Eusèbe​—Mbese ni we “watangije amateka ya Kiliziya”?

MU MWAKA wa 325 I.C., Umwami w’abami wa Roma yatumyeho abepisikopi bose ngo bahurire i Nicée. Yashakaga ko bakemura ikibazo cyagibwagaho impaka cyane cy’isano riri hagati y’Imana n’Umwana wayo. Mu bari bahari, harimo Eusèbe w’i Kayisariya, wari intiti ikomeye mu gihe cye. Eusèbe yari yarize Ibyanditswe abyitondeye kandi yaharaniraga Ubukristo bwemera Imana imwe.

Hari igitabo kivuga ko mu Nama y’i Nicée, “Konsitantino ubwe yayoboraga ibiganiro kandi agafatamo ijambo, kandi yanababwiye . . . ihame ry’ingenzi ryashyizwe mu myanzuro y’iyo nama y’i Nicée, ryagaragazaga isano riri hagati ya Kristo n’Imana. Iryo hame ryavugaga ko Kristo ‘afite kamere imwe na Se’ . . . Bitewe no gutinya cyane umwami w’abami, abepisikopi bose uretse babiri gusa, bashyize umukono ku myanzuro y’inama, abenshi muri bo bakaba batarayemeraga.” Ese Eusèbe yari muri abo babiri banze gushyiraho umukono? Ni irihe somo dushobora kuvana ku myifatire yagize? Reka turebe amateka ya Eusèbe, turasuzuma ubushobozi bwe n’ibyo yakoze.

Inyandiko ze zishishikaje

Birashoboka ko Eusèbe yavukiye muri Palesitina ahagana mu mwaka wa 260 I.C. Eusèbe akiri muto, yifatanyije na Pamphile wari uhagarariye Kiliziya i Kayisariya. Eusèbe yize mu ishuri rya tewolojiya rya Pamphile, maze aba umunyeshuri ushishikaye. Yasomaga ibitabo byinshi kandi byiza bya Pamphile abishishikariye. Yari yaritangiye amasomo ye, ariko cyane cyane akagira umwete wo kwiga Bibiliya. Yanabaye incuti magara ya Pamphile, ku buryo nyuma y’aho yaje kwiyita “Eusèbe umuhungu wa Pamphile.”

Eusèbe yavuze ibyo yateganyaga gukora agira ati “ndateganya kwandika inkuru y’ukuntu intumwa zera zakurikiranye kimwe n’uko ibihe byakurikiranye kuva ku munsi w’Umukiza wacu kugeza mu gihe turimo; ngasobanura ukuntu ibintu byinshi kandi by’ingenzi bavuga ko byabaye mu mateka ya Kiliziya byagenze; kandi nkavuga abayoboye Kiliziya mu maparuwasi akomeye kurusha andi, n’abagize uruhare mu gutangaza Ijambo ry’Imana, haba mu magambo cyangwa mu nyandiko.”

Eusèbe bamwibukira ku gitabo cye cy’agaciro cyitwa History of the Christian Church . Babona ko igitabo cye kigizwe n’imibumbe icumi cyasohotse mu mwaka wa 324 I.C. ari ingenzi cyane mu mateka ya Kiliziya yanditswe kera. Icyo gitabo ni cyo cyatumye Eusèbe abonwa ko ari we watangije amateka ya Kiliziya.

Uretse icyo gitabo cyitwa Church History, Eusèbe yananditse igitabo cyitwa Chronicle kigizwe n’imibumbe ibiri. Umubumbe wa mbere wari incamake y’amateka y’isi. Mu kinyejana cya kane, uwo mubumbe ni wo baheragaho bamenya igihe ibintu ibi n’ibi byabereye mu isi. Umubumbe wa kabiri wo wavuze amatariki y’ibyabaye mu mateka. Eusèbe yakoresheje imirongo ibangikanye maze agaragaza uko ubwami bw’ibihugu binyuranye bwakurikiranye.

Hari ibindi bitabo bibiri by’amateka Eusèbe yanditse, byitwa Martyrs of Palestine (Abahowe Imana bo muri Palesitina) na Life of Constantine (Ubuzima bwa Konsitantino). Icya mbere kivuga ibyabaye hagati y’umwaka wa 303–310 I.C. kandi kikavuga ku bahowe Imana muri icyo gihe. Eusèbe ashobora kuba yariboneye ibyo bintu. Icya kabiri, cyasohotse gikubiyemo ibitabo bine nyuma y’urupfu rw’Umwami w’abami Konsitantino mu mwaka wa 337 I.C., cyarimo amateka y’ingirakamaro arambuye. Icyo gitabo ntikivuga amateka gusa, ahubwo ahanini gishimagiza ubutwari bw’abishwe.

Ibitabo bivuganira Ubukristo Eusèbe yanditse bikubiyemo icyo yanditse asubiza Hiéroclès, umutware w’Umuroma wabayeho mu gihe cye. Iyo Hiéroclès yandikaga avuga nabi Abakristo, Eusèbe we yandikaga abavuganira. Byongeye kandi, kugira ngo Eusèbe ashyigikire ko Imana ari yo nkomoko y’Ibyanditswe, yanditse ibitabo 35, abantu bakaba babona ko ari byo bitabo by’ingenzi kandi byanditswe neza kurusha ibindi. Ibya mbere 15 bigerageza gusobanura impamvu Abakristo bemera ibyanditswe byera bya Giheburayo. Noneho ibindi 20 bigatanga igihamya cy’uko Abakristo batibeshye ubwo barekaga amategeko y’Abayahudi bagakurikiza amahame mashya n’imigenzo mishya. Ibyo bitabo byose bigaragaza ukuntu Eusèbe yavuganiraga Ubukristo mu buryo burambuye akurikije uko yabwumvaga.

Eusèbe yaramye imyaka 80 (hagati ya 260 na 340 I.C.) kandi yabaye umwe mu banditsi ba kera banditse ibitabo byinshi. Ibitabo bye bivuga ku bintu byabaye mu binyejana bitatu bya mbere kugeza mu gihe cy’Umwami w’abami Konsitantino. Mu marembera y’ubuzima bwe, umurimo w’ubwanditsi yawufatanyije n’uwo kuba umwepisikopi wa Kayisariya. N’ubwo Eusèbe yari azwi cyane ko ari umuhanga mu by’amateka, yanavuganiraga idini rye, akamenya gukora amakarita, akaba umubwirizabutumwa, akajora kandi akaba n’umwanditsi w’umuhanga mu gusesengura inyandiko z’iby’idini.

Impamvu ebyiri zamuteye kwandika

Kuki Eusèbe yatangiye iyo mishinga ikomeye itari yarigeze ikorwa mbere hose? Igisubizo ni uko yemeraga ko yabayeho mu gihe cy’inzibacyuho hagati y’igihe cya kera n’igihe gishya. Yumvaga ko mu bihe bya kera hari harabayeho ibintu bikomeye kandi ko byagombaga kwandikwa kugira ngo abari kuzavuka nyuma bazabimenye.

Hari indi mpamvu Eusèbe yari afite, ikaba ari iyo kuvuganira Ubukristo. Yemeraga ko Ubukristo bukomoka ku Mana. Ariko hari abarwanyaga icyo gitekerezo. Eusèbe yaranditse ati “mfite nanone intego yo gutanga amazina n’umubare by’abakoze amakosa akomeye cyane n’incuro bayakoze, babitewe no gukunda guhanga kandi bakihamya ko babonye ubwenge kandi ari ingirwabwenge; bari bameze nk’amasega aryana, bakayogoza umukumbi wa Kristo ntibawubabarire.”

Ese Eusèbe yibonagamo Umukristo? Uko bigaragara, kuko yitaga Kristo “Umukiza wacu.” Yagize ati “ndateganya . . . kuvuga ibyago byageze ku ishyanga ryose ry’Abayahudi bakimara kugambanira Umwami wacu, kandi nkavuga uburyo n’incuro ijambo ry’Imana ryibasiwe n’Abanyamahanga, kandi ngasobanura imico y’abantu babayeho mu bihe binyuranye, barirwaniriye n’ubwo bamenaga amaraso yabo kandi bakababazwa urubozo, nkavuga n’ababaye indahemuka ku mugaragaro muri iki gihe n’imbabazi Umwami wacu yabagiriye hamwe n’ubufasha bwuje urukundo yabahaye.”

