Ingabe UPapa “Walandela USanta Petru”?

Esikhundleni”? NGONYAKA ka-2002, uPapa uJohn Paul II wabhalela umbhishobhi wase-Limburg, eJalimane, incwadi ephikisana nesinqumo sakhe ngokukhishwa kwezisu. Upapa wabe esekhipha owakhe umyalo ethi unomthwalo wemfanelo wokuqinisekisa ukuthi “wonke amalungu esonto anempilo enhle nobunye ngokwentando kaJesu Kristu.” Wathi unelungelo lokuchitha isinqumo sikambhishobhi ngoba yena njengopapa, ‘ulandela uSanta Petru esikhundleni.’

Inkolo yamaRoma Katolika ithi “uKristu wamisa uSanta Petru ukuba aphathe bonke abaphostoli.” ISonto LobuKatolika ligomela nangokuthi “uKristu wathi kufanele kube nabathile ababeyolandela uPetru esikhundleni sakhe esibalulekile; futhi ababhishobhi baseRoma bayilabo balandeli.”—New Catholic Encyclopedia (2003), uMqulu 11, amakhasi 495-496.

Makhulu la mazwi. Ingabe uke wawahlola ukuze uthole ukuthi ayiqiniso yini? Ake sixoxe ngezimpendulo zale mibuzo emithathu: (1) Ingabe iBhayibheli liyayisekela inkolelo yokuthi uPetru wayengupapa wokuqala? (2) Umlando ufundisani ngemvelaphi yomkhuba wokulandelana kopapa? (3) Ingabe ukuziphatha nezimfundiso zopapa kuvumelana nokuzibiza kwabo ngokuthi bangabalandeli bakaPetru?

Ingabe UPetru Wayengupapa Wokuqala?

Ukuze afakazele ukuthi isonto lisekelwe kuPetru, sekuyiminyaka amaKatolika ebhekisela emazwini kaJesu akuMathewu 16:18: “Wena unguPetru, phezu kwaleli dwala ngizokwakha ibandla lami.” Empeleni, la mazwi aqoshwe ngolimi lwesiLatin ophahleni olungaphakathi lwesakhiwo esibizwa ngokuthi iSt. Peter’s Basilica eRoma.

U-Augustine, uFata weSonto ohlonishwa kakhulu, wayekholelwa ukuthi ibandla lakhiwe kuPetru. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba afe, wawushintsha umbono wakhe ngencazelo yamazwi kaJesu. Encwadini ethi Retractations, wathi nguJesu Kristu oyisisekelo sebandla lobuKristu, hhayi uPetru.a

Yiqiniso, kukhulunywa kakhulu ngomphostoli uPetru emaVangelini. UJesu wakhetha abaphostoli bakhe abathathu—uJohane, uJakobe noPetru—ukuba babe naye ezenzakalweni ezimbalwa ezikhethekile. (Marku 5:37, 38; 9:2; 14:33) UJesu wanika uPetru “izihluthulelo zombuso wamazulu,” futhi uPetru wazisebenzisela ukuvula indlela eyisa eMbusweni—abokuqala kwaba amaJuda namaproselithe, kwalandela amaSamariya, kwagcina abeZizwe. (Mathewu 16:19; IzEnzo 2:5, 41; 8:14-17; 10:45) Ngokuvumelana nokuba kwakhe umuntu okhululekile, ngezinye izikhathi uPetru wayeba umkhulumeli wabo bonke abaphostoli. (IzEnzo 1:15; 2:14) Kodwa ingabe la maphuzu asho ukuthi wayeyinhloko yebandla lekhulu lokuqala?

Yiqiniso, umphostoli uPawulu wathi uPetru wayenikwe amandla “okuba umphostoli kwabasokile.” (Galathiya 2:8) Nokho, umongo wamazwi kaPawulu ubonisa ukuthi wayengasho neze ukuthi nguPetru owayeqondisa ibandla. UPawulu wayekhuluma ngendima kaPetru ekushunyayezweni kwamaJuda.

