Unembe Kangakanani Umlando WeBhayibheli?

“NGIKHULUMA iqiniso, angiqambi amanga,” kwasho umlobi weBhayibheli etshela umngane wakhe osemusha. (1 Thimothewu 2:7) Amazwi anjengalawo asencwadini kaPawulu abekela abaphikisi beBhayibheli inselele. * Sekudlule iminyaka engaphezu kuka-1 900 kusukela esikhathini izincwadi zikaPawulu ezabhalwa ngaso. Ngemva kwaso sonke lesosikhathi, akekho noyedwa oye wavela futhi wabonisa ngokuphumelelayo iphuzu elilodwa elingamanga ezincwadini zakhe.

Umlobi weBhayibheli uLuka naye wabonisa ukukhathalela iqiniso. Waloba ukulandisa kokuphila nenkonzo kaJesu okwalandelwa ukulandisa kwakhe okubizwa ngokuthi IzEnzo Zabaphostoli. “Ngizihlolisisile zonke izinto [“ngokunembile,” NW], kusukela ekuqaleni,” kubhala uLuka.—Luka 1:3.

Ubufakazi Bokunemba

Abaphikisi beBhayibheli basekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19 bakubekela inselele ukunemba kukaLuka njengesazi-mlando. Ngaphezu kwalokho, bathi umlando osencwadini yezEnzo wasungulwa phakathi nekhulu lesibili C.E. Umvubukili waseBrithani uSir William Mitchell Ramsay wayengomunye owayekukholelwa lokhu. Kodwa ngemva kokuhlola amagama nezindawo uLuka akhuluma ngakho, wavuma: “Ngiye ngaya ngiqiniseka kancane kancane ukuthi emininingwaneni ehlukahlukene lokhu kulandisa kuye kwaveza iqiniso elimangalisayo.”

Lapho uRamsay ebhala okungenhla, impikiswano ephathelene nokunemba kukaLuka yasala ingaxazululiwe. Yayiphathelene nemizi eyayihlobene ngokuseduze i-Ikoniyu, iListra, neDerbe. ULuka wabonisa ukuthi i-Ikoniyu yayihlukile kuyiListra neDerbe, lena emibili eyichaza ‘njengemizi yaseLikawoniya.’ (IzEnzo 14:6) Nokho, njengoba ibalazwe elihambisana nalendaba libonisa, iListra yayiseduze ne-Ikoniyu kuneDerbe. Ezinye izazi-mlando zasendulo zachaza i-Ikoniyu njengeyingxenye yeLikawoniya; ngakho, abaphikisi babekela uLuka inselele ngenxa yokungenzi ngendlela efanayo.

Khona-ke, ngo-1910, uRamsay wathola ubufakazi emanxiweni ase-Ikoniyu obubonisa ukuthi ulimi lwakulowomuzi kwakuyisiFrigiya hhayi isiLikawoniya. “Eminye imibhalo eminingi evela e-Ikoniyu nasezindaweni zayo ezizungezile iyalisekela iqiniso lokuthi ngokobuzwe lomuzi ungachazwa njengomuzi wesiFrigiya,” kusho uDkt. Merrill Unger encwadini yakhe ethi Archaeology and the New Testament. Ngempela, i-Ikoniyu yangosuku lukaPawulu yayinempucuko yesiFrigiya futhi ihlukile “emizini yaseLikawoniya,” lapho kwakunabantu ababekhuluma “ngesiLikawoniya.”—IzEnzo 14:6, 11.

Abaphikisi beBhayibheli baphikisa nokusebenzisa kukaLuka igama elithi “politarchs” kubabusi bomuzi waseThesalonika. (IzEnzo 17:6, umbhalo waphansi we-NW) Leligama lalingaziwa ezincwadini zamaGreki. Kamuva kwatholakala ikhothamo emzini wasendulo elalinamagama ababusi bomuzi abachazwa ‘njengama-politarch’—okuyigama elifana nsé nelasetshenziswa uLuka. “Ukusetshenziswa kwaleligama kuye kwakulwela ukuba neqiniso kukaLuka,” kuchaza uW. E. Vine encwadini yakhe i-Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.

 Uhambo LukaLuka Ngomkhumbi

Izazi zemikhumbi ziye zahlola imininingwane yokuphuka komkhumbi echazwe kuzEnzo isahluko 27. NgokukaLuka, umkhumbi omkhulu yena noPawulu ababehamba ngawo wahlaselwa yisiphepho enyakatho-mpumalanga eduze nesiqhingi esincane iKlawuda, futhi lamatilosi ayesaba ukukhukhulekela ogwini oluyingozi olunesihlabathi esiningi ngasenyakatho Afrika. (IzEnzo 27:14, 17, umbhalo waphansi we-NW) Ngenxa yekhono lokushayela umkhumbi, bakwazi ukuqondisa lomkhumbi ukuba ungayi e-Afrika kodwa uye ngasentshonalanga. Isiphepho saqhubeka ngamandla, futhi ekugcineni umkhumbi waphuka ngasogwini lwesiqhingi saseMelitha, usuhambe ibanga elingaba amakhilomitha angu-870. Izazi zemikhumbi zibala ukuthi kungathatha umkhumbi omkhulu ohamba esiphephweni izinsuku ezingaphezu kwezingu-13 ukuba uhambe ibanga elide kangako. Izibalo zazo zivumelana nokulandisa kukaLuka, okubonisa ukuthi umkhumbi waphuka ngosuku lwe-14. (IzEnzo 27:27, 33, 39, 41) Ngemva kokuhlola yonke imininingwane yohambo lukaLuka ngomkhumbi, itilosi uJames Smith laphetha ngokuthi: “Lokhu kuwukulandisa kwezenzakalo ezingokoqobo, ezibhalwe ngothile owayehileleke ngokomuntu siqu kuzo . . . Akekho umuntu ongelona itilosi obengabhala ukulandisa kohambo ngomkhumbi ngendlela evumelana kangaka kuzo zonke izingxenye zalo, ngaphandle uma ezibonele ngokwakhe.”

Ngenxa yemivubukulo enjalo, ezinye izazi zeBhayibheli zizimisele ukuvikela imiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki njengewumlando oyiqiniso. Kodwa kuthiwani ngomlando wangaphambi kwalona otholakala emiBhalweni yesiHeberu? Abefundisi abaningi bamukela amafilosofi anamuhla futhi bathi uqukethe izinganekwane. Nokho, imininingwane eminingi yomlando weBhayibheli wangaphambili nayo iye yafakazelwa, kwaba ukudumala kwabaphikisi. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela ukutholwa koMbuso wase-Asiriya oke walibaleka.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 3]

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