AmaVangeli—Umlando Noma Inganekwane?

EMHLABENI wonke, indaba kaJesu waseNazaretha—insizwa eyashintsha umlando wesintu—iye yaba ingxenye yomphakathi. Iyingxenye yemfundo engokomthetho nengahleliwe yabantu. Abaningi babheka amaVangeli njengawumthombo wamaqiniso nezisho ezihlala njalo, ezinjengokuthi, “U-Yebo wenu makasho uYebo, u-Cha wenu, uCha.” (Mathewu 5:37) Ngempela, kungenzeka ukuthi ukulandisa kwamaVangeli kwakuyisisekelo sezifundo owazifundiswa abazali bakho, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi babengamaKristu noma cha.

Ezigidini zabalandeli bakaKristu abaqotho, amaVangeli aye anikeza incazelo yendoda eziye zazimisela ukuyihluphekela nokuyifela. AmaVangeli aye anikeza nesisekelo sogqozi nesisusa sokuba nesibindi, ukukhuthazela, ukholo nethemba. Khona-ke, ngeke yini uvume ukuthi kufanele kube nobufakazi obungenakuphikiswa ukuze kuchithwe lokhu kulandisa ngokuthi kumane kuyindaba eqanjiwe? Uma ucabangela ithonya elinamandla ukulandisa kwamaVangeli okuye kwaba nalo ekucabangeni nasezenzweni zabantu, ngeke yini ufune ubufakazi obukholisayo uma othile ethanda ukungabaza ubuqiniso bako?

Sikumema ukuba ucabangele imibuzo ethile eshukumisa ingqondo ephathelene namaVangeli. Zibonele ngokwakho lokho abanye abafundi bamaVangeli abakucabangayo ngalezi zindaba, ngisho noma abanye babo bengazibizi ngokuthi bangamaKristu. Ngaleyo ndlela ungakwazi ukufinyelela kwesakho isiphetho esisekelwe olwazini.

IMIBUZO YOKUCATSHANGELWA

◆ Kungenzeka yini ukuthi amaVangeli ayindaba abantu abazakhele yona ngobuciko?

URobert Funk umsunguli woMhlangano Wokucwaninga NgoJesu, uthi: “UMathewu, uMarku, uLuka noJohane ‘bathule uMesiya’ ngendlela emenza avumelane nemfundiso yobuKristu eyavela ngemva kokufa kukaJesu.” Nokho, ngesikhathi amaVangeli elotshwa, abaningi balabo abezwa lokho okwashiwo uJesu, futhi babona izenzo zakhe futhi bambona ngemva kokuvuka kwakhe babesaphila. Abazange basole abalobi ngohlobo oluthile lokukhohlisa.

Cabanga ngokufa nokuvuka kukaKristu. Ukulandisa okunokwethenjelwa okuphathelene nokufa nokuvuka kukaJesu akutholakali emaVangelini kuphela kodwa nasencwadini yokuqala yomphostoli uPawulu esemiBhalweni Engcwele ayilobela amaKristu aseKorinte lasendulo. Wabhala: “Ngadlulisela kini, phakathi kwezinto zokuqala, lokho nami engakwamukela, ukuthi ngokwemiBhalo uKristu wafela izono zethu; nokuthi wangcwatshwa, yebo, ukuthi ngokwemiBhalo uvusiwe ngosuku lwesithathu; nokuthi wabonakala kuKhefase, kwase kuba kwabayishumi nambili. Ngemva kwalokho wabonakala kubafowethu abangaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu ngesikhathi esisodwa, abaningi kubo abasekhona kuze kube manje, kodwa abanye asebelele ekufeni. Ngemva kwalokho wabonakala kuJakobe, kwase kuba kubo bonke abaphostoli; kodwa ekugcineni kwabo bonke wabonakala nakimi njengokungathi kozelwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi.” (1 Korinte 15:3-8) Ofakazi abanjalo babazi amaqiniso angokomlando ngokuphathelene nokuphila kukaJesu.

Amazwi okuzakhela abacusumbuli banamuhla abathi akhona awatholakali emiBhalweni  YamaKristu YesiGreki. Kunalokho, atholakala ezincwadini zangekhulu lesibili C.E. Ngakho izincazelo ezithile ezingezona ezingokomBhalo eziphathelene noKristu zenziwa lapho kuqala ukuhlubuka ebuKristwini beqiniso phakathi kwabantu abazihlukanisa nebandla labaphostoli.—IzEnzo 20:28-30.

◆ Kungenzeka yini ukuthi amaVangeli ayinganekwane?

