UWilliam Tyndale—Indoda Ekhaliphile

UWilliam Tyndale wazalelwa eNgilandi “emaphethelweni aseWales,” cishe eGloucestershire, nakuba indawo nosuku oluqondile kungaziwa. Ngo-October 1994, iNgilandi yagubha isikhumbuzo sonyaka wama-500 kwazalwa indoda ‘eyasinikeza iBhayibheli lethu lesiNgisi.’ UTyndale wabulawelwa lomsebenzi. Ngani?

UWILLIAM TYNDALE wayehamba phambili ezifundweni zolimi lwesiGreki nesiLatini. Ngo-July 1515, eneminyaka engengaphezu kwengu-21 ubudala, wathola iziqu ze-Master of Arts e-Oxford University. Ngo-1521 wayesengumpristi ogcotshiwe wamaRoma Katolika. Ngaleso sikhathi eJalimane kwakunesiyaluyalu enkolweni yobuKatolika ngenxa yomsebenzi kaMartin Luther. Kodwa iNgilandi yahlala iyizwe lamaKatolika kwaze kwaba yilapho ekugcineni iNkosi uHenry VIII inqamula ubuhlobo neRome ngo-1534.

Nakuba isiNgisi sasiwulimi oluvamile ngosuku lukaTyndale, yonke imfundo yayingesiLatini. Futhi sasiwulimi lwesonto nolweBhayibheli. Ngo-1546 i-Council of Trent yagcizelela ukuthi kwakufanele kusetshenziswe i-Vulgate yesiLatini kaJerome yekhulu lesihlanu kuphela. Nokho, ababefundile kuphela ababekwazi ukuyifunda. Kungani kwakufanele abantu baseNgilandi bancishwe iBhayibheli lesiNgisi nenkululeko yokulifunda? UTyndale wayema ngelokuthi: “UJerom[e] naye walihumushela olimini lwakubo ibhayibheli: kungani nathi singenakukwenza?”

Isinyathelo Sokholo

Ngemva kokuba se-Oxford futhi ngokunokwenzeka esenzé izifundo ezengeziwe eCambridge, uTyndale wafundisa amadodana amancane kaJohn Walsh iminyaka emibili eGloucestershire. Phakathi nalenkathi isifiso sakhe sokuhumushela iBhayibheli esiNgisini sakhula, futhi ngokungangabazeki waba nethuba lokuthuthukisa amakhono akhe okuhumusha ngosizo lombhalo weBhayibheli omusha ka-Erasmus owawunezinhlu ezihambisanayo zesiGreki nesiLatini. Ngo-1523, uTyndale wawushiya umkhaya wakwaWalsh walibangisa eLondon. Injongo yakhe yayiwukufuna imvume yokuhumusha kuCuthbert Tunstall, umbhishobhi waseLondon.

Kwakudingeka imvume kaTunstall ngoba imibandela yesigungu sabefundisi esasise-Oxford ngo-1408, esaziwa ngokuthi i-Constitutions of Oxford, yayihlanganisa ukuvinjelwa kokuhumusha noma ukufunda iBhayibheli ngolimi lomdabu, ngaphandle kokuvunyelwa umbhishobhi. Ngenxa yokuba nesibindi sokweqa lomthetho onqabelayo, abashumayeli abaningi abajikelezayo ababaziwa ngokuthi amaLollard babeshiswa njengamambuka. LamaLollard ayefunda futhi asakaze iBhayibheli likaJohn Wycliffe, inguqulo yesiNgisi ethathwe kuyi-Vulgate. UTyndale wayenomuzwa wokuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokuhumushela isonto lakhe nabantu baseNgilandi imibhalo yamaKristu isuka kweyesiGreki iya enguqulweni entsha, enembile.

Umbhishobh’ uTunstall wayengumuntu ofundile owayebe neqhaza elikhulu ekukhuthazeni u-Erasmus. Njengobufakazi bamakhono akhe siqu, uTyndale wayehumushe enye yezinkulumo zika-Isocrates, ewumbhalo wesiGreki olukhuni, eyayizogunyazwa uTunstall. UTyndale wayenethemba elikhulu lokuthi uTunstall wayeyobonisa ubungane nokusekela futhi amukele isicelo sakhe sokuhumusha imiBhalo. Yini eyayizokwenziwa yilombhishobhi?

Ukwenqaba—Ngani?

Nakuba uTyndale ayenencwadi emethulayo, uTunstall akafunanga ukumbona. Ngakho-ke kwadingeka ukuba uTyndale abhale acele ukuxoxa naye. Ukuthi uTunstall wagcina ezehlisile yini ukuze abonane noTyndale akucaci, kodwa umyalezo wakhe wawuthi, ‘Indlu yami igcwele.’ Kungani uTunstall ayephebeza uTyndale ngamabomu kanjena?

