📖 1 Petro — Somo la Kina — Sehemu ya 10: Mawakili wa Neema📖 1 Peter Intensive — Unit 10: Stewards of Grace

Andiko: 1 Petro 4:1-11Text: 1 Peter 4:1-11

Jivikeni Silaha ya Nia ya KristoArm Yourself with the Mind of Christ

Petro ametoka tu kutuwekea Kristo mbele yetu kama Yule aliyeteswa, akafa, na sasa anatawala. Sasa anatoa funzo la kimatendo. "Basi, kwa kuwa Kristo aliteswa kwa ajili yetu katika mwili, ninyi nanyi jivikeni silaha ya nia ile ile; kwa maana yeye aliyeteswa katika mwili ameachana na dhambi; hata mkaishi wakati wenu uliobaki katika mwili, si kwa tamaa za wanadamu, bali kwa mapenzi ya Mungu" (1 Petro 4:1-2). Neno jivikeni silaha ni neno la askari; mwamini anapaswa kuichukua nia ile ile aliyokuwa nayo Kristo kama silaha kwa ajili ya vita vilivyo mbele yake. Kristo alikuwa tayari kuteswa katika mwili kuliko kugeuka mbali na mapenzi ya Mungu, na mwamini anapaswa kushiriki uamuzi huo thabiti. Yeye aliyeteswa hivyo — aliyekufa pamoja na Kristo kwa njia ile ya zamani ya kuishi — amefanya mwachano wa wazi na dhambi. Matokeo yake, hatatumia tena maisha yake yaliyobaki akikimbilia tamaa za wanadamu; atayatumia akitenda mapenzi ya Mungu. Mwelekeo wote wa maisha unageuzwa: kutoka kwa tamaa za mwili kwenda kwa mapenzi ya Baba.Peter has just set Christ before us as the One who suffered, died, and now reigns. Now he draws the practical lesson. "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:1-2). The word arm is a soldier's word; the believer is to take up the same attitude Christ had as a weapon for the battle ahead. Christ was willing to suffer in the flesh rather than turn aside from the will of God, and the believer is to share that resolve. The one who has so suffered — who has died with Christ to the old way of living — has made a decisive break with sin. As a result, he will no longer spend the rest of his life chasing the lusts of men; he will spend it doing the will of God. The whole direction of life is turned around: from the appetites of the flesh to the will of the Father.

Tumemaliza na Maisha ya ZamaniDone with the Old Life

Petro anazungumza waziwazi juu ya maisha ya zamani ambayo waamini hawa walikuwa wameyaacha nyuma. "Maana wakati uliopita watosha kwa kutenda mapenzi ya Mataifa, kuenenda katika ufisadi, na tamaa, na ulevi, na karamu za ulafi, na vileo, na ibada ya sanamu isiyo halali" (1 Petro 4:3). Hoja ni rahisi na ya kuamsha: watosha. Muda wowote uliopotezwa katika njia zile za zamani za kipagani, ulikuwa zaidi ya kutosha; hakuna sababu ya kuzipa hata saa moja zaidi. Lakini mwachano wa wazi namna hiyo haupiti bila kuonekana. "Mambo ambayo wao huona kuwa ni ajabu, ya kwamba ninyi hamwendi pamoja nao katika ufisadi ule ule usio na kiasi, wanapowatukana" (1 Petro 4:4). Marafiki wa zamani wanashangaa, na hata kuudhika, kwamba mwamini hajitumbukizi tena pamoja nao katika mkondo ule ule unaokimbia wa maisha ya kupita kiasi, nao wanayalipa maisha yake yaliyobadilika kwa masingizio. Hata hivyo wao si waamuzi wa mwisho. "Nao watatoa hesabu kwake yeye aliye tayari kuwahukumu walio hai na waliokufa" (1 Petro 4:5). Kila mtu, msingiziaji na mtakatifu vilevile, lazima atoe jibu mbele za Mungu, aliye tayari kuwahukumu wote. Ni katika muktadha huu Petro anasema kwamba Injili ilihubiriwa hata kwa wale ambao sasa wamekufa (1 Petro 4:6) — yaani, kwa waamini walioisikia habari njema walipokuwa hai na tangu hapo wamekufa; ingawa walihukumiwa kama wanadamu wote wanavyohukumiwa, wakifa katika mwili, wao wako hai kwa Mungu katika roho. Kifo si mwisho kwa wale waliosikia na kuamini.Peter speaks plainly about the past these believers had left behind. "For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries" (1 Peter 4:3). The point is simple and bracing: enough. Whatever time was wasted in the old pagan ways, it was more than enough; there is no reason to give it another hour. But such a clean break does not go unnoticed. "In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you" (1 Peter 4:4). The old companions are baffled and even offended that the believer no longer plunges with them into the same rushing stream of excess, and they repay his changed life with slander. Yet they are not the final judges. "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead" (1 Peter 4:5). Everyone, slanderer and saint alike, must answer to God, who is ready to judge all. It is in this connection that Peter says the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead (1 Peter 4:6) — that is, to believers who heard the good news while they lived and have since died; though they were judged as all men are, dying in the flesh, they live according to God in the spirit. Death is not the end for those who have heard and believed.