Nakuba uPetru aphathiswa imithwalo yemfanelo emikhulu, akukho eBhayibhelini lapho sithola khona ukuthi wazibiza ngenhloko yebandla, noma-ke ukuthi wayenzela abafundi izinqumo njengeqembu. Encwadini yakhe, wazibiza ‘ngomphostoli’ ‘nangendoda endala’—hhayi okunye okungaphezu kwalokho.—1 Petru 1:1; 5:1.

Umlando Ufundisani Ngemvelaphi Yesikhundla Sopapa?

Izikhundla zopapa zaqala nini futhi kanjani? Umbono wokuthi kwakwamukeleka ngendoda eyodwa ukuba ifune ukuvelela ngaphezu kwamanye amakholwa waqala ukuba nezimpande abaphostoli besaphila. Abaphostoli babeyibheka kanjani leyo ndlela yokucabanga?

Umphostoli uPetru ngokwakhe watshela amadoda ayehola ebandleni ukuba ‘angazenzi izingqongqo phezu kwalabo abayifa likaNkulunkulu’; kunalokho, wathi kufanele abhince isimo sengqondo sokuthobelana. (1 Petru 5:1-5) Umphostoli uPawulu wakhipha isixwayiso sokuthi kwakuyovela amadoda ngaphakathi kwebandla lobuKristu ‘ayeyokhuluma izinto ezisontekile ukuze amonyule abafundi ukuba bawalandele.’ (IzEnzo 20:30) Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E., umphostoli uJohane wabhala incwadi asola kuyo ngokuqinile umfundi ogama lakhe linguDiyotrefe. Ngani? Esinye isizathu siwukuthi le ndoda ‘yayithanda ukuba nendawo ephambili’ ebandleni. (3 Johane 9) Lesi seluleko sabaphostoli sasiza okwesikhashana ngoba sanqanda abathile ababekufuna ngabomvu ukuvelela.—2 Thesalonika 2:3-8.

Ngemva nje kokuba kufe owokugcina kubaphostoli, abantu abathile baqala ukuvelela. I-Cambridge History of Christianity ithi: “Cishe wayengekho nhlobo umbhishobhi ‘ongungqo shishilizi’ eRoma ngaphambi kwenkathi ephakathi yekhulu lesibili.” Ngekhulu leminyaka lesithathu, umbhishobhi waseRoma wazimisa njengonegunya eliphakeme, okungenani ezicini ezithile zesonto.b Ukuze izwakale inesisindo indaba yokuthi umbhishobhi waseRoma unegunya eliphakeme, abathile baye benza uhlu lwamadoda alandela uPetru esikhundleni.

Nokho, lolo hlu alusho lutho ngempela. Ngani? Okokuqala, kunamagama athile kulolo hlu angenakuqinisekiswa. Okukhulu nakakhulu ukuthi lolo hlu lwakhelwa emaphutheni. Maphi amaphutha? Ngisho noma uPetru ashumayela eRoma, njengoba kusikisela izincwadi ezithile zangekhulu leminyaka lokuqala nelesibili, abukho ubufakazi bokuthi wayeyinhloko yebandla lalapho.

Obunye ubufakazi bokuthi uPetru wayengeyona inhloko yebandla laseRoma ukuthi ngesikhathi umphostoli uPawulu ebhalela amaRoma incwadi, wabala namaKristu amaningi alapho. Kodwa akazange aliphathe nakancane igama likaPetru. (Roma 16:1-23) Uma uPetru ayeyinhloko yebandla, uPawulu wayengameqa kanjani angambali?

Phawula nokuthi ngesikhathi uPetru ebhala incwadi yakhe yokuqala ephefumulelwe, uPawulu wabhalela uThimothewu incwadi yesibili. Kuleyo ncwadi, uPawulu wakhuluma ngeRoma. Empeleni, wabhala izincwadi eziyisithupha eseRoma, futhi kuzo zonke akamphathanga uPetru.

Ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-30 uPawulu abhala izincwadi zakhe, umphostoli uJohane wabhala ezintathu kanye nencwadi yesAmbulo. Kuzo zonke lezi zincwadi uJohane akazange asho ukuthi ibandla eliseRoma lalikhetheke kunawo wonke, noma akhulume ngomholi webandla owayenesikhundla esiphezulu, okungukuthi owalandela uPetru esikhundleni. IBhayibheli nobufakazi bomlando abuyisekeli nhlobo indaba yokuthi uPetru wazimisa njengombhishobhi wokuqala webandla laseRoma.

