“Nkulunkulu, Vula Amehlo ENkosi YaseNgilandi”
WAJEZISWA njengofundisa okuphambene ngoAugust 1536. Kodwa kwaze kwaba ngo-October kulowonyaka lapho aphanyekwa khona esigxotsheni. Ngaphambi nje kokuba aklinywe futhi umzimba wakhe ushiswe, amazwi akhe okugcina awasho ngephimbo elizwakalayo yilawa: “Nkulunkulu, vula amehlo eNkosi yaseNgilandi.”
Lendoda kwakunguWilliam Tyndale. Kungani ajeziswa njengofundisa okuphambene futhi umzimba wakhe washiswa esigxotsheni? Yini inkosi yaseNgilandi eyahluleka ukuyibona? Khona-ke ingabe kukhona isifundo esinosizo esingasifunda kokwenzeka kuTyndale? Ukuze sithole izimpendulo, ake sihlole okokuqala isizinda sikaTyndale.
UTyndale Esemusha
UTyndale wazalelwa eGloucestershire, eNgilandi, ngawo-1494. Wangena eYunivesithi yaseOxford wathola iziqu zeM.A. ngo-1515. Ngokushesha kamuva, wachitha isikhashana eYunivesithi yaseCambridge.
Ngo-1522 uTyndale wayesebuyele eGloucestershire, enguthisha wezingane zikaSir John Walsh. Esebenzisa imiBhalo ekusekeleni imiqondo yakhe, ngokushesha wangqubuzana nabefundisi nodokotela abadumile bamaKatolika ababevakashele isifunda. UmkaWalsh wakhathazeka, embuza ukuthi kungani “kumelwe sikukholelwe phambi kwamadoda afunde kakhulu kangaka nasesikhundleni sobupristi.”
Kulokhu, uTyndale wanquma ukuhumushela esiNgisini iThe Manual of Christian Soldier, incwadi yomfundi uDesiderius Erasmus. Yayisola imikhuba nezimfundiso eziningi zenkolo ezijwayelekile. Ngokwesibonelo, uErasmus wabhala: “Kuyangimangalisa ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi oPapa nababhishobhi ngokukhulu ukunganaki bafuna ukuba babizwe ngokuthi amakhosi kodwa uKristu wabanqabela abafundi bakhe ukuba babizwe kanjalo. . . . Amagama athi umphostoli, umalusi, umbhishobhi, amagama abonisa umsebenzi noma inkonzo, hhayi ukubusa.” Kulencwadi uErasmus wakhuthaza futhi ukutadishwa kweBhayibheli okwengeziwe.
Ngokushesha nje, abaphikisi bakaTyndale abase bevuke ulaka bambeka icala lokukholelwa kokuphambene. Nakuba ayibona ingozi ayekuyo, waba ngoqiniseke ngokungaphezulu kakhulu ukuthi indlela okuwukuphela kwayo yokuxosha ubuphukuphuku yayikuhumusha iBhayibheli ngesiNgisi esasisetshenziswa osukwini lwakhe, kanjalo enze kube lula ngabantu abafunde kancane ukuba balifunde.
Masinya wahileleka kwenye ingxoxo nomunye umfundisi, owathi ekugcineni: “Okungcono singamane singabi nawo umthetho kaNkulunkulu kunokapapa.” Eshaqiswe yilokhu, uTyndale waphendula: “Lapho ebeyini upapa nemithetho yakhe yonke. . . . Uma uNkulunkulu esindisa ukuphila kwami, ngaphambi kweminyaka eminingi ngiyokwenza ukuba umfana obamba igeja azi imibhalo kangcono kakhulu kunawe.” UTyndale wenza njengoba ayeshilo. Ezimisele ukwenza iBhayibheli liqondakale ‘kumfana obamba igeja,’ waya eLondon ngo-1523 eyofuna umBhishobhi wamaKatolika uCuthbert Tunstall, ngoba wayenomuzwa wokuthi lomngane kaErasmus wayezomsiza.
