ICodex YaseVatican—Kutheni Ixabiseke Kangaka Nje?

IVATICAN inezinto ezininzi ezibalulekileyo. Imizobo, imifanekiso ekroliweyo nezakhiwo zayo zibalasele ngenxa yobuhle nobunewunewu bazo. Sekunjalo, kangangeenkulungwane kwakunzima ukufikelela kobona buncwane bayo bungayiwayo. Apho kwiThala laseVatican, kukho umbhalo-ngqangi oxabisekileyo osinceda siqonde iinxalanye zeLizwi likaThixo ezabhalwa kumawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo. Lo mbhalo-ngqangi ubizwa ngokuba yiCodex yaseVatican.a

Kukho nezinye iicodex ezimbini ezixatyiswa gqitha ngabaphengululi nezasindiswa ekutshatyalalisweni, icodex yaseAleksandria neyaseSinayi. Noko ke, ayaziwa ncam indlela eyafumaneka ngayo yona le yaseVatican.

Ubuncwane Obufihliweyo

Yayivela phi le Codex yaseVatican? Kwaqala ukuthethwa ngayo ngenkulungwane ye-15 xa kwakudweliswa izinto ezazikwiThala laseVatican. Abaphengululi bacingela ukuba yayivela eYiputa, eKesareya okanye eRoma. Noko ke, emva kokuhlolisisa ezo ngcamango, uNjingalwazi J. Neville Birdsall weYunivesithi yaseBirmingham, eNgilani, wathi: “Asinakuqiniseka ngexesha lokubhalwa kwayo nendawo eyabhalelwa kuyo iCodex yaseVatican, ibe phezu kwayo nje imigudu yabaphengululi akukho nto ingako siyaziyo ngayo ngaphambi kwenkulungwane yeshumi elinesihlanu.” Nakuba kunjalo, le codex iye yachazwa njengomnye weyona mibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile ibaluleke gqitha. Ibaluleke ngantoni?

Kangangeenkulungwane, abanye abakhupheli beBhayibhile baye benza iimpazamo xa babekhuphela iBhayibhile. Ekuphela kwendlela abanokuqiniseka ngayo abaguquleli ngeyona ngxelo ichanileyo, kukufumana umbhalo-ngqangi onokuthenjwa oza kubanceda babone eyona nto yayibhalwe kwimibhalo yokuqala. Cinga nje indlela abamele ukuba babekulangazelela ngayo abaphengululi ukuhlolisisa iCodex yaseVatican, umbhalo-ngqangi wesiGrike owabhalwa ngenkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, emva kweminyaka nje engama-300 iBhayibhile igqityiwe ukubhalwa. Le codex inemibhalo epheleleyo yesiHebhere neyeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike, ngaphandle kweenxalenye ezithile ezimbalwa ekucacayo ukuba zalahleka.

Iziphatha mandla zaseVatican azizange zibanike abaguquleli beBhayibhile le codex, kodwa zayifihla kangangeenkulungwane. Umphengululi wemibhalo owaziwayo uMhlekazi uFrederic Kenyon wathi: “Emva kokulinda iinyanga eziliqela, ngowe-1843 [umphengululi weBhayibhile uKonstantin von] uTischendorf wavunyelwa ukuba awubone lo mbhalo-ngqangi kangangeeyure ezintandathu. . . . Ngowe-1845 umphengululi ophambili wasemaNgesini uTregelles wavunyelwa ukuba awubone kodwa angakhupheli kwanto.” UTischendorf wenza isicelo sokuphinda ayibone le codex, kodwa laphela elo cham emva kokuba eye wakhuphela amaphepha angama-20. Ukanti ngokutsho kukaKenyon, “ukuzingisa kwakhe kwamnceda wanikwa ezinye iintsuku ezintandathu ezingakumbi, nto leyo eyamnika iiyure ezintathu kangangeentsuku ezili-14 zizonke; yaye ngenxa yokulisebenzisa kakuhle kwakhe elo xesha ngowe-1867 uTischendorf wakwazi ukupapasha inguqulelo esulungekileyo yombhalo-ngqangi owawuseza kuvela.” Kamva iVatican yavumela ukuveliswa kombhalo obhetele okhutshelweyo waloo codex.

“Ukulondolozwa Ngononophelo”

Ngumbhalo onjani owaveliswa kwiCodex yaseVatican? IThe Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible ithi, “kwaveliswa umbhalo osemagqabini nochanileyo.” Le ncwadi ihlabela mgama ithi: “Singatsho ngomzimba ongenaxhala ukuba lo mbhalo ukhutshelwe ngoompondo-zihlanjiwe.”

Abaphengululi ababini abaphum’ izandla abachukunyiswa kukuthembeka kweCodex yaseVatican yaba nguB. F. Westcott noF.J. A. Hort. INew Testament in the Original Greek yabo, eyapapashwa ngowe-1881 neyaguqulelwa ngokusuka kumbhalo-ngqangi waseVatican nowaseSinayi, isephakathi kweyona mibhalo iphambili kubaguquleli abaninzi banamhlanje beZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike, kuquka iThe Emphasised Bible, kaJ. B. Rotherham, neNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha.

Noko ke, bambi abahlalutyi bathi uWestcott noHort babengafanele kuyithemba kangako iCodex yaseVatican. Ngaba le codex yakhutshelwa ngokuchanileyo? Ukupapashwa kweBodmer papyri phakathi kowe-1956 nowe-1961 kwavuselela umdla wabaphengululi kuba yayineenxalenye ezithile zemibhalo kaLuka noYohane eyayisusela kwinkulungwane yesithathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Ngaba yayiza kuvumelana neCodex yaseVatican?

UPhilip B. Payne noPaul Canart bathi kwiNovum Testamentum: “Kukho ukuvumelana okuphawulekayo phakathi kombhalo-ngqangi waseVatican neBodmer papyri. Ngenxa yoku kuvumelana, kusengqiqweni ukucinga ukuba umntu owabhala icodex yaseVatican wayikhuphela ngokusuka kumbhalo-ngqangi ophantse ufane neBodmer papyri. Umbhali wale codex usenokuba wayikhuphela ngokusuka kumbhalo-ngqangi omdala okanye komnye owawukhutshelwe ngokusuka kuleyo midala.” UNjingalwazi Birdsall wathi: “Le mibhalo-ngqangi mibini ivumelana phantse ngento yonke. . . . [Le Codex] ikhutshelwe ngononophelo olukhulu: kuyabonakala ukuba abakhupheli bayo babenenkathalo.”

Iluncedo Gqitha Kubaguquleli

Kakade ke, into yokuba umbhalo-ngqangi ube ngowona mdala ayithethi kuthi ngowona ufanayo nalowo ukhutshelwe ngokusuka kuwo. Noko ke, ukuthelekisa iCodex yaseVatican neminye imibhalo-ngqangi kuye kwabanceda gqitha abaphengululi ukuze baqonde oko kwakubhalwe kwimibhalo-ngqangi yokuqala. Ngokomzekelo, inxalenye eyasindayo yoMbhalo-ngqangi waseSinayi, nawo owakhutshelwa kwinkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ayinazo iincwadi ezininzi ezithetha ngembali esusela kwiGenesis ukuya kwiziKronike zoku-1. Kodwa ubukho bezi ncwadi kwiCodex yaseVatican kuye kwaqinisekisa ukuba ziyinxalenye yeencwadi eziphefumlelweyo zeBhayibhile.

Ngokutsho kweThe Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible, kwabakho ukubethabethana kwezimvo phakathi kwabaphengululi “xa kufikwa kwiindawo ezithetha ngoKristu noBathathu Emnye ongcwele.” ICodex yaseVatican iye yaluncedo njani ukucombulula le ngxaki?

Nanku umzekelo woko. Njengokuba kubhalwe kuYohane 3:13 uYesu wathi: “Akukho mntu unyukele ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo wehla evela ezulwini, uNyana womntu.” Abanye abaguquleli baye bafakela igama elithi “nosezulwini.” Elo gama lenza kubonakale ngokungathi uYesu wayesezulwini nasemhlabeni ngaxeshanye—nto leyo exhasa imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye. Eli gama lifumaneka kwimibhalo-ngqangi embalwa yenkulungwane yesihlanu neyeshumi yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Kodwa ke, ukungabikho kweli gama kumbhalo-ngqangi waseVatican nakulowo waseSinayi engaphambi kwaleyo kuye kwenza abaguquleli abaninzi banamhlanje abalifaka kwiinguqulelo zabo. Oku kwenze kwacaca ukuba ungubani uKristu yaye kuvisisana nazo zonke iZibhalo. Kunokuba aphile kwiindawo ezimbini ngaxeshanye, uYesu wehla evela ezulwini wabe eza kubuyela kwalapho kungekudala, ‘enyukela’ kuYise.—Yohane 20:17.

ICodex yaseVatican iphinda isincede siqonde iindinyana ezithetha ngenjongo kaThixo ngokuphathelele umhlaba. Nanku umzekelo. Ngokutsho kweKing James Version, umpostile uPetros waprofeta wathi “kwanomhlaba nemisebenzi ekuwo iza kutshiswa.” (2 Petros 3:10) Zikho nezinye iinguqulelo ezithetha into efanayo, ziguqulela le ndinyana ngokusuka kwiCodex yaseAleksandriya yenkulungwane yesihlanu neminye imibhalo-ngqangi yamva. Ngenxa yoko abantu abaninzi abafunda iBhayibhile ngokunyaniseka baye bacinga ukuba uThixo uza kuwutshabalalisa umhlaba.

Noko ke, malunga nenkulungwane ngaphambi kokwenziwa kweCodex yaseAleksandriya, iCodex yaseVatican (neyaseSinayi entanganye nayo) zaguqulela esi siprofeto sikaPetros ngokuthi “umhlaba, nemisebenzi ekuwo iya kubhencwa.” Ngaba oku kuvumelana nayo yonke iBhayibhile? Kunjalo kanye! Umhlaba wokoqobo “Awuyi kushukunyiswa ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo, okanye nangonaphakade.” (INdumiso 104:5) Uya “kubhencwa” njani ke umhlaba? Ezinye izibhalo zibonisa ukuba igama elithi “umhlaba” linokusetyenziswa ukufuzisela into ethile. Ngokomzekelo kuthiwa “umhlaba” wawuthetha ulwimi olunye kuphinde kuthiwe mawuvume iingoma. (Genesis 11:1; INdumiso 96:1) Ngoko ke, igama elithi “umhlaba” linokubhekisela kubantu. Ngaba akuthuthuzeli ukwazi ukuba uThixo akayi kuwutshabalalisa umhlaba kunoko uya kubhenca aze abatshabalalise abantu abangendawo?

“Liya Kuhlala Ukusa Kwixesha Elingenammiselo.”

Okubuhlungu kukuba, abantu bebengakwazi ukufikelela kwiCodex yaseVatican kangangeenkulungwane, yaye abafundi beBhayibhile baye balahlekiswa ukuze bangayiqondi intsingiselo yezinye iindinyana zeBhayibhile. Noko ke, ukususela ekupapashweni kwayo, iCodex yaseVatican nezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile zamva nje ezinokuthenjwa ziye zanceda abantu abafuna inyaniso bayazi eyona nto ifundiswa yiBhayibhile.

Kwimibhalo-ngqangi yabo, abakhupheli bamandulo babedla ngokubhala la magama: “Isandla esibhale apha siyabola engcwabeni, kodwa izinto esizibhale apha ziza kuhlala iminyaka.” Naku namhlanje sixhamla kwimigudu yabo bakhupheli nangona singawazi amagama abo. Kuyo yonke loo nto, oyena mntu ufanele azukiswe ngokulondolozwa kweBhayibhile nguMbhali wayo, owaphefumlela abaprofeti bakhe kwakudala ukuba babhale bathi: “Ingca eluhlaza yomile, intyatyambo ibunile; kodwa ke lona ilizwi loThixo wethu, liya kuhlala ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo.”—Isaya 40:8.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 20]

Ukwazi Ixesha Eyabhalwa Ngalo Imibhalo-Ngqangi Yamandulo

Nangona abanye abakhupheli babeyibhala imihla abagqiba ngayo ukukhuphela, inkoliso yemibhalo-ngqangi yesiGrike ayinayo loo mihla. Kwimeko enjalo, yintoni enceda abaphengululi bazi ixesha owabhalwa ngalo umbhali-ngqangi othile? Kanye njengokuba ulwimi nobugcisa busahluka kwisizukulwana ngasinye, kunjalo ke nangendlela yokubhala. Ngokomzekelo, ukususela kwinkulungwane yesine ukutyhubela amakhulu eminyaka kamva abantu babenesimbo sokubhala oonobumba abakhulu abakekeleyo nabafanayo. Abaphengululi abaye bathelekisa le mibhalo neminye ebhalwe ngoonobumba abafanayo kodwa enayo imihla eyabhalwa ngayo, baye bakwazi ukuqikelela ixesha eyabhalwa ngalo.

Noko ke, le ndlela ayisoloko iphumelela. UNjingalwazi weSikolo Sezakwalizwi ePrinceton, uBruce Metzger wathi: “Ekubeni indlela umntu abhala ngayo phantse ingatshintshi ubomi bakhe bonke akukho ngqiqweni ukumisela umhla ongaphantsi kweminyaka engamashumi amahlanu.” Ngenxa yolu hlalutyo, abaphengululi bavumelana ngokubanzi ukuba iCodex yaseVatican yabhalwa kwinkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.