Umsebenzi wenguquko uLuther ayewenza ezwekazini laseYurophu wawubangela ukukhathazeka okukhulu eSontweni LamaKatolika, njengoba waba nemiphumela ethile eNgilandi. Ngo-1521, iNkosi uHenry VIII yanyathelisa umbiko onamandla ovikela upapa kuLuther. Ebonisa ukubonga upapa wanikeza uHenry isiqu esithi “Defender of the Faith [uMvikeli Wokholo].”a UKhadinali kaHenry uWolsey naye wayengazibekile phansi, wayeshabalalisa izincwadi zikaLuther ezazingeniswa ezweni ngokungemthetho. Njengombhishobhi wamaKatolika othembekile kupapa, inkosi, nokhadinali wayo, uTunstall wayebophekile ukuba acindezele noma ikuphi ukucabanga okwakungase kuhambisane nesihlubuki uLuther. UTyndale wayesoleka kakhulu. Ngani?

Lapho esahlala nomkhaya wakwaWalsh, uTyndale wayekhulume ngokungesabi ngokuntula ulwazi nokuba nengqondo evalekile kwabefundisi bendawo. Phakathi kwabo kwakunoJohn Stokesley owayemazela e-Oxford uTyndale. Wagcina engene esikhundleni sikaCuthbert Tunstall njengombhishobhi waseLondon.

Ukuphikiswa kukaTyndale kubonakala nasekubhekaneni kwakhe ngeziqu zamehlo nomfundisi onesikhundla esiphakeme owathi: “Bekuyoba ngcono ngathi ukuswela umthetho kaNkulunkulu kunokapapa.” Ngamazwi akhunjulwayo, uTyndale waphendula ngokuthi: ‘Angimgqizi qakala uPapa nayo yonke imithetho yakhe. Uma uNkulunkulu elondoloza ukuphila kwami iminyaka eminingi, ngiyokwenza ukuba umfana obamba igeja azi imiBhalo kangcono kakhulu kunawe.’

Kwadingeka ukuba uTyndale avele phambi kompristi owayephethe isifunda saseWorcester ngokumangalelwa okungamanga kokuba yimbuka. “Wangisongela kanzima, futhi wangithuka,” kukhumbula uTyndale kamuva, enezela ngokuthi wayephathiswe ‘okwenja.’ Kodwa kwakungenabufakazi bokumlahla ngecala lobumbuka uTyndale. Izazi-mlando zikholelwa ukuthi zonke lezi zindaba zadluliselwa kuTunstall isinyenyela ukuze zithonye isinqumo sakhe.

Ngemva kokuba seLondon unyaka, uTyndale waphetha: “Ayibanga bikho indawo yokuhumusha iTestamente elisha esigodlweni senkosi yami saseLondon, kodwa futhi . . . ayibanga bikho indawo yokukwenza kuyo yonke iNgilandi.” Wayeqinisile. Esimweni sokucindezelwa esabangelwa umsebenzi kaLuther, imuphi umnyathelisi owayengalokotha akhiqize iBhayibheli ngesiNgisi eNgilandi? Ngakho ngo-1524, uTyndale wawela i-English Channel, engasayophinde abuye.

Ukuya EYurophu Nezinkinga Ezengeziwe

Enezincwadi zakhe eziyigugu, uWilliam Tyndale wathola isiphephelo eJalimane. Wafika eno-£10 ayewunikezwe ngomusa umngane wakhe uHumphrey Monmouth, umthengisi waseLondon onethonya. Ngalezo zikhathi lesi sipho sasicishe sanele ukuba uTyndale akwazi ukunyathelisa imiBhalo yesiGreki ayehlose ukuyihumusha. Ngemva kwalokho uMonmouth waboshwa ngenxa yokusiza uTyndale nangenxa yokuhambisana noLuther okwakuthiwa uyakwenza. Esephenyiwe futhi wagqunywa kuyiTower of London, uMonmouth wakhululwa kuphela ngemva kokuba esecele uxolo kuKhadinali Wolsey.

Ukuthi uTyndale waya kuphi neJalimane ngokuqondile akucaci. Obunye ubufakazi bukhomba eHamburg, lapho okungenzeka wahlala khona unyaka. Ingabe wahlangana noLuther? Akuqinisekwa ngalokhu, ngisho noma ukumangalelwa kukaMonmouth kuthi wahlangana naye. Okuqinisekwa ngakho yilokhu: UTyndale wayesebenza ngokuzikhandla ehumusha imiBhalo YesiGreki. Wayengawunyathelisa kuphi umbhalo wakhe? Lomsebenzi wawuphathisa uPeter Quentell owayeseCologne.