Ingabe Ukuziphatha Nezimfundiso Zopapa Kusekela Lokho Abakushoyo?

Singamlindela kufanele umuntu othi ‘ulandela uSanta Petru’ esikhundleni noma othi ‘unguMmeleli kaKristu’ ukuba aziphathe njengoPetru noJesu futhi afundise izinto abazifundisa. Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe uPetru wayefuna amanye amakholwa amphathe ngendlela ekhethekile? Cha. Wazenqaba zonke izenzo noma amazwi abonakala sengathi awukumdumisa. (IzEnzo 10:25, 26) Kuthiwani ngoJesu? Wathi weza emhlabeni ngenjongo yokukhonza, hhayi ukukhonzwa. (Mathewu 20:28) Opapa bona banjani? Ingabe bayakwenqaba ukuvelela, ukubizwa ngeziqu ezinkulu nokubukisa ngengcebo nesikhundla?

UPetru noKristu babengamadoda aziphatha kahle nakhuthaza ukuthula. Qhathanisa idumela labo nalokho okwashiwo yi-encyclopedia yamaKatolika ethi Lexion für Theologie und Kirche (Lexicon for Theology and Church) ngoPapa Leo X: “ULeo X wayezigaxa kwezombusazwe, evame ukupha izihlobo zakhe amabhizinisi futhi ethanda impilo entofontofo yobulivilivi, ngakho wayengayifezi imithwalo yakhe ebalulekile ephathelene noNkulunkulu.” UKarl Amon, umfundisi wamaKatolika noprofesa womlando wesonto, uthi imibiko eqinisekisiwe ekhuluma ngoPapa Alexander VI ithi “wayekhohlakele ngendlela eyethusayo, esebenzisa kabi igunya, ethengisela abanye izikhundla esontweni futhi engenasimilo.”

Kuthiwani ngezimfundiso zopapa? Zinjani uma ziqhathaniswa nezikaPetru noKristu? UPetru wayengakholelwa ukuthi bonke abantu abalungile baya ezulwini. Lapho ekhuluma ngenkosi elungile uDavide, walibeka ngembaba: “UDavide akazange anyukele emazulwini.” (IzEnzo 2:34) Ngaphezu kwalokho, akazange afundise ukuthi kufanele izinsana zibhapathizwe. Kunalokho, wathi ubhapathizo luyisinyathelo esithathwa yikholwa ngemva kokucabangisisa.—1 Petru 3:21.

UJesu wafundisa ukuthi akekho kubafundi bakhe okufanele azame ukuvelela kunabanye. Wathi: “Uma umuntu efuna ukuba ngowokuqala, kumelwe abe ngowokugcina kunabo bonke futhi abe yisikhonzi sabo bonke.” (Marku 9:35) Ngaphambi nje kokuba afe, wanikeza abalandeli bakhe lesi siyalo esicacile: “Maningabizwa ngokuthi Rabi, ngoba munye ongumfundisi wenu, kanti nonke nina ningabafowabo bomunye nomunye. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ningabizi muntu emhlabeni ngokuthi uyihlo, ngoba munye onguYihlo, yiLowo osezulwini. Ningabizwa futhi ngokuthi ‘abaholi,’ ngoba munye onguMholi wenu, uKristu.” (Mathewu 23:1, 8-10) Ucabanga ukuthi opapa baye banamathela ezimfundisweni zikaPetru noKristu?

Abanye bathi kufanele zibe khona izikhundla zopapa ngisho noma bengaphili ngendlela yobuKristu. Ucabanga ukuthi kulungile ukuba naleso simo sengqondo? UJesu wathi: “Yonke imithi emihle ithela izithelo ezinhle, kodwa yonke imithi ebolile ithela izithelo ezingenamsebenzi; umuthi omuhle ungethele izithelo ezingenamsebenzi, nomuthi obolile ungethele izithelo ezinhle.” Njengoba usubuzwile ubufakazi, ucabanga ukuthi uPetru noma uJesu babengathanda ukuhlotshaniswa nezithelo eziye zathelwa opapa?—Mathewu 7:17, 18, 21-23.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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Ingabe ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi opapa baye balingisa isibonelo sikaPetru?