Bigfala Constantine—?Hem i Strong Blong Sapotem Kristin Skul?

I gat smol namba blong man nomo we oli bin kasem nem ya “Bigfala” long ol yia we oli pas. Hedgavman blong Rom, Constantine, hem i wan long olgeta ya. Krisendoma i givim sam narafala nem long hem tu, olsem “tabu man,” “namba tatin aposol,” “tabu man we i sem mak long ol aposol,” mo ‘man we God i jusumaot hem blong mekem wan bigfala jenis long wol we i bitim ol narafala jenis.’ Be samfala oli no gat tingting olsem. Oli talem se Constantine “i mekem plante blad i ron, i mekem fulap rabis fasin, mo i wan man blong gyaman, . . . hem i wan rabis rula we i mekem i nogud bitim mak long plante man.”

PLANTE man we oli talem se oli Kristin, oli bin kasem tijing se Bigfala Constantine i wan man we i givhan bigwan long Kristin skul. Oli lanem se hem i bin sevem ol Kristin taem ol man Rom oli ronem olgeta, mo i givim fasin fri long olgeta long saed blong wosip. Mo tu, plante man oli bilif se hem i folemgud ol fasin blong Jisas Kraes, mo i wantem tumas blong halpem Kristin skul i gru moa. Isten Otodoks Jyos wetem Koptik Jyos oli putumap Constantine mo mama blong hem, Helena, olsem “tabu man.” Oli mekem lafet blong leftemap tufala ya long Jun 3, no folem kalenda blong jyos, long Mei 21.

?Man ya Bigfala Constantine, hem i hu? ?Hem i mekem wanem wok blong givhan long Kristin skul afta long taem blong ol aposol? Taem yumi stadi long ol samting we oli hapen long ol yia bifo, mo yumi lesin long ol man blong hae save, yumi lanem plante samting we oli save ansarem ol kwestin ya.

Constantine We Histri i Tokbaot

Constantine i pikinini blong Constantius Chlorus. Hem i bon long Naisas long Sebia, samwe long yia 275 K.T.b Long 293 K.T., papa blong hem i kam hedgavman blong ol ples long wes, we Rom i rul long olgeta. Long taem ya, Constantine i stap faet long Danub, folem oda blong Hedgavman Galerius. Long yia 306 K.T., Constantine i kam stap wetem papa blong hem, we kolosap hem i ded. Smoltaem afta we papa blong Constantine i ded, ami i putumap hem olsem hedgavman.

Long taem ya, i gat faef narafala man tu we oli talem se oli hedgavman. Ol yia 306 go kasem 324 K.T., oli fulap long ol faet bitwin long ol manples. Afta long taem ya, Constantine nomo i stap olsem hedgavman. From we Constantine i lidim ami blong winim tu bigfala faet, oli raetem nem blong hem long ol buk blong histri blong Rom, mo oli mekem hem wan nomo i kam rula blong gavman blong Rom.

Long 312 K.T., Constantine i winim enemi blong hem, Maxentius, long wan faet long Milvian Brij, jes afsaed long Rom. Ol man we oli raetem ol buk blong sapotem fasin blong ol Kristin long taem ya, oli talem se taem faet ya i stap gohed, wantaem nomo, wan kros we faea i laet long hem i kamaot long skae, jes aninit long san. Kros ya i karem ol tok long lanwis Latin, In hoc signo vinces, we i minim se “From saen ya, bambae yu win.” Samfala oli talem tu se, Constantine i luk wan drim, we i talem long hem blong raetem faswan mo namba tu leta long nem blong Kraes long Grik lanwis, long sil blong ol ami blong hem. Be, sam samting long store ya oli no laenapgud wetem ol narafala save we yumi gat. Buk ya, A History of Christianity, i talem se: “I gat plante defren tingting long saed blong stret taem mo ples blong drim ya, mo ol samting we hem i luk.” Hiten Kaonsel blong Rom i welkamem Constantine long Rom, mo oli putum nem ya long hem se jif Ogastas mo Pontifeks Maksimas, hemia se, jif pris blong hiten skul blong Rom.

