Defending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Sehemu ya 9: Uaminifu wa Agano JipyaDefending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Unit 9: The Reliability of the New Testament

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Majani hukauka, maua huanguka; bali neno la Mungu wetu litasimama milele." (Isaya 40:8, SUV)"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza sehemu hii, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza kwa nini uaminifu wa Agano Jipya ni muhimu katika mazungumzo na Waislamu.1. Explain why the reliability of the New Testament matters in conversation with Muslims.

2. Kueleza idadi na umri wa hati za mkono za Agano Jipya, ukiwemo P52 na kodeksi Sinaitikasi na Vatikanasi.2. Describe the number and age of the New Testament manuscripts, including P52 and the codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus.

3. Kueleza kwa maneno rahisi uhakiki wa maandishi ni nini, na kwa nini tofauti nyingi haziharibu imani yetu katika maandishi hayo.3. Explain in simple words what textual criticism is and why the many variants do not destroy our confidence in the text.

4. Kuonyesha kwamba vitabu vya Agano Jipya viliandikwa mapema, wakati wa watu waliomjua Yesu wakiwa hai.4. Show that the New Testament books were written early, within the lifetime of people who knew Jesus.

5. Kuwasilisha dai la Agano Jipya kwamba linategemea ushuhuda wa mashahidi waliojionea, na kutumia ushahidi huu kwa upole katika mazungumzo.5. Present the New Testament's claim to rest on eyewitness testimony, and use this evidence with gentleness in conversation.

Kwa Nini Swali Hili Ni MuhimuWhy This Question Matters

Katika sehemu iliyopita tulijifunza fundisho la Kiislamu linaloitwa tahrif, dai kwamba Wayahudi na Wakristo walibadilisha au kuharibu Maandiko yao. Waislamu wengi wamefundishwa tangu utotoni kwamba Biblia tunayosoma leo si sawa na Injili (kwa Kiarabu, Injil) ambayo Mungu alimpa Yesu. Mkristo anapofungua Agano Jipya ili kumwonyesha rafiki Mwislamu Yesu ni nani, rafiki huyo anaweza kujibu, "Kitabu hicho kimebadilishwa. Siwezi kukiamini."In the last unit we studied the Islamic teaching called tahrif, the claim that the Jews and Christians changed or corrupted their Scriptures. Many Muslims have been taught from childhood that the Bible we read today is not the same as the Gospel (in Arabic, the Injil) that God gave to Jesus. When a Christian opens the New Testament to show a Muslim friend who Jesus is, the friend may answer, "That book has been changed. I cannot trust it."

Sehemu hii inajibu pingamizi hilo kwa ushahidi. Hatuwaombi marafiki zetu Waislamu wakubali tu neno letu. Tunawaomba watazame historia: nakala ngapi za Agano Jipya zipo, zina umri gani, wanazuoni huzilinganishaje, vitabu viliandikwa lini mara ya kwanza, na ni nani walioviandika. Ukweli huu uko wazi kwa wote. Wanazuoni Waislamu, Wakristo na wenye mashaka wanaweza kuchunguza hati zile zile za mkono katika maktaba na majumba ya makumbusho kote ulimwenguni.This unit answers that objection with evidence. We do not ask our Muslim friends simply to take our word for it. We ask them to look at the history: how many copies of the New Testament exist, how old they are, how scholars compare them, when the books were first written, and who wrote them. The facts are public. Muslim, Christian and sceptical scholars can all examine the same manuscripts in libraries and museums around the world.

Jambo hili lina maana kwa mchungaji kwa njia mbili. Kwanza, linawalinda watu wetu. Mshiriki wa kanisa anayesikia redioni au kwenye mitandao ya kijamii kwamba "Biblia iliandikwa upya" anahitaji kujua kwamba dai hilo si kweli, na kwa nini. Pili, linafungua mlango. Mwislamu anayegundua kwamba Agano Jipya limehifadhiwa kwa uangalifu anaweza kuwa tayari kulisoma mwenyewe. Hapo Neno la Mungu linaweza kufanya kazi yake moyoni mwake (Waebrania 4:12).This matters for the pastor in two ways. First, it protects our own people. A church member who hears on the radio or on social media that "the Bible was rewritten" needs to know that this claim is not true, and why. Second, it opens a door. A Muslim who discovers that the New Testament has been carefully preserved may become willing to read it for himself. Then the Word of God can do its own work in his heart (Hebrews 4:12).

"Kuaminika" Maana Yake Nini?What Does "Reliable" Mean?

Tunaposema Agano Jipya linaaminika, tunamaanisha mambo kadhaa yanayohusiana. Ni vyema kuyatenganisha, kwa sababu rafiki Mwislamu anaweza kuuliza swali moja huku akifikiria jingine.When we say the New Testament is reliable, we mean several connected things. It helps to separate them, because a Muslim friend may raise one question while thinking of another.

• Uhamishaji: Je, maandishi yamenakiliwa kwa uaminifu tangu maandishi ya kwanza hadi Biblia tunazosoma leo?• Transmission: Has the text been copied faithfully from the first writings to the Bibles we read today?

• Tarehe: Je, vitabu viliandikwa karibu na matukio vinayoyaeleza, au vizazi vingi baadaye?• Date: Were the books written close to the events they describe, or many generations later?

