Umvubukuli Owayelazisa Iqiniso LeBhayibheli
“ISISEKELO sokugcina sanoma ikuphi ukungabaza ngokuthi imiBhalo iye yafinyelela kithi injengoba yayilotshiwe manje sesisusiwe.” Lamazwi kaMnumzane uFrederic Kenyon, athathwe ekhasini 289 lencwadi yakhe ethi The Bible and Archæology (1940), acashunwe ekhasini 53 lencwadi yeWatch Tower Society ethi Ungaphila Phakade EPharadesi Emhlabeni. Kungani uKenyon afinyelela kulesiphetho? Kungenxa yokuthi imibhalo esongwayo ebhalwe ngesandla esanda kutholwa yayihlehlela emuva esikhathini imiBhalo eyaqala ukubhalwa ngaso kangangokuthi wayengachaza lowomehluko wesikhathi ‘njengomncane kakhulu.’ Nokho lemibhalo esongwayo ebhalwe ngesandla ayizange yehluke kakhulu emibhalweni yamuva. Lokhu kwafakazela “ukuba yiqiniso nobumsulwa” bemibhalo yamuva okuhunyushwe kuyo iBhayibheli.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, omunye woFakazi BakaJehova uyabhala ngokuqondene nalomvubukuli odumile: “UMnumzane Frederic Kenyon wayenezincwadi eziningana zeNhlangano, ngoba eminyakeni eminingi kwakuyilungelo lami ukumshiyela izincwadi ezihlukahlukene nokubhalelana naye. Ngaqala ukujwayelana naye ekuqaleni kuka-1936. . . . Kwakuyincwadi kaDr. Kenyon eyangichazela ngokuqondene nesiqalo seBhayibheli. Ngambhalela ngamtshela ngalokho. Incwadi yakhe ethi The Story of the Bible ngemva kwesikhashana yeza kimi ibhalwe ukuthi ‘Nezilokotho ezinhle ezivela kumbhali, uF. G. Kenyon, May 1, 1937.’
“Ngesikhathi ethola incwadi ethi ‘Iqiniso Liyakunikhulula,’ eyakhishwa iNhlangano yethu, wabhala: ‘Injongo yenu iyefana neyami, ukushukumisela abantu ukuba bafunde futhi bakholelwe iBhayibheli; kodwa nina nihlaba abantu abaningi umxhwele. Izincwadi zami ziqondiswe ikakhulukazi kulabo abadidwe yilokho abakutshelwayo ngokuqondene nokuye kwatholwa abacubunguli nabahlaziyi beBhayibheli banamuhla, kuyilapho incwadi yenu ikhuluma nabafundi bazo zonke izigaba nezinhlobo. Nginifisela yonke impumelelo emsebenzini wenu.’
“Ebhala ngokuqondene nezinye izincwadi ezimbili zeNhlangano yethu, waphinda wabhekisela enjongweni yethu evamile, ‘ukukhuthaza abantu ukuba bafunde iBhayibheli, futhi balifunde ngokuhlakanipha,’ futhi wenezela: ‘Ngiyajabula ukuzwa ukuthi izincwadi zenu zisakazeke kabanzi futhi emazweni amaningi.’ . . .
“Ngo-1948 uMnumzane Frederic wakhipha incwadi ethi The Bible and Modern Scholarship, eyayiphikisa incwadi kaDr. Barnes, uMbhishobhi waseBirmingham, owayechaze izingxenye zeBhayibheli, kuhlanganisa nalezo eziphathelene nesihlengo sikaJesu Kristu, ‘njengeziyinganekwane.’ Esingenisweni sakhe uDr. Kenyon uthi: ‘Ukucutshungulwa kwencwadi yoMbhishobhi kuye kwangenza ngakholwa ukuthi ayizange ithathelwe olwazini lwamuva lwalokho okuye kwatholwa izazi zanamuhla, kodwa, ngokuphambene, yayiwukuphindwa kwalokho okwatholwa izazi ezazidumile cishe eminyakeni engamashumi ayisikhombisa edlule, futhi kwabekela eceleni cishe konke okuye kwatholwa eminyakeni engamashumi ayisihlanu yamuva.’ Ngokuqondene nencwadi yakhe siqu, uKenyon wathi: ‘Ngikholelwa ukuthi isikhathi sesifikile . . . sokubuyisela ukuqiniseka eBhayibhelini njengelisiqondisa eqinisweni neliyisisekelo sokuziphatha ekuphileni. . . . Nginethemba lokuthi [lencwadi] ingase ibe usizo kulabo ababheka ubuKristu njengokuwukuphela kwethemba lalelizwe lethu eliyisigwegwe, neBhayibheli njengesisekelo esiyiqiniso senkolelo yobu-Kristu.’
“Lesazi esidumile seBhayibheli, esiye sabhala kahle kangaka ngokuqondene nomsebenzi nezincwadi zoFakazi BakaJehova, sasiyindoda ethobekile, eyayinomusa ngempela. . . . Ngo-1889, ngemva kokuphuma phambili njengomfundi eOxford, waqala eBritish Museum njengesekela loMnyango WemiBhalo Ebhalwe Ngesandla. Kamuva wakhushulwa waba yisekela lomgcini wemibhalo ebhalwe ngesandla futhi ngo-1909 waba nguMqondisi noMphathi Oyinhloko Womtapo Wezincwadi eBritish Museum. Phakathi nengxenye yakhe yokuqala yokuphatha kwakhe okwathatha isikhathi eside, imibhalo yeBhayibheli ebhalwe ngesandla nokuvubukulwa kwemiqulu kwakuyinto ayeyikhathalela kakhulu; kamuva, wengamela njengoMphathi uhambo lwabavubukuli olwaluya eCarchemish naseUri. Ngemva kokuyeka kwakhe wafaka isandla ekutholweni kweCodex Sinaiticus nencwadi yemiqulu yeChester Beatty eyasiza ekubonakaliseni imiBhalo yesiGreki njengeyiqiniso.
“Ekuphetheni, kungokufanelekile ukucaphuna encwadini yakhe ethi The Story of the Bible njengokulandelayo: ‘IBhayibheli linomlando womuntu futhi linokuphefumlelwa kwaphezulu. Liwumlando ogcwele okuthakazelisayo, futhi okumelwe waziwe yibo bonke ababheka iBhayibheli labo njengelibalulekile. . . . Ekugcineni kunikeza ithemba ukuthola ukuthi umphumela omkhulu wakho konke lokhu okuye kwatholwa nakho konke lokhu kuhlolisisa kuqinisa ubufakazi bokuba yiqiniso kwemiBhalo, futhi isiqinisekiso esinaso, esiqotho, siyiZwi likaNkulunkulu eliyiqiniso.’”