Eusebius—“Sɔlemɔ He Yinɔsane Tsɛ Lɛ”?

YƐ AFI 325 Ŋ.B. lɛ, Roma Maŋtsɛ Konstantino tsɛ́ osɔfonukpai fɛɛ akpee yɛ Nicaea. Eyiŋtoo ji: ni ana sane ni kɔɔ wekukpaa ni kã Nyɔŋmɔ kɛ e-Bi lɛ teŋ ni aje he ŋwane babaoo lɛ he lɛ naa. Mɛi ni ba lɛ ateŋ mɔ kome ji Eusebius ni jɛ Caesarea, ní abuɔ lɛ akɛ nilelɔ kpanaa fe fɛɛ yɛ eyinɔbii lɛ ateŋ lɛ. Eusebius ekase Ŋmalɛi lɛ jogbaŋŋ diɛŋtsɛ ni eji Kristofoi atsɔɔmɔ akɛ Nyɔŋmɔ kome pɛ yɔɔ lɛ hefalɔ.

Encyclopædia Britannica lɛ tsɔɔ mli akɛ, yɛ Nicaea Gwabɔɔ lɛ shishi lɛ, “Konstantino diɛŋtsɛ ji mɔ ni kwɛ kpee lɛ nɔ, ni ekɛ ekãa kudɔ sanegbaa lɛ, ni lɛ diɛŋtsɛ ekɛ yiŋtoo . . . ni ji sane titri ni tsɔɔ wekukpaa ni kã Kristo kɛ Nyɔŋmɔ teŋ yɛ sɔlemɔ lɛ hemɔkɛyeli jajemɔ ni gwabɔɔ lɛ kɛha, ‘ni tsɔɔ bɔ ni ekɛ Tsɛ lɛ ji heloo kome lɛ ba’ . . . Yɛ bulɛ kɛ gbeyeishemɔ babaoo ni osɔfonukpai lɛ yɔɔ kɛha maŋtsɛ lɛ hewɔ lɛ, amɛkɛ amɛwaonaa gbɛi wo hemɔkɛyeli jajemɔ lɛ shishi, eyɛ mli moŋ akɛ ekɛ amɛteŋ mɛi babaoo susumɔi kpaaa gbee, ja amɛteŋ mɛi enyɔ pɛ efeee nakai.” Ani Eusebius fata mɛi ni efeee nakai lɛ ahe? Mɛni wɔbaanyɛ wɔkase kɛjɛ shidaamɔ ni ekɔ lɛ mli? Nyɛhaa wɔpɛia Eusebius shihilɛ he saji—ehesaai kɛ nibii ni etsu lɛ amli wɔkwɛa.

Eniŋmaai ni Sa Kadimɔ Waa Lɛ

Eeenyɛ eba akɛ afɔ Eusebius yɛ Palestine aaafee afi 260 Ŋ.B. Ekɛ ehe bɔ Pamphilus ni ji Caesarea sɔlemɔ lɛ nɔkwɛlɔ lɛ he yɛ egbekɛbiiashi. Beni Eusebius batsɔ Pamphilus Nyɔŋmɔ jamɔ he nikasemɔ skul lɛ mlinyo lɛ, ebatsɔ nikaselɔ ni bɔɔ mɔdɛŋ waa. Ekɛ Pamphilus wojiatoohe ni woji babaoo yɔɔ mli lɛ tsu nii jogbaŋŋ. Eusebius tuu ehe diɛŋtsɛ eha enikasemɔ lɛ, titri lɛ kɛha Biblia lɛ kasemɔ. Ebatsɔ Pamphilus anɔkwa naanyo hu, ni yɛ sɛɛ mli lɛ lɛ diɛŋtsɛ etsɛ ehe akɛ “Eusebius ni ji Pamphilus binuu.”

Eusebius tsɔɔ otii ni mamɔ ehiɛ lɛ mli akɛ: “Miyiŋtoo ji ni maŋma mɛi ni ye Bɔfoi krɔŋkrɔŋi lɛ asɛɛ kɛ agbɛnɛ be ni eho kɛjɛ wɔ-Yiwalaherelɔ lɛ gbii lɛ amli kɛbashi wɔgbii nɛɛ amli lɛ ahe saji; koni magba bɔ ni saji babaoo ni he hiaa lɛ tee nɔ ha yɛ sɔlemɔ lɛ yinɔsane mli; agbɛnɛ ni matsĩ mɛi ni ye sɔlemɔ lɛ nɔ ni amɛkwɛ nɔ yɛ maji ni ehe gbɛi amli, kɛ mɛi ni kɛ amɛnaabu jaje Nyɔŋmɔ wiemɔ lɛ loo amɛŋma yɛ yinɔ fɛɛ yinɔ mli lɛ atã.”

