Teolojia ya Kibaptisti na Mafundisho Yake Bainifu — Sehemu ya 6: Uhuru wa Kidini na Kutenganishwa kwa Kanisa na DolaBaptist Theology and Distinctive Doctrines — Unit 6: Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Basi mpeni Kaisari yaliyo ya Kaisari; na Mungu yaliyo ya Mungu." (Mathayo 22:21, SUV)"And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'" (Matthew 22:21, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini Wabaptisti wanafundisha kwamba imani lazima iwe huru na haiwezi kulazimishwa na serikali yoyote.1. Explain why Baptists teach that faith must be free and cannot be forced by any government.

2. Kutoa vifungu vikuu vya Biblia ambavyo Wabaptisti hutumia kwa uhuru wa kidini na kwa wajibu wa mwamini kwa dola.2. Give the main biblical passages Baptists use for religious liberty and for the believer's duty to the state.

3. Kutaja mashahidi wa awali wa Kibaptisti wa uhuru wa kidini na kusema kila mmoja alisimamia nini.3. Name the early Baptist witnesses to religious liberty and say what each one stood for.

4. Kutofautisha kutenganishwa kwa kanisa na dola na kuondolewa kwa imani katika maisha ya umma.4. Distinguish the separation of church and state from the removal of faith from public life.

5. Kutaja pingamizi nne dhidi ya msimamo wa Kibaptisti na kutoa jibu la Kibaptisti kwa kila moja.5. State four objections to the Baptist position and give the Baptist answer to each.

Sauti ya Kipindi HikiThe Voice of This Unit

Kipindi hiki kimeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kibaptisti, kwa wanafunzi wa Kibaptisti. Ni cha kihafidhina. Kinashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lenye pumzi yake na lenye kutosha, nacho kinasoma swali la kanisa na dola kwanza kutoka katika Biblia. Kinaposema "sisi," kinamaanisha Wakristo wa Kibaptisti. Wakristo wengine wameshirikiana na dola kwa njia ambazo Wabaptisti hawajafanya. Tunaeleza sababu zao kwa haki kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Maandiko yanasema, "jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21).This unit is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist students. It is conservative. It holds that the Bible is the inspired and sufficient Word of God, and it reads the question of church and state from the Bible first. When it says "we," it means Baptist Christians. Other Christians have worked with the state in ways Baptists have not. We state their reasons fairly and then give our answer. Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Historia ya jinsi Wabaptisti walivyofikia msimamo huu imesimuliwa katika Kozi ya 1, hasa Vipindi vya 3 na 5. Hapa hatuirudii hadithi hiyo. Tunauliza Biblia inafundisha nini na mchungaji afanye nini nayo leo.The history of how Baptists came to this conviction is told in Course 1, especially Units 3 and 5. Here we do not repeat that story. We ask what the Bible teaches and what a pastor should do with it today.

Kwa Nini Wabaptisti Wanajali UhuruWhy Baptists Care About Liberty

Karibu kila fundisho la Kibaptisti linategemea msimamo mmoja: mtu humjia Mungu kwa toba yake mwenyewe na imani yake mwenyewe, na hakuna anayeweza kuamini kwa ajili ya mtu mwingine. Kama hilo ni kweli, hakuna mtawala, baraza la kanisa wala mzazi anayeweza kumfanya mtu kuwa Mkristo wa kweli kwa nguvu. Ungamo la kulazimishwa ni maneno tu. Kwa sababu hii, mafundisho ya ushirika wa kanisa wa waliozaliwa upya na ubatizo wa waumini, uliyoyajifunza katika Vipindi vya 2 na 3, yanaongoza moja kwa moja kwenye fundisho la kipindi hiki. Kanisa lililoundwa na waumini tu haliwezi kujengwa kwa sheria. Linaweza kujengwa kwa kuhubiri, kuomba na kazi ya Roho Mtakatifu tu.Almost every Baptist doctrine rests on one conviction: a person comes to God by his own repentance and faith, and nobody can believe for another person. If that is true, no ruler, church council or parent can make a person a true Christian by force. A forced confession is only words. For this reason, the doctrines of regenerate church membership and believer's baptism, which you studied in Units 2 and 3, lead directly to the doctrine in this unit. A church made only of believers cannot be built by law. It can only be built by preaching, prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Wabaptisti walijifunza hili kwa mateso. Kuanzia miaka ya 1600 na kuendelea, baba zetu wa kiroho walitozwa faini, kufungwa au kufukuzwa kwa sababu hawakukubali kubatiza watoto wachanga wala kuhudhuria kanisa la dola. Hawakudai uhuru kwa ajili yao wenyewe tu. Walibishana kwamba kanuni hiyo ni sahihi kwa kila mtu.Baptists learned this in suffering. From the 1600s onward, our spiritual fathers were fined, jailed or driven out because they would not baptize infants or attend the state church. They did not demand liberty only for themselves. They argued that the principle was right for everyone.

Biblia Inafundisha NiniWhat the Bible Teaches

Mungu peke yake ndiye Bwana wa dhamiriGod alone is Lord of the conscience

Paulo anaandika kwamba "kila mmoja wetu atatoa habari zake mwenyewe kwa Mungu" (Warumi 14:12). Hakimu wa mwisho wa imani ya mtu ni Mungu, si dola. Yesu hakutumia nguvu kupata wafuasi. Wanafunzi wengi walipomwacha, aliwaacha waende na akawauliza wale Kumi na Wawili kama nao wanataka kwenda (Yohana 6:66-67). Yakobo na Yohana walipotaka kuita moto juu ya kijiji cha Wasamaria kilichomkataa Yesu, aliwakemea (Luka 9:51-56). Paulo anasema silaha za vita vyetu si za mwili, bali zina uweza wa Mungu (2 Wakorintho 10:4). Silaha za kanisa ni Neno, maombi na upendo, si upanga wa hakimu.Paul writes that "each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). The final judge of a person's faith is God, not the state. Jesus did not use force to gain followers. When many disciples turned away from Him, He let them go and asked the Twelve whether they also wished to go (John 6:66-67). When James and John wanted to call fire on a Samaritan village that refused Jesus, He rebuked them (Luke 9:51-56). Paul says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10:4). The church's weapons are the Word, prayer and love, not the sword of the magistrate.

Ufalme wa Kristo si ufalme wa kisiasaThe kingdom of Christ is not a political kingdom

Mbele ya Pilato, Yesu alisema, "Ufalme wangu si wa ulimwengu huu" (Yohana 18:36). Kanisa si taifa lenye mipaka na jeshi. Ni watu walioitwa na injili kutoka kila taifa (Ufunuo 5:9). Katika mfano wa ngano na magugu, Bwana anawaambia watumishi wake wasiyang'oe magugu sasa, bali wayaache yote mawili yakue pamoja hata wakati wa mavuno (Mathayo 13:24-30). Wabaptisti kwa muda mrefu wamesoma hili kama onyo dhidi ya kutumia nguvu kuutakasa ulimwengu kutokana na kutokuamini. Hukumu ni ya Kristo mwishoni mwa wakati huu.Before Pilate, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The church is not a nation with borders and an army. It is a people called out by the gospel from every nation (Revelation 5:9). In the parable of the wheat and the tares, the Lord tells His servants not to pull up the tares now, but to let both grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13:24-30). Baptists have long read this as a warning against using force to purify the world of unbelief. Judgment belongs to Christ at the end of the age.

Nyanja mbili, kila moja ina wajibu wakeTwo spheres, each with its own duty

Yesu alipoulizwa kuhusu kulipa kodi kwa Kaisari, hakusema dola ni mbaya, wala hakusema dola inamiliki kila kitu. Alisema, "Basi mpeni Kaisari yaliyo ya Kaisari; na Mungu yaliyo ya Mungu." Kuna nyanja mbili. Kaisari ana dai la kweli lakini lenye kikomo. Mungu anaye mtu mzima.When Jesus was asked about paying tax to Caesar, He did not say the state is evil, and He did not say the state owns everything. He said, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." There are two spheres. Caesar has a real but limited claim. God has the whole person.

Paulo anafundisha kwamba serikali imewekwa na Mungu kuadhibu uovu na kusifu wema, na kwamba waumini wanapaswa kuitii na kulipa kilicho halali (Warumi 13:1-7). Petro pia anatuambia tumheshimu mfalme (1 Petro 2:13-17). Paulo anamwambia Timotheo aombe "kwa ajili ya wafalme, na wote walio na mamlaka" ili tuishi maisha ya utulivu na amani (1 Timotheo 2:1-2). Kwa hiyo Wabaptisti si waasi. Tunawaombea watawala, tunalipa kodi, tunatii sheria za haki na tunafanya kazi kwa manufaa ya miji yetu.Paul teaches that government is appointed by God to punish evil and to praise good, and that believers should be subject to it and pay what is due (Romans 13:1-7). Peter also tells us to honor the king (1 Peter 2:13-17). Paul tells Timothy to pray "for kings and all who are in authority" so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Baptists are therefore not rebels. We pray for rulers, pay taxes, obey just laws and work for the good of our towns.

Mahali dai la dola linapoishiaWhere the state's claim ends

Mamlaka zilipowaamuru mitume waache kuhubiri Kristo, Petro na mitume walijibu, "Imetupasa kumtii Mungu kuliko wanadamu" (Matendo 5:29). Paulo yuleyule aliyeandika Warumi 13 alikamatwa mara nyingi kwa kuhubiri. Katika Ufunuo 13 dola inayodai kuabudiwa inakuwa mnyama. Kwa hiyo Maandiko yanaipa dola mamlaka ya kweli juu ya utaratibu wa kiraia, nayo yanaikatalia dola mamlaka yoyote juu ya ibada, kuhubiri, ubatizo au dhamiri. Mahali ambapo mtawala anaamuru kile Mungu anachokikataza, au anakataza kile Mungu anachoamuru, mwamini humtii Mungu, hukubali adhabu kwa roho njema, wala haushiki upanga.When the authorities commanded the apostles to stop preaching Christ, Peter and the apostles answered, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). The same Paul who wrote Romans 13 was often arrested for preaching. In Revelation 13 the state that demands worship becomes a beast. Scripture therefore gives the state real authority over civil order, and it denies the state any authority over worship, preaching, baptism or the conscience. Where a ruler commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, the believer obeys God, accepts the penalty with a good spirit, and does not take up the sword.

Mashahidi wa Awali wa KibaptistiEarly Baptist Witnesses

Kozi ya 1 inatoa hadithi kamili. Hapa kuna majina ambayo mchungaji anapaswa kuyajua, kwa sentensi moja kwa kila mmoja.Course 1 gives the full story. Here are the names a pastor should know, with one line on each.

Thomas Helwys aliandika A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity (Tamko Fupi juu ya Siri ya Uovu) mwaka 1612 na kulituma kwa Mfalme James wa Kwanza. Alibishana kwamba mfalme ni mwanadamu anayekufa asiye na mamlaka juu ya roho za raia wake, naye alifungwa gerezani kwa sababu hiyo.Thomas Helwys wrote A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity in 1612 and sent it to King James I. He argued that the king is a mortal man with no power over the souls of his subjects, and he was imprisoned for it.

