William Tyndale​—Munthu Woona Patali

William Tyndale anabadwira ku England “kumalire a Wales,” mwachionekere ku Gloucestershire, ngakhale kuti malo ake enieni ndi tsiku sizidziŵika. Mu October 1994, England anakumbukira chaka cha 500 cha kubadwa kwa munthu amene “anatipatsa Baibulo lathu Lachingelezi.” Tyndale anaphedwa chifukwa cha ntchito imeneyi. Chifukwa ninji?

WILLIAM TYNDALE anapambana m’maphunziro a Chigiriki ndi Chilatini. Mu July 1515, pamene anali ndi zaka 21 zokha, analandira digiri ya Master of Arts pa Oxford University. Pofika 1521 anakhala wansembe woikidwa wa Roma Katolika. Panthaŵiyo Chikatolika ku Germany chinali pavuto chifukwa cha zochita za Martin Luther. Koma England anakhalabe dziko Lachikatolika kufikira pamene Mfumu Henry VIII anapandukira Roma mu 1534.

Ngakhale kuti Chingelezi chinali chinenero chofala m’tsiku la Tyndale, maphunziro onse anali m’Chilatini. Chinalinso chinenero cha tchalitchi ndiponso cha Baibulo. Mu 1546 Council of Trent inalamula kuti Vulgate Yachilatini ya Jerome ya m’zaka za zana lachisanu ndiyo yokha inayenera kugwiritsiridwa ntchito. Komabe, ophunzira okha ndiwo anakhoza kuiŵerenga. Kodi nchifukwa ninji anthu ku England anamanidwa Baibulo m’Chingelezi ndi ufulu wa kuliŵerenga? “Ngati Jerom[e] anamasulira baibulo m’chinenero chake chobadwa nacho: ife tingalekerenji?” anatsutsa motero Tyndale.

Njira ya Chikhulupiriro Imene Anatenga

Atamaliza maphunziro ake pa Oxford ndipo mwinamwake maphunziro owonjezera pa Cambridge, Tyndale anaphunzitsa ana a John Walsh kwa zaka ziŵiri ku Gloucestershire. M’nyengo imeneyi chikhumbo chake cha kutembenuza Baibulo m’Chingelezi chinakula, ndipo mosakayikira anali ndi mpata wa kuwongolera maluso ake akutembenuza mothandizidwa ndi Baibulo latsopano la Erasmus lokhala ndi mawu Achigiriki ndi Achilatini m’mphepete mwake. Mu 1523, Tyndale anasiyana ndi banja la Walsh napita ku London. Chimene anali kufuna kumeneko ndicho chilolezo cha Cuthbert Tunstall, bishopu wa London, kaamba ka ntchito yake yotembenuza.

Chilolezo cha Tunstall chinali chofunika chifukwa mfundo za sinodi ya mu 1408 pa Oxford, zotchedwa Constitutions of Oxford, zinaphatikizapo chiletso cha kutembenuza kapena kuŵerenga Baibulo m’chinenero chimene anthu anadziŵa, kusiyapo mwa chilolezo cha bishopu. Chifukwa chosamvera chiletso chimenechi, alaliki omayendayenda ambiri otchedwa Alollard anatenthedwa monga ampatuko. Alollard ameneŵa ankaŵerenga ndi kufalitsa Baibulo la John Wycliffe, matenbenuzidwe Achingelezi a Vulgate. Tyndale anaganiza kuti nthaŵi inali itafika yotembenuza zolemba Zachikristu kuchokera m’Chigiriki kuziika m’matembenuzidwe atsopano ndi oona kaamba ka tchalitchi chake ndi nzika za England.

Bishopu Tunstall anali munthu wophunzira kwambiri amene anachita zambiri polimbikitsa Erasmus. Kuti apereke umboni wa maluso ake, Tyndale anatembenuza ina ya ndakatulo za Isocrates, malembo Achigiriki ovuta, kuti Tunstall aipende. Tyndale anali ndi chidaliro chachikulu chakuti Tunstall adzasonyeza ubwenzi ndi kumchirikiza ndiponso kuvomereza pempho lake la kutembenuza Malemba. Kodi bishopuyo anachitanji?

Akana​—Chifukwa Ninji?

Ngakhale kuti Tyndale anali ndi kalata yomdziŵikitsa, Tunstall sanafune kuonana naye. Chotero Tyndale analemba kalata yopempha kuti akambitsirane naye. Kaya Tunstall analinganiza kuti aonane ndi Tyndale sizidziŵika bwino, koma iye anayankha kuti, ‘Nyumba yanga ili yodzala.’ Kodi nchifukwa ninji Tunstall anakana Tyndale mwachipongwe choncho?

