Ingabe isihlanzo “sisungulwe” ngamaKatolika?
Abasekela izimiso eziyisisekelo bangathanda ukusho ukuthi iSonto LamaKatolika "lasungula" imfundiso yesihlanzo ukuze yenze imali, kodwa bakuthola kunzima ukusho ukuthi nini. Iningi labaphikisana namaKhatholika - labo abenza imali ngokuhlasela "ubuRoma" - babonakala besola uPapa uGregory Omkhulu, owabusa kusukela ngo-590 kuya ku-604 AD.
Kodwa lokho akusichazi neze isicelo sikaMonica, unina ka-Augustine, owathi ngekhulu lesine leminyaka wacela indodana yakhe ukuba ikhumbule umphefumulo wayo eMiseni yayo. Lokhu bekungeke kube nomqondo uma ecabanga ukuthi umphefumulo wakhe ngeke usizakale emithandazweni, njengoba bekungaba njalo uma esesihogweni noma enkazimulweni egcwele yezulu.
Futhi ukuthi imfundiso kaGregory ayichazi yini i-graffiti esezinhlwini zamakhethini, lapho amaKristu phakathi nokushushiswa kwamakhulu amathathu eminyaka eqala ukuthandaza abafileyo. Ngempela, eminye imibhalo yokuqala yamaKristu ngaphandle kweTestamente eNtsha, njengeZenzo zikaPaul noThecla kanye ne-Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity (zombili zalotshwa phakathi nekhulu lesibili leminyaka), zibhekisa kumkhuba wobuKristu wokuthandazela abafileyo. Imithandazo enjalo ngabe yenziwa kuphela uma amaKristu ekholelwa esihlanzweni, noma ngabe engazange alisebenzise lelo gama. (Bheka izimpendulo zamaKhatholika 'amaRoots of Purgatri ukuthola izingcaphuno ezivela kule nakweminye imithombo yokuqala yobuKristu.)
"Isihlanzo emiBhalweni"
Abanye abakholelwa emlandweni baphikisana nokuthi "igama elithi isihlanzo alitholakali ndawo emiBhalweni". Lokhu kuyiqiniso, nokho akuliphikisi ubukhona besihlanzo noma iqiniso lokuthi ukukholelwa kulo bekulokhu kuyingxenye yemfundiso yeSonto. Amagama athi uZiqu-zintathu kanye noMzimba Womuntu awekho ngisho nasemBhalweni, kepha lezo zimfundiso zifundiswa ngokucacile kuwo. Ngokufanayo, umBhalo ufundisa ukuthi isihlanzo sikhona, noma singasebenzisi lelo gama noma ngabe u-1 Peter 3:19 ebhekisa kwenye indawo engeyona isihlanzo.
UKristu ukhuluma ngesoni "esingeke sixolelwe, nakulesi sikhathi nakuleso esizayo" (Math. 12: 32), siphakamisa ukuthi umuntu angakhululwa ngemuva kokufa emiphumeleni yezono zakhe. Ngokufanayo, uPawulu usitshela ukuthi, lapho sahlulelwa, umsebenzi wawo wonke umuntu uyovivinywa. Futhi kuthiwani uma umsebenzi womuntu olungileyo uhluleka isivivinyo? "Uzohlupheka, yize noma yena uqobo ezosindiswa, kodwa ngomlilo kuphela" (1 Cor 3:15). Manje lokhu kulahlekelwa, lesi sijeziso, akunakubhekisa ohambweni oluya esihogweni, njengoba kungekho muntu osindiswa lapho; futhi izulu aliqondakali, njengoba kungekho ukuhlupheka ("umlilo") lapho. Imfundiso yamaKatolika yesihlanzo yodwa iyayichaza le ndima.
