📖 1 Petro — Somo la Kina — Sehemu ya 9: Roho Waliokaa Kifungoni na Ubatizo📖 1 Peter Intensive — Unit 9: Spirits in Prison and Baptism

Somo: 1 Petro 3:18-22Text: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Kifungu hiki kina mojawapo ya mistari migumu zaidi katika Biblia nzima, na mwanafunzi mwenye hekima huukaribia kwa unyenyekevu. Hata hivyo, kabla hatujafika kwenye sehemu ngumu, angalia kwamba Petro anaizunguka pande zote mbili kwa kweli zilizo wazi kabisa na za hakika tukufu. Kifungu kinaanza na kifo cha Kristo kwa ajili ya wenye dhambi na kinamalizika na utawala uliotukuzwa wa Kristo juu ya mamlaka zote. Kinachojadiliwa kiko katikati; kilicho hakika kinasimama pande zote mbili, na hapo ndipo hasa tunapopaswa kusimama imara.This passage contains one of the hardest verses in the whole Bible, and a wise student approaches it humbly. Before we come to the difficult part, however, notice that Peter surrounds it on both sides with truths that are perfectly clear and gloriously certain. The passage opens with the death of Christ for sinners and closes with the exalted reign of Christ over all powers. What is debated lies in the middle; what is certain stands on either side, and that is exactly where we must keep our footing.

Kristo Aliteswa Mara Moja, Mwenye Haki kwa Ajili ya Wasio HakiChrist Suffered Once, the Just for the Unjust

"Kwa maana Kristo naye aliteswa mara moja kwa ajili ya dhambi, mwenye haki kwa ajili yao wasio haki, ili atulete kwa Mungu; mwili wake akauawa, bali kwa roho akahuishwa" (1 Petro 3:18). Kweli tatu za hakika zinang'aa hapa. Kwanza, Kristo aliteswa mara moja kwa ajili ya dhambi; dhabihu yake ilikuwa ya mwisho na kamili, isiyorudiwa kamwe. Pili, aliteswa kama mwenye haki kwa ajili yao wasio haki — ubadilishanaji mkuu, ambamo Yeye peke yake aliye mwenye haki kweli alichukua nafasi ya wasio haki. Hii ndiyo kweli ile ile Petro aliyotuwekea alipokuwa akisema Kristo alizichukua dhambi zetu katika mwili wake juu ya mti; hapa anaeleza kusudi lake waziwazi: ili atulete kwa Mungu. Lengo lote la msalaba lilikuwa upatanisho, kuwaleta wenye dhambi wenye hatia nyumbani kwa Mungu ambaye dhambi ilikuwa imewatenga naye. Na tatu, ingawa aliuawa katika mwili, alihuishwa kwa Roho; kaburi halikuweza kumshikilia. Kweli hizi hazibishaniwi, nazo ndizo msingi ambao kila kitu kingine katika kifungu hiki kimesimama juu yake."For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). Three certain truths shine here. First, Christ suffered once for sins; His sacrifice was final and complete, never to be repeated. Second, He suffered as the just for the unjust — the great exchange, in which the only truly righteous One took the place of the unrighteous. This is the same truth Peter set before us when he said Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree; here he states the purpose of it plainly: that He might bring us to God. The whole aim of the cross was reconciliation, to bring guilty sinners home to the God from whom sin had separated them. And third, though He was put to death in the flesh, He was made alive by the Spirit; the grave could not hold Him. These truths are not in dispute, and they are the ground on which everything else in the passage rests.

Roho Waliokaa Kifungoni: Mstari MgumuThe Spirits in Prison: A Difficult Verse

Sasa inakuja sehemu ngumu. "Ndiyo ile aliyowaendea roho waliokaa kifungoni, akawahubiri; watu wasiotii hapo zamani, uvumilivu wa Mungu ulipokuwa ukingoja, siku za Nuhu, safina ilipokuwa ikitengenezwa; ambamo ndani yake watu wachache, yaani, roho nane, waliokoka kwa maji" (1 Petro 3:19-20). Hiki ni miongoni mwa vifungu vigumu zaidi na vinavyojadiliwa zaidi katika Agano Jipya lote. Andiko linasema Kristo "aliwaendea roho waliokaa kifungoni, akawahubiri," na kwamba roho hao walikuwa wameasi siku za Nuhu safina ilipokuwa ikijengwa; lakini halituambii waziwazi roho hao ni akina nani, mahubiri hayo yalifanyika lini, wala ni nini hasa kilichohubiriwa. Kwa sababu mstari huu unaacha maswali haya wazi, Wakristo waaminifu na wasomi wameusoma kwa njia tofauti tangu karne za kwanza kabisa za kanisa. Mwanafunzi mnyenyekevu ataushikilia mtazamo wake mwenyewe kwa usadikisho, lakini mtazamo wa jirani yake kwa upendo, kwa maana hili si jambo la kuvunja ushirika.Now comes the hard part. "By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water" (1 Peter 3:19-20). This is among the most difficult and debated passages in all the New Testament. The text says Christ "preached to the spirits in prison," and that these spirits had been disobedient in the days of Noah while the ark was being built; but it does not plainly tell us who these spirits are, when the preaching took place, or what exactly was preached. Because the verse leaves these questions open, sincere and learned Christians have read it in different ways since the earliest centuries of the church. A humble student will hold his own view with conviction but his neighbor's view with charity, for this is not ground on which to break fellowship.

Njia Nne Ambazo Wakristo WameusomaFour Ways Christians Have Read It

Tafsiri nyingi zilizotolewa zinaweza kukusanywa katika mitazamo minne mikuu, na ni haki kuiweka kando kwa kando. Kwanza, wengine wanashikilia kwamba kati ya kifo chake na ufufuo wake Kristo alishuka hadi ulimwengu wa wafu na kutangaza ushindi wake, au kutamka hukumu, juu ya wale waliokuwa wamehukumiwa katika nyakati za Agano la Kale. Pili, wengine wanawachukulia "roho waliokaa kifungoni" kuwa malaika walioanguka, waliofungwa, ambao Kristo mshindi aliwatangazia hukumu yake na ukuu wake. Tatu, wengine wanaelewa kwamba Kristo alishuka hadi mahali ambapo waamini wa Agano la Kale walikuwa wakingoja, akiwatangazia kazi ya msalaba iliyokwisha kumalizika na kuwaongoza nje; mtazamo huu unategemea maneno ya Paulo kuhusu Kristo kushuka na kuuteka utekwa. Nne, wengi wanashikilia kwamba mahubiri hayo yalifanyika zamani sana, katika siku za Nuhu mwenyewe: Roho wa Kristo, kabla ya kufanyika mwili, alihubiri kupitia Nuhu kwa kizazi kile kiovu, na wale waliokataa onyo hilo ndio hao roho ambao sasa wako "kifungoni." Mtazamo huu wa mwisho unalingana vizuri na maelezo ya baadaye ya Petro kumhusu Nuhu kama "mhubiri wa haki," nao unaeleza vizuri zaidi kwa nini kifungu hiki kinakitaja kizazi cha Nuhu hasa.The many interpretations that have been offered can be gathered into four main views, and it is fair to lay them side by side. First, some hold that between His death and His resurrection Christ descended to the realm of the dead and proclaimed His triumph, or pronounced judgment, upon those who had been condemned in Old Testament times. Second, others take the "spirits in prison" to be fallen angels, held in confinement, to whom the victorious Christ proclaimed His judgment and supremacy. Third, some understand that Christ descended to the place where Old Testament believers waited, announcing to them the now-finished work of the cross and leading them out; this view appeals to Paul's words about Christ descending and leading captivity captive. Fourth, many hold that the preaching happened long before, in Noah's own day: the pre-incarnate Spirit of Christ preached through Noah to that wicked generation, and those who rejected the warning are the very spirits now "in prison." This last view fits well with Peter's later description of Noah as "a preacher of righteousness," and it best explains why this passage mentions Noah's generation in particular.

Mtazamo wa tatu na wa nne ndiyo inayoshikiliwa na wengi zaidi miongoni mwa Wakristo wa Kiinjili leo, na kila mmoja una nguvu zake. Lakini somo hili lingesisitiza jambo moja juu ya mabishano yote: mtazamo wowote mtu anaoushika, kifungu hiki kinatangaza bila shaka ushindi na ukuu wa Kristo. Iwe mahubiri hayo ni hukumu juu ya waasi, ushindi juu ya malaika walioanguka, kufunguliwa kwa watakatifu waliokuwa wakingoja, au onyo lililotolewa zamani kupitia Nuhu, aliye katikati ni Kristo mshindi, si aliyeshindwa. Ishike hakika hiyo kwa nguvu, na mambo yanayobishaniwa yashikwe kwa mkono ulio wazi.The third and fourth views are the most widely held among evangelical Christians today, and each has its strengths. But the lesson would press one point above the argument: whatever view one takes, the passage unmistakably proclaims the victory and supremacy of Christ. Whether the preaching is judgment on the disobedient, triumph over fallen angels, release of the waiting saints, or a warning once given through Noah, the figure at the center is a conquering Christ, not a defeated one. Hold that certainty firmly, and let the disputed details be held with an open hand.

Sheoli na Gehena: Kwa Nini Neno "Jehanamu" Linaweza KupotoshaSheol and Gehenna: Why "Hell" Can Mislead

Kifungu hiki kilisaidia kuunda mstari katika Kanuni ya Imani ya Mitume unaosema kwamba Kristo "alishuka kuzimu" (kwa Kiingereza: "descended into hell"). Hapa neno la tahadhari linafaa, kwa sababu neno hell katika maneno hayo linapotosha. Katika Biblia zetu za Kiingereza neno moja "hell" mara nyingi hufanywa kubeba mawazo mawili tofauti sana ya Kiebrania na Kigiriki. Katika Agano la Kale kuna mahali panapoitwa Sheoli, panapoelezwa kuwa mahali pa kivuli pa wafu; huko Sheoli watu wote walikwenda, wawe wema au wabaya, kwa maana palimaanisha tu makao ya waliokufa. Katika Agano Jipya Bwana Yesu alisema juu ya Gehena, neno lililotokana na mahali halisi — jalala la takataka nje ya kuta za Yerusalemu, bonde lenye kuchukiza ambamo moto uliwaka daima na funza hawakukoma. Gehena likawa picha ya mahali pa adhabu ya mwisho. Tofauti hii ina maana: "hell" kwa maana ya Gehena (jehanamu) hakika ni mahali pa adhabu, lakini Sheoli si lazima iwe hivyo. Kwa hiyo Kanuni ya Imani inaposema Kristo "alishuka kuzimu," haimaanishi kwamba aliadhibiwa mahali pa waliohukumiwa; msomaji makini lazima akumbuke kwamba neno moja la Kiingereza linafunika mawazo ambayo Biblia inayatenganisha.This passage helped shape the line in the Apostles' Creed which says that Christ "descended into hell." Here a word of caution is in order, for the word hell in that phrase is misleading. In our English Bibles a single word "hell" is often made to do the work of two very different Hebrew and Greek ideas. In the Old Testament there is a place called Sheol, described as a shadowy place of the dead; to Sheol all people went, whether good or bad, for it simply meant the abode of the departed. In the New Testament the Lord Jesus spoke of Gehenna, a word taken from an actual place — a garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem, a loathsome valley where the fires always burned and the worms never ceased. Gehenna became the picture of the place of final punishment. The distinction matters: hell, in the sense of Gehenna, is definitely a place of punishment, but Sheol is not necessarily so. When the creed says Christ "descended into hell," then, it does not mean He was punished in the place of the damned; the careful reader must remember that the one English word covers ideas the Bible keeps apart.

Ubatizo Unaookoa SasaBaptism That Now Saves

Sasa Petro anachora picha kutoka katika Gharika. Katika siku za Nuhu roho nane "waliokoka kwa maji," wakichukuliwa salama katikati ya maji ya hukumu ndani ya safina. Petro anasema huu ni mfano (kwa Kigiriki antitypos), picha inayolingana, ya ubatizo: "Mfano wa mambo hayo ni ubatizo, unaowaokoa ninyi pia siku hizi; (si kuwekea mbali uchafu wa mwili, bali jibu la dhamiri safi mbele za Mungu;) kwa kufufuka kwake Yesu Kristo" (1 Petro 3:21). Kama vile maji ya Gharika yalivyoibeba familia ya Nuhu katikati ya hukumu hadi katika ulimwengu mpya, vivyo hivyo ubatizo unaonyesha kwa picha kupita kwa mwamini katika mauti hadi uzima mpya ndani ya Kristo.Peter now draws a picture from the flood. In Noah's day eight souls were "saved through water," carried safely through the waters of judgment in the ark. Peter says this is an antitype, a corresponding picture, of baptism: "There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21). Just as the flood waters bore Noah's family through judgment into a new world, so baptism pictures the believer's passage through death into new life in Christ.

Lakini angalia jinsi Petro anavyoyalinda maneno yake mwenyewe kwa uangalifu, kwa maana mstari huu pia umeeleweka kwa njia zaidi ya moja. Mara tu anaposema ubatizo "unawaokoa siku hizi," anaongeza masharti ambayo hakuna msomaji anayeweza kuyapuuza. Anasema si kuwekea mbali uchafu wa mwili — yaani, si maji yanayoosha uchafu mwilini, si tendo la nje lenyewe peke yake — bali jibu la dhamiri safi mbele za Mungu, na hili kwa kufufuka kwake Yesu Kristo. Mapokeo mengine husoma mstari huu kumaanisha kwamba tendo la ubatizo lenyewe huleta wokovu; mengine husoma kuwa ni picha ya wokovu uliokwisha kupokelewa kwa imani. Badala ya kumaliza kila ubishi, somo hili linaacha tu masharti ya Petro mwenyewe yasikike: kwa maneno yake mwenyewe mtume anaelekeza uhalisi unaookoa mbali na maji yenyewe na kuelekea kwenye jambo la ndani linaloonyeshwa nayo — dhamiri safi inayomgeukia Mungu — na anaweka jambo lote juu ya msingi si wa maji bali wa ufufuo wa Kristo. Ni Bwana aliyefufuka, akijibiwa na dhamiri iliyotakaswa, ndiye anayeokoa; maji ni picha, si nguvu.But notice how carefully Peter guards his own words, for this verse too has been understood in more than one way. The moment he says baptism "now saves us," he adds a qualification that no reader may ignore. He says it is not the removal of the filth of the flesh — that is, it is not the water washing dirt from the body, not the outward act by itself — but the answer of a good conscience toward God, and this through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some traditions read the verse to mean that the act of baptism itself conveys salvation; others read it as a figure of the salvation already received by faith. Rather than settle every dispute, the lesson simply lets Peter's own qualification be heard: by his own words the apostle points the saving reality away from the water itself and toward the inward thing it pictures — a good conscience turning to God — and he grounds the whole of it not in the water but in the resurrection of Christ. It is the risen Lord, answered by a cleansed conscience, who saves; the water is the picture, not the power.

Kristo Ametukuzwa, Mamlaka Zote ZimetiishwaChrist Exalted, All Powers Subject

Kifungu kinamalizika mahali ambapo ni salama zaidi kumalizia — kwenye kiti cha enzi. "Aliyekwenda mbinguni, naye yuko mkono wa kuume wa Mungu; malaika na enzi na nguvu zikiisha kutiishwa chini yake" (1 Petro 3:22). Vivuli vyovyote vilivyo katika mistari ya katikati, mwisho umejaa nuru. Kristo yule yule aliyeteswa, aliyeuawa na kuhuishwa, sasa amepaa mbinguni na kuchukua mahali pa heshima ya juu kabisa mkono wa kuume wa Mungu. Kila ngazi ya viumbe vya kiroho — malaika, enzi na nguvu — imetiishwa chini yake. Huu ndio mpaka mkuu unaozunguka kifungu chote: kinaanza na kifo cha upatanisho cha Kristo kwa ajili ya wenye dhambi na kinamalizika na utawala wake uliotukuzwa juu ya vitu vyote. Kwa waamini waliokuwa wakiteseka waliopokea barua hii kwanza, na kwa kila mwamini tangu hapo, ujumbe uko wazi. Lolote usiloweza kulielewa kikamilifu katikati, usizikose ncha mbili: Kristo aliyekufa ili akulete kwa Mungu sasa anatawala juu kabisa ya kila mamlaka ambayo ingeweza kukutishia.The passage ends where it is safest to end — on the throne. "Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him" (1 Peter 3:22). Whatever shadows lie across the middle verses, the close is full of light. The same Christ who suffered, who was put to death and made alive, has now ascended into heaven and taken the place of highest honor at the right hand of God. Every rank of spiritual being — angels, authorities, and powers — has been made subject to Him. This is the great frame around the whole passage: it opens with Christ's atoning death for sinners and closes with His exalted reign over all things. To the suffering believers who first received this letter, and to every believer since, the message is plain. Whatever you cannot fully understand in the middle, do not miss the bookends: the Christ who died to bring you to God now reigns supreme over every power that could ever threaten you.

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