ʻIusepiasi—“Ko e Tamai ʻa e Hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí”?
ʻI HE taʻu 325 T.S., naʻe fekauʻi mai ai ʻe ʻEmipola Konisitanitaine ʻo Lomá ʻa e kau pīsope kotoa pē ki Nisea. Ko ʻene taumuʻá: ke fakaleleiʻi ʻa e ʻīsiu fakakikihiʻi lahi ʻo e vahaʻangatae ʻo e ʻOtuá mo hono ʻAló. Naʻe ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e faʻahinga naʻe ʻi aí ʻa e tangata naʻe vakai ki ai ko e tokotaha poto taha ia ʻi hono kuongá, ko ʻIusepiasi ʻo Sesaliá. Naʻe ako tōtōivi ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻa e ngaahi Konga Tohitapú pea naʻá ne hoko ko ha tokotaha taukapoʻi ʻo e tui-tahaʻi-ʻOtua faka-Kalisitiané.
ʻI he fakataha ʻo Niseá, “naʻe puleʻi tonu ia ʻe Konisitanitaine,” ko e fakamatala ia ʻa e Encyclopædia Britannica, “ʻo tataki longomoʻui ʻa e ngaahi lāuleá, peá ne fokotuʻu ʻe ia tonu . . . ʻa e founga tefito ʻo hono fakamatalaʻi ʻa e vahaʻangatae ʻo Kalaisi mo e ʻOtuá ʻi he tui naʻe ʻomai ʻe he fakatahá, ‘ʻo e natula taha mo e Tamaí’ . . . ʻI hono taʻotaʻofi ʻe he manavahē ki he ʻemipolá, ko e kau pīsopé, tuku kehe pē ʻa e toko ua, naʻa nau fakamoʻoni hingoa kotoa ki he tuí, ʻa ia ko e tokolahi ʻo kinautolú naʻe fepaki lahi ia mo ʻenau tuí.” Naʻe kau ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻi he toko ua naʻe ʻikai fakamoʻoni hingoá? Ko e hā ʻa e lēsoni ʻe lava ke tau ako mei he tuʻu naʻá ne faí? Tau vakai angé ki he puipuituʻa ʻo ʻIusepiasí—ʻa hono ngaahi tuʻunga tāú mo e ngaahi lavameʻá.
Ko ʻEne Ngaahi Tohi Fakatupu Tokangá
Ngalingali, ko ʻIusepiasí naʻe fāʻeleʻi ia ʻi Pālesitaine ʻi he 260 T.S. nai. ʻI heʻene kei taʻu siʻí pē, naʻá ne feohi ai mo Pamifilasi, ko ha ʻovasia ʻo e siasi ʻi Sesaliá. ʻI he kau ki he akoʻanga teolosia ʻa Pamifilasí, naʻe hoko ai ʻa ʻIusepiasi ko ha tokotaha ako fakamātoato. Naʻá ne ngāueʻaki tōtōivi ʻa e laipeli lelei ʻaupito ʻa Pamifilasí. Naʻe līʻoa atu ia ʻe ʻIusepiasi ki heʻene akó, tautefito ki hono ako ʻo e Tohitapú. Naʻá ne toe hoko foki ko ha kaumeʻa mateaki ʻo Pamifilasi, ʻo ne lave ai kiate ia tonu ko “ʻIusepiasi ʻa Pamifilasi.”
Fekauʻaki mo ʻene ngaahi taumuʻá, naʻe pehē ʻe ʻIusepiasi: “Ko ʻeku taumuʻá ia ke hiki ha fakamatala fekauʻaki mo e hokohoko ʻo e kau ʻApositolo māʻoniʻoní pea pehē ki he ngaahi taimi kuo mahili atu mei he ʻaho ʻo hotau Fakamoʻuí ki hotau ʻahó; ke fakamatala ki he founga ʻoku pehē naʻe hoko ai ʻa e ngaahi meʻa lahi mo mahuʻinga ʻi he hisitōlia ʻo e siasí; pea ke lave ki he faʻahinga kuo nau puleʻi mo tokangaʻi ʻa e siasí ʻi he ngaahi vāhenga fakasiasi ʻiloá, mo e faʻahinga ʻa ia kuo nau fanongonongo ʻi he toʻutangata taki taha ʻa e folofola fakaʻotuá ʻo fai ʻi he leá pe ʻi he tohí.”
ʻOku manatua ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻi heʻene tohi fakahīkihikiʻi naʻe fakakaveinga ko e History of the Christian Church. Ko ʻene voliume ʻe hongofulu naʻe pulusi ʻi he 324 T.S. nai, ʻoku vakai ki ai ko e hisitōlia fakasiasi mahuʻinga taha ia naʻe hiki ʻi he kuonga muʻá. Ko hono ola ʻo e lavameʻa ko ení, naʻe hoko ai ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻo ʻiloa ko e tamai ʻa e hisitōlia ʻo e siasí.
Tuku kehe ʻa e Church History, naʻe hiki ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻa e Chronicle, ʻi he voliume ʻe ua. Ko e ʻuluaki voliumé ko ha fakanounou ia ʻo e hisitōlia ʻo e māmaní. ʻI he senituli hono faá, naʻe hoko ia ko e konga tohi tefito ke vakai ki ai fekauʻaki mo e fakahokohoko ʻaho ʻa e māmaní. Naʻe lave ʻa e voliume hono uá ki he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo e ngaahi meʻa fakahisitōlia naʻe hokó. ʻI hono ngāueʻaki ʻo e ngaahi kōlomu palālelí, naʻe fakahaaʻi ai ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻa e hokohoko ʻo e tuʻunga fakatuʻi ʻo e ngaahi fonua kehekehe.
Naʻe tohi ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻa e ongo tohi fakahisitōlia kehe ʻe ua, naʻe fakakaveinga ko e Martyrs of Palestine mo e Life of Constantine. Ko e tohi ki muʻá ʻokú ne kāpui ʻa e taʻu 303-10 T.S. pea lāulea ai ki he kau maʻata ʻo e vahaʻa taimi ko iá. ʻOku ngalingali ko ʻIusepiasí ko ha fakamoʻoni sio tonu ia ʻo e ngaahi meʻa ko eni naʻe hokó. Naʻe ʻi he tohi ki muí, ʻa ia naʻe pulusi ko ha seti ʻo e tohi ʻe fā hili ʻa e mate ʻa ʻEmipola Konisitanitainé ʻi he 337 T.S., naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi fakaikiiki fakahisitōlia mahuʻinga. ʻI he ʻikai ke hiki ʻi ha faʻunga hisitōlia fakahangatonú, ʻoku meimei hiki pē ia ko ha fakamatala fakaongoongolelei.
ʻOku kau ʻi he ngaahi tohi taukapo tui ʻa ʻIusepiasí ha tali kia Hailokolo—ko ha kōvana Loma ʻi hono taimí. ʻI he taimi naʻe tohi ai ʻa Hailokolo ʻo fakafepakiʻi ʻa e kau Kalisitiané, naʻe tali ia ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻi hono taukapoʻí. ʻIkai ngata aí, ʻi hono poupouʻi ʻa e matavai fakaʻotua ʻo e ngaahi Konga Tohitapú, naʻá ne tohi ʻa e tohi ʻe 35, ʻa ia naʻe vakai ki ai ko e ngāue mahuʻinga taha mo kakato taha ia ʻi hono faʻahingá. Ko e ʻuluaki tohi ʻe 15 ʻi hení ʻoku fai ai ʻa e feinga ke fakatonuhiaʻi ʻa hono tali ʻe he Kalisitiané ʻa e ngaahi tohi toputapu ʻa e kau Hepeluú. Ko e 20 kehé ʻoku ʻomai ai ʻa e fakamoʻoni ko e kau Kalisitiané ʻoku nau tonu ʻi heʻenau fakalaka atu ʻi he fekau faka-Siú pea ohi ʻa e ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni mo e ngaahi tōʻonga foʻoú. ʻI hono fakatahaʻí, ʻoku ʻomai ʻe he ngaahi tohí ni ha taukapoʻi kakato ʻo e lotu faka-Kalisitiané ʻo hangē ko ia ko hono mahinoʻi ʻe ʻIusepiasí.
Naʻe moʻui ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻi he taʻu nai ʻe 80 (260-340 T.S. nai), ʻo ne hoko ai ko e taha ʻo e kau faʻu-tohi lahi taha ʻo e kuonga muʻá. Naʻe kāpui ʻe heʻene ngaahi tohí ʻa e ngaahi meʻa naʻe hoko ʻi he ʻuluaki senituli ʻe tolú ʻo aʻu ki he taimi ʻo ʻEmipola Konisitanitainé. ʻI he konga ki mui ʻo ʻene moʻuí, ko ʻene ngāue ko ha tokotaha faʻu-tohí naʻe ʻalu fakataha ia mo ʻene ngaahi ngāue ʻi he tuʻunga ko e pīsope ʻo Sesalia. Neongo hono ʻiloʻi ʻiloa taha ko ha faihisitōliá, ko ʻIusepiasí ko ha tokotaha taukapo tui ia, tokotaha faʻu mape, tokotaha malanga, tokotaha fakaanga, mo e tokotaha tohi fakalotu fakaʻāuliliki.
Ko ʻEne Taumuʻa Lōuá
Ko e hā naʻe kamata ai ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻa e ngaahi fuʻu ngāue ʻikai fokotuʻutuʻu ki muʻa peheé? ʻOku maʻu ʻa e talí ʻi heʻene tui naʻá ne moʻui ʻi ha taimi ʻo e liliu ki ha kuonga foʻou. Naʻá ne ongoʻi kuo hoko ʻa e ngaahi meʻa lahi lolotonga ʻa e ngaahi toʻutangata kuo maliu atú pea naʻe fiemaʻu ha lēkooti kuo tohi ki he fānau ʻamuí.
Naʻe ʻi ai ha taumuʻa ʻe taha ʻa ʻIusepiasi—ko e taumuʻa ia ʻa ha tokotaha taukapo tui. Naʻá ne tui ko e lotu faka-Kalisitiané naʻe tupu fakaʻotua. Ka naʻe fakafepakiʻi ʻe he niʻihi ʻa e fakakaukau ko ení. Naʻe tohi ʻe ʻIusepiasi: “Ko ʻeku taumuʻá ia ke toe ʻoange ʻa e ngaahi hingoa mo e fika mo e taimi ʻo e faʻahinga ʻa ia fakafou ʻi he ʻofa ki he fakakaukau foʻoú kuo nau fai ai ʻa e ngaahi hala lahi tahá, pea fanongonongo atu ʻo taku halaʻi tokua ko kinautolú ko e kau ʻiloʻi ʻo e ʻiló, kuo nau hangē ko e fanga ulofi ʻoku nau toʻinevea taʻefaimeesi ʻa e tākanga ʻa Kalaisí.”
Naʻe vakai ʻa ʻIusepiasi kiate ia tonu ko ha Kalisitiane? ʻOku hā mahino naʻe pehē, he naʻá ne lave kia Kalaisi ko “hotau Fakamoʻui.” Naʻá ne fakamatala: “Ko ʻeku taumuʻá . . . ke toe fakamatalaʻi ʻa e ngaahi faingatāmaki naʻe hoko fakafokifā ki he puleʻanga Siú fakakātoa tupu mei heʻenau ngaahi faʻufaʻu ki hotau Fakamoʻuí, pea ke lēkooti ʻa e ngaahi founga mo e taimi ʻa ia naʻe ʻohofi ai ʻa e folofola fakaʻotuá ʻe he kau Senitailé, pea ke fakamatalaʻi ʻa e anga ʻo e faʻahinga ʻa ia kuo nau fāinga ki ai ʻi he ngaahi vahaʻa taimi kehekehe ʻi he fehangahangai mo e totó pea mo e ngaahi fakamamahí, pea pehē ki he vetehia kuo fai ʻi hotau ʻahó, pea mo e tokoni faimeesi mo anga-ʻofa ʻa ia kuo foaki ʻe hotau Fakamoʻuí kia kinautolú kotoa.”
Ko ʻEne Fekumi Fakalahí
Ko e lahi ʻo e ngaahi tohi naʻe lau mo lave fakafoʻituitui ki ai ʻa ʻIusepiasí ʻoku lahi fau. Ko e ngaahi tohi pē ʻa ʻIusepiasí ʻoku fakafou ai hono fakaeʻa ʻa e faʻahinga ʻiloa tāutaha ʻo e ʻuluaki senituli ʻe tolu ʻo Hotau Kuongá. Ko e ngaahi fakamatala ʻaonga ʻa ia naʻe fakaeʻa ai ʻa e fakamatala ki he ngaahi ngāue fokotuʻutuʻu fakaetaumuʻa mahuʻingá ʻoku hā ia ʻi he ngaahi tohi pē ʻaʻaná. ʻOku nau mei he ngaahi maʻuʻanga ʻo e ʻilo ʻoku ʻikai kei ala maʻu.
ʻI hono fakatahatahaʻi ʻa e fakamatalá, naʻe tōtōivi mo fakaʻāuliliki ʻa ʻIusepiasi. ʻOku hā naʻá ne feinga fakalelei ke fakafaikehekeheʻi ʻa e vahaʻa ʻo e ngaahi līpooti alafalalaʻangá mo e taʻefalalaʻangá. Neongo ia, ko ʻene ngāué ʻoku ʻikai ke taʻemele. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi, ʻokú ne fakamatalahalaʻi pea aʻu ʻo taʻemahinoʻi ʻa e kau tangatá mo ʻenau ngaahi tōʻongá. ʻI he fakahokohoko ʻahó, ʻoku ʻikai te ne totonu ʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi. Naʻe ʻikai foki ke pōtoʻi fakaeʻaati ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻi hono fakahoko ʻene fakamatalá. Kae kehe, neongo ʻa e fakamoʻoni ʻo e ngaahi tōnounoú, ko ʻene ngaahi tohi lahi ʻoku vakai ki ai ko ha koloa mahuʻinga taʻehanotatau.
Ko ha Tokotaha ʻOfa ki he Moʻoní?
Naʻe hohaʻa ʻa ʻIusepiasi fekauʻaki mo e ʻīsiu teʻeki ke fakapapauʻi ʻo e anga ʻa e felāveʻi ʻa e Tamaí mo e ʻAló. Naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e Tamaí ki muʻa ʻi he ʻAló, ʻo hangē ko ia ne tui ki ai ʻa ʻIusepiasí? Pe naʻe ʻi ai he taimi tatau ʻa e Tamaí mo e ʻAló? “Kapau ʻokú na ʻi ai he taimi tatau,” ko ʻene ʻeké ia, “ʻe anga-fēfē ʻa e hoko ʻa e Tamaí ko e Tamaí pea hoko ʻa e ʻAló ko e ʻAló?” Naʻe aʻu ʻo ne poupouʻi ʻa ʻene tuí ʻaki ʻa e ngaahi fakamatala Fakatohitapú, ʻo lave ki he Sione 14:28, ʻa ia ʻoku pehē ai ‘ʻoku lahi ʻa e Tamaí ʻia Sīsū,’ mo e Sione 17:3, ʻa ia ʻoku lave ai kia Sīsū ko e tokotaha naʻe “fekau mai” ʻe he ʻOtua moʻoni pē tahá. ʻI he lave ki he Kolose 1:15 mo e Sione 1:1, naʻe fakaʻuhinga ai ʻa ʻIusepiasi ko e Lōkosí, pe ko Folofolá, ko e “Imisi ia ʻo e ʻOtua ko e Taʻehamai”—ko e ʻAlo ʻo e ʻOtuá.
Neongo ia, ʻoku fakaofó he ʻi he tāpuni ʻa e Fakataha ʻo Niseá, naʻe fai ai ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻene poupoú ki he fakakaukau fakafepakí. ʻI he kehe mei heʻene tuʻu Fakatohitapu ko ia ko e ʻOtuá mo Kalaisí naʻe ʻikai te na ʻi ai he taimi tataú, naʻá ne kau ia ki he faʻahi ʻa e ʻemipolá.
Ko ha Lēsoni ke Ako
Ko e hā naʻe ʻulutukua ai ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻi he Fakataha ʻo Niseá pea poupou ki ha tokāteline taʻefakatohitapú? Naʻe ʻi ai haʻane ngaahi taumuʻa fakapolitikale ʻi heʻene fakakaukaú? Ko e hā naʻá ne kau ai ki he fakatahá ʻi he ʻuluaki taimí? Neongo naʻe fekauʻi ki ai ʻa e kau pīsopé kotoa, ko ha falakiseni pē—toko 300—naʻa nau kau moʻoni ki aí. Naʻe hohaʻa nai ʻa ʻIusepiasi fekauʻaki mo hono maluʻi ʻa hono tuʻunga fakasōsialé? Pea ko e hā naʻe tokaʻi lahi ai ia ʻe ʻEmipola Konisitanitainé? Naʻe tangutu ʻa ʻIusepiasi ʻi he toʻomataʻu ʻo e ʻemipolá ʻi he fakatahá.
ʻOku hā mahino naʻe tukunoaʻi ʻe ʻIusepiasi ʻa e fiemaʻu ʻa Sīsū ki Hono kau muimuí ke “ʻikai te nau ʻo māmāni.” (Sione 17:16; 18:36) “ʻA e koto tono tangata, ʻikai ʻoku mou ʻilo, ko e takaua mo mamani ko e fakafili ia ki he ʻOtua?” ko e fehuʻi ia ʻa e ākonga ko Sēmisí. (Semisi 4:4) Pea he feʻungamālie ē ko e naʻinaʻi ʻa Paulá: “Oua naa mou kau fakataha moe kakai taetui”! (2 Kolinito 6:14, PM) ʻOfa ke tau hanganaki mavahe mei he māmaní ʻi heʻetau ‘fai ʻi laumālie pea fai ʻi moʻoni ʻetau hu [ki he Tamaí].’—Sione 4:24.
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Tā valivali ʻo fakahaaʻi ʻa e Fakataha ʻo Niseá
[Maʻuʻanga]
Scala/Art Resource, NY
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Courtesy of Special Collections Library, University of Michigan