Kumqulu wama-20 wencwadi yakhe ethi Jewish Antiquities, umbhali-mbali wenkulungwane yokuqala uFlavius Josephus ubhekisela ekufeni “kukaYakobi, umntakwaboYesu owayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu.” Abaphengululi abaninzi bathi la mazwi wawathetha ngokwenene. Kodwa ke bakho ababuthandabuzayo ubunyani bamanye amazwi aphathelele uYesu kwakule ncwadi inye. Esi sicatshulwa esibizwa ngokuba yiTestimonium Flavianum sithi:

“Malunga neli xesha kwakukho uYesu, isilumko somntu, ukuba kwamkelekile ukuthi ngumntu, ekubeni wayesenza imisebenzi emangalisayo, bebaninzi nabantu abathanda ukumphulaphula. Watsalela kuye inkitha yamaYuda neeNtlanga. WayenguKristu; yaye xa wathi uPilato, ecetyiswa ngamadoda aziintloko phakathi kwethu, wamgwebela ukufa emnqamlezweni. Abo babemthanda abazange bamshiye. Waphinda wabonakala kubo ephila ngosuku lwesithathu, njengoko abaprofeti bakaThixo babexele kwangaphambili ngale mimangaliso iphathelele yena neminye engamashumi amawaka. AmaKristu abizwa ngaye, asekho unanamhla oku.”—Josephus—The Complete Works, iguqulelwe nguWilliam Whiston.

Ukususela ekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-16, bekukho impikiswano eshushu phakathi kwakholelwa ukuba siyinyaniso nabasithandabuzayo esi sicatshulwa. Umbhali-mbali waseFrance nengcali yoncwadi lwamandulo, uSerge Bardet, uye wazama isicombululo sale ntsinda-badala sele igqibe iinkulungwane ezine zonke. Upapashe uphando alwenzileyo kwincwadi ethi Le Testimonium Flavianum—Examen historique considérations historiographiques.

UJosephus wayengengombhali uneenkolelo zobuKristu.Wayengumbhali-mbali obhala ngembali yobuYuda; ngoko, eyona nto kuphikiswana ngayo yile yokuba uYesu ‘wayenguKristu.’ Kuhlalutyo lwakhe, uBardet wabonisa ukuba umxholo axubusha ngawo uvisisana “nendlela yamaGrike yokubiza amagama abantu.” UBardet wongezelela wathi ukuba ubungumKristu ongumYuda, “ubuya kuqonda ukuba uJosephus wayengaphelelwanga ngamagama xa esebenzisa elithi ‘uKristu’ [Christos] ukubhekisela kuYesu kodwa oko kungqina ukuba uYesu wayesaziwa kakuhle, abahlalutyi babengenakuyenza impazamo yokulibetha ngoyaba eli gama xa liphosakele.”

Ngaba akunakuthi kanti la mazwi afakelwa kamva ngomnye umntu kungekhona uJosephus? Ngokusuka kwimbali nobungqina obubhaliweyo, uBardet wagqiba kwelithi kungangenkankulu oko kuba uJosephus wayenendlela ekhethekileyo yokubhala.

Ivela phi ke yonke le mpikiswano? UBardet uthi “into evusa impikiswano ngeTestimonium—engekhoyo ngemibhalo emininzi yamandulo—kukuba nje kuye kwaphakanyiswa imibuzo ngeTestimonium.” Wongezelela athi abahlalutyi abaninzi baphikisa oku kuba nje bengafuni kuyamkela into yokuba uYesu wayenguKristu.

Asazi enoba olu hlalutyo lukaBardet luza kuzitshintsha kusini na izimvo zabahlalutyi ngeTestimonium Flavianum. Luye lweyisela enye ingcali ephambili yembali yamaGrike ubuYuda nobuKristu, uPierre Geoltrain. Wayekade ejonga iTestimonium njengefakelweyo, yaye ehlekisa ngabo bakholelwa ubunyani bayo. Kodwa watshintsha kwimbono yakhe. Uthi uncedwe luhlalutyo lukaBardet. Ngoku uthi “akukho mntu umele abuthandabuze ubungqina obuzicaceleyo bokuba nguJosephus umbhali wala mazwi.”

Kakade ke, amaNgqina kaYehova anaso nesinye isizathu sokukholelwa ukuba uYesu unguKristu—sona sifumaneka eBhayibhileni—2 Tim. 3:16.