LOWO mbuzo kufanele ucatshangelwe lapho abahumushi beBhayibheli behumusha ivesi lokuqala leVangeli likaJohane. ENguqulweni Yezwe Elisha, leli vesi lifundeka kanje: “Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayenoNkulunkulu, futhi uLizwi wayewunkulunkulu.” (Johane 1:1) Ezinye izinguqulo zihumusha ingxenye yokugcina yaleli vesi ngendlela edlulisela umqondo wokuthi uLizwi “ungowaphezulu,” noma okuthile okunjalo. (A New Translation of the Bible, kaJames Moffatt; The New English Bible) Kodwa izinguqulo eziningi zihumusha le ngxenye yokugcina kaJohane 1:1 ngale ndlela: “Futhi uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.”—The Holy Bible—New International Version; The Jerusalem Bible.

Uhlelo lolimi lwesiGreki nomongo kubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi indlela INguqulo Yezwe Elisha elibeka ngayo leli vesi inembile nokuthi “uLizwi” akufanele kuthiwe “unguNkulunkulu” okubhekiselwa kuye ekuqaleni kwaleli vesi. Noma kunjalo, iqiniso lokuthi ulimi lwesiGreki lwekhulu lokuqala lwalungenawo umunci ongacacile (u-“a” noma u-“an” wesiNgisi) kuphakamisa imibuzo ezingqondweni zabathile. Kungenxa yalesi sizathu inguqulo ethile yeBhayibheli yolimi olwalukhulunywa emakhulwini  okuqala eNkathi yethu Evamile ithakazelisa kakhulu.

Lolo limi isiSahidic, esivela olimi lwesiCoptic. IsiCoptic sasikhulunywa eGibhithe emakhulwini eminyaka ngemva nje kwenkonzo kaJesu yasemhlabeni, futhi isiSahidic sasiwuhlobo lokuqala lwalolu limi olwalusetshenziswa ekubhaleni izincwadi. Ikhuluma ngezinguqulo zeBhayibheli zokuqala zesiCoptic, i-Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi: “Njengoba [i-Septuagint] kanye [nemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki] yahunyushelwa olimini lwesiCoptic phakathi nekhulu lesithathu C.E., le nguqulo yesiCoptic isekelwe [emibhalweni yesandla yesiGreki] emidala kakhulu kunofakazi abaningi abasaphila.”

Umbhalo wesiSahidic Coptic uthakazelisa ngokukhethekile ngenxa yezizathu ezimbili. Esokuqala, njengoba kuboniswe ngenhla, ubonisa indlela imiBhalo eyayiqondwa ngayo ngaphambi kwekhulu lesine, isikhathi uZiqu-zintathu aqala ngaso ukuba imfundiso engokomthetho. Esesibili, uhlelo lolimi lwesiCoptic lusondele kakhulu kolwesiNgisi esicini esisodwa esibalulekile. Izinguqulo zokuqala zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki zahunyushwa ngesi-Aramu, isiLatini nesiCoptic. Isi-Aramu nesiLatini, njengesiGreki sangalezo zinsuku, azinawo umunci ongacacile. Kodwa isiCoptic sinawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isazi uThomas O. Lambdin, encwadini yakhe ethi Introduction to Sahidic Coptic, uthi: “Ukusetshenziswa komunci wesiCoptic, ocacile nongacacile, kuvumelana eduze nokusetshenziswa komunci wesiNgisi.”

Ngenxa yalokho, inguqulo yesiCoptic inikeza ubufakazi obuthakazelisayo bendlela uJohane 1:1 ayeqondwa ngayo ngaleso sikhathi. Sitholani? Inguqulo yesiSahidic Coptic isebenzisa umunci ongacacile egameni elithi “unkulunkulu” engxenyeni yokugcina kaJohane 1:1. Ngakho, lapho ihunyushelwa esiNgisini sanamuhla, le nguqulo ifundeka kanje: “Futhi uLizwi wayewunkulunkulu.” Ngokusobala, labo bahumushi basendulo baqaphela ukuthi amazwi kaJohane alotshwe kuJohane 1:1 ayengasho ukuthi uJesu kwakufanele abhekwe njengoNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. ULizwi wayewunkulunkulu, hhayi uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.