Ntchito ya kukonzanso zinthu ya Luther ku Ulaya inali kudetsa nkhaŵa kwambiri Tchalitchi cha Katolika, ndipo zimenezo zinakhudza England. Mu 1521, Mfumu Henry VIII inafalitsa mfundo zamphamvu zochirikiza papa potsutsa Luther. Pothokoza zimenezi, papayo anapatsa Henry dzina laulemu lakuti “Defender of the Faith.”a Kadinala Wolsey wa Henry analinso wokangalika, kuwononga mabuku a Luther oitanitsidwa kunja mosaloledwa. Monga bishopu Wachikatolika wokhulupirika kwa papa, mfumuyo, ndi kadinala wake, Tunstall anali ndi thayo la kupondereza aliyense amene anali ndi lingaliro lochirikiza Luther mpanduyo. Tyndale ndiye anali woyamba kukayikiridwa. Chifukwa?

Pamene anali kukhala ndi banja la Walsh, Tyndale mopanda mantha anatsutsa umbuli ndi liuma la atsogoleri achipembedzo akumeneko. Wina wa iwo anali John Stokesley yemwe anadziŵa Tyndale ku Oxford. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi iye anatenga malo a Cuthbert Tunstall monga bishopu wa London.

Mkangano wa Tyndale ndi mtsogoleri wachipembedzo wapamwamba amene ananena zotsatirazi umasonyezanso chitsutso chimene iye anayang’anizana nacho: “Zingakhale bwino kukhala ndi lamulo la papa kuposa la Mulungu.” Mwa mawu osaiŵalika, Tyndale anayankha kuti: ‘Papa ndi malamulo ake alibe ntchito kwa ine. Ngati Mulungu angandilole kukhala ndi moyo kwa zaka zambiri, ndidzachititsa mnyamata wolima ndi pulawo kudziŵa zambiri za Malemba kuposa iwe.’

Tyndale anakaonekera pamaso pa mkulu wa dayosisi ya Worcester atapatsidwa mlandu monama wa mpatuko. “Iye anandiwopseza kwambiri, ndi kunditukwana,” anakumbukira motero Tyndale pambuyo ake, akumawonjezera kuti anamchita ngati “galu.” Koma panalibe umboni wa mpatuko woimbira mlandu Tyndale. Olemba mbiri amakhulupirira kuti Tunstall anauzidwa nkhani zonsezi mwamseri kusonkhezera chigamulo chake.

Atakhala ku London chaka chimodzi, Tyndale anati: “Munalibe malo m’nyumba ya mbuyanga wa London akuti nditembenuziremo Chipangano chatsopano, komanso . . . munalibe malo ochitira zimenezo m’England yense.” Ananena zoona. Kodi ndi wosindikiza wotani ku England amene akanayesa kutulutsa Baibulo m’Chingelezi mumkhalidwe wopondereza wochititsidwa ndi ntchito ya Luther? Chotero mu 1524, Tyndale anadutsa English Channel, osadzabwereranso.

Ku Ulaya ndi Mavuto Ena

William Tyndale anakabisala ku Germany limodzi ndi mabuku ake ofunika kwambiriwo. Iye anali ndi £10 imene bwenzi lake Humphrey Monmouth, wamalonda wotchuka wa ku London, anampatsa. Mphatso imeneyi inali yokwanira panthaŵiyo kutheketsa Tyndale kusindikiza Malemba Achigiriki amene analinganiza kuwatembenuza. Pambuyo pake Monmouth anagwidwa chifukwa chothandiza Tyndale ndi chifukwa choganiziridwa kuti amachirikiza Luther. Atafunsidwa ndi kuponyedwa mu Tower of London, Monmouth anamasulidwa kokha atachonderera Kadinala Wolsey kumkhululukira.

Malo enieni amene Tyndale anapitako ku Germany sadziŵika bwino. Umboni wina umasonyeza kuti ndi ku Hamburg, kumene angakhale atatha chaka chimodzi. Kodi anakumana ndi Luther? Zimenezi sizidziŵika, ngakhale kuti chinenezo kwa Monmouth chinati anatero. Koma chinthu chimodzi nchodziŵika: Tyndale analimbikira kutembenuza Malemba Achigiriki. Kodi akanawasindikizira kuti malembo ake apamanja? Anaikiza ntchitoyo kwa Peter Quentell ku Cologne.

