LOBEKUNGALONA: I-Papyrus ne-parchment, bekungutona tintfo babhali beliBhayibheli bebabhalela kuto.a (2 Thimothi 4:13) Letintfo talifaka njani liBhayibheli engotini?

I-Papyrus isheshe idzabuke, ihhwabe futsi isheshe itsambe. Naku lokushiwo tati temphilo yaseGibhithe (Egyptologists), boRichard Parkinson naStephen Quirke: “I-Papyrus ingonakala igcine seyitimvitsi. Naseyihleti sikhatsi ingakhuntsa noma ibole futsi ingadliwa ngemagundvwane netilokatane, ikakhulukati tintfutfwane, nayimbelwe phansi.” Lamanye ema-Papyrus latfolakala abekwa elangeni kantsi lamanye abekwa endzaweni lenemswakama, lokwawenta asheshe onakala.

I-parchment icinile kune-papyrus kodvwa nayo iyamosheka nangabe iphetfwe kabi noma ibekwe endzaweni leshisa kakhulu noma lenemswakama noma nayibekwe elangeni.b I-parchment nayo idliwa tilokatane. Incwadzi lenesihloko lesitsi “Everyday Writing in the Graeco-Roman East” itsi: “Akukavami kutsi tincwadzi takadzeni tisindze.” Kube liBhayibheli nalo belonakala ngalendlela, nemlayeto walo ngabe wavele waphela kanye nalo.

INDLELA LIBHAYIBHELI LELASINDZA NGAYO: Umtsetfo wemaJuda bewutsi emakhosi bekufanele ‘atibhalele wona encwadzini legocotwako, incwadzi yalomtsetfo,’ lobekutincwadzi teliBhayibheli tekucala letisihlanu. (Dutheronomi 17:18) Ngetulu kwaloko, babhali labanelikhono bakhicita imibhalo yesandla leminyenti kangangekutsi ekhulwini lekucala leminyaka, lemibhalo beseyitfolakala emasinagogeni lakulo lonkhe laka-Israyeli ngisho nasetindzaweni letikhashane njengaseMasedoniya. (Lukha 4:16, 17; Imisebenti 17:11) Kwenteka kanjani kutsi lemibhalo yesandla yakadzeni itfolakale ngisho nalamuhla?

Philip W. Comfort losati seLithestamende Lelisha utsi: “EmaJuda bekatiwa ngekufaka imiculu yemiBhalo emajekeni lentiwe ngelubumba kute ingonakali.” EmaKhristu nawo abekwenta loko. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, leminye imiBhalo yeliBhayibheli yakadzeni lebhalwe ngesandla beyitfolakala emajekeni lentiwe ngelubumba, etindlwaneni letimnyama letingenamafasitelo, emigedzeni kanye nasetindzaweni letome kakhulu.

UBE YINI UMPHUMELA?: Tinkhulungwane talemibhalo yeliBhayibheli leyabhalwa ngesandla isekhona nalamuhla, leminye yayo seyineminyaka lengetulu kwalengu-2 000. Kute letinye tincwadzi takadzeni letinemibhalo yesandla leminyenti kangaka lebetisolo tikhona kuyo yonkhe leminyaka.

BANTFU LABEBANGALIFUNI: Bosopolitiki kanye nebafundisi labanyenti batibekela umgomo wekulicedza liBhayibheli. Bebavame kusebentisa ligunya labanalo kute bente bantfu kutsi bangabi nalo liBhayibheli, bangalikhiciti nome bangalihumushi. Asewucabange nganaku:

• Cishe nga-167 B.C.E.: Inkhosi Antiochus Epiphanes lebeyifuna kuphocelela emaJuda kutsi angene enkholweni yemaGriki, yakhipha umyalo wekutsi kucedvwe yonkhe imibhalo yesiHebheru (Lithestamente Lelidzala). Heinrich Graetz, losati semlandvo naku lakubhala ngetindvuna talenkhosi: “Betidzabula tiphindze tishise emaBhayibheli lagocotwako noma ngukuphi labetingawatfola khona bese tibulala bonkhe bantfu labawafundzako.”

