IBhayibheli liyincwadi endala kakhulu. Lidala kangakanani? Ukulotshwa kwalo kwaqala eminyakeni engaba ngu-3 500 edlule, eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakubusa umndeni wakwaShang eChina, kusasele iminyaka engaba yinkulungwane ngaphambi kokuba kuqale inkolo yobuBuddha eNdiya.​—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “ Amaqiniso NgeBhayibheli.”

Ukuze incwadi ibe usizo futhi izuzise, abantu kumelwe bayiqonde futhi isebenze kubo. IBhayibheli liyincwadi enjalo kanye. Linezimpendulo ezanelisayo zemibuzo ebaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni.

Ngokwesibonelo, wake wazibuza yini ukuthi, ‘Kungani silapha?’ Sekuphele izinkulungwane zeminyaka lo mbuzo udida abantu. Nokho, impendulo itholakala ezahlukweni ezimbili zencwadi yokuqala yeBhayibheli, uGenesise. Kulezo zahluko, ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kubuyela emuva “ekuqaleni”​—eminyakeni eyizigidigidi edlule​—ngesikhathi kudalwa indawo yonke ebonakalayo ehlanganisa imithala, izinkanyezi nomhlaba. (Genesise 1:1) Lokho kulandisa kube sekuchaza izinto ezadalwa ngokulandelana kwazo, ukuze umhlaba ube indawo okungaphilwa kuyo; kuchaze indlela izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zokuphila ezadalwa ngayo, indlela abantu ababa khona ngayo emhlabeni kanye nenjongo yokwenziwa kwazo zonke lezi zinto.

IBhayibheli lisinikeza iseluleko esisebenzayo esisisiza ukuba sixazulule izinkinga zansuku zonke. Kulula ukusiqonda leso seluleko. Lokhu kwenzeka ngezindlela ezimbili.

Okokuqala, ulimi olusetshenziswe eBhayibhelini lulula, luqondile futhi lumnandi. Kunokuba lisebenzise ulimi olungaqondakali noma oluyimfihlakalo, iBhayibheli lisebenzisa ulimi oluqondakala kalula nesilujwayele. Kusetshenziswe ulimi oluvamile ukuze kuchazwe imiqondo enzima.

Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu wasebenzisa imifanekiso eminingi elula esekelwe kulokho abantu ababekubona nsuku zonke ukuze abafundise izifundo ezibathinta inhliziyo. Eminingi yale mifanekiso itholakala kulokho okwaziwa ngokuthi iNtshumayelo Yasentabeni elotshwe eBhayibhelini kuMathewu izahluko 5-7. Esinye isazi sabiza le ntshumayelo ngokuthi “inkulumo efundisayo” ngoba “ayihloselwe ukusinikeza ulwazi nje kuphela kodwa iphinde isiqondise.” Kungakuthatha  imizuzu engaba ngu-15 kuya kwengu-20 ukufunda lezo zahluko futhi iyokumangaza indlela amazwi kaJesu anamandla ngayo yize elula.

Okunye okwenza kube lula ukuliqonda iBhayibheli yilokho elikuqukethe. Aliyona incwadi yezinkolelo-ze noma yezinganekwane. Kunalokho, ingxenye enkulu yeBhayibheli “ikhuluma ngezikhulu nabantu abavamile, ubunzima ababhekana nabo, amathemba ababenawo, izinto abahluleka ukuzenza nalezo abakwazi ukuzenza” njengoba kusho i-World Book Encyclopedia. Kulula ngathi ukuqonda lokhu kulandisa kwezenzakalo ezingokoqobo nezabantu abaphila ngempela futhi kunezifundo ezibalulekile esizithola kukho.​—Roma 15:4.

Ukuze ukwazi ukuqonda incwadi, kumelwe ibhalwe ngolimi okwazi ukulufunda. Namuhla cishe iBhayibheli liyatholakala ngolimi ongaluqonda kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uhlala kuphi. Cabanga ngalokho okuhilelekile ekwenzeni iBhayibheli litholakale ngezilimi eziningi kangaka.

Ukulihumusha. IBhayibheli lalotshwa ngesiHebheru, ngesi-Aramu nangesiGreki. Ngenxa yalokho bambalwa abantu ababekwazi ukulifunda. Abahumushi abaqotho basebenza ngokuzikhandla, ukuze iBhayibheli litholakale nangezinye izilimi. Ngenxa yokusebenza kwabo ngokuzikhandla, namuhla iBhayibheli​—liphelele noma liyingxenye​—liye lahunyushelwa ezilimini ezingaba ngu-2 700. Lokhu kusho ukuthi abantu abangaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-90 bangakwazi ukufunda okungenani ingxenye ethile yeBhayibheli ngolimi abaluncela.

Ukulinyathelisa. Amakhophi okuqala eBhayibheli ayebhalwe ezintweni ezisheshe ziguge, njengesikhumba ne-papyrus. Ukuze leyo miBhalo ingashabalali, kwakumelwe ikopishwe ngesandla ngokucophelela nangokuphindaphindiwe. Lawo makhophi ayebiza kakhulu futhi bambalwa abantu ababekwazi ukuwathenga. Ukwakhiwa komshini wokunyathelisa iGutenberg eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-550 edlule kwabangela ukuba lande inani labantu abaneBhayibheli. Olunye ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi kuye kwasakazwa amaBhayibheli angaphezu kuka-5 000 000 000​—liphelele noma liyingxenye.

Ayikho enye incwadi yenkolo engaqhathaniswa neBhayibheli. Kuyacaca ukuthi iBhayibheli liyincwadi okufanele iqondwe. Nokho, ukuliqonda kungase kube yinselele. Kodwa usizo luyatholakala. Ungalutholaphi futhi ungazuza kanjani? Thola izimpendulo esihlokweni esilandelayo.