UWilliam Tyndale—Indoda Yemibono

UWilliam Tyndale wazalelwa eNgilani “kwimida yaseWales,” ngokunokwenzeka eGloucestershire, nangona indawo nomhla zingaziwa ngokuqinisekileyo. Ngo-Oktobha 1994, iNgilani yabhiyozela isikhumbuzo sama-500 sokuzalwa kwendoda “eyasinika iBhayibhile yethu yesiNgesi.” Lo kaTyndale wabulawelwa wona kanye lo msebenzi. Ngoba?

UWILLIAM TYNDALE wabalasela kwizifundo zesiGrike nesiLatini. NgoJulayi 1515, xa wayemalunga nama-21 eminyaka ubudala, wafumana isidanga seMaster of Arts eOxford University. Ngowe-1521 wabekw’ izandla njengomfundisi wamaRoma Katolika. Ngelo xesha kwakukho isaqunge kubuKatolika eJamani ngenxa yezenzo zikaMartin Luther. Kodwa iNgilani yahlala ililizwe lobuKatolika de uKumkani Henry VIII ekugqibeleni waqhekeka kwicawa yaseRoma ngowe-1534.

Nangona isiNgesi sasilulwimi oluqhelekileyo ngomhla kaTyndale, yonke imfundo yayingesiLatini. Sasikwalulwimi lwasecaweni nolweBhayibhile. Ngowe-1546 iCouncil of Trent yagxininisa kwelokuba kusetyenziswe kuphela iVulgate yesiLatini kaJerome yenkulungwane yesihlanu. Noko ke, ngabafundileyo kuphela ababekwazi ukuyifunda. Kutheni abantu baseNgilani befanele bayivinjwe nje iBhayibhile yesiNgesi nenkululeko yokuyifunda? “UJerom[e] wayiguqulela ibhayibhile nakulwimi lwakhe lweenkobe: kutheni thina singenakwenjenjalo?” wayengqisha phantsi ngelitshoyo okaTyndale.

Inyathelo Lokholo

Akuba egqibile eOxford waza mhlawumbi wenza nezifundo ezongezelelekileyo eCambridge, lo kaTyndale wasebenza njengomhlohli wangasese woonyana abaselula bakaJohn Walsh kangangeminyaka emibini eGloucestershire. Ebudeni beli thuba umdla wakhe wokuguqulela iBhayibhile kwisiNgesi wakhula ngokukhula, yaye ngokungathandabuzekiyo wayenethuba lokukhulisa ubuchule bakhe bokuguqulela ngoncedo lombhalo omtsha weBhayibhile kaErasmus eyayinemihlathi yesiGrike neyesiLatini emeleneyo. Ngowe-1523, lo kaTyndale walishiya ikhaya lentsapho kaWalsh waza waya eLondon. Injongo yakhe yayikukucela imvume yokuguqulela kuCuthbert Tunstall, ubhishophu waseLondon.

Imvume kaTunstall yayiyimfuneko ngenxa yokuba izithintelo zebhunga lecawa lowe-1408 eOxford, elalisaziwa njengeConstitutions of Oxford, zaziquka ukungaguqulelwa okanye ukungafundwa kweBhayibhile ngolwimi lwasekuhlaleni, ngaphandle kwangemvume kabhishophu. Ngenxa yobuganga babo bokwaphula esi sithintelo, abashumayeli abaninzi abahambahambayo abaziwa njengeeLollards batshiswa njengabaqhekeki. Ezi Lollards zazifunda zize zisasaze iBhayibhile kaJohn Wycliffe, eyinguqulelo yesiNgesi yeVulgate. Lo kaTyndale wavakalelwa kukuba lalifikile ixesha lokuguqulela imibhalo yamaKristu ukusuka kwisiGrike ukusa kwinguqulelo entsha nechanileyo, ukwenzela icawa yakhe nabantu baseNgilani.

Ubhishophu Tunstall wayeyindoda efundileyo neyaba negalelo elikhulu ekukhuthazeni uErasmus. Njengobungqina bobuchule bakhe, uTyndale waguqulela intetho-ngqo yeIsocrates, engumbhalo onzima wesiGrike, nguqulelo leyo eyathi yavunywa njengechanileyo nguTunstall. UTyndale wayezisikel’ enqatheni ngokucinga ukuba uTunstall wayeza kumfak’ ekhwapheni aze akwamkele ukuzinikela kwakhe ukuba aguqulele iZibhalo. Wasabela njani lo bhishophu?

Ukugatywa—Ngoba?

Nangona uTyndale wayeneleta emchazayo, uTunstall akazange avume ukubonana naye. Ngoko ke uTyndale kwafuneka abhale acele udliwano-ndlebe. Enoba uTunstall ekugqibeleni wavuma ukubonana noTyndale akwaziwa, kodwa umyalezo wakhe wawusithi, ‘Indlu yam izele.’ Kwakutheni ukuze uTunstall amheshe ngabom uTyndale?

