Akhona Yini Lamanye Emavangeli—Lanemaciniso Layimfihlo NgaJesu?

“SITFOLE simanga sendzaba. Itawutfukutselisa bantfu labanyenti.” “Iyawushintja umlandvo webuKhristu bekucala.” Lamavi ashiwo tifundziswa lebetijabulele umculu “weliVangeli laJudasi,” lobekucatjangwa kutsi walahleka eminyakeni lengetulu kwemakhulu langu-16 lendlulile (lolangenhla).

Lamavangeli lokutsiwa ayimfihlo (apocryphal gospels) asaphindze atsandvwa kakhulu. Labanye bantfu batsi lamavangeli embula tentakalo letibalulekile netimfundziso letimayelana nalokwenteka ekuphileni kwaJesu letatifihlwe sikhatsi lesidze. Ecinisweni ayini lamavangeli lokutsiwa ayimfihlo? Angasifundzisa yini emaciniso lamayelana naJesu nangebuKhristu—lokungemaciniso lesingeke siwatfole eBhayibhelini?

Emavangeli LaseBhayibhelini Nalawo Lokutsiwa Ayimfihlo

Emkhatsini wemnyaka wa-41 na-98 C.E., Matewu, Makho, Lukha naJohane babhala “ngemlandvo waJesu Khristu.” (Matewu 1:1) Lokulandzisa kuphindze kubitwe ngekutsi ngemavangeli, lokusho kutsi tindzaba letimnandzi ngaJesu Khristu.—Makho 1:1.

Nangetulu kwekutsi titukulwane beticocelana tindzaba temlandvo letimayelana naJesu, kuphindze kunetincwadzi letikhuluma ngaye, lamaVangeli lamane bekungiwo kuphela labekatsatfwa njengalaphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu nalabekakufanelekela kuba yincenye yemiBhalo leNgcwele. Asitjela “liciniso lato tonkhe letindzaba” mayelana nekuphila kwaJesu kwasemhlabeni netimfundziso takhe. (Lukha 1:1-4; Imisebenti 1:1, 2; 2 Thimothi 3:16, 17) LamaVangeli lamane akhona kuto tonkhe tinhlu tasendvulo letitfolakala eThestamendeni lelisha nobe emiBhalweni yemaKhristu yesiGriki. Asikho sizatfu sekungabata kunemba kwawo nekutsi kufanele atsatfwe njengencenye yeliVi laNkulunkulu leliphefumulelwe.

Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, letinye tincwadzi tabese tiyavela, tabitwa ngekutsi tingemavangeli nato. Lawo mavangeli abebitwa ngekutsi ngemavangeli layimfihlo (apocryphal.)a

Ekupheleni kwelikhulu lesibili leminyaka, Irenaeus wase-Lyon wabhala kutsi labo labahlubuka ebuKhristwini “bebanetincwadzi letinyenti temavangeli layimfihlo kanye naletibonakala shengatsi tiliciniso,” letifaka ekhatsi emavangeli “bona matfupha labawagucula ngebucili kute adide tingcondvo tebantfu labangakahlakaniphi.” Kungaleso sizatfu-ke lamavangeli layimfihlo abese atsatfwa njengalayingoti hhayi kuphela ngekuwafundza kepha nangekuba nawo.

Nobe kunjalo, licembu lebafundisi (medieval monks) nebabhali bachubeka batikopa letincwadzi futsi batigcina. Ngelikhulu lesi-19 leminyaka, lamavangeli abasematseni futsi tincwadzi letinyenti letinemibono lemelene nawo tatfolakala. Lamuhla, kunetincwadzi letibuketiwe temavangeli layimfihlo letibhalwe ngetilwimi letisetjentiswa bantfu labanyenti.

Emavangeli Layimfihlo: Awahlobani Nakancane Nekulandzisa Lokumayelana naJesu

Lamavangeli layimfihlo imvamisa akhuluma ngebantfu lokukhulunywa kancane ngabo emaVangelini laphefumulelwe nobe lokungakhulunywa ngabo sanhlobo. Akhuluma ngetintfo lokucatjangwa kutsi tenteka kuJesu nakaseluswane. Ase ucabange ngaletinye tetibonelo.

◼ Kulandzisa lokutsiwa “liVangeli laJakobe” leliphindze libitwe nangekutsi “Kutalwa KwaMariya,” kuchaza kutalwa kwaMariya, kukhula kwakhe kanye nekushada kwakhe naJosefa. Ngaleso sizatfu, libitwa kufanele ngekutsi yinganekwane yenkholo nangekutsi lingumlandvo wakadzeni. Litfutfukisa umbono wekutsi Mariya bekasolo ayintfombi-ntfo futsi labhalelwa kukhatimulisa yena.—Matewu 1:24, 25; 13:55, 56.

