Ingabe Bewazi?
Ingabe abantu babeyibetha ngempela imitshingo emingcwabeni osukwini lukaJesu?
▪ IBhayibheli likhuluma ngokubethwa kwemitshingo nezinye izinsimbi zomculo ngezikhathi zemikhosi. (1 AmaKhosi 1:40; Isaya 5:12; 30:29) Kodwa lithi emngcwabeni kwakubethwa imitshingo kuphela. IVangeli likaMathewu lithi umbusi ongumJuda wacela uJesu ukuba aphulukise indodakazi yakhe eyayisizokufa. Lapho uJesu efika endlini yombusi ‘wabona ababethi bemitshingo nesixuku sinomsindo siphithizela’ ngoba umntwana wayesefile.—Mathewu 9:18, 23.
Ingabe uMathewu wayenembile lapho ebhala ngaleli siko? Umhumushi weBhayibheli uWilliam Barclay uthi: “Kulo lonke izwe lasendulo, eRoma, eGrisi, eFenike, e-Asiriya nasePalestina, umsindo womtshingo odabukisayo wawungenakuhlukaniswa nokufa nobuhlungu.” NgokweTalmud, ngisho nomJuda owayehlupheka kunabo bonke owayeshonelwa inkosikazi phakathi nekhulu lokuqala C.E. wayeqasha abantu ababili abazobetha umtshingo nowesifazane ozokhalela umkakhe. UFlavius Josephus, isazi-mlando esaphila ngekhulu lokuqala, ubika ukuthi lapho iJerusalema lizwa ukuthi iRoma linqobe iJotapata laseGalile ngo-67 C.E. nokuthi kubhuqwe izakhamuzi zakhona, “abaningi ababelila baqasha ababethi bemitshingo ukuba bayibethe ezingomeni zabo zokulila.”
Laliyini icala lezelelesi ezalengiswa noJesu?
▪ IBhayibheli libiza lezi zelelesi ngokuthi “abaphangi.” (Mathewu 27:38; Marku 15:27) Ezinye izincwadi ezichaza iBhayibheli ziveza ukuthi imiBhalo isebenzisa amagama ahlukene lapho ihlukanisa uhlobo oluthile lwesigebengu kwesinye. Igama lesiGreki elithi kleptes libhekisela eseleni eleba ngasese ukuze lingabanjwa. Leli gama lisetshenziswe kuJuda Iskariyothe owayeba ngasese ebhokisini lemali labafundi. (Johane 12:6) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, igama elithi lestes libhekisela kulabo abaphanga ngendluzula futhi lingase libhekisele kumuntu oyivukela–mbuso noma iphekula. Labo ababelengiswe noJesu babeyilolu hlobo lwesibili. Eqinisweni omunye wabo kubikwa ukuthi wathi: “Thina. . . samukela ngokugcwele okusifanele ngenxa yezinto esizenzile.” (Luka 23:41) Lokhu kusho ukuthi babengewona amasela nje kuphela.
Njengalabo baphangi ababili, uBharaba ubizwa ngokuthi i-lestes. (Johane 18:40) Ukuthi uBharaba wayengelona isela nje kuphela kubonakala kahle kuLuka 23:19, othi “wayephonswe etilongweni ngenxa yokuvukela umbuso okuthile okwenzeka emzini nangenxa yokubulala.”
Ngakho, nakuba lezi zelelesi ezalengiswa noJesu zazingabaphangi, kungenzeka nokuthi zazihileleke ekuvukeleni umbuso noma ukubulala. Kunoma yikuphi, uMbusi waseRoma uPontiyu Pilatu wabona kufaneleka ukuba zibethelwe.