Eencwadini zekolo, ayikho incwadi engafaniswa neBhayibheli, okuyincwadi etjhugulula ukukholwa kwabantu abanengi ngezinga elingaka. Ngakwelinye ihlangothi, ayikho enye incwadi ekhe yahlolisiswa nekhe kwalwiswana nayo kangaka.

Ngokwesibonelo, ezinye izazi ziyabilayela ukuthi amaBhayibheli wanamhlanjesi akhambisana patsi newakade, kangangokuthi omunye uphrofesa wezefundo yekolo uthi: “Nathi ngokwethu asiqiniseki ukuthi siyibuyekeze ngokunqophileko imitlolo yokuthoma yeBhayibheli, ngombana sinamakhophi anemitjhapho kwaphela, kanti-ke amanengi wamakhophi lawo enziwa ngemva kwamakhulu weminyaka imitlolo yokuthoma yenziwe, begodu amakhophi lawo ahluke ngeendlela ezinengi ezihlukahlukeneko.”

Abanye baze bakungabaze ukuthembeka kweBhayibheli ngebanga lekolo abakhuliswe ngayo. Ngokwesibonelo, uFaizal wafundiswa mndenakhe ongasi maKrestu bonyana iBhayibheli liyincwadi ecwengileko kodwana latjhugulwa lapho nalapho. Uthi: “Kungebangelo ngezinye iinkhathi bekangathandi ukuthi abantu bakhulume naye ngeBhayibheli, begodu bebanganalo iBhayibheli lamambala, ngombana nalo lelo belitjhugululiwe!”

Nje-ke, kunendaba na ukuthi iBhayibheli latjhugululwa? Khewuzibuze nasi imibuzo: Ungazithemba na iinthembiso zeBhayibheli ezikhuluma ngekusasa elihle kukulapho ungaqiniseki bona iinthembiswezo zivela emitlolweni yamambala? (Roma 15:4) Bewungazisebenzisa na iinkambisolawulo eziqakathekileko malungana nomsebenzi, umndeni, namkha zekolo, ekubeni imitlo yanje yeBhayibheli itlolwe babantu?

Nanyana imitlolo yamambala yeBhayibheli yalahleka, kodwana sineminye imitlolo eminengi yeBhayibheli esingaqalisela kiyo. Imitlolo leyo yakghona njani ukuhlala ingonakali, yaphumelela naphezu kwepikiswano ekhona ngeBhayibheli, kwaze kwaba kulapho isetjenziswa khona? Ukuphumelela kwayo kungakusiza njani bona ulithembe iBhayibheli lanamhlanjesi? Akhe sizwe iimpendulo zemibuzo leyo esihlokweni esilandelako sokuphumelela kweBhayibheli

ISITJHIJILO: I-Papyrus nesikhumba bekuzizinto abatloli nabakopululi beBhayibheli abatlolela kizo.a (2 Thimothi 4:13) Izintwezo zayibeka njani iBhayibheli engozini yokonakala?

Idabuka msinyana-ke i-Papyrus, itjhentjha umbala, begodu iliphepha elingakaqini kangako. Kungebangelo izazi zeGibhide, uRichard Parkinson noStephen Quirke zathi: “Iphepheli lonakala msinyana beliphenduke ihlabathi. Nalibekiweko, kubulula ukuthi lingabola, likghore namkha lidliwe ziingogwana, khulukhulu abonombhenyani abamhlophe, naselibolile.” Ukuze babone ukuthi azokonakala ngemva kwesikhathi esingangani, amanye wamaphepha lawo bebathi nabawathola bawabeke emkhanyweni namkha endaweni enombethe.

Nakusikhumba sona-ke siqinile kune-papyrus, kodwana singonakala lula nasingatlhogonyelwa kuhle namkha nasibekwe ebujamweni obuhlukahlukeneko, njengendaweni enombethe namkha enomkhanyo.b Isikhumba naso sithandwa ziingogwana. Kungebangelo eminye yemitlolo yakade ingazange ihlale isikhathi eside. Nje-ke, nangabe iBhayibheli nalo lonakala ngendlela leyo, umlayezwalo nawo bewuzokonakala nalo.

INDLELA IBHAYIBHELI ELAPHUMELELA NGAYO: Ngokomthetho wamaJuda, enye nenye ikosi bekufanele ‘izitlolele isithunzi somthetho,’ okuziincwadi zokuthoma ezihlanu zeBhayibheli. (Duteronomi 17:18) Ngaphezu kwalokho, abakopululi abasezingeni eliphakemeko bakopulula iincwadi ezinengi ezazifumaneka ngeenkhathi zabapostoli, begodu imiTlolo leyo beyitholakala emasinagogini wakwa-Israyeli neendaweni ezikude njengeMakedoniya! (Lukasi 4:16, 17; IzEnzo 17:11) Kodwana yaphumelela njani imitlolo leyo bekube kunamhlanjesi?

Isazi seTestamende Elitjha uPhilip W. Comfort, sithi: “AmaJuda bekayibulunga ngaphakathi kwemijeka imiTlolo bona ihlale isikhathi eside.” NamaKrestu aragela phambili nekambiso leyo. Ngikho eminye imitlolo yakade yeBhayibheli yatholakala emijekeni yebumba, nemarholweni aseendaweni ezomileko.

UMPHUMELA: Kungebangelo eminengi yemitlolo leyo—eminye yayo eseyineminyaka engaphezu kweyi-2 000—isese khona nanamhlanjesi. Azikho ezinye iincwadi zakade ekhe zahlala isikhathi eside kangako.

ISITJHIJILO: Abosopolotiki nabadosi phambili bezekolo bebalwisana nomlayezo weBhayibheli. Kanengi bebasebenzisa igunya labo ekutheni abantu bangabi namaBhayibheli, bangawagadangisi nokuthi bangawatjhugululeli kwamanye amalimi. Khewucabange ngembonelo ezimbilezi:

• Emnyakeni yabo-167 B.C.E.: IKosi u-Antiochus Epiphanes, yakatelela amaJuda bona alandele ifundiso yamaGirigi, beyagandelela nokuthi woke amakhophi wemiTlolo yesiHebheru atjhajalaliswe. Umtloli womlando, uHeinrich Graetz, uthi nabaphathi bekosi leyo “bebadabula bebatjhise imisongo yomThetho nanyana kukuphi lapho bayifumana khona, babulale nalabo abafuna induduzo eBhayibhelini.”

• Eminyakeni Eyalandela: Abanye abadosi phambili bamaKatolika, bakwatiswa mabandla ebekatjhumayela lokho okufundiswa yiBhaybheli kunokutjhumayela iimfundiso zamaKatolika. Bebaqala njengezaphula mthetho boke labo ebebasebenzisa amaBhayibheli anganawo amaRhubo wesiLatin. Elinye isondo lakhupha umyalo wokuthi abanye “ngokuzinikela nangokuthembeka, bazingele izaphula mthethwezo . . . ngokuzifuna kiyo yoke imizi neendaweni ezifihlakeleko . . . Emzini lapho bafumana khona ophula umthetho bekufuze bawutjhajalalise.”

Amanaba weBhayibheli ngathana aphumelela ekulitjhabalaliseni, umlayezo walo bewuzokunyamalala.

INDLELA IBHAYIBHELI ELAPHUMELELA NGAYO: IKosi u-Antiochus, beyinqhophise ijima layo kwa-Israyeli, kodwana amaJuda besekahlala nakwezinye iinarha. Eqinisweni, izazi zithi emihleni yabapostoli, amaJuda angaphezu kamaphesente ayi-60 besele ahlala ngaphandle kwa-Israyeli. Yeke amaJuda bekawabulunga emasinagogini amakhophi wemiTlolo yawo—okungiyo kanye imiTlolo eyasetjenziswa ziinzukulwana ezalendela kunye namaKrestu.—IzEnzo 15:21.

Ngeenkhathezo, abathanda iBhayibheli bakghodlelela itjhutjhiso bebaraga nokutjhugulula kanye nokupulula imiTlolo. Ngitjho nangaphambi kobana kube nemitjhini yokugadangisa ngeminyaka yabo-1500, ingcenye zeBheyibheli bezifumaneka ngamalimi ayi-33. Ngemva kwalokho, iBhayibheli latjhugululwa belagadangiswa ngendlela engakavami.

UMPHUMELA: Ngaphezu kwentjhijilo ezivela emakhosini anamandla nabafudisi abadurhisako, iBhayibheli lirhatjhwe endaweni ezinengi begodu liyincwadi etjhugululwe ukuzidlula zoke emlandweni. Belimthetho sisekelo wezinye iinarha, iintjhaba namaphilo wabantu abazingididigi.

ISITJHIJILO: Iintjhijilo zamambala ezinjengokonakala kunye nokutjhajalaliswa kweBhayibheli azange ziphumelele. Kodwana abanye abakopululi nabatjhugululi balinga ukutjhentjha lokho okutjhiwo mlayezo weBhayibheli. Ngezinye iinkhathi, bebalinga ukwenza umlayezo weBhayibheli uvumelane neemfundiso zabo, kunokuthi bona bavumelane nokufundiswa yiBhayibheli. Nazi iimbonelo:

• Indawo yokuthandazela: Phakathi neminyaka yabo-400 neyabo-200 B.C.E., abatloli be-Pentateuch yamaSamariya bangezelela amagama la, ku-Eksodusi 20:17, “e-Aargaareezem. Kulapho-ke okufuze wakhe khona i-aldari.” Ngikho amaSamariya bekakholelwa bona imiTlolo ivumelana nokwakha kwabo ithempeli “e-Aargaareezem,” namakha eNtabeni yeGerizimu.

• Ifundiso kaziqu-ntathu: Eminyakeni engaphasi kweyi-300 liqediwe iBhayibheli, umuntu owatlola ngoZiqu-ntathu wangezelela amagama la, akweyoku-1 Jwanisi 5:7, “ezulwini, nguBaba, nguLizwi, noMoya Ocwengileko: begodu laba abathathu bamunye.” Umutjho loyo bewungekho emitlolweni yokuthoma yamambala. Isazi seBhayibheli uBruce Metzger sathi, “kusukela eminyakeni yangabo-600” amezwi lawo “athoma ukwanda emitlolweni yesandla yesiLatin saKade naku[Latin] Vulgate.”

• Igama lakaZimu: Abatjhugululi beBhayibheli abanengi bakhetha ukususa igama lakaZimu emiTlolweni, begodu igunya lokwenza njalo batjho balithethe ekolweni yamaJuda. Esikhundleni segamelo, bafaka iziqu ezithi “Zimu” namkha “Kosi,” begodu lokho azange bagcine ngokukwenza kuMdali kwaphela, kodwana bakwenza nakwabanye abantu, nakwezinye izinto zekolo yamala, nakuSathana imbala.—Jwanisi 10:34, 35; 1 Korinte 8:5, 6; 2 Korinte 4:4.a

INDLELA IBHAYIBHELI ELAPHUMELELA NGAYO: Sizokuthoma ngokuthi, nanyana abanye abakopululi beBhayibheli bebamadlhapha nabakhohlisi, inengi labanye belizimisele begodu likopulula ngokunembileko. Abakopululi abamaJuda abaziwa nangokuthi maMasoretes, bakopulula okusemiTlolweni yesiHebheru phakathi neminyaka yabo-600 neyabo-1000 C.E., begodu imitlolo leyo yagcina seyaziwa nge-Masoretic. Abakopululi labo bebahlala bawabala amagama wayo malunga nokuqinisekisa bona akunamitjhapho na. Nakwenzeka balemuke umtjhapho emtlolweni wamambala abakopulula kiwo, bebawutlola esikhaleni esiseqadi. Abakopululi laba azange balinge ukutjhentjha okutlolwe eBhayibhelini. UPhrofesa Moshe Goshen-Gottstein wathi, “ukutlola amala ngabomu, kibo bekuzokufana nokwenza ubugebengu obukhulu.”

Kwesibili, imiqulu epheleleko yemitlolo yesandla namhlanjesi isiza izazi zeBhayibheli bona ziyilemuke imitjhapho. Ngokwesibonelo, abadosiphambili bekolo besekuminyaka eminengi bafundisa ukuthi amaBhayibheli wabo wesiLatin asuselwe emitlolweni eqinisekisiweko yeBhayibheli. Kodwana, kweyoku-1 Jwanisi 5:7, bafake amagama amamala ekhesakhuluma ngawo ngehla. Imitjhapho leyo yakhamba beyayokufika neBhayibhelini yesiNgisi ka-King James! Kwenzekani mhla kutholakala eminye imitlolo yakade yesandla? UBruce Metzger watlola wathi: “Indaba [ekweyoku-1 Jwanisi 5:7] ayikho kiyo yoke imitlolo yesandla yakade (iSyriac, iCoptic, i-Armenian, i-Ethiopic, i-Arabic, neSlavonic) ngaphandle kweyesiLatin.” Ngikho-ke i-King James ebuyekeziweko namanye amaBhayibheli ayikhiphile imitjhapho leyo.

Nje-ke imitlolo yesandla yakade iyakufakazela na ukuthi umlayezo weBhayibheli bewuvikelekile? Mhla kutholakala imiSongo yeLwandle Elifileko ngo-1947, izazi bezingakghona ukumadanisa imitlolo yesiHebheru ye-Masoretic nalokho ebekutlolwe emisongweni yeBhayibheli eyatlolwa eminyakeni engaba yikulungwana eyadlulako. Ilunga lesiqhema salabo abathola imiSongo yeLwandle Elifileko, laphetha ngokuthi umsongo munye “unobufakazi obaneleko bokuthi ukukotjululwa kweBhayibheli esikhathini esingaba minyaka eyikulungwana, kube msebenzi omuhle khulu nothembekileko wabakopululi abamaJuda.”

I-Chester Beatty Library ye-Dublin, e-Ireland, inebuthelelo le-papyri okungenzeka yasetjenziswa kizo zoke iincwadi zemiTlolo yamaKrestu yesiGirigi, kunye nemitlolo yesandla yangabo-200 C.E.—okuminyaka engaba likhulu ngemva kokuqedwa kweBhayibheli. I-Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi, “Nanyana i-Papyri inemininingwana eminengi emitjha malungana namagama, iphinde iwufanekisele kuhle nomlando wokukotjululwa kwebhayibheli, okuyenza itholakale bekube kunamhlanjesi.”

UMPHUMELA: Kunokuthi imitlolo yesandla yakade yeBhibheli yonakale iphele, ukukotjululwa kwayo kulithuthukisile iBhayibheli. U-Sir Frederic Kenyon nakakhuluma ngemiTlolo yamaKrestu yesiGirigi uthi, “ayikho enye incwadi yakade kangako enobufakazi obuliqiniso bomlayezo wayo, begodu akukho nasinye isazi esithembekileko esingaphika iqiniso lokuthi imitlolo esinayo nathi namhlanjesi isese njalo.” Bese ngokuphathelene nemiTlolo yesiHebheru, isazi uWilliam Henry Green sithi: “Kungatjhiwo ngokungananazi ukuthi awukho omunye umsebenzi wakade okotjululwe ngokunembe kangaka.”

IBhayibheli laphumelela. Ngikho namhlanjesi ungalithola, uzifundele lona. Begodu nawukhetha elitjhugululwe kuhle, ungaqiniseka ukuthi ufunda imiTlolo esekelwe kweyakade yamambala.a Kodwana, khuyini okwenza iBhayibheli laphumelela ekonakaleni okubangelwa yimvelo, kilabo ebebalwisana nalo, nakilabo ebebafuna ukutjhugulula umlayezo walo? Khuyini okuqakatheke kangaka ngencwadi le?

Abantu abanengi abafunda iBhayibheli, bafinyelele isiphetho esifana nesompostoli uPowula, owathi: “Yoke imitlolo iphefumulelwe nguZimu.” (2 Thimothi 3:16) Bakholelwa ukuthi iBhayibheli laphunyeleliswa kukuthi liyincwadi ekhamba yodwa, eliliZwi lakaZimu nokuthi uZimu uyibulunge bekwaba kunamhlanjesi. UFaizal odzujulwe endatjaneni yokuthoma yomlandelande lo, wanyekele wakhetha ukuzenzela iphenyo ngendaba le ngokuthi astaditjhe iBhayibheli. Akuthola lapho kwamrara. Wagcina sekazi ukuthi eBhayibhelini, azikho zoke iimfundiso zamala ezifundiswa emasondweni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wakhuthazwa mnqopho kaZimu ngephasi njengombana uveziwe eliZwini lakhe.

Uthi: “Nje sengiyaqiniseka ukuthi iBhayibheli enginalo lisisipho esivela kuZimu. Ngaphezu kwakho koke, nakhibe uZimu angenza indalo yoke, angekhe na aba namandla wokusipha incwadi, enze ukuthi nathi siyithole esikhathini sethwesi? Nasingathi kungenzeka, sizabe simeda amandla kaZimu—sikhohlwe ukuthi unguMninimandla woke! Yeke, ngingubani mina ukuthi ngingameda amandla kaZimu?”—Isaya 40:8.