Isingeniso
“Umbhalo ngokuya ngevangeli likaJohane ibhalwe kamuva kunezinye izincwadi ezintathu zevangeli (ezibizwa ngokuthi Ivangeli le-Synoptic), kodwa namanje kungakapheli ikhulu leminyaka. Ngekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye, abahloli beBhayibheli bazama ukwenqaba ukuthi labhalwa ngaphambi kuka A.D. 150, ngalokho babezama ukuchitha umcijo wokuthi umpostoli uJohane wayengumbhali wayo. Abahloli baphinde bathi yayibonisa ifilosofi yama-Gnostic futhi ngenxa yalokho yayingenakubhalwa ngaphambi kokuba ubu-Gnostic busongelwe kakhulu kwezenkolo. (I-Gnosticism beyiwuhlelo lwesilosofi nenkolo yohlelo lokuqala eyayithi ukwazi ngaphezu kokukholwa kwakuyisihluthulelo sensindiso.) Icala elinjalo elihlanekezelwe kade laphikiswa kudala.
Ngokuphambene, ubufakazi bangaphandle bafakazela ukubakhona kwevangeli lesine kanye nokuhlonishwa okukhulu okuvele kuphethwe ngalo ekuqaleni kuka A.D. 115. Obunye ubufakazi bavela ngokutholakala kwesiqephu esincane se-papyus, esinamavesi ambalwa kaJohane (isahluko 16, amavesi u-31-33, 37, 38) beyaziwa ngokuthi i-P52, eyabhalwa cishe ngo A.D. 125. Lolu cezwana, olwatholakala eGibhithe ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka, lubhekwa njengobufakazi obuphathekayo ekusakazweni kokuqala nokusabalaliswa kwevangeli lesine. Isazi esidumile seTestamende Elisha u-Adolph Deissmann siyaqinisekisa:
“Inqwaba yemibono ephathelene nokuvela kamuva kweVangeli ngokukaJohane izobuna ngokushesha njengezitshalo ezisheshayo zasendlini. Sinawo kuma-papyrus aseRylands, ubufakazi obuthile bombhalo wokuthi ivangeli ngokukaJohane alizange libekhona kuphela enxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lesibili, kodwa ukuthi amakhophi alo ayefinyelele kudala eGibhithe. Ngakho-ke umsuka weVangeli uzobuyiselwa esikhathini sangaphambili impela.”-Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Zibandlela 3, 1935.
Ukubhala kukaJohane akuzange nje kufeze injongo ethile phakathi kwamaKristu okuqala. Kuthe kwaletha isiqondiso sesimoya, usizo, nesikhuthazo kubalandeli bakaKristu, ngaphansi kwezimo ezihlukahlukene kakhulu, ukudlula ezikhathini ezidlule.
“INkosi, “inokukhanya okusha kithi, futhi nokho ukukhanya okudala okuyigugu okuzokhanya eZwini leqiniso. Sinokubenyezela kuphela kwemisebe yokukhanya okuzayo kithi. Asikusebenzisi ngokugcwele ukukhanya iNkosi esinikeze kona, ngakho-ke siyehluleka ukwamukela ukukhanya okwengeziwe; asihambi ekukhanyeni okukekwe phezu kwethu.
“Sizibiza ngokuthi singabantu abagcina-umthetho, kodwa asiqondi ububanzi obukhulu bezimiso ezifinyelela kude zomthetho kaNkulunkulu; asizwisisi isimilo sawo esingcwele. Abaningi abazishoyo ukuthi bangothishela beqiniso, abanawo umcabango wokuthi benzani uma befundisa umthetho kaNkulunkulu, ngoba abanalo ulwazi oluphilayo ngeNkosi uJesu Kristu.”-Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 401, 402.
“Sengathi ukuqhubeka nokufunda ngaleVangeli kungasisiza ukuthi simazi kangcono uJesu!
Igatsha leSikolo seSabatha kwiGeneral Conference