Inguqulo Yakhe Ihlangabezana Nokuphikiswa
Nokho, uTunstall wayengenakulinga asekele umsebenzi owawugxekwa kangaka iSonto. Kodwa uTyndale wakha ubungane nomthengisi ocebile, uHumphrey Monmouth, ahlala naye izinyangana. Eqonda izingozi ezaziphakama ezazibhekene naye uTyndale ngokushe sha waphetha ngokuthi kwakungekhona kuphela ukuthi kwaku“ngekho indawo endlunkulu yenkosi yami yeseLondon yokuhumusha iTestamente Elisha, kodwa futhi ukuthi yayingekho indawo kulo lonke elaseNgilandi yokulikhiqiza.” Ngakho ngosizo lukaMonmouth, uTyndale waya eJalimane ngomkhumbi ngo-1524. Lapho waqala ukuhumusha imiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki (ngokuvamile ebizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elisha), engayisuseli esiLatinini, njengoba umhumushi weBhayibheli uJohn Wycliffe ayenzile, kodwa eyisusela esiGrekini sokuqala.
Nakuba ukunyathelisa kwaqala ngendlela yesinyelela, ngokushesha kwabanjwa uJohann Dobneck (Cochlaeus), oye wachazwa njenge“sitha esibi kakhulu sokuhunyushelwa kweZwi likaNkulunkulu kunoma yiluphi ulimi oluvamile, esake saphila.” UDobneck wavusa abomthetho, futhi kwadingeka ukuba uTyndale abalekele emzini waseWorms namaphepha ayishumi noma angaphezulu ayesephelile. Ngo-1526 izincwadi ezingengaphansi kuka-3 000 zenguqulo yakhe zaqedwa ngempumelelo futhi zangeniswa ngokunyenyiswa eNgilandi kubathengisi abaziwa ngokuthi abe‘Testamente Elisha.’ Ingozi eyayihilelekile ekuzithengeni yakhula njengoba umBhishobhi uTunstall nabanye abefundisi baqala ukuzingela izincwadi futhi bezishisa eSt. Paul’s Cross eLondon.
Ngo-1527 uWilliam Warham, umbhishobhi omkhulu waseCanterbury, wathola indlela yokuthenga inguqulo kaTyndale ngaphambi kokuba ifike kubantu. UTunstall naye wahileleka ecebweni elifanayo, futhi ngalendlela imiqulu eminingi yashiswa. Kodwa waba yini umphumela ongokoqobo? “Ngizothola imali yokungikhipha ezikweletini, futhi izwe lonke liyokhala ngokushiswa kweZwi likaNkulunkulu, futhi nemali eyosala iyongenza ngikhuthale ekufundeni ukuze ngilungise iTestamente Elisha,” kwasho uTyndale. Kanjalo wagcina esenemali yokunyathelisa izincwadi eziningi kanye nokulungisa amaphutha. Akukho lutho kulokho abefundisi abakwenza okwavimbela ukusabalala kweZwi likaNkulunkulu!
Kodwa kungani amehlo abefundisi ngisho nawenkosi yaseNgilandi, uHenry VIII, ayevalekile enguqulweni yolimi lwabo, njengale kaTyndale? Nokho, kwaphawula esinye isazi somKatolika e-Erasmus owanikeza okulandelayo njengesinye sezizathu: “Ezindaweni eziningi imiqulu engcwele iyayisola imikhuba yabefundisi namakhosi, futhi uma abantu bebengayifunda, bebeyokhonona ngalabo ababaphethe.” Nokho, kwakungewona nje umqondo wokuhumusha ngolimi lwabo okwavusa ukuphikisa kwabo. Inkosi yamelana “nokuchaza okwakuhlaba,” amazwi achazayo eceleni, enguqulweni kaTyndale. Nabefundisi futhi, baphikisana namazwi achazayo eceleni, ababewabheka njengaphendukezela ukholo lobuKatolika. Kodwa, ukuphikisa kwabo kwakuvala amehlo abantu abangafundile kangako ekuboneni iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu.
Enguqulweni yakhe, uTyndale wenza njengokusho kwakhe, esebenzisa amagama ‘umfana obamba igeja’ angawaqonda: elithi “eider” noma “sénior” esikhundleni selithi “priest”; elithi “congregation” esikhundleni selithi “church”; elithi “love” esikhundleni selithi “charity”; elithi “repentance” esikhundleni selithi “penance.” Kodwa ngokusebenzisa amagama anjalo esikhundleni samagama amadala ebandla wayefundisa okuphambene emehlweni amaKatolika ashisekayo njengoSir Thomas More.
