IBhayibhile Iyahlaselwa
INGQOKELELA yemibhalo esiyibiza ngokuba yiBhayibhile okanye iZibhalo Ezingcwele, yabhalwa kwixesha eligubungela iminyaka engaphaya kwe-1 600. Eyona nxalenye yayo yokuqala yabhalwa nguMoses; yaye eyona iyeyokugqibela yabhalwa ngomnye wabafundi bakaYesu Kristu, kwiminyaka elikhulu emva kokuzalwa kukaYesu.
Abantu bebesoloko besenza amalinge okuthintela abanye ukuba bangazifundi iZibhalo kwanangaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ukutyhubela Amaxesha Aphakathi nokuza kuthi ga kumhla wethu. Amalinge okuqala anjalo kwabhalwa ngawo ngemihla yomprofeti kaThixo uYeremiya, owayephila kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-600 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYesu Kristu.
Umyalezo Ongathandwayo Uyahlaselwa
Umprofeti uYeremiya wayalelwa nguThixo ukuba abhale kumsongo umyalezo owawugxeka izono zabemi bakwaYuda aze abalumkise esithi, iYerusalem eyayilikomkhulu lelo lizwe yayiza kutshatyalaliswa ukuba babengaguquki. Unobhala kaYeremiya uBharuki wafundela abantu lo myalezo kwitempile yaseYerusalem. Waphinda wawufundela iinkosana zakwaYuda ibe zawuthatha zaza zawusa kuKumkani uYehoyakim. Ukumkani akazange awathande amazwi kaThixo awayebhalwe kuloo msongo. Wawuthatha wawukrazula waza wawutshisa.—Yeremiya 36:1-23.
UThixo wathi kuYeremiya: “Zithabathele kwakhona umqulu, omnye, uze ubhale kuwo onke amazwi okuqala awayekumqulu wokuqala, lowo awutshisileyo uYehoyakim ukumkani wakwaYuda.” (Yeremiya 36:28) Kwiminyaka emalunga neli-17 kamva, isiprofeto uThixo awayethume uYeremiya ukuba asibhale sazaliseka xa iYerusalem yatshatyalaliswayo, abalawuli bayo abaninzi babulawa baza nabemi bayo bathinjelwa eBhabhiloni. Umyalezo owawukuloo msongo—neziganeko ezenzekayo ngokuphathelele ukuhlaselwa kwawo—usekho nanamhl’ oku yaye ubhalwe kwincwadi yeBhayibhile kaYeremiya.
IBhayibhile Iyaqhubeka Itshiswa
AsingoYehoyakim kuphela umntu owazama ukutshisa iLizwi likaThixo ngamaxesha angaphambi kobuKristu. Emva kokuqhekeka koBukhosi bamaGrike, uSirayeli waba phantsi kobukhosi bamaSeleucid. UKumkani ongumSeleucid uAntiochus Epiphanes, owayelawula ukususela kowe-175 ukuya kutsho kowe-164 B.C.E., wayefuna ukufundisa bonke ubukumkani bakhe inkcubeko yamaGrike. Ngenxa yoko, wazama ukunyanzela amaYuda ukuba alandele izithethe nonqulo lwamaGrike.
Malunga nowama-168 B.C.E., uAntiochus waphanga itempile kaYehova eyayiseYerusalem. Wakhela uthixo wamaGrike uZeyus isibingelelo, phezu kweso sasakhelwe uYehova. Kwakhona, uAntiochus wayiphelisa iSabatha waza wayalela amaYuda ukuba angabalusi oonyana bawo. Umntu owayengawuthobeli lo myalelo wayebulawa.
Ukuze aphelise unqulo lwamaYuda, uAntiochus wazama ukutshabalalisa yonke imisongo yoMthetho. Nangona uAntiochus wagqogqa lonke elakwaSirayeli, akazange akwazi ukuyitshabalalisa yonke imibhalo yeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba amanye amaSirayeli akwazi ukuyifihla imisongo yawo yaye eminye imibhalo yeZibhalo Ezingcwele yayigcinwe ngamaYuda awayehlala kwezinye iindawo.
Umyalelo KaDiocletian
Omnye umntu odumileyo owazama ukutshabalalisa iZibhalo nguMlawuli waseRoma uDiocletian. Ngowe-303 C.E., uDiocletian wayalela ukuba aphathwe kakubi amaKristu. Oku kwakhokelela koko kwabizwa ngokuba “Yintshutshiso Ekrakra” ngababhali-mbali. Umyalelo wakhe wokuqala wawukukuba kutshiswe iZibhalo kuze kudilizwe iindawo awayehlanganisana kuzo amaKristu. Unjingalwazi wezifundo zakwalizwi kwiYunivesithi yaseVirginia, uHarry Y. Gamble wabhala wathi: “UDiocletian wayecinga ukuba onke amaKristu asoloko eneencwadi naphi na apho akhoyo nokuba ezo ncwadi zazibaluleke ngokwenene kubomi bawo.” Umbhali wembali yeeCawa waseCaesarea, ePalestine owayephila ngelo xesha uEusebius wathi: “Sazibonela ngawethu amehlo izindlu zecawa zidilizwa neZibhalo ezingcwele zitshiswa emlilweni kwiindawo zemarike.”
Kuthiwa kwiinyanga ezintathu emva kokukhutshwa komyalelo kaDiocletian, usodolophu wesixeko esasikuMntla Afrika iCirta ngoku esibizwa ngokuba yiConstantine, wayalela ukuba amaKristu abuyise yonke “imibhalo yawo yomthetho” kunye “nezibhalo.” Abanye bathi ngelo xesha amaKristu ayekhetha ukuthuthunjiswa kunokuba anikezele ngeeBhayibhile zawo ukuba zitshatyalaliswe.
Injongo Yezi Ntlaselo
UYehoyakim, uAntiochus noDiocletian babefuna ukulitshabalalisa kuthi tu iLizwi likaThixo. Sekunjalo, iBhayibhile yasinda kuzo zonke ezo ntlaselo. Abalawuli baseRoma abeza emva koDiocletian baqalisa ukuxelela abantu ukuba babeguqukele kubuKristu. Noko ke, iBhayibhile yaqhubeka ihlaselwa. Kwakutheni?
Abalawuli nabefundisi beecawa babesithi iBhayibhile abayitshisi kuba befuna ukuyitshabalalisa. Kunoko, babesithi abafuni ifunyanwe nguwonke-wonke. Kodwa abefundisi babeyenzela ntoni loo nto? Yazama kangakanani icawa ukuthintela abantu ukuba bafunde iBhayibhile? Makhe sive.