Pa numa ya myaka 34, ilyo bashimapepo ba mu Orthodox mu Yerusalemu balelanda pa lwa iyi Baibolo, batile, Amalembo “tayafwile ukubelengwa ku bantuuntu fye lelo abafwile ukubelenga ni balya baishibe ifya ku mupashi ifyashika pa numa ya kufwailisha bwino.” Ici calolele mu kuti bashimapepo abasambilila e bali fye no kubelenga Amalembo.

Mu 1703, Seraphim, umuGriki kabili umushimbe mwaume uwa fya mapepo, uwa ku cishi ca Lesbos, alembulwile amalembo yapilibwile Maximus mu London no kwesha ukusabankanya yene. Ilyo abalashi ba buteko bwa England bafililwe ukumwafwilishako mu fya ndalama, apulintile amalembo alembulwile ukubomfya indalama shakwe. Mu mashiwi ya kucincimuna aya kutendekelako, Seraphim akomaile pa kuti “Umwina Kristu onse uwaipeela” alingile ukubelenga Baibolo, kabili apeele bashimapepo bakalamba abe calici umulandu wa kuti “balafwaisha ukufisa imibele yabo iyabipa pa kulenga abantu ukukanaishiba ifilanda Baibolo.” Nga fintu napamo abantu baleenekela, abalemulwisha mu Orthodox balimwikete mu Russia no kumutwala ku Siberia uko ailefwila mu 1735.

Ukulanda pa nsala ikalamba iya ku mupashi ku balelanda iciGriki pali ilya nshita, shimapepo umuGriki alandile amashiwi yakonkapo pa malembo yapilibwile Maximus ayo balembulwile pa numa, atile: “AbaGriki na bantu bambi balipokelele iyi Baibolo no kutemwa kabili balefwaisha ukuibelenga. Kabili baliibelengele. No kukalipwa balekalipwa kwalitontolweke ne citetekelo cabo muli Lesa . . . calikosele.” Lelo, bashimapepo babo baletiina ukuti abantu nga batendeka ukumfwikisha Baibolo, ifisumino ne micitile ya bashimapepo ifishali fya mu malembo kuti fyasokololwa. E co, mu 1823 e lyo na mu 1836, abalashi ba mu Constantinople bapeele icipope ca kuti boce amaBaibolo yonse ayapilibwilwe.

Kapilibula Washipa

Te mulandu no kukanya kwabipisha ukwaliko e lyo no kufwaisha ukwishiba Baibolo, kwaimine umuntu walumbuka uwabombeshe ukupilibula Baibolo mu ciGriki ca muno nshiku. Uyu muntu washipa ali ni Neofitos Vamvas, uwaishibe sana indimi kabili uwalumbwike pa mulandu wa kusoma Baibolo. Abengi bamwishibe ukuti na o ali ni “Kasambilisha wa Nko.”

Vamvas alisumine ukuti icalici lya Orthodox e lyalengele abantu ukuba abambuulu. Alishininwe sana ukuti pa kuti abantu bafume mu bumbuulu bwa ku mupashi, Baibolo yalekabila ukupilibulwa mu ciGriki calelandwa pali ilya nshita. Mu 1831, abasoma bambi balimwafwileko kabili atendeke ukupilibula Baibolo mu ciGriki balesambilisha ku masukulu. Apwile ukupilibula Baibolo mu 1850. Apo icalici lya Greek Orthodox talyamutungilile, abombele pamo na kabungwe ka British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) pa kupulinta no kusabankanya Baibolo apilibwile. Icalici lyatile ni “Protestanti,” kabili tapakokwele batendeke ukumukankamba.

Bashimapepo ba mu Orthodox basokele abantu ukuti belashita aya maBaibolo. Ku ca kumwenako mu musumba wa Athens, balipokele amaBaibolo. Mu 1833, shikofu wa ku Orthodox uwa ku Krete aocele amaBaibolo ya “Cipingo Cipya” ayo asangile pa ciyanda ca bashimbe baume aba fya mapepo. Shimapepo umo alifishile Baibolo umo, kabili abantu baleikala mu mishi ya mupepi bafishile amaBaibolo yabo mpaka abakalamba ba fya mapepo bafumine pa cishi.

Ilyo papitile imyaka, aba mu Cilye Cashila mu Calici lya Greek Orthodox babindile uyu Baibolo wapilibwilwe na Vamvas pa cishi ca Corfu. Bakenye ukushitisha wene, kabili na maBaibolo yalipo baliyocele. Pa fishi fya Chios, Síros, na Mykonos, ubunkalwe bwa bashimapepo ba kulya bwalengele baleoca amaBaibolo. Lelo kwali no kuba ukukaanya ukupilibula Baibolo na kabili ku ntanshi.

Namfumu Atemwa Baibolo

Muli ba1870, Namfumu Olga uwa ku Greece alikutulwike ukuti abaGriki abengi bali tabalaishiba sana Baibolo. Apo asumine ukuti ukwishiba Amalembo kwali no kusansamusha no kupembesula inko, alibombeshe ukuti Baibolo ipilibulwe mu lulimi lwayanguka ukucila ilya Vamvas apilibwile.

Shikofu mukalamba uwa ku Athens na Prokopios umukalamba wa Cilye Cashila, ukwabula ukupeelwa insambu bakoseleshe namfumu ukubomba uyu mulimo. Lelo, ilyo aipwishe aba mu Cilye Cashila ukuti bamupeele ulusa, balikeene. Na lyo line, ali no mupampamina kabili alombele insambu cipya cipya, lelo, balikeene umuku walenga bubili, mu 1899. Asuulile kulya kukaanya, no kupingulapo ukusabankanya amaBaibolo yanono ukubomfya indalama shakwe. Acitile ci mu 1900.

Bakakaanya Abomankonso

Mu 1901, inyunshipepala ya The Acropolis iyalumbuka mu Athens, yasabankenye Ilandwe lya kwa Mateo ilyapilibwilwe mu ciGriki Cayanguka kuli Alexander Pallis, kapilibula uwalebombela mu Liverpool, ku England. Ico Pallis na banankwe baimininepo ‘kusambilisha abaGriki,’ no “kwafwa ukubukululo luko” lwaleloba.

Abalesambilila ifya mipepele ye calici lya Orthodox na bakafundisha wabo baitile uyu Baibolo ati “Ica kupumishako ifintu ifyo uluko lwacindamika sana,” icikowesha Baibolo. Joakim III umukalamba wa ku Constantinople alembele icikalata ca kukaanya uyu Baibolo. Ukukansana kwasanshishemo ne fya mapolitiki, kabili kwabomfiwe mu bucenjeshi ku bamapolitiki abalekansana.

Umulashi umo uwalebomba uko basabankanya ilyashi ku Athens atendeke ukusuusha Baibolo uo Pallis apilibwile, aleita abaitemenwe ati “bamukaana Lesa,” “bashikamfutu,” na “baletungilila ifyalo fimbi” abaiminine pa kupumfyanya icalo ca Greece. Ukufuma pa November 5 ukufika pa 8, 1901, amabumba ya bacishamo ukusungilila intambi she calici lya Greek Orthodox bacincishe abana be sukulu ukucita ifimfulunganya mu Athens. Basanshile amaofeshi ya bakasabankanya banyunshipepala ya The Acropolis, bashingulwike isano, bapokele isukulu likalamba ilya University of Athens, no kweba ubuteko ukuti buleke ukuteka. Ilyo ifimfulunganya fyabipiishe, abantu 8 balipaiwe ilyo balelwishanya na bashilika. Ubushiku bwakonkelepo, imfumu yaebele Prokopios, Shikofu mukalamba ukuleka bushimapepo, kabili pa numa ya nshiku shibili bacilolo ba buteko bonse balilekele bucilolo.

Pa numa ya mweshi umo abana be sukulu baimishe ifimfulunganya na kabili no koca Baibolo uo Pallis apilibwile pa cintubwingi. Basabankenye ifyo basuminishenye ukukaanya ukusabankanya uyu Baibolo no kusosa ati onse uukesha ukucite co ku ntanshi akakandwa icabipisha. Ici e co bacitile pa kukaanya abantu ukubomfya Baibolo walembelwe mu ciGriki ca ndakai. Yali ni nshita ya bubifi icine cine!

“Icebo ca kwa Lesa Caikalilila pe”

Icibindo ca kubomfya Baibolo walembelwe mu ciGriki ca ndakai califumishiwepo mu 1924. Ukutule lyo, icalici lya Greek Orthodox lyalicimfiwa mu kweshaesha kwaliko ukwa kutalusha Baibolo ku bantu.