Mwisho Umekaribia: Mwe na Akili na KukeshaThe End Is Near: Sober and Watchful

"Lakini mwisho wa mambo yote umekaribia; basi iweni na akili, mkeshe katika sala" (1 Petro 4:7). Swali la haki linazuka hapa, kwa maana Petro, Paulo na Yohana wote walisema kwamba mwisho u karibu, na hiyo ilikuwa karne nyingi zilizopita. Je, walikosea? Hawakukosea, na mambo mawili lazima yakumbukwe. Kwanza, ukaribu lazima upimwe kwa mtazamo wa Mungu, si wetu. Maandiko yanatukumbusha kwamba kwa Bwana siku moja ni kama miaka elfu, na miaka elfu ni kama siku moja; kwa hiyo kwa mtazamo wa Mungu ni muda mfupi tu umepita tangu Petro alipoandika. Pili, kuna ukaribu unaomgusa kila mtu moja kwa moja. Kwa kuzingatia mashaka ya maisha, na kwa kujua kwamba kwa wastani tunaishi takriban miaka sabini tu, mwisho kweli u karibu kwa kila mmoja wetu — mwisho wetu wenyewe unaweza kufika wakati wowote. Kwa hiyo onyo hili si kosa la kuelezwa ili liondolewe, bali ni kweli ya kuhisiwa moyoni. Na jibu ambalo Petro analiita ni la kimatendo: iweni makini, wenye akili timamu, na mkeshe katika sala. Ufupi wa wakati unapaswa kunoa sala zetu na kutuliza akili zetu, si kututupa katika hofu kuu wala uvivu."But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers" (1 Peter 4:7). A fair question arises here, for Peter, Paul, and John all spoke of the end as near, and that was many centuries ago. Were they mistaken? They were not, and two things must be remembered. First, nearness must be measured from God's perspective, not ours. Scripture reminds us that with the Lord a thousand years are as a day, and a day as a thousand years; so from God's vantage point only a short while has passed since Peter wrote. Second, there is a nearness that touches every person directly. Given the uncertainties of life, and knowing that on average we live only some seventy years, the end is truly near for every one of us — our own end may come at any moment. So the warning is not an error to be explained away but a truth to be felt. And the response Peter calls for is practical: be serious, sober-minded, and watchful in prayer. The shortness of the time should sharpen our prayers and steady our minds, not throw us into panic or idleness.

