Teolojia ya Kibaptisti na Mafundisho Yake Bainifu — Sehemu ya 5: Uwezo wa Nafsi na Ukuhani wa Waumini WoteBaptist Theology and Distinctive Doctrines — Unit 5: Soul Competency and the Priesthood of All Believers

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Maana Mungu ni mmoja, naye mwombezi kati ya Mungu na wanadamu ni mmoja, mwanadamu Kristo Yesu." (1 Timotheo 2:5, SUV)"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza Wabaptisti wanamaanisha nini kwa ukuhani wa waumini wote na kwa uwezo wa nafsi (soul competency).1. Explain what Baptists mean by the priesthood of all believers and by soul competency.

2. Kuunga mkono fundisho hilo kutoka Agano la Kale na Agano Jipya, hasa 1 Petro 2:5-9 na Waebrania 4:14-16.2. Support the doctrine from the Old and New Testaments, especially 1 Peter 2:5-9 and Hebrews 4:14-16.

3. Kueleza wajibu unaokuja na ukuhani wa waumini, na si uhuru tu.3. Describe the duties that come with the priesthood of believers, and not only the freedoms.

4. Kutaja maelewano mabaya ya kawaida ya fundisho hilo na pingamizi kutoka kwa makanisa yenye ukuhani uliowekwa rasmi, na kuyajibu.4. State the common misunderstandings of the doctrine and the objections from churches with an ordained priesthood, and answer them.

5. Kueleza jinsi fundisho hili linavyolingana na uongozi wa kichungaji, kanisa la mahali pamoja na huduma ya wanawake.5. Explain how this doctrine fits with pastoral leadership, the local church and the ministry of women.

Mwombezi MmojaOne Mediator

Mstari wetu mkuu ni mfupi, nao unajibu mojawapo ya maswali makubwa kuliko yote ya dini: mtu mwenye dhambi anamjiaje Mungu? Jibu la Paulo ni kwamba Mungu ni mmoja na mwombezi mmoja kati ya Mungu na wanadamu, mwanadamu Kristo Yesu. Hakuna mtakatifu, kuhani, askofu, mchungaji wala kanisa linalosimama kati ya mtu na Mungu kama mwombezi wa pili. Kristo amefungua njia, na kila mwamini anaweza kuingia.Our key verse is short, and it answers one of the largest questions in religion: how does a sinful person come to God? Paul's answer is that there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. No saint, priest, bishop, pastor or church stands between a person and God as a second mediator. Christ has opened the way, and every believer may walk in.

Wabaptisti huita mafundisho haya ukuhani wa waumini wote, au ukuhani wa mwamini. Yameunganishwa kwa karibu na fundisho tunaloliita uwezo wa nafsi (soul competency). Misemo hii miwili haipatikani katika Biblia kama maneno, lakini kweli zilizo nyuma yake zipo. Katika kipindi hiki tunauliza yanamaanisha nini, hayamaanishi nini, na jinsi yanavyounda maisha ya kanisa la Kibaptisti. Historia ya Wabaptisti waliopigania mawazo haya imesimuliwa katika Kozi ya 1, na Kipindi cha 6 cha kozi hii kitashughulikia uhuru wa kidini, unaotokana na shina lilelile.Baptists call this teaching the priesthood of all believers, or the priesthood of the believer. It is closely connected with the teaching we call soul competency. These two expressions are not found in the Bible as phrases, but the truths behind them are. In this unit we ask what they mean, what they do not mean, and how they shape the life of a Baptist church. The history of the Baptists who fought for these ideas is told in Course 1, and Unit 6 of this course will take up religious liberty, which grows from the same root.

Maana ya IstilahiWhat the Terms Mean

Ukuhani wa waumini wote. Kila mtu aliyemtumaini Kristo ni kuhani mbele za Mungu. Ana njia ya moja kwa moja kwa Mungu kupitia Kristo, bila kuhitaji kuhani mwingine wa kibinadamu, na ameitwa kumtumikia Mungu na wengine.Priesthood of all believers. Every person who has trusted Christ is a priest before God. He has direct access to God through Christ, without needing another human priest, and he is called to serve God and others.

Uwezo wa nafsi. Msemo huu ulienezwa na E. Y. Mullins, aliyefundisha katika Southern Baptist Theological Seminary huko Louisville na alikuwa rais wake kuanzia 1899 hadi 1928. Katika kitabu chake The Axioms of Religion (1908), Mullins alibishana kwamba kila mtu ana uwezo, chini ya Mungu, wa kushughulika na Mungu moja kwa moja, na kwamba kila mtu anawajibika kwa Mungu. "Uwezo" hapa haumaanishi kutokuwa na dhambi wala hekima. Unamaanisha kwamba kila mtu ameumbwa na Mungu na uwezo wa kumjibu, na kwamba hakuna mwingine anayeweza kuamini, kutubu au kujibu kwa Mungu badala yake. Wabaptisti wanasema kwamba uwezo huu ni zawadi ya neema ya Mungu, na mwenye dhambi hufanywa awe na uwezo wa kujibu kwa kazi ya Roho Mtakatifu tu.Soul competency. This phrase was made popular by E. Y. Mullins, who taught at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and was its president from 1899 to 1928. In his book The Axioms of Religion (1908), Mullins argued that every person has the ability, under God, to deal with God directly, and that every person is answerable to God. "Competent" here does not mean sinless or wise. It means that each person is created by God with the capacity to respond to Him, and that no one else can believe, repent or answer to God in his place. Baptists say that this competence is a gift of God's grace, and a sinner is made able to respond only through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Msingi wa KibibliaThe Biblical Foundation

Katika Agano la KaleIn the Old Testament

Sinai, kabla ya sheria kutolewa, Mungu aliwaambia Israeli: "nanyi mtakuwa kwangu ufalme wa makuhani, na taifa takatifu" (Kutoka 19:6). Watu wote walikusudiwa kuwa wa kikuhani. Kwa vitendo Mungu aliwateua Haruni na wanawe kutumika madhabahuni, na watu walimjia Mungu kupitia kwao. Mpangilio huu ulikuwa picha, na Agano Jipya linaonyesha ulionyesha nini.At Sinai, before the law was given, God said to Israel: "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). The whole people were meant to be priestly. In practice God appointed Aaron and his sons to serve at the altar, and the people came to God through them. This arrangement was a picture, and the New Testament shows what it pictured.

Katika Agano JipyaIn the New Testament

Kristo Kuhani wetu Mkuu. Barua kwa Waebrania inaeleza kwamba makuhani wa zamani hawakuweza kuondoa dhambi na kwamba walikufa na kubadilishwa. Kristo alijitoa mara moja, na kwa sababu anaishi milele ukuhani wake haupiti kwa mwingine (Waebrania 7:24-27). Kwa sababu yake tunaweza "kukikaribia kiti cha neema kwa ujasiri, ili tupokee rehema, na kupata neema ya kutusaidia wakati wa mahitaji" (Waebrania 4:16). Barua hiyo pia inasema kwamba tuna "ujasiri wa kuingia katika patakatifu kwa damu ya Yesu" (Waebrania 10:19). Pazia la hekalu lilipasuka alipokufa (Mathayo 27:51), na njia ya kuingia katika uwepo wa Mungu ikafunguliwa.Christ our High Priest. The letter to the Hebrews explains that the old priests could not remove sin and that they died and were replaced. Christ offered Himself once, and because He lives forever His priesthood does not pass to another (Hebrews 7:24-27). Because of Him we may "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). The letter also says that we have "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). The curtain of the temple was torn when He died (Matthew 27:51), and the way into the presence of God was opened.

Waumini kama makuhani. Petro anawaandikia Wakristo wa kawaida: "nanyi nanyi, kama mawe yaliyo hai, mjengwe mfanywe nyumba ya roho, ukuhani mtakatifu, mtoe dhabihu za roho, zimpendezazo Mungu kwa njia ya Yesu Kristo" (1 Petro 2:5). Mistari michache baadaye: "Lakini ninyi ni mzao mteule, ukuhani wa kifalme, taifa takatifu, watu wa milki ya Mungu; mpate kuhubiri fadhili zake yeye aliyewaita mtoke gizani mwingie katika nuru yake ya ajabu" (1 Petro 2:9). Yohana anasema kwamba Kristo "akatufanya kuwa ufalme na makuhani kwa Mungu wake na Baba yake" (Ufunuo 1:6). Mistari hii imeelekezwa kwa kanisa lote, si kwa tabaka ndani yake.Believers as priests. Peter writes to ordinary Christians: "you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). A few lines later: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). John says that Christ "has made us kings and priests to His God and Father" (Revelation 1:6). These verses are addressed to the whole church, not to a class within it.

Hakuna tabaka la kikuhani katika kanisa. Agano Jipya lina neno la Kigiriki kwa kuhani anayetoa dhabihu, hiereus. Linalitumia neno hilo kwa makuhani wa Israeli, kwa Kristo, na kwa waumini wote pamoja. Halilitumii kamwe kwa mzee, mchungaji au shemasi wa kanisa. Vyeo vya kanisa vinaelezwa kama mchungaji au mzee, mwangalizi na mtumishi, si kuhani. Huu ni ukweli muhimu. Agano Jipya halikumwona mhudumu wa Kikristo kuwa kuhani kwa maana ya agano la kale.No priestly class in the church. The New Testament has a Greek word for a sacrificing priest, hiereus. It uses the word for the priests of Israel, for Christ, and for all believers together. It never uses it for an elder, a pastor or a deacon of a church. The offices of the church are described as shepherd or elder, overseer and servant, not as priest. This is an important fact. The New Testament did not think of a Christian minister as a priest in the sense of the old covenant.

Maungamo ya Kibaptisti yanathibitisha hili. Baptist Faith and Message (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti) 2000 linazungumza juu ya ukuhani wa mwamini na juu ya njia ya kila mwamini kwa Mungu. Wabaptisti pia wanaliunganisha na kanisa. Mwamini ni kuhani si peke yake bali kama sehemu ya "ukuhani mtakatifu" unaojengwa pamoja kama nyumba.Baptist confessions affirm this. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 speaks of the priesthood of the believer and of every believer's access to God. Baptists also connect it to the church. A believer is a priest not in isolation but as part of the "holy priesthood" built together as a house.

Waumini-Makuhani Hufanya NiniWhat Believer-Priests Do

Fundisho hilo mara nyingi huelezwa kama fursa, na ndivyo ilivyo. Lakini Maandiko pia yanaliwasilisha kama wito. Kuhani ana kazi ya kufanya. Agano Jipya linasema kwamba waumini hutoa:The doctrine is often described as a privilege, and it is. But Scripture also describes it as a calling. A priest has work to do. The New Testament says that believers offer:

• Wenyewe. "Mtoe miili yenu iwe dhabihu iliyo hai, takatifu, ya kumpendeza Mungu, ndiyo ibada yenu yenye maana" (Warumi 12:1).• Themselves. "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

• Sifa na matendo mema. "Basi na tumtolee Mungu daima dhabihu ya sifa, yaani, tunda la midomo" na "msisahau kutenda mema na kushirikiana" (Waebrania 13:15-16).• Praise and good works. "Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips" and "do not forget to do good and to share" (Hebrews 13:15-16).

• Maombi kwa ajili ya wengine. Paulo anahimiza kwamba maombi, sala, dua na shukrani zifanywe kwa ajili ya watu wote (1 Timotheo 2:1).• Prayer for others. Paul urges that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men (1 Timothy 2:1).

• Ushuhuda. Sisi ni ukuhani ili "tuhubiri fadhili zake yeye aliyewaita" (1 Petro 2:9).• Witness. We are a priesthood in order to "proclaim the praises of Him who called you" (1 Peter 2:9).

• Huduma. Wachungaji na walimu wamepewa kanisa "ili kuwakamilisha watakatifu, kwa kazi ya huduma" (Waefeso 4:11-12). Kazi ya huduma ni ya watakatifu, yaani, ya waumini wote, na viongozi huwaandaa kwa ajili yake.• Service. Pastors and teachers are given to the church "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:11-12). The work of ministry belongs to the saints, that is, to all believers, and the leaders prepare them for it.

Kanisa linaloelewa hili halitamwachia mchungaji huduma yote. Litamfundisha kila mshiriki kwamba ana karama (1 Wakorintho 12:7), wito na wajibu wa kutumika.A church that understands this will not leave all ministry to the pastor. It will teach every member that he has a gift (1 Corinthians 12:7), a calling and a duty to serve.

Fundisho hilo pia linajumuisha uwajibikaji. Paulo anasema, "kila mmoja wetu atatoa habari zake mwenyewe kwa Mungu" (Warumi 14:12). Hakuna anayeweza kuamini kwa ajili ya mwingine, na hakuna atakayehukumiwa kupitia mwingine. Hiki ndicho kiini cha uwezo wa nafsi.The doctrine also includes answerability. Paul says, "each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). No one can believe for another, and no one will be judged through another. This is the center of soul competency.

Fundisho Hili Halimaanishi NiniWhat the Doctrine Does Not Mean

Wazo hili wakati mwingine hutumiwa vibaya, na mchungaji anapaswa kuwa tayari kulisahihisha.The idea is sometimes misused, and a pastor should be ready to correct it.

Halimaanishi kwamba kila mtu anaweza kuamini apendavyo. Watu wengine husema, "Mimi ni kuhani wangu mwenyewe, kwa hiyo hakuna anayeweza kuniambia niamini nini." Wabaptisti hawajawahi kufundisha hivi. Mwamini-kuhani humjia Mungu kwa masharti ya Mungu, na Mungu ameweka masharti hayo katika Maandiko. Mamlaka yetu inabaki kuwa Biblia (Kipindi cha 1). Uwezo wa nafsi unamaanisha kwamba hakuna mamlaka ya kibinadamu inayoweza kulazimisha imani, si kwamba ukweli ni suala la ladha ya mtu binafsi.It does not mean that every person may believe whatever he likes. Some people say, "I am my own priest, so no one can tell me what to believe." Baptists have never taught this. The believer-priest comes to God on God's terms, and God has set the terms in Scripture. Our authority remains the Bible (Unit 1). Soul competency means that no human power may force belief, not that truth is a matter of private taste.

Halimaanishi kwamba mwamini anaweza kuishi bila kanisa. Agano Jipya halimwonyeshi Mkristo akiwa peke yake kamwe. Waebrania 10:22-25, inayotuambia tukaribie kwa moyo wa kweli, inaendelea mara moja kutuambia tusiache kukusanyika pamoja. Makuhani wanajengwa pamoja kuwa nyumba moja. Mtu anayesema, "Nina uhusiano wangu mwenyewe na Mungu, na sihitaji kanisa," amekosea kuelewa maneno yote mawili, kuhani na kanisa.It does not mean that a believer can do without the church. The New Testament never shows a Christian alone. Hebrews 10:22-25, which tells us to draw near with a true heart, goes on at once to tell us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. The priests are built together into one house. A person who says, "I have my own relationship with God, and I do not need a church," has misunderstood both words, priest and church.

Halimaanishi kwamba wachungaji hawana mamlaka. Agano Jipya pia linawaita waumini kuwaheshimu na kuwatii viongozi wao, ambao "wanakesha kwa ajili ya roho zenu, kama watu watakaotoa hesabu" (Waebrania 13:17), na kuwathamini wale wanaojitaabisha kati yao (1 Wathesalonike 5:12-13). Mchungaji huongoza kwa kufundisha Neno na kwa mfano, si kama bwana (1 Petro 5:2-3). Washiriki hupima mafundisho yake kwa Maandiko (Matendo 17:11). Mchungaji na kusanyiko wote wako chini ya Kristo, na hakuna anayemtawala mwenzake kama bwana.It does not mean that pastors have no authority. The New Testament also calls believers to respect and obey their leaders, who "watch out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Hebrews 13:17), and to esteem those who labor among them (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). The pastor leads by teaching the Word and by example, not as a lord (1 Peter 5:2-3). The members test his teaching by Scripture (Acts 17:11). The pastor and the congregation are both under Christ, and neither rules the other as a master.

Halimaanishi kwamba Wakristo hawasaidiani kiroho kamwe. Yakobo anasema, "Ungamanieni dhambi zenu ninyi kwa ninyi, mkaombeane, mpate kuponywa" (Yakobo 5:16). Waumini wanaweza kuungamiana, kushauriana na kuombeana. Lakini hakuna mwanadamu anayesamehe dhambi kwa niaba ya Mungu. Ahadi ni, "Tukiziungama dhambi zetu, yeye ni mwaminifu na mwenye haki hata atuondolee dhambi zetu, na kutusafisha na udhalimu wote" (1 Yohana 1:9).It does not mean that Christians never help each other spiritually. James says, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). Believers may confess to each other, counsel each other and pray for each other. But no human being forgives sin on God's behalf. The promise is, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Pingamizi na Majibu ya KibaptistiObjections and Baptist Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Makanisa yenye makuhani waliowekwa rasmi husema kwamba Agano Jipya lina ukuhani uliowekwa rasmi wenye uwezo maalum.Objection 1: Churches with ordained priests say the New Testament has an ordained priesthood with special power.

Mafundisho ya Kikatoliki cha Roma, ya Othodoksi na ya Waanglikana fulani yanashikilia kwamba mitume walipitisha mamlaka yao kwa maaskofu na makuhani wanaotoa dhabihu na kusamehe dhambi kwa jina la Kristo. Wanaonyesha maneno ya Yesu kwa Petro kuhusu funguo (Mathayo 16:19) na kwa mitume kuhusu kusamehe na kubakiza dhambi (Yohana 20:23). Jibu letu. Mamlaka ya kufunga na kufungua yalitolewa katika Mathayo 18:18 kwa kanisa lililokusanyika, si Petro peke yake. Maneno ya Yohana 20:23 yanahusu kutangaza injili ya msamaha, ambayo kanisa hufanya kwa mamlaka kutoka katika neno la Kristo mwenyewe. Barua kwa Waebrania inaeleza Kuhani Mkuu mmoja na dhabihu moja, na mstari wetu mkuu unasema juu ya Mwombezi mmoja. Viongozi wa kanisa katika Agano Jipya ni wachungaji na walimu, si makuhani wanaotoa dhabihu. Tunawaheshimu wachungaji wa makanisa haya kama watumishi wenzetu, lakini hatuwezi kuthibitisha ukuhani unaosimama kati ya mwamini na Mungu.Roman Catholic, Orthodox and some Anglican teaching holds that the apostles passed their authority to bishops and priests who offer the sacrifice and forgive sins in Christ's name. They point to Jesus' words to Peter about the keys (Matthew 16:19) and to the apostles about forgiving and retaining sins (John 20:23). Our answer. The authority to bind and loose was given in Matthew 18:18 to the gathered church, not only to Peter. The words of John 20:23 are about proclaiming the gospel of forgiveness, which the church does with authority from Christ's own word. The letter to the Hebrews describes one High Priest and one sacrifice, and our key verse speaks of one Mediator. The church's leaders in the New Testament are shepherds and teachers, not sacrificing priests. We honor the pastors of these churches as fellow servants, but we cannot affirm a priesthood that stands between the believer and God.

Pingamizi la 2: Fundisho hilo humfanya kila mtu kuwa papa wake mwenyewe na kufanya umoja usiwezekane.Objection 2: The doctrine turns every man into his own pope and makes unity impossible.

Jibu letu. Wabaptisti wanalichukulia wasiwasi huu kwa uzito, lakini dawa si kichwa cha kibinadamu juu ya kanisa. Ni Biblia, Roho, na ushirika wa waumini wanaojifunza pamoja. Kanisa linalotawaliwa na kusanyiko (Kozi ya 3) hupima dai la kila mtu kwa Maandiko. Uwezo wa nafsi unampa kila mtu haki na wajibu wa kumjibu Mungu. Hauwapi mtu yeyote haki ya kufundisha uongo ndani ya kanisa bila kusahihishwa.Our answer. Baptists take the concern seriously, but the remedy is not a human head over the church. It is the Bible, the Spirit, and the fellowship of believers who study together. A church governed by the congregation (Course 3) tests each person's claim by Scripture. Soul competency gives each person the right and duty to answer God. It does not give anyone the right to teach error in the church without correction.

Pingamizi la 3: Wazo hilo linatoka katika Mwangaza wa Fikra (Enlightenment) na ubinafsi wa Kiamerika, si katika Biblia wala Wabaptisti wa kwanza.Objection 3: The idea comes from the Enlightenment and American individualism, not from the Bible or early Baptists.

Wanahistoria fulani, na Wabaptisti fulani, wamesema kwamba msisitizo wa Mullins juu ya uhuru wa mtu binafsi uliakisi fikra za wakati wake, na kwamba Wabaptisti wa zamani walizungumza zaidi juu ya jamii ya agano. Wanahistoria wengine wanapata wazo la uwajibikaji wa kibinafsi mbele za Mungu katika waandishi wa kwanza kabisa wa Kibaptisti, walioteseka kwa kukataa kuwaacha watawala waamue imani yao. Jibu letu. Ukweli kwamba kila mtu lazima amjibu Mungu umo katika Maandiko (Warumi 14:12; Ezekieli 18:20). Waandishi wa awali pia walishikilia kwamba waumini ni wa pamoja katika agano. Mafundisho bora ya Kibaptisti yanashikilia vyote viwili: imani ya kibinafsi na maisha ya pamoja. Pale waandishi wa baadaye walipoutilia mkazo uhuru wa mtu binafsi kupita kiasi, wanapaswa kusahihishwa, kama waandishi wengi wa Kibaptisti wamefanya. Pale wakosoaji wanapotaka kuondoa uwajibikaji wa kibinafsi, wanapaswa kusahihishwa na Maandiko pia.Some historians, and some Baptists, have said that Mullins's emphasis on individual freedom reflected the thought of his own age, and that earlier Baptists spoke more of the covenant community. Other historians find the idea of personal accountability before God in the earliest Baptist writers, who suffered for refusing to let rulers decide their faith. Our answer. The truth that each person must answer to God is in Scripture (Romans 14:12; Ezekiel 18:20). The earlier writers also held that believers belong together in covenant. The best Baptist teaching holds both: personal faith and shared life. Where later writers stressed individual freedom too much, they should be corrected, as many Baptist writers have done. Where critics wish to remove personal accountability, they should be corrected by Scripture also.

Pingamizi la 4: Wasomi wengine wa kihafidhina wanasema kwamba 1 Petro 2:9 inalieleza kanisa kama mwili, si kila mwamini kama kuhani.Objection 4: Some conservative scholars say that 1 Peter 2:9 describes the church as a body, not each believer as a priest.

Petro anatumia maneno ya pamoja kama "taifa" na "watu." Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba maandishi yanazungumza juu ya kanisa kwa pamoja. Lakini mwili wa makuhani umeundwa na makuhani, na Waebrania 10:19-22 inazungumza moja kwa moja juu ya kila mtu kukaribia. Kweli zote mbili ziko katika maandishi. Wabaptisti wanazungumza juu ya ukuhani wa "waumini wote" kwa sababu ukuhani ni wa kila mshiriki kama sehemu ya mzima.Peter does use collective words such as "nation" and "people." Our answer. We accept that the text speaks of the church corporately. But a body of priests is made of priests, and Hebrews 10:19-22 speaks directly of each person drawing near. Both truths are in the text. Baptists speak of the priesthood of "all believers" because the priesthood belongs to each member as part of the whole.

Ukuhani na Wanawake KanisaniPriesthood and Women in the Church

Ukuhani wa waumini wote unawajumuisha wanawake. Petro alikuwa akiwaandikia wanaume na wanawake pamoja. Wanawake wana njia ileile kwa Mungu kupitia Kristo kama wanaume, wito uleule wa kutoa dhabihu za roho, na karama zilezile za Roho. Wanafunzi wa kike wa kwanza walimtumikia Yesu, Priskila alimfundisha Apolo pamoja na mumewe (Matendo 18:26), na Wafilipi 4:3 inazungumza juu ya wanawake waliojitaabisha pamoja na Paulo katika injili. Kwa hiyo Wabaptisti wanathibitisha huduma pana ya wanawake katika kufundisha, ushuhuda, misheni, maombi, kutoa na kuwajali wengine.The priesthood of all believers includes women. Peter was writing to men and women together. Women have the same access to God through Christ as men, the same calling to offer spiritual sacrifices, and the same gifts of the Spirit. The earliest women disciples served Jesus, Priscilla taught Apollos with her husband (Acts 18:26), and Philippians 4:3 speaks of women who labored in the gospel with Paul. Baptists therefore affirm women's wide service in teaching, witness, missions, prayer, giving and care for others.

Mashirika mengi ya Kibaptisti ya kihafidhina, ikiwa ni pamoja na Mkutano wa Wabaptisti wa Kusini katika Baptist Faith and Message 2000, yanashikilia kwamba cheo cha mchungaji kimetengwa kwa wanaume, kama vifungu juu ya sifa za wazee vinavyodokeza (1 Timotheo 2:12; 3:1-7). Yanafundisha kwamba hili ni suala la cheo na si la thamani wala njia ya kwenda kwa Mungu. Mashirika mengine ya Kibaptisti, ikiwa ni pamoja na baadhi huko Marekani, Ulaya na kwingineko, huwaweka wanawake wakfu kuwa wachungaji na kuelewa vifungu hivyohivyo kwa njia tofauti. Kozi hii inashikilia msimamo wa kwanza kama msimamo mkuu wa Wabaptisti wa kihafidhina na inaheshimu mwingine kama mtazamo wa kweli wa Kibaptisti. Kipindi cha 4 cha Kozi ya 3 kinashughulikia jambo hilo kwa kina.Most conservative Baptist bodies, including the Southern Baptist Convention in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, hold that the office of pastor is reserved to men, as the passages on the qualifications for elders suggest (1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7). They teach that this is a matter of the office and not of worth or access to God. Other Baptist bodies, including some in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, ordain women as pastors and understand the same texts differently. This course holds the first position as the main position of conservative Baptists and respects the other as an honest Baptist view. Unit 4 of Course 3 treats the matter in detail.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mwanamke katika kanisa la Kibaptisti huko Kuba, aliyelelewa katika kanisa Katoliki, amekuja kwenye imani na anamwuliza mchungaji wake: "Nilipofanya kosa, nilikuwa nikimwendea kuhani na kulikiri, naye alikuwa akiniambia nimesamehewa. Sasa sina wa kumwambia. Je, lazima nikiri kwako? Nitajuaje nimesamehewa?"A woman in a Baptist church in Cuba, raised in the Catholic church, has come to faith and asks her pastor: "When I did something wrong, I used to go to a priest and confess it, and he told me I was forgiven. Now I have no one to tell. Must I confess to you? How do I know I am forgiven?"

Mchungaji kwanza anamshukuru kwa unyofu wake na kueleza kwamba hakuna mtu anayepaswa kuionea aibu yaliyopita yake. Anafungua 1 Timotheo 2:5 na Waebrania 4:16 na kumwonyesha kwamba anaweza kumwendea Mungu mwenyewe, saa yoyote, kupitia Kristo. Anamsomea 1 Yohana 1:9 pamoja naye na kusema kwamba Mungu mwenyewe anaahidi msamaha kwa yule anayeungama. Pia anamwambia kwamba ikiwa dhambi fulani inamlemea moyoni, au akihitaji ushauri, yuko huru kuzungumza naye au na rafiki Mkristo mkomavu, kwa kuwa Yakobo 5:16 inawaalika waumini kuombeana. Lakini yeye si mwombezi wake. Mwishowe, anamwalika kutumia ukuhani wake: kuwaombea familia yake, kuwaambia majirani zake Kristo alichofanya, na kujiunga na huduma ya wanawake ya kanisa. Anajifunza kwamba amepewa mlango na kazi pia.The pastor first thanks her for her honesty and explains that no one needs to be ashamed of her past. He opens 1 Timothy 2:5 and Hebrews 4:16 and shows her that she may go to God herself, at any hour, through Christ. He reads 1 John 1:9 with her and says that God Himself promises forgiveness to the person who confesses. He also tells her that if a sin is heavy on her conscience, or if she needs counsel, she is free to talk with him or with a mature Christian friend, for James 5:16 invites believers to pray together. But he is not her mediator. Finally, he invites her to use her priesthood: to pray for her family, to tell her neighbors what Christ has done, and to join the women's ministry of the church. She learns that she has been given both a door and a work.