Umlobi nomcusumbuli uC. S. Lewis wakuthola kunzima ukubheka amaVangeli njengezinganekwane nje. “Njengesazi-mlando esigogodile ngikholiseke ngokuphelele ukuthi noma yikuphi amaVangeli ayikho, awazona izinganekwane,” ebhala. “Awanazo izinto ezicatshangelwayo ezanele ukuba abe izinganekwane. . . . Asiyazi ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kukaJesu, futhi akukho mqambi wenganekwane owayengakuvumela lokho ukuba kube njalo.” Kuyathakazelisa nokuthi nakuba isazi-mlando esaziwayo uH. G. Wells singazange sithi singumKristu, savuma: “Bobane [abalobi bamaVangeli] bayavumelana ekusinikeni umbono wobuntu obucace kakhulu; banikeza ubufakazi obuqinisekisa ukuba ngokoqobo.”

Cabangela isikhathi lapho uJesu ovusiwe ebonakala kubafundi bakhe. Umuntu onekhono lokwenza inganekwane cishe ubeyokwenza ukubuya kukaJesu kube umbukwane, anikeze izinkulumo ezinohlonze, noma akhazinyuliswe. Kunalokho, abalobi bamaVangeli bamane nje bamchaza njengomi phambi kwabafundi bakhe. Uyavuma ukuba bamthinte. Abe esebuza: “Bantwana abancane, aninakho okudliwayo, akunjalo?” (Johane 21:5) Isazi uGregg Easterbrook siyaphetha: “Lolu uhlobo lwemininingwane esikisela ukuthi lokhu ukulandisa kwento engokoqobo, hhayi inganekwane eyakhiwe.”

Insolo yokuthi amaVangeli ayizinganekwane iba engenasisindo nalapho kucatshangelwa indlela yokufundisa eqinile yorabi eyayivamile phakathi nesikhathi sokulotshwa kwamaVangeli. Leyo ndlela yayifana kakhulu nokufunda ngekhanda—inqubo yokubamba ngekhanda kusetshenziswa ukuphindaphinda. Kule ndlela kukhethwa inguqulo enembile necophelelayo yamazwi nezenzo zikaJesu kunokwakhiwa kwenguqulo ehlotshisiwe.

◆ Uma amaVangeli ayeyizinganekwane, ingabe ayengenziwa ngokushesha kangako ngemva kokufa kukaJesu?

Ngokusobala, amaVangeli alotshwa phakathi konyaka ka-41 noka-98 C.E. UJesu wafa ngonyaka ka-33 C.E. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukulandisa okuphathelene nokuphila kwakhe kwahlanganiswa ngesikhathi esifushane ngemva kokuphela kwenkonzo yakhe. Lokhu kwenza kube negebe elikhulu empikiswaneni yokuthi ukulandisa kwamaVangeli kumane nje kuyizinganekwane. Kudingeka isikhathi ukuze kwakheke inganekwane. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela izinkondlo, ethi Iliad ne-Odyssey, zembongi yasendulo engumGreki, uHomer. Abanye bathi amazwi alezo zinkondlo ezimbili zasendulo athuthuka aze agxila phakathi namakhulu eminyaka. Kuthiwani ngamaVangeli?

Encwadini yaso ethi Caesar and Christ, isazi-mlando uWill Durant siyabhala: “Ukuthi amadoda ambalwa avamile . . . aye aqamba umuntu onamandla nokhanga kangaka, onezindinganiso eziphakeme kangaka nombono oshukumisa kangaka wobuzalwane besintu, bekungaba isimangaliso esingakholeki kunanoma isiphi emaVangelini. Ngemva kwamakhulu amabili eminyaka okuCusumbula, kulokhu kucacile ukuphila, ubuntu nezimfundiso zikaKristu, futhi kuyisici esithakazelisa kunazo zonke emlandweni womuntu waseNtshonalanga.”

◆ Ingabe amaVangeli ashintshwa kamuva ukuze avumelane nezidingo zamaKristu akuqala?

Abanye abagxeki bathi ezombangazwe zesikhathi amaKristu akuqala ayephila kuso zabangela ukuba abalobi bamaVangeli bashintshe noma banezele okuthile endabeni kaJesu. Nokho, ukucwaningisisa amaVangeli kubonisa ukuthi akukho ukonakaliswa okunjalo okwenzeka. Uma ukulandisa kwamaVangeli okuphathelene noJesu kwakushintshiwe ngenxa yokukhohliswa kwamaKristu angekhulu lokuqala, kungani ukugxekwa kwamaJuda nabeZizwe kusekhona kule mibhalo?

Isibonelo salokhu sitholakala kuMathewu 6:5-7, lapho uJesu ecashunwa ethi: “Uma nithandaza, akumelwe nibe njengabazenzisi; ngoba bathanda ukuthandaza bemi emasinagogeni nasemakhoneni ezindlela ezibanzi ukuze babonakale kubantu. Ngiqinisile ngithi kini, Umvuzo wabo bawutholé  ngokugcwele.” Ngokusobala, lokhu kwakuwukulahlwa kwabaholi benkolo yobuJuda. UJesu waqhubeka wathi: “Lapho uthandaza, ungaphindaphindi izinto ezifanayo, njengoba nje kwenza abantu bezizwe, ngoba bacabanga ukuthi bayothola ukuzwiwa ngokusebenzisa kwabo amazwi amaningi.” Ngokucaphuna uJesu ngale ndlela, abalobi bamaVangeli babengazami ukuguqula abantu. Babemane beloba amazwi ashiwo nguJesu Kristu ngempela.

Cabangela nokulandisa kwamaVangeli okuphathelene nabesifazane abaya ethuneni likaJesu, babona ukuthi alinalutho. (Marku 16:1-8) NgokukaGregg Easterbrook, “ngokwesayensi yokuhlalisana kwabantu eMpumalanga Ephakathi endulo, ubufakazi babesifazane babuvame ukubhekwa njengobungenakwethenjelwa: ngokwesibonelo, ofakazi ababili besilisa babanele ukuba balahle owesifazane ngecala lokuphinga, kuyilapho kungekho bufakazi bowesifazane obabungenza owesilisa alahlwe ngecala.” Ngempela, abafundi bakaJesu uqobo abazange babakholelwe labo besifazane! (Luka 24:11) Ngakho, cishe akunakwenzeka ukuthi indaba enjalo ibingaqanjwa ngenjongo.

Ukungabi bikho kwemifanekiso ezincwadini (letters) ezisemiBhalweni YesiGreki nasencwadini yezEnzo kuwubufakazi obunamandla bokuthi leyo esemaVangelini ayizange ifakwe amaKristu akuqala kodwa yashiwo uJesu ngokwakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuqhathanisa ngokucophelela amaVangeli nalezo zincwadi kwembula ukuthi amazwi kaPawulu nawabanye abalobi bemiBhalo YesiGreki awazange ashintshwe ngobuciko, enziwa amazwi ashiwo uJesu uqobo. Uma amaKristu akuqala enza into enjalo, kufanele silindele ukuthola okungenani amanye ala mazwi asezincwadini zemiBhalo YesiGreki ekulandiseni kwamaVangeli. Njengoba singawatholi, singaphetha ngokuqiniseka ngokuthi ukwaziswa okusemaVangelini akuzange kushintshe futhi kuyiqiniso.

◆ Kuthiwani ngalokho okubonakala kuwukuziphikisa emaVangelini?

Sekuyisikhathi eside abacusumbuli bethi amaVangeli agcwele izinto eziziphikisayo. Isazi-mlando uDurant safuna ukuhlola ukulandisa kwamaVangeli ngombono ongachemile ngokuphelele—njengencwadi yomlando. Nakuba sithi kukhona okubonakala kuphikisana kuwo, siyaphetha: “Ukuphikisana okwezinto ezingasho lutho [yimininingwane ewubala], hhayi izinto ezinkulu; ngokuyinhloko amavangeli anokulandisa okufanayo avumelana ngokuphawulekayo, futhi akha umbono ongaguquguquki kaKristu.”

Lokhu okubonakala kuwukuphikisana ekulandiseni kwamaVangeli ngokuvamile kuxazululeka kalula. Ngokwesibonelo: UMathewu 8:5 uthi “isikhulu sebutho seza [kuJesu], simncenga” ukuba elaphe inceku yaso. KuLuka 7:3, sifunda ukuthi leso sikhulu “sathumela [kuJesu] amadoda amadala amaJuda ukuba amcele ukuba eze futhi asindise isigqila saso.” Leso sikhulu sathumela abadala ukuba babe abameleli baso. UMathewu uthi isikhulu sebutho samncenga ngokwaso uJesu ngoba le ndoda yenza isicelo sayo ngabadala,  ababengumlomo wayo. Lesi kumane kuyisibonelo esisodwa esibonisa ukuthi lokhu okuthiwa ukuphikisana emaVangelini kungaxazululwa.

