Thupatna: Leitung ah laibu thupi pen bang hiam, cih kidong leng, Laisiangtho mah hi ding hi. LST in a thupi pen laibu ahih manin ‘A Hi Pen Bu’ kici thei hi; LST in a deih tampen, a kibawlsia-pen, a kilangpan-pen, selsim a neilo-pen, thuman a gen-pen, laigelhzia a nam tampen, laigelh hunsung a sau-pen, bu tam a kikhawng- pen, kam tamin a kilet-pen, mi lungsim a sukha-pen Laibu hi. Hih LST in ei mipite khut sungah bangci bangin hong tung thei ahiam? cih theihnop huai mahmah thu khat hi. Tu a, i tawi LST in Pasian kiang panin ei khutsung ah bangci bangin hong tung thei a hiam, cih a tomin kikum nuam hi hang.^[1]

Pasian le Mihing Laibu: LST in Bu 66 pha in, a gelh mi 40 bang pha in kum 1500 sung bang sawt hi. Pasian in vantung pan LST hong khiatsuk velval bang kisa kha ding hi. A bu kimin thatkhatin kigelhin a kihawm khiapah zong kisa thei ding hi. LST in vankhiat hilo, thakhat a piang zong hi lo hi. Pasian’ humuap-mihing khuttha kizang ahi hi (II Tim 3:16-17; II Pe 1:21). Pasian Humuap cih ciangin laigelhte tungah Pasian’ Khasiangtho makaihna, theihsakna le hilhcianna tawh kigelh hi, cihnopna hi. Laimal khat-khit-khat kikam genin gelh hilo hi; a ngaihsutnate uh Pasian in makaihin amau mimal laigelhzia ngeinate mah suakta takin zang uh hi. LST in mihing khutma tawh Pasian deihna kigelh khia Laibu hi. Lai Siangtho a tuamdanna mahmah khatin Pasian thu le Pasian deihna ahi bang lianin ciamtehin, mihingte’ gamtatnate asia-apha khenloin a vekin ciamteh kim hi.

Bucil-pan-Letsawn Bute: Lai Siangtho a kigelhcil bu a kem lai kuamah om lo ding hi. Laikung laidal kizangte zong kisia khin ding hi. Gelhcilna kamte in Hebru, Aramaic le Grik hi. Hihte panin kam tuamtuam tawh kilet suksawn hi. I mitkha in i muh theih dingin: I. A Bucilte: Originals: Hebru, Aramaic & Grik); II. A Kiteisawnte:^[2]Manuscript copies: Hebru, Aramaic & Grik; III. A Kiletsawnna Kamte: A Bucilte panin Syriac, Grik, Latin, Mikang, Kawl le Zokam tawh kilet cihbang ahi hi. LST a kiletsawnna kamte a huampi gualsuk hileng: 1. LXX: Thuciam Lui Hebru Kam pan Grik Kam tawh kilet, 130 BC; 2. Syriac: Syria kam tawh LST kilet, 170 AD; 3. The Latin Vulgate: Latin Kam tawh kilet, 382 AD; 4. Wycliff English Bible, 14^th Century; 5. Erasmus Grik Thuciam Thak, 1516 ; 6. William Tyndale’s English Bible, 1530s; 7. King James Version (1611), le adang Mikangkam le kam tuamtuam tawh kilette Zokam LST dongin… cih bangin aban kizom toto ding hi.

Laikung-Laidalte: LST kigelh hunin laigelhna vante haksa mahmah lai hi.^[3] Van kizangte a huampi in enpak ni. 1. Tungman. 2. Suangpeek (Ex. 31:18; 34:1, 28). 3. Singpeek (Is 30:8, Hab 2:2). 4. Pumpeng (papyrus)- Egypt gam pan apiang pumpeng tungah singnai tui zangin ciangzum, vasa mul le laikung zumte tawh kigelh hi (Rev. 1:11). 5.Savun pek (vellum parchment) (2 Tim. 4:13). 6. Laidal: Sente’n laidal bawl masa pen hi. Kum zalom 8^th  (8^th Century) a laizang pan in Sente kiangpan in Arabte in laidal bawlzia theikhia pan hi. 13^th Century ciangin Europe gam a tamzaw ah laidal kizang kimta hi.^[4] Tanglai in hamsatna tampi tawh LST kibawl toto in tuni ciangin Laibu tawh hoihtak in i simtheihna lungdam huai lua mahmah hi. Leitung omzia khantohzia tawh kituakin a kingah laikung-laidalte zangin LST kigelhin kitei-in i ngah thei hi.

