IBhayibheli Liyahlaselwa
IQOQO lemibhalo esiyazi ngokuthi iBhayibheli noma imiBhalo Engcwele lalotshwa esikhathini esingaphezu kweminyaka engu-1 600. Ingxenye yokuqala yaleli qoqo yalotshwa nguMose; eyokugcina yalotshwa ngumfundi kaJesu Kristu ngemva kweminyaka eyikhulu uJesu azalwa.
Imizamo yokuvimba abantu ekufundeni imiBhalo inomlando omude ohlehlela enkathini engaphambi kwesikhathi sethu esivamile, yaqhubeka eNkathini Ephakathi kuze kuzofika namuhla. Ukulandisa kokuqala kwemizamo enjalo kuhlehlela emuva esikhathini somprofethi kaNkulunkulu uJeremiya, owaphila eminyakeni engu-600 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu.
Isigijimi Esingathandwa Siyahlaselwa
Umprofethi uJeremiya wayalwa nguNkulunkulu ukuba abhale emqulwini isigijimi esasilahla izakhamuzi zakwaJuda wasendulo ezazinesono futhi azixwayise ngokuthi inhloko-dolobha yazo, iJerusalema, yayizobhujiswa uma zingazishintshi izindlela zazo. Unobhala kaJeremiya, uBaruki, wasifunda ngokuzwakalayo lesi sigijimi phambi kwabantu ethempelini laseJerusalema. Waphinde wasifunda ezindlebeni zezikhulu zakwaJuda ezabe seziwuthatha umqulu zawuyisa eNkosini uJehoyakimi. Njengoba inkosi ilalele amazwi kaNkulunkulu, ayikuthandanga eyakuzwa. Ngakho yawusika umqulu waba yizicucu yase iwushisa.—Jeremiya 36:1-23.
UNkulunkulu wabe eseyala uJeremiya: “Zithathele futhi omunye umqulu, ulobe kuwo wonke amazwi okuqala abesemqulwini wokuqala, uJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda awushisile.” (Jeremiya 36:28) Eminyakeni engu-17 kamuva, njengoba nje izwi likaNkulunkulu lalibikezele ngoJeremiya, iJerusalema labhujiswa, ababusi balo abaningi babulawa futhi izakhamuzi zakhona zadingiselwa eBhabhiloni. Isigijimi esadluliselwa umqulu—nokulandisa okuphathelene nezimo ezihlobene nokuhlaselwa kwaso—kuye kwaqhubeka kukhona kwaze kwaba namuhla encwadini yeBhayibheli kaJeremiya.
Ukushiswa KweBhayibheli Kuyaqhubeka
Akuyena uJehoyakimi kuphela umuntu wenkathi engaphambi kwezikhathi zobuKristu owazama ukushisa iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Ngemva kokuhlukana koMbuso wamaGreki, u-Israyeli waba ngaphansi kwamakhosi ase-Asia Minor. Inkosi yakhona u-Antiochus Epiphanes, eyabusa kusukela ngo-175 kuya ku-164 B.C.E., yayifuna ukuhlanganisa umbuso wayo namasiko amaGreki asendulo. Ukuze ifeze lokhu, yazama ukuphoqelela izindlela zamaGreki, amasiko kanye nenkolo yawo kumaJuda.
Cishe ngo-167 B.C.E., u-Antiochus waphanga ithempeli likaJehova eliseJerusalema. Phezu kwe-altare, wakha elinye i-altare ukuze ahloniphe unkulunkulu wamaGreki uZeus. Wenqabela ukugcinwa kweSabatha futhi wayala amaJuda ukuba angawasoki amadodana awo. Isijeziso sokwephula le mithetho sasiwukufa.
Enye indlela yokuqeda leyo nkolo kwaba umzamo ka-Antiochus wokuqeda yonke imiqulu equkethe uMthetho. Nakuba umkhankaso wakhe awusabalalisa kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli, wahluleka ukuqeda wonke amakhophi emiBhalo YesiHebheru. Eminye imiqulu eyayithukuswe ngokucophelela kwa-Israyeli kungenzeka yasinda ekushisweni, futhi kuyaziwa ukuthi amanye amakhophi emiBhalo Engcwele ayegcinwe amakoloni amaJuda ayehlala kwezinye izindawo.
Umyalo KaDiocletian
Omunye umbusi ovelele owazama ukuqeda imiBhalo kwakunguMbusi waseRoma uDiocletian. Ngo-303 C.E., uDiocletian wagunyaza uchungechunge lwemithetho yokuphathwa kwamaKristu ngonya. Lokhu kwaholela kulokho ezinye izazi-mlando eziye zakubiza ngokuthi “Ushushiso Olukhulu.” Umyalo wakhe wokuqala wathi makushiswe amakhophi emiBhalo futhi kubhidlizwe izindawo zemihlangano yamaKristu. UHarry Y. Gamble, uprofesa wezifundo zenkolo eYunivesithi yaseVirginia, wabhala: “UDiocletian wavele wacabanga ukuthi yonke imiphakathi yamaKristu, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ihlalaphi, yayineqoqo lezincwadi futhi wayazi ukuthi lezo zincwadi zazibalulekile ekuchumeni kwayo.” Isazi-mlando seSonto u-Eusebius waseKhesariya, ePalestina, esasiphila ngaleso sikhathi, sabika: “Sazibonela ngawethu izindlu zomthandazo zidilizwa kuze kuba sesisekelweni sazo futhi imiBhalo ephefumulelwe nengcwele ishiswa ezimakethe.”
Ezinyangeni ezintathu ngemva komyalo kaDiocletian, imeya yedolobha eliseNyakatho Afrika, iCirta, manje eselaziwa ngokuthi iConstantine, kuthiwa yayala amaKristu ukuba alethe yonke “imiqulu yawo yomthetho” kanye “namakhophi emiBhalo.” Imibiko yangaleyo nkathi ilandisa ngamaKristu athile akhetha ukuhlukunyezwa nokubulawa kunokuba anikele ngamakhophi awo eBhayibheli ukuze ashiswe.
Injongo Yalokhu Kuhlaselwa
Injongo kaJehoyakimi, u-Antiochus noDiocletian kwakuwukushabalalisa—yebo ukuqothula iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Noma kunjalo, iBhayibheli lasinda kuyo yonke imizamo yokuliqothula. Ababusi baseRoma bangemva kukaDiocletian baqala ukuzibiza ngamaKristu. Nokho, ukuhlaselwa kweBhayibheli kwaqhubeka. Kungani?
Ababusi nabaholi besonto bathi ukushiswa kweBhayibheli kwakungewona umzamo wokuliqothula. Kunalokho, la madoda ayemane ezama ukuba iBhayibheli lingaweli ezandleni zabantu abavamile. Kodwa kungani abaholi besonto babefuna ukwenza lokho? Isonto lona lazama kangakanani ukuvimbela abantu ukuba bafunde iBhayibheli? Ake sibone.