• Chanzo: Je, vitabu vinatoka kwa mashahidi waliojionea, au kwa watu waliowajua mashahidi hao?• Source: Do the books come from eyewitnesses, or from people who knew eyewitnesses?

Sehemu hii inashughulikia hasa maswali haya matatu. Imani ya ndani zaidi ya Kikristo ni kwamba Maandiko yamevuviwa na Mungu (2 Timotheo 3:16). Lakini katika mazungumzo na Mwislamu kwa kawaida tunaanza na historia, kwa sababu historia ni msingi tunaoweza kusimama juu yake pamoja. Mwislamu anaamini kwamba Mungu alishusha Injil; swali la kihistoria ni kama Agano Jipya tulilo nalo ni ushuhuda mwaminifu juu ya Yesu na mitume wake.This unit deals mainly with these three questions. The deeper Christian conviction is that the Scriptures are inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). But in conversation with a Muslim we usually begin with history, because history is ground we can stand on together. A Muslim believes that God sent down the Injil; the historical question is whether the New Testament we hold is a faithful witness to Jesus and His apostles.

Ushahidi wa Hati za MkonoThe Manuscript Evidence

Hati ya mkono ni nakala iliyoandikwa kwa mkono. Kabla ya mashine ya kuchapa kufika Ulaya katika karne ya kumi na tano, kila nakala ya kila kitabu iliandikwa kwa mkono. Maandishi ya awali ya mitume, ambayo wanazuoni huyaita autografu, hayakudumu; yaliandikwa kwa vifaa kama mafunjo, ambayo huchakaa kwa matumizi. Hivyo ndivyo ilivyo kwa kila kitabu cha zamani. Tulicho nacho ni nakala, na nakala za nakala. Swali ni kwamba tuna nakala ngapi, ni za mapema kiasi gani, na zinakubaliana kwa kiwango gani.A manuscript is a copy written by hand. Before the printing press came to Europe in the fifteenth century, every copy of every book was written by hand. The original writings of the apostles, which scholars call the autographs, have not survived; they were written on materials such as papyrus, which wears out with use. The same is true for every ancient book. What we have are copies, and copies of copies. The question is how many copies we have, how early they are, and how well they agree.

Hati Ngapi za Mkono?How Many Manuscripts?

Agano Jipya liliandikwa kwa Kigiriki. Leo orodha rasmi inayotunzwa na wanazuoni ina takriban hati za mkono za Kigiriki 5,700 za Agano Jipya, kamili au sehemu. Baadhi ya vitu kwenye orodha hiyo vimepotea tangu hapo au vilihesabiwa mara mbili, kwa hiyo idadi ya hati zilizobaki ni ndogo kidogo. Nyingine ni vipande vidogo vyenye mistari michache; nyingine zina Agano Jipya lote. Hati mpya bado zinapatikana, kwa hiyo idadi kamili inaendelea kubadilika.The New Testament was written in Greek. Today the official list kept by scholars has about 5,700 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, whole or in part. Some items on the list have since been lost or were counted twice, so the number of surviving manuscripts is a little lower. Some are small fragments with a few verses; others contain the entire New Testament. New manuscripts are still being found, so the exact number keeps changing.

Mbali na hati za Kigiriki, Agano Jipya lilitafsiriwa mapema sana katika lugha nyingine, kama Kilatini, Kisiria na Kikopti (lugha ya Wakristo wa Misri). Kuna hati za Kilatini peke yake takriban elfu kumi. Zaidi ya hayo, waandishi wa Kikristo wa mwanzo, ambao mara nyingi huitwa mababa wa kanisa, walinukuu Agano Jipya mara nyingi sana katika barua, mahubiri na tafsiri zao, hata sehemu kubwa sana yake ingeweza kujengwa upya kutokana na nukuu zao peke yake.Besides the Greek manuscripts, the New Testament was translated very early into other languages, such as Latin, Syriac and Coptic (the language of Christians in Egypt). There are around ten thousand Latin manuscripts alone. On top of this, the early Christian writers, often called the church fathers, quoted the New Testament so often in their letters, sermons and commentaries that a very large part of it could be rebuilt from their quotations alone.

Linganisha hili na vitabu vingine vya ulimwengu wa kale. Kazi nyingi muhimu za Kigiriki na Kilatini zimebaki katika nakala chache tu, na mara nyingi nakala ya kwanza ilifanywa karne nyingi baada ya mwandishi kuishi. Kwa mfano, hati kuu zilizobaki za Annals za mwanahistoria Mrumi Tacitus zinatoka Zama za Kati, zaidi ya miaka mia saba baada ya yeye kuandika. Hata hivyo wanahistoria hutumia kazi hizi kwa imani. Kwa kipimo hicho hicho, Agano Jipya ndicho kitabu kilichothibitishwa vizuri kuliko vyote vya ulimwengu wa kale.Compare this with other books from the ancient world. Many important Greek and Latin works survive in only a handful of copies, and often the earliest copy was made many centuries after the author lived. For example, the major surviving manuscripts of the Annals of the Roman historian Tacitus come from the Middle Ages, more than seven hundred years after he wrote. Yet historians use these works with confidence. By that same standard, the New Testament is the best-attested book of the ancient world.

