IBhayibheli—Liyaziswa Futhi Liyavinjelwa

“Ngifisa ukuba zonke izincwadi ezingcwele zihunyushelwe kuzo zonke izilimi,” kubhala uDesiderius Erasmus, isazi sekhulu le-16 esingumDashi.

U-ERASMUS wayenethemba lokuthi wonke umuntu uyokwazi ukufunda nokuqonda imiBhalo. Nokho, abaphikisi beBhayibheli bawuphikisa kakhulu lowo mbono. Empeleni, ngaleso sikhathi iYurophu yayiyindawo eyingozi ngokwedlulele kunoma ubani owayenesithakazelo ngisho nesingatheni kulokho okuqukethwe yiBhayibheli. ENgilandi kwamiswa umthetho wasephalamende owawuyala ukuthi “noma ubani ofunda imiBhalo ngesiNgisi kumelwe alahlekelwe indawo, izimpahla nokuphila . . . futhi uma eba nenkani noma ebuyela kulowo mkhuba ngemva kokuxolelwa, kumelwe kuqala alengiswe ngokwambuka enkosini, abese eshiswa ngokuhlubuka kuNkulunkulu.”

Ezwekazini laseYurophu, iNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki YamaKatolika yayizingela ngolunya amahlelo ‘ayizihlubuki’ njengama-French Waldenses, bese bewadumbela ukushushiswa ngenxa yomkhuba wawo wokushumayela besusela “emavangelini nasezincwadini zabaphostoli neminye imibhalo engcwele, . . . ngoba ukushumayela nokuchaza imibhalo engcwele kwakwenqatshelwe ngokuphelele kubantukazana.” Izindimbane zabesilisa nabesifazane zabhekana nokuhlushwa okunyantisa umzimba nokufa ngenxa yothando lwabo ngeBhayibheli. Bazifaka engozini yezigwebo ezinzima kakhulu ukuze  nje basho ngekhanda uMthandazo WeNkosi noma iMithetho Eyishumi nokuyifundisa abantwana babo.

Ukuzinikela okunjalo eZwini likaNkulunkulu kwaqhubeka kukhona ezinhliziyweni zabaningi ababaleka ngemikhumbi bayokwakha eNyakatho Melika. Incwadi ethi A History of Private Life—Passions of the Renaissance ithi eMelika yasendulo, “ukufunda nenkolo kwakuhambisana ngokungenakwehlukana, okwakusho isiko elisekelwe ekujwayelaneni neBhayibheli.” Eqinisweni, inkulumo eyanyatheliswa eBoston ngo-1767 yatusa: “Kukhuthalele ukufunda imibhalo engcwele. Kumelwe ufunde isahluko seBhayibheli lakho njalo ekuseni nantambama.”

Ngokwe-Barna Research Group eVentura, eCalifornia, amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-90 abantu baseMelika, anamaBhayibheli alinganiselwa kwamathathu. Nokho, ukuhlola kwamuva kubonisa ukuthi nakuba iBhayibheli lisahlonishwa kakhulu khona, “ukuchitha isikhathi lifundwa, litadishwa futhi lisetshenziswa . . . akusenziwa.” Abaningi banolwazi oluncane ngelikuqukethe. Omunye umhleli wephephandaba waphawula: “Umcabango wokuthi [iBhayibheli] lingase libe yikhambi ezinkingeni zamanje nokukhathazeka kuqabukela ufika.”

Igagasi Lokucabanga Kwezwe

Inkolelo evamile iwukuthi singaphumelela ekuphileni ngokubonisana nokubambisana. IBhayibheli lithathwa njengenye nje yezincwadi eziningi eziphathelene nemibono engokwenkolo nokuhlangenwe nakho komuntu siqu, hhayi njengencwadi yamaqiniso.

Pho abantu abaningi babhekana kanjani nezindaba zokuphila eziqhubeka zixaka? Baphila esikutwini esingokomoya, bengenaziqondiso zangempela zokuziphatha nezenkolo. Bafana nemikhumbi engenamaphini okuyiqondisa, “baphonswa ngapha nangapha . . . yiyo yonke imimoya yemfundiso yokukhohlisa kwabantu, . . . ngokukhohlisa nobuqili babantu.”—Efesu 4:14, The Twentieth Century New Testament.

Kumelwe sibuze-ke, Ingabe iBhayibheli limane lingenye nje incwadi yenkolo? Noma ingabe ngempela liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu, eliqukethe ukwaziswa okusebenzisekayo nokubalulekile? (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) Ingabe iBhayibheli likufanele ukuhlolwa? Isihloko esilandelayo sizodingida le mibuzo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 3]

uDesiderius Erasmus

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Ithathwe encwadini ethi Deutsche Kulturgeschichte

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AmaWaldenses adunjelwa ukushushiswa ngenxa yokushumayela kwawo esusela emiBhalweni

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Stichting Atlas van Stolk, Rotterdam