Ngaba UPopu “Wangena Ezihlangwini ZeNgcwele UPetros”?

NGOWAMA-2002, uPope John Paul II wabhalela ubhishopu waseLimburg, eJamani ileta eyayithintela isigqibo awayesenzile ngokuqhomfa. UPopu wawutshayelela lo myalelo ngokuthi wayenoxanduva “lokuqiniseka ukuba zonke iicawa zimanyene yaye ziqhuba ngokuvisisana nokuthanda kukaYesu Kristu.” Wathi unegunya lokuthintela isigqibo salo bhishopu kuba, ekubeni engupopu, “ungene ezihlangwini zeNgcwele uPetros.”

Ngokwengcaciso yamaRoma Katolika, “uKristu wamisela iNgcwele uPetros ukuba ibe yintloko yabapostile.” Kwakhona iCawa yamaKatolika yathi “uKristu wayalela ukuba kubekho abantu ababeza kungena ezihlangwini zikaPetros xa engasekho; yaye abo bantu ngoobhishopu bamaRoma.”—INew Catholic Encyclopedia (2003), Umqulu 11, iphepha 495-496.

Le yimbambano ebalulekileyo. Ngaba ukhe wakuhlola ukunyaniseka kwayo? Khawuve iimpendulo zale mibuzo mithathu: (1) Ngaba iBhayibhile iyayixhasa into yokuba uPetros wayengupopu wokuqala? (2) Ithini imbali ngemvelaphi yoopopu? (3) Ngaba ihambo neemfundiso zoopopu ziyayixhasa into yokuba zilandela uPetros?

Ngaba UPetros Wayengupopu Wokuqala?

Ukuqinisekisa ukuba icawa isekelwe kuPetros, amaKatolika ebesoloko ebhekisela kumazwi kaYesu akuMateyu 16:18 athi: “UnguPetros wena, yaye ndiza kulakhela phezu kolu lwalwa ibandla lam.” Kaloku le vesi ibhalwe ngesiLatin kwindlu yetyalike yeNgcwele uPetros eRoma.

UAugustine, uMseki weCawa owayehlonelwa, ngaxa lithile wayesithi ibandla lakhelwe kuPetros. Noko ke, xa wayesele eza kufa, wayitshintsha indlela awayewaqonda ngayo amazwi kaYesu. Kwincwadi ebizwa ngokuba yiRetractations, uAugustine wathi icawa, okanye ibandla lamaKristu lisekelwe kuYesu, kungekhona kuPetros.a

Yinyaniso ukuba umpostile uPetros kuthethwa kakhulu ngaye kwiiVangeli. UYesu wakhetha abapostile bakhe abathathu—uYohane, uYakobi noPetros—ukuba babe kunye naye ngezihlandlo ezikhethekileyo. (Marko 5:37, 38; 9:2; 14:33) UYesu wanika uPetros “izitshixo zobukumkani bamazulu,” awayeza kuzisebenzisa ukuze avule indlela eya eBukumkanini—ekuqaleni yayingamaYuda nabantu ababeguqukele ebuYudeni, kwalandela amaSamariya kwaza kwagqibela abantu beeNtlanga. (Mateyu 16:19; IZenzo 2:5, 41; 8:14-17; 10:45) Ngenxa yobuntu bakhe, maxa wambi uPetros wayeba sisithethi sabapostile. (IZenzo 1:15; 2:14) Kodwa ngaba ezi zibakala zamenza uPetros waba yintloko yebandla lokuqala?

Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi uPetros wanikwa amandla “obupostile kwabo balukileyo.” (Galati 2:8) Noko ke, amazwi kaPawulos abonisa ukuba wayengathi uPetros walathisa ibandla. Amagqabaza kaPawulos ayebhekisela kwindima kaPetros ekushumayeleni kumaYuda.