Kam Kizangte: Tanglai LST hunin nisim kamzat in Aramaic kam hi. Biakna kam in Hebru kam hi; adiak in Hebru in biakpiakna le Laisiangtho simna ah kizang hi (Luke 4:16–30). Zumlai in Grik kam ahi hi. Rom Kumpigam nisuahna lam ah Grik kizang hi. Orthodox Jewte in nisim kamzat in Grik a zat lam uh  hanmualsuang le khutgelh laite panin kimu khia hi. Jesuh in zong Grik kam pau hi (Mark 7:24-30).

Thu Kipuakna: Israel le Griko-Romen gam sungah tanglai hunin laitom ciaptehna (“tachygraphy”) kizang khin hi. LST thugilte kam tawh thukipuakna (oral tradition) kizangin khang khat-khit-khat kihawm sawnsawn hi. Jesuh’ nungzuite kiang panin mitmuh thupuakna (eyewitness account) tawh thugil tampi kihawm sawnin kigelh khia hi (I John 1:1-3). Thangho-Liando tangthu i kihop sawnsawn bang mah hi ding hi. Pasian in Jewte tungah na lamdang tampi a bawlte, Jesuh’ na lamdang bawl tampite le nungzuite’ thugente tampi kigen sawnsawn in tuate laisiamte in na ciamtehin tuni in en zong a simkha hi hang.

LST Tehna Piciang (Bible Canon): κανών (canon) cih kammal in ‘tehna piciang’ cihna hi. Pasian humuap le humuap loh bute a kitheihna dingin a tehna ahi hi. LST tehna ah a kizui thu dotna pawlkhat om hi. 1. Kamsang khat ii gelh a hiam? 2. Jesuh in genkakna ah a zang hiam? 3. Jesuh’ thugente a kihel hiam? 4. Nungzui le mitmuh teci khat ii gelh ahi hiam? 5. Pasian humuap kammal hi-in thu-um atamzaw in a sang hiam? 6. Pawlpi upapite (Church fathers) in LST in a sang hiam? 7. A sunga kigelh thute tangtungin uphuai thu taktakte a hiam? 8. Leitung tangthu thupiang tawh kizawitawn tangthute a hiam? cih bangin sittelna tungtawnin kiteng khia Pasian Kammal ahi hi.

Thuciam Lui Canon: Thukham Sawmte a kigelhna Laibu Masa Ngate (Piancilna-Thuhilhkikna) pen Moses’ gelh hi a, Joshua in aban a gelh ahi hi. A zom ah kamsangte zangin a nunung pen Malachi BC 430 kiim in kizo hi. Hih Laisiangtho bute a masa in Biakbuk le Biakinnpi sungah kikoih hi. Thuciam Lui le Thuciam Thak kikal Pasian’ kamsangte tungtawng in hopihna a om loh hun “Daih Hun” (Silent Years Kum 430 sung) kici hi. Biakbuk nasem siampite le Levite in Thuciam Lui kemcing in Jew biakinnte (synagogues) ah kisimin kihilh hi. Thuciam Lui Bu 39 te in Jesuh Pianma kum zalom 4 (4^th Century BC) hun pawl in a kikipsak hi dingin kigen hi. 150 BC masiah peuhmah hi kha ding hi. Jesuh hun sungin nungzuite le Jewte sungah Thuciam Lui bute bucing lo cih kinialna om ngeilo hi.^[5] Josephus’ laigelhnate (AD 37–100) ah Thuciam Lui bucing hihna ciamtehna nei hi. Jew council Jamnia ah Hebru LST bucing hihna AD 90 (AD 118) in ciamteh hi. Thuciam Lui in khen tampi in kikhen thei hi. Ahizong in a huampi in khempi 2 in kigen hi. Piancil pan Thuhilhkikna dong amasa bu-ngate Thukham (The Law) kici in, a dangteng Kamsangte (the Prophets) kici hi. Topa Jesuh mahmah in zong a thugenna ah Thuciam Lui a genkak ciangin Thukham le Kamsangte ah cih bangin a zatna kimu zelzel hi (Luke 16:16; 29, 31).

LST Bu Phazah: Thuciam Lui Bu 39 le Thuciam Thak Bu 27 pha in a kigawm in Bu 66 pha hi. Protestant LST sungah Bu 66 bek kihel hi a, banghang in Catholic LST sungah Apocrypha^[6] Bu 14 val (17 bang) kihel beh ahiam? Hih a theihhuai thu en suk dih ni e.