Umsebenzi wohlaziyo kaLuther kwilizwekazi laseYurophu, nowaba nemiphumo kwelaseNgilani, wawubangela ukuxhalaba okukhulu kwiCawa yamaKatolika. Ngowe-1521, uKumkani Henry VIII wapapasha ingxelo ebukhali ekhusela upopu kuLuther. Ngombulelo upopu wamthi jize uHenry ngesibizo esithi “Defender of the Faith [Umkhuseli Wokholo].”a UWolsey owayenguKhadinali kaHenry naye wayemaxhaphetshu, etshabalalisa iincwadi zikaLuther ezathubeleziswa kwelo ngokungekho mthethweni. Njengobhishophu wamaKatolika onyanisekileyo kupopu, kukumkani nakwikhadinali yakhe, uTunstall waziva ebophelelekile ukuthomalalisa nayiphi na ingcinga yovelwano ngoLuther owayenemvukelo. UTyndale wayerhanelwa kakhulu koku. Ngoba?

Ebudeni bokuhlala kwakhe nentsapho kaWalsh, engenaloyiko uTyndale wayebagqogq’ iindlebe abefundisi basekuhlaleni ngokuswela kwabo ulwazi nangobuntamo-lukhuni babo. Phakathi kwabo kwakukho uJohn Stokesley owayemazela eOxford lo kaTyndale. Ekugqibeleni wangena ezihlangwini zikaCuthbert Tunstall njengobhishophu waseLondon.

Ukuchaswa kukaTyndale kukwabonakala nakwimbambano yakhe nomfundisi okwisikhundla esiphezulu owathi: “Sixolele ukutyeshela okaThixo umthetho kunokapopu.” Ngamazwi angasokuze alibaleke, uTyndale wamphendula wathi: ‘Ndiyamgatya uPopu nayo yonke imithetho yakhe. Ukuba uThixo unokundigcina, kungaphelanga neminyaka emininzi ndiya kwenza ukuba inkwenkwe engumlimi izazi ngaphezu kwakho iZibhalo.’

UTyndale kwafuneka aye kuvela phambi komphathi webhunga lenqila eWorcester ngezimangalo zobuxoki zoqhekeko. “Wandityityimbisel’ umnwe kanobom, waza wandinyelisa,” wakhumbula oko uTyndale kamva, esalek’ umsundulo ngokuthi waphathwa “okwenja.” Kodwa kwakungekho bungqina bokugweba uTyndale njengomqhekeki. Ababhali-mbali bakholelwa ukuba yonke le ngcombolo yadluliselwa ngasese kuTunstall ukuze kuphenjelelwe isigqibo sakhe.

Akuba egqibe unyaka eLondon, uTyndale wagqiba kwelithi: “Kwakungekho gumbi kwibhotwe lenkosi yam yaseLondon lokuba ndiguqulele kulo iTestamente entsha, kodwa . . . akubangakho ndawo yokwenjenjalo kwanakulo lonke elaseNgilani.” Wayechan’ ucwethe. Ngenxa yephulo lokuthibaza imvukelo eyaxhokonxwa yimisebenzi kaLuther, liliphi iziko loshicilelo eNgilani elalinokuba nobuganga bokuvelisa iBhayibhile ngesiNgesi? Ngoko ngowe-1524, uTyndale wawela iEnglish Channel, akaphinde abuye.

Ukuya EYurophu Nokufumana Iingxaki Ezongezelelekileyo

UWilliam Tyndale kunye neencwadi zakhe ezixabisekileyo, wafumana ikhusi kwelaseJamani. Weza kwelo enee-£10 awayeziphiwe ngobubele ngumhlobo wakhe uHumphrey Monmouth, umrhwebi wodumo waseLondon. Esi sipho phantse ukuba sasilingene ngaloo maxesha ukwenza ukuba uTyndale ashicilele iZibhalo zesiGrike awayecebe ukuziguqulela. Ngemva koko lo kaMonmouth wabanjwa ngenxa yokunceda uTyndale nokurhaneleka engovelana noLuther. UMonmouth wancinwa waza wavalelwa kwiTower of London, wakhululwa kuphela emva kokubongoza uKhadinali Wolsey ecela uxolo.

Ayaziwa ncam indawo awaya kuyo lo kaTyndale kwelaseJamani. Ubungqina obuthile balatha eHamburg, apho kunokwenzeka ukuba wahlala kangangonyaka. Ngaba wadibana noLuther? Oku akuqinisekwanga ngako, nakubeni isimangalo nxamnye noMonmouth sisesokuba wenjenjalo. Into ekuqinisekiweyo ngayo yeyokuba: uTyndale wayemaxhaphetshu eguqulela iZibhalo zesiGrike. Wayenokuwushicilela phi lo mbhalo-ngqangi wakhe? Loo msebenzi wawushiyela ezandleni zikaPeter Quentell eCologne.

