Reka turebe inzira Pawulo yanyuzemo ajya i Beroya

Ahagana mu mwaka wa 50, umurimo abamisiyonari babiri bakoze wagize ingaruka nziza, maze imbaga y’abantu benshi barizera. Hanyuma ikivunge cy’abantu cyatangiye kubarwanya. Ubwo rero hafashwe umwanzuro. Abo bamisiyonari bombi bagombaga guhita bagenda muri iryo joro kugira ngo itorero ryari rikimara gushingwa ridahura n’ingorane kandi na bo bakagira icyo baba. Bityo rero, Pawulo na Sila barahunze bava ku cyambu cya Makedoniya cy’i Tesalonike. Bakomeje urugendo, bajya aho bari gukurikizaho kubwiriza, ari ho i Beroya.

KIMWE n’umugenzi wa kera, umugenzi wo muri iki gihe arebeye kure ashobora kubona Beroya (Véroia) iri aho umusozi wa Bermios utwikiriwe n’ishyamba ritohagiye utangirira, mu ruhande rwawo rw’iburasirazuba. Beroya iri ku birometero hafi 65 mu majyepfo y’uburengerazuba bwa Tesalonike, no ku birometero bigera kuri 40 uvuye ku Nyanja ya Egée. Umusozi wa Olympe, mu migani y’Abagiriki uvugwaho kuba ari wo imana zikomeye zo mu Bugiriki bwa kera zabagaho, uri mu majyepfo yayo.

Ku bigishwa ba Bibiliya, Beroya irashishikaje cyane kuko ari ho Pawulo yabwirije maze agafasha abantu benshi guhinduka Abakristo (Ibyakozwe 17:10-15). Reka turebe inzira Pawulo yanyuzemo, turebe n’amateka y’uwo mujyi.

Amateka yayo ya kera

Nta wuzi neza igihe umujyi wa Beroya washingiwe. Abaturage baho ba mbere bashobora kuba bari abo mu bwoko bw’Abanyafurugiya, birukanywe n’Abanyamakedoniya ahagana mu kinyejana cya karindwi Mbere ya Yesu. Nyuma y’ibinyejana bitatu, uko Alexandre le Grand yagendaga yigarurira ibihugu, Makedoniya yarakize. Ubwo rero hubatswe amazu y’ibitabashwa n’inkuta, hamwe n’urusengero rw’imana yitwaga Zewu, urwa Arutemi, urwa Apolo, urwa Atena n’insengero z’izindi mana z’Abagiriki.

Hari igitabo cy’amateka cyavuze ko mu gihe cy’ibinyejana byinshi, Beroya “yari umujyi ukomeye, haba mu karere kayegereye, no mu gice kindi cy’amajyaruguru y’u Bugiriki.” Uwo mujyi wakomeye mu buryo budasanzwe, ubwo hategekaga umuryango wa cyami wa nyuma wo muri Makedoniya w’Abantigonide (306-168 Mbere ya Yesu), amaherezo waje guhirikwa na Roma.

Hari igitabo cyavuze ko igihe Abaroma batsindaga Umwami Philippe wa V mu mwaka wa 197 Mbere ya Yesu, “ubutegetsi bwose bwahiritswe maze Roma igahinduka igihangange mu karere k’uburasirazuba bwa Mediterane” (Encyclopædia Britannica). Mu mwaka wa 168 Mbere ya Yesu, i Pydna, ku birometero runaka mu majyepfo ya Beroya, umujenerali w’Umuroma yatsinze bidasubirwaho umutegetsi wa nyuma w’Umunyamakedoniya witwaga Persée. Nk’uko Bibiliya yari yarabihanuye, ubutegetsi bw’isi yose bw’u Bugiriki bwari busimbuwe na Roma (Daniyeli 7:6, 7, 23). Nyuma y’iyo ntambara, Beroya yabaye umwe mu mijyi ya mbere ya Makedoniya yishyize mu maboko ya Roma.

Mu kinyejana cya mbere Mbere ya Yesu, muri Makedoniya ni ho urugamba rwari rushyamiranyije Pompée na Jules César rwaremeye. Ubuyobozi bw’ingabo za Pompée bwakoreraga mu nkengero za Beroya, kandi ni na ho ingabo ze zari zarashinze ibirindiro.

