ENcwadini XX yemiqulu yakhe ethi Jewish Antiquities, uFlavius Josephus, isazimlando sangekhulu lokuqala, ukhuluma ngokufa “kukaJakobe, umfowabo kaJesu owayebizwa ngokuthi uKristu.” Izazi eziningi ziwamukela njengabhalwe nguye la mazwi. Nokho, ezinye zingabaza amanye amazwi ashiwo kule ncwadi ngokuphathelene noJesu. Leyo ngxenye eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Testimonium Flavianum ifundeka kanje:

“Manje, kwakukhona ngalesi sikhathi uJesu, umuntu ohlakaniphile, uma kungokomthetho ukumbiza ngomuntu, ngoba wayenza imisebenzi emangalisayo—umfundisi owayenza abantu bamukele iqiniso ayelifundisa ngentokozo. Wadonsela kuye kokubili amaJuda amaningi kanye nabeZizwe abaningi. WayenguKristu; futhi lapho uPilatu, ngokusikisela kwamadoda avelele phakathi kwethu, ethi makabethelwe esiphambanweni, labo abamthanda kwasekuqaleni abazange bamlahle, ngoba wabonakala kubo esephila futhi ngosuku lwesithathu, njengoba abaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu babekubikezele lokhu kanye nezinye izinto ezimangalisayo eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi eziphathelene naye; futhi amaKristu, ethiwa ngaye, asekhona nanamuhla.”—Josephus—The Complete Works, ehunyushwe uWilliam Whiston.

Kusukela ekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka le-16, bekulokhu kunempikiswano evuthayo phakathi kwalabo abakholelwa ukuthi lo mbhalo walotshwa uJosephus nalabo abakungabazayo lokho. USerge Bardet, isazimlando esingumFulentshi nochwepheshe wemibhalo yasendulo, uye wazama ukuxazulula le mpikiswano eye yaba yinkimbinkimbi phakathi neminyaka engamakhulu amane. Wanyathelisa imiphumela yocwaningo lwakhe encwadini ethi Le Testimonium Flavianum—Examen historique considérations historiographiques (ITestimonium Flavianum—Ukucwaninga Umlando Ngokuhlola Umlando).

UJosephus wayengeyena umbhali ongumKristu. Wayeyisazimlando esingumJuda; yingakho ingxenye enkulu yale mpikiswano igxila ekubizweni kukaJesu ngesiqu esithi “uKristu.” Ngemva kokuhlaziya, uBardet wabonisa ukuthi lesi siqu sihambisana kahle “nendlela yesiGreki yokusebenzisa umunci ocacile emagameni abantu.” Wanezela ukuthi ngokombono wobuJuda obuxubene nobuKristu, “akukhona nje ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwegama elithi Christos nguJosephus kuyinto engenzeka” kodwa futhi kuyinkomba ewusizo “abaphikisi abaye benza iphutha elikhulu ngokungayinaki.”

Ingabe mhlawumbe lo mbhalo wanezelwa kamuva othile owalingisa indlela kaJosephus yokubhala? Esebenzisa ubufakazi obungokomlando nobusembhalweni, uBardet waphetha ngokuthi ukulingiswa okunjalo kwendlela yokubhala kungaba into eyisimangaliso. Kwakuyodingeka ukuba lowo muntu abe “nekhono lokulingisa elingakaze libonwe emlandweni,” ngamanye amazwi, “abe iciko ngendlela efana nsé nekaJosephus.”

Pho le mpikiswano idalwa yini? Eveza umsuka wale nkinga, uBardet wachaza ukuthi “kunokungabaza nge-Testimonium—ngokungefani nemibhalo eminingi yasendulo—ngenxa nje yokuthi kuye kwaba nemibuzo ephakanyiswayo ngale Testimonium.” Uqhubeka athi iziphetho okwafinyelelwa kuzo emakhulwini eminyaka edlule zisekelwe kakhulu “ezisuseni ezifihlekile” kunasemiphumeleni yokuhlaziywa kwalo mbhalo, esekela kakhulu ukuba kwawo oweqiniso.

Kusazobonakala ukuthi ukuhlaziya kukaBardet kuzowushintsha yini umbono wezazi mayelana ne-Testimonium Flavianum. Kuye kwashintsha umbono wesazi esivelele sobuJuda bangesikhathi samaGreki nesobuKristu bokuqala, uPierre Geoltrain. Kwase kuyiminyaka ebheka i-Testimonium njengombhalo onezelwe futhi wayeze ahlekise ngalabo ababekholelwa ukuthi iyiqiniso. Kodwa wawushintsha umbono wakhe. Uye waphetha ngokuthi ucwaningo lukaBardet yilo olwabangela ukuba ashintshe. Manje uGeoltrain uthi “kusukela manje akekho umuntu okufanele angabaze ukuthi nguJosephus owabhala lo mbhalo.”

Nokho, oFakazi BakaJehova banesizathu esizwakala nakakhulu sokwamukela uJesu njengoKristu—leso esitholakala eBhayibhelini ngokwalo.—2 Thim. 3:16.