Kuthiwani ngensolo yabacusumbuli yokuthi amaVangeli awahlangabezani nemfuneko yomlando wangempela? UDurant uyaqhubeka: “Ekushisekeleni ukuthola okuthile, ukuCusumbula kuye kwasebenzisa ukuhlola kobuqiniso eTestamenteni Elisha okuqine kangangokuthi ngalokho kuhlola amakhulu abantu abadumile basendulo—njengoHammurabi, uDavid, uSocrates—bangaphenduka abantu basenganekwaneni. Ngaphezu kokuphathwa kabi kwabavangeli kanye nemibono engokwenkolo ecatshangelwe kusengaphambili, baloba izehlakalo eziningi abaqambi bendaba ababengazifihla—ukubanga kwabaphostoli izindawo eziphezulu eMbusweni, ukubaleka kwabo ngemva kokuboshwa kukaJesu, ukuphika kukaPetru . . . Akekho ofunda lezi zindaba ongangabaza ukuba ngokoqobo kwabantu ezikhuluma ngabo.”

◆ Ingabe ubuKristu banamuhla bumelela uJesu wasemaVangelini?

UMhlangano Wokucwaninga NgoJesu wathi ukuhlola kwawo amaVangeli “akuboshiwe iziqondiso zemikhandlu yamasonto.” Kodwa isazi-mlando uWells saqaphela ukuthi kunomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwezimfundiso zikaJesu ezisemaVangelini nalezo zeLobukholwa. Sabhala: “Abukho ubufakazi bokuthi abaphostoli bakaJesu bake bezwa ngoZiqu-zintathu—okungenani kuye. . . . Futhi [uJesu] akazange asho lutho ngokukhulekelwa kukanina uMariya, ezishaya unkulunkulukazi u-Isis, iNdlovukazi yezulu. Izici eziningi zokukhulekela nemikhuba yamaKristu, wazigwema.” Ngakho-ke, umuntu akanakwahlulela isimo samaVangeli ngokusekelwe ezimfundisweni zeLobukholwa.

 UPHETHA NGOKUTHINI?

Ngemva kokucabangela amaphuzu angenhla, wena ucabangani? Ingabe bukhona ubufakazi bangempela obukholisayo bokuthi amaVangeli amane nje ayinganekwane? Abaningi bathola ukuthi imibuzo nokungabaza okuboniswayo ngokuba yiqiniso kwamaVangeli akuqinile futhi akukholisi. Ukuze wakhe owakho umbono, kudingeka ufunde amaVangeli ngengqondo evulekile. (IzEnzo 17:11) Lapho ucabangela ukuvumelana, ukwethembeka nokunemba amaVangeli ethula ngako ubuntu bukaJesu, uzoqaphela ukuthi lokhu kulandisa akulona neze iqoqo lezinganekwane. *

Uma ulihlola ngokucophelela iBhayibheli futhi usebenzisa iseluleko salo, uzoyibona indlela elingakushintsha ngayo ukuphila kwakho kube ngcono. (Johane 6:68) Lokhu kuba yiqiniso ngokukhethekile lapho ufunda amazwi kaJesu asemaVangelini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuwo ungafunda ngekusasa elimangalisayo eligcinelwe isintu esilalelayo.—Johane 3:16; 17:3, 17.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 7]

Ubufakazi Bokubika Okuyiqiniso

EMINYAKENI ethile edlule, umbhali wemidlalo wase-Australia, owayengumcusumbuli weBhayibheli wavuma: “Kwakungokokuqala ekuphileni kwami ngenza lokho ngokuvamile okungumsebenzi wokuqala wentatheli: ngahlola amaphuzu ami. . . . Futhi ngethuka, ngoba lokho engangikufunda [ekulandiseni kwamaVangeli] kwakungeyona inganekwane futhi kwakungeyona indaba eqanjiwe ezwakala ingokoqobo. Kwakuwukubika. Ukulandisa kofakazi bokuzibonela nokwabaxoxelwa ngezehlakalo ezingavamile . . . Ukubika kunobuciko futhi lobo buciko busemaVangelini.”

Ngokufanayo, u-E. M. Blaiklock, uprofesa wezindaba zasendulo e-Auckland University, wathi: “Ngizibiza ngesazi-mlando. Indlela engisingatha ngayo iZindaba Zasendulo ingokomlando. Futhi ngiyaniqinisekisa, ubufakazi bokuphila, ukufa nokuvuka kukaKristu buzwakala buyiqiniso kakhulu kunokwaziswa okuningi komlando wasendulo.”

[Ibalazwe/Izithombe ekhasini 8, 9]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IFENIKE

IGALILE

UMfula IJordani

IJUDIYA

[Izithombe]

“Ubufakazi bokuphila, ukufa buyiqiniso kakhulu kunokwaziswa nokuvuka kukaKristu buzwakala okuningi komlando wasendulo.”—UPROFESA E. M. BLAIKLOCK

[Umthombo]

Background maps: Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel.