NGAPHAMBI nje kokuba aphindele ezulwini, uJesu wayala abafundi bakhe ukuba banikeze ubufakazi ngaye “eJerusalema nakulo lonke elaseJudiya neSamariya nasezingxenyeni ezikude kakhulu zomhlaba.” (IzEnzo 1:8) Abafundi bakhe bakwenza ngentshiseko nangesibindi lokho. Nokho, ngokushesha inkonzo yabo eJerusalema yabangela ukuba baphikiswe kakhulu okwaholela ekubulaweni kukaStefanu efel’ ukholo. Abafundi bakaJesu abaningi babalekela e-Antiyokiya, eSiriya, omunye wemizi emikhulu kakhulu owawungaphansi koMbuso WaseRoma, oqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-550 enyakatho yeJerusalema.—IzEnzo 11:19.

E-Antiyokiya abafundi baqhubeka beshumayela “izindaba ezinhle” ngoJesu futhi abaningi abangewona amaJuda baba amakholwa. (IzEnzo 11:20, 21) Nakuba isiGreki sasiwulimi olwaluvamile emzini wase-Antiyokiya, kweminye imizi kuleso sifunda ulimi olwalusetshenziswa abantu, isi-Syriac.

Njengoba inani lamaKristu akhuluma isi-Syriac laliqhubeka landa ngekhulu lesibili leminyaka, kwaba nesidingo sokuba izindaba ezinhle zihunyushelwe olimini lwawo. Kubonakala sengathi izingxenye zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki zahunyushelwa olimini lwesi-Syriac kuqala, hhayi kolwesiLatini.

 Cishe ngo-170 C.E., umbhali waseSiriya uTatian (c. 120-173 C.E.) wahlanganisa izincwadi zamaVangeli ezine wenza incwadi yesiGreki noma yesi-Syriac ebizwa ngokuthi i-Diatessaron, okuyigama lesiGreki elisho ukuthi “ngokwamaVangeli amane.” Kamuva u-Ephraem waseSiriya (c. 310-373 C.E) wabhala incwadi echaza i-Diatessaron, ngaleyo ndlela eqinisekisa ukuthi amaKristu aseSiriya ayeyisebenzisa.

Sinesithakazelo esikhulu kuyi-Diatessaron namuhla. Kungani? Ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka, ezinye izazi zathi izincwadi zamaVangeli zalotshwa ekhulwini lesibili leminyaka, phakathi kuka-130 C.E. no-170 C.E. okuzenza zingabi nokulandisa okunembile kokuphila kukaJesu. Nokho, imibhalo yesandla yasendulo ye-Diatessaron eye yatholakala iye yafakazela ukuthi izincwadi zamaVangeli, elikaMathewu, elikaMarku, elikaLuka nelikaJohane zase zisetshenziswa kakade maphathi nekhulu lesibili leminyaka. Okusho ukuthi kumelwe ukuba zalotshwa ngaphambi kwalokho. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba uTatian engazange awasebenzise amavangeli angekho eBhayibhelini lapho ebhala i-Diatessaron ngendlela asebenzisa ngayo amaVangeli amane aseBhayibhelini, kuyacaca ukuthi amavangeli angekho eBhayibhelini ayebhekwa njengangathembekile noma njengangakufanelekeli ukuba yingxenye yeBhayibheli.

Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka, inguqulo yeBhayibheli yesi-Syriac yaqala ukusetshenziswa enyakatho yeMesopotamia. Le nguqulo, eyenziwa cishe phakathi nekhulu lesibili noma lesithathu leminyaka C.E., yayinazo zonke izincwadi zeBhayibheli ngaphandle kweyesi-2 KuPetru, eyesi-2 neyesi-3 KaJohane, KaJuda nesAmbulo. Yaziwa ngokuthi yi-Peshitta, okusho ukuthi “Kulula” noma “Kuyacaca.” I-Peshitta ingenye yezinguqulo ezindala kakhulu nezibalulekile ezinikeza ubufakazi bokuhunyushwa kwamavesi eBhayibheli.

Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi enye yemibhalo yesandla ye-Peshitta ibhalwe ukuthi 459/460 C.E, okuyenza ibe umbhalo wesandla weBhayibheli omdala kunayo yonke obhalwe usuku olucacile. Cishe ngo-508 C.E., kwenziwa inguqulo ebukeziwe ye-Peshitta eyayinezincwadi ezinhlanu ezazingekho kweyokuqala. Yabizwa ngokuthi yi-Philoxenian Version.

Kuze kube yikhulu le-19 leminyaka, cishe onke amakhophi esiGreki aziwayo emiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ayenziwe ngekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka noma ngemva kwalokho. Ngenxa yalokho, izazi zeBhayibheli zazinesithakazelo esikhethekile kulezo zinguqulo zokuqala njenge-Vulgate yesiLatini ne-Peshitta yesi-Syriac. Ngaleso sikhathi abantu abathile babekholelwa ukuthi i-Peshitta iwukubukezwa kwenguqulo yesi-Syriac endala. Kodwa inguqulo enjalo yayingaziwa. Njengoba umlando weBhayibheli lesi-Syriac uqala ngekhulu lesibili leminyaka, inguqulo enjalo inganikeza umlando weBhayibheli ngesikhathi liqala ukuhunyushwa futhi lokho bekuyoba into ebalulekile ezazini zeBhayibheli! Ingabe yayikhona ngempela inguqulo endala yesi-Syriac? Ingabe yayingatholakala?

