Lapho Umfana Wegeja Ethokoza NgeZwi LikaNkulunkulu

“NGIFUNA lamazwi ahunyushelwe kuzo zonke izilimi, ukuze kungabi ngawamaScots amalrish kuphela, kodwa namaTurks namaSaracens nawo awafunde . . . ngifisa ukuba umfana obamba igeja aziculele wona njengoba elandela igeja lakhe, umaluki awahlabelele lapho eluka, isihambi asithokozise ohambweni lwaso olungathakazelisi.”

Sabhala kanjalo isazi esingumDashi uDesiderius Erasmus engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu leshumi nesithupha. Kwakuyithemba lakhe elikhulu nesifiso ukuba la“mazwi,” okungukuthi, imiBhalo, ihunyushwe kabanzi ukuze no“mfana obamba igeja” awafunde futhi athole intokozo eZwini likaNkulunkulu.

Kusukela kulesosikhathi iBhayibheli liye lahunyushwa kabanzi, futhi namuhla lifundwa ngezilimi zabantu abangamaphesenti angama-97 emhlabeni. Kungesizathu esihle ukuthi iBhayibheli liye laba incwadi ethengiswa kakhulu emhlabeni. Ithonya lalo liye lashukumisa amadoda azo zonke izinhlobo ukuba asebenzele inkululeko neqiniso. Ikakhulukazi lokhu kwakunjalo phakathi nekhulu leshumi nesithupha leNkathi Yenguquko eYurophu. Abanye abantu abagqamile balesosikhathi babenesibindi futhi bengancengi njengoMartin Luther, kanti abanye, njengoErasmus, babefuna izinguquko ngezindlela ezisitheke kakhulu. Ngakho kuthiwa ngeNkathi Yenguquko uLuther wavula umnyango wayo ngemva kokuba uErasmus ethathe isikhiye.

UErasmus wayebhekwa njengesazi esikhulu. Mayelana nesimo sakhe, iCatholic Encyclopedia ithi: “Wayenamandla adlulele okukhuluma; wayengadlulwa muntu ngenkulumo enamandla futhi eshukumisayo, ukubhuqa okuhlabayo, nombhinqo ofihlekile.” Kanjalo, lapho uErasmus evakashele uSir Thomas More, ijaji laseNgilandi, ngisho nangaphambi kokuba uErasmus azisho, uMore wayejatshuliswe kakhulu ingxoxo yakhe kangangokuba wathuka esethi: “Kumelwe ukuba unguErasmus noma uDeveli.”

Okubonisa isimo sikaErasmus esingokoqobo yimpendulo ayinikeza uFederick, umvoteli weSaxony, lapho ebuzwa ngalokho akucabangayo ngoMartin Luther. UErasmus wathi: “ULuther wenze iziphosiso ezimbili, ulinge ukuthinta umqhele kapapa nezisu zezindela.”

Kodwa iBhayibheli lamthonya kanjani uErasmus, futhi yini ayenza ukuze aqhubeke nokulifunda futhi asize ekuliletheni kubantu abavamile, njengo“mfana obamba igeja”? Make sibheke okokuqala impilo yobusha bukaErasmus.

Impilo Yobusha

UErasmus wazalelwa eRotterdam, eNetherlands, ngo-1466. Wayeyindodana eyivezandlebe yompristi oyiDashi futhi wayengajabuli neze phakathi neminyaka yakhe yobusha. Unina wafa lapho eneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa, futhi ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho noyisé wafa. Nakuba ayefisela ukuya eyunivesithi, ekugcineni wahlulwa abondli bakhe wangena esigodlweni sezindela iAugustinian yaseSteyn. Lapho waqhubeka nezifundo zakhe zesiLatin, iciassics nangomlando wofata. Nokho, ngokushesha wayenyanya lendlela yokuphila. Ngakho, eseneminyaka engamashumi amabili nesithupha, wabamba ithuba lokushiya isigodlo sezindela ukuba abe unobhala wombhishobhi waseCambrai, uHenry waseBergen, eFrance. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu wakwazi ukuqhubeka nezifundo zakhe eyunivesithi yaseParis. Kodwa wayegula njalo futhi ekhathazwa impilo ebuthakathaka kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe.