Konke kwakuhamba kahle kwaze kwaba yilapho umphikisi uJohn Dobneck, obuye aziwe ngokuthi uCochlaeus, ethola okwakwenzeka. Ngokushesha uCochlaeus wabikela umngane kaHenry VIII oseduze ngalokho ayekutholile, ngokushesha owathola igunya lokuvimbela ukunyathelisa kukaQuentell inguqulo kaTyndale.

UTyndale nomsizi wakhe, uWilliam Roye, bathi galo yephuka, bebaleka namakhasi eVangeli likaMathewu ayesenyathelisiwe. Bahamba ngomkhumbi benyusa umfula iRhine baya eWorms, lapho baqedela khona umsebenzi wabo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwakhiqizwa amakhophi angu-6 000 ohlelo lokuqala lwe-New Testament kaTyndale.b

Ukuphumelela—Naphezu Kokuphikiswa

Ukuhumusha nokunyathelisa kwakuyinkinga. Ayiphathwa eyokuyisa amaBhayibheli eBrithani. Amanxusa amasonto neziphathimandla zezwe zazizimisele ukuvimbela ukuhanjiswa kwawo ngomkhumbi ewela i-English Channel, kodwa abathengisi abanobungane babenekhambi. Njengoba yayifihlwe emishuqulwini yezindwangu nezinye izinto ezithengiswayo, lemiqulu yangeniswa isinyenyela ezingwini zaseNgilandi futhi yayiswa enhla eScotland. UTyndale waqina idolo, kodwa ukulwa kwakhe kwakumane kusaqala.

Ngo-February 11, 1526, uKhadinali Wolsey, ehambisana nababhishobhi abangu-36 nezinye izikhulu zesonto, bahlangana eduze kweSt. Paul’s Cathedral eLondon “ukuze babone izincwadi eziningi ezigcwele obhasikidi ziphonswa emlilweni.” Phakathi kwazo kwakunamanye amakhophi enguqulo kaTyndale eyigugu. Kulolu hlelo lokuqala, mabili kuphela amakhophi asekhona manje. Okuwukuphela kwayo ephelele (eswele ikhasi lesihloko kuphela) iseMtatsheni Wezincwadi WaseBrithani. Kuyadida ukuthi lena enye, eswele amakhasi angu-71, yatholakala eMtatsheni Wezincwadi WaseSt. Paul’s Cathedral. Ukuthi yafika kanjani lapho, akekho owaziyo.

Engadumele, uTyndale waqhubeka ekhiqiza izinhlelo ezintsha zenguqulo yakhe, ezazibanjwa ngendlela ehlelekile futhi zishiswe abefundisi baseNgilandi. Khona-ke uTunstall washintsha amasu. Wenza isivumelwano nomthengisi okuthiwa u-Augustine Packington sokuba athenge noma yiziphi izincwadi ezazibhalwa uTyndale, kuhlanganise ne-New Testament, ukuze azishise. Lokhu kwahlelwa noTyndale, uPackington ayenze isivumelwano naye. I-Chronicle kaHalle ithi: “Umbhishobhi wathola izincwadi, uPackington wathola ukubongwa, futhi uTyndale wathola imali. Kamuva lapho kunyatheliswa amaNew Testament engeziwe, afika eNgilandi eyizindimbane.”

Kungani abefundisi babemelene ngonya kangaka nenguqulo kaTyndale? Njengoba i-Vulgate yesiLatini yayithambekele ekuwufiphazeni umbhalo ongcwele, ukuhumusha kukaTyndale esusela esiGrekini sokuqala kwadlulisela isigijimi seBhayibheli kubantu abangamaNgisi ngolimi olucacile ngokokuqala ngqá. Ngokwesibonelo, kweyoku-1 Korinte isahluko 13, uTyndale wakhetha ukuhumusha igama lesiGreki elithi a·gaʹpe ngokuthi “uthando” kunokuthi “umusa.” Waphikelela ngokuthi “ibandla” kunokuba athi “isonto” ukuze agcizelele abakhulekeli, hhayi izakhiwo zesonto. Nokho, okwafike kwabacika kakhulu abefundisi, kwakuwukusebenzisa kukaTyndale elithi “umdala” esikhundleni selithi “umpristi” nokuthi “phenduka” kunokuthi “zihlawulise,” kanjalo ephuca abefundisi igunya lobupristi ababethi banalo. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, uDavid Daniell uthi: “Isihlanzo asisekho; akusekho ukuvuma izono okulalelwayo nokuzihlawulisa. Izinsika ezimbili zomcebo namandla eSonto ziwile.” (William Tyndale—A Biography) Yileyo inselele eyabekwa inguqulo kaTyndale, futhi ulwazi lwanamuhla luvumelana ngokugcwele nokunemba kwamazwi awakhetha.