• Ngabo-1000 AD kuya ku-1400 AD: Labanye bobhishobhi bemaKatolika batfukutsela kakhulu ngekutsi emalunga elisontfo labo abeshumayela asebentisa liBhayibheli kunekushumayela timfundziso temaKatolika. Bebawabita ngemahlubuka futsi bawatsatsa njengebantfu labangakaceceshwa ngobe bebanemaBhayibheli esikhundleni sekuba neTihlabelelo telulwimi lwesiLathini. Lenye inhlangano yemasontfo yacinisa lomyalo wekucedza imibhalo yesiHebheru ngekutsi itfumele emadvodza kutsi asebente “ngekutimisela nangekwetsembeka aye aphindzelela lakuhlala khona lamahlubuka . . . angene indlu ngendlu afune bantfu labasolwa ngekuba nemaBhayibheli. . . . Nabakhandza umuntfu analo, bambulale.”

Kube bantfu labangalifuni liBhayibheli bakhona kulicedza, ngabe alisekho.

LASINDZA NJANI LIBHAYIBHELI?: INkhosi Antiochus beyisemkhankhasweni wekucedza emaBhayibheli kuma-Israyeli, kodvwa emaJuda abekhona etindzaweni letinyenti letehlukahlukene. Tati temlandvo titsi ngelikhulu lekucala leminyaka C.E., emaphesenti langetulu kwa-60 emaJuda abengahlali ka-Israyeli. Abegcina imiBhalo emasinagogeni awo, lokuyimiBhalo leyasetjentiswa titukulwane letalandzela lokufaka ekhatsi emaKhristu.​—Imisebenti 15:21.

Eminyakeni yabo-1000 AD kuya ku-1400 AD, bantfu labatsandza liBhayibheli bachubeka nekuhumusha kanye nekubhala imibhalo nanobe bebahlushwa ngekwenta loko. Eminyakeni yabo-1401 kuya ku-1500 leminye imibhalo yeliBhayibheli beseyingatfolakala nangetilwimi letingu-33, nanobe bekusete ngisho nemishini yekushicilela tincwadzi. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, liBhayibheli labese liyahunyushwa futsi lakhicitwa ngelizinga lelisetulu kakhulu.

UBE YINI UMPHUMELA?: Nanobe emakhosi kanye nebafundisi betamile kulicedza liBhayibheli, lisatfolakala kakhulu futsi lihunyushwa kakhulu kunaletinye tincwadzi. Kulamanye emave lisetjentisiwe elulwimini lwakhona, emitsetfweni yakhona, futsi lisite bantfu labanyenti kakhulu emhlabeni.

IMETAMO YEKULISHINTJA: LiBhayibheli lasindza etintfweni lebetingalona nakubantfu labebangalifuni. Kodvwa labanye babhali nebahumushi betamile kushintja umlayeto walo. Ngaletinye tikhatsi betame kwenta umlayeto weliBhayibheli kutsi uvumelane netimfundziso tabo esikhundleni sekwenta timfundziso tabo tivumelane nalokushiwo liBhayibheli. Nati tibonelo taloko:

• Indzawo yekukhontela: Ngelikhulu lesine nelesibili leminyaka B.C.E., babhali be-Samaritan Pentateucha, ku-Eksodusi 20:17 bengeta emagama latsi “e-Aargaareezem. Kufanele wakhe lilati.” Ngekwenta njalo, emaSamariya abefise kwenta imiBhalo isekele kwakhiwa kwelithempeli ‘e-Aargaareezem’ noma eNtsabeni iGerizimu.

• Imfundziso yamutsatfu-amunye: Kungakapheli neminyaka lengu-300 liBhayibheli libhaliwe, umbhali losekela imfundziso yamtsatfu-amunye wengeta emavi embhalweni wa-1 Johane 5:7, latsi: “Ezulwini kunaBabe, kunaLivi futsi kunaMoya Longcwele: akusikutsatfu kodvwa kunye.” Lamavi abengekho sanhlobo emibhalweni yekucala. Bruce Metzger losati seliBhayibheli, utsi: “Kusukela ngelikhulu lesitfupha leminyaka kuchubeke, lamavi abevela kanyenti emibhalweni yesandla yakadzeni yelulwimi lwesiLathini naku-Vulgate [yesiLathini].”