Roger Williams alifukuzwa kutoka Koloni la Massachusetts Bay na akaanzisha Providence, katika eneo lililokuja kuwa Rhode Island, mwaka 1636. Katika The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution (Fundisho la Damu la Mateso) (1644) alibishana dhidi ya kulazimisha dhamiri, na alitoa uhuru hata kwa watu wa dini zisizo za Kikristo. Hapa wanahistoria hawakubaliani juu ya jambo moja, nasi tunalieleza kwa haki. Williams alibatizwa na akasaidia kuunda kanisa la Kibaptisti Providence mwaka 1639, lakini alilihama ndani ya miezi michache na hakujiunga tena na kanisa lolote. Baadhi ya wanahistoria kwa hiyo husita kumwita Mbaptisti kwa maana kamili. Wabaptisti wanajibu kwamba kanisa alilosaidia kuanzisha linahesabiwa miongoni mwa makanisa ya kwanza kabisa ya Kibaptisti Amerika, na kwamba mafundisho yake juu ya uhuru yameendelezwa hasa na Wabaptisti.Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded Providence, in what became Rhode Island, in 1636. In The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution (1644) he argued against forcing conscience, and he extended liberty even to people of non-Christian religions. Here historians disagree about one point, and we state it fairly. Williams was baptized and helped form a Baptist church in Providence in 1639, but he left it within months and never again joined a church. Some historians therefore hesitate to call him a Baptist in the full sense. Baptists answer that the church he helped found is counted among the earliest Baptist churches in America, and that his teaching on liberty has been carried on mainly by Baptists.

Isaac Backus (1724-1806) alikuwa mchungaji wa Kibaptisti wa New England aliyesema na kuandika dhidi ya sheria zilizowatoza Wabaptisti kodi kwa ajili ya kusaidia makanisa rasmi ya dola.Isaac Backus (1724-1806) was a New England Baptist pastor who spoke and wrote against laws that taxed Baptists for the support of the established churches.

John Leland (1754-1841) alikuwa mhubiri wa Kibaptisti wa Virginia aliyedai uhuru wa kidini katika jimbo hilo na baadaye. Wabaptisti kwa muda mrefu wamesimulia jinsi Leland na Wabaptisti wa Virginia walivyomshawishi James Madison na ulinzi wa uhuru wa kidini katika Marekebisho ya Kwanza (1791). Wanahistoria wanajadili ushawishi huo ulikuwa mkubwa kiasi gani, kwa sababu watu wengi walifanya kazi kwa ajili ya marekebisho hayo. Tunaweza kusema kwa uhakika kwamba Wabaptisti walikuwa miongoni mwa wale walioyaomba na kwamba marekebisho hayo yalilingana na yale waliyofundisha kwa muda mrefu.John Leland (1754-1841) was a Virginia Baptist preacher who pressed for religious freedom in that state and afterward. Baptists have long told how Leland and the Virginia Baptists influenced James Madison and the protection of religious freedom in the First Amendment (1791). Historians debate how large that influence was, because many people worked for the amendment. We can say with confidence that Baptists were among those who asked for it and that the amendment matched what they had long taught.

Mwaka 1920 George W. Truett, mchungaji wa Kibaptisti wa Kusini, alitoa hotuba maarufu juu ya uhuru wa kidini huko Washington. Baptist World Alliance (Muungano wa Wabaptisti Ulimwenguni), ulioanzishwa mwaka 1905, pia umetetea uhuru wa kidini.In 1920 George W. Truett, a Southern Baptist pastor, gave a well-known address on religious liberty in Washington. The Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905, has also defended religious liberty.

Tunachomaanisha, na TusichomaanishaWhat We Mean, and What We Do Not Mean

Baptist Faith and Message (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti) (2000), Kifungu cha XVII, linazungumza juu ya uhuru wa kidini. Kwa muhtasari, linasema kwamba Mungu peke yake ndiye Bwana wa dhamiri; kwamba kanisa na dola vinapaswa kutengana; kwamba dola imeagizwa na Mungu na inadaiwa uaminifu katika mambo yasiyopingana na mapenzi ya Kristo; kwamba kanisa halipaswi kugeukia nguvu za kiraia kufanya kazi yake; na kwamba dola inadaiwa kumlinda kila mtu na kumpa uhuru kamili wa kufuata malengo ya kiroho.The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), Article XVII, speaks of religious liberty. In summary, it says that God alone is Lord of the conscience; that the church and the state should be separate; that the state is ordained by God and owed loyalty in things not contrary to the will of Christ; that the church should not turn to civil power to do its work; and that the state owes every person protection and full freedom to pursue spiritual ends.

