ZITHUNZI ZAKALE
Constantine
Constantine anali mfumu yoyamba ya Roma kukhala Mkhristu. Zimene anachitazi zinakhudza kwambiri dziko lonse. Poyamba anthu a m’chipembedzo chachikhristu ankazunzidwa, koma zimene anachitazi zinapangitsa kuti asamazunzidwenso komanso chinali chiyambi cha Matchalitchi Achikhristu. Choncho, mogwirizana ndi zimene buku lina limanena, Chikhristu chinayamba “kugwiritsidwa ntchito pa nkhani za ndale komanso pa nkhani zina,” ndipo zimenezi zinakhudza kwambiri dziko lonse.—The Encyclopædia Britannica.
KODI zimene Constantine anachita zikutikhudza bwanji? Ngati muli m’chipembedzo chachikhristu, muyenera kudziwa kuti zimene matchalitchi ambiri amakhulupirira komanso zomwe amachita masiku ano zinachokera pa zimene Constantine anayambitsa pa nkhani zandale ndi chipembedzo. Tiyeni tione mmene anachitira zimenezi.
ANAVOMEREZA CHIKHRISTU KOMA ANAYAMBA KUCHIGWIRITSA NTCHITO PA NDALE
Mu 313 Constantine ankalamulira chigawo chakumadzulo cha ufumu wa Roma, pomwe Licinius ndi Maximinus ankalamulira chigawo cha kum’mawa. Constantine ndi Licinius anapereka ufulu wolambira kwa nzika zawo zonse kuphatikizapo Akhristu. Constantine ankateteza Chikhristu poganiza kuti chithandiza kuti ufumu wake ulimbe.a
Koma Constantine anakhumudwa kwambiri ataona kuti matchalitchi akugawanitsa ufumu wake. Pofuna kuthetsa vutoli, anakhazikitsa ziphunzitso ndipo analamula kuti anthu onse azitsatira ziphunzitso zimenezo chifukwa ndiye zolondola. Pofuna kuti iye aziwakonda, mabishopu ambiri analolera kusiya zimene ankakhulupirira ndipo ambiri amene ankachita zimenezi analoledwa kuti asamapereke misonkho ina komanso ankalandira ndalama zambiri zothandizira mipingo yawo. Wolemba mbiri wina, dzina lake Charles Freeman, ananena kuti: “Munthu akamatsatira ziphunzitso zimenezi, sankangoonedwa kuti ndi wolimbikira pa nkhani ya chipembedzo, koma zinkachititsanso kuti azikondedwa komanso kuti azilandira ndalama zambiri.” Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti atsogoleri ambiri achipembedzo alowerere pa za m’dziko. Wolemba mbiri winanso, dzina lake A.H.M. Jones ananena kuti: “Tingati tchalitchi chinapeza munthu wochiteteza koma chinapezanso munthu womangochiuza zochita.”
“Tchalitchi chinapeza munthu wochiteteza koma chinapezanso munthu womangochiuza zochita.”—A.H.M. Jones, wolemba mbiri yakale.
KODI CHIKHRISTU CHAKE CHINALI CHOTANI?
Chifukwa choti Constantine ankagwirizana kwambiri ndi mabishopu, zinapangitsa kuti Chikhristu chikhale chosakanikirana ndi miyambo yachikunja. Izi n’zosadabwitsa chifukwa cholinga chachikulu cha Constantine, sichinali kulimbikitsa anthu kutsatira choonadi cha m’Baibulo, koma chinali kusakaniza zipembedzo kuti zikhale chimodzi. Ndipotu iye anali mfumu ya ufumu wa anthu omwe sanali Akhristu. Wolemba mbiri wina ananena kuti pofuna kusangalatsa zipembedzo zonse, Constantine “ankachita zinthu zovuta kudziwa kuti amakhulupirira ziti kwenikweni.”
Ngakhale kuti Constantine ankanena kuti cholinga chake n’kupititsa patsogolo Chikhristu, ankachitabe zinthu zambiri zachikunja. Mwachitsanzo, iye ankachita zinthu zimene Baibulo limaletsa monga kuwombeza komanso kukhulupirira nyenyezi. (Deuteronomo 18:10-12) Pachipilala chomwe chili ku Rome, pali chifaniziro cha Constantine akupereka nsembe kwa milungu yachikunja. Iye anapitirizabe kulemekeza mulungu wa dzuwa pomujambula pa ndalama zachitsulo komanso kulimbikitsa kuti anthu azimulambira. Chakumapeto kwa moyo wake, Constantine analola kuti anthu a mumzinda wa Umbria ku Italy, amange kachisi wa iyeyo ndi banja lake n’kusankha ansembe kuti azitumikira pakachisiyo.
Constantine anachedwetsa dala ubatizo wake woti akhale “Mkhristu,” ndipo anabatizidwa patangotsala masiku ochepa kuti amwalire mu 337 C.E. Akatswiri ambiri amanena kuti iye anachita zimenezi n’cholinga choti azikondedwabe ndi Akhristu komanso anthu a zipembedzo zina amene anali mu ufumu wake. Kunena zoona, zimene ankachita pamoyo wake komanso kuchedwa kwake kubatizidwa, kumapangitsa anthu kukaikira ngati iye ankakhulupiriradi Khristu. Komabe mfundo yaikulu ndi yoti, Chikhristu chimene iye anakhazikitsa, chinali ndi mphamvu kwambiri pa nkhani zandale ndi zachipembedzo ndipo chinasiya kuchita zimene Yesu anaphunzitsa n’kuyamba kuchita za m’dzikoli. Komatu Yesu ananena kuti otsatira ake sadzakhala ‘mbali ya dziko, monganso iye sanali mbali ya dziko.’ (Yohane 17:14) M’kupita kwa nthawi, chipembedzo chimene Constantine anayambitsachi chinafalikira padziko lonse ndipo n’kumene kunachokera zipembedzo zambiri zimene zilipo masiku ano.
Kodi kudziwa zimenezi kungatithandize bwanji? Zimenezi zikutithandiza kudziwa kuti tiyenera kusamala ndi zimene zipembedzo zimaphunzitsa. Tiyenera kufufuza kuti tidziwe ngati zimene zimaphunzitsazo zilidi zochokera m’Baibulo.—1 Yohane 4:1.
a Anthu ambiri amakayikira ngati Constantine anayambadi Chikhristu ndi zolinga zabwino. Buku lina linanena kuti chifukwa china chimene anthu amakayikirira zolinga zake n’choti, “ankavomereza zikhulupiriro zachikunja ndipo anachita zimenezi mpaka chakumapeto kwa ulamuliro wake.”