Tizatfu Letenta Kutsi Wetsembe Tincwadzi Letine TeliBhayibheli, YaMatewu, Makho, Lukha Kanye NeyaJohane

“Letincwadzi letine tibe nemphumelelo lenkhulu. Kutsengiswe emabhayisikhobho labita tigidzi lakhuluma ngato. . . kanye netincwadzi letitsengwa butsaphutsaphu. . . Tinkholo tebuKhristu letinyenti tiyatisebentisa letincwadzi letine teliBhayibheli. Tinyenti tinkholo leticaliwe ngato kanye netimfundziso letinebucili.”—SUPER INTERESSANTE, MAGAZINI WASEBRAZIL WETINDZABA.

YINI leyabangela lenjabulo lengaka? Lomagazini bewuchaza ngetintfo letinyenti letentiwa ngemuva kwekutfolakala kwemavangeli mbumbulu, netincwadzi teliBhayibheli teliTestamende lelisha kanye naletikhuluma ngekubhubha kwelive letatfolakala ekhatsi nelikhulu lema-20 leminyaka eNag Hammadi nakuletinye tindzawo taseGibhithe. Letincwadzi kanye naletinye letifanana nayo imvamisa tibitwa ngekutsi yimibhalo yebuGnostic nobe yebu-Apocryphal.a

Kukhona Yini Kungetsembeki Lokutsite?

Bantfu labangeletsembi liBhayibheli kanye netinkholo tebu-orthodox, kubonakala shengatsi bayayijabulela imibhalo yebuGnostic kanye neyebu-Apocryphal. Lemibhalo iyitsintse kakhulu indlela linyenti lebantfu labatitsatsa ngayo timfundziso taJesu kanye nenkholo yebuKhristu. Lomunye magazini utsi: “Incwadzi lebhalwe ngumuntfu leyatiwa ngekutsi liVangeli laTomasi kanye naletinye [tincwadzi] te-Apocryphal titijabulisa kakhulu tinhlitiyo tebantfu labachubeka bandza esikhatsini salamuhla: labo labanenkhaphunkhaphu yekwati tintfo takamoya, kepha labangayetsembi inkholo.” Ngemuva kwekwentiwa kwelubalo eveni laseBrazil lilodvwa kutfolakale kutsi “lokungenani kunemacembu langu-30 kukholwa kwawo lokusekelwe etincwadzini te-Apocrypha.”

Kutfolakala kwaletincwadzi kugcamise imfundziso letsi, ngelikhulu lesine leminyaka C.E., lisontfo lemaKhatolika lenta kungetsembeki ngekufihla emaciniso ngaJesu, kangangekutsi letinye tentakalo tekuphila kwakhe letavetwa emibhalweni ye-Apocryphal tase tiyafihlwa, nekutsi letincwadzi letine letitfolakala emaBhayibhelini lamanyenti lamuhla tashintjwa. Elaine Pagels, longuphrofesa wenkholo ubeka lendzaba ngalendlela: “Sesicala kubona-ke nyalo kutsi loko lesikubita ngekutsi yiNkholo yebuKhristu—naloko lesikubona kulisiko lebuKhristu—ecinisweni kumane kumelela lidlazana letinkholo kuletinyenti letikhona.”

Ngemibono yetati letinjenga-Pagels, liBhayibheli akusilo lodvwa lelingumtfombo wekukholwa kwebuKhristu; kukhona leminye imitfombo lenjengemibhalo ye-Apocryphal. Nasi sibonelo saloko: Luhlelo lwesiteshi semsakato wetitfombe i-BBC lolutsi, Bible Mysteries lwakhuluma ngesihloko lesitsi “The Real Mary Magdalene,” lwatsi imibhalo ye-Apocryphal itsi Mariya Magdala abefundzisa futsi acondzisa labanye bafundzi ngetintfo letimayelana naNkulunkulu. Abengasiye nje umfundzi kepha abengumphostoli kulabanye baphostoli labanyenti.” Kulendzaba yaMariya Magdala, naku lokwashiwo nguJuan Arias ephephandzabeni laseveni laseBrazil, i-Estado de S Paulo watsi nakakhuluma ngalomsebenti lokwakutsiwa wentiwa nguMariya Magdala watsi: “Lamuhla yonkhe intfo isenta sikukholwe kutsi inkholo yebuKhristu leyacalwa nguJesu, ‘yayigcugcutela kutsi labadvuna nalabasikati kulingane,’ njengobe tinkonzo tatibanjelwa emakhaya alabasikati futsi ngabo labebachuba letinkonzo njengebaphristi neba bhishobhi.”

