“Bakasabuka ku tshisanga tshia Kupulio”

MUSHINDU’EU ke udi mukanda wa Bienzedi utuadija muyuki wa malu akamona ba-misionere bena Kristo aba: Paulo ne Bânaba ne Yone Mâko pakayabu ku Kupulio anyi Chypre bu mu 47 mu bikondo bietu ebi (B.B.). (Bienzedi 13:4) Dîba adi, anu mudibi lelu, Chypre uvua usanganyibua muaba muimpe menemene ku esete kua Mediterane.

Bena Lomo bavua balakana tshidiila atshi, ne tshiakalua ku bukokeshi buabu mu 58 kumpala kua bikondo bietu ebi (K.B.B.). Kumpala kua bualu ebu, kukavua kuenzeke malu a mushinga mu Chypre. Bavua bakuate tshidiila etshi kudi bena Foinike, bena Gelika, bena Sulia, bena Pelasa ne bena Ejipitu. Bena mvita ya Krwazade, ba-Franc ne bena mu Venise bakatshikuata pabu mu tshikondo tshia Moyen Âge, pashishe kuluabu kudi bena mu Turquie. Mu 1914, ditunga dia Grande-Bretagne diakakuata tshidiila etshi ne kutshikokesha too ne pakapetatshi dipanda mu 1960.

Ngendu ya dilua kubandila bintu ke mushindu munene udi ubuejila tshidiila etshi mfranga mpindieu, kadi mu matuku a Paulo Chypre uvua ne biuma bivule bia mu buloba, biakatutabu kudi bena Lomo ne kuujabu nabi tente bilaminu biabu bia mu Lomo. Bavua bapete tshiamu tshia tshiombo (cuivre) kale mu tshidiila etshi, ne badi batshinka ne: ku ndekelu kua tshikondo tshivua bena Lomo bakokesha, bakavua bumbule tone 250 000 ya tshiamu tshia tshiombo. Kadi bakakosa tshitupa tshinene tshia ditu dikutakane bua kuenzelamu tshiapu tshia diengulula tshiamu tshia tshiombo. Metu a bungi a mu tshisanga  etshi akavua majimine mu tshikondo tshivua Paulo mufikamu.

Chypre ku bukokeshi bua bena Lomo

Bilondeshile mukanda kampanda (Encyclopædia Britannica), bakapesha bena Ejipitu Chypre kudi Yulio Kaisa, ne panyima pende, Marc Antoine wakenza bia muomumue. Kadi mu bukokeshi bua Augusto, Chypre wakapingana ku bukokeshi bua bena Lomo ne uvua mulombola kudi ngovena uvua ulubuila diakamue Lomo malu, anu mudi Luka mufundi wa Bienzedi uleja bimpe menemene. Sêgio Paulo uvua ngovena pakayisha Paulo mu tshisanga etshi.​—Bienzedi 13:7.

Pax Romana, ditalala pankatshi pa matunga divua Lomo muenzeje, diakambuluisha bua kutangalaja tubanda ne biapu bia mu Chypre, ne biobi kutantshishabi bikole dienda dia mushinga. Dikala dia bisumbu bia basalayi ba bena Lomo mu tshisanga etshi ne dilua dia bena ngendu bavua balua kutumbisha Aphrodite, nzambi munene wa mu tshisanga etshi, bivua bibueja kabidi mfranga mikuabu. Ke bualu kayi bakenza njila mipiamipia, mabungu a mazuwa a mâyi ne nzubu milengeja bimpe ya midimu ya mbulamatadi. Tshiena-Greke ke tshiakashala muakulu wa kumpala wa ditunga edi, ne bantu bavua batendelela bikole nzambi Aphrodite, Apollon ne Zewuse, ne amperere wa bena Lomo kabidi. Bantu bavua ne nsombelu wa bubanji bua bungi ne mamanya mashilashilangane.

Eu ke nsombelu uvua Paulo musangane pakasabukaye bua kubuela mu Chypre bua kulongesha bantu bualu bua Kristo. Kadi Buena-Kristo bukavua bubuele mu Chypre kumpala kua Paulo kufikamu. Muyuki wa mu Bienzedi udi utuambila ne: kunyima kua difua dia Stefano bu muena Kristo wa kumpala wakafuila ditabuja, bamue bena Kristo ba kumpala bakanyemena mu Chypre. (Bienzedi 11:19) Bânaba muenzejanganyi wa mudimu ne Paulo uvua wa mu Chypre, ne bu muvuaye mumanye bimpe tshisanga etshi, kakuyi mpata wakalombola Paulo bimpe menemene mu luendu luende elu lua mudimu wa diyisha.​—Bienzedi 4:36; 13:2.

Tulondololayi miaba ivua Paulo mupitshile

Ki mbipepele bua kulondolola miaba ivua Paulo mupitshile mu Chypre to. Kadi balongi ba bishadile bia ku bintu bia kale badiku ne lungenyi lutoke bimpe pa bidi bitangila njila mimpe ivuaku mu tshikondo tshia bena Lomo. Bua mushindu udi buloba bua tshisanga etshi, nansha njila minene idiku lelu itu misangu mivule ne bua kulonda muaba uvua njila imue-imue ivua ba-misionere ba kale abu ne bua kuikala balonde.