Zaidi ya Yote, Upendo wa JuhudiAbove All, Fervent Love

Kutoka kwa wito wa sala Petro anaendelea na wajibu mkuu kabisa wa Mkristo. "Zaidi ya yote mwe na juhudi katika kupendana; kwa maana 'upendo husitiri wingi wa dhambi'" (1 Petro 4:8). Angalia kipaumbele: zaidi ya yote. Kati ya neema zote ambazo mwamini anaweza kuzifuatilia, upendo kwa mmoja na mwingine unasimama wa kwanza. Neno juhudi (la moto) linaonyesha upendo uliokunjuliwa hadi kufikia upeo wake wote, upendo unaoendelea mbele wakati ingekuwa rahisi zaidi kukata tamaa. Na upendo wa namna hiyo, Petro anasema, husitiri wingi wa dhambi. Hii haimaanishi kwamba upendo unapuuza makosa au unaita uovu kuwa wema; inamaanisha kwamba upendo husamehe kwa urahisi, hupita kando ya makosa madogo, na unakataa kutangaza au kuyawaza-waza makosa ya wengine. Katika kanisa linaloteseka, ambamo waamini wamebanwa pamoja kwa karibu na subira inaweza kupungua, upendo huu wa juhudi na wa kusamehe ndio kifungo chenyewe kinachoshikilia familia ya Mungu pamoja. Mahali ambapo upendo ni wa juhudi, malalamiko madogo elfu husitiriwa kimya kimya na hayaruhusiwi kamwe kuleta mgawanyiko.From the call to prayer Peter moves to the supreme Christian duty. "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'" (1 Peter 4:8). Notice the priority: above all things. Of all the graces a believer may pursue, love for one another stands first. The word fervent pictures love stretched out to its full reach, love that keeps going when it would be easier to give up. And such love, Peter says, will cover a multitude of sins. This does not mean love ignores wrongdoing or calls evil good; it means that love readily forgives, overlooks small offenses, and refuses to broadcast or brood over the faults of others. In a suffering church, where believers are pressed close together and nerves can wear thin, this fervent, forgiving love is the very bond that holds the family of God together. Where love is fervent, a thousand small grievances are quietly covered and never allowed to divide.

Mawakili wa Neema Mbalimbali za MunguStewards of the Manifold Grace of God

Sasa Petro anafika kwenye somo linaloipa sehemu hii jina lake. "Mkaribishane ninyi kwa ninyi bila manung'uniko. Kila mtu kwa kadiri alivyoipata karama, uitumie kwa kuhudumiana kama mawakili wema wa neema mbalimbali za Mungu" (1 Petro 4:9-10). Kwanza inakuja ukarimu — nyumba iliyo wazi na moyo ulio wazi — unaotolewa kwa furaha, bila kunung'unikia gharama au usumbufu. Kisha inakuja kanuni kuu: kila mwamini amepokea karama, na neno muhimu ni wakili. Wakili ni msimamizi. Picha iliyo wazi kabisa ni Yusufu, aliyesimamia nyumba yote ya Potifa; hakumiliki chochote pale, lakini kila kitu kilikabidhiwa katika uangalizi wake. Hiyo ndiyo hasa nafasi ya Mkristo. Kila tulicho nacho na kila tulicho si mali yetu ya kutumia tupendavyo, bali tumekabidhiwa ili kitumike katika huduma ya Mungu. Imeonekana kwamba karibu nusu ya mifano aliyoitoa Yesu inagusa uwakili; tena na tena alifundisha kwamba vipawa vyetu, wakati wetu na mali zetu ni mali ya Mungu, na kwamba sisi ni wasimamizi tu ambao siku moja lazima tutoe hesabu.Now Peter comes to the theme that gives this unit its name. "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:9-10). First comes hospitality — an open home and an open heart — offered cheerfully, without grumbling about the cost or the trouble. Then comes the great principle: every believer has received a gift, and the important word is steward. A steward is a manager. The clearest picture is Joseph, who managed all of Potiphar's household; he owned nothing there, yet everything was entrusted to his care. That is precisely the Christian's position. Everything we are and everything we have is not our own to spend as we please but is entrusted to us to be used in the service of God. It has been observed that nearly half of the parables Jesus told touch on stewardship; again and again He taught that our talents, our time, and our treasures belong to God, and that we are only managers who must one day give account.