A Kinial LST (Apocrypha): Thuciam Lui hun sungin kigelh khempeuh LST taktak in kisang khinlo hi: Tua hun in kigelhte nam 4 in kikhen thei hi: 1. Mi khempeuh a sankim bute (homologumena), 2. Pawlkhat a nial bute (Antilegomena),3. Mi khempeuh nial bute (Pseudepigrapha), 4. Pawlkhat in a sang bute (Apocrypha) in kikhen hi.^[7] Apocrypha Bu 14 te 200 B.C. le A.D. 100 kikal sungin kigelh hi. LXX le Latin Vulgate sungah Apocrypha bute kikalhelh in kiguang hi. 1534 kum in Martin Luther in a masapen in tuate hong khenkhia in Thuciam Lui le Thuciam Thak kikal ah hong koih hi. Protestant LST khempeuh in Luther koih bang hong nungzuih suk uh hi. King James Version (1611) hun ciang dongin a Lui le a Thak kikal ah apocrypha kikoih suaklai hi. Kum 1827 in Apocrypha adingin fund sum bangmah zang nawnlo ding cih National Bible Society of Scotland le British and Foreign Bible Society’ pulakna a neih khit ciangin KJV sungah Apocrypha kihel nawnlo hi. ^[8] Apocrypha Bute LST taktakin a sang pawlpite in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Armenian and Ethiopian Oriental Orthodox Church-te ahi hi.

Apocrypha a kisan zawhlohna thu: 1. Judah thuumte in sang ngeilo uh hi; 2. Jesuh^[9] le Thuciam Thak gelhte in sanglo uh hi; 3. Pawlpi upapite (church fathers) a tamzaw in sang lo hi; 4. Kum zalom 4 beikuan dong Church Council khat peuhah kisang ngeilo hi; 5. Catholic LST siamte pawlkhat in Reformation hun sung na lengin sanglo uh hi; 6. Eastern Orthodox, Anglican le Protestant pawlpite in zong tuni dong Pasian humuap le LST taktakin sang zolo uhi. 7. Jesuh le Thuciam Thak gelhte in LXX^[10] pan in genkakna a neihna uh ah, a kisang LST bute pan in genkakna nei napi in Apocrypha sungpan in bangmah genkak ngeilo uh hi.  Hih a kinial laibute in Pasian kamsang le nungzui taktakte’ gelh hi lo ding hi, ci-in ki-ummawh hi. Jewte in gentehna le tangthu kalhelhna in zang uh hi. Englishte in Shakespeare laigelhte a zat bang hi. LST zahin thuneihna neilo ahih manin Protestant lamte in Apocrypha kisang lo hi.

Apocrypha a kisanna thu hih bang ahi hi: St. Jerome^[11] in 4^th century AD in ‘apocrypha’ (‘hidden’- ‘kiseel’  zang masa hi; LXX^[12] kici LST in Jesuh Pianma kum zalom 3 le 2 sungin Hebru LST pan Grik kammal tawh kilet hi. Thu Ciamlui le Thu Ciamthak hun kikal Jewte’ tangthu a kisam teng a cingsak dingin LXX LST sungah Apocrypha a kiguang hi, kici hi. Apocrypha in tangthu le thu tuamtuam theihna dingin manpha ahih hangin, Jewte in LST taktak in sanglo uh hi. Hun hong sawt ciangin mi tampi in Hebrew simthei nawnlo uh hi. LXX sungah apocrypha kiguang ahih manin apocrypha in Hebru LST sungah a cil panin a kiguang khinsa hi dingin mi tampi in ummawh ta uh hi. Jerome in Latin Vulgate LST (305-384 AD) a letna sungah apocrypha kihelsak ahi hangin, ‘LST Bu taktak hi lo’ in ‘pawlpi laibute hi’ (“not books of the Canon” but “books of the Church”) cih pulak hi. Hih bangin a gen manin sankhialhna ding lampi a honsak zaw tawh kibang hi.