Paulo, Bânaba ne Yone Mâko bakumbuka mu Seleukia ne mazuwa a mâyi batangile ku dibungu dia Salami. Bua tshinyi kupitshila ku Salami pavua dibungu dinene dikale dia Pafo? Bualu Salami uvua ku muelelu wa ku esete, mutantshi wa kilometre 200 patupu ne Seleukia, patudi pa buloba bume. Nansha muvuabu bapingaje Pafo bu tshimenga tshikulu pa muaba wa Salami mu tshikondo tshia bena Lomo, Salami wakashala muaba munene wa mamanya, wa bilongelu ne wa bungenda-mushinga mu tshisanga etshi. Mu Salami muvua bena Yuda ba bungi, ne ba-misionere bakatuadija ‘kuambila bantu dîyi dia Nzambi mu nsunagoga ya bena Yuda.’​—Bienzedi 13:5.

Lelu Salami mmushale anu bibundu patupu. Nansha nanku, bishadile bia ku bintu bia kale bidibu  basokolole bidi bijadika ne: tshimenga etshi tshivua ne butumbi ne bubanji bua bungi. Tshisalu, tshivua tshikale muaba uvuabu basangila bua malu a tshididi ne a ntendelelu, ntshimanyike muvuatshi pamu’apa tshinene kupita muaba wa tshisalu tshia mu Lomo uvuabu basokolole mu tshitupa tshia Mediterane. Bibundu bia katshia mu tshikondo tshia Augusto Kaisa mbileje nzubu milengeja bimpe panshi, nzubu ya dibidijila mubidi, miaba milengele ya diowela mâyi, bipalu bia manaya, nkita milenga ne nzubu munene wa dilejila manaya muikale ne miaba bua bantu 15 000! Pabuipi apu kudi bibundu bia ntempelo munene wa Zewuse.

Kadi Zewuse kavua mua kukanda bikumina bua kunyangakaja tshimenga etshi nansha. Tshikumina tshinene tshia mu 15 K.B.B., tshiakabutula tshitupa tshinene tshia Salami, nansha muakaluabu kuibakulula tshimenga etshi kudi Augusto. Tshikumina tshiakanyanga kabidi tshimenga etshi mu 77 B.B., kadi buobu kutshibakulula kabidi. Mu lukama luinayi lua bidimu, bikumina bilondangane biakabutula Salami, ne katshia anu dîba adi tshimenga etshi katshitu tshianji kupetulula kabidi butumbi buatshi to. Mu tshikondo tshia Moyen Âge, dibungu dia mazuwa dia mu tshimenga etshi divua diule ne bitotshi ne bakadilekela.

Ki mbatuleje mushindu uvua bena mu Salami bangate mukenji uvua Paulo uyisha to. Kadi Paulo uvua ne bua kuyisha bantu bakuabu kabidi. Pakumbukabu mu Salami, ba-misionere aba bavua ne bua kusungula njila minene isatu: umue mutangile ku muelelu wa ku nôde, upitshila mu mikuna ya Kyréneia; mukuabu mutangile ku wesete usabuka mpata wa Mesaoria upitshila mu tshitupa tshinene tshia tshisanga etshi, ne muisatu uvua ulonda ku muelelu wa ku sude.

Bilondeshile malu adibu bamba, Paulo wakalonda njila muisatu eu. Njila eu udi upitshila mu madimi a bufuke a buloba bukunze bua dikema. Mutantshi wa kilometre 50 ku sude-wesete kudi njila udi pabuipi ne tshimenga tshia Larnaca kumpala kua kubendaye mutangile ku nôde munda.

“Mu tshisanga tshionso”

Mpindieu njila munene uvua ufika mu tshimenga tshia kale tshia Ledra. Lelu muaba eu mbibakapu Nicosie, udi muikale mpindieu tshimenga tshikulu tshia tshisanga etshi. Bijadiki bionso bivua mua kuleja ne: tshimenga etshi tshia kale tshivua ne mbulamatadi mudikadile bikadi bijimine. Kadi mu lukama lua bidimu lua 16, munda mua ngumbu ya bena ku Venise ivua minyunguluke tshitupa tshia munkatshi tshia Nicosie muvua musesu mukese uvua ne bantu ba bungi, muikale ne dîna dia se: Musesu wa Ledra. Katuena bamanye bikala Paulo uvua mushale matuku mu Ledra. Tshidi Bible wamba ntshia se: bakapitshila “mu tshisanga tshionso.” (Bienzedi 13:6)  Mukanda mukuabu udi wamba ne: “pamu’apa ebi bidi biumvuija ne: bakaya kutangila bena mu bisumbu pabuipi ne bionso bia bena Yuda bavua base mu Chypre.”​—The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands.

Paulo uvua ne tshipatshila tshia kuyukila ne bantu ba bungi menemene mu Chypre. Ke bualu kayi uvua mua kuikala mulonde njila wa ku sude uvua ufumina ku Ledra upitshila mu Amathus ne mu Kourion, bimenga binene bibidi bivua ne bantu bapite bungi ba miaba mishilangane.