E-Antwerp, Ukukhashelwa, Nokufa

Phakathi no-1526 no-1528, uTyndale wathuthela e-Antwerp, lapho ayengase azizwe ephephe khona ephakathi kwabathengisi baseNgilandi. Lapho, wabhala i-Parable of the Wicked Mammon, i-Obedience of a Christian Man, ne-Practice of Prelates. UTyndale waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokuhumusha futhi waba ngowokuqala ukuba asebenzise igama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Jehova, enguqulweni yesiNgisi yemiBhalo YesiHeberu. Leli gama livela izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-20.

Uma nje uTyndale ayesahlezi nomngane nomxhasi wakhe uThomas Poyntz e-Antwerp, wayephephile ozungwini lukaWolsey nezinhloli zakhe. Waziwa kakhulu ngokukhathalela kwakhe abagulayo nabampofu. Ekugcineni, ngobuqili uHenry Phillips oyiNgisi wayengela uTyndale ekubeni amethembe. Umphumela walokho waba ukuthi, ngo-1535, uTyndale akhashelwe futhi ayiswe eVilvorde Castle, eyibanga elingamakhilomitha ayishumi ukuya enyakatho yeBrussels. Lapho, wavalelwa etilongweni izinyanga ezingu-16.

Ukuthi ubani owathenga uPhillips akuqinisekwa ngakho, kodwa izinsolo zikhomba kumBhishobh’ uStokesley, ngaleso sikhathi owayematasa eshisa “amambuka” eLondon. Lapho esezofa ngo-1539, uStokesley “wayejabulile ngokuthi ekuphileni kwakhe wayeshise amambuka angamashumi amahlanu,” kusho uW. J. Heaton kuyi-Bible of the Reformation. Omunye wababekuleso sibalo uWilliam Tyndale, owaklinywa ngaphambi kokuba isidumbu sakhe sishiswe obala ngo-October 1536.

Izazi zenkolo ezivelele ezintathu zaseLouvain University yamaKatolika, uPhillips ayefunde kuyo, zazikuyikhomishani eyaqula icala likaTyndale. Kwakukhona nabefundisi abathathu baseLouvain nababhishobhi abathathu kanye nezinye izikhulu zizobona uTyndale elahlwa ngecala lobumbuka futhi ephucwa isikhundla sakhe sobupristi. Bonke bajabula lapho efa cishe eneminyaka engu-42.

“UTyndale,” kusho uRobert Demaus umbhali womlando wokuphila kwabantu eminyakeni engaphezu kweyikhulu edlule, “ngaso sonke isikhathi wayephawuleka ngobuqotho bakhe obungenakwesaba.” UTyndale wabhalela uJohn Frith, ayebambisene naye, owashiswa uStokesley eLondon, ethi: “Angizange nanini ngishintshe nohlamvu olulodwa lwezwi likaNkulunkulu ngokungavumelani nonembeza wami, nanamuhla angisoze, ngisho noma benginganikezwa konke okusemhlabeni, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi injabulo, udumo, noma ingcebo.”

Wakunikela kanjalo-ke uWilliam Tyndale ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yelungelo lokunikeza abantu baseNgilandi iBhayibheli ababengaliqonda kalula. Yeka inani alikhokha—kodwa yeka isipho esiyigugu!

[Imibhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 29]

IZINGUQULO ZOKUQALA

UKUNXUSA kukaTyndale kokuba iBhayibheli lihunyushelwe olimini lwabantu abavamile kwakungekhona okungenangqondo noma okungakaze kwenzeke. Ngekhulu leshumi lahunyushelwa olimini lwesi-Anglo-Saxon. AmaBhayibheli anyathelisiwe ayehunyushwe esuselwa olimini lwesiLatini ayesakazeke yonke indawo eYurophu ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesi-15: ayengesiJalimane (1466), isiNtaliyane (1471), isiFulentshi (1474), isiCzech (1475), isiDashi (1477), nesiCatalan (1478). Ngo-1522, uMartin Luther wanyathelisa i-New Testament yakhe ngesiJalimane. Ayefuna ukukwazi nje uTyndale kwakuwukuthi kungani iNgilandi kungafanele ivunyelwe ukwenza okufanayo.

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 26]

Bible in the background: © The British Library Board; William Tyndale: By kind permission of the Principal, Fellows and Scholars of Hertford College, Oxford