Ngo-1499 wamukela isimemo sokuvakashela eNgilandi. Lapho wahlangana noThomas More, noJohn Colet nezinye izazi zenkolo eLondon, okwaqinisa isinqumo sakhe sokubambelela ezifundweni zeBhayibheli. Ukuze aqonde isigijimi seBhayibheli kangcono, wabambelela kakhulu ezifundweni zesiGreki, kwaze kwaba ilapho esekwazi ukusifundisa abanye.

Phakathi nalesikhathi wabhala indaba enesihloko esithi Handbook of the Christian Soldier, ayeluleka kuyo umKristu osemusha ukutadisha iBhayibheli, ngo kuthi: “Akukho lutho ongalikholelwa ngeqiniso elikhulu kunokuba ufunde lezincwadi.”

Phakathi nokuzama ukuthola imali yokuziphilisa, ngenxa yokuswelakala kwemali, nomzamo wokubalekela inhlupheko, uErasmus wazithola eseseLouvain, eBelgium, ngo-1504. Lapho evakashele isigodlo sezindela saseParc, wathola emtatsheni wezincwadi umbhalo olotshwe ngesandla wesazi esiyiNtaliyane uLorenzo Valla’s othi Annotations on the New Testament. Leliqoqo lemibhalo ekuLatin Vulgate lemiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki yavusa isithakazelo sakhe ekuhlolisiseni lemibhalo, okuhilela ukuqhathanisa izinguqulo zokuqala nemibhalo elotshwe ngesandla yeBhayibheli ukuze kubonakale umbhalo wokuqala. UErasmus wazimisela ukusebenzela ukulondoloza imibhalo yokuqala yeBhayibheli.

Khona-ke uErasmus wavakashela eltaly futhi kamuva wabuye waphikelela eNgilandi. Njengoba ayedabula iAlps wacabanga futhi ngokuhlangana kwakhe noThomas More, futhi ecabanga ngencazelo yegama lakhe (moros ngesiGreki kusho “isiwula”) washukunyiselwa ukuba abhale umbhinqo, awubize ngokuthi Praise of Folly. Kuyona ubuwula bufaniswe nomuntu futhi bungena kunoma isiphi isici sokuphila, kodwa akukho ndawo lapho ubuwula bugqame khona kunaphakathi kwezazi zezenkolo nabefundisi. Ngalendlela wadalula ukonakala kwabefundisi, enye yezimbangela zeNkathi Yenguquko, manje eyayisifufusa. “Mayelana nopapa,” wabhala, “uma bethi bangabalandeli babaPhostoli kumelwe bacabange ukuthi izinto ezifanayo ziyafuneka nakubo njengoba zazenziwa ngababengaphambi kwabo.” Kodwa esikhundleni sokwenza lokhu, waphawula, bacabanga ukuthi “ukufundisa abantu kunomsebenzi omkhulu; ukuhumusha imibhalo kuwukuhlasela igunya lothisha, ukuthandaza akusizi ngalutho.” Akumangalisi ukuthi kwathiwa ngoErasmus waye“namandla amakhulu okukhuluma”!

Ukunyatheliswa Kwemibhalo Yokuqala YesiGreki

Nakuba ayefundisa isiGreki eCarabrigde University eNgilandi okwesikhathi esithile, uErasmus waqhuba umsebenzi wakhe wokulungisa umbhalo wemiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki. Umngane othile, uMartin Dorpius, wazama ukumbonisa ukuthi inguqulo yesiLatin yayingadingi kulungiswa ngesiGreki. UDorpius waphikisa ngokuthi, kwakungenzeka yini “ukuba lonke iSonto lamaKatolika libe sephutheni emakhulwini eminyaka amaningi kangaka, ngokuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi liye lasebenzisa futhi lavumela lenguqulo?” UThomas More wahlangana noErasmus ekuphenduleni lokhu kugxeka, begcizelela isidingo sombhalo oqondile weBhayibheli ngezilimi zokuqala.