• Takriban hati za mkono za Kigiriki 5,700 zilizoorodheshwa, kamili au sehemu• About 5,700 Greek manuscripts listed, whole or partial

• Maelfu ya tafsiri za mapema katika Kilatini, Kisiria, Kikopti na lugha nyingine• Thousands of early translations in Latin, Syriac, Coptic and other languages

• Idadi kubwa ya nukuu katika maandishi ya mababa wa kanisa la mwanzo• A vast number of quotations in the writings of the early church fathers

Mafunjo ya Mwanzo KabisaThe Earliest Papyri

Mafunjo ni kifaa cha kuandikia kinachotengenezwa kwa tete linalootea kando ya Mto Naili. Hati za mkono za mwanzo kabisa za Agano Jipya zimeandikwa kwa mafunjo, na wanazuoni huzipa jina kwa herufi P na namba.Papyrus is a writing material made from a reed that grows along the Nile River. The earliest New Testament manuscripts are written on papyrus, and scholars name them with the letter P and a number.

Kipande kidogo maarufu zaidi ni P52, kinachotunzwa katika Maktaba ya John Rylands huko Manchester, Uingereza. Ni kipande cha ukurasa chenye ukubwa wa kiganja, chenye mistari michache ya Yohana 18 pande zote mbili, kutoka kwenye kesi ya Yesu mbele ya Pilato. Wanazuoni kwa kawaida hukiweka katika karne ya pili, mara nyingi kati ya mwaka 125 na 175 BK. Hata katika tarehe ya baadaye, kipande hiki kidogo kinaonyesha kwamba Injili ya Yohana ilikuwa ikinakiliwa na kupelekwa Misri ndani ya vizazi vichache baada ya mitume.The most famous small fragment is P52, kept at the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England. It is a piece of a page about the size of a palm, with a few verses from John 18 on both sides, from Jesus' trial before Pilate. Scholars usually date it to the second century, often to roughly AD 125 to 175. Even at the later date, this small piece shows that the Gospel of John was being copied and carried to Egypt within a few generations of the apostles.

Mafunjo mengine muhimu yana maandishi mengi zaidi. P46, ya karibu mwaka 200 BK, ina sehemu kubwa ya barua za Paulo. P66, ya wakati huo huo, ina sehemu kubwa ya Injili ya Yohana. P75, ya takriban mwaka 175 hadi 225 BK, ina sehemu kubwa za Luka na Yohana. Wanazuoni wanapolinganisha P75 na hati za baadaye, wanaona kwamba maandishi ya Luka na Yohana yalinakiliwa kwa uangalifu wa ajabu katika karne zilizofuata.Other important papyri contain much more text. P46, from around AD 200, contains most of Paul's letters. P66, from around the same time, contains much of the Gospel of John. P75, from around AD 175 to 225, contains large parts of Luke and John. When scholars compare P75 with later manuscripts, they find that the text of Luke and John was copied with remarkable care over the following centuries.

Kodeksi Kuu: Sinaitikasi na VatikanasiThe Great Codices: Sinaiticus and Vaticanus

Kodeksi (wingi kodeksi) ni kitabu chenye kurasa, kama vitabu vyetu vya leo, badala ya kitabu cha kukunjwa. Wakristo walikuwa miongoni mwa watu wa kwanza kutumia kodeksi kwa wingi. Kodeksi mbili kuu ni muhimu hasa.A codex (plural codices) is a book with pages, like our books today, rather than a scroll. Early Christians were among the first to use the codex widely. Two great codices are especially important.

Kodeksi Sinaitikasi ilipatikana katika karne ya kumi na tisa katika Monasteri ya Mtakatifu Katarina chini ya Mlima Sinai nchini Misri. Iliandikwa katika karne ya nne, karibu mwaka 350 BK, na ina Agano Jipya lote kwa Kigiriki, pamoja na sehemu kubwa ya Agano la Kale. Leo sehemu kubwa yake iko katika Maktaba ya Uingereza huko London, na picha za kila ukurasa zinaweza kutazamwa na mtu yeyote. Kodeksi Vatikanasi, inayotunzwa katika Maktaba ya Vatikani huko Roma, ni ya karne ile ile, labda mapema kidogo, na ina sehemu kubwa ya Biblia.Codex Sinaiticus was found in the nineteenth century at Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt. It was written in the fourth century, around AD 350, and contains the complete New Testament in Greek, along with much of the Old Testament. Today most of it is in the British Library in London, and photographs of every page can be viewed by anyone. Codex Vaticanus, kept in the Vatican Library in Rome, is from the same century, perhaps a little earlier, and contains most of the Bible.

Hili ndilo jambo kuu kwa mazungumzo yetu. Muhammad alizaliwa karibu mwaka 570 BK, na Waislamu wanaweka ufunuo wa kwanza wa Kurani karibu mwaka 610 BK. Kodeksi Sinaitikasi na Kodeksi Vatikanasi ziliandikwa zaidi ya miaka mia mbili kabla Muhammad hajazaliwa. Mafunjo ni ya zamani zaidi. Tunaweza kufungua hati hizi na kusoma Injili kama vile Wakristo walivyozisoma muda mrefu kabla Uislamu haujaanza. Zinasimulia hadithi ile ile tunayosoma leo: Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu, alisulubiwa, na alifufuka kutoka kwa wafu.Here is the key point for our conversation. Muhammad was born around AD 570, and Muslims date the first revelation of the Qur'an to around AD 610. Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus were written more than two hundred years before Muhammad was born. The papyri are older still. We can open these manuscripts and read the Gospels exactly as Christians read them long before Islam began. They tell the same story we read today: Jesus is the Son of God, He was crucified, and He rose from the dead.

Hili linahusiana na tuliyojifunza katika Sehemu ya 8. Kurani inawaambia Wakristo wa siku za Muhammad wahukumu kwa yale Mungu aliyoyafunua katika Injili (Kurani 5:47). Ikiwa Injili waliyokuwa nayo wakati huo ilikuwa Injili ya kweli, na ikiwa Injili yetu inalingana na hati za karne nyingi kabla ya Muhammad, basi Injili yetu ndiyo ile ambayo Kurani yenyewe iliielekeza.This connects with what we learned in Unit 8. The Qur'an tells the Christians of Muhammad's day to judge by what God revealed in the Gospel (Qur'an 5:47). If the Gospel they had then was the true Gospel, and if our Gospel matches the manuscripts from centuries before Muhammad, then our Gospel is the one the Qur'an itself pointed to.

Uhakiki wa Maandishi Ukielezwa Kwa UrahisiTextual Criticism Explained Simply

Uhakiki wa maandishi unasikika kama shambulio dhidi ya Biblia, lakini sivyo. Neno "uhakiki" hapa lina maana ya uamuzi wa uangalifu. Uhakiki wa maandishi ni uchunguzi wa hati za mkono ili kupata maneno ya asili ya maandishi. Wanazuoni huutumia kwa kila kitabu cha kale, ukiwemo Kurani na kazi za wanafalsafa wa Kigiriki.Textual criticism sounds like an attack on the Bible, but it is not. The word "criticism" here means careful judgment. Textual criticism is the study of manuscripts in order to find the original wording of a text. Scholars use it for every ancient book, including the Qur'an and the works of Greek philosophers.

Hapa kuna mfano rahisi. Fikiria mchungaji anaandika barua na kuituma kwa makanisa kumi. Kila kanisa linatengeneza nakala na kuzituma kwa makanisa mengine. Kadiri miaka inavyopita, mnakili mmoja anaandika neno kwa tahajia tofauti, mwingine anaruka mstari kwa bahati mbaya, wa tatu anaongeza neno ili maana iwe wazi zaidi. Barua ya asili inapotea. Lakini ukikusanya mamia ya nakala kutoka sehemu nyingi na kuzilinganisha, kwa kawaida unaweza kuona kosa lilipoingia na asili ilisema nini. Kadiri nakala zinavyokuwa nyingi na za mapema zaidi, ndivyo inavyokuwa rahisi zaidi. Hii ndiyo hali ya Agano Jipya hasa.Here is a simple illustration. Imagine a pastor writes a letter and sends it to ten churches. Each church makes copies and sends them to other churches. Over the years one copier spells a word differently, another skips a line by accident, a third adds a word to make the meaning clearer. The original letter is lost. But if you collect hundreds of copies from many places and compare them, you can usually see where a mistake entered and what the original said. The more copies you have, and the earlier they are, the easier this becomes. This is exactly the situation of the New Testament.

Kwa sababu kuna hati nyingi za mkono, pia kuna tofauti nyingi kati yake, ambazo wanazuoni huziita tofauti za maandishi. Mzungumzaji Mwislamu anaweza kusema, "Kuna makosa mamia ya maelfu katika Agano Jipya!" Ni kweli kwamba idadi ya tofauti ni kubwa. Lakini hii ni kwa sababu idadi ya hati ni kubwa. Kitabu chenye nakala tatu tu kingekuwa na tofauti chache, lakini tungejua mengi kidogo kuhusu maandishi yake ya asili.Because there are so many manuscripts, there are also many differences between them, which scholars call variants. A Muslim speaker may say, "There are hundreds of thousands of errors in the New Testament!" It is true that the number of variants is large. But this is because the number of manuscripts is large. A book with only three copies would have few variants, but we would know much less about its original text.

Tofauti nyingi ni za aina chache rahisi:Most variants fall into a few simple types:

• Tofauti za tahajia, kama tofauti kati ya "colour" na "color"• Differences in spelling, like the difference between "colour" and "color"

• Mabadiliko ya mpangilio wa maneno, ambayo katika Kigiriki kwa kawaida hayabadilishi maana• Changes in word order, which in Greek usually do not change the meaning

• Maneno yaliyorukwa au kurudiwa kwa bahati mbaya na mnakili aliyechoka• Words accidentally skipped or repeated by a tired copier

• Nyongeza ndogo, kama kuandika "Bwana Yesu Kristo" badala ya "Yesu"• Small additions, such as writing "the Lord Jesus Christ" instead of "Jesus"

Tofauti nyingi sana ni za aina hizi na hazibadilishi maana. Idadi ndogo sana ni kubwa na zenye maana. Mifano inayojulikana zaidi ni sehemu ya mwisho ndefu ya Marko (Marko 16:9-20) na kisa cha mwanamke aliyeshikwa katika uzinzi (Yohana 7:53-8:11). Hizi hazifichwi. Biblia nyingi za kisasa zinaziwekea tanbihi, na kila mchungaji anaweza kuziona. Na muhimu zaidi, hakuna fundisho la imani ya Kikristo linalotegemea kifungu chenye mabishano. Uungu wa Kristo, kifo chake na ufufuo wake vinafundishwa tena na tena katika Agano Jipya lote, katika vifungu vilivyothibitishwa imara.The great majority of variants are of these kinds and make no difference to the meaning. A very small number are larger and meaningful. The best-known examples are the longer ending of Mark (Mark 16:9-20) and the account of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11). These are not hidden. Most modern Bibles mark them with a note, and every pastor can see them. And importantly, no doctrine of the Christian faith depends on a disputed passage. The deity of Christ, His death and His resurrection are taught again and again throughout the New Testament, in passages that are firmly established.

Hata Bart Ehrman, mwanazuoni maarufu mwenye mashaka ambaye ameandika vitabu vya kawaida kuhusu tofauti hizi, anakubali kwamba nyingi zake ni ndogo, kama tahajia na mpangilio wa maneno. Wakristo wanaposema kwa uaminifu kuhusu tofauti hizi, huimarisha ushuhuda wao. Hatuna cha kuficha. Ushahidi uko wazi kwa yeyote kuuchunguza.Even Bart Ehrman, a well-known sceptical scholar who has written popular books about these variants, agrees that most of them are minor, such as spelling and word order. When Christians speak honestly about variants, it strengthens their witness. We have nothing to hide. The evidence is open for anyone to examine.

Kuna tofauti moja zaidi iliyo muhimu. Katika historia ya Agano Jipya, hakuna mtawala wala baraza lililokusanya nakala zote, kuchagua umbo moja na kuharibu mengine. Nakala zilienea pande nyingi, hadi Misri, Siria, Asia Ndogo, Roma na kwingineko, na hakuna aliyeweza kuzidhibiti zote. Ndiyo maana wanazuoni wanaweza kulinganisha mistari huru ya hati kutoka maeneo tofauti. Hati kutoka sehemu za mbali zinapokubaliana, tunaweza kuwa na hakika kwamba zinahifadhi kile kilichokuwepo tangu mwanzo. Rafiki Mwislamu anaweza kuheshimu msisitizo wa mapokeo yake juu ya maandishi moja ya kawaida; tunaweza kueleza, kwa heshima, kwamba Agano Jipya lilihifadhiwa kwa njia nyingine, kupitia mashahidi wengi badala ya mmoja.There is one more important difference. In the history of the New Testament, no single ruler or council gathered all the copies, chose one form and destroyed the others. Copies spread in many directions, to Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, Rome and beyond, and no one could control them all. This is why scholars can compare independent lines of manuscripts from different regions. When manuscripts from distant places agree, we can be confident that they preserve what was there from the beginning. A Muslim friend may respect his own tradition's emphasis on one standard text; we can explain, respectfully, that the New Testament was preserved in a different way, through many witnesses rather than one.

Vitabu vya Agano Jipya Viliandikwa Mapema Kiasi Gani?How Early Were the New Testament Books Written?

Swali la pili ni vitabu viko karibu kiasi gani na matukio. Yesu alisulubiwa karibu mwaka 30 au 33 BK. Wanazuoni wengi, wakiwemo wengi wasio waumini, wanakubali kwamba barua za Paulo ziliandikwa katika miaka ya 40, 50 na 60, ndani ya miaka ishirini hadi thelathini na mitano baada ya msalaba. Barua ya Kwanza kwa Wathesalonike, mojawapo ya za mwanzo, kwa kawaida inawekwa karibu mwaka 50 BK. Katika 1 Wakorintho 15:3-8, iliyoandikwa katikati ya miaka ya 50, Paulo anapitisha muhtasari wa injili ambao yeye mwenyewe "alipokea" mapema, kama tulivyoona katika Sehemu ya 7. Hili linatupeleka ndani ya miaka michache baada ya ufufuo.A second question is how close the books are to the events. Jesus was crucified around AD 30 or 33. Most scholars, including many who are not believers, agree that Paul's letters were written in the AD 40s, 50s and 60s, within twenty to thirty-five years of the cross. First Thessalonians, one of the earliest, is usually dated around AD 50. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, written in the mid-50s, Paul passes on a summary of the gospel that he himself had "received" earlier, as we saw in Unit 7. This takes us back to within a few years of the resurrection.

Injili na Matendo pia viliandikwa katika karne ya kwanza. Wanazuoni wengi huweka Marko katika miaka ya 60 na Mathayo, Luka na Yohana katika miongo iliyofuata. Baadhi ya wanazuoni wahafidhina wanasema kwamba kitabu cha Matendo kinaisha Paulo akiwa bado hai, chini ya kifungo cha nyumbani huko Roma, karibu mwaka 62 BK. Hakitaji kifo chake, kifo cha Petro, wala uharibifu wa Yerusalemu mwaka 70 BK. Hili linaweza kuonyesha kwamba Matendo, na kwa hiyo Injili ya Luka iliyoandikwa kabla yake, ilikamilika kabla ya matukio hayo.The Gospels and Acts were also written in the first century. Many scholars date Mark to the 60s and Matthew, Luke and John to the following decades. Some conservative scholars point out that the book of Acts ends with Paul still alive, under house arrest in Rome, around AD 62. It does not mention his death, the death of Peter, or the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This may suggest that Acts, and therefore the Gospel of Luke written before it, was finished before those events.

Tarehe yoyote unayopendelea, jambo muhimu ni lile lile. Agano Jipya liliandikwa wakati watu wengi walioona na kusikia Yesu bado walikuwa hai. Waliweza kusahihisha hadithi za uongo. Kwa upande mwingine, wasifu kamili wa kwanza wa Muhammad tulio nao, wa Ibn Ishaq, uliandikwa karibu karne moja baada ya kifo chake na umebaki hasa katika toleo la baadaye la Ibn Hisham, kama tulivyoona katika Sehemu ya 2. Hatulitaji hili kwa kudhihaki, bali kumsaidia rafiki Mwislamu atumie kipimo kile kile cha kihistoria kwa mapokeo yote mawili.Whichever dates one prefers, the important point is the same. The New Testament was written while many people who had seen and heard Jesus were still alive. They could correct false stories. By contrast, the earliest full biography of Muhammad that we have, by Ibn Ishaq, was written about a century after his death and survives mainly in the later edition of Ibn Hisham, as we saw in Unit 2. We do not mention this to mock, but to help a Muslim friend apply the same historical standard to both traditions.

Ushuhuda wa Mashahidi WaliojioneaEyewitness Testimony

Agano Jipya halijionyeshi kama mkusanyiko wa misemo ya kidini iliyojitokeza kutoka mahali popote. Waandishi wake wanasema tena na tena kwamba wanaripoti kile walichokiona, au kile mashahidi waliojionea waliwaambia.The New Testament does not present itself as a collection of religious sayings that appeared from nowhere. Its writers say again and again that they are reporting what they saw, or what eyewitnesses told them.

• Luka anasema alichunguza kwa uangalifu mambo yote tangu mwanzo, akitumia habari zilizopokelewa kutoka kwa wale "walioona kwa macho yao tangu mwanzo, na kuwa watumishi wa lile neno" (Luka 1:1-4).• Luke says he carefully investigated everything from the beginning, using accounts handed down by "eyewitnesses and ministers of the word" (Luke 1:1-4).

• Yohana anaandika juu ya "tuliyoyasikia, tuliyoyaona kwa macho yetu" (1 Yohana 1:1).• John writes of "that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes" (1 John 1:1).

• Petro anasema mitume "walikuwa mashahidi walioutazama ukuu wake" (2 Petro 1:16).• Peter says the apostles "were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).

• Injili ya Yohana inasema shahidi wake alikuwepo na kwamba "ushuhuda wake ni kweli" (Yohana 19:35; 21:24).• John's Gospel says its witness was present and that "his testimony is true" (John 19:35; 21:24).

• Paulo anasema kwamba wengi wa wale zaidi ya mia tano walioona Kristo aliyefufuka walikuwa bado hai alipoandika (1 Wakorintho 15:6).• Paul says that most of the more than five hundred who saw the risen Christ were still living when he wrote (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Mapokeo ya Kikristo ya mwanzo yanaunga mkono picha hii. Papias, kiongozi wa kanisa aliyeandika mwanzoni mwa karne ya pili, alisema kwamba Marko aliandika mahubiri ya Petro. Katika miaka ya karibuni mwanazuoni Richard Bauckham ametoa hoja kwa undani kwamba Injili zilitegemea ushuhuda wa mashahidi waliojionea waliotajwa kwa majina na waliojulikana katika makanisa.Early Christian tradition supports this picture. Papias, a church leader writing in the early second century, said that Mark wrote down the preaching of Peter. In recent years the scholar Richard Bauckham has argued in detail that the Gospels were based on the testimony of named eyewitnesses who were known in the churches.

Injili pia zinaonyesha dalili za uandishi wa kweli. Zinajumuisha mambo madogo ambayo waandishi hawangeyabuni kama wangekuwa wanatunga hadithi ili kuwavutia watu. Wanafunzi mara nyingi huchelewa kuelewa na wanakimbia Yesu anapokamatwa. Petro anamkana Yesu mara tatu. Wanawake ndio mashahidi wa kwanza wa kaburi tupu, ingawa katika utamaduni ule ushuhuda wao mara nyingi ulipewa uzito mdogo. Mambo haya "yanayoaibisha" ni dalili kwamba waandishi walisema kilichotokea, si kile walichotamani kingetokea.The Gospels also show signs of honest reporting. They include details that the writers would not have invented if they were simply making up a story to impress people. The disciples are often slow to understand and they run away when Jesus is arrested. Peter denies Jesus three times. Women are the first witnesses of the empty tomb, even though in that culture their testimony was often given less weight. These "embarrassing" details are signs that the writers were telling what happened, not what they wished had happened.

Mahali, watawala na desturi zinazotajwa katika Injili na Matendo pia zinalingana na yale wanahistoria na wanaakiolojia wanayoyajua kuhusu Palestina ya karne ya kwanza na ulimwengu wa Kirumi. Luka anataja watawala, miji na maafisa kwa usahihi. Hili ndilo tunalotarajia kutoka kwa waandishi walio karibu na matukio.The places, rulers and customs mentioned in the Gospels and Acts also fit what historians and archaeologists know of first-century Palestine and the Roman world. Luke names governors, cities and officials accurately. This is what we would expect from writers close to the events.