Kubantfu labanyenti, imitfombo ye-Apocryphal ibonakala yetsembekile kunemtfombo weliBhayibheli. Loku kuphakamisa imibuto lebalulekile, lenjengalena: Imibhalo ye-Apocryphal ingumtfombo weliciniso yini wekukholwa kwebuKhristu? Nangabe iphikisana naloko liBhayibheli lelikufundzisa ngalokucacile, ngumuphi umtfombo lokufanele siwetsembe—liBhayibheli nobe tincwadzi te-Apocryphal? Kukhona yini kungetsembeki lokutsite lokwentiwa ngelikhulu lesine leminyaka? Mhlawumbe kukhona yini kuguculwa kwetincwadzi letine teliBhayibheli kususwe nobe ngabe ngukuphi kwatiswa lokubalulekile ngaJesu, Mariya Magdala, kanye nangalabanye? Kute siphendvule lombuto, ase sifundze yinye kuletincwadzi letine leyatiwa ngekutsi yaJohane.

Bufakazi Lobusencwadzini YaJohane

Incenye lebalulekile lesencwadzini yaJohane yatfolakala eGibhithe ngelikhulu lema-20 leminyaka futsi nyalo seyatiwa ngekutsi yi-Papyrus Rylands 457 (P⁵²). Icuketse umBhalo waJohane 18:31-33, 37, 38, loseBhayibhelini, lotfolakala kuloMtabo wetincwadzi lokutsiwa yi-John Rylands loseManchester, eNgilandi. Lena ngiyo incenye yemBhalo wesandla lomdzala kakhulu lotfolakala emiBhalweni yemaKhristu ngelulwimi lwesiGriki. Tifundziswa letinyenti tikholwa kutsi wabhalwa cishe nga-125 C.E., esikhatsini lesingephansi kwekota yeminyaka lelikhulu ngemuva kwekufa kwaJohane. Lokumangalisako kutsi umbhalo walencenye yePapyrus Rylands uvumelana nemibhalo yesandla yalamuhla. Liciniso lekutsi lekhophi yembhalo waJohane bese-ivele iseGibhithe, kuyo lendzawo lokwatfolakala kuyo lencenye, lifakazela kutsi tindzaba letinhle ngekusho kwaJohane besetivele tibhaliwe ngelikhulu lekucala leminyaka C.E. futsi tabhalwa nguye Johane lucobo lwakhe njengobe neliBhayibheli likhombisa. Lencwadzi yaJohane yabhalwa ngumuntfu lowatibonela ngewakhe emehlo tintfo latibhala.

Ngakulokunye, imibhalo ye-Apocryphal yona yabhalwa kusukela ngelikhulu lesibili leminyaka, sekuphele iminyaka lelikhulu nobe ngetulu kwayo letintfo lekhuluma ngato tenteka. Letinye tifundziswa titsi imibhalo ye-Apocryphal yatsatselwa emibhalweni yakucala nobe emasikweni akadzeni, kodvwa kute bufakazi baloko labakushoko. Ngako-ke, nangu umbuto lobalulekile, Yini lotayetsemba kakhulu—bufakazi bebantfu labatibonela nobe bufakazi bebantfu labaphila eminyakeni lelikhulu ngemuva kwekwenteka kwaloko lokwabhalwa? Imphendvulo yalombuto isebaleni.b

Yini lengashiwo ngekugomela kwebantfu kutsi tincwadzi letine teliBhayibheli tashintjwa kute bantfu bangakutfoli kwatiswa kabanti ngekuphila kwaJesu? Bukhona yini bufakazi lobukhombisa kutsi incwadzi yaJohane yaguculwa ngelikhulu lesine leminya kute kusontfwe emaciniso latsite? Kute siphendvule lombuto, kufanele sikhumbule kutsi lomunye wemitfombo leyinhloko yeliBhayibheli lalamuhla ngumbhalo wesandla lowatiwa ngekutsi yi-Vatican 1209 yangelikhulu lesine leminyaka. Nangabe liBhayibheli letfu linetintfo letashintjwa ngelikhulu lesine leminyaka, tonkhe letintfo betitawubonakala kulombhalo wesandla. Lokujabulisako kutsi kunalomunye umbhalo wesandla lowatiwa ngekutsi yi-Bodmer 14, 15, (P⁷⁵) locukutse incenye lenkhulu yembhalo waLukha newaJohane leyabhalwa cishe ngemnyaka wa-175 C.E. kuya ku-225 C.E. Ngekusho kwabocwephesha, cishe ifanana kakhulu nembhalo iVatican 1209. Ngalamanye emagama, kute tintfo letashintjwa emibhalweni yeliBhayibheli, futsi iVatican 1209 iyakufakazela loko.

Kute bufakazi lobukhona lobubhaliwe nobe lobunye lobukhombisa kutsi umbhalo waJohane nobe leminye imibhalo yashintjwa ngelikhulu lesine leminyaka. Ngemuva kwekuhlola tincenye tembhalo wesandla lowatfolakala e-Oxyrhynchus, eGibhithe, Dokotela Peter M. Head, wase-Cambridge University, wabhala: “Ecinisweni, lemibhalo yesandla ifakazela imibhalo leyabhalwa ngabofeleba ngelikhulu lesine leminyaka lesisekelo setincwadzi letibaluleke kakhulu talamuhla. Kulemibhalo yesandla kute lokusha lokutfolakalako, konkhe kusafanana naloko lobekusembhalweni wekucala weliTestamende lelisha.”

Yini-ke Lesingaphetsa Ngayo?

Tincwadzi teliBhayibheli letine—yaMatewu, Makho, Lukha naJohane—betisolo temukelwa ngemaKhristu emhlabeni wonkhe kusukela emkhatsini welikhulu lesibili leminyaka. Kusebentisa kwaTatian incwadzi letsi-Diatessaron (leli ligama lesiGriki lelisho “kuhlanganiswa kwetintfo letine”), leyabhalwa yabese iyahlanganiswa emkhatsini wa-160 kuya ku-175 C.E., beyitsatselwe etincwadzini letine teliBhayibheli; hhayi “emibhalweni” yemaGnostic. (Fundza libhokisi lelitsi, “Kuvikelwa Kwetincwadzi Letine TeliBhayibheli, yaMatewu, Makho, Lukha naJohane.”) Lokunye lokufanele kunakwe nguloko lokwashiwo ngu-Irenaeus lowaphila ngasekupheleni kwelikhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E. Wagomela ngekutsi njengobe umhlaba unemagumbi lamane, kufanele tibekhona tincwadzi letine teliBhayibheli. Nobe kucatsanisa kwakhe kuphakamisa imibuto, kodvwa lakusho kusekela liciniso lelitsi tatitine kuphela tincwadzi teliBhayibheli letikhuluma ngemlandvo wekuphila kwaJesu.

Lamaciniso asho kutsini? Asho kutsi imiBhalo yemaKhristu yesiGriki—lefaka ekhatsi letincwadzi letine teliBhayibheli—njengobe sinato lamuhla, atikase tishintje kusukela ngelikhulu lesibili leminyaka kuchubeke. Kute bufakazi lobunemandla bekukholwa kutsi bekunekungetsembeki lokutsite lokwentiwa ngelikhulu lesine leminyaka kute kushintjwe nobe kuguculwe nobe ngabe nguyiphi incenye yemiBhalo lephefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu. Ngekungafanani naloko, sifundziswa seliBhayibheli, Bruce Metzger sabhala: “Ngasekupheleni kwelikhulu lesibili leminyaka, . . . bekunekuvumelana lokukhulu emkhatsini kwemabandla emakholwa lehlukehlukene lasetindzaweni letinyenti taseMedithera naseBrithani kudzimate kuyewufika eMesophothamiya, ngencenye lenkhulu yeliTestamende lelisha.”

Umphostoli Pawula kanye naPhetro balisekela liciniso leliVi laNkulunkulu. Bobabili bawecwayisa kakhulu emaKhristu labebakanye nawo kutsi angemukeli nobe akholwe nobe yini lenye esikhundleni saloko abefundziswe kona. Sibonelo saloko kutsi Pawula wabhalela Thimothi watsi: “Ye Thimothi, londvolota loko lophatsiswe kona. Ukugege kukhuluma lokulite nekuphikisana lokutsiwa lwati kube kungesilo, ngobe labanye batsi ngekulemukela balahlekelwa ngumgomo wekukholwa.” NaPhetro wafakazelana naPawula nakatsi: “Sasingalandzeli tinganekwane tebucili, ngesikhatsi sinatisa emandla nekufika kweNkhosi yetfu Jesu Khristu, kodvwa sasingulabo labawabona emandla ebukhosi bakhe.”—1 Thimothi 6:20, 21; 2 Phetro 1:16.

Emakhulwini lamanyenti eminyaka, umphrofethi Isaya waphefumulelwa kutsi abhale: “Tjani buyabuna, netimbali tiyahhohloka, kodvwa livi laNkulunkulu wetfu limile kuze kube nguphakadze.” (Isaya 40:8) Natsi singagomela ngekutsi loyo lowaphefumulela imiBhalo lengcwele waphindze wayilondvolota iminyaka leminyenti kute “kutsi bonkhe bantfu basindziswe bafinyelele ekulatini liciniso.”—1 Thimothi 2:4.

[Imibhalo lengentasi]

[Emavi lacashuniwe lasekhasini 9]

IPapyrus Rylands 457 (P⁵²), incenye yembhalo weBhayibheli waJohane yangelikhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E., yabhalwa ngemuva kwemashumi lambalwa eminyaka ngemuva kwemibhalo yakucala

[Libhokisi/Titfombe ekhasini 11]

Kuvikelwa Kwetincwadzi Letine TeliBhayibheli, yaMatewu, Makho, Lukha naJohane

Ngasekucaleni kwemlandvo wenkholo yebuKhristu, luhlobo tsite lwebantfu belugceka emaVangeli lamane litsi ayaphikisana. Sifundziswa sekudzabuka eSiriya lesinguTatian (lesaphila cishe ngemnyaka wa-110-​180 C.E.) satama kuvikela lamaVangeli. Kute acatulule lenkinga wabona kutsi kuncono ahlanganise omane lamaVangeli awente incwadzi yinye.

Tatian wawucala kanjalo-ke lomsebenti. Akwatiwa kutsi lencwadzi yekucala yaTatian yaba ngesiGriki nobe ngesiSiriya. Cishe ngemnyaka wanga-170 C.E., waphotfula lomsebenti wekuhlanganisa lamavangeli, lowabitwa ngekutsi i-⁠Diatessaron, lokuligama lelulwimi lwesiGriki lelisho “kuhlanganiswa kwetintfo letine.” Sitsintfwa yini kulendzaba lengakaphefumulelwa nguNkulunkulu?

Ekhulwini leminyaka lesi-19, bavumbuka njalo bantfu labagomela batsi emaVangeli lamane abhalwa emkhatsini welikhulu lesibili C.E.; ngaleso sizatfu batsi umlandvo ngalamaVangeli awusebenti. Kutfolakala kwencwadzi i-⁠Diatessaron kwakhokhela liciniso ebaleni lekutsi emaVangeli abesatiwa futsi ahlonishwa ngelikhulu lesibili C.E.

Kutfolwa kwencwadzi i-⁠Diatessaron naletinye tincwadzi letikhuluma ngayo lebetibhalwe ngaletilwimi: Si-Aramu, si-Armenian, siGriki kanye nesiLathini kwabangela sifundziswa lesingu-Sir Frederic Kenyon kutsi sibhale naku: “Kutfolakala kwencwadzi i-⁠Diatessaron kwacima konkhe kungabata ngayo futsi cishe nga-A.D. 170 kwakhanya kutsi emaVangeli lamane abesakhona futsi aliciniso kwendlula tonkhe tincwadzi letikhuluma ngemphilo yeMsindzisi wetfu.”

[Titfombe]

Tatian

I-Diatessaron ngesi-Arabhu

[Lishadi ekhasini 8, 9]

(Kute ubone kwatiswa lokuhlelwe kahle, fundza incwadzi)

“c.” umelela “circa,” nobe lelisho kutsi“cishe.”

33 C.E.

Jesu uyafa

c. 41

Kubhalwa kwencwadzi yaMatewu

c. 58

Kubhalwa kwencwadzi yaLukha

c. 65

Kubhalwa kwencwadzi yaMakho

c. 98

Kubhalwa kwencwadzi yaJohane

125

Rylands 457 (P52)

c. 140

Kucala kwemibhalo ye-Apocryphal

c. 175

Bodmer 14, 15 (P75)

Ngelikhulu lesine

iVatican 1209

[Sitfombe ekhasini 10]

Vatican 1209

Umbhalo wesandla wangelikhulu lesine leminyaka lobitwa ngekutsi yi-Vatican 1209 longenhla, ukhombisa kutsi tincane tingucuko letenteka kulemibhalo lemine yeliBhayibheli

[Emavi laveta Umtfombo walentfo]

Kutfolakala encwadzini i-Bibliorum Sacrorum Graecus Codex Vaticanus, yangemnyaka wanga-1868

[Emavi laveta Umtfombo wesitfombe ekhasini 9]

© Umtampo wetincwadzi i-Trustees of the Chester Beatty lese-Dublin