Uko yateye imbere mu gihe cy’ubutegetsi bw’Abaroma

Mu gihe cy’Amahoro ya Roma (cyangwa Pax Romana), abasuraga Beroya bahasangaga imihanda ishashemo amabuye ikikijwe n’inkingi. Uwo mujyi wari ufite ahantu ha rusange biyuhagiriraga, inzu z’imikino, amazu y’ibitabo n’amazu abakurankota bakoreragamo amarushanwa. Amazi yo kunywa yanyuraga mu bitembo, kandi uwo mujyi wari ufite urusobe rw’imiyoboro yo munsi y’ubutaka itwara amazi. Beroya yaje kuba umujyi w’ubucuruzi ukomeye, ikaba yaragendwagamo n’abacuruzi, abahanzi, abakinnyi b’imikino ngororangingo, ndetse n’abandi bantu bazaga kwihera ijisho imikino ngororangingo n’ibindi bintu byahaberaga. Abanyamahanga bashoboraga kubona ahantu ho gusengera, aho bashoboraga gukorera imihango yo mu madini yabo bwite. Mu by’ukuri, muri uwo mujyi hari uruvange rw’uburyo bwose bwo gusenga bwashoboraga kuboneka mu bwami bwa Roma.

Abami b’abami b’Abaroma bagirwaga imana nyuma yo gupfa, bari mu mana zasengwaga i Beroya. Ibyo bishobora kuba bitaratunguraga abaturage b’i Beroya kubera ko gusenga umwami w’abami byatangiriye kuri Alexandre le Grand, wasengwaga nk’imana. Hari igitabo cyo mu Bugiriki cyagize kiti “kubera ko Abagiriki bo mu Bwami bw’iburasirazuba bari bamenyereye guha umwami icyubahiro nk’icy’imana mu gihe yabaga akiriho, banasengaga abami b’abami b’Abaroma babyishimiye . . . Ku biceri byabo habaga hariho ishusho y’umwami w’abami ameze nk’imana, yambaye ikamba rirabagirana. Bamuhimbazaga bakoresheje amasengesho nk’ayo baturaga imana, n’ibisingizo n’indirimbo.” Bubakaga ibicaniro n’insengero, kandi bakamutura ibitambo. Ndetse n’abami b’abami bitabiraga ibirori byo gusenga umwami w’abami, byabaga birimo amarushanwa y’imikino ngororangingo, ay’abahanzi n’ay’abasizi.

Kuki Beroya yari ihuriro ry’ugusenga kwa gipagani? Ni ukubera ko ari ho hari icyicaro cya Koinon y’i Makedoniya. Koinon yari inama y’abahagarariye imijyi y’i Makedoniya. Abo bantu babaga bahagarariye imijyi bahuriraga i Beroya buri gihe kugira ngo baganire ku bibazo by’umujyi n’iby’intara, kandi babishakire umuti bayobowe n’Abaroma. Imwe mu nshingano z’ingenzi za Koinon yari ukugenzura uko ibikorwa byo gusenga umwami w’abami byubahirizwaga.

Ngiyo rero imimerere Pawulo na Sila basanze muri uwo mujyi, bamaze guhunga Tesalonike. Icyo gihe, Beroya yari imaze ibinyejana bibiri iyoborwa n’Abaroma.

Ubutumwa bwiza bugera i Beroya

Pawulo yatangiriye umurimo we wo kubwiriza i Beroya mu isinagogi yo muri uwo mujyi. Yakiriwe ate? Inkuru yahumetswe ivuga ko Abayahudi baho ‘bari beza kuruta ab’i Tesalonike, kuko bakiranye ijambo ry’Imana umutima ukunze, bagashaka mu Byanditswe iminsi yose kugira ngo bamenye yuko ibyo bababwiye ari iby’ukuri koko’ (Ibyakozwe 17:10, 11). Kubera ko bari “beza,” ntabwo batsimbaraye ku byo bari basanzwe bemera. Nubwo bari bumvise ibintu bishya, nta rwikekwe bagize cyangwa ngo barakare. Aho kugira ngo abo Bayahudi bamaganire kure ubutumwa bwa Pawulo, baritonze, batega amatwi ibyo babwirwaga kandi babikora nta ho babogamiye.

Ni gute abo Bayahudi bari kumenya ko inyigisho za Pawulo zari ukuri? Bagenzuye ibyo bumvise bifashishije igikoresho cyizewe cyane kuruta ibindi. Bakoze ubushakashatsi mu Byanditswe babigiranye ubwitonzi n’umwete. Intiti mu bya Bibiliya yitwa Matthew Henry yaravuze ati “kubera ko Pawulo yabafashaga gutekereza yifashishije Ibyanditswe kandi akerekeza ku Isezerano rya kera kugira ngo abahe gihamya y’ibyo avuga, bafataga Bibiliya zabo, bakareba imirongo yagiye abarangira, bagasoma imirongo ikikije uwo yasomye, bagasuzuma impamvu yanditswe n’icyo isobanura, bakayigereranya n’indi mirongo yo mu Byanditswe. Hanyuma, bagenzuraga niba ibisobanuro Pawulo yayitanzeho ari iby’ukuri, bakareba niba ibitekerezo yabahaye bifatika, hanyuma bakifatira imyanzuro.”

Ubwo ntibwari ubushakashatsi umuntu akora rimwe gusa yihitira. Abantu b’i Beroya babukoraga babyitondeye kandi mu buryo buhoraho, buri munsi bakagena igihe cyo kubukora, atari ku Isabato gusa.

Tekereza ku ngaruka byagize. Abayahudi benshi b’i Beroya bemeye ubwo butumwa kandi barizera. Abagiriki benshi, harimo wenda na bamwe bari barahindukiriye idini ry’Abayahudi, barizeye. Ariko ibyo ntibyisobye abantu. Ubwo Abayahudi b’i Tesalonike babyumvaga, bihutiye kujya i Beroya ‘koshya rubanda, barababangisha.’—Ibyakozwe 17:4, 12, 13.

Pawulo yahatiwe kuva i Beroya, ariko yakomereje umurimo we wo kubwiriza ahandi. Icyo gihe noneho yafashe ubwato yerekeza muri Atenayi (Ibyakozwe 17:14, 15). Icyakora, yashoboraga kwishimira ko umurimo we wagize ingaruka i Beroya, kuko Ubukristo bwahashinze imizi. Kandi muri iki gihe bwera imbuto.

Ni koko, i Beroya (Véroia) haracyari abantu basuzuma Ibyanditswe babyitondeye kugira ngo ‘bagerageze byose’ maze ‘bagundire’ ibifite ishingiro kandi by’ukuri (1 Abatesalonike 5:21). Amatorero abiri y’Abahamya ba Yehova agenda akura yo muri uwo mujyi, yitabiriye umurimo wo kubwiriza nk’uko Pawulo yabigenje, ageza ubutumwa bwa Bibiliya ku bandi. Bashakisha abafite imitima itaryarya bakabafasha gutekereza ku Byanditswe, bityo bagatuma imbaraga za Bibiliya zifasha abantu bose bashaka kumenya Yehova, Imana y’ukuri.—Abaheburayo 4:12.

[Ikarita yo ku ipaji ya 13]

(Niba wifuza kureba uko bimeze, reba mu Munara w’Umurinzi)

Igice cy’urugendo rwa kabiri rw’ubumisiyonari rwa Pawulo

MUSIYA

Tirowa

Neyapoli

Filipi

MAKEDONIYA

Amfipoli

Tesalonike

Beroya

U BUGIRIKI

Atenayi

Korinto

AKAYA

AZIYA

Efeso

RODO

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 13]

Igiceri cy’ifeza kiriho Alexandre le Grand bamugaragaje nk’imana y’Abagiriki

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Igiceri: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 14]

Irembo rigana mu gace k’i Beroya (Véroia) kari gatuwe n’Abayahudi

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 15]

Isinagogi ya kera iri i Beroya (Véroia) muri iki gihe