Kourion uvua kulu ku mutu kua mâyi pa matelu mapueke too ne ku mâyi muinshi. Bakabutula tshimenga etshi tshilengele tshivuabu balombole kudi bena Gelika ne bena Lomo kudi tshikumina tshimue-tshimue tshivua tshibutule Salami mu 77 B.B. Kudi bibundu bia ntempelo wa mu tshidimu tshia 100 B.B., uvuabu benzele nzambi Apollon. Tshipalu tshivua tshibuela bantu 6 000. Nsombelu wa bubanji uvua nende bantu ba bungi ba mu Kourion udi mua kumuenekela ku bimfuanyi bizola bimpe panshi mu nzubu ya mabalasa nansha ya bantu ba tshianana.

Badi baya ku Pafo

Patudi mu Kourion, njila muimpe udi utungunuka mutangile ku wesete upitshila mu madimi a mvinyo, ku kakese ku kakese ubanda ne diakamue upuekela mu matelu makole bua kulua kuenza tshibenda upueka mutangile ku lusenga lua ku muelelu wa mâyi. Bilondeshile mianu ya bena Gelika, eu ke muaba uvua nzambi-mukaji Aphrodite mupatukile pakamulelabu kudi mâyi.

Aphrodite ke uvua mutumbe bikole ku nzambi ya bena Gelika ya mu Chypre ne bavua bamutendelela ne tshisumi too ne mu lukama luibidi lua bidimu mu bikondo bietu ebi. Muaba munene wa ntendelelu wa Aphrodite uvua mu Pafo. Mu muvu wonso wa printemps bavua bamuenzelamu difesto dinene. Bantu bavua bafuma mu Asia Mukese, mu Ejipitu, mu Gelika ne mutantshi mule ku Pelasa, balua mu Pafo bua kuenza mafesto. Pakalua Chypre ku bukokeshi bua ba-Petolemeye, bena mu tshidiila etshi bakabanga kutendelela ba-Palô.

Pafo ke uvua tshimenga tshikulu tshia Chypre tshia bena Lomo ne muaba uvua ngovena musombele, ne bavua benzelamu makuta a bijanja bia tshiombo. Tshiotshi patshi bakatshibutula kudi tshikumina tshia mu 15 K.B.B., ne anu muvuabi bua Salami, Augusto wakafila mfranga bua kuibakululabu tshimenga etshi. Bintu bikalula mu buloba mbileje ne: mu bidimu lukama bia kumpala bena mu Pafo bavua ne nsombelu wa bubanji bua bungi bualu muvua misesu minene, nzubu ya bantu mipenta bimpe, bilongelu bia mijiki, miaba ya dibidijila mubidi ne tshipalu tshia manaya.

Emu ke mu Pafo muvua Paulo, Bânaba ne Yone Mâko baye, ne muaba eu ke uvua “muntu wa lungenyi” ngovena Sêgio Paulo ‘mukebe bua kumvua dîyi dia Nzambi’ nansha muvua mutempeshanganyi wa mbuku Eluma kayi musue bualu ebu nansha kakese. ‘Diyisha dia [Yehowa] diakakemesha’ ngovena eu bikole.​—Bienzedi 13:6-12.

Ba-misionere aba bamane kujikija bimpe mudimu wa diyisha mu Chypre, bakatungunuka ne mudimu wabu mu Asia Mukese. Luendu lua kumpala elu lua bu-misionere luvua Paulo muenze luvua muanda wa mushinga wa bungi mu ditangalaja dia Buena-Kristo bulelela. Mukanda kampanda udi ulubikila ne: “ntuadijilu mulelela wa mudimu wa bena Kristo ne wa . . . mudimu wa bu-misionere wa Paulo.” Mukanda eu udi wamba kabidi ne: “Bu mudi Chypre muikale mu masangu a njila ya pa mâyi idi ifikisha ku Sulia, mu Asia Mukese ne mu Gelika, Chypre uvua umueneka muikale tshitupa tshia kumpala tshia mudimu wa bu-misionere tshivua katshiyi kuepuka.” (St. Paul’s Journeys in the Greek Orient) Kadi atshi tshivua anu tshitupa tshia kumpala. Kunyima kua bidimu bitue ku 2 000, mudimu wa bu-misionere wa bena Kristo udi anu utungunuka, tudi mua kuamba mu bulelela ne: lumu luimpe lua Bukalenge bua Yehowa ndufike tshia bushuwa too ‘ne kumfudilu kua buloba.’​—Bienzedi 1:8.

[Tuarte mu dibeji 20]

(Bua kumona malu bimpe, tangila mu mukanda)

KUPULIO

NICOSIE (Ledra)

Salami

Pafo

Kourion

Amathus

Larnaca

MIKUNA YA KYRÉNEIA

MPATA WA MESAORIA

MIKUNA YA TROODOS

[Tshimfuanyi mu dibeji 21]

Bu muvuaye mûle tente ne nyuma muimpe, Paulo wakavuija mutempeshanganyi wa mbuku Eluma mufofo pavuaye mu Pafo