Nangona uPetros wayeneembopheleleko ezinkulu, ayikho indawo eBhayibhileni apho athi uyintloko yebandla yaye esenzela abafundi izigqibo. Kwileta yakhe uzibiza ngokuba ‘ungumpostile nendoda enkulu’—ayikho into engaphaya kwaleyo.—1 Petros 1:1; 5:1.

Isifundisa Ntoni Imbali Ngemvelaphi Yoopopu?

Baqala nini njani ukubakho oopopu? Into yokuba kubekho umntu ofuna ukubalasela ngaphezu kwamanye amakholwa yaqala besaphila abapostile. Bayijonga njani abapostile loo nto?

Umpostile uPetros ngenkqu waxelela amanye amadoda awayekhokela ebandleni ukuba angabi “ziinkosi phezu kwabo balilifa likaThixo”; ayefanele abhinqe ukuthobeka kwengqondo omnye ngakomnye. (1 Petros 5:1-5) Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa ngokuba ebandleni kwakuza kuvela amadoda “aze athethe izinto ezijijekileyo ukuze abatsale abafundi emva kwawo.” (IZenzo 20:30) Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yokuqala Yexesha Eliqhelekileyo, umpostile uYohane wabhala ileta ekhalimela umfundi ogama linguDiyotrefe. Kwakutheni ukuze amkhalimele? Esinye isizathu kukuba le ndoda ‘yayithanda ukuba kwindawo yokuqala’ ebandleni. (3 Yohane 9) Eso siluleko sasivela kubapostile sabathintela okwexeshana abo babefuna ukubalasela.—2 Tesalonika 2:3-8.

Ngokukhawuleza nje emva kokuba befile abapostile, amadoda athile aqala ukubalasela. IThe Cambridge History of Christianity ithi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayengekho ubhishopu ‘obalaseleyo’ kunabanye eRoma ngaphambi okanye kumbindi wenkulungwane yesibini.” Ngenkulungwane yesithathu, ubhishopu waseRoma wayesele ezimisele njengelona gunya liphezulu, kwinxalenye ezithile zecawa.b Ukuze baqinisekise ukuba ubhishopu wayenegunya elingakumbi, abanye baye baqulunqa uludwe loobhishopu abangena ezihlangwini zikaPetros.

Noko ke, olo ludwe alunamandla. Kutheni? Okokuqala, amanye amagama akolu ludwe awanakuqinisekiswa. Enye into ebalulekileyo kukuba isiseko salo asinakuthenjwa. Njani? Nokuba uPetros washumayela eRoma, njengokuba olunye uncwadi lwenkulungwane yokuqala neyesibini lusitsho, akukho bungqina bokuba wayeyintloko yebandla.

Obunye ubungqina obubonisa ukuba uPetros wayengeyontloko yebandla laseRoma kukuba xa umpostile uPawulos wayebhalela ibandla laseRoma, waquka amagama amaKristu awayelapho. Kodwa akazange athethe ngoPetros. (Roma 16:1-23) Ukuba uPetros wayeyintloko yebandla, ngaba uPawulos wayengayi kumnika imbeko emfaneleyo?

Kwakhona, ukhumbule ukuba malunga nexesha uPetros wayebhala ngalo ileta yakhe yokuqala ephefumlelweyo, uPawulos wayebhala ileta yakhe yesibini eyayisiya kuTimoti. Kuloo leta, uPawulos wayikhankanya iRoma. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala iileta ezintandathu eseRoma, kodwa akukho nokuba ibe nye kuzo ekhankanya uPetros kuyo.

Malunga neminyaka engama-30 emva kokuba uPawulos ebhale ezi leta, umpostile uYohane wabhala iileta ezintathu nencwadi yeSityhilelo. Ayikho indawo apho uYohane athi ibandla laseRoma lelona libalulekileyo yaye akazange athethe ngenkokeli yecawa engene ezihlangwini zikaPetros. Ubungqina beBhayibhile nobembali abuyixhasi into yokuba uPetros waba ngubhishopu wokuqala webandla laseRoma.