Konke kwakuhamba kakuhle de umchasi uJohn Dobneck, owayesaziwa ngelikaCochlaeus, wakubhaqa okwakusenzeka. Engaphozisanga maseko uCochlaeus wakudiza oku kumhlobo osenyongweni kaHenry VIII owathi zisuka nje waququzelela ukuthintelwa kokushicilelwa kwenguqulelo kaTyndale nguQuentell.

OkaTyndale nomncedisi wakhe, uWilliam Roye, babhenq’ itshoba, bethe xhwi amaphepha eVangeli kaMateyu eyayisele ishicilelwe. Benyusa umlambo iRhine ngesikhephe bejolise imibombo eWorms, apho bawugqibezela khona umsebenzi wabo. Ethubeni, kwaveliswa imibhalo engama-6 000 yohlelo lokuqala lweNew Testament kaTyndale.b

Impumelelo—Phezu Kwayo Nje Inkcaso

Ukuguqulela nokushicilela iiBhayibhile kwakuyingxaki. Akusathethwa ke khona ngokuzithumela eBritani. Amagosa ecawa namagunya aseburhulumenteni ayezimisele ukuthintela ukuthunyelwa kwazo ngenqanawa ukuwela iEnglish Channel, kodwa abarhwebi abanobubele balivula ikroba. Imiqulu yayifihlwa phakathi kwemigodlo yempahla nezinye izinto zorhwebo, ize inyebeleziswe kumanxweme aseNgilani nasemantla eSkotlani. Kwatsho kwathi ngco kokaTyndale, kodwa kwakungekabi phi.

NgoFebruwari 11, 1526, uKhadinali Wolsey, ephelekwa ngoobhishophu abangama-36 nezinye iindwalutho zecawa, bahlanganisana kufuphi neSt. Paul’s Cathedral eLondon “bondele iibhaskithi ezinkulu ezizele ziincwadi ziphoswa emlilweni.” Phakathi kwazo kwakukho nemibhalo ethile yenguqulelo yebhongo kaTyndale. Mibini kuphela imibhalo yolu hlelo lokuqala ekhoyo ngoku. Ekuphela kopheleleyo (kukrazuke nje iphepha lomxholo) ukuMzi Wogcino-zincwadi waseBritani. Into ehlekisayo kukuba, omnye, onamaphepha angama-71 angekhoyo, wafunyanwa kuMzi Wogcino-zincwadi okwiSt. Paul’s Cathedral. Ukuba wafika njani na apho, akukho waziyo.

Ngenkalipho, uTyndale waqhubeka evelisa iintlelo ezintsha zenguqulelo yakhe, ezathi ngokuthe gqolo zathinjwa zaza zatshiswa ngabefundisi baseNgilani. Wandula uTunstall waxoza mphini wumbi. Wenza isivumelwano nomrhwebi ogama linguAugustine Packington sokuthenga naziphi na iincwadi ezibhalwe nguTyndale, kuquka iNew Testament, ukuze azitshise. Lo kaPackington ekwakwenziwe isivumelwano naye, wenza amalungiselelo oku kunye noTyndale. IChronicle kaHalle ithi: “Ubhishophu wafumana iincwadi, uPackington wafumana umbulelo, waza uTyndale wafumana imali. Kamva xa kwashicilelwa iiNew Testament ezingakumbi, zeza ziphokoka ngokuphindwe kathathu eNgilani.”

Kwakutheni ukuze abefundisi bayichase kakhulu kangako inguqulelo kaTyndale? Nangona iVulgate yesiLatini yayityekele ekuwusitheni umbhalo ongcwele, inguqulelo kaTyndale ukusuka kwisiGrike santlandlolo yaba yeyokuqala ukudlulisela isigidimi seBhayibhile ngolwimi olucacileyo kumaNgesi. Ngokomzekelo, uTyndale wakhetha ukuguqulela igama lesiGrike elithi a·gaʹpe ngokuthi “uthando” kunokuthi “isisa” kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte isahluko 13. Wagxininisa ekuthini “ibandla” kunokuthi “icawa” ukuze abalaselise abanquli, kungekhona izakhiwo zecawa. Hayi ke, wabaqwela abefundisi lo kaTyndale ngokutshintsha “umfundisi” abhale “umdala” nangokusebenzisa elithi “guquka” kunelithi “ukuzohlwaya,” ngaloo ndlela ehluthula igunya ababezithabathele lona lobufundisi. UDavid Daniell uthi kule nkalo: “Indawo yentlambululo-miphefumlo ayikho apho; ukuvuma izono ngomlomo nokuzohlwaya akukho. Ezo ntsika zimbini zobutyebi negunya leCawa zidiliziwe.” (William Tyndale—A Biography) Olo lucelomngeni olwaziswa yinguqulelo kaTyndale, yaye imfundo yanamhlanje ikungqina ngokupheleleyo ukuchana kokhetho lwakhe lwamagama.

Ukuya EAntwerp, Ukungcatshwa, Nokufa

Phakathi kowe-1526 nowe-1528, uTyndale wafudukela eAntwerp, apho waziva ekhuselekile phakathi kwabarhwebi baseNgilani. Apho wabhala incwadi ethi The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, The Obedience of a Christian Man, kwanethi The Practice of Prelates. UTyndale waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wokuguqulela yaye wayengowokuqala ukusebenzisa igama likaThixo, uYehova, kwinguqulelo yesiNgesi yeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Eli gama livela ngaphezu kwezihlandlo ezingama-20.

Logama uTyndale wayehlala nomhlobo wakhe owayeyintonga yakhe esekhosi uThomas Poyntz apho eAntwerp, wayekhuselekile kwizirhintyelo zikaWolsey neentlola zakhe. Wayedume ngokunyamekela kwakhe izigulana namahlwempu. Ekugqibeleni, ngobuqhophololo uHenry Phillips oliNgesi waphumelela ukuzuza intembelo kaTyndale. Ngenxa yoko, ngowe-1535, uTyndale wangcatshwa waza wasiwa kwiNqaba iVilvorde, ekumgama weekhilomitha ezilishumi emantla eBrussels. Apho wavalelwa iinyanga ezili-16.

Akuqinisekwanga ukuba ngubani na owaqesha uPhillips, kodwa kurhanelwa uBhishophu Stokesley, owayexakekile ngoko etshisa “abaqhekeki” eLondon. Xa wayelele elukhukweni lokufa ngowe-1539, lo kaStokesley “wayevuya kuba ngexesha lokudla kwakhe amazimba wayetshise abaqhekeki abangamashumi amahlanu,” utsho njalo uW. J. Heaton kwiThe Bible of the Reformation. Kwelo nani kuqukwe noWilliam Tyndale, owakrwitshwayo ngaphambi kokuba umzimba wakhe utshiswe esidlangalaleni ngo-Oktobha 1536.

Abefundisi abathathu abadumileyo kwiCatholic Louvain University, apho uPhillips wayebhalise khona, babekwikomiti yesigqeba eyayincina uTyndale. Kwakukho nabefundisi abathathu bebhunga lenqila baseLouvain kwakunye noobhishophu abathathu nezinye iindwalutho zize kubona xa uTyndale egwetywa ngenxa yoqhekeko aze ahluthwe nobo bufundisi bakhe. Bonke bakuvuyela ukufa kwakhe kubudala obumalunga nama-42 eminyaka.

Ngaphezu kweminyaka elikhulu eyadlulayo, umbhali ngobomi babantu uRobert Demaus wathi: “UTyndale ngamaxesha onke wayebalasele ngokunyaniseka kwakhe ngokungenaloyiko.” Ebhalela uJohn Frith, iqabane lakhe elatshiswa eLondon nguStokesley, uTyndale wathi: “Andijikanga namnye unobumba welizwi likaThixo ngokuphikisana nesazela sam, ndingasayi kwenjenjalo nangawo lo mhla, nokuba ndinganikwa konke oko kusemhlabeni, enoba kuluyolo, uzuko, okanye ubutyebi.”

Wabunikela ngaloo ndlela ke uWilliam Tyndale ubomi bakhe ukuze abe nelungelo lokunika abantu baseNgilani iBhayibhile ababenokuyiqonda ngokulula. Elinjani lona ixabiso awalihlawulayo—kodwa hayi ukuba sikhulu kwesipho awasinikelayo!

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

IINGUQULELO ZANGAPHAMBILI

ISIBONGOZO sikaTyndale sokuguqulela iBhayibhile ngolwimi lwabantu abaqhelekileyo sasingesiso esingekho ngqiqweni okanye esokuqala. Ngenkulungwane yeshumi kwaguqulelwa kwiAnglo-Saxon. IiBhayibhile ezishicilelweyo ezaguqulelwa ukusuka kwisiLatini zasasazwa ngokukhululekileyo eYurophu ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-15: eyesiJamani (1466), eyesiTaliyane (1471), eyesiFrentshi (1474), eyesiCzech (1475), eyesiDatshi (1477) neyesiCatalan (1478). Ngowe-1522, uMartin Luther wapapasha iNew Testament yakhe ngesiJamani. Ekuphela kwento uTyndale awayeyicela yayikukuba neNgilani ivunyelwe ukuba yenze okufanayo.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Bible in the background: © The British Library Board; William Tyndale: By kind permission of the Principal, Fellows and Scholars of Hertford College, Oxford