Ubushakashatsi bwinshi yakoze

Ibitabo Eusèbe yasomye n’ibyo yagiye avugaho ni byinshi. Abantu benshi bakomeye babayeho mu binyejana bitatu bya mbere I.C., bamenyekanye binyuriye ku nyandiko za Eusèbe zonyine. Inyandiko ze ni zo zonyine zitubwira inkuru z’ibintu by’ingenzi byabayeho. Izo nkuru yazivanye ku bantu bari babizi neza ubu tudashobora kubona.

Eusèbe yakusanyaga inyandiko ze abyitondeye. Bisa n’aho yihatiraga gutandukanya inkuru nyakuri n’iz’ibinyoma abyitondeye. Icyakora, nta byera ngo de. Hari igihe yasobanuraga ibintu nabi, ndetse hakaba n’ubwo afata abantu uko batari cyangwa akabona ibikorwa byabo uko bitari. Mu gihe yavugaga uko ibintu byakurikiranye, hamwe na hamwe yaribeshye. Nanone kandi, Eusèbe nta buhanga yari afite bwo kuryoshya inyandiko. Ariko n’ubwo hari izo nenge zose, babona ko ibitabo bye byinshi birimo ubutunzi butagereranywa.

Ese yakundaga ukuri?

Eusèbe yari ahangayikishijwe n’kibazo cyari kitarakemuka cy’isano riri hagati ya Data n’Umwana. Ese Data yaba yarabayeho mbere y’Umwana nk’uko Eusèbe yabyemeraga? Cyangwa se Data n’Umwana babereyeho igihe kimwe? Yaribazaga ati “niba barabereyeho igihe kimwe, ni gute Data ari Data, n’Umwana akaba Umwana?” Ndetse yashyigikiye ibyo yizeraga akoresheje imirongo y’Ibyanditswe, nka Yohana 14:28, umurongo ugira uti ‘Data aranduta’ na Yohana 17:3, havuga ko Yesu ari we Imana y’ukuri yonyine ‘yatumye.’ Eusèbe yerekeje ku Bakolosayi 1:15 no muri Yohana 1:1, maze ahamya ko Jambo ari “we shusho y’Imana itaboneka,” akaba ari Umwana w’Imana.

Ariko igitangaje ni uko inama y’i Nicée irangiye, Eusèbe yashyigikiye ibinyuranye n’ibyo yemeraga. Eusèbe yirengagije ibyo yemeraga, ko Ibyanditswe bivuga ko Imana itangana na Kristo, ahubwo ashyigikira ibyo umwami w’abami yavuze.

Isomo twakura kuri ibyo

Kuki Eusèbe yemereye abantu kumwotsa igitutu mu Nama y’i Nicée maze agashyigikira inyigisho idashingiye ku Byanditswe? Ese haba hari inyungu z’ibya politiki yari yiteze? Ese kuki yitabiriye iyo nama? N’ubwo abepisikopi bose bari batumiwe, bake gusa, 300 bonyine ni bo bayigiyemo. Aho Eusèbe ntiyari ahangayikishijwe no gutakaza icyubahiro yari afite? Kandi se kuki Umwami w’Abami Konsitantino yamurutishaga abandi cyane? Eusèbe yari yicaye iburyo bw’umwami w’abami mu nama y’i Nicée.

Biragaragara ko Eusèbe yirengagije ko Yesu yasabye abigishwa be kutaba “ab’isi” (Yohana 17:16; 18:36). Umwigishwa Yakobo yarabajije ati “yemwe basambanyi, namwe basambanyikazi, ntimuzi yuko ubucuti bw’iby’isi butera kwangwa n’Imana” (Yakobo 4:4)? Mbega ukuntu inama ya Pawulo igira iti “ntimwifatanye n’abatizera mudahwanye” ikwiriye (2 Abakorinto 6:14)! Nimucyo dukomeze kwitandukanya n’isi niba dushaka ‘gusenga Imana mu mwuka no mu kuri.’—Yohana 4:24.

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 31]

Ishusho iri ku rukuta yerekana inama y’i Nicée

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Scala/Art Resource, NY

[Aho ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 29 yavuye]

Uburenganzira bwatanzwe na Special Collections Library, University of Michigan