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uTyndale wabhala izincwadi eziningi ‘ezimelene nabefundisi.’ Ngokwesibonelo, iObedience of a Christian Man yakhe yabekela igunya lobupapa inselele, yasola umnotho wabefundisi futhi yadalula nokunye ukuphatha kabi nemikhuba emibi. Kuyo washo okulandelayo ekuvikeleni ukuhumushela olimini lwabo lwesiNgisi: “Bathi ngeke lihunyushelwe olimini lwethu libi kakhulu. Alilibi njengabo abangabaqambimanga. . . . Lokhu kusongela nokunqabela kwabo abantu abaphansi ukuba bafunde imibhalo akusikho ukuthanda imiphefumulo yenu. . . . ngoba bayanivumela . . . ukuba nifunde ngoRobin Hood, . . . nezindaba zothando nangobufebe . . . ukungcola konke inhliziyo engase ikucabange, ukuze konakaliswe izingqondo zabasha.”
Kanjalo uTyndale wabe esebhekwa njengofundisa okuphambene, nenguqulo yakhe yemiBhalo yesiGreki yamaKristu yabhekwa njengencwadi ephambene nokukholwa okuyikho.
Imibhalo YesiHeberu
UTyndale wayekade futhi efunda isiHeberu, futhi ngokushesha, waqala ukuhumushela esiNgisini imiBhalo yesiHeberu. Waqala ngokuhumusha izincwadi ezinhlanu zikaMose wahamba ngomkhumbi esuka eAntwerp, eBelgium, ukuze ziyonyatheliswa ngomshini eHamburg, eJalimane. Kodwa wephukelwa umkhumbi esogwini lwamaDutch, walahlekelwa yizo zonke izincwadi nemibhalo. Ekugcineni wafika eHamburg ngo-1529, watholana nesihlobo sakhe esidala, uMiles Coverdale, owamsiza ukuba ahumushe zonke izincwadi ezinhlanu zikaMose. Ekugcineni zanyatheliswa ngo-1530. Nokho, amehlo abefundisi nawenkosi ayezovaleka kakhulu impela ngisho nakulenguqulo!
Amazwi achazayo kaTyndale ezincwadini ezinhlanu zikaMose ayethukuthelisa kakhulu kunamazwi ayesemiBhalweni yeseGreki yamaKristu. Wathatha ithuba lokugcizelela lokho ayenomuzwa wokuthi kwakunokuphikisana phakathi kwemikhuba yeSonto nemithetho kaNkulunkulu. Phawula izibonelo ezilandelayo: UNumeri 23:8: “‘Ngingamqalekisa kanjani ongaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu na?’ [emazwini achazayo: Upapa angasho ukuthi kanjani]”; Duteronomi 23:18, “‘Ungayingenisi inkokhelo yesifebe nemali yenja endlini kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho’ [emazwini achazayo: Upapa uyoyithatha inkokhelo yazo kanye nababhishobhi, futhi abaphathi bezigodlo zezindela abafuni lutho ngaphandle koqashile]”; uDuteronomi 11:19, “‘Ukhulume ngawo (amazwi ami) lapho uhlezi endlini yakho’ [emazwini achazayo: amagosa ethu athi ukhulume ngorobynhod].”
Ukusakazwa kwamaBhayibheli nemibhalo kaTyndale nekaLuther eNgilandi kwafinyelela izinga lokuthi ngoMay 1530 iNkosi uHenry VIII yafuna ukuba kubizwe imbizo yababhishobhi abangama-30 nabefundisi abaziwayo, kuhlanganise noMore noTunstall. Ngokomphumela, ukusolwa kwalemibhalo kwathathwa ngokwesimemezelo senkosi. Yayichazwa njenge“zincwadi zesiNgisi ezihlambalazayo futhi ezimbi” eziphendukezela ukholo futhi ezivusa uqhekeko.
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuye phambili kwakungezona kuphela izincwadi ezazishiswa. Eminyakeni emibili eyalandela abayi-10 “ababekholelwa okuphambene” bashiswa esigxotsheni, abanye babo wayebazi uTyndale. Abanye abavuma ukuthi babenezincwadi zakhe, bayekiswa ukholo futhi bahlawuliswa.
