I ukungamkeleki kweVangeli

The ‘gilding the lily’ idea assumes that the teaching of the crucifixion and resurrection made the gospel more appealing: it didn’t.

UPawulos, writing 1 Corinthians in about AD 55, comments: ‘Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,’ (1 I-cor 1:22-3). So the considered opinion of Paul (who is supposed to have been one of the chief proponents of such a strategy) is that it was a bad idea. This can be clearly seen in the reaction of the crowd to Paul’s message in Athens. As long as he spoke in philosophical terms, they listened; but as soon as he mentioned the resurrection, they began to mock (Izenzo 17:32).

Inyaniso, gnosticism had far more appeal to Greek thinkers: Ukanti ibandla ligxeka ngokuchasene nale mfundiso xa kwakwenziwanga.

Uvuko lwalunyanzelekile ukuba lwammeze uThixo, Ngaphandle kokuba bekuyi kubakho inkolo entsha.

Ukwenza ukuba uYesu abe ekuphela koThixo oyinyaniso okuphela koThixo oyinyaniso engeyiyo i-Smart The Smart Shute. Oku kwabazisa kungqubano ngqo kunye namaRoma (Ngubani othathe nabani na ongazukunqumla uKesare njengo-Athely) kunye namaYuda (owayithatha njengento yokunyelisa).

Ngokufanayo, KumaYuda umbono womntu obethelelwe emnqamlezweni ngumqobo onamandla, Njengoko babeqinisekile ukuba uMesiya wayengasoze afe (UYesu wayeya kuba nethuba elingcono njengomprofeti – babeninzi abo!). Ingxaki efanayo isetyenziswa kwinkcubeko yamaGrike ngokunjalo: ukuthobeka yayiyinto ecekisekayo – Ukanti uYesu wayibonisa njengomntu owayeze afele zonke iingcongconi zeli lizwe. Kwaye ibonisa irhuluneli yaseRoma njengalowo, Ngobuthathaka bakhe, yenze yonke itreyithi yeyokutya okusesikweni kokuba bekunokwenzeka kanye ukuba babenze kanye kuba bakhetha amaRoma nokuba!

Okwangoku, kude ne-back-gesing okanye ukuthambisa umyalezo wokubethelelwa emnqamlezweni, UPawulos uxela ileta yakhe yesibini eya kwabaseKorinte, ibhalwe malunga nonyaka emva kweyokuqala: 'Kwaye nam, Abazalwana, xa ndifika kuwe, ayizanga ngokugqibeleleyo ngentetho okanye yobulumko, ndivakalisa ubungqina bukaThixo. Kuba ndagqiba kwelokuba ndingazi nto phakathi kwenu, Yonga, Wemnqamlezweni ke.’ (1 I-cor 2:1).

Buyela isihloko main.