Epafra—“Kristo Anɔkwa Sɔɔlɔ”
NAMƆ to Kristofoi asafoi ni yɔɔ Korinto, Efeso, kɛ Filipi lɛ ashishi? Ekolɛ oshashaoŋ shi yɛ ehetoo hamɔ mli: ‘Paulo, “jeŋmaji abɔfo lɛ.” ’ (Romabii 11:13) Osane lɛ baafee anɔkwale.
Shi kɛlɛ, namɔ to asafoi ni yɔɔ Kolose, Hierapoli, kɛ Laodikea lɛ shishi? Eyɛ mli akɛ wɔnyɛŋ wɔna nɔmimaa moŋ, shi ekolɛ eeenyɛ efee nuu ko ni atsɛɔ lɛ Epafra lɛ. Ekolɛ obaasumɔ ni ole sanekpakpa jajelɔ nɛɛ he saji babaoo, akɛni atsɛɔ lɛ “Kristo anɔkwa sɔɔlɔ” lɛ hewɔ.—Kolosebii 1:7.
Sanekpakpa Jajelɔ ni Yɔɔ Lycus Jɔɔ Lɛŋ
Gbɛi Epafra lɛ ji Epafrodito ni afo lɛ kuku. Shi esaaa akɛ akɛ Epafrodito ni jɛ Filipi lɛ kɛ Epafra futuɔ. Epafra jɛ Kolose, hei etɛ ni Kristofoi asafoi yɔɔ yɛ Lycus Faa ni yɔɔ jɔɔ mli, yɛ Asia Bibioo lɛ ateŋ ekome mli lɛ. Kolose yɛ he ko ni kɛ Laodikea jɛkɛmɔ feɔ kilomitai 18 pɛ, ni ekɛ Hierapoli ni yɔɔ blema Frigia kpokpaa lɛ nɔ lɛ jɛkɛmɔ feɔ kilomitai 19.
Biblia lɛ ewieee bɔ ni fee ni Nyɔŋmɔ Maŋtsɛyeli lɛ he sanekpakpa lɛ nyɛ eshɛ Frigia lɛ he diɛŋtsɛ. Shi kɛlɛ, ekolɛ Frigiabii ni jɛ Kolose lɛ ateŋ mɛi komɛi yɛ Yerusalem yɛ Pentekoste gbi lɛ nɔ yɛ afi 33 Ŋ.B. (Bɔfoi lɛ Asaji 2:1, 5, 10) Yɛ Paulo sɔɔmɔ nitsumɔ yɛ Efeso (aaafee afi 52-55 Ŋ.B.) lɛ mli lɛ, odaseyeli ni akɛha yɛ jɛmɛ lɛ mli wa waa, ni emɔ shi aahu ákɛ, jeee Efesobii lɛ pɛ kɛkɛ, shi “mɛi fɛɛ ni yɔɔ Asia lɛ, Yudafoi kɛ Helabii lɛ fɛɛ nu Nuntsɔ Yesu wiemɔ lɛ.” (Bɔfoi lɛ Asaji 19:10) Akɛni mɛi ni batsɔmɔ Kristofoi yɛ nakai kpokpaa lɛ nɔ lɛ pii enako Paulo dã hewɔ lɛ, eeenyɛ efee akɛ eshiɛko sanekpakpa lɛ yɛ Lycus Jɔɔ lɛ mli fɛɛ.—Kolosebii 2:1.
Taakɛ Paulo tsɔɔ mli lɛ, mɔ ni tsɔɔ Kolosebii lɛ saji ni kɔɔ “Nyɔŋmɔ duromɔ lɛ yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ” he nii ji Epafra. Anɔkwale ni eji akɛ Paulo tsɛɔ hefatalɔ nitsulɔ nɛɛ akɛ “Kristo anɔkwa sɔɔlɔ ha nyɛ” lɛ tsɔɔ akɛ, Epafra ji sanekpakpa jajelɔ ni yɔɔ ekãa yɛ jɛmɛ.—Kolosebii 1:6, 7.
