AmaVangeli We-Aphocrypha—Maqiniso Afihlekileko NgoJesu Na?

“LIRHUBHULULO elikhulu leli. Abantu abanengi bayokusilingeka.” “Lokhu kutjhentjha indlela esizwisisa ngayo umlando wobuKrestu wokuthoma.” Amezwi la bekavela ezazini egade zamukela imitlolo “yeVangeli lakaJuda,” umtlolo ekukholelwa bona walahleka emakhulwini weemnyaka angaphezu kwe-16 (otjengiswe ngehla).

Kunekareko etja emavangelini we-apocrypha layo (amavangeli okuthiwa anamaqiniso angeziweko afihliweko ngoJesu). Abanye abantu bathi imitlolo le iveza izehlakalo neemfundiso eziqakathekileko ngokuphila kwakaJesu egade zisolo zifihliwe. Kodwana ayini amavangeli we-apocrypha? Angasifundisa amaqiniso engekhe sawafumana eBhayibhilini ngoJesu nangobuKrestu?

AmaVangeli Ayingcenye Yeencwadi ZeBhayibhili Newe-Apocrypha

Hlangana nomnyaka ka-41 no-98 C.E., uMatewu, uMarkosi, uLuka noJwanisi batlola ‘ngomlando wokubelethwa kwakaJesu Krestu.’ (Matewu 1:1) Ukulandisokhu godu ngezinye iinkhathi kubizwa ngokuthi mavangeli, okutjho ‘iindaba ezimnandi’ ngoJesu Krestu.—Markosi 1:1.

Nanyana kungenzeka bona bekunamasiko adluliselwa ngomlomo neminye imitlolo ngoJesu, amaVangeli amane la ngiwo kwaphela ebekathathwa njengaphefumulelwe nguZimu begodu afanelekela ukuba yingcenye yeMitlolo eCwengileko—anikela ‘iqiniso loke ngezinto’ ezimalungana nokuphila kwakaJesu kwephasini neemfundiso zakhe. (Luka 1:1-4; IZenzo 1:1, 2; 2 KuThimothi 3:16, 17) AmaVangeli amane la ayavela kizo zoke iincwadi zekadeni zeMitlolo yamaKrestu yesiGirigi. Alikho ibanga lokuzaza bona anembile na nokobana kufuze abe yingcenye yeencwadi eziphefumulelweko zeLizwi lakaZimu.

Nokho, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi kwavela eminye imitlolo nayo eyabizwa ngokobana mavangeli. Amavangeli amanye la bekabizwa ngokobana ma-apocrypha. *

Ekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili, u-Irenaeus we-Lyon watlola bona labo abahlubuka ebuKrestwini gade “banemitlolo eemnengi yamala neye-apocrypha,” kuhlanganise namavangeli “abazenzele wona ngokwabo, ukukhohlisa labo abaziindlhayela.” Ngikho, amavangeli we-apocrypha gade sele athathwa njengayingozi ingasi ngokuwafunda kwaphela kodwana nokuba nawo.

Nokho, abafundisi abangatjhadiko nabakopitjhi baragela phambili batlola begodu babulunga imitlolo leyo. Ngekhulu le-19, kwakhula ikareko ekulu ngemitlolo leyo begodu kwafunyanwa imitlolo eminengi neencwadi ezifakelelweko ze-apocrypha, kuhlanganise namavangeli ambalwa. Namhlanje kuneencwadi ezigadangiswa ngamalimi amakhulu amanengi wanamhlanjesi.

 Amavangeli We-Apocrypha: Ukulandisa Okumamala NgoJesu

Amavangeli we-apocrypha kanengi adzimelela ebantwini ekukhulunywa ngabo kancani namtjhana abangaphathwa nokuphathwa emaVangelini ayingcenye yeBhayibhili. Namtjhana akhuluma ngezehlakalo ezingakaqinisekiswa malungana nokuphila kwakaJesu nasesemncani. Cabangela nanzi ezinye iimbonelo.

▪ “IVangeli lakaJakobosi,” godu elibizwa ngokuthi “Ukubelethwa KwakaMariya,” lihlathulula ngokubelethwa kwakaMariya nokuphila kwakhe nasesemntwana kuhlanganise nokutjhada kwakhe noJesefa. Kungebangelihle bona lihlathululwa ngokuthi liyinolwana yekolo. Lithuthukisa umbono wokobana uMariya wahlala ayintombi begodu kuyakhanya bona litlolelwe ukumdumisa.—Matewu 1:24, 25; 13:55, 56.

▪ Incwadi ebizwa “Infancy Gospel of Thomas” idzimelela ekuphileni kwakaJesu nasesemntwana—ahlangana neemnyaka emi-5 neli-12—begodu imnikela idumo ngokwenza iinkarisomraro ezimlandelande ezifederisiweko. (Qala uJwanisi 2:11.) UJesu uvezwa njengomntwana oyihlongandlebe, ophela ihliziyo, othanda ukuzibuyiselela, osebenzisa amandlakhe wokwenza immangaliso ukuzibuyiselela kibotitjhere, abomakhelwana, nakwabanye abantwana abanye babo abenze babe ziimphofu, barholophale namtjhana abulale nokubulala.

▪ Amanye amavangeli we-apocrypha “anjengeVangeli lakaPitrosi,” adzimelela ezehlakalweni ezihlobene nokutjhutjhiswa, ukufa nokuvuswa kwakaJesu. Amanye “anjengeZenzo zakaPilato,” ingcenye “yeVangeli lakaNogodima,” adzimelela ebantwini abathinteka ezehlakalwenezo. Njengombana imitlolo le ikhuluma ngezinto ezimamala nabantu engazankhe babe khona, nje-ke ayinalo iqiniso. “IVangeli lakaPitrosi” lifuna ukuvikela uPontiyasi Pilato begodu lihlathulula ukuvuswa kwakaJesu kwanga yinolwana.

Amavangeli We-apocrypha Nokuhlubuka EbuKrestwini

NgoDisemba 1945, hlanu kweNag Hammadi, ngehla kweGibhida, abantu abasebenza emasimini bafumana imitlolo ye-papyrus eli-13 enemitlolo ema-52. Imitlolo yekhulu lesine le beyihlotjaniswa nehlangano yekolo nefilosofi ebizwa bona yi-Gnosticism. Ihlanganisa izici ezithileko eziyifihlo, uburhedeni, ifilosofi yesiGirigi, ikolo yobuJuda nobuKrestu, ihlangano le beyimthelela olimazako kwabanye egade bazibiza bona maKrestu.—1 KuThimothi 6:20, 21.

“IVangeli lakaTomasi,” “iVangeli lakaFulebhe,” “neVangeli Leqiniso,” afumaneke “eBulungelweni leeNcwadi eNag Hammadi,” aneembono yobu-Gnosticism ehlukahlukeneko eyifihlo ebonakala kwanga ivela kuJesu. “IVangeli lakaJuda” elisand’ kufunyanwa nalo libalwa hlangana namavangeli wobu-Gnosticism. Liveza uJuda njengomuntu olungileko njengokuphela kompostoli ogade amazi kuhle uJesu. Esinye isazi sevangeleli sithi lihlathulula uJesu “njengomfundisi nomambuli wokuhlakanipha nelwazi, ingasi umsindisi owafela izono zephasi.” AmaVangeli aphefumulelweko afundisa bona uJesu wafela izono zephasi njengomhlatjelo. (Matewu 20:28; 26:28; 1 KaJwanisi 2:1, 2) Kuyakhanya-ke bona amavangeli wobu-Gnosticism enzelwe ukwehlisa ikholo eBhayibhilini kunokuliqinisa.—IZenzo 20:30.

Ukuba Namandla KwamaVangeli Ayingcenye Yeencwadi ZeBhayibhili

Ukuhlolisisa amavangeli we-apocrypha kutjengisa bona amamala. Nekamadaniswa namaVangeli ayingcenye yeBhayibhili, kuyakhanya bona awakaphefumulelwa nguZimu. (2 KuThimothi 1:13) Njengombana atlolwa babantu egade bangamazi uJesu namtjhana abapostoli bakhe, akunamaqiniso afihlekileko awavezako ngoJesu nangobuKrestu. Kunalokho, anokulandisa okungakanembi, okucatjangelweko nobuyinolwana obungasizi ngalitho ekwazini uJesu neemfundiso zakhe.—1 KuThimothi 4:1, 2.

Ngakelinye ihlangothi, uMatewu noJwanisi bebahlangana nabapostoli abali-12; uMarkosi noLuka bebabangani abaseduze bakaPitrosi noPowula. Batlola amaVangelabo ngaphasi kokunqotjhiswa mumoya kaZimu ocwengileko. (2 KuThimothi 3:14-17) Ngebangeli, amaVangeli amane la anakho koke okutlhogekako bona umuntu akholelwe bonyana “uJesu nguKrestu, iNdodana kaZimu.”—Jwanisi 20:31.

[Umtlolo waphasi]

[Umthombo wesithombe ekhasini 18]

Kenneth Garrett/National Geographic Stock