Kum 1546 kum Council of Trent ah, RC pawlpi in “Lai Siangtho taktak sungah Apocrypha guan ding hi” ci hi. Martin Luther in Protestant Lai Siangtho ah apocrypha a kihelsak nawnlohna a thukkikna uh hi. RC pawlpi in apocrypha adeihna bulpite in: 1. LXX le Latin Vulgate sungah kihel hi; 2. RC upna tawh kituakte kihel ahih man hi; tuate in misisate kisiansuahna (purgatory), misisate ading thungetsakna le mawhmaisakna ading piakkhiatna, gamtat pha hangin tatkhiatna ngahna cih upnate ahi hi.^[13]

Thuciam Thak Canon: Jesuh’ thugente a nungzuite le thuumte in ciamtehin kigen sawnsawn hi. Jesuh sih nung ciangin a nungzuite in tua thute lai tawh hong gelh uh hi. Nungzui maan lo pawlkhat in zong Jesuh’ thu maan lo honkhat hong gelh uh hi. Rom kumpi in Jesuh le a nungzuite’ laigelh a kemte hong bawlsia hi. A.D. 70 kum in Jerusalem Khuapi le a Biakinnpi hong kisuksiat khit ciangin Jew biakpiakna ngeina le siampi nasepte hong beita hi. Tua hangin LST Bu phazah khensat ding thukin mahmah hong suak hi. A dik le a diklo khentel theihna dingin a tehna dingin hih bang dotna kizang hi: 1. Sawltakte le a nungzuite’ gelh a hiam? 2. Pawlpi in LST in a ciapteh a hiam? 3. Sawltakte’ upna tawh a kituak hiam? 4. Thu-um a tazaw in a sang hiam? Thuciam Thak Bute a kigelh A.D. 50 pan A.D. 90 kikal hun sung ahi hi. LST taktak lote ahih leh kum zalom 2 pan tua hun khitlam hi zaw hi. Pawlpi tangthu siam Eusebius in kum zalom 4 in pawlpi kipatcil lamin a kihawm laibute nam li phasak hi: 1. Ciaptehsa Bute (Recognized books). 2. Paubang Bute (Disputed Books). 3. Kinial Bute (Rejected books) le 4. Upnapial Bute (Heretical books) ci hi. A.D.367 kum in Athanasius, Alexandria Bishop in pawlpi kumcinpawi zumlai thupi a khakna ah Bu 27 te in Thuciam Thak Bucing in kiciamteh hi, ci in pulak hi. Hih hun pan kipan in Protestant le RC in Thuciam Thak Bu 27 pha a kibang in kinei khawm hi.

Tanglai in LST mipi khut sungah om loin siampi le phungyite’ khut sung bek ah om hi. German mi Johannes Gutenberg in laipeina setpi (printing press) kum 1450 in hong bawlkhia hi. Tua ma ciangin LST khut tawh kitei ngiatngiat in hunbei, thabei le gimhuai mahmah hi. Kum 1455 in Gutenberg in a masa pen Laisiangtho Bu hong peikhia hi. Hih laipeina setpi hangin lailam nasepna le Pasian nasepna tampi khangto in leitung bup ah thukizelna manlang semsem hi. Martin Luther Kikhelpina (Kum zalom 16) hangin mipi khut tungah LST hong tung thei hi. Martin Luther in kum 1517 in RC pawlpi tungah a lungkim lohna thu 95-te Biakinn kongpi tungah hong suang a kipan in Kikhelnapi (the Reformation) hong kipan hi. RC pawlpi sungah Pope le a makaite in thunei lua in, LST pen mipite in neikha lo in lawng khalo uh hi. Martin Luther in thuum khempeuh in siampiza neihna (priesthood of all believers) thu longkhia hi. Luther in LST German mipi kamzat tawh hong letkhia in hawmkhia a, mipite tungah LST hong tung pah hi. Luther’ laigelhte zong hong kihawm khia ziahziah hi. A sawtlo in Germany pan Europ le leitung mun tuamtuate ah Kikhelnapi huzap hong kizelh kawikawi kumza lom 500 phata hi.

LST ngimna John 20:31 ah “…Jesuh, Pasian’ Tapa, Khrih ahihna thu na uptheih nading uh le ama min hangin tua upna tawh nuntakna na ngahtheih nading uh deihna tawh a kigelh ahi hi” ci hi. I John 5:13 ah zong Jesuh a umte in “nuntak tawntungna ngahna a theihna dingin” kigelh hi, ci hi. LST in “Upna tawh Jesuh sangin hotkhiatna i ngahna dingin khapilna hong guan hi” (II Tim 3:15). “Upna in zakna pan hong pai a, tua zakna in Khazih kammal zakna ahi hi” (Rom 10:17). LST in “Pasian humuap hi a, thuman thutak hilhna ding, a khialte taii nading, a man lote lam man lak nading, a manin nuntak theih nading thuhilh nadingin a manpha mahmah ahi hi” (II Tim 3:16). Hih bangin hun tampi bei le hamsatna tampi tawh Lai Siangtho i khut sungah hong tuntheihna lungdam huailua hi. Lai Siangtho in tatkhiatna ngahna ding le nisim nuntakna ah lamlak dingin kha-pilna hong guan ahi hi. Topa hong piak hih a thupi mahmah Lai Siangtho a manpha in zang siam le nuntak pih siam dingin Topa in thupha hong pia ciat ta hen!