Bɔfo Paulo kɛ sanekpakpa jajelɔ Epafra fɛɛ susuɔ amɛ nanemɛi heyelilɔi ni yɔɔ Lycus Jɔɔ lɛ mli lɛ ahilɛkɛhamɔ he babaoo. Ákɛ “bɔfo kɛha jeŋmaji lɛ,” Paulo mii baashɛ ehe yɛ amɛ shweremɔ he amaniɛbɔi ni enine shɛ nɔ lɛ hewɔ. Jeee mɔ ko mɔ ko akɛ ja Epafra naa Paulo nu mumɔŋ shihilɛ mli ni Kolosebii lɛ yɔɔ lɛ he yɛ.—Kolosebii 1:4, 8.
Epafra Amaniɛbɔɔ Lɛ
Kolosebii lɛ kɛ naagbai ni mli wawai miikpe, ni ebi ni amɛbi Epafra ni efã gbɛ kakadaŋŋ kɛya Roma kɛ yiŋtoo akɛ ekɛ Paulo yaasusu saji nɛɛ ahe. Yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ, amaniɛbɔɔ ni mli ka shi faŋŋ ni Epafra kɛha lɛ ji nɔ ni tsirɛ Paulo koni eŋmala woji enyɔ kɛyaha nyɛmimɛi nɛɛ, ni yɛ gbɛ ko nɔ lɛ eleee amɛ lɛ. Wolo ni aŋma kɛyaha Kolosebii lɛ ji ekome. Wolo kroko ni eka shi faŋŋ akɛ abaaa yi lɛ ji nɔ ni akɛmaje Laodikeabii lɛ. (Kolosebii 4:16) Nilee yɛ mli akɛ aaasusu akɛ woji lɛ amli saji lɛ ji nɔ ni aje gbɛ akɛha koni akɛha Kristofoi nɛɛ ahiamɔ nii lɛ ahetoo, taakɛ Epafra susu lɛ. Mɛɛ hiamɔ nii ena? Ni mɛni enɛ kɛɔ wɔ yɛ nɔ̃ mɔ ni eji lɛ he?
Etamɔ nɔ ni wolo ni aŋma kɛyaha Kolosebii lɛ tsɔɔ akɛ, Epafra ehao, yɛ oshara ní wɔŋjamɔ jeŋ nilee ni kɔɔ mɔ kome-shihilɔi, mumɔi atsɛmɔ, kɛ wɔŋjamɔ mli nifeemɔi ahe lɛ kɛbaa Kristofoi ni yɔɔ Kolose lɛ anɔ lɛ hewɔ. Agbɛnɛ hu, ekolɛ, Yudafoi lɛ atsɔɔmɔ ni kɔɔ niyenii ni aguɔ eyeli, kɛ gbii pɔtɛ̃ɛ komɛi ni ayeɔ he gbijurɔ lɛ baaná asafo lɛ mli bii komɛi anɔ hewalɛ.—Kolosebii 2:4, 8, 16, 20-23.
Anɔkwale ni eji akɛ Paulo ŋmala saji ni kɔɔ enɛɛmɛi ahe lɛ tsɔɔ wɔ bɔ ni Epafra hiɛ yɔɔ ehe nɔ, ni enuɔ he waa ehaa enanemɛi Kristofoi lɛ ahiamɔ nii ahe lɛ ha. Ejie amɛhe susumɔ yɛ amɛ hilɛkɛhamɔ yɛ mumɔŋ lɛ kpo etsɔɔ yɛ suɔmɔ mli, ni ehiɛ yɛ oshara shihilɛi amli ni amɛyɔɔ lɛ nɔ. Epafra bi ŋaawoo kɛjɛ Paulo dɛŋ, ni enɛ tsɔɔ akɛ ebaa ehe shi. Ekolɛ, enu he akɛ ehe miihia ni ena ŋaawoo kɛjɛ mɔ ko ni yɔɔ niiashikpamɔ babaoo ŋɔɔ. Yɛ fɛɛ sɛɛ lɛ, Epafra kɛ nilee tsu nii.—Abɛi 15:22.