Ngokuqinisekile yayingatholakala! Empeleni, kuye kwatholakala imibhalo emibili yesandla yesi-Syriac. Umbhalo wesandla wokuqala wabhalwa ngekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka. Wawuphakathi kwemibhalo eminingi yesandla yesi-Syriac eyatholwa yi-British Museum ngo-1842 ekhaya lezindela elisehlane laseNitrian e-Egypt. Wawubizwa ngokuthi i-Curetonian Syriac ngenxa yokuthi watholwa futhi wanyatheliswa uWilliam Cureton, isekela lomgcini wemibhalo yesandla emyuziyamu. Lo mqulu oyigugu uqukethe amaVangeli amane, elikaMathewu, elikaMarku, elikaJohane nelikaLuka.

Umbhalo wesandla wesibili osekhona nanamuhla ubizwa ngokuthi i-Sinaitic Syriac. Ukutholakala kwawo kuhlotshaniswa nohambo lwamawele okukhulunywe ngawo ekuqaleni kwalesi sihloko. Nakuba u-Agnes ayengenazo iziqu zaseyunivesithi wafunda izilimi ezingu-8 zakwamanye amazwe kuhlanganise nesi-Syriac. Ngo-1892, u-Agnes wathola into eyigugu ekhaya lezindela eSt. Catherine e-Egypt.

 Lapho, endaweni emnyama yokugcina izimpahla, wathola umbhalo wesandla wesi-Syriac. Nakhu akusho, “wawuyinto ethusayo ngoba wawungcole kakhulu futhi amakhasi awo ayesenamathelene ngenxa yokuthi kwase kuyiminyaka eminingi engavulwa.” Kwakuwumbhalo wesandla okwakuke kwabhalwa kuwo, kwesulwa kwase kuphinde kubhalwa ngolimi lwesi-Syriac izinto ezimayelana nosanta besifazane. Nokho, u-Agnes wakwazi ukubona umbhalo owawungaphansi kanye namagama athi “elikaMathewu,” “elikaMarku” noma “elikaLuka” phezulu ekhasini. Lokho ayekutholile kwakuyi-Syriac codex ecishe iphelele yamaVangeli amane! Izazi manje zikholelwa ukuthi le codex yabhalwa ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka.

I-Sinaitic Syriac ibhekwa njengomunye wemibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli ebaluleke kunayo yonke kuleyo eye yatholwa. Eminye ebhekwa ngaleyo ndlela, imibhalo yesandla yesiGreki njengeCodex Sinaiticus neCodex Vaticanus. Namuhla kucatshangwa ukuthi imibhalo yesandla emibili i-Curetonian ne-Sinaitic ingamakhophi amaVangeli akudala eSyriac abhalwa ekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili noma lesithathu leminyaka.

Ingabe le mibhalo yesandla ingabazuzisa abafundi beBhayibheli namuhla? Ngokuqinisekile! Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngalokho okubizwa ngokuthi isiphetho seVangeli likaMarku, esitholakala ngemva kukaMarku 16:8 kwamanye amaBhayibheli . Siyavela kuyi-Codex Alexandrinus yesi-Greki yangekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka, kuyi-Vulgate yesiLatini nakwezinye izindawo. Nokho imibhalo yesandla emibili yesiGreki ehlonishwa kakhulu yangekhulu lesine leminyaka—i-Codex Sinaiticus ne-Codex Vaticanus—iphetha ngoMarku 16:8. I-Sinaitic Syriac nayo ayinaso lesi siphetho eside, okunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi leso siphetho eside sanezelwa kamuva futhi sasingeyona ingxenye yeVangeli likaMarku lokuqala.

Nasi esinye isibonelo. Ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka, cishe zonke izinguqulo zeBhayibheli zazinokwenezelwa okuyiphutha kwemfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu kweyoku-1 Johane 5:7. Nokho, lokhu kwenezela akuveli emibhalweni yesandla yesiGreki emidala kakhulu. Akuveli nakuyi-Peshitta, okuwubufakazi bokuthi ukwenezela okukweyoku-1 Johane 5:7 akuyona ingxenye yamavesi eBhayibheli.

Kusobala ukuthi njengoba athembisa, uJehova uNkulunkulu uye walilondoloza iZwi lakhe Elingcwele. Kulo, sinikwa lesi siqinisekiso: “Utshani obuluhlaza bomile, imbali ibunile; kodwa izwi likaNkulunkulu wethu lona, liyokuma kuze kube nini nanini.” (Isaya 40:8; 1 Petru 1:25) Inguqulo eyaziwa ngokuthi yi-Peshitta ifeza indima encane kodwa ebalulekile ekudluliseleni umyalezo weBhayibheli onembile kubo bonke abantu.