Dr. Zam Sian Khai, Ph.D., STM, M.Div. (USA), B.D. B.Th. (India)

Etkak Laibute:

Earle, Ralph. How We Got Our Bible. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2010.

Geisler, Normal L. From God to Us.  Chicago: Moody, 1974, 2012.

Grudem, W. A. Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine. Leicester, England: Grand Rapids,             MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004.

Lightfoot, N. How We Got the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988.

McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Myers, J. W. How do You Know the Bible is from God? Montgomery, Alabama: Apologetics Press, 2005.

Ryrie, C. C. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth. Chicago, IL:             Moody Press, 1999.

Holy Bible, Good News Translation, Catholic Edition. New York: American Bible Society, 1993.

Thuciam Lui A Zom’ Lai Siangtho: Deuterocanonical (Apocrypha), Zokam-Tedim Catholic Edition.

Footnotes:

[1]              LST hong pianzia pen LST sangte ah zong Master level ciang khawng ah a kihilh hi in telhak simsim ahih manin telkhilahna a om ding ka lunghimawh hi. Tua hangin damtak in na tel dongin na simsak in la, na tellohna a om leh endikte tung tawnin hong theisak in.

[2]              A Kiteeisawnte leh A Kiletsawnte kibang lo hi; A kiteeksawnte in Hebrew kam pan Hebrew kam mah tawh kitei, Greek kam pan Greek kam mah tawh kiteisawn cihna hi. A kiletsawnte in Hebrew pan Greek tawh kilet, Greek pan English tawk kilet, English pan Zokam tawh kiletsawn cih bangte ahi hi.

[3]              J. W. Myers, How do You Know the Bible is from God? (Montgomery, Alabama: Apologetics Press, 2005), 6-10.

[4]              N. Lightfoot, How We Got the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988), 20.

[5]              https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-4-bible-unique-its-canonicity#_ftn3.

[6]              Zomi Catholic LST sungah  ah Thuciam Lui bu 39 teng (Protestant tawh kibang) Procanonical ci uh a, Canon masa pen a cihna uh ahi hi. Zomi Catholic LST sungah “Jew mite Catholic te le Protestant atam zawte in Kha Siangtho huhna tawh ki-at hi ci-in sangh uh hi ,” ci uhi.  Thuciam Lui A Zom’ Lai Siangtho: Deuterocanonical (Apocrypha) bu Zokam-Tedim  Catholic Edition ci-in nei uhi. Hih Lai Siangtho luibu (7) te “Pawl dangte’n a mangngilh uh Lai Siangtho bute hi, cise uhi. (1) Tobit, (2) Judith, (3) Wisdom (Pil) (4) Ben Sirach (ecclesiaticus), (5) Baruch (6) 1 Maccabees (7) 2 Maccabees. Thuciam Thak bute kigelh hun sung le a nunglam ciangin a kigelh Canon sungah kihello Catholic  Pawl in a san bu pawlkhat zong om lai hi. Tuate gen man nawn kei phot ni. Holy Bible, Catholic Edition sungah tua bu 7 teng Thuciam Lui sungah a kihelh in koih uhi.

[7]Normal L. Geisler, From God to Us (Chicago: Moody, 1974), 257.

[8]              Ralph Earle, How We Got Our Bible (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2010), 35-38.

[9]              Jesuh hun lai in kizangh Greek Septuagint Bible (Thuciam Lui) sungah apocrypha kihel ahih hangin Jesuh in tuate sung panin genkakna a neihna a kiciamteh kimu lo hi.

[10]             Hebrew pan Greek Kam tawh kilet Thuciam Lui Lai Siangtho hi.

[11]             Latin Vulgate LST letpa hi.

[12]             LXX in Latin kam in 70 acihna hi. Mi 70 in a let LST a cihnopna hi. A let miphazah taktak 72 pha in kigen hi.

[13]             Geisler, 154.  Catholic meltheihte ka dot ciangin hih Apocrypha te a theilo zong om in a theite in zong sim ngei meello uhi. Ahih zongin nisim sim ding cih volume 2 bang a neihna uh ah, hih apocrypha pan zong kihel ding hi.