Akaiɔ Eusebius yɛ ewolo ni abuɔ waa ni yitso ji History of the Christian Church lɛ hewɔ. Abuɔ ewolokpoi nyɔŋma ni eŋma aaafee afi 324 Ŋ.B. lɛ akɛ sɔlemɔ lɛ he yinɔsane ni he hiaa waa ni aŋma yɛ blema beaŋ. Yɛ nɔ ni Eusebius nyɛ etsu nɛɛ hewɔ lɛ, abale lɛ akɛ sɔlemɔ lɛ he yinɔsane tsɛ.

Kɛfata Church History lɛ he lɛ, Eusebius ŋma Chronicle, yɛ wolokpoi enyɔ mli. Klɛŋklɛŋ kpo lɛ ji jeŋ fɛɛ yinɔsane naamuamɔ. Yɛ  afii 400 lɛ mli lɛ, ebatsɔ wolo titri ni akwɛɔ mli kɛha jeŋ be he akɔntaabuu. Kpo ni ji enyɔ lɛ tsĩ bei ni yinɔsane mli nibii ba lɛ tã. Eusebius kɛ baafai ni ajara mli tsu nii ni ekɛtsɔɔ be kɛ mɛi ni ye nɔ kɛtsara nɔ yɛ maji srɔtoi amli lɛ mli.

Eusebius ŋmala yinɔsane he woji enyɔ krokomɛi hu, ni yitso ji Martyrs of Palestine kɛ Life of Constantine. Klɛŋklɛŋ nɔ lɛ kɔɔ afi 303 Ŋ.B.-310 Ŋ.B. lɛ he, ni ewieɔ mɛi ni agbe amɛ akɛ lá odasefoi yɛ nakai be lɛ mli lɛ ahe. Eeenyɛ eba akɛ Eusebius kɛ ehiŋmɛi na nifeemɔi nɛɛ. Nɔ ni yɔɔ naagbee wolo, ni aŋma akɛ woji ejwɛ yɛ Maŋtsɛ Konstantino gbele yɛ 337 Ŋ.B. lɛ sɛɛ lɛ ji yinɔsane mli saji otii ni he hiaa. Yɛ nɔ najiaŋ ni eeefee yinɔsane ni yɔɔ tɛ̃ɛ lɛ, emli titri ji nɔ ni jieɔ mɛi ni egboi ayi.

Nɔ ni fata Eusebius hefamɔ woji lɛ ahe ji hetoo ni ekɛha Hierocles—ni ji Roma nɔyelɔ ko ni hi shi yɛ ebeaŋ lɛ. Beni Hierocles ŋma sane kɛshi Kristofoi lɛ, Eusebius jie naa kɛfã amɛhe. Kɛfata he lɛ, eŋmala woji 35, ní abuɔ akɛ ehe hiaa fe fɛɛ eko ní ato he gbɛjianɔ jogbaŋŋ ni yɔɔ srɔto lɛ kɛfĩ sɛɛ akɛ Nyɔŋmɔ ji Ŋmalɛi lɛ aŋmalɔ. Ekɛ enɛ mli klɛŋklɛŋ 15 lɛ bɔ mɔdɛŋ kɛfã nɔ hewɔ ni Kristofoi kpɛlɛɔ Hebri niŋmaai krɔŋkrɔŋi lɛ anɔ lɛ he. Ekrokomɛi 20 lɛ kɛ odaseyeli ni tsɔɔ akɛ eja akɛ Kristofoi aaaku Yudafoi amlai amli ni amɛkpɛlɛ shishitoo mlai kɛ nifeemɔi heei anɔ lɛ hã. Taakɛ Eusebius nu shishi lɛ, woji nɛɛ fɛɛ kɛ Kristojamɔ he famɔ ni yeɔ emuu hãa.

Eusebius kɛ aaafee afii 80 hi shi (aaafee afi 260-aaafee afi 340 Ŋ.B.), ni ebatsɔ niŋmalɔi ni ŋmala woji babaoo fe fɛɛ yɛ blema lɛ ateŋ mɔ kome. Eniŋmaai lɛ kɔɔ saji ni tee nɔ yɛ klɛŋklɛŋ afii 300 lɛ amli kɛyashi Maŋtsɛ Konstantino beaŋ lɛ ahe. Yɛ ewala beaŋ naagbee gbɛ lɛ, etsu nii akɛ Caesarea osɔfonukpa kɛfata enitsumɔ akɛ niŋmalɔ lɛ he. Eyɛ mli akɛ ale Eusebius akɛ yinɔsaneŋmalɔ moŋ, shi eji ejamɔ lɛ hefalɔ, shikpɔŋ he mfoniri tɛŋlɔ, shiɛlɔ, Nyɔŋmɔ jamɔ he nikasemɔ mlipɛilɔ, kɛ niŋmalɔ ni tsɔɔ Nyɔŋmɔ jamɔ he nibii amli hu.