Long 313 K.T., Constantine i mekem plan blong wok wanples wetem Hedgavman Licinius, hemia rula blong ol ples long is we oli stap aninit long gavman blong Rom. Tufala i saenem wan pepa, nem blong hem, Loa blong Milan. Hem i givim fasin fri blong wosip long ol jyos, mo i mekem se olgeta jyos evriwan oli gat ol semfala raet. Be, plante man blong histri, oli talem se pepa ya i nating nomo, hem i jes wan leta olsem ol haeman oli raetem oltaem. Hem i no wan impoten pepa blong gavman we i makem wan bigfala jenis long tingting blong olgeta long saed blong Kristin skul.

Bifo we ten moa yia i pas, Constantine i winim laswan enemi blong hem, Licinius, mekem se, i no moa gat wan man we i blokem hem olsem hedgavman blong olgeta ples we oli stap aninit long gavman blong Rom. Long 325 K.T., hem i presiden blong faswan bigfala miting blong ol “Kristin” jyos, nating se hem i no baptaes. Long miting ya, oli tok agensem ol tijing blong Arius, mo oli raetem wan lis blong ol impoten tijing, we oli kolem Naesin Krid.

Long yia 337 K.T., Constantine i kasem wan sik we hem i ded from. Jes bifo we hem i ded, hem i tekem baptaes. Biaen, Kaonsel i putumap hem wetem ol narafala god blong Rom.

Wok Blong Jyos Long Plan Blong Constantine

Buk ya, Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Histri blong Nesen blong Gris) i tokbaot tingting long saed blong skul we ol hedgavman blong Rom oli gat long ol yia afta 200 mo 300 K.T. Hem i se: “Sam rula oli no strong long saed blong jyos. Be, ol man long taem ya oli tinghae long jyos. Taswe, ol rula ya oli faenem se oli mas putum jyos long wan impoten ples long plan blong olgeta long saed blong politik, blong mekem i luk olsem we ol wok blong olgeta i sapotem jyos.”

Tru tumas, Constantine i mekem ol wok blong hem i laenapgud wetem tingting blong ol man long taem ya. Long stat blong rul blong hem, hem i nidim we “God” i givhan long hem. Ol god blong Rom oli no save halpem hem, from oli no moa gat bigfala paoa long tingting blong ol man. Gavman blong Rom wetem ol jyos blong hem mo ol narafala grup tu, oli stap lusum paoa. I nidim wan nyufala samting blong putum laef long olgeta mo mekem oli kam strong bakegen. Buk ya, Hidria i talem se: “Constantine i intres long Kristin skul from we jyos i sapotem hem long faet we hem i winim, mo tu, jyos i laekem ol jenis we hem i mekem long ol ples we hem i rul long olgeta. Ol Kristin jyos long ol wanwan ples oli kam olsem sapot blong hem long saed blong politik. . . . Hem i joen oltaem wetem ol haeman blong jyos . . . , mo i askem olgeta blong holemtaet fasin joengud long jyos blong olgeta.”

Constantine i luksave se hem i save yusum “Kristin” skul​—nating se jyos i no moa folem trufala tijing mo i fulap long rabis fasin​—olsem wan paoa blong joenem ol man mo givim laef long bigfala plan blong hem blong rul fulwan. Hem i agri long gyaman Kristin skul wetem ol gyaman tijing blong hem, from we skul ya i save sapotem hem mo givim moa paoa long hem long saed blong politik. Taswe, hem i tekem disisen blong mekem ol man oli joengud long wan “katolik” jyos, hemia se wan jyos we i kavremap fulwol. Hem i putum ol “Kristin” nem long ol hiten kastom mo lafet. Mo hem i givim semfala haenem, pei, mo paoa we ol hiten pris oli gat, i go long ol lida blong “Kristin” skul tu.