MuhtasariSummary

Wabaptisti wanafundisha kwamba kuna Mwombezi mmoja kati ya Mungu na wanadamu, Yesu Kristo. Kila mwamini ni kuhani, mwenye njia ya moja kwa moja kwa Mungu na wito wa kutoa dhabihu za roho, kuombea, kushuhudia na kutumika. Agano Jipya linatoa neno la kuhani anayetoa dhabihu kwa makuhani wa Israeli, kwa Kristo na kwa waumini wote, wala halilitoi kamwe kwa cheo cha kanisa. Uwezo wa nafsi, uliofundishwa na E. Y. Mullins, unamaanisha kwamba kila mtu anaweza na lazima ashughulike na Mungu mwenyewe, ingawa uwezo huu ni zawadi ya neema. Fundisho hilo halimaanishi kwamba mtu yeyote anaweza kuamini apendavyo, kwamba Mkristo anaweza kuishi bila kanisa, wala kwamba wachungaji hawana mamlaka. Makanisa yenye ukuhani uliowekwa rasmi yanapinga, na pia wakosoaji wanaofikiri fundisho hilo ni la mtu binafsi mno; tunajibu kutoka katika Maandiko. Fundisho hilo linawajumuisha wanawake, ambao huduma yao pana inathibitishwa, huku Wabaptisti wengi wa kihafidhina wakitenga cheo cha uchungaji kwa wanaume na mashirika mengine ya Kibaptisti yakitofautiana.Baptists teach that there is one Mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. Every believer is a priest, with direct access to God and with the calling to offer spiritual sacrifices, to intercede, to witness and to serve. The New Testament gives the term for sacrificing priest to Israel's priests, to Christ and to all believers, and never to a church office. Soul competency, taught by E. Y. Mullins, means that each person can and must deal with God for himself, though this ability is the gift of grace. The doctrine does not mean that anyone may believe what he pleases, that a Christian can do without the church, or that pastors have no authority. Churches with an ordained priesthood object, and so do critics who think the doctrine too individual; we answer from Scripture. The doctrine includes women, whose wide service is affirmed, while most conservative Baptists reserve the pastoral office to men and some Baptist bodies differ.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• E. Y. Mullins, The Axioms of Religion (1908) (Kanuni za Dini), kitabu cha asili kilicho katika umma.• E. Y. Mullins, The Axioms of Religion (1908), a public-domain classic.

• James Leo Garrett Jr., Baptist Theology: A Four-Century Study (2009) (Teolojia ya Kibaptisti: Uchunguzi wa Karne Nne).• James Leo Garrett Jr., Baptist Theology: A Four-Century Study (2009).

• John L. Dagg, Manual of Theology (1857) (Mwongozo wa Teolojia), kitabu cha asili kilicho katika umma.• John L. Dagg, Manual of Theology (1857), a public-domain classic.

• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867) (Mwongozo wa Kanisa), kitabu cha asili kilicho katika umma.• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867), a public-domain classic.

• The Second London Confession (1689) (Ungamo la Pili la London) na the New Hampshire Confession (1833) (Ungamo la New Hampshire), yote mawili yako katika umma.• The Second London Confession (1689) and the New Hampshire Confession (1833), both public domain.

• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti), Mkutano wa Wabaptisti wa Kusini.• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), Southern Baptist Convention.

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