Mfano wa kushangaza ni C. T. Studd, aliyewahi kuwa mchezaji bora kabisa wa kriketi katika Uingereza yote. Alipokuwa Mkristo alijitoa kwa kazi ya umisheni, na urithi mkubwa ulipomjia kutoka kwa baba yake, aliutoa wote kwa kazi ya Injili. Karibu na mwisho wa maisha yake alishtuka kugundua kwamba bado kulikuwa na fedha kiasi mikononi mwake, naye haraka akazipeleka kwa Jenerali Booth wa Jeshi la Wokovu (Salvation Army); alikuwa ameazimia kutoondoka katika ulimwengu huu akiwa ameshika utajiri wowote wa fedha uliokuwa wake mwenyewe. Ni wachache wanaoitwa kufanya sawasawa na alivyofanya yeye, lakini roho yake ni roho ya wakili wa kweli, anayeshika hata utajiri mkubwa kwa mkono ulio wazi, akiuhesabu kuwa wa Mungu na si wake mwenyewe.A striking example is C. T. Studd, once the finest cricket player in all of England. When he became a Christian he gave himself to the mission field, and when a large inheritance came to him from his father, he gave it all away to the work of the gospel. Near the end of his life he was dismayed to discover that some money still remained in his hands, and he quickly passed it on to General Booth of the Salvation Army; he was determined not to leave this world holding any monetary wealth of his own. Few are called to do exactly as he did, but his spirit is the spirit of a true steward, who holds even great wealth with an open hand, counting it God's and not his own.

Inafaa kutulia kidogo juu ya neno kila. Petro anasema kwamba kila mtu amepokea karama; si viongozi wachache wenye vipawa peke yao, bali kila mwamini mmoja mmoja. Hakuna kitu kama Mkristo asiye na chochote cha kuchangia, wala hakuna kitu kama Mkristo anayeweza kukaa bila kazi wakati wengine wanahudumu. Neema ya Mungu inaitwa mbalimbali, yaani, ya rangi nyingi na aina nyingi, kwa sababu Mungu anagawa aina ya ajabu ya karama kwa watu wake wote, na kila karama inahitajika. Mtumishi mkimya na mwalimu mwenye kipawa, yule anayeonyesha rehema na yule anayetoa, mtiaji moyo na msaidizi — wote ni mawakili waliokabidhiwa sehemu ya neema ya Mungu kwa ajili ya mema ya mwili wote. Kuizika karama yako, au kuidharau kana kwamba ni ndogo mno, ni kushindwa kama wakili; Bwana aliitoa ili itumike.It is worth pausing on the word each. Peter says that each one has received a gift; not a few gifted leaders only, but every single believer. There is no such thing as a Christian with nothing to contribute, and no such thing as a Christian who may sit idle while others serve. The grace of God is called manifold, that is, many-colored and varied, because God distributes a wonderful variety of gifts throughout His people, and each gift is needed. The quiet servant and the gifted teacher, the one who shows mercy and the one who gives, the encourager and the helper — all are stewards entrusted with a portion of God’s grace for the good of the whole body. To bury one’s gift, or to despise it as too small, is to fail as a steward; the Master gave it to be used.

Kisha Petro anaonyesha jinsi uwakili huu unavyofanya kazi katika mwili wa Kristo. "Mtu akisema, na aseme kama mausia ya Mungu; mtu akihudumu, na ahudumu kwa nguvu anazojaliwa na Mungu; ili Mungu atukuzwe katika mambo yote kwa Yesu Kristo. Utukufu na uweza una yeye milele na milele. Amina" (1 Petro 4:11). Mwamini anayefundisha au kusema anapaswa kuyashughulikia maneno yake kama maneno yenyewe ya Mungu, kwa uchaji na uangalifu. Mwamini anayehudumu kwa njia yoyote ya kimatendo anapaswa kufanya hivyo kwa nguvu anazojaliwa na Mungu, si kwa uwezo wake mwenyewe. Na lengo la yote hayo si sifa ya mtumishi bali hili: kwamba katika mambo yote Mungu atukuzwe kwa Yesu Kristo. Karama zetu ni neema tuliyokabidhiwa, ya kutumiwa kwa ajili ya wengine na kwa utukufu wa Mungu.Peter then shows how this stewardship works in the body of Christ. "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:11). The believer who teaches or speaks is to handle his words as the very words of God, with reverence and care. The believer who serves in any practical way is to do it by the strength God supplies, not in his own power. And the goal of it all is not the servant's reputation but this: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Our gifts are entrusted grace, to be spent for others and for the glory of God.

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