From we Constantine i wantem ol man blong joengud long wan jyos blong oli givhan long hem long saed blong politik, hem i kwik blong blokem eni man we i tok agensem plan ya. Hem i no blokem olgeta from we maet oli stap tok agensem trufala tijing, no gat. Hem i blokem olgeta from we namba blong olgeta i smol nomo, mo bighaf blong ol man oli agri long plan blong hem. Fasin ya we ol man long “Kristin” jyos oli stap rao mo seraot bigwan from ol tijing, i givim jans long Constantine blong kam insaed long bisnes ya, olsem wan man we “God i sanem hem” blong stretem trabol ya. Ol samting we i hapen wetem ol Donatis long Not Afrika mo wetem ol man we oli folem Arius long ol ples blong is we Rom i rul long olgeta, oli soem long hem kwiktaem se i no naf we hem i yusum ol gudfala toktok nomo blong traem pulum ol man blong joengud long wan jyos.c Faswan miting blong ol jyos we i kamaot afta we jyos i stanap, hemia miting we Constantine i mekem blong traem stretem rao long saed blong ol tijing blong Arius.​—Lukluk bokis ya “Constantine mo Miting long Naesia.”

Man blong stadi long histri, Paul Johnson, i tokbaot Constantine i se: “Maet wan bigfala risen from wanem hem i letem Kristin skul i gohed, hemia blong givim jans long hem mo long Gavman blong bos long ol loa blong Jyos long saed blong ol tijing.”

?Hem i Kam Wan Kristin?

Man ya Johnson i talem se: “Constantine i neva lego wosip blong san, mo pija blong san i stap oltaem long ol mane we hem i wokem.” Catholic Encyclopedia i talem se: “Constantine i mekem i sem mak long ol Kristin skul mo ol hiten skul tu. From we hem i pontifeks maksimas, hem i lukaotgud long hiten wosip mo i meksua se ol hiten man oli gat raet blong mekem samting we oli wantem.” Buk ya Hidria i talem se: “Constantine i neva kam wan Kristin. Eusebius blong Sisaria, we i raetem store blong laef blong Constantine, i talem se hem i kam wan Kristin long ol laswan menet blong laef blong hem nomo. Baptaes [blong Constantine] i no gat mining, from we wan dei bifo we hem i baptaes, hem i mekem sakrifaes i go long god ya Sus, we hem tu i karem nem ya Pontifeks Maksimas.”

Kam kasem dei we Constantine i ded long 337 K.T., hem i karem hiten nem ya Pontifeks Maksimas, we i minim jif blong hiten skul. I stret nomo we yumi askem long saed blong baptaes blong hem, se: ?Hem i rili tanem tingting blong hem from ol sin mo jenisim fasin blong hem bifo we hem i baptaes, olsem Baebol i talem se man i mas mekem? (Ol Wok 2:​38, 40, 41) Blong baptaes, ?Constantine i draon fulwan long wora blong soemaot se hem i givim laef blong hem i go long Jeova God?​—Skelem wetem Ol Wok 8:​36-​39.

?Wan “Tabu Man”?

Encyclopædia Britannica i talem se: “I stret blong talem se Constantine i Bigfala long saed blong ol samting we hem i mekem, be i no long saed blong ol fasin blong hem. Sipos yumi jajem hem from ol fasin blong hem, tru ya, hem i daon moa long olgeta narafala man long taem bifo mo long taem blong yumi tu, we oli karem nem ya [Bigfala].” Buk ya, A History of Christianity, i talem se: “Ol faswan ripot oli tokbaot nogud fasin kros blong hem mo ol rabis samting we hem i mekem long ol narafala man taem hem i kros. . . . Hem i no gat respek nating long laef . . . Taem hem i kam olfala, ol fasin we hem i mekem taem i no stap wetem ol narafala man, oli narakaen.”