Yiŋtoi Enyɔ ni Ehiɛ

Mɛni hewɔ Eusebius je nitsumɔi kpelei diɛŋtsɛ ni tamɔ nɛkɛ shishi? Anaa hetoo lɛ yɛ ehemɔkɛyeli akɛ eyɛ be ko ni miitsake kɛmiibote yinɔ hee ko mli lɛ mli. Enu he akɛ nibii wuji etee nɔ yɛ yinɔi ni eho lɛ amli, ni ákɛ saji ni aŋmala ashwie shi he baahia yinɔbii ni baaba wɔsɛɛ lɛ.

Eusebius yɛ yiŋtoo kroko hu—ákɛ hefalɔ. Ehe eye akɛ Kristojamɔ jɛ Nyɔŋmɔ ŋɔɔ. Shi mɛi komɛi miite shi kɛmiiwo susumɔ nɛɛ. Eusebius ŋma akɛ: “Miyiŋtoo hu ji ni matsĩ mɛi ni etsɔ suɔmɔ ni amɛyɔɔ kɛha susumɔ hee nɔ amɛtɔ̃ tɔmɔi kpelei diɛŋtsɛ, ní kɛtsɔ amɛhe ni amɛtsɛɔ akɛ mɛi ni kɛ nilee ni jɛ apasa wiemɔi amli ba lɛ nɔ amɛfee amɛhe tamɔ klaji ni hiɛ yɔɔ klamaklama ni bɛ mlihilɛ, ní amɛkpata Kristo asafoku lɛ hiɛ lɛ agbɛii, amɛyibɔ, kɛ shii abɔ ni amɛfee nakai lɛ atã.”

Ani Eusebius bu lɛ diɛŋtsɛ ehe akɛ Kristofonyo? Eka shi faŋŋ akɛ efee nakai, ejaakɛ etsɛ́ Kristo akɛ “wɔ-Yiwalaherelɔ.” Ejaje akɛ: “Miyiŋtoo ji . . . ni majaje amanehului ni ba Yudafoi amaji lɛ fɛɛ anɔ lɛ amrɔ nɔŋŋ yɛ wɔ-Yiwalaherelɔ lɛ he ŋaa fɔji ni amɛtsɔ̃ lɛ hewɔ, ni maŋma gbɛ̀i kɛ shii abɔ ni Jeŋmajiaŋbii lɛ tutua Nyɔŋmɔ wiemɔ lɛ mashwie shi, ni matsɔɔ su ni mɛi ni pele he yɛ lá kɛ nɔnaai fɛɛ asɛɛ yɛ bei srɔtoi amli lɛ hiɛ lɛ mli, kɛ agbɛnɛ hu ni matsɔɔ anɔkwayeli ni akpɛlɛ nɔ faŋŋ yɛ wɔgbii nɛɛ amli lɛ mli, kɛ yelikɛbuamɔ ni mlijɔlɛ kɛ  musuŋtsɔlɛ yɔɔ mli ni wɔ-Yiwalaherelɔ lɛ kɛha amɛ fɛɛ lɛ.”

Enibii Amli Taomɔ Babaoo Lɛ

Woji abɔ ni Eusebius diɛŋtsɛ kane ni etao nibii amli yɛ mli lɛ fá babaoo diɛŋtsɛ. Eusebius woji lɛ anɔ pɛ atsɔ ale aŋkroaŋkroi ni ji hiɛnaanɔbii ni hi shi yɛ Ŋmɛnɛŋmɛnɛ Beaŋ klɛŋklɛŋ afii 300 lɛ mli lɛ. Anaa saji ni he yɔɔ sɛɛnamɔ ni kɛ nifeemɔi ni ato he gbɛjianɔ ni he yɔɔ sɛɛnamɔ lɛ ahe saji haa lɛ yɛ eniŋmaai lɛ pɛ amli. Fɛɛ jɛ nilee jɛɛhei komɛi ni bɛ dɔŋŋ lɛ mli.

Eusebius bɔ mɔdɛŋ ni etao nibii amli fitsofitso yɛ saji ni ebua naa lɛ mli. Etamɔ nɔ ni ebɔ mɔdɛŋ jogbaŋŋ koni ena srɔtofeemɔ ni yɔɔ adafitswai ni anyɛɔ akɛ he fɔɔ nɔ kɛ nɔ ni anyɛɛɛ akɛ he afɔ nɔ lɛ ateŋ. Shi kɛlɛ, enitsumɔ lɛ jeee nɔ ni tɔmɔ bɛ mli. Bei komɛi lɛ, etsɔɔ nibii amli yɛ gbɛ ni ejaaa nɔ, ni eyanuuu mɛi kɛ amɛnifeemɔi po ashishi. Ebe he akɔntaabuu ejaaa yɛ bei komɛi amli. Eusebius bɛ niŋmaa mli ŋaa hu. Shi yɛ efatɔɔi ni anaa faŋŋ lɛ fɛɛ sɛɛ lɛ, abuɔ ewoji babaoo lɛ akɛ jwetri ni jara wa waa.