Jenga Juu ya Ushahidi Imara, Si Maneno ya KukaririBuild on Strong Evidence, Not Slogans

Ni rahisi kumwambia rafiki Mwislamu, "Biblia haijawahi kubadilishwa," lakini maneno hayo ya kukariri hayatoshi kuwa sahihi. Hati za mkono hutofautiana katika tahajia na maneno, na wakati mwingine katika vifungu virefu. Uhakiki wa maandishi hulinganisha nakala hizi, hupata tofauti na kueleza kwa nini usomaji mmoja unapendelewa kuliko mwingine. Ukweli kwamba tofauti zipo haudhihirishi kwamba ujumbe wa Injili ulipotea, lakini pia hatupaswi kuzificha tofauti hizo. Wachungaji wanapaswa kutenganisha maswali mawili: jinsi kitabu kilivyoandikwa mwanzoni, na jinsi kilivyonakiliwa baadaye.It is easy to tell a Muslim friend, "The Bible has never been changed," but that slogan is not precise enough. Manuscripts differ in spelling and wording, and sometimes in longer passages. Textual criticism compares these copies, finds the variants and explains why one reading is preferred to another. The fact that variants exist does not prove that the Gospel message was lost, but we should not hide the variants either. Pastors should keep two questions apart: how a book was first written, and how it was later copied.

Unapozungumza kuhusu Yesu ni nani, jenga juu ya vifungu vyenye uungwaji mkono mpana katika hati za mkono, si juu ya mstari mmoja wenye mabishano wala hoja inayohitaji tafsiri moja ya kisasa. Ungamo la Petro katika Mathayo 16, Yesu kusamehe dhambi katika Marko 2, jibu lake kuhusu Mwana wa Adamu katika Marko 14, mwanzo wa Injili ya Yohana na kanuni ya imani ya mapema ambayo Paulo anaipitisha katika 1 Wakorintho 15, vyote pamoja vinatoa hoja yenye nguvu. Sema wazi kila chanzo kinaonyesha nini na sisi tunahitimisha nini kutokana nacho. Lengo ni ushahidi unaosimama mbele ya maswali ya makini, si orodha ya namba za kuvutia.When you speak about who Jesus is, build on passages that have wide support in the manuscripts, not on a single disputed verse or on an argument that needs one modern translation. Peter's confession in Matthew 16, Jesus forgiving sins in Mark 2, His answer about the Son of Man in Mark 14, the opening of John's Gospel and the early creed Paul passes on in 1 Corinthians 15 together make a strong case. Say clearly what each source shows and what we conclude from it. The goal is evidence that stands up to careful questions, not an impressive list of numbers.

Kulileta Jambo Hili Katika Mazungumzo na WaislamuBringing It to the Conversation with Muslims

Mchungaji atumieje ushahidi huu? Kumbuka mwenendo wa 1 Petro 3:15: tunatoa sababu ya tumaini letu "kwa upole na kwa hofu." Lengo si kushinda mjadala bali kuondoa kikwazo, ili rafiki Mwislamu aisome Injili mwenyewe.How should a pastor use this evidence? Remember the posture of 1 Peter 3:15: we give a reason for our hope "with meekness and fear." The goal is not to win an argument but to remove an obstacle, so that a Muslim friend will read the Gospel for himself.

Swali zuri la kuuliza ni hili: "Unaamini Biblia iliharibiwa lini?" Kama tulivyoona katika Sehemu ya 8, jibu likiwa "kabla ya Muhammad," basi wito wa Kurani kwa Wakristo wa wakati ule wahukumu kwa Injili yao unakuwa mgumu kuelezeka. Jibu likiwa "baada ya Muhammad," basi hati za mkono za muda mrefu kabla ya Muhammad, kama Sinaitikasi na Vatikanasi, zinaonyesha kwamba maandishi hayajabadilishwa kwa namna inayobadilisha ujumbe wake. Waislamu wengi hawajawahi kulifikiria swali hili. Liulize kwa upole na mpe rafiki yako muda wa kufikiri.A helpful question to ask is this: "When do you believe the Bible was corrupted?" As we saw in Unit 8, if the answer is "before Muhammad," then the Qur'an's call to the Christians of that time to judge by their Gospel becomes hard to explain. If the answer is "after Muhammad," then the manuscripts from long before Muhammad, such as Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, show that the text has not been changed in a way that alters its message. Many Muslims have never thought about this question. Ask it gently and give your friend time to think.

Waislamu wengi pia wanaamini kwamba maneno ya Mungu hayawezi kubadilishwa. Kurani inasema hakuna awezaye kubadilisha maneno ya Mungu (ona Kurani 6:115 na 10:64). Mkristo anaweza kuuliza kwa heshima: "Ikiwa hakuna awezaye kubadilisha maneno ya Mungu, na Mungu alimpa Yesu Injili, watu wangewezaje kuiharibu?" Hii si hila. Ni swali la kweli linalomwalika Mwislamu afikirie kitabu chake mwenyewe kinafundisha nini.Many Muslims also believe that God's words cannot be changed. The Qur'an says that no one can change the words of God (see Qur'an 6:115 and 10:64). A Christian can respectfully ask: "If no one can change God's words, and God gave the Gospel to Jesus, how could people corrupt it?" This is not a trick. It is an honest question that invites a Muslim to think about what his own book teaches.

Hizi hapa hatua za vitendo:Here are some practical steps:

• Jifunze vizuri ukweli mchache rahisi: takriban hati za Kigiriki 5,700, P52 ya karne ya pili, Sinaitikasi na Vatikanasi za karne ya nne, muda mrefu kabla ya Muhammad.• Learn a few simple facts well: about 5,700 Greek manuscripts, P52 from the second century, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus from the fourth century, long before Muhammad.

