Ngaba uPetros WayenguPopu Wokuqala?
“UMfundisi uJorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., uye wakhethwa njengoBhishophu Omkhulu we-265 emva koPetros.”—IVATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE, VATICAN CITY, KAMATSHI 13, 2013.
“Ubhishophu waseRoma unegunya elikhulu eziCaweni, kuba lilandela leNgcwele uPetros, eyafumana elo lungelo kuYesu Kristu.”—ITHE PRIMACY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME DURING THE FIRST THREE CENTURIES, KA-1903, NGUVINCENT ERMONI.
“Ukuba kukho umntu othi . . . uPopu waseRoma akangenanga ezihlangwini zikaPetros oNgcwele; makagxothwe, kungathethwa nokuthethwa naye [makuthiwe ngumwexuki].”—ITHE FIRST VATICAN COUNCIL, KAJULAYI 18, 1870.
KWIZIGIDI zamaKatolika asemhlabeni, umthetho owamiselwa ngo-1870 liBhunga laseVatican lokuqala awusoze utshintshe yaye umele uthotyelwe. Noko ke, umbuzo ngulo, Ngaba yimfundiso eseZibhalweni? Ngaphezu koko, yena uPopu Francis, ngaba nyhani wangena ezihlangwini zikampostile uPetros? Ngaba uPetros wayengupopu wokuqala?
“NDIZA KUYAKHELA PHEZU KOLU LWALWA ICAWA YAM”
Umthetho owamiselwa liBhunga laseVatican ngo-1870 wawusuka kwindlela elaliwutolika ngayo umbhalo kaMateyu 16:16-19 noYohane 21:15-17. Incoko kaYesu noPetros kwezi vesi nakwezinye iivesi zeBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba lo mpostile wayenendima ebalulekileyo kwimbali yamaKristu okuqala. Phofu, xa babeqala ukubonana, uYesu wathi uPetros wayeza kuzinza, omelele njengelitye. (Yohane 1:42) Ngaba uKristu wayesithi uPetros uza kuba ngoyena ubalulekileyo?
KuMateyu 16:17, 18, ethetha noPetros uYesu wathi: “Ndithi kuwe, unguPetros [igama elithetha ukuthi “Ilitye”] wena, yaye ndiza kuyakhela phezu kweli litye icawa yam.” * Ngaba uYesu wayesithi “icawa” yakhe, okanye ibandla, uza kulakhela phezu komntu onguPetros? Ngaba wayeza kuba yinkokeli yabanye abalandeli bakaYesu? Abanye abapostile ababekho xa uYesu encokola noPetros bayiqonda njani into awayeyithetha? Iincwadi zeVangeli zithi amaxesha amaninzi emva koko, abapostile babephikisana ngelithi ngubani omkhulu kubo. (Mateyu 20:20-27; Marko 9:33-35; Luka 22:24-26) Ukuba uYesu wayesele elinike uPetros eli lungelo, okanye igunya, ngaba babeza kube bephikisana ngokuba ngubani omkhulu?
Yena uPetros wayiqonda njani into eyayithethwa nguYesu? Ekubeni wayengumSirayeli, umele ukuba wayeqhelene nabaprofeti abahlukahlukeneyo abangamaHebhere ababethetha ‘ngelitye’ okanye ‘imbombo.’ (Isaya 8:13, 14; 28:16; Zekariya 3:9) Xa wayethetha ngomnye wabo kwileta awayibhalela amanye amaKristu wathi ‘imbombo’ ekwakuprofetwe ngayo yiNkosi uYesu Kristu, uMesiya. Xa wayethetha ngoKristu, uPetros wasebenzisa igama lesiGrike elithi pe’tra (gama elo ekuthethwa ngalo kumazwi kaYesu akuMateyu 16:18).—1 Petros 2:4-8.
Omnye umlandeli othembekileyo kaYesu yayingumpostile uPawulos. Ngaba yena wayekholelwa ukuba uYesu unike uPetros igunya? Esazi indima kaPetros kwibandla lamaKristu okuqala, wathi uPetros wayengomnye wabo “babebonakala beziintsika.” Ngokutsho kukaPawulos babebaninzi ‘abaziintsika.’ (Galati 2:9) Ukuba uYesu wayekhethe uPetros ukuba abe yintloko yebandla, kwakutheni ukuze abanye abalandeli bakaKristu bathi ubonakala eyintsika?