• Ligama laNkulunkulu: Inkholelo yemaJuda yenta bahumushi labanyenti beliBhayibheli balisusa ligama laNkulunkulu emiBhalweni. Esikhundleni salo bafaka emagama lanjengalatsi “Nkulunkulu” nobe “Nkhosi.” Lamagama akhona eBhayibhelini kodvwa awasebenti kuMdali kuphela aphindze asetjentiswe nakubantfu, etithicweni ngisho nakuDeveli imbala.​—Johane 10:34, 35; 1 Khorinte 8:5, 6; 2 Khorinte 4:4.b

LASINDZA NJANI LIBHAYIBHELI?: Ekucaleni labanye babhali beliBhayibheli bebakhohlakele futsi banganaki kodvwa labanyenti bebanelikhono futsi banakisisa. Emkhatsini welikhulu lesitfupha nelelishumi C.E., ema-Masorete abhala imbhalo leseyatiwa ngekutsi yimibhalo yema-Masorete ayisusela emiBhalweni yesiHebheru. Kutsiwa abebala emagama netinhlavu tawo kute aciniseke kutsi kute emaphutsa lawentile. Nakabona liphutsa emibhalweni yawo abelibhala phansi. Ema-Masorete awazange akushintje lokuseBhayibhelini. Professor Moshe Goshen-Gottstein wabhala watsi: “Kukushintja ngenhloso loko lokushiwo liBhayibheli bekulicala lelibovu kuma-Masorete.”

Kwesibili, imibhalo yesandla leminyenti isita tati teliBhayibheli kutsi tikhone kubona emaphutsa lakhona kulamanye emaBhayibheli. Nasi sibonelo: Bafundisi bebasolo bafundzisa kutsi lihumusho labo lesiLathini lifana ncamashi nemibhalo yekucala. Kodvwa ku-1 Johane 5:7 babese bengeta emavi laliphutsa benta shengatsi abekhona kulemibhalo kute basekele imfundziso yamtsatfu-amunye lesike sakhuluma ngayo kulesihloko. Lamavi laliphutsa afakwa ngisho naseBhayibhelini lesiNgisi i-King James Version. Yini leyavetwa nguleminye imibhalo yesandla leyatfolakala? Bruce Metzger wabhala watsi: “Lamavi lengetwe [ku-1 Johane 5:7] awatfolakali emibhalweni yesandla yakadzeni (yaseSiriya, yaseGibhithe, yase-Armenia, yaseTopiya, yase-Arabiya, yaseYurophu), ngaphandle kwaseBhayibhelini lesiLathini.” Umphumela ube kutsi lamavi laliphutsa awasatfolakali kuma-King James Version labuketiwe kanye nakulamanye emaBhayibheli.

Imibhalo yesandla yakadzeni iyakufakazela yini kutsi umlayeto weliBhayibheli wasindza kubantfu lebebafuna kuwushintja? Nakutfolakala iMiculu yaseLwandle Lolufile nga-1947, tati teliBhayibheli besetingakhona kucatsanisa lemibhalo yesiHebheru yema-Masorete naloko lokusemiculwini yeliBhayibheli lebesekuphele iminyaka lengetulu kwenkhulungwane yabhalwa. Lelinye lilunga lebahleli balemiculu leyatfolakala eLwandle Lolufile, lephetsa ngekutsi umculu munye nje “uniketa bufakazi lobungeke buphikwe bekutsi imibhalo yesandla yeliBhayibheli leyabhalwa ngemaJuda eminyakeni lecishe ibe ngetulu kwenkhulungwane leyengcile, ayibhala ngekwetsembeka nangekunakisisa.”

Umtapo wetincwadzi loseDublin, e-Ireland, i-Chester Beatty unema-papyrus lacishe abe nato tonkhe tincwadzi temiBhalo yemaKhristu yesiGriki, lefaka ekhatsi imibhalo yesandla yangelikhulu lesibili C.E. leyabhalwa eminyakeni lecishe ibe ngu-100 liBhayibheli libhaliwe. I-The Anchor Bible Dictionary, itsi: “Nanobe titinyenti tintfo letinsha letibhalwe kuma-Papyrus, umlayeto lobhalwe kuwo wetsembekile futsi uvumelana nemibhalo yasekucaleni.”

UBE YINI UMPHUMELA?: Esikhundleni sekutsi budzala kanye nebunyenti balemibhalo yesandla buwone umlayeto weliBhayibheli, buwutfutfukisile. Nakakhuluma ngemiBhalo YemaKhristu YesiGriki, uMnumzane Frederic Kenyon watsi: “Kute lenye incwadzi yakadzeni lenebufakazi lobunyenti kangaka futsi kute sati lesingaphika kutsi umlayeto weliBhayibheli lesinawo nyalo wetsembekile.” Aphawula ngemiBhalo yesiHebheru, William Henry Green losati utsi: “Kungashiwo kufanele kutsi kute lenye incwadzi lendzala kangaka lebhalwe ngekwetsembeka.”