• Kubali kwa uaminifu kwamba tofauti za maandishi zipo, na eleza ni za aina gani.• Admit honestly that variants exist, and explain what kinds they are.

• Uliza maswali badala ya kutoa hotuba. Mwache rafiki yako agundue ushahidi.• Ask questions rather than making speeches. Let your friend discover the evidence.

• Mpe Injili asome, labda kuanzia Luka au Yohana, na jitolee kuisoma pamoja naye.• Offer a Gospel to read, perhaps beginning with Luke or John, and offer to read it together.

• Omba. Ushahidi unaweza kuondoa kizuizi, lakini ni Roho Mtakatifu pekee awezaye kufungua moyo (Yohana 16:8).• Pray. Evidence can remove a barrier, but only the Holy Spirit can open the heart (John 16:8).

Hatimaye, fundisha mambo haya kwa kutaniko lako. Wakristo wengi barani Afrika na Amerika ya Kusini wamesikia kwamba Biblia yao imebadilishwa na hawana jibu. Mfululizo mfupi wa mafundisho kuhusu jinsi tulivyopata Agano Jipya unaweza kuimarisha imani yao na kuwapa ujasiri wa kuishiriki. Lengo si kumfanya kila mshiriki kuwa mwanazuoni, bali kumsaidia kila mshiriki ajue kwamba Kitabu alichoshika mkononi kinaaminika.Finally, teach these things to your congregation. Many Christians in Africa and Latin America have heard that their Bible has been changed and have no answer. A short series of teachings on how we got the New Testament can strengthen their faith and give them confidence to share it. The aim is not to make every member a scholar, but to help every member know that the Book in their hands is trustworthy.

MuhtasariSummary

Agano Jipya ndicho kitabu kilichohifadhiwa vizuri kuliko vyote vya ulimwengu wa kale. Takriban hati za mkono za Kigiriki 5,700 zimeorodheshwa, pamoja na maelfu ya tafsiri za mapema na nukuu nyingi zisizohesabika za mababa wa kanisa. Mafunjo ya mwanzo kama P52, P46, P66 na P75 yanatupeleka hadi karne ya pili na mwanzoni mwa karne ya tatu, na kodeksi kuu Sinaitikasi na Vatikanasi zinatupa Agano Jipya kamili au karibu kamili kutoka karne ya nne, zaidi ya miaka mia mbili kabla Muhammad hajazaliwa. Uhakiki wa maandishi unalinganisha hati hizi ili kupata maneno ya asili; tofauti nyingi ni ndogo, chache zilizo muhimu zimewekewa alama waziwazi, na hakuna fundisho linalozitegemea. Jenga hoja juu ya vifungu vyenye uungwaji mkono mpana katika hati, kama Mathayo 16, Marko 2 na 14, Yohana 1 na 1 Wakorintho 15, si juu ya namba moja. Vitabu viliandikwa katika karne ya kwanza, mashahidi waliojionea wakiwa hai, na vinadai kutegemea ushuhuda wa mashahidi hao. Kwa ushahidi huu, na kwa upole na heshima, mchungaji anaweza kujibu shtaka la uharibifu na kuwaalika marafiki Waislamu waisome Injili wenyewe.The New Testament is the best-preserved book of the ancient world. About 5,700 Greek manuscripts are listed, along with thousands of early translations and countless quotations by the church fathers. Early papyri such as P52, P46, P66 and P75 take us back to the second and early third centuries, and the great codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus give us the complete or nearly complete New Testament from the fourth century, more than two hundred years before Muhammad was born. Textual criticism compares these manuscripts to recover the original wording; most variants are minor, the few significant ones are openly marked, and no doctrine depends on them. Build the case on passages with wide manuscript support, such as Matthew 16, Mark 2 and 14, John 1 and 1 Corinthians 15, rather than on a single number. The books were written in the first century, while eyewitnesses were alive, and they claim to rest on eyewitness testimony. With this evidence, and with gentleness and respect, a pastor can answer the charge of corruption and invite Muslim friends to read the Gospel for themselves.

Maswali ya KutafakariQuestions for Reflection

1. Je, wewe au washiriki wa kanisa lako mmesikia kwamba "Biblia imebadilishwa"? Mlijibuje, na ungejibuje sasa?1. Have you or members of your church heard that "the Bible has been changed"? How did you respond, and how would you respond now?

2. Kwa nini idadi kubwa ya tofauti za maandishi ni ishara ya nguvu badala ya udhaifu kwa Agano Jipya?2. Why is the large number of variants actually a sign of strength rather than weakness for the New Testament?

3. Ungemweleza jirani yako Mwislamu umuhimu wa Kodeksi Sinaitikasi kwa sentensi mbili au tatu rahisi kwa njia gani?3. How would you explain the importance of Codex Sinaiticus to a Muslim neighbour in two or three simple sentences?

4. Ni kifungu kipi cha ushuhuda wa mashahidi katika sehemu hii kinakugusa zaidi, na kwa nini?4. Which eyewitness passage in this unit speaks most strongly to you, and why?

5. Ungewafundishaje kutaniko lako kuhusu uaminifu wa Agano Jipya kwa namna inayoimarisha imani na ushuhuda wao?5. How could you teach your congregation about the reliability of the New Testament in a way that strengthens their faith and their witness?

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