I klia se Constantine i gat sam bigfala problem long saed blong fasin blong hem. Wan man blong stadi long histri i talem se, “plante taem, fasin blong hem we i stap jenis oltaem i stampa blong ol rabis samting we hem i mekem.” (Lukluk bokis ya “Fasin Blong Kilim Man i Ded Long Famle Blong Ol Rula.”) Man blong histri, H. Fisher, i talem long buk blong hem, History of Europe, se, Constantine i no “wan Kristin man.” Ol pruf oli soemaot se hem i no wan trufala Kristin we i ‘putum nyufala fasin blong laef,’ mo we i soemaot ol frut blong tabu speret blong God, olsem lav, glad, pis, longfala tingting, kaen fasin, gud fasin, bilif, kwaet fasin, mo fasin blong bos long tingting.​—Kolosi 3:​9, 10; Galesia 5:​22, 23.

Risal Blong Ol Wok Blong Hem

Constantine i Pontifeks Maksimas blong ol hiten man, taswe hem i hed blong skul long ol ples we Rom i rul long olgeta. From samting ya, hem i traem fren wetem ol bisop blong jyos ya we i lego trufala tijing. Hem i talem long olgeta se bambae hem i givim paoa, haenem, mo ol rij samting long olgeta, sipos oli kam ol haeman long skul blong Gavman blong Rom. Catholic Encyclopedia i talem se: “Sam bisop oli letem ol rij samting long haos blong hedgavman ya oli blaenem olgeta, nao oli go kasem mak we oli presem hedgavman ya olsem wan enjel blong God, mo wan tabu man. Oli talem profet tok ya tu se bambae hem i rul long heven, olsem Pikinini blong God.”

Taem gyaman Kristin skul i frengud wetem gavman mo politik, hem i stat joen moa long wol, mo long ol narafala bisnes afsaed long skul, nao hem i stat go longwe long ol tijing blong Jisas Kraes. (Jon 15:19; 17:​14, 16; Revelesen 17:​1, 2) From samting ya, “Kristin skul” ya i karem ol gyaman tijing mo fasin, olsem Triniti, sol we i no save ded samtaem, helfaea, pegatri, prea blong ol dedman, yusum ol bidbid blong mekem prea, wosip blong ol aedol mo pija, mo ol narafala bilif olsem.​—Skelem wetem 2 Korin 6:​14-​18.

Mo tu, Constantine i stampa blong fasin ya we jyos i rul strong long laef blong ol man. Tufala man blong hae save, Henderson mo Buck, oli talem se: “Hem i spolem klia mesej blong Gospel, i stanemap ol kastom mo bigfala lafet blong skul, i givim haenem mo ol gudfala samting blong wol long ol tija blong Kristin skul, mo i mekem Kingdom blong Kraes i kam olsem wan kingdom blong wol ya.”

Kamaot Long Wol Ya

Ol pruf long histri oli soemaot wanem i rili tru long saed blong “bigfala” Constantine. Wan risen from wanem Krisendom i bin stanap, hemia from wok blong politik mo ol trik blong hiten hedgavman ya. I no Jisas Kraes, Hed blong trufala Kristin kongregesend we i stanemap Krisendom, no gat. Man blong histri, Paul Johnson, i askem wan kwestin we i stretgud long bisnes ya, i se: “?Gavman i letem hem i kam aninit long paoa blong Kristin skul, no Kristin skul i mekem fasin olsem woman blong rod wetem gavman?”

Ol man we oli rili wantem folem trufala Kristin skul, oli save kasem help blong luksave mo joen wetem trufala Kristin kongregesen tede. Ol Wetnes blong Jeova long olgeta ples blong wol, oli glad tumas blong givhan long ol man we hat blong olgeta i stret, blong luksave trufala Kristin skul mo blong wosip long fasin we God i glad long hem.​—Jon 4:​23, 24.