Zonse zinali kuyenda bwino kufikira pamene wotsutsa wina John Dobneck, wotchedwanso Cochlaeus, anatulukira zimene zinali kuchitika. Nthaŵi yomweyo Cochlaeus anauza bwenzi lapamtima la Henry VIII zimene anapeza limenenso mwamsanga linachititsa kuti Quentell aletsedwe kusindikiza mabuku otembenuzidwa ndi Tyndale.

Tyndale ndi womthandiza wake, William Roye, anathaŵa kupulumutsa miyoyo yawo, atanyamula masamba a Uthenga Wabwino wa Mateyu omwe anali osindikizidwa kale. Anayenda ndi bwato mu mtsinje wa Rhine kumka ku Worms, kumene anamalizira ntchito yawo. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, makope 6,000 a matembenuzidwe oyamba a New Testament ya Tyndale anatulutsidwa.b

Chipambano​—Mosasamala Kanthu za Chitsutso

Kutembenuza ndi kusindikiza kunali vuto. Kuloŵetsa ma Baibulo m’Britain kunalinso vuto lina. Nthumwi za tchalitchi ndi akuluakulu a boma anatsimikiza mtima kuletsa mitokomayo kudutsa English Channel, koma amalonda achifundo anathandiza. Ali obisika m’mabelo a zovala ndi katundu wina, mabuku ambiri anafika ku magombe a England chozemba mpaka ku Scotland. Tyndale analimbikitsidwa kwambiri, koma nkhondo yake inali itangoyamba.

Pa February 11, 1526, Kadinala Wolsey, limodzi ndi mabishopu 36 ndi akuluakulu ena atchalitchi, anasonkhana pafupi ndi St. Paul’s Cathedral mu London “kudzaonerera mitanga yaikulu yodzala mabuku imene inali kuponyedwa pamoto.” Pakati pa mabukuwo panali makope a Tyndale a matembenuzidwe ofunika kwambiriwo. Tsopano pali makope aŵiri chabe a matembenuzidwe oyamba ameneŵa. Limodzi lokha lathunthu (limene lilibe chabe tsamba la mutu) lili mu British Library. Chodabwitsa nchakuti, lina, lopanda masamba 71, linapezeka mu St. Paul’s Cathedral Library. Palibe amene adziŵa mmene linafikira kumeneko.

Popanda kuleka, Tyndale anapitiriza kutulutsa makope atsopano a matembenuzidwe ake, amene atsogoleri achipembedzo Achingelezi analanda ndi kuwatentha mwaunyinji. Kenako Tunstall anasintha njira zake. Anachita pangano ndi wamalonda wina wotchedwa Augustine Packington kuti azigula mabuku alionse olembedwa ndi Tyndale, kuphatikizapo New Testament, kuti aziwatentha. Analinganiza zimenezi ndi Tyndale, amene Packington anachita nayenso pangano. Chronicle ya Halle imati: “Bishopuyo analandira mabukuwo, aŵiriwo anayamikira Packington, ndipo Tyndale analandira ndalama. Pambuyo pake, pamene mabuku ambiri a Chipangano Chatsopano anasindikizidwa, mofulumira anafika ochuluka m’England.”

Kodi nchifukwa ninji atsogoleri achipembedzo anatsutsa kowopsa matembenuzidwe a Tyndale? Pamene kuli kwakuti Vulgate Yachilatini inaphimba malemba opatulika, mamasulidwe a Tyndale ochokera m’Chigiriki choyambirira anapereka kwa nthaŵi yoyamba uthenga wa Baibulo m’chinenero chomveka kwa Angelezi. Mwachitsanzo, Tyndale anasankha kutembenuza liwu Lachigiriki la a·gaʹpe monga “chikondi” m’malo mwa “chisomo” pa 1 Akorinto chaputala 13. Iye anaumirira kutchula “mpingo” m’malo mwa “tchalitchi” kusonyeza olambira, osati nyumba zatchalitchi. Komabe, chinthu chimene atsogoleri achipembedzo sanathe kupirira nacho chinali pamene Tyndale anaika mawuwo “mkulu” m’malo mwa “wansembe” nagwiritsira ntchito “kulapa” m’malo mwa “kuulula machimo,” mwa kutero akumalanda atsogoleri achipembedzo mphamvu za unsembe zimene iwo anayesa kuti anali nazo. Pankhaniyi David Daniell akuti: “Kulibe purigatoriyo; kulibe kuvomereza machimo kapena kuulula machimo m’makutu mwa wina. Mizati iŵiri ya chuma ndi mphamvu ya Tchalitchi inagwa.” (William Tyndale​—A Biography) Limenelo ndilo vuto limene matembenuzidwe a Tyndale anapereka, ndipo akatswiri amakono amavomereza kwambiri kulondola kwa mawu ake omwe iye anasankha.

Antwerp, Kuperekedwa, ndi Imfa

Pakati pa 1526 ndi 1528, Tyndale anasamukira ku Antwerp, kumene anamva kukhala wotetezereka pakati pa amalonda Achingelezi. Ali kumeneko analemba The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, The Obedience of a Christian Man, ndi The Practice of Prelates. Tyndale anapitiriza ndi ntchito yake yotembenuza ndipo anali woyamba kugwiritsira ntchito dzina la Mulungu, Yehova, m’matembenuzidwe Achingelezi a Malemba Achihebri. Dzinalo limapezeka nthaŵi zoposa 20.

Mwa kupitirizabe kukhala ndi bwenzi lake ndi womthandiza Thomas Poyntz ku Antwerp, Tyndale anali wotetezereka pa ziŵembu za Wolsey ndi akapirikoni ake. Anatchuka chifukwa cha kusamalira kwake odwala ndi osauka. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, Mngelezi wina Henry Phillips mwamachenjera anapeza zidaliro za Tyndale. Chotero, mu 1535, Tyndale anaperekedwa ndi kutengeredwa ku Vilvorde Castle, makilomita khumi kumpoto kwa Brussels. Kumeneko anakhala m’ndende miyezi 16.

Amene anatuma Phillips sadziŵika bwino, koma maumboni amasonya kwa Bishopu Stokesley, amene panthaŵiyo anali kalikiliki kutentha “ampatuko” ku London. Ali pafupi kufa mu 1539, Stokesley “anakondwera kuti m’moyo wake anatentha ampatuko makumi asanu,” akutero W. J. Heaton mu The Bible of the Reformation. Chiŵerengerocho chinaphatikizapo William Tyndale, yemwe anapotoledwa thupi lake lisanatenthedwe poyera mu October 1536.

Akatswiri atatu a zaumulungu a pa Catholic Louvain University, kumene Phillips analembetsa, anali pakati pa amene anaweruza Tyndale. Atsogoleri achipembedzo atatu a pa Louvain ndi mabishopu atatu ndi akuluakulu ena analiponso kudzaona Tyndale akupatsidwa mlandu wampatuko ndi kulandidwa udindo wake wa unsembe. Onse anakondwa ndi imfa yake ali ndi zaka zakubadwa ngati 42.

“Tyndale,” anatero wolemba mbiri yake Robert Demaus zaka zana limodzi zapitazo, “anali kudziŵika nthaŵi zonse chifukwa cha kuona mtima kwake kopanda mantha.” Tyndale analembera kalata John Frith, wantchito mnzake amene Stokesley anatentha ku London, kuti: “Sindinasinthe ngakhale silabulo imodzi ya mawu a Mulungu kutsutsana ndi chikumbumtima changa, ndipo sindingatero ngakhale lero, ngakhale ngati zonse za m’dziko lapansi, kaya zokondweretsa, ulemu, kaya chuma, zingapatsidwe kwa ine.”

Ndi mmene William Tyndale anaperekera moyo wake pantchito yopatsa nzika za England Baibulo limene iwo akanalimva mosavuta. Anatayadi chuma chamtengo​—koma anasiya mphatso yamtengo wapatali chotani nanga!

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi patsamba 29]

MATEMBENUZIDWE OYAMBIRIRA

PEMPHO la Tyndale la kutembenuza Baibulo m’chinenero cha anthu wamba silinali lopambanitsa ndipo silinali loyamba. Panapangidwa matembenuzidwe a Anglo-Saxon m’zaka za zana la khumi. Ma Baibulo osindikizidwa otembenuzidwa kuchokera m’Chilatini anafalitsidwa popanda choletsa ku Ulaya chakumapeto kwa zaka za zana la 15: Chijeremani (1466), Chitaliyana (1471), Chifrenchi (1474), Chitcheki (1475), Chidatchi (1477), ndi Chikatalani (1478). Mu 1522, Martin Luther anafalitsa New Testament yake m’Chijeremani. Chimene Tyndale anafuna kudziŵa nchakuti nchifukwa ninji England sanaloledwe kuchita chimodzimodzi.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 26]

Baibulo kumbuyo: © The British Library Board; William Tyndale: Mwa chilolezo chokoma mtima cha Principal, Fellows and Scholars of Hertford College, Oxford