Ngaba Ihambo Neemfundiso Zoopopu Ziyabaxhasa?

Besiya kulindela ukuba umntu othi “ungene ezihlangwini zeNgcwele uPetros” nothi “unguMmeli kaKristu” axelise iimfundiso nehambo kaPetros noKristu. Ngokomzekelo, ngaba uPetros wayelindele ukuba amanye amakholwa amphathe ngendlela eyahlukileyo? Akunjalo. Akazange avume ukubizwa ngamagama amakhulu. (IZenzo 10:25, 26) Kuthekani ngoYesu? Wathi uze kulungiselela abanye, kungekhona ukulungiselelwa. (Mateyu 20:28) Ngokwahlukileyo koko, baye bazenzela igama elinjani oopopu? Ngaba bayakuphepha ukubalasela, ukubizwa ngamagama amakhulu nokuqhayisa ngobutyebi negunya?

UPetros noKristu babengamadoda athe tye awayekhuthaza uxolo. Khawuthelekise loo ngxelo noko kuthethwa yiCatholic encyclopedia Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche (Lexicon for Theology and Church) ngoPope Leo X: “Wayetshona zwabha kwezopolitiko efaka izalamane zakhe ezikhundleni ethanda neziyolo, uLeo X akazange awenze owona msebenzi ubalulekileyo wezinto zokomoya.” UKarl Amon, umfundisi ongumKatolika nongunjingalwazi wembali yecawa, uthi iingxelo ezithetha ngoPope Alexander VI zibonisa ukuba “wayenganyanisekanga ngendlela egqith’ emgceni, elisebenzisa kakubi igunya, ethengisa ngezikhundla yaye eziphethe kakubi.”

Kuthekani ngeemfundiso zoopopu? Zinjani xa uzithelekisa neemfundiso zikaPetros noKristu? UPetros wayengakholelwa ukuba bonke abantu abalungileyo baya ezulwini. Ethetha ngoKumkani uDavide olungileyo, wachaza ngokucacileyo ukuba: “UDavide akenyukelanga emazulwini.” (IZenzo 2:34) UPetros akazange afundise nokuba iintsana zimele zibhaptizwe. Kunoko wafundisa ukuba umKristu ubhaptizwa ngokuzithandela.—1 Petros 3:21.

UYesu wafundisa ukuba akukho namnye kubafundi bakhe ofanele afune ukubalasela kwabanye. Wathi: “Ukuba nabani na ufuna ukuba ngowokuqala, umele abe ngowokugqibela kubo bonke nomlungiseleli wabo bonke.” (Marko 9:35) Ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe, uYesu wabanika lo myalelo: “Ningabizwa kuthiwe Rabhi, kuba mnye umfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabazalwana. Ngaphezu koko, ningabizi nabani na ngokuthi nguyihlo emhlabeni, kuba mnye uYihlo, Lowo wasezulwini. Ningabizwa nangokuthi ‘iinkokeli,’ kuba inye iNkokeli yenu, uKristu.” (Mateyu 23:1, 8-10) Ngaba oopopu baye babambelela kwiimfundiso zikaPetros noKristu?

Abanye bathi umntu uyaqhubeka engupopu nokuba akaphili ngendlela yamaKristu. Ngaba ucinga ukuba ibhadlile loo nto? UYesu wathi: “Wonke umthi olungileyo uvelisa isiqhamo esihle, kodwa wonke umthi obolileyo uvelisa isiqhamo esingento yanto; umthi olungileyo awunako ukuthwala isiqhamo esingento yanto, nomthi obolileyo awunako ukuvelisa isiqhamo esihle.” Ngokusekelwe kobu bungqina, ngaba ucinga ukuba uPetros noKristu bebengathanda ukunxulunyaniswa neziqhamo eziveliswe ngoopopu?—Mateyu 7:17, 18, 21-23.

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Ngaba ubungqina bubonisa ukuba oopopu baye baxelisa umzekelo kaPetros?