Bese kuthi-ke, kube khona ukuvunyelwa ngokweBhayibheli kwemithandazo yabafileyo: “Ngokwenza lokhu wenza ngendlela enhle kakhulu futhi ehloniphekile, ngokuthi wayenombono wovuko lwabafileyo; ngoba uma wayengalindele ukuthi abafileyo bazovuka, kungaba yize futhi kube ubuwula ukubathandazela ekufeni. Kepha uma ekwenzile ngenxa yomvuzo omuhle olindele labo abaya ekuphumuleni ngokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, bekungumcabango ongcwele futhi ongcwele. Ngalokho wenza ukubuyisana kwabafileyo ukuze bakhululwe kulesisono ”(2 Macc. 12: 43–45). Imithandazo ayinasidingo kulabo abasezulwini futhi akekho ongasiza labo abasesihogweni. Leli vesi likubonisa ngokusobala ukuba khona kwesihlanzo ukuthi, ngesikhathi seNguquko, amaProthestani kwakudingeka asike izincwadi zamaMaccabees emaBhayibhelini abo ukuze agweme ukwamukela le mfundiso.
Imikhuleko yabafileyo nemfundiso elandelayo yokuhlanjululwa ibilokhu kuyingxenye yenkolo yeqiniso kusukela ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaKristu. Ngeke nje siveze ubufakazi bokuthi benziwa amaJuda ngaleso sikhathi ngamaMaccabee, kepha babuye babanjwa namaJuda ama-Orthodox namuhla, baphinda umthandazo owaziwa ngokuthi iMourner's Kaddish izinyanga eziyishumi nanye ngemuva kokushona kothandekayo ingahlanzwa. Kwakungeyona iSonto LamaKatolika elanezela imfundiso yesihlanzo. Esikhundleni salokho, amasonto amaProthestani alahla imfundiso eyayikade ikholelwa amaJuda namaKristu.
Kungani uye esihlanzweni?
Kungani umuntu engaya esihlanzweni? Ukuhlanzwa, ngoba "akukho lutho olungcolile okufanele lungene [ezulwini]" (Isambulo 21:27). Noma ngubani ongakhululiwe ngokuphelele esonweni nemiphumela yaso, ngezinga elithile, "ungcolile." Ngokuguquka angahle athole umusa odingekayo ukuze afanelekele izulu, okungukuthi, uxolelwe futhi umphefumulo wakhe uyaphila ngokomoya. Kepha lokhu akwenele ukuthola ukungena ezulwini. Kufanele ihlanzeke ngokuphelele.
Ababambelela enkolweni bathi, njengoba isihloko esikumagazini kaJimmy Swaggart, iThe Evangelist sithi, “UmBhalo wembula ngokusobala ukuthi konke okufunwa ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu esonweni sekwaneliswe ngokuphelele kuJesu Kristu. Kwembula nokuthi uKristu ukuhlengile ngokuphelele noma ukubuyisile obekulahlekile. Abagqugquzeli besihlanzo (kanye nesidingo sokuthandazelwa abafileyo) empeleni bathi ukuhlengwa kukaKristu kwakungaphelele. . . . Konke sakwenzelwa nguJesu Krestu, akukho lutho olungangezwa noma ukwenziwa ngumuntu ”.
Kulungile impela ukusho ukuthi uKristu wafeza yonke insindiso yethu esiphambanweni. Kepha lokho akuxazululi umbuzo wokuthi lokhu kuhlengwa kusetshenziswa kanjani kithina. UmBhalo wembula ukuthi usetshenziswe kithi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, phakathi kokunye, inqubo yokungcweliswa okwenziwa ngayo umKristu ukuba abe ngcwele. Ukungcweliswa kuhilela ukuhlupheka (Rom. 5: 3-5), futhi isihlanzo yisigaba sokugcina sokungcweliswa abanye bethu okufanele babhekane naso ngaphambi kokungena ezulwini. Isihlanzo isigaba sokugcina sesicelo sikaKristu kithina ngokuhlengwa kwesihlengo asenzela khona ngokufa kwakhe esiphambanweni