Mɔ ko ni Sumɔɔ Anɔkwale?

Sane ni kɔɔ tsakpaa ni kã Tsɛ lɛ kɛ Bi lɛ teŋ lɛ he ni anako naa lɛ hao Eusebius. Taakɛ Eusebius he ye lɛ, ani Tsɛ lɛ yɛ wala mli dani Bi lɛ ba? Aloo Tsɛ lɛ kɛ Bi lɛ fɛɛ ba shikome? Ebi akɛ: “Kɛ́ amɛba shikome lɛ, te aaafee tɛŋŋ ni Tsɛ lɛ aaafee Tsɛ ni Bi lɛ afee Bi hu?” Ekɛ Ŋmalɛ mli wiemɔi po fi ehemɔkɛyeli lɛ sɛɛ, ni etsɛ Yohane 14:28 ni kɛɔ akɛ ‘Tsɛ lɛ da fe Yesu,’ kɛ Yohane 17:3, he ni atsɛ Yesu yɛ akɛ mɔ ni anɔkwa Nyɔŋmɔ kome pɛ lɛ ‘tsu lɛ’ lɛ yisɛɛ. Beni Eusebius kɛ Kolosebii 1:15 lɛ toɔ Yohane 1:1 he lɛ, etsɔɔ sane naa akɛ, Logos loo Wiemɔ lɛ ji “Nyɔŋmɔ ni anaaa lɛ subaŋ”—Nyɔŋmɔ Bi lɛ.

Shi naakpɛɛ sane ji akɛ, yɛ Nicaea Gwabɔɔ lɛ naagbee lɛ, Eusebius fi susumɔ ni teɔ shi woɔ enɔ lɛ sɛɛ. Yɛ nɔ ni tamɔɔɔ e-Ŋmalɛ naa shidaamɔ akɛ Nyɔŋmɔ kɛ Kristo jeee tipɛŋfoi ni yeɔ egbɔ kwraa lɛ, ekpɛlɛ maŋtsɛ lɛ nɔ̃ lɛ nɔ.

Nɔ ni Abaanyɛ Akase Kɛjɛ Mli

Mɛni hewɔ Eusebius ŋmɛɛ ehe eha nɔnyɛɛ ni akɛba enɔ yɛ Nicaea Gwabɔɔ lɛ mli ni efi tsɔɔmɔi ni damɔɔɔ ŋmalɛ nɔ lɛ asɛɛ lɛ? Ani eyɛ maŋkwramɔŋ otii komɛi yɛ ejwɛŋmɔ mli? Mɛni hewɔ etee gwabɔɔ lɛ shishi? Eyɛ mli akɛ osɔfonukpai lɛ fɛɛ kpee atsɛ́ moŋ, shi yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ, mɛi fioo—mɛi 300—pɛ tee. Ani ekolɛ gbɛi ni Eusebius ehe lɛ yi ni eeebaa lɛ ji nɔ ni yeɔ etsui? Ni mɛni hewɔ Maŋtsɛ Konstantino bu lɛ waa nakai lɛ? Eusebius tá maŋtsɛ lɛ ninejurɔ nɔ yɛ gwabɔɔ lɛ shishi.

Ekã shi faŋŋ akɛ Eusebius ku ehiɛ efɔ Yesu taomɔ nii akɛ E-sɛɛnyiɛlɔi lɛ afee mɛi ni “jɛɛɛ je nɛŋ” lɛ nɔ. (Yohane 17:16; 18:36) Kaselɔ Yakobo bi akɛ: “Gbalafitelɔi! nyɛleee akɛ je nɛɛ hedɔɔ lɛ Nyɔŋmɔ nyɛɛ ni lo?” (Yakobo 4:4) Ni kwɛ bɔ ni Paulo ŋaawoo lɛ sa jogbaŋŋ ha, akɛ: “Nyɛkɛ mɛi ni heee yeee lɛ akagbalaa kɔŋtso kome ni yeee egbɔ!” (2 Korintobii 6:14) Eba akɛ wɔɔtsi wɔhe kɛaajɛ je lɛ he beni ‘wɔjáa Tsɛ lɛ yɛ mumɔ kɛ anɔkwale mli’ lɛ.—Yohane 4:24.

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 31]

Nitɛŋmɔ ni miitsɔɔ Nicaea Gwabɔɔ lɛ

[He ni Sane lɛ Jɛ]

Scala/Art Resource, NY

[He ni Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 29 lɛ Jɛ]

Courtesy of Special Collections Library, University of Michigan