Abagxeki BeBhayibheli Balungisa Ukucabanga Kwabo
IKHULU lama-20 liye labona intuthuko enkulu mayelana nemibhalo yeBhayibheli engenaphutha ngokungaphezulu. Ukutholakala kwamaphepha amaningi amadala, ikakhulukazi i“Chester Beatty” ne“Bodmer Papyri neMiqulu YasoLwandle Olufile, kuye kwenza ukuba imibhalo isondele kakhulu kweyasekuqaleni ngaphezu kwalokho izazi eziningi ezazinethemba lokukufinyelela. Ukuqondwa okukhudlwana kwezilimi zakuqala isiHeberu nesiGreki kuye kwaphumela ekuhunyushweni okuqondile kweBhayibheli ngezilimi eziningi emhlabeni wonke. Ngakho-ke, kubonakala sengathi lentuthuko kumelwe ishiye emuva kakhulu imiqondo yeminyaka engama-200 edlule, ngisho noma ikhona ngenxa yomsebenzi owenziwa phakathi nalesikhathi.
Ngakho mhlawumbe kuyamangalisa ukuthola ukuthi imibono kaJohann Jakob Griesbach (1745-1812) kuxoxwa ngayo futhi osukwini lwethu. Ngo-1976 kwakunomhlangano eMünster, eFederal Republic yaseJalimane, wenzelwe kuphela ukuhlola izincwadi zalesisazi. Kungani kunalokhu kuvuselelwa kokuhlolwa kwezincwadi zakhe namuhla?
Ngemva kokuthola iziqu zokugogoda lapho eneminyaka engama-23, uGriesbach wavakashela e-Europe, evakashela izindawo zemitapo yezincwadi ukuze ahlole amaphepha emiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki. Izithelo zalokhu kucwaninga zakhishwa ngo-1774 nango-1775, futhi imibhalo yakhe yesiGreki (kwezahlelwa kamuva) yasetshenziswa abahumushi beBhayibheli abaningana, kuhlanganise umBhishobhi omkhulu uNewcome, uAbner Kneeland, uSamuel Sharpe, uEdgar Taylor noBenjamin Wilson (owamuva kuThe Emphatic Diaglott).
Ngokokuqala ngqá uGriesbach wahlanganisa nemibhalo emidala kuneyayisetshenziswa uErasmus emibhalweni yesiGreki ka-1516 C.E. Ukubaluleka kwalokhu kucwaninga kusobala kulokhu kukhulumela okulandelayo: “UGriesbach wasebenzisa isikhathi esiningi emzamweni wokuthola okufundeka kangcono kakhulu phakathi kokwehlukana okuningi kwendaba eyodwa eTestamenteni Elisha. Incwadi yakhe yabeka isisekelo sokugxeka kwanamuhla imibhalo futhi naye, ngokwesilinganiso esikhulu, unengxenye ekulondolozeni imibhalo yeTestamente Elisha esiyijabulelayo namuhla.”—J. J. Griesbach: Synoptic and Text-Critical Studies, 1776-1976, k. xi.
Ngo-1776 uGriesbach wanyathelisa ukufinyeza kwakhe amaVangeli kaMathewu, uMarku noLuka, imibhalo yawo ibekwe ngezinhlu ezilinganisene ukuze kuqhathaniswe kalula. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi, aye abizwa ngokuthi amaVangeli “anomqondo ofanayo” ngoba anikeza “umbono ofanayo.” UGriesbach wakholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi lamaVangeli ayelotshwe abantu ayebizwa ngabo, ukuthi uMathewu wayengufakazi wokuzibonela wezehlakalo aziloba, nokuthi “abaphostoli babegcwele uMoya oNgcwele ukuze baqonde futhi badlulisele imfundiso yobuKristu ngaphandle kokuphazama.”
Ekuhloleni kwakhe uGriesbach waphetha ngokuthi iVangeli lokuqala labhalwa uMathewu, elesibili uLuka nelesithathu uMarku. Kodwa ngisho nasesikhathini sokuphila kukaGriesbach, umqondo wokuthi uMarku kwakuyiVangeli elalotshwa kuqala wasikiselwa uG. S. Storr. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi lombono uye wathola ukusekwa okusakazeke kabanzi, nenkolelo yokuthi ngemva kwalamaVangeli kunombhalo owalahlekayo ongaziwa othiwa i‘Q.’ Kamuva izazi zanezela okunye ukudukisa nemithombo kulombono, futhi ingxoxo yawo nezincazelo kuye kwagcwalisa amashumi ezincwadi nezihloko eziyizinkulungwane. Kwaba okubaluleke kangako kweziningi izazi zenkolo kangangokuba kwaba nesimo se“sici senkolo.” Ngokomphumela, uGriesbach walahlelwa eceleni futhi ngezikhathi eziningi wagxekwa ngonya.
Emva kokuba uye wabusa enkundleni isikhathi eside kangaka, umqondo ‘wombhalo ongumthombo’ manje uyagxekwa. Njengoba izazi eziningi zilungisa ukucabanga kwazo, ziye ‘zathola’ futhi imibono kaGriesbach. Emva kokuba isiye yalungiswa ngokushintsha okuthile, lemibono iye yatholakala ixazulula imibuzo eminingi ekhona mayelana nalamaVangeli.
Umqondo wo‘mbhalo ongumthombo’ uye wabulala ukholo lwabantu abaningi ekuphefumlelweni kwaphezulu kweBhayibheli. (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) Lo mkhuba awumusha, ngoba umphostoli uPawulu watshela uThimothewu ukuba a“yale abathile ngokuthi bangafundisi okwahlukileyo, futhi banganaki izinganekwane nezindaba zolibo lokuzalana olungapheliyo, ezibanga ukuphikisana [“ezibanga ukucabangela,” RS] kunokuba ziqhube isimiso sikaNkulunkulu esisekukholweni.”—1 Thimothewu 1:3, 4.
Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi umBhishobhi uB. C. Butler, owavikela ukuba ngelokuqala kwevangeli likaMathewu cishe yedwa eminyakeni ethile eyedlule, wavula indlela kulombuzo, ethi: “Obuza ngokungabandlululi, ofuna ukuthola iqiniso, uyonquma ngokujwayelekile, uma efunda abuye afundisise amaVangeli Anomqondo Ofanayo njengezincwadi eziphelele, ukuthi ababhali ngokwabo kwakungamadoda aqotho, ebhala lokho ayekukholelwa ngokuqinisekile ukuthi kuyiqiniso. Uyobona ukuthi babengenakuzikholelwa lezizinto ukuthi ziyiqiniso ngaphandle kokuba amaqiniso omlando, enjengoba nje bewaveza njengoba ayenjalo.”—Searchings, k. 85.
Awukho umbhalo owalahlekayo ongaphefumlelwe onjengesisekelo sezindaba zeVangeli likaMathewu, likaMarku, likaLuka nelikaJohane. Babhala ngaphansi kwethonya lomoya oyingcwele kaJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngempela, imibono edukile yabantu ingase ibe nethonya isikhathi eside, kulendaba iminyaka engama-200. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ukholo lwabantu abaningi eZwini likaNkulunkulu luyalinyazwa. Kodwa uma sihlakaniphile siyoqaphela bonke ubufakazi obuye banqwabelana ukuze sibonise ukuba nokwethenjelwa nokuphefumlelwa kwaphezulu kweBhayibheli. Futhi siyoshiya abagxeki ukuba balungise iziphosiso zokucabanga kwabo kaningi kangangokuba bethanda.