Ngo-1533 uTyndale wayesebuyele eAntwerp, lapho walungisa kabusha inguqulo yakhe yemiBhalo yesiGreki yamaKristu futhi waqhubeka nengxenye yemiBhalo yesiHeberu, eqedela ingxenye kaJoshuwa kuya kuziKronike zeSibili ngendlela yokubhala ephepheni.
Ukukhashelwa, Ukuthethwa Kwecala Nokufa
Imizamo eminingi yase yenziwe eNgilandi yokuba kubanjwe uTyndale aboshwe, kodwa ayizange iphumelele yonke kwaze kwaba ngoMay 1535. Lapho edla nabathengisi eAntwerp, uTyndale wazazisa kuHenry Phillips. Enganake ngozi, uTyndale wammemela endlini lapho ayehlala khona, nakuba umninindlu, uThomas Poyntz, ngokukhanyayo ayesola. Esethole isifuba sikaTyndale uPhillips wabikela abomthetho. Kodwa kwakungeke kube ukuhlakanipha ukubopha uTyndale esendlini. Ngakho uPhillips wafika wammema ukuba abe isivakashi sakhe ekudleni. Baphuma bahamba ndawonye behla ngephasiji elincane, uPhillips elandela uTyndale. Njengoba babeqhamuka, uTyndale wakhonjwa base bembamba abamthetho bambopha.
UTyndale wavalelwa eVilvorde Castle, cishe amakhilomitha angu-9,6 ukusuka eBrussels, wahlala lapho izinyanga eziyi-16. Ukuhlolwa kwakhe isigungu esikhethekile samanxusa kwamnikeza ithuba lokuba afakaze ngezinkolelo zakhe, ezisekelwa ngokufanele imiBhalo. Ingxoxo ende phakathi kwezazi zezenkolo ezazisuka eYunivesithi yamaKa tolika eseduze yaseLouvain yalandela. Ekugcineni wajeziswa njengokholelwa okuphambene, futhi ngaphambi kokuba aklinywe futhi ashiswe, washo lamazwi, “Nkulunkulu, vula amehlo eNkosi yaseNgilandi.”
Umthandazo Wakhe Waphendulwa
UTyndale akazange azi ukuthi umthandazo wakhe lapho efa wawuzophendulwa ngokushesha kangakanani, neBhayibheli lenziwe likwazi ukufundwa abantu abafunde kancane. Khona-ke, futhi, amehlo abantu abaningi ayezovulekela eqinisweni eliwaqukethe.
Ngonyaka ongaphambi kokufa kukaTyndale iBhayibheli lokuqala eliphelile elalinyatheliswe ngesiNgisi lakhishwa uMiles Coverdale, ingxenye yalo eyayisekelwe emsebenzini kaTyndale. Ekhasini lesihloko kunomphetho obhalwe ngokhuni ofanekiswe umpendi waseJalimane uHans Holbein, owawunegama elithi “Jehova” ngendlela yesiHeberu yongwaqa abane ababephezulu. UTyndale o waqala ukuveza igama elithi “Jehova” olimini lwesiNgisi, enguqulweni yakhe yemiBhalo kaMose emihlanu kuEksodusi 6:3.
Ukubukezwa kwalo okwengeziwe kwenziwa uJohn Rogers, esebenzisa igama likaThomas Matthew (futhi ngalokho laziwa ngokuthi iBhayibheli likaMatthew), layiswa eNkosini uHenry VIII ngo-1537 futhi lanikezwa imvume yenkosi. Kodwa, ngokwesimo sakhona, leliBhayibheli laliyinguqulo kaTyndale ikakhulukazi, ngisho nokungeniswa kwemibhalo yakhe yeziKronike zeSibili. Ekugcineni kukaMalaki kubonakala izinhlamvu zegama lakhe, “W.T.” “Kanjalo (umBhishobhi omkhulu) uCranmer wadonseleka ukuba azivumele lezinguqulo, ezinyatheliswe zahlanganiswa futhi ezinamagama-mbumbulu abalobi, kanti ngesikhathi zisanyatheliswe ngokwehlukile iSigungu samaKatolika sasizenqabile: kanjalo iNkosi yanikeza imvume ezincwadini ngokumemezela kwayo kwangaphambili eyayizenqabele:”—History of the Church of England, nguR. W. Dixon, uMqulu I, ikhasi 521.
Ngemva konyaka owodwa kamuva, umyalezo wakhishwa nguThomas Cromwell, umfundisi ophethe wonke amasonto, etshela abefundisi ukuba balethe iBhayibheli elikhulukazi esontweni ngalinye ukuze kusizakale abantu bezifunda zabefundisi, ababoshwe ngokuqinile iketango, nokuthi kumelwe ba“bangele, bavuse futhi bashumayeze wonke umuntu ukuba afunde elifanayo, iZwi eliphilayo likaNkulunkulu.” Kwenziwa okukhulu ngalokho kubantu kangangokuba ngo-1539 kwakhishwa esinye isimemezelo sokunqabela abantu ukuba bafunde amaBhayibheli ngokuphimisela esontweni ngesikhathi inkonzo iqhubeka. Ngokusobala abefundisi baphatheka kabi lapho bethola ukuthi izintshumayelo zabo zazinganakwa kodwa abaningi babekhetha ukuhlanganyela ukufundwa kweBhayibheli!
Ingabe Amehlo Akho Asevulekile?
Ngokuqondene nokwenza iBhayibheli likwazi ukufundwa nangabantu abafunde kancane, umthandazo kaTyndale esefa waphendulwa. Kodwa, kuthiwani ngesikhathi sethu?
‘Nginalo iBhayibheli,’ abaningi bangasho. Kodwa ilokho kuphela okuhilelekile ukuze umuntu abe namehlo avulekile? ‘Banamehlo kodwa ababoni,’ kwasho uNkulunkulu ngokuqondene nabantu bakhe uJuda wasendulo owaba ongathembekile. (Jeremiya 5:21) Ngakho ‘ukubona’ kungabhekisela ekuboneni okungokomfanekiso, ukuqonda kwengqondo. Nakuba kuyiqiniso ukuthi izigidi zezigidi zineBhayibheli emakhaya azo, ezimweni eziningi lihlala nje ekhabetheni, ligcwale uthuli. Ungathi amehlo alabobantu avulekile ngempela ukuba babone iqiniso leBhayibheli?
‘Kodwa ngiyalifunda iBhayibheli lami,’ abanye bangase baphendule. Nokho, ingabe ukufunda nje iBhayibheli kusho ukuthi amehlo akho asevulekile? Lokho akwanele. Abaningi abafunda iBhayibheli balibheka njengencwadi ethakazelisayo. Kodwa imiBhalo esitshela ukuthi sidinga ukuba ‘namehlo enhliziyo’ avulekile. (Efesu 1:18) Ukuze amehlo ethu ngempela avuleke, kumelwe sikuqonde esikufunda eBhayibhelini, sikufake enhliziyweni futhi sikusebenzise ekuphileni kwethu.
Kuthiwani ngawe? Ingabe amehlo akho asevulekile? Noma, uqinisekile ukuthi okuseBhayibhelini kufanele ukufunde futhi ukusebenzise ekuphileni kwakho? Uma ufuna usizo ekwenzeni kanjalo, oFakazi bakaJehova bayojabulela ukukusiza.
Uma amehlo akho esevulekile, kumelwe uwagcine evulekile. Njengoba kushiwo encwadini yeBhayibheli yezAga: “Ndodana yami, lalela amazwi ami, ubeke indlebe yakho kukho ukukhuluma kwami. Makungachezuki emehlweni akho, ukugcine phakathi kwenhliziyo yakho.”—IzAga 4:20, 21.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 11]
“Uma uNkulunkulu esindisa ukuphila kwami, ngaphambi kweminyaka eminingi ngiyokwenza ukuba umfana obamba igeja azi imibhalo kangcono kakhulu kunawe”—TYNDALE
[Isithombe ekhasini 10]
UWILLIAM TYNDALE
[Isithombe ekhasini 12]
UTyndale uhumusha iBhayibheli
[Isithombe ekhasini 13]
Ukuklinywa nokushiswa kukaTyndale