EBasel, eSwitzerland, umshicileli, uJohannes Froben, wakhuthaza uErasmus ukuba asheshe aqede umsebenzi wakhe. Wayezwe ukuthi uCardinal Ximenes waseToledo, eSpain, wayenza iTestamente lesiGreki nesiLatin ngo-1514, kodwa waphuza ukulinyathelisa kwaze kwayilapho lonke iBhayibheli seliphelile. Ekugcineni lakhishwa njenge“Complutensian Polyglot” ngo-1522. Uhlelo lukaErasmus lwanyatheliswa ngo-1516, okwakungokokuqala ngqá ukuba kukhishwe umbhalo we“Tesamtente Elisha” ngesiGreki sokuqala.

Ukuphuthuma okwenziwa ekuqedweni kwawo kwasho ukuthi wawunamaphutha amaningi.a Ngaphezu kwanoma ubani omunye uErasmus wakuqaphela lokhu, futhi ezinhlelweni zamuva walungisa amaningi awo ngangokunokwe nzeka. Bobabili uLuther noWilliam Tyndale bawusebenzisa ezinguqulweni zabo zeBhayibheli ngesiJalimane nangesiNgisi. Leli kwakuyithemba futhi kuyisifiso sikaErasmus, futhi esanduleleni salomqulu wombhalo wesiGreki wabhala: “Ngifuna ukuba lamazwi ahunyushelwe kuzo zonke izilimi. . . . Ngifisa ukuba umfana obamba igeja aziculele wona njengoba elandela igeja lakhe.” Nakuba wawungaphelele umbhalo kaErasmus, waqalisa umsebenzi obalulekile wokuhlola imibhalo, okuye kwaholela ezinguqulweni eziqondile zeBhayibheli esikhathini sethu.

Nokho, akubona bonke abakujabulela ukukhishwa kwalencwadi. Ara-anye amazwi kaErasmus ayegxeka kakhulu abefundisi. Ngokwesibonelo, thatha umbhalo kaMathewu 16:18, othi: “Petru phezu kwalelidwala ngiyakulakha ibandla lami.” UErasmus wabonisa ukumangala kwakhe ngokuthi lamazwi kwakumelwe asebenze kupapa kuphela, futhi usenqaba ngokuphelele isikhundla sokuqala sikaPetru. Lawo kwakungamazwi agqamile emqulwini owanikezelwa kupapa. Akumangalisi ukuthi eminingi imibhalo kaErasmus yayinqatsheíwe, ngisho nasemayunivesithi.

Ukuthi uErasmus wayekhathelele ukuqonda iZwi likaNkulunkulu kusobala encwadini eyalotshwa nguye ngo-1519 enesihloko esithi Principles of True Theology (ngokufingqiwe kuthiwa The Ratio). Lena iveza indlela yakhe yokutadisha iBhayibheli, nemithetho yokuhunyushwa kwalo. Lena ihlanganisa ukungalokothi ususe ingcaphuno emongweni wayo noma emqondweni wombhali. Wabubona ubunye bemiBhalo iyonke. Ukuhumushake kwakuvela kuyona, egomela, futhi akufakwa emakhasini alo kususelwa ngaphandle.—Qhathanisa noGenesise 40:8.

UErasmus NoLuther

Ngo-1518 uErasmus wabhala indaba ebizwa ngokuthi Familiar Colloquies, nayo yahlasela ukonakala okuseSontweni nasezigodlweni zezindela. Ngonyaka ongaphambili nje, uMartin Luther wayebethele ngesibindi iziphakamiso zakhe ezingama-95 emnyango wesonto eWittenburg, ezisola ukuzitika, okwase kuyisihlamba emazweni aminingi. Ngokwesikhathi esithile kwakubonakala sengathi uErasmus noLuther babeyohlangana ukuze balethe ushintsho oludingekayo, kodwa imibono yabo ngendlela yokufinyelela ushintsho yayihlukene kakhulu. Ngokushesha nje uLuther waqala ukusola uErasmus ngoba uErasmus wayethobile futhi wayefuna ukusebenza ngezindlela zokuthula phakathi eSontweni. Kungashiwo ukuthi uErasmus wacabanga wabhala, kulapho uLuther athatha isinyathelo.

Ukwehlukana ekugcineni kwaba ngo-1524 lapho uErasmus ebhala indaba ethi On the Freedom of the Will. ULuther wawunqaba umqondo wokuthi umuntu unamandla okuzikhethela, kodwa uErasmus wacabanga ukuthi lokhu kwakungenza uNkulunkulu abe ongalungile, njengoba kwakuyosho ukuthi umuntu akakwazi ukwenza ngendlela ephumela ekusindeni kwakhe.

Njengoba iNkathi Yenguquko yenzeka eYurophu, izimo zaphoqelela abaningi abaholi bayo ukuba bahlukane neSonto lamaKatolika. Nakuba babengakayiboni imiphumela yayo, baqhubekela phambili endleleni ababeyikhethile, ngokuvamile eya ekufeni kwabo. Kodwa uErasmus wahlehla empikiswaneni, futhi wasenqaba nesigqoko sezikhulu zamaRoma, evuma ngesinye isikhathi ukuthi uma ayengavivinywa, wayengawa njengoPetru. (Mathewu 26:69-75) Wazama ukuba phakathi nendawo. Ngakho lapho iRoma ibheka imibhalo yakhe njengeyenkolelo ephambene futhi iyifaka kuIndex yezincwadi ezinqatshelwe, abaningi abaholi benkathi yenguquko bamsola njengolungele ukuvuma konke ukuze azisindise. Ezwela kunoma ikuphi ukugxeka, kodwa efisela ukwamukela udumo, uErasmus ngaso sonke isikhathi wayeqaphile, esaba imiphumela yanoma ikuphi ukuqembuka eRoma.

Ukuhlangana kukaErasmus neNkathi Yenguquko kuye kwafingqwa kanje: “Wayengumholi wenguquko kwaze kwaba ilapho iNkathi Yenguquko seyesabeka, umbhuqi wezisekelo zobupapa kwaze kwaba ilapho seziqala ukuwa; umnyathelisi wemiBhalo kwaze kwaba ilapho abantu sebeqonde ukuyitadisha futhi bayisebenzise kubo, umlulazi wobuzenzisi benkolo kwaze kwaba ilapho seyilinganiswa njengoba injalo; kafushane, kwakuyindoda efundile, ehlakaniphile, enomusa, enobungane, ethobekile, ebuthaka, ethwala umthwalo wemfanelo, enika abanye udumo lokukhulula umqondo wabantu ebugqilini beminyaka eyinkulungwane. Ngakho ibanga phakathi komsebenzi wakhe nokaLuther lalilokhu landa, kwaze kwaba ilapho sebeqhelelene kakhulu, futhi behlangana kuphela ngobutha obulinganayo.”—Edinburgh Review, lxviii, 302.

Abaholi benguquko babengavumelani ngokwabo mayelana nezimfundiso nemikhuba ethile, ngakho izinguquko ezenziwa ekhulwini leshumi nesithupha zehluleka ukuqeda ezinye zezimfundiso eziyisisekelo ezazifihle iqiniso leZwi likaNkulunkulu emakhulwini amaningi. Kodwa intuthuko eyenziwa yokunikeza abantu abavamile iBhayibheli iye yaqhubeka kusukela kulesosikhathi kuze kube usuku lwanamuhla. Kusukela kulemizamo, uErasmus aba nengxenye kuyo, kuye kwavela izinguqulo zeBhayibheli ezinokwethenjwa neziqondile.

Kanjalo, namuhla “umfana obamba igeja” angathatha iBhayibheli, noma okungenani ingxenye yalo, nganoma ilu phi olunye ulimi futhi angathokoza ekufundeni izinjongo ezinkulu zikaNkulunkulu ngesintu. ImiBhalo isikhuthaza ngokufudumele ukuba senze kanjalo. Njengoba ithi kumaHubo 1:2, 3 ngokuqondene nomuntu olungileyo: “Kepha okuthokoza kwakhe kusemthethweni kaJehova, ozindla ngomthetho wakhe imini nobusuku. Unjengomuthi otshaliwe ngasemifuleni yamanzi, othela isithelo sawo ngesikhathi sawo, oqabunga lawo lingabuni, nakho konke akwenzayo uyakubanenhlanhla kukho.” Kwangathi singeze savumela usuku ludlule ngaphandle kokuthola intokozo eZwini likaNkulunkulu.

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UErasmus, umholi wenguquko kwaze kwaba yilapho iNkathi Yenguquko iba esabekayo