Bázama Ukugodlela Abantu IZwi LikaNkulunkulu
NJENGOBA isikhathi sihamba, kwenziwa imizamo yokuhumushela iBhayibheli ezilimini zabantu ezivamile. Bambalwa ababekwazi ukufunda iBhayibheli ngesiHebheru noma ngesiGreki okuyizilimi elalibhalwe ngazo. Iningi lethu beliyokuthola kunzima ukuqonda iZwi likaNkulunkulu namuhla ukuba belitholakala ngalezi zilimi zasendulo kuphela.
Eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-300 ngaphambi kokuba uJesu aphile emhlabeni, kwaqala umsebenzi wokuhumusha imiBhalo YesiHebheru ngolimi lwesiGreki. Leyo nguqulo yaziwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint yesiGreki. Eminyakeni engu-700 kamuva, uJerome wakhipha inguqulo yakhe edumile okuthiwa i-Vulgate. Lokhu kwakuwukuhunyushelwa kwemiBhalo YesiHebheru nesiGreki olimini lwesiLatini, okwakuwulimi oluvamile eMbusweni waseRoma wangaleso sikhathi.
Kamuva, baqala ukuncipha abantu abakhuluma isiLatini. Abantu abafundile kuphela abaqhubeka besisebenzisa futhi iSonto lamaKatolika lamelana nemizamo yokuhumusha iBhayibheli ngezinye izilimi. Abaholi benkolo bama kwelokuthi isiHebheru, isiGreki nesiLatini ziwukuphela kwezilimi zeBhayibheli ezifanelekayo.a
Izingxabano ZeSonto Nokuhunyushwa KweBhayibheli
Ngekhulu lesi-9 C.E., uMethodius noCyril, izithunywa zevangeli zaseThesalonika ezazimelela iSonto laseMpumalanga eByzantium, zakhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kweSlavic njengolimi lwesonto. Umgomo wabo wawuwukwenza abantu baseMpumalanga Yurophu abakhuluma iSlavic ababengasizwa isiGreki nesiLatini, bakwazi ukufunda ngoNkulunkulu ngolimi lwabo.
Nokho, lezi zithunywa zevangeli zabhekana nokuphikiswa okunzima okuvela kubapristi baseJalimane, ababefuna ukuphakamisa isiLatini ukuze banqande ithonya elalanda lobuKristu baseByzantine. Kusobala ukuthi umbango wawubaluleke kakhulu kunokufundiswa kwabantu ngenkolo. Ukungezwani okwakwanda phakathi kwamagatsha eLobukholwa aseNtshonalanga nawaseMpumalanga kwaholela ekuhlukaneni kwamaRoma Katolika nobu-Orthodox baseMpumalanga ngo-1054.
Ukulwa Nokuhunyushwa KweBhayibheli
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amaRoma Katolika abheka isiLatini njengolimi olungcwele. Ngakho, lapho ephendula isicelo esenziwa inkosana yaseBohemia uVratislaus ngo-1079, eyayifuna imvume yokusebenzisa ulimi lweSlavic ezintshumayelweni zesonto, uPapa Gregory VII wabhala: “Ngeke sisivumele nhlobo lesi sicelo.” Kungani?
UGregory wathi, “Kuyacaca kulabo abayibhekisisa kahle le ndaba, ukuthi kuyamjabulisa uNkulunkulu ukuba eminye imiBhalo Engcwele ingaqondakali, ngoba uma ingaqondakala kahle kubo bonke abantu ingase yonakaliswe futhi ingabe isahlonipheka, noma abantu abangakhaliphile bangayiqondi kahle bese benza amaphutha.”
Abantu abavamile babencishwa amathuba okuthola iBhayibheli, futhi kwakufanele kuhlale kunjalo. Lokhu kwenza ukuba abefundisi babe negunya phezu kwabo. Babengafuni ukuba abantu abavamile bahlole izinto ababezibheka njengeziqondene nabo kuphela.
Ngo-1199, uPapa Innocent III wabhala ngokuphathelene “namambuka” ayehumushele iBhayibheli esiFulentshini futhi aba nesibindi sokuxoxa ngalo. Ebhekisela kuwo, u-Innocent wasebenzisa amazwi kaJesu: “Ningaziniki izinja okungcwele, futhi ningawaphonsi amaparele enu phambi kwezingulube.” (Mathewu 7:6) Wawuyini umbono wakhe ngala mazwi? Wawuwukuthi, “Akekho umuntu ovamile nongafundile okufanele azihluphe ngemiBhalo Engcwele, noma ukushumayela ngayo kwabanye.” Labo ababephikisana nomyalo kapapa, ngokuvamile babenikelwa kubashushisi besonto ababekhipha umyalo wokuba bahlukunyezwe ukuze bavume amacala ababekwe wona. Labo ababenqaba ukushintsha umbono wabo babeshiswa bephila.
Phakathi nenkathi ende yokulwela ukuba neBhayibheli nokulifunda, incwadi kaPapa Innocent yayivame ukusetshenziselwa ukusekela ukwenqabela ukufundwa kweBhayibheli nokuhunyushelwa kwalo kwezinye izilimi. Ngemva nje komyalo wakhe, kwaqala ukushiswa kwamaBhayibheli ezilimi zabantu abavamile, kanye nokushiswa kwabathile ababenawo. Emakhulwini eminyaka alandela, ababhishobhi nababusi baseYurophu yamaKatolika benza konke ababengakwenza ukuqiniseka ukuthi lo mthetho kaPapa Innocent III uyalandelwa.
Iziphathimandla zamaKatolika zazazi kahle ukuthi izimfundiso zazo eziningi zazingasekelwe eBhayibhelini, kodwa enqubweni yesonto. Akungabazeki ukuthi lesi esinye sezizathu ezazenza zaba manqikanqika ukuvumela amalungu esonto ukuba afunde iBhayibheli. Ngokulifunda, abantu babezobona ukungavumelani phakathi kwezimfundiso zesonto nemiBhalo.
Imiphumela YeziNguquko
Ukufika kobuProthestani kwasishintsha isimo senkolo eYurophu. Imizamo kaMartin Luther yokuguqula iSonto lamaKatolika kuhlanganise nokulishiya kwakhe kamuva ngo-1521, kwakusekelwe ekuqondeni kwakhe imiBhalo ngokuyinhloko. Ngakho lapho eselishiyile, uLuther owayengumhumushi onekhono, walwela ukuba iBhayibheli litholakale emphakathini.
ISonto LamaRoma Katolika lezwa ngenguqulo kaLuther yesiJalimane nokusakazwa kwayo kabanzi, futhi laba nomuzwa wokuthi kufanele libe neyalo inguqulo ezokwamukelwa yisonto emelene nekaLuther. Ngokushesha kwaba nalezo zinguqulo ezimbili ngolimi lwesiJalimane. Kodwa kamuva ngo-1546, eminyakeni engaphansi kwengu-25, uMkhandlu WaseTrent WamaRoma Katolika, wanika isonto igunya lokulawula ukunyatheliswa kwezincwadi zenkolo, kuhlanganise nezinguqulo zeBhayibheli.
UMkhandlu WaseTrent wakhipha umyalo wokuthi “kusukela lapho kuye phambili imiBhalo Engcwele . . . inyatheliswe ngokunembe ngangokunokwenzeka; nokuthi kuyoba ukwephula umthetho ukuba noma ubani anyathelise, noma acele ukuba kunyatheliswe noma iyiphi incwadi ekhuluma ngezindaba ezingcwele ngaphandle kokubhala igama lakhe njengomlobi wayo; noma ukuzidayisa esikhathini esizayo, ngisho nokuba nazo, ngaphandle kokuba ahlolwe futhi athole imvume [kumbhishobhi wendawo].”
Ngo-1559, uPapa Paul IV wanyathelisa uhlu lokuqala lwezincwadi ezilahlwa yiSonto LamaRoma Katolika. Yayenqabela ukuba umuntu abe nezinguqulo zeBhayibheli zesiDashi, isiNgisi, isiFulentshi, isiJalimane, isiNtaliyane, iSpanishi kuhlanganise nezinye zesiLatini. Noma ubani owayefuna ukufunda iBhayibheli wayetshelwa ukuba athole imvume ebhalwe phansi kubabhishobhi noma abashushisi besonto okwaba yinto engajabulisi kulabo ababefuna ukuhlale bengasoleki.
Abantu ababebe nesibindi sokuba neBhayibheli noma sokulisakaza ngezilimi ezivamile endaweni abahlala kuyo kwakudingeka babhekane nolaka lweSonto lamaKatolika. Abaningi baboshwa, bashiswa bebethelwe ezigxotsheni, bosiwa bexhonywe ezingongolweni, bagwetshwa intambo noma ukudilikelwa yijele. Ayeshiswa amaBhayibheli ayetholakala. Empeleni, abapristi abangamaKatolika baqhubeka bephuca abantu amaBhayibheli futhi bewashisa kwaze kwaba phakathi nekhulu lama-20.
Lokhu akusho neze ukuthi ubuProthestani bebulokhu bulithanda iBhayibheli futhi bulilwela. Ngekhulu le-18 nele-19, izazi ezithile zemfundiso yamaProthestani zaqala izindlela zokutadisha iBhayibheli ezagcina sezibizwa ngokuthi ukugxeka kwezinga eliphakeme. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abantu abaningi bamukela izimfundiso ezazinethonya lemibono kaDarwin yokuthi ukuphila akudalwanga, kodwa ngandlela-thile kwavele kwaba khona ngengozi ngaphandle koMdali.
Izazi zemfundiso yenkolo, ngisho nabefundisi abaningi, bafundisa ukuthi ingxenye enkulu yeBhayibheli isekelwe enganekwaneni. Ngenxa yalokho, kuyinto evamile namuhla ukuzwa abefundisi bamaProthestani, kuhlanganise namalungu amaningi amasonto abo bethi iBhayibheli alinembile ngokomlando.