[Ol futnot]

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Constantine Mo Miting Long Naesia

?Wanem wok we Hedgavman Constantine i mekem long Miting long Naesia, nating se hem i no baptaes? Encyclopædia Britannica i talem se: “Constantine i presiden blong miting ya, mo i lidim olgeta toktok we i kamaot . . . Ol bisop oli fraet long hedgavman ya, ale oli saenem pepa blong agri long ol stampa bilif blong jyos, nating se plante blong olgeta oli no agri long tingting blong olgeta. Tu bisop nomo oli no saenem pepa ya.”

Afta we oli rao strong blong tu manis, hiten man blong politik ya i girap mo i tekem disisen blong agri wetem ol man we oli talem se Jisas hem i God. ?From wanem hem i mekem olsem? Buk ya, A Short History of Christian Doctrine, i talem se: “Kolosap se Constantine i no gat save nating long ol kwestin we oli kamaot long saed blong ol tijing blong jyos blong Gris.” Wan samting nomo we hem i kasem save long hem, hemia se, sipos ol man oli seraot from skul, samting ya i save mekem bigfala trabol i kamaot long ol ples we gavman blong hem i rul long olgeta. Taswe, hem i gat strong tingting blong mekem ol man aninit long gavman blong hem oli joengud.

Long saed blong laswan pepa we oli raetem long miting long Naesia we Constantine i presiden blong hem, Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Histri blong Nesen Blong Gris), i talem se: “Samting ya i soem tingting [blong Constantine] long saed blong ol tijing, se hem i no kea nating, . . . mo i soem stronghed fasin blong hem blong traem mekem jyos i joengud nomata wanem samting hem i mas mekem, mo i soem strong bilif blong hem se hem i gat raet blong tekem laswan disisen long ol bisnes long saed blong skul, from we hem i ‘bisop blong ol man afsaed long jyos.’ ” ?Tabu speret blong God i save sapotem ol disisen we oli kamaot long wan miting olsem?​—Skelem wetem Ol Wok 15:​28, 29.

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“Fasin Blong Kilim Man i Ded Long Famle Blong Ol Rula”

Aninit long stampa tok ya, buk ya Istoria tou Ellinikou Ethnous (Histri blong Nesen Blong Gris), i tokbaot “ol rabis fasin we Constantine i mekem insaed long famle.” Smoltaem afta we hem i kam hedgavman, hem i fogetem olsem wanem blong haremgud long enikaen gudfala risal we i kamaot long wok blong hem, mo hem i stat luksave ol denja we oli stap raonabaot long hem. Hem i no trastem ol narafala man, mo ating plante man oli tok swit long hem blong kasem ol gudfala samting tu. From ol samting ya, fastaem, hem i no moa trastem nefiu blong Licinianus, hemia boe blong wan narafala Ogastas we Constantine i kilim hem i ded finis. Hem i ting se boe ya i wantem tekem ples blong hem olsem hedgavman. Ale, Constantine i kilim boe ya i ded. Afta, stret fasbon boe blong Constantine, Crispus, i ded long han blong step mama blong hem, Fausta, from we woman ya i no wantem se boe ya i blokem prapa pikinini blong hem blong kasem paoa blong rul.

Rabis wok ya blong Fausta i stampa blong ded blong hem wan. I luk olsem we mama blong Constantine, Augusta Helena, we hem i gat paoa long boe blong hem go kasem we hem i ded, hem nao i givhan blong kilim Fausta i ded. Ol narakaen fasin we oli bos long Constantine oltaem, oli mekem se hem i kilim i ded plante fren blong hem tu wetem sam narafala man we hem i save olgeta. Buk ya, History of the Middle Ages, i talem se: “Ded blong prapa pikinini blong hem wetem waef blong hem, i soemaot se Kristin skul i no gat paoa nating long fasin blong hem.”

[Tok Blong Pija Long Pej 30]

Oli bin yusum stonwol ya long Rom blong givim ona long Constantine

[Foto Credit Line Blong Pija Long Pej 26]

Musée du Louvre, Paris