Hii inatupa kanuni mbili, moja kwa kila upande.This gives us two rules, one for each side.

Dola haipaswi kulidhibiti kanisa. Haipaswi kuanzisha kanisa la dola, kuchagua wachungaji wa kanisa, kuamuru mafundisho yake, kuwatoza raia kodi kusaidia dini moja, wala kumlazimisha yeyote kuabudu, kulipia ibada au kushiriki katika sikukuu ya kidini.The state must not control the church. It must not set up a state church, choose a church's pastors, dictate its teaching, tax citizens to support one religion, or force anyone to worship, pay for worship, or take part in a religious festival.

Kanisa halipaswi kutumia dola kuwadhibiti wengine. Halipaswi kumwomba hakimu aadhibu kutokuamini au kuwafanya watu wajiunge. Kazi yetu ni kushawishi.The church must not use the state to control others. It must not ask the magistrate to punish unbelief or to make people join. Our task is to persuade.

Ni muhimu kusema kutenganishwa kwa kanisa na dola hakumaanishi nini. Hakumaanishi kwamba Wakristo wanapaswa kunyamaza katika maisha ya umma. Waumini wanaweza kupiga kura, kutumika serikalini, kusema juu ya masuala ya umma na kuleta msimamo wao wa kimaadili katika uwanja wa umma, kama raia yeyote anavyoweza. Hakumaanishi chuki dhidi ya dini. Hoja ya Kibaptisti, kwa kweli, ni kwa ajili ya dini: imani inapokuwa huru, ni ya unyofu. Hakumaanishi kwamba Wakristo wanaamini dini zote ni za kweli sawasawa. Tunashikilia kwamba Yesu Kristo ndiye Mwokozi pekee (Matendo 4:12). Uhuru wa kidini ni kauli juu ya jinsi ukweli unavyopaswa kuenezwa, si juu ya kile kilicho kweli. Ukweli unapaswa kushinda kwa ushuhuda, si kwa shinikizo.It is important to say what separation of church and state does not mean. It does not mean that Christians should be silent in public life. Believers may vote, serve in government, speak on public questions and bring their moral convictions to the public square, as any citizen may. It does not mean hatred of religion. The Baptist argument is, in fact, for religion: when faith is free, it is honest. It does not mean that Christians believe all religions are equally true. We hold that Jesus Christ is the only Savior (Acts 4:12). Religious liberty is a statement about how truth should be spread, not about what is true. Truth should win by testimony, not by pressure.

Pingamizi na Majibu ya KibaptistiObjections and Baptist Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Israeli ilikuwa taifa chini ya sheria ya Mungu, kwa hiyo taifa la Kikristo linaweza kulazimisha dini ya kweli.Objection 1: Israel was a nation under God's law, so a Christian nation may enforce true religion.

Katika Agano la Kale, Mungu aliiweka Israeli kando kama taifa lenye sheria yake, na wafalme walihukumiwa kwa uaminifu wao. Wakristo fulani wanahoji kwamba "nchi ya Kikristo" inapaswa kufanya vivyo hivyo.In the Old Testament, God set apart Israel as a nation with His law, and kings were judged by their faithfulness. Some Christians reason that a "Christian country" should do the same.

Jibu letu. Israeli ilikuwa watu wa pekee, waliochaguliwa kwa kusudi la pekee, katika agano ambalo Mungu hakulifanya na taifa lingine lolote. Agano Jipya halilieleze kanisa kama taifa. Yesu alisema ