Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Ingabe abantu abagulayo nabakhubazekile ngempela baphiliswa emanzini azanyazanyisiwe aseBethesda, njengoba uJohane 5:2-7 esikisela? Futhi uma kunjalo, lezozimangaliso zenzeka ngamaphi amandla?
Eqinisweni, ukulandisa okukuJohane 5:2-9 akusho noma ukuphilisa okuningana okuyisimangaliso kwenzeka echibini eJerusalema lasendulo. Isimangaliso okuyisona sodwa esingaqiniseka ukuthi senzeka lapho yileso esenziwa uJesu Kristu lapho ephilisa indoda eyayisigule iminyaka engama-38. Singasamukela lesimangaliso, ngoba umbiko waso usemiBhalweni ephefumlelwe. (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Kodwa abaningi emuva ngalesosikhathi eJerusalema bakholelwa ukuthi ezinye izimangaliso zenzeka kuleyondawo, ngisho nanjengoba abaningi namuhla bekholelwa ukuthi ukuphilisa okuyisimangaliso kuyenzeka emasontweni.
Phawula lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo, nalokho elingakusho ngempela: “Manje eJerusalema ngasesangweni lezimvu kunechibi ngesiHeberu elibizwa ngokuthi iBethesda, elinemipheme eyisihlanu. Kwakulele kuyo abaningi abagulayo, izimpumputhe, izinyonga nabashwabeneyo. ——— Kodwa kwakunenye indoda ethile eyayisigule iminyaka engamashumi amathathu nesishiyagalombili. Ebona lendoda ilele, futhi eqaphela ukuthi yayisigule isikhathi eside, uJesu wathi kuyo: Ingabe wena ufuna ukuphila na? Indoda egulayo yamphendula yathi: ‘Nkosi, anginamuntu ozongifaka echibini lapho amanzi ezanyazanyiswa; kuthi lapho ngiseza omunye ehle phambi kwami.’ UJesu wathi kuyo: ‘Sukuma, uthathe uhlaka lwakho uhambe.’ Ngalokho indoda yaphila ngokushesha, futhi yathatha uhlaka lwayo yahamba.”—Johane 5:2-9, NW
Ichibi okubhekiselwe kulo laliseduze ‘nesango lezimvu; ngokusobala elaliseNyakatho-Mpumalanga yeJerusalema eduze nasesiqongweni sethempeli. (Nehemiya 3:1; 12:39) Imivubukulo yamuva iye yembula ubufakazi bamachibi amabili asendulo, anemvithi yezigxobo nezisekelo ezibonisa ukuthi isakhiwo esinemipheme sasikhona ezikhathini zikaHerode, njengoba uJohane 5:2 esho. Kodwa yini abantu bangalesosikhathi ababecabanga ukuthi yayingase yenzeke lapha?
Qaphela umudwa osengcaphunweni engenhla kaJohane 5:2-9. Lapho kunomudwa khona, amanye amaBhayibheli, njengeBhayibheli lesiZulu, anezela indinyana okuthiwa uJohane 5:4. Leso senezelo sithi: “Ngokuba ingelosi yayehla izikhathi ngezikhathi, izamazamise amanzi, kuthi lowo ongené kuqala emva kokuzanyazanyiswa kwamanzi asinde esifweni sakhe, noma enasifo sini.”
Nokho, amaBhayibheli amaningi namuhla, kuhlanganise neNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, awayibhali lendinyana. Ngani? Ngoba akunakwenzeka ukuthi lendinyana yayikhona eVangelini likaJohane. Umbhalo waphansi okuyiThe Jerusalem Bible uphawula ukuthi “ofakazi abathenjwa kakhulu” bayayigwema lendinyana. “Ofakazi abathenjwa kakhulu” abashiwoyo bayimibhalo ebhalwe ngesandla yesiGreki yasendulo, njengeCodex Sinaiticus neVatican 1209 (yomibili eyangekhulu leminyaka lesi-4 C.E.), nezinguqulo zakuqala zolimi lwaseSyria nesiLatin. Ngemva kokuphawula ‘ukungabikho kwevesi lesi-4 ezincwadini zemibhalo ebhalwe ngesandla ezithenjwa kakhulu,’ iThe Expositor’s Bible Commentary yenezela ngokuthi: “Ngokuvamile libhekwa njengomfakela wamanga owenzelwa ukuba uchaze ukuzamazama kwamanzi kwezikhathi ezithile, lokho abantu abakucabangela njengomthombo wokuphilisa onamandla.”
Ngakho iBhayibheli alikusho ngempela ukuthi ingelosi evela kuNkulunkulu yayenza izimangaliso echibini laseBethesda. Nokho, ingabe izimangaliso zokuphilisa zenzeka lapho amanzi ezanyazanyiswa? Akekho namuhla ongathi kwakunjalo ngempela. Mhlawumbe ngandlelathile kwaba nenkolelo yokuthi abantu abagulayo noma abakhubazekile babephiliswa lapho. Ngokushesha lapho izindaba zokuphilisa okucatshangelwe zisakazeka, abantu abahluphekile kungenzeka baqala ukuhlangana lapho benethemba lokuthi bayophiliswa. Siyazi ukuthi lokhu kwenzekile ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene esikhathini sethu, ngisho nalapho bungekho ubufakazi obuyisisekelo bokuphilisa kwaphezulu.
Nokho, akumelwe singabaze ngokuphilisa okwenziwa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu echibini laseBethesda. Phela, ngisho nangaphandle kokuba leyondoda ingene emanzini, uDokotela Omkhulu wayiphilisa ngokushesha. Ikhono lakhe elinesisekelo lokwenza lokhu kumelwe lisinikeze isizathu sokubheka phambili ekuphiliseni ayokwenza phakathi neMinyaka Eyinkulungwane esondelayo. Uyophulukisa futhi asize isintu esithembekile ukuba sibuyele ekupheleleni.—IsAmbulo 21:4, 5; 22:1, 2.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.