Nuu ni Buɔ Sɔlemɔ akɛ Nɔ ko ni Jara Wa
Paulo kɛɔ yɛ wolo ni eŋma emaje Kolosebii Kristofoi lɛ yɛ enaagbee akɛ: “Epafra ni jɛ nyɛteŋ ni ji Kristo tsulɔ ni daa nɛɛ epeleɔ nyɛhe yɛ esɔlemɔi amli, koni nyɛdamɔ shi ni nyɛye emuu ni nyɛyimɔ obɔbɔ yɛ Nyɔŋmɔ suɔmɔnaa nii fɛɛ mli lɛ, miibi nyɛ. Ejaakɛ miiye ehe odase, akɛ ebɔɔ mɔdɛŋ naakpa yɛ nyɛ kɛ mɛi ní yɔɔ Laodikea kɛ mɛi ni yɔɔ Hierapoli lɛ ahewɔ.”—Kolosebii 4:12, 13.
Hɛɛ, yɛ be mli ni eji Paulo ‘naanyo gboklɛfonyo’ yɛ Roma po lɛ, Epafra miisusu enyɛmimɛi ni esumɔɔ ni yɔɔ Kolose, Laodikea, kɛ Hierapoli lɛ ahe, ni esɔleɔ ehaa amɛ. (Filemon 23) Yɛ shishinumɔ diɛŋtsɛ naa lɛ, ‘epele’ yɛ sɔlemɔ mli eha amɛ. Taakɛ nilelɔ D. Edmond Hiebert tsɔɔ mli lɛ, Hela wiemɔ ni akɛtsu nii yɛ biɛ lɛ tsɔɔ “deŋmegbomɔ kɛ nitsumɔ ni wa,” nɔ ko ni tamɔ jwɛŋmɔŋ “piŋmɔ” mli niiashikpamɔ pɛpɛɛpɛ ni Yesu Kristo ná be mli ni esɔleɔ yɛ Getsemane abɔɔ lɛ mli lɛ. (Luka 22:44) Epafra miishwe waa ni emumɔŋ nyɛmimɛi hii kɛ yei lɛ afee shiŋŋ ni amɛ Kristofoi adalɛ lɛ aye emuu. Mɛɛ jɔɔmɔ po nyɛminuu ni susuɔ mumɔŋ nibii ahe nɛɛ ji kɛha asafoi lɛ nɛkɛ!
Akɛni atsɛɔ Epafra akɛ “wɔnaanyo tsulɔ ni wɔsumɔɔ” hewɔ lɛ, ŋwanejee ko bɛ he akɛ, lɛ diɛŋtsɛ lɛ esumɔɔ enanemɛi Kristofoi. (Kolosebii 1:7) Kɛ hegbɛ ba lɛ, esa akɛ asafo lɛ mli bii lɛ fɛɛ kɛ amɛhe aha faa yɛ suɔmɔ kɛ miishɛɛ mli. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔ nɔ lɛ, abaanyɛ agbala jwɛŋmɔ kɛya yelikɛbuamɔ ni akɛaaha helatsɛ, mɔ ni egbɔ, loo mɛi krokomɛi anɔ kɛha hiamɔ nii pɔtɛ̃ɛ komɛi. Ekolɛ, nibii sɔrɔtoi krokomɛi yɛ asafo lɛ mli ni abaatsu he nii, loo ekolɛ abaanyɛ akɛ he awo teokrase tsumaa he nitsumɔ ko mli.
Ní wɔɔsɔle wɔha mɛi krokomɛi taakɛ Epafra fee lɛ ji sɔɔmɔ krɔŋŋ lɛ fã ko ni mɔ fɛɛ mɔ baanyɛ atsu he nii. Sɔlemɔi ni tamɔ nɛkɛ baanyɛ ahiɛ wiemɔi ni tsɔɔ bɔ ni asusuɔ Yehowa jalɔi, ni esa akɛ amɛkpee osharai sɔrɔtoi loo naagbai anaa yɛ mumɔŋ loo gbɔmɔtsoŋ lɛ ahe ahaa. Kɛtsɔ mɔdɛŋ ni wɔɔbɔ ni wɔkɛ wɔhe awo enɛ feemɔ mli yɛ nɛkɛ gbɛ nɔ lɛ nɔ, wɔbaanyɛ wɔtsɔ tamɔ Epafra. Wɔteŋ mɔ fɛɛ mɔ baanyɛ ana hegbɛ kɛ miishɛɛ ni ekɛtsɔɔ akɛ eji “naanyo tsulɔ ni asumɔɔ” yɛ Yehowa sɔɔlɔi anɔkwafoi aweku lɛ mli.