◼ Incwadzi lokutsiwa yi-“The Infancy Gospel of Thomas,” ikhuluma kakhulu ngaJesu asengumntfwana loneminyaka lesemkhatsini walengu-5 nalengu-12, futsi imveta enta timangaliso letinyenti langazange sekatente nakanaleminyaka. (Fundza Johane 2:11.) Kuyo, uchazwa njengemntfwana lobekangalaleli, lobekanenhlitiyo lencane, lobekangatsetselani, lobekasebentisa emandla akhe kute atiphindziselele kubothishela, kubomakhelwane nakulabanye bantfwana, labanye balabantfwana wabenta timphumphutse futsi labanye babo wabenta bakhubateka nobe wababulala.

◼ Lamanye emavangeli layimfihlo ‘njengeliVangeli laPhetro,’ akhuluma ngetentakalo letimayelana nekugwetjwa, kubulawa kanye nekuvuswa kwaJesu. Kantsi lamanye, lafaka ekhatsi “iMisebenti yaPhilatu,” ayincenye ‘yeliVangeli laNikhodemu,’ akhuluma ngebantfu labahlobene naleto tentakalo. Njengobe lamavangeli akhuluma ngetintfo letingesilo liciniso bantfu abawetsembi. “LiVangeli laPhetro” liyamvuna Phontiyuse Philatu kulakwenta ecaleni laJesu, liphindze lichaze kuvuswa kwaJesu ngendlela lengemanga.

Emavangeli Layimfihlo Nekuhlubuka EbuKhristwini

Nga-December 1945, dvutane ne-Nag Hammadi, lengenhla nelive laseGibhithe, balimi batfola imiculu ye-papyrus lengu-13 lecuketse tincwadzi lengu-52. Lemiculu yangelikhulu lesine leminyaka beyihlotjaniswa nenhlangano yenkholo neyefilosofi lebitwa ngekutsi yi-Gnosticism. Ngekuhlanganisa timfundziso tenkholo lebeyingenandzaba nendzima yaKhristu ebuhlotjeni bebantfu naNkulunkulu (mysticism), temacaba, tefilosofi yemaGriki, tebuJuda kanye netebuKhristu, i-Gnosticism yaba yimbangela yekonakala kwebantfu labebatsi bamaKhristu.—1 Thimothi 6:20, 21.

“LiVangeli laTomase,” “liVangelil laFiliphu,” kanye ‘neliVangeli leLiciniso,’ atfolakala ‘kulemiculu yase-Nag Hammadi’, aveta imibono leyehlukehlukene yebu-Gnostic leyentiwe shengatsi ivela kuJesu. “Livangeli laJudasi” lelisandza kutfolwa, nalo lifakwa ekhatsi kwemavangeli ebu-Gnostic, liveta Judasi kunguye yedvwa umphostoli locondza kahle kutsi Jesu abengumuntfu lonjani. Lesinye sati salelivangeli satsi Jesu uchazwa ‘njengemfundzisi kanye nemtfombo wekuhlakanipha nelwati, hhayi njengemsindzisi lowafela tono tebantfu.’ EmaVangeli laphefumulelwe afundzisa kutsi Jesu wafa kute ahlenge tono tebantfu. (Matewu 20:28; 26:28; 1 Johane 2:1, 2) Kuyacaca kutsi emavangeli ebu-Gnostic entelwe kwenta kukholelwa eBhayibhelini kube butsakatsaka kunekutsi kucine.—Imisebenti 20:30.

Kunemba KwemaVangeli Lemukelekako

Kucabangisisa ngemavangeli layimfihlo kwembula kutsi angemanga. Ngekungafanani nemaVangeli laphefumulelwe, kuyacaca kutsi wona awakaphefumulelwa nguNkulunkulu. (2 Thimothi 1:13) Abhalwa bantfu lebebangamati nakumati Jesu nebaphostoli bakhe futsi awekho emaciniso lafihliwe lawembulako ngaJesu nangebuKhristu. Esikhundleni saloko, acuketse kwatiswa lokungakanembi, kwekuticambela, lokungemanga, futsi lokungasiti ngalutfo ekufuneni kwati ngaJesu nangetimfundziso takhe.—1 Thimothi 4:1, 2.

Ngakulokunye, Matewu naJohane bebangulabanye bebaphostoli labangu-12; Makho naLukha bebabangani labakhulu baPhetro naPawula. Babhala emaVangeli abo bacondziswa ngumoya longcwele waNkulunkulu. (2 Thimothi 3:14-17) Ngaleso sizatfu lamaVangeli omane acuketse konkhe lokudzingekako kute umuntfu akholelwe kutsi “Jesu unguKhristu, iNdvodzana yaNkulunkulu.”—Johane 20:31.

[Umbhalo longentansi]

[Emavi laveta Umtfombo wesitfombe ekhasini 18]

Kenneth Garrett/National Geographic Stock