Iincwadi ZeVangeli Ezingaphefumlelwanga—Ngaba Ikho Enye Inyaniso Efihlakeleyo NgoYesu?

“KUFUNYENWE into enkulu. Baninzi abantu abaza kuphazamiseka.” “Iza kutshintsha imbali yamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala.” La ngamazwi awathethwa ngabaphengululi xa bafumana incwadi yeVangeli kaYudas,” ekucingelwa ukuba ibilahlekile kangangeenkulungwane ezili-16 (eboniswe ngasentla).

Abantu baphinde banomdla kwezi ncwadi zevangeli zingaphefumlelwanga. Abanye bathi ezi ncwadi zityhila iziganeko ezibalulekileyo neemfundiso ezazikho ngemihla kaYesu ebezifihlakele. Kodwa xa kuthethwa ngezi ncwadi kuthethwa ngantoni? Ngaba zinokusichazela enye inyaniso ngoYesu nangobuKristu esingenakuyifumana eBhayibhileni?

Iincwadi ZeVangeli Eziphefumlelweyo Nezo Zingaphefumlelwanga

Phakathi konyaka wama-41 nowama-98 Kwixesha Eliqhelekileyo, uMateyu, uMarko, uLuka kunye noYohane babhala ingxelo ‘yembali kaYesu Kristu.’ (Mateyu 1:1) Ezi ngxelo maxa wambi zibizwa ngokuba ziincwadi zevangeli, ezithetha ‘iindaba ezilungileyo’ ezingoYesu Kristu.—Marko 1:1.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba enye inkcazelo engoYesu yadluliselwa ngomlomo nangezinye incwadi ezazithetha ngaye, ziincwadi zeVangeli ezine kuphela ezigqalwa njengeziphefumlelweyo nguThixo nezifanele zibe yinxalenye yeZibhalo eziNgcwele—‘eziqinisekisa izinto’ ngokuphathelele ubomi bukaYesu neemfundiso zakhe. (Luka 1:1-4; IZenzo 1:1, 2; 2 Timoti 3:16, 17) Ezi ncwadi zine zeVangeli zikhankanywa kuzo zonke iincwadi zamandulo ezineenkcukacha ngeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Akukho nto ibangela amathandabuzo ngokuchana kwazo—nokuba yinxalenye yeLizwi likaThixo eliphefumlelweyo.

Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha kwavela ezinye iincwadi ezabizwa ngokuba ziincwadi zevangeli. Ezi kwathiwa ziiapocryphal okanye iincwadi ezingaphefumlelwanga.a

Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini, uIrenaeus waseLyon wabhala wathi abo bawexukayo kubuKristu “babeneencwadi ezininzi ezingaphefumlelwanga nezinye ezaziqulethe inkcazelo engachananga,” nezaziquka iincwadi zevangeli “abazibhala ngokwabo, ezazidida ingqondo zabangalumkanga.” Ngenxa yoko, ezi ncwadi zagqalwa njengeziyingozi kungekuphela nje xa uzifunda kodwa nokuba nazo.

Sekunjalo, iimonki nabakhupheli bazigcina ezi ncwadi. Kuthe kwinkulungwane ye-19, umdla wakhula kakhulu ngezi ncwadi zingaphefumlelwanga yaye kwafunyanwa kwaza kwaqokelelwa imibhalo emininzi neminye eye yongezelelwa ngabaphengululi kuquka nencwadi zevangeli. Namhlanje kukho iintlelo ezininzi eziye zapapashwa ngeelwimi eziphambili.

Iincwadi Ezingaphefumlelwanga ZeVangeli: Iingxelo Ezingachananga Ngokuphathelele uYesu

Ezi ncwadi zingaphefumlelwanga ubukhulu becala zinikela ingqalelo kubantu ekuthethwa kancinane ngabo okanye ekungathethwa kwa ukuthethwa ngabo kwiincwadi zeVangeli eziphefumlelweyo. Okanye zichaze ngeziganeko ezikhwinisayo ngokuphathelele ubuntwana bukaYesu. Khawuqwalasele eminye yale mizekelo.

◼ “Incwadi yantlandlolo kaYakobi,” ekwabizwa ngokuba “Ukuzalwa kukaMariya,” ichaza ngokweenkcukacha ukuZalwa kukaMariya, xa wayengumntwana naxa wayetshata noYosefu. Ngesizathu esihle, ikwachazwa nanjengencwadi edumileyo yakudala yeentsomi zonqulo. Ikhuthaza ingcamango yokuhlala kukaMariya enyulu yaye kubonakala phandle ukuba yabhalelwa ukuzukisa yena.—Mateyu 1:24, 25; 13:55, 56.