Mhlawumbe uye wasiphawula isimo sengqondo sokugxeka ubuqiniso beBhayibheli, futhi kungenzeka nokuthi iyakumangaza imizamo yokulishabalalisa eye yenziwa emakhulwini eminyaka edlule. Kodwa, ukuhlaselwa kwalo akuphumelelanga. IBhayibheli liye lasinda kukho konke!
Okwalenza Lasinda
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abaningi baye balithanda iBhayibheli futhi bazimisela ukufa ukuze balivikele. Kodwa, umgogodla wokusinda kwalo usemandleni angaphezu kothando lomuntu. Isizathu esilula sokusinda kweBhayibheli ukuthi bonke labo ababa nengxenye ekubhalweni kwalo babephefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.—Isaya 40:8; 1 Petru 1:25.
Ukufunda nokusebenzisa lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo kuyosenza sikwazi ukuthuthukisa ukuphila kwethu, impilo nokuphila kwemindeni yethu. UNkulunkulu ufuna ukuba iBhayibheli lisinde futhi lihunyushelwe ezilimini eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka ukuze bonke abantu babe nethuba lokufunda ukumthanda, ukumkhonza futhi ekugcineni bathole izibusiso zakhe zaphakade. Ngokuqinisekile, yikho kanye lokho esikufunayo sonke!
Ethandaza kuYise wasezulwini, uJesu wathi: “Izwi lakho liyiqiniso.” (Johane 17:17) IBhayibheli—imiBhalo uJesu ayifunda futhi wafundisa ngayo—liyindlela kaNkulunkulu yokunikeza izimpendulo zemibuzo yabantu abaqotho.
Sikukhuthaza ukuba ufunde okwengeziwe ngesigijimi sikaNkulunkulu esiseBhayibhelini esiya kubantu. OFakazi BakaJehova, abasakaza lo magazini, bayokujabulela ukukusiza.b
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Lo mbono kubonakala sengathi wavela emibhalweni yombhishobhi waseSpain u-Isidore waseSeville (560-636 C.E.), owathi: “Kunezilimi ezintathu ezingcwele, isiHebheru, isiGreki nesiLatini, futhi ziphakeme kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Ngoba yilezi zilimi ezintathu uPilatu abhala ngazo esiphambanweni icala elalibekwe iNkosi.” Iqiniso liwukuthi isinqumo sokubhala icala ngalezo zilimi ezintathu senziwa amaRoma angamaqaba. Akuyena uNkulunkulu owaqondisa leso sinqumo.
b Ungaxhumana nabo, ngaphandle kokuzibopha, kwelinye lamakheli atholakala ekhasini 5 lalo magazini noma engosini ethi www.watchtower.org.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]
Abantu abavamile babencishiwe amathuba okuthola iBhayibheli, okwakwenza abefundisi babe negunya phezu kwabo
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 8]
Uma betholakele, abantu ababenesibindi sokuba neBhayibheli noma sokulisakaza, babeshiswa bebethelwe ezigxotsheni noma bagwetshwe ukudilikelwa yijele
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 9]
IZIMPENDULO ZEBHAYIBHELI
UMdali ufuna sikwazi ukuphendula le mibuzo ebalulekile:
● Kungani silapha?
● Kungani kunokuhlupheka okungaka?
● Bakuphi abafileyo?
● Siphokophelephi isintu?
IBhayibheli liyayiphendula le mibuzo futhi linikeza neseluleko esisebenzayo sendlela yokuthola injabulo yangempela.
[Ishadi/Izithombe emakhasini 6, 7]
UMLANDO WOKUHLASELWA KWEBHAYIBHELI
Cishe ngo-636 C.E.
U-Isidore waseSeville umi kwelokuthi isiHebheru, isiGreki nesiLatini izilimi “ezingcwele” futhi ngenxa yalokho yizo kuphela ezifanelekela iBhayibheli Elingcwele
1079
UPapa Gregory VII usenqaba ngokuqinile isicelo sikaVratislaus sokusebenzisa iSlavic esontweni, ethi akufanele “abantu abangakhaliphile” bathole imiBhalo
1199
UPapa Innocent III ubheka noma ubani onesibindi sokuhumusha nokuxoxa ngeBhayibheli njengesihlubuki. Labo abangawulaleli umyalo kapapa ngokuvamile bayahlushwa futhi babulawe
1546
Isinqumo soMkhandlu WaseTrent sithi, noma yikuphi ukunyatheliswa kwezinguqulo zeBhayibheli kumelwe kuqale kugunyazwe yiSonto lamaKatolika
1559
UPapa Paul IV wenqabela ukuba abantu babe neBhayibheli ngezilimi ezivamile. Izinguqulo zezilimi zendawo ziyathathwa bese ziyashiswa futhi ngokuvamile abanikazi bazo bashiswa kanye nazo
[Imithombo]
Pope Gregory VII: © Scala/White Images/Art Resource, NY; Pope Innocent III: © Scala/Art Resource, NY; Council of Trent: © Scala/White Images/Art Resource, NY; Pope Paul IV: © The Print Collector, Great Britain/HIP/Art Resource, NY
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]
From Foxe’s Book of Martyrs