Ethetha ngesimilo kodwa engatshon’ evela, uPawulos wabhala ngendlela awayenomkhethe ngayo uPetros, esithi: “Ndamxelela ndimjongile kuba yayingekho le nto wayeyenza.” (Galati 2:11-14) UPawulos zange acinge ukuba uKristu wayakhela kuPetros okanye kuye nawuphi na umntu ongafezekanga icawa okanye ibandla. Kunoko wayekholelwa ukuba ibandla lakhelwe kuYesu Kristu. UPawulos wayesazi ukuba “ilitye nguKristu.”—1 Korinte 3:9-11; 10:4.
“UNGUPETROS WENA . . . ”
Simele siwaqonde njani amazwi athi: “UnguPetros wena, yaye ndiza kuyakhela phezu kweli litye icawa yam”? Ukuze siyiqonde kakuhle le nkcazelo, kufuneka sazi ukuba babethetha ngantoni uYesu noPetros. UYesu wayesandul’ ukubuza abafundi bakhe oku: “Nina nithi ndingubani?” Ngokukhawuleza uPetros wathi: “UnguMesiya, uNyana woThixo ophilayo.” UYesu wamncoma waza wathi, “icawa” okanye ibandla lakhe uya kulakhela kwelona ‘litye’ liqinileyo asand’ ukubonisa ukholo kulo uPetros—uYesu ngokwakhe.—Mateyu 16:15-18.
Simele siwaqonde njani amazwi kaYesu athi: “UnguPetros wena, yaye ndiza kuyakhela phezu kweli litye icawa yam”?
Nabanye “Abefundisi Becawa” abaninzi bathi ilitye ekuthethwa ngalo kuMateyu 16:18 nguKristu. Ngokomzekelo, uAugustine owayephila ngenkulungwane yesihlanu wabhala: “INkosi yathi: ‘Ndiya kuyakhela phezu kweli litye iCawa yam,’ kuba uPetros wayethe kuyo: ‘UnguKristu uNyana woThixo ophilayo.’ Ngoko yathi iza kuyakhela phezu kweli litye iCawa yayo.” UAugustine wayithetha kaninzi into yokuba “Ilitye (Petra) yayinguKristu.”
Ngokweemfundiso zamaKatolika zanamhlanje, uAugustine nabanye bekuza kuthiwa ngabawexuki. Ngokutsho komfundisi waseSwitzerland u-Ulrich Luz, indlela abaphengululi beBhayibhile abavumelana ngayo ngalo mba ibiza kuphum’ ecaleni kumthetho owamiselwa liBhunga laseVatican ngo-1870.
NGABA UPOPU LILANDELA LIKAPETROS?
Umpostile uPetros wayengalazi igama elithi “popu.” Phofu ke, oobhishophu abaninzi ababengengomaRoma babezibiza ngelo gama de kwayinkulungwane yesithoba. Sekunjalo, eli gama lalingafane lisetyenziswe njengegama elisemthethweni de kwayinkulungwane ye-11. Ukongezelela, ngelo xesha akakho umKristu owayecinga ukuba igunya ekuthiwa lalinikwe uPetros ladluliselwa kwabanye abantu. Ngenxa yoko, umphengululi waseJamani uMartin Hengel wagqiba ngelithi “ngokutsho kwembali neBhayibhile akukho bungqina obuxhasa ingcamango yokuba umntu umele anikwe ‘igunya’ lokuba ngupopu.”
Ngoko sigqiba ngelithini ke? Ngaba uPetros wayengupopu wokuqala? Bakho abantu ababengena ezihlangwini zakhe? Yona inkolelo yamaKatolika yokuba abantu banikwe igunya lokuba ngoopopu ngaba iyaxhaswa ziZibhalo? Impendulo echanileyo kuyo yonke le mibuzo nguhayi. Eyona nto siqiniseke ngayo kukuba uYesu wayakhela kuye icawa yakhe okanye ibandla lakhe lokwenyaniso. (Efese 2:20) Umbuzo obalulekileyo esimele sizibuze wona ngulo, Ngaba ndilifumene elo bandla lokwenyaniso?
^ isiqe. 8 Yonke imibhalo ekuthethwe ngayo kweli nqaku ithatyathwe kwiNew American Bible yamaKatolika, iBhayibhile esetyenziswe kwiwebhsayithi yeVatican.
Mhlawumbi Ungayithanda Nale
XELISA UKHOLO LWABO
Wanyaniseka Xa Wayevavanywa
Ukholo nokuthembeka kukaPetros kwamnceda njani wakwazi ukulungiswa nguYesu?
