Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Isayensi NeBhayibheli Kuyavumelana?

KUSUKA ezindizeni namabhomu e-athomu kuya emangqamuzaneni ashintshwa izici zofuzo nokwenziwa komfuziselo wemvu, ikhulu lethu lama-20 liye laba inkathi ebuswa isayensi. Ososayensi baye bathumela abantu enyangeni, baqeda ingxibongo, bathuthukisa ezolimo futhi balethela izinkulungwane zezigidi emhlabeni wonke izindlela zokuxhumana ngokushesha. Ngakho, akumangalisi ukuthi lapho ososayensi bekhuluma, abantu bayalalela. Kodwa yini ososayensi abayishoyo ngeBhayibheli, uma ikhona? Futhi iBhayibheli lisitshelani ngesayensi?

Ingabe Izimangaliso Azivumelani Nesayensi?

“Abantu abathambekele kuyisayensi bakholelwa ekubeni khona ‘kwembangela nomphumela.’ Banomuzwa wokuthi kunencazelo engokwemvelo yazo zonke izinto,” kusho i-encyclopedia yesimanje. Abafundi beBhayibheli nabo bayazamukela izimiso ezingokwesayensi ezimisiwe. Nokho, bayaqaphela ukuthi iBhayibheli livame ukukhuluma ngezenzakalo eziyisimangaliso ezingenakuchazwa ngokwesayensi ngokolwazi lwanamuhla. Izibonelo ukuma phuhle kwelanga osukwini lukaJoshuwa nokuhamba kukaJesu phezu kwamanzi. (Joshuwa 10:12, 13; Mathewu 14:23-34) Nokho, lezi zimangaliso kuvezwa ukuthi zabangelwa ukusebenza kwamandla kaNkulunkulu ngendlela engaphezu kweyemvelo.

Leli phuzu libalulekile. Ukube iBhayibheli beligomela ukuthi abantu bangahamba phezu kwamanzi ngaphandle kosizo lwaphezulu noma ukuthi ukuhamba kwelanga emkhathini kungaphazanyiswa ngaphandle kwesizathu, belingase libonakale liphikisana namaqiniso angokwesayensi. Nokho, lapho lithi izenzakalo ezinjalo zabangelwa amandla kaNkulunkulu, aliphikisani nesayensi kodwa liholela ingxoxo esicini isayensi engenakusiqonda.

Ingabe IBhayibheli Liyayiphikisa Isayensi?

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kuthiwani ngalezo zibonelo lapho iBhayibheli lichaza khona izenzakalo ezivamile ekuphileni kwabantu noma lithinta nje ngezitshalo, izilwane, noma izenzakalo ezingokwemvelo? Ngokuthakazelisayo, asikho isibonelo esifakazelwayo lapho iBhayibheli liphikisa khona amaqiniso angokwesayensi aziwayo ezindabeni ezinjalo lapho kucatshangelwa umongo.

Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli livame ukusebenzisa ulimi olusankondlo olubonisa imiqondo yabantu ababephila ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka edlule. Lapho incwadi kaJobe ikhuluma ngoJehova ekhanda noma elolonga isibhakabhaka “esiqinile njengesibuko esibunjiweyo,” lisichaza kahle isibhakabhaka njengesibuko esiqinile esikhazimulayo. (Jobe 37:18) Asikho isidingo sokuwuthatha ngomqondo ongokoqobo lomfanekiso, njengoba ungenakwenza kanjalo ngomfanekiso othi umhlaba ‘unezisekelo’ noma ‘itshe legumbi.’—Jobe 38:4-7.

Lokhu kubalulekile ngoba abahlaziyi abaningi baye bathatha imifanekiso enjalo ngomqondo ongokoqobo. (Bheka eyesi-2 Samuweli 22:8; IHubo 78:23, 24.) Baye baphetha ngokuthi iBhayibheli lifundisa okuthile okunjengalokhu okulandelayo, okucashunwe kwethi The Anchor Bible Dictionary.

