Incwadi Emelelwa Kabi
“Imfundiso yokuthi umhlaba uzungeza phezu kwe-eksizi yawo futhi uzungeze ilanga ingamanga, futhi ayivumelani neze nemiBhalo Engcwele.” Yasho kanjalo i-Congregation of the Index yeSonto LamaRoma Katolika esimemezelweni sayo ngo-1616.1 Ingabe iBhayibheli liyaphikisana ngempela namaqiniso angokwesayensi? Noma ingabe liye lamelelwa kabi?
EBUSIKA buka-1609/10, uGalileo Galilei waphendula isibonakude sakhe ayesanda kusakha wasibhekisa emazulwini futhi wabona izinyanga ezine zizungeza iplanethi iJupiter. Akubona kwawushabalalisa umbono owawuvamile wokuthi zonke izindikimba zasezulwini kumelwe ukuthi zizungeza umhlaba. Ngaphambili, ngo-1543, isazi sezinkanyezi sasePoland uNicolaus Copernicus sasifundise ukuthi amaplanethi azungeza ilanga. UGalileo waqinisekisa ukuthi lokhu kwakuyiqiniso elingokwesayensi.
Nokho, izazi zenkolo ezingamaKatolika zabheka lokhu njengobumbuka. Kwase kunesikhathi eside isonto likholelwa ukuthi umhlaba uphakathi nendawo endaweni yonke.2 Lombono wawusekelwe ekuchazweni kwemibhalo ngokwezwi nezwi, leyo efanekisela umhlaba njengomiswe “ezisekelweni zawo, ungenakuzanyazanyiswa naphakade.” (IHubo 104:5, The Jerusalem Bible) Njengoba ayebizwe eRome, uGalileo wavela phambi kweNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki. Bempheka bemephula ngemibuzo, waphoqelelwa ukuba ahoxe ezintweni ayezitholile, futhi wachitha konke ukuphila kwakhe etokele emzini wakhe.
Ngo-1992, ngemva kweminyaka engu-350 uGalileo afa, iSonto LamaKatolika ekugcineni lavuma ukuthi wayeqinisile.3 Kodwa uma uGalileo ayeqinisile, ingabe-ke iBhayibheli lalinephutha?
Ukuthola Umqondo Wangempela Wezindinyana ZeBhayibheli
UGalileo wayekholelwa ukuthi iBhayibheli lineqiniso. Lapho amaqiniso angokwesayensi ayewatholile ephikisana nendlela evamile okuchazwa ngayo amavesi athile eBhayibheli, wayethi izazi zenkolo zilahlekelwa umqondo wangempela walawo mavesi. Empeleni, “ngeke nanini amaqiniso amabili aphikisane,” ebhala.4 Wasikisela ukuthi amagama anembile esayensi awaphikisani namagama eBhayibheli asetshenziswa nsuku zonke. Kodwa izazi zenkolo zazingafuni ukukwamukela lokho. Zaphikisa ngokuthi zonke izinkulumo zeBhayibheli ezikhuluma ngomhlaba kufanele zithathwe njengoba zinjalo. Ngenxa yalokho, azizange nje zenqabe lokho okwakutholwe uGalileo kuphela kodwa zalahlekelwa nawumqondo wangempela walawo mazwi angokomBhalo.
Empeleni, ukuzicabangela nje kufanele kusitshele ukuthi lapho iBhayibheli likhuluma ‘ngamagumbi amane omhlaba,’ akusho ukuthi abalobi beBhayibheli babethatha ngokuthi umhlaba uyisikwele. (IsAmbulo 7:1) IBhayibheli libhalwe ngolimi lwabantu abavamile, ngokuvamile lisebenzisa izifenqo ezicacile. Ngakho lapho likhuluma ngomhlaba ‘njengonamagumbi amane,’ ‘onesisekelo’ esiqinile, ‘onezisekelo ezinesikhoxe,’ kanye ‘netshe legumbi,’ iBhayibheli lisuke linganikezi incazelo engokwesayensi ngomhlaba; ngokusobala lisuke lingathekisa, njengoba sivame ukwenza enkulumweni yansuku zonke.a—Isaya 51:13; Jobe 38:6.
Encwadini yakhe ethi Galileo Galilei, umbhali womlando wokuphila kwabantu uL. Geymonat waphawula: “Izazi zenkolo ezingacabangi ezifuna isayensi ivumelane nendlela iBhayibheli elichaza ngayo izinto zimane nje zilulaza iBhayibheli.”5 Nangempela zalilulaza. Empeleni, yindlela izazi zenkolo ezachaza ngayo iBhayibheli—hhayi iBhayibheli ngokwalo—eyabekela isayensi imigoqo engenangqondo.
Kungokufanayo nangabathatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo namuhla, basonta iBhayibheli lapho begomela ngokuthi umhlaba wadalwa ngezinsuku eziyisithupha zamahora angu-24. (Genesise 1:3-31) Umqondo onjalo awuvumelani nesayensi noma neBhayibheli. EBhayibhelini, njengasenkulumweni yansuku zonke, igama elithi “usuku” lisetshenziswa ngezindlela eziningi, libonise isikhathi esinobude obungefani. KuGenesise 2:4, zonke izinsuku eziyisithupha zokudala kubhekiselwa kuzo ngokuthi “mhla” njengosuku olulodwa oluzihlanganisa zonke. Igama lesiHeberu elihunyushwe ngokuthi “usuku” eBhayibhelini lingase lisho nje “isikhathi eside.”6 Ngakho asikho isizathu esingokweBhayibheli sokugomela ngokuthi usuku ngalunye lwezinsuku zokudala lwalungamahora angu-24 lulunye. Ngokufundisa okuhlukile, labo abathatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo balimelela kabi.—Bheka neyesi-2 Petru 3:8.
Kuwo wonke umlando, izazi zenkolo bezilisonta njalo iBhayibheli. Cabanga ngezinye zezindlela izinkolo zeLobukholwa eziye zakumelela kabi ngazo lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo.
Limelelwa Kabi Inkolo
Izenzo zalabo abathi balandela iBhayibheli ngokuvamile zithunaza idumela lencwadi abathi bayayihlonipha. Labo abazisholo ukuthi bangamaKristu baye bachitha igazi lomunye nomunye ngegama likaNkulunkulu. Nakuba kunjalo, iBhayibheli liyala abalandeli bakaKristu ukuba ‘bathandane.’—Johane 13:34, 35; Mathewu 26:52.
Abanye abefundisi baphanga imihlambi yabo, bayisenge imali eyisebenzela kanzima—okuhluke kakhulu kulokho imiBhalo ekufundisayo: “Namukelé mahhala, yiphani mahhala.”—Mathewu 10:8; 1 Petru 5:2, 3.
Ngokucacile, iBhayibheli alinakwahlulelwa ngokwamazwi nezenzo zalabo abamane nje balicaphune noma abathi baphila ngalo. Khona-ke umuntu onomqondo ovulekile angase afune ukuzitholela ngokwakhe lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo nanokuthi kungani liyincwadi ephawuleka kangaka.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ngokwesibonelo, ngisho nezazi zezinkanyezi ezichaza izinto njengoba zinjalo, namuhla ziye zikhulume “ngokuphuma nokushona” kwelanga, izinkanyezi kanye namaqoqo ezinkanyezi—nakuba kuwukuzungeza komhlaba okwenza lezi zinto zibonakale sengathi ziyanyakaza.
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
Ezimbili zezibonakude zikaGalileo
[Isithombe ekhasini 5]
UGalileo ebhekene nababemqulisa amacala