Liyini “IVangeli LakaJudasi”?

NGO-April 2006, iphephandaba ephasini mazombe belinendaba erarako iqembu lezazi litjhaphulula emphakathini isihloko sencwadi yekadeni esandukufunyanwa enesihloko esithi “iVangeli lakaJudasi.” Iinhlokwezo zithi izazezi zicabanga bona umtlolo lo uzokutjhugulula ilwazi esinalo ngoJudasi, umfundi owakghaphela uJesu. Ngokuya ngalokho ezikutjhoko, uJudasi eqinisweni bekayikutani, umpostoli obekamazi kuhle uJesu, owanikela ngaye ngokwesibawo sakaJesu.

Indaba le iyiqiniso na? Nengabe kunjalo, inga-kghani iveza elinye ilwazi ebelifihlekile ngoJudasi Isikariyodi, uJesu Krestu namtjhana amaKrestu wekhulu lokuthoma? Kufuze ithinte indlela esizwisisa ngayo ubuKrestu?

UKUFUNYANWA “KWEVANGELI LAKAJUDASI”

Indlela “iVangeli lakaJudasi” elafunyanwa ngayo ayaziwa. Asazi bona iVangeleli latholakala njani, umtlolo lo wafumaneka msinyana esitolo esithengisa izinto zekadeni ekupheleni kwabo-1970 namtjhana ekuthomeni kwabo-1980. Kungenzeka latholakala eGibhida ngo-1978 ethuneni elingasetjenziswako, ngokunokwenzeka erharheni. Belingenye yeencwadi ezihlukeneko ezine eziku-codex (ihlobo lencwadi yekadeni) etlolwe ngesi-Coptic (ilimi elivela eGibhida yekadeni).

Ngemva kobana i-codex isuswe endaweni yeGibhida eyomileko ebeyibekwe kiyo amakhulu weminyaka, isikhumba sayo sathoma ukubola nokuluphala. Izazi ezinengi zatjengiswa i-codex kancani ngo-1983; kodwana beyibiza ngendlela erarako, begodu akhenge itjhiphiswe. Ukungatjhejwa iminyaka nokubekwa kwayo butjhapha kwenza i-codex le yaluphala msinyana khulu. Ngo-2000, yathengwa mumuntu weSwitzeland othenga nothengisa izinto zekadeni. Wayidlulisela esiqhemeni sezazi zephasi mazombe sabantu abanekghono, abasebenza ngaphasi kokusekelwa yi-Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Art neNational Geographic Society, banikelwa umsebenzi obudisi wokubuyisela nokulungisa i-codex, ezinye zeengcenye zazo esele zenziwe iinqetjhana. Isiqhemesi godu bekufuze sifumane ubudala beminyaka ye-codex le, begodu sitjhugulule nalokho ekumumetheko.

Indlela ye-Carbon-14 yaqinisekisa bona i-codex kungenzeka yaba khona ngekhulu lesithathu namtjhana lesine  C.E. Nokho, izazi ziyavuma bona umtlolo wesi-Coptic “weVangeli lakaJudasi” watjhugululwa kusukela esiGirikini ilimu owatlolwa ngalo ekuthomeni esikhathini esingaphambi kwaleso. Ngisiphi isikhathi “iVangeli lakaJudasi” elatlolwa ngaso begodu ngaphasi kwabuphi ubujamo?

“IVANGELI LAKAJUDASI”—IVANGELI LOBU-GNOSTIC

Incwadi ebizwa ngokuthi ‘yiVangeli lakaJudasi’ kukhulunywa ngayo emitlolweni ka-Irenaeus, umtloli othi umKrestu owaphila ekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E. Encwadini ethi Against Heresies, u-Irenaeus utlola ngesinye seenqhema ezinengi aphikisana neemfundiso zazo uthi: “Bathi uJuda umkghapheli bekajayelene kuhle neentwezi, begodu nguye yedwa obekazi iqiniso ebelingaziwa ngabanye, wafeza ifihlo yokukghaphela. Ngaye, zoke izinto, kokubili ezulwini nephasini, zatjharagana khulu. Benza umlando ofana nalo omamala, bawuthiya ngokuthi liVangeli lakaJudasi.”

U-Irenaeus waziphikisa ngokukhethekileko iimfundiso zamaKrestu ama-Gnostic, athi anelwazi elimbuliweko. Ibizo elithi-Gnosticism lihlanganisa iinqhema ezinengi, zoke ezinelwazi nehlathululo yazo “yeqiniso” lobuKrestu. Iimfundiso eziveleleko zobu-Gnostic bezisekelwe emitlolweni yawo, ezanda khulu hlangana nekhulu leminyaka lesibili C.E.

AmaVangeli wobu-Gnostic layo kanengi bekathi abapostoli bakaJesu abaveleleko khenge bawuzwisise umlayezo wakhe begodu kunefundiso eyifihlo uJesu ayitjhoko eyazwisiswa babantu abakhethiweko kwaphela.a Amanye wama-Gnostic bekakholelwa bona iphasi lamambala abantu abaphila kilo liyijele. Ngalokho, “uzimu umbumbi” wemiTlolo yesiHebheru bekunguzimu omncani, obekaphikiswa bozimu abapheleleko abahlukahlukeneko. Bebakholelwa bona umuntu “onelwazi” leqiniso bekayizwisisa “ifihlo” le begodu ufuna ukutjhatjhululwa emzimbeni wenyama.

“IVangeli lakaJudasi” lisekelwe ekolelweni le. Lithoma ngamezwi naka: “Le, yifihlo yamezwi kaJesu nekakhuluma noJudasi Isikariyodi, emalangeni abunane, amalanga amathathu ngaphambi kwePhasika.”

Inga-kghani i-codex le ngiyo eyabhalwa ngu-Irenaeus, okwaphela amakhulu weminyaka kuthiwa ilahlekile? UMarvin Meyer, ilunga lesiqhema sokuthoma elarhubhulula begodu latjhugulula i-codex le, uthi ‘ihlathululo encazana ka-Irenaeus ingena patsi emezwini womtlolo we-Coptic okhona onesihloko esithi iVangeli lakaJudasi.’

INDIMA KAJUDASI EVANGELINELI—IZAZI ZIYAPHIKISANA

“EVangelini lakaJudasi,” uJesu uhleka ubudlhadlha abafundi bakhe nebatjengisa ukungabi nelwazi nokuzwisisa. Kodwana uJudasi nguye kwaphela ebapostolini abali-12 otjengisa ukumazi kuhle uJesu. Ngalokho, uJesu wamtjela ngerhorhomejeni “iimfihlo ezimalungana nombuso.”

Imitlolo yokuthoma eyatlolwa kabutjha siqhema sezazi gade idzimelele khulu ehlathululweni ka-Irenaeus yevangeleli. Ekutjhugululeni kwabo, bathi uJesu bekamthanda uJudasi njengomfundi obekazokwazi ngezinto eziyifihlo begodu “angene embusweni.” Abapostoli egade balahlekile batjho ibizo lomuntu ozokungena esikhundleni sakaJudasi, kodwana bekazokuba mumoya wetjhumi nantathu, “ebewuzokudlula [boke abanye abafundi]” ngombana uJesu wathi “uyokunikela ngomzimba engiwumbetheko.”

Abatloli abadumileko, abanjengoBart Ehrman no-Elaine Pagels, abazizazi ezidumileko zobuKrestu bokuthoma nobu-Gnostic zakugadangisa msinyana lokho ezakufumana “ngeVangeli lakaJudasi” ebekufana patsi nalokho okwatlolwa siqhema sokuthoma. Nokho, msinyana ngemva kwalokho, ezinye izazi ezinjengo-April DeConick noBirger Pearson zazwakalisa ukutshwenyeka kwazo. Zathi iNational Geopraphic Society yagijimela bona kurhatjhwe imitlolo yekadeni ngombana ifuna bona kube ngiyo eyikhupha qangi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, azange ilandele indlela ejayelekileko yokuhlolisisa incwadi ngaphambi kobana igadangiswe.

Basebenza ngokuhlukana, uDeConick noPearson baphetha ngokobana izazi zangaphambili azange zizitjhugulule kuhle ezinye iingcenye ze-codex. Ngokwalokho okwatlolwa kabutjha nguDeConick, uJesu wabiza uJuda ngokuthi “LiDimoni letjhumi Nantathu,” ingasi “umoya wetjhumi nantathu.”b UJesu godu watjela uJudasi ngokukhanyako bona angekhe angene “embusweni.” Kunokobana ‘adlule’ abanye abafundi, uJesu wathi kuJudasi: “Uzokwenza okumbi kunabo boke. Uzokunikela ngomzimba engiwumbetheko.” Ngokombono kaDeConick, “iVangeli lakaJudasi” liyikulumo emamala yama-Gnostic ehlekisa ngabo boke abapostoli. UDeConick noPearson nebaswaphelisako bathi “eVangelini lakaJudasi,” uJudasi akasiyo ikutani.

KHUYINI ESINGAYIFUNDA “EVANGELINI LAKAJUDASI”?

Kungakhathaliseki bona uJudasi wevangeleli gade aqalwa njengekutani nofana idimoni, akukho namunye ezazini owakwazi ukutsenga incwadi le otjhoko bona inomlando onembileko. UBart Ehrman uyahlathulula: “Akusilo iVangeli elatlolwa nguJudasi, namtjhana umuntu ozenza yena. . . . Akusilo iVangeli elatlolwa ngesikhathi sakaJudasi litlolwa mumuntu obekamazi kuhle . . . Ngalokho, akusiyo incwadi engasinikela ilwazi elingeziweko lokobana eqinisweni khuyini eyenzeka esikhathini sakaJesu.”

“IVangeli lakaJudasi” liyincwadi yobu-Gnostic yangekhulu leminyaka lesibili C.E., ngokwendabuko beyitlolwe ngesiGiriki. Bona “iVangeli lakaJudasi” elitjha elafunyanwako liyafana nencwadi u-Irenaeus aqalisa kiyo, izazi zisaphikisana ngakho. Kodwana “iVangeli lakaJudasi” ngokukhanyako lisinikela ubufakazi obuqakathekileko malungana nesikhathi “ubuKrestu” obahlukana ngaso phakathi baba ziinqhema ezineemfundiso eziphikisanako. Kunokunyaza iBhayibhili, “iVangeli lakaJudasi” eqinisweni liqinisekisa iinyeleliso zabapostoli, ezifana nalezo uPowula azitlola kuzEnzo 20:29, 30: “Ngiyazi bona ngizathi bona ngikhambe . . . khonapha esiqubuthwini senu bazakhuluma amanga, khona bazakwenza amakholwa abalandele.”