“Umhlaba isintu esihlala kuwo ubhekwa njengento eyindilinga, eqinile, mhlawumbe eyisicaba, entanta phezu kotwa lwamanzi angenamkhawulo. Malungana nalolutwa lwamanzi angaphansi kunamanye angaphezulu nawo angenamkhawulo, lapho kwehla khona amanzi ayimvula aphuma ngemigodi nemisele ekuleli damu lasezulwini. Inyanga, ilanga nezinye izinkanyiso zimé entweni egobile engaphezulu komhlaba. Lento ‘iwumkhathi’ (rāqîa‛) ovamile ochazwa abapristi.”

Ngokusobala, lencazelo ayivumelani nesayensi yanamuhla. Kodwa ingabe lokhu kuwukuhlaziywa okufanele kwemfundiso yeBhayibheli ngokuphathelene namazulu? Lutho neze. I-International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia ithi izincazelo ezinjalo zesiHeberu zendawo yonke “eqinisweni zisekelwe ngokuyinhloko emibonweni eyayivame eYurophu phakathi neNkathi Ephakathi hhayi emazwini angokoqobo [aseTestamenteni Elidala].” Yayivelaphi leyo mibono yasendulo? Njengoba uDavid C. Lindberg echaza kwethi The Beginnings of Western Science, yayisekelwe ngokuyinhloko kuyisayensi yendawo yonke yesazi sefilosofi sasendulo esingumGreki u-Aristotle, imisebenzi yaso eyayiyisisekelo semfundo eningi yenkathi ephakathi.

Kwakuyoba ubuwula futhi kuphazamise ukuba uNkulunkulu waloba iBhayibheli ngolimi olwaluyokhanga ososayensi bekhulu lama-20. Kunokuba lisebenzise izinqubo ezingokwesayensi, iBhayibheli liqukethe imifanekiso ecacile esuselwa ekuphileni kwansuku zonke kwabantu abayibhala kuqala—imifanekiso enethonya elinamandla ngisho nanamuhla.—Jobe 38:8-38; Isaya 40:12-23.

Ulwazi Oluvela Emthonjeni Ophakeme

Nokho, ngokuthakazelisayo, eminye imibhalo yeBhayibheli kubonakala iveza ulwazi olungokwesayensi ababengenalo abantu ababephila ngaleso sikhathi. UJobe uchaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu “welula inyakatho phezu kwendawo engenalutho; uphanyeka umhlaba phezu kweze.” (Jobe 26:7) Umqondo wokuthi umhlaba uphanyekwe “phezu kweze” wawuhluke ngokuphelele ezinganekwaneni zabantu abaningi basendulo, ababethi uphezu kwezindlovu noma izimfudu. UMthetho kaMose unezimfuneko zenhlanzeko eziphambili kakhulu kunolwazi lwezokwelapha lwangaleso sikhathi. Imiyalo yokuhlukanisa abantu okwakucatshangwa ukuthi banochoko nokwenqabela ukuthinta abantu abafile ngokungangabazeki kwasindisa ukuphila kwama-Israyeli amaningi. (Levitikusi 13; Numeri 19:11-16) Ngokuphambene, imikhuba yezokwelapha yama-Asiriya ichazwa ngokuthi “inhlanganisela yenkolo, ukubhula nokukholelwa emademonini” futhi yayihlanganisa ukwelapha ngothuvi wenja nomchamo wabantu.

Njengoba umuntu abengalindela ngencwadi ephefumulelwe uMdali, iBhayibheli liqukethe ukwaziswa okunembile ngokwesayensi, ngokusobala okuphambili, nakuba lingagxili ezincazelweni ezingokwesayensi ezazingenakubasiza noma ezaziyobadida abantu basendulo. IBhayibheli aliqukethe lutho oluphikisa amaqiniso esayensi aziwayo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli liqukethe okuningi okungavumelani nezinkolelo-mbono ezingenabufakazi, njengenkolelo-mbono yokuziphendukela kwemvelo.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 27]

Amazwi kaJobe athi umhlaba ‘uphanyekwe phezu kweze’ aveza ulwazi ababengenalo abantu besikhathi sakhe

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

NASA