kubelesya yakutondezya bulemu ku Mfwulumende.

Imwami Domitian, iwakalela kuzwa mu 81 kusika mu 96 C.E., nguwakali muleli wa Roma wakusaanguna kwaamba kuti kakombwa mbuli leza. Aciindi eeci, bana Roma bakazyiba kuti Banakristo bakaliindene aba Juda alimwi bakatalika kubukazya bukombi mbobakali kubona kuti mbupya. Kulibonya kuti naakali kulela Domitian, nceciindi mwaapostolo Johane naakali muntolongo kunsumbu ya Patmo “nkaambo kamakani aa-Leza abumboni bwa-Jesu Kristo.”—Ciy. 1:9.

Ibbuku lya Ciyubunuzyo lyakalembwa a Johane naakali muntolongo. Mubbuku eeli wakabikkilizya a Antipa Munakristo wakajaigwa ku Pergamo nkubakali kupailila mwami. (Ciy. 2:12, 13) Kuciindi eeco, ndiza bantu bakali  mumfwulumende bakali talikide kwaambila Banakristo kuti kabatobela zilengwa zyacisi. Kufwumbwa naa cakali boobo naa pe, mumwaka wa 112 C.E., kweelana alugwalo ndwaakalembelwa Trajan waambwa kumatalikilo aacibalo eeci, Pliny wakali kuyanda kuti Banakristo baku Bituniya kabacita zilengwa eezyo.

Trajan wakali kukkomana mbwakali kutumana twaambo Pliny ntwaakali kupegwa alimwi wakaamba kuti Banakristo ibanakukaka kukomba baleza babana Roma bana kujaigwa. Trajan wakalemba kuti: “Nokuba boobo, ikuti muntu waamba kuti tacili Munakristo alimwi watondezya kuti wacileka ncobeni akutalika kupaila baleza besu, ooyu weelede kulekelelwa.”

Bana Roma tiibakali kuyeeya kuti inga kwaba cikombelo ciyanda kuti bakombi kabakomba leza omwe buyo. Baleza baba Roma tiibakali kuyanda kuti kabakombwa buyo balikke, aboobo tiibakali kulangila kuti Leza wa Banakristo inga wayanda kukombwa alikke buyo. Bakali kulimvwa kuti kupaila baleza bamwami cakali kutondezya bulemu kubweendelezi bwacisi. Aboobo ikukaka kubapaila kwakali kubonwa kuti muntu wacita mulandu wakuyanda kugusya mfwulumende. Kweelana ambwaakabona Pliny tiicakali kuyandika kubasinikizya Banakristo kuti kabatobela cakali kuyandika mucisi. Pele Banakristo bakusaanguna bakacibona kuti, ikuti bacita oobo nkokuti inga baleka kusyomeka kuli Jehova, aboobo bakasala kujaigwa kwiinda kupaila mituni yamwami.

Ino eeci citugwasya buti mazuba aano? Muzisi zimwi bantu bamucisi eeco balangilwa kuti beelede kukomba zitondezyo zyamucisi. Mbotuli Banakristo, tulailemeka mfwulumende. (Rom. 13:1) Nokuba boobo, caboola kuzyintu zijatikizya ndembela, tutobela mulawo wa Jehova Leza uuli Mujwi lyakwe iwaamba kuti, “amucije kukomba mituni” akuti “amucenjele kuti mutavwelani amituni.” (1 Kor. 10:14; 1 Joh. 5:21; Neh. 1:2) Jesu wakaamba kuti: “Komba Jehova, Leza wako, umumanine milimo walo alike.” (Lk. 4:8) Aboobo, atuzumanane kusyomeka kuli Leza ngotukomba.

Majwi aakwelelezya sikubala aali apeeji 5]

Banakristo bakasimpe bakomba Jehova alikke

[Zifwanikiso izili apeeji 3]

Banakristo bakutaanguna bakakaka kupaila bami naa mituni

Mwami Domitian

Zusi

[Kulumba]

Mwami Domitian: Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com; Zusi: Cakafwotolwa aba Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com ku Miziamu yaku Istanbul

[Cifwanikiso icili apeeji 4]

Banakristo baku Efeso bakakaka kukomba leza mukaintu Diana wakadumide kapati.—Inc. 19:23-41