IBhayibheli—Ingabe LiyiZwi Lomuntu?

UWILLIAM TYNDALE wanikela ngokuphila kwakhe ezama ukulenza litholakale kubo bonke abantu. UMartin Luther wenza umzamo omkhulu wokulihumushela olimini lwesiJalimane. Ngabalandeli bakaJohn Calvin, “laliwumthetho nesimiso salo lonke iqiniso.” Yebo, ngesinye isikhathi abantu abambalwa bake bangabaza iqiniso lokuthi iBhayibheli liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu. Nalokhu futhi kwakuyimfundiso yeSonto lamaRoma Katolika.

Nokho, izinto zihlukile namuhla. IBhayibheli, incwadi ethengwa kakhulu kuwo wonke umlando, lifundwa abantu abambalwa futhi lilandelwa ngabambalwa. Umlobi uJames Barr, eveza imizwa yabaningi, wathi: “Umbono wami ngokwenziwa kwemfundiso yeBhayibheli uwumbono womsebenzi womuntu. Umbono womuntu ngezinkolelo zakhe . . . Igama elifanelekile leBhayibheli kumelwe libe yiZwi likaIsrayeli, iZwi lamaKristu athile akuqala ayehola.”—The Bible in the Modern World, nguJames Barr.

Kungani kunoshintsho? Ingabe iBhayibheli liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu noma liyizwi labantu abathile? Ingabe libalulekile kulelikhulu lama-20 elingenandaba nenkolo?

Ingabe Libalulekile?

Uma siqala ngokucabangela umbuzo wokugcina, yebo, kunendaba. Ngani? Phela, iBhayibheli lichazwa ngokuthi ‘liyisibani ezinyaweni zethu nokukhanya endleleni yethu.’ (IHubo 119:105) Namuhla, sikudinga ngempela ukukhanya okunjalo. Unozungezilanga wethu omuhle uyonakaliswa. Izigidi eziningi zabantu ziyalamba. Bambalwa abazizwa benethemba ngekusasa, futhi khona kanye ukuba khona kwesintu kuyasongelwa. IBhayibheli liyasiqondisa kulezikhathi ezinzima lisiyise esikhathini esizayo esilondekile nesinenjabulo. Uma ngempela liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu, liyilokho kanye esikudingayo.

Ngakho kungani abantu belingabaza? Impendulo yalombuzo iyosisiza ukuba sibone noma ngempela lencwadi iyiZwi likaNkulunkulu noma cha.

Kwenzekeni Enkolelweni?

Phakathi nekhulu le-17 nele-18 leminyaka, lokho kukholelwa eBhayibhelini cishe okwakungokwendawo yonke kwaba yisisulu semibono eguqukayo. EYurophu kwaphakama umoya wokungabaza nokwenqatshwa kwenkolo. Izimiso zohulumeni, ezomnotho, imvelo, inkolo—konke kwangatshazwa. NeBhayibheli alizange lisinde.

Ukungatshazwa kwalencwadi kwabonakaliswa ngokusobala ekhulwini le-17 leminyaka nguPierre Bayle owayengumKatolika, owangabaza umlando weBhayibheli nezikhathi zezehlakalo. Abanye balandela indlela yakhe yokucabanga, futhi ekhulwini le-19, ukungabaza kwaba sobala esikoleni esiphakeme sokugxekwa kweBhayibheli. Abahlaziyi abaphakeme bagcizelela ukuthi iBhayibheli alikhona lokho elibonakala liyikho. Ngokwabo, uMose akazange ayibhale imiBhalo yokuqala emihlanu yeTestamente Elidala. Kunalokho, yenziwa ngasekupheleni komlando wamaJuda ivela emithonjeni eminingana eyabhalwa emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngemva kokufa kukaMose. Noma isiphi isiprofetho esagcwaliseka kungenzeka sabhalwa ngemva kokugcwaliseka kwaso. Ngakho, uIsaya wabhalwa abantu abaningana esikhathini esingamakhulu amaningi eminyaka. Futhi uDaniyeli wabhalwa cishe ngo-165 B.C.E.

Umphumela wokugxekwa kweBhayibheli ubonakala endabeni yesazi seBhayibheli esingumJalimane uDavid Friedrich Strauss: “Ingabe sisengamaKristu? Cha. kusho uStrauss, okungenani labo phakathi kwethu abaye bamukela ukuGxekwa KweBhayibheli abawona, ngoba asisenakulamukela iBhayibheli njengeZwi likaNkulunkulu.”—Religion and the Rise of Scepticism, nguFranklin L. Baumer.

Inkathi entsha iye yaveza futhi okusha okutholwe isayensi. Okunye kwakho kwasekela iBhayibheli, kodwa okunye kwabonakala kushayisana nalo. Ngakho, abaningi baholelwa ekukholelweni ukuthi iBhayibheli laliphelelwe isikhathi. Lomuzwa wagcizelelwa phakathi nekhulu le-19 leminyaka lapho imfundiso yokuziphendukela kwemvelo isakazeka—imfundiso ephikisa ngokuphelele umlando kaGenesise wendalo. Ososayensi abaningi nabagxeki beBhayibheli bayamukela ngentshiseko lemfundiso. Namuhla yamukelwa abefundisi abaningi futhi ifundiswa njengeyiqiniso ezikoleni.

Ingabe konke lokhu kusho ukuthi isayensi ngandlelathile ayilamukeli iBhayibheli? Noma ingabe ukugxekwa kweBhayibheli kuye kwabonisa ukuthi iBhayibheli alilona iZwi likaNkulunkulu?