◼ “Incwadi yeVangeli kaThomas engobuntwana bukaYesu” ithetha ubukhulu becala ngexesha laxa uYesu wayengumntwana—xa wayeneminyaka ephakathi kwemi-5 neli-12 ubudala—apho uchazwa esenza imimangaliso ebubuxoki. (Sicela ufunde uYohane 2:11.) UYesu uchazwa njengomntwana ongevayo, okhawuleza acaphuke osebenzisa imimangaliso ukuze aziphindezelele kootitshala, kubamelwane nakwabanye abantwana aze abanye abatyhaphaze amehlo, abenze bagogeke kanti abanye ade ababulale.

◼ Ezinye zezi ncwadi zevangeli zingaphefumlelwanga, njengaleyo ibizwa ngokuba yincwadi “yeVangeli kaPetros,” inamathela kwiziganeko zokuchotshelwa kwetyala, ukufa nokuvuswa kukaYesu. Ezinye njengaleyo “yeZenzo zikaPilato,” ekwayinxalenye yencwadi yeVangeli kaNikodemo,” zithetha ngeziganeko ezinento yokwenza nabo bantu. Ukuqobola izibakala nabantu abangekhoyo kubangela ukuba zingathenjwa kwaphela ezi ncwadi. Incwadi “yeVangeli kaPetros” iyamhlamba uPontiyo Pilato kubo bonke ububi yaye uvuko lukaYesu iluchaza njengolungazange lubekho.

Iincwadi zeVangeli Ezingaphefumlelwanga Nowexuko KubuKristu

NgoDisemba 1945, kufutshane naseNag Hammadi, kuMntla weYiputa, abalimi bafumana ngebhaqo imibhalo ngqangi eli-13 equlethe imibhalo engama-52. La maxwebhu enkulungwane yesine anxulunyaniswa neqela lee ntanda bulumko nelonqulo elalibizwa ngokuba yiGnosticism. Eli qela elalixube imfundiso yokukhangela ulwazi ngeendlela ezintsonkothileyo, unqulo lobuhedeni, iimfundiso zeentanda bulumko zamaGrike, ubuYuda nobuKristu, lalinempembelelo etyhefayo kwabo bathi bangamaKristu.—1 Timoti 6:20, 21.

Incwadi “yeVangeli kaTomas”, incwadi “yeVangeli kaFilipu” nencwadi “yeVangeli yeNyaniso,” ziyinxalenye “yeThala iNag Hammadi,” zichaza iingcamango zeentsomi zamaGnostic ngokungathi zivela kuYesu. Nayo incwadi “yeVangeli kaYudas” esandul’ ukufunyanwa iyaqukwa kwiincwadi zevangeli zamaGnostic. Imenza mhle uYudas njengokuphela kompostile owayemazi kakuhle uYesu. Enye ingcali yale ncwadi yeVangeli imchaza uYesu “njengotitshala nomtyhili wobulumko nowolwazi, kungekhona umsindisi owafela izono zehlabathi.” Iincwadi zeVangeli eziphefumlelweyo zifundisa ukuba uYesu wafa njengedini ngenxa yezono zehlabathi. (Mateyu 20:28; 26:28; 1 Yohane 2:1, 2) Kucacile, ukuba iincwadi zevangeli zamaGnostic zenzelwe ukusingela phantsi ngabom ukukholelwa eBhayibhile kunokukomeleza.—IZenzo 20:30.

Ukongama Kweencwadi zeVangeli Eziphefumlelweyo

Ukuhlolwa kweencwadi zevangeli ezingaphefumlelwanga kutyhila ukungabi nanyaniso kwazo. Xa zithelekiswa neencwadi zeVangeli eziphefumlelweyo, kubonakala ngokucacileyo ukungaphefumlelwa kwazo ngokobuthixo. (2 Timoti 1:13) Ekubeni zabhalwa ngabantu abangenalo nofifi ngoYesu okanye abapostile bakhe, akukho nkcazelo iyenye engoYesu nobuKristu. Endaweni yoko, zizaliswe bubuvuvu obungancedi nganto xa sifuna ukwazi uYesu neemfundiso zakhe.—1 Timoti 4:1, 2.

Kwelinye icala, uMateyu noYohane babephakathi kwabapostile abali-12, uMarko noLuka babezizinxulumani ezisondeleyo zabapostile uPetros noPawulos. Iincwadi zabo zeVangeli bazibhala phantsi kokhokelo lomoya kaThixo. (2 Timoti 3:14-17) Ngenxa yesi sizathu, iincwadi zeVangeli ezine ziqulethe yonke into efunekayo ukuze umntu akholelwe ukuba “uYesu unguKristu uNyana kaThixo.”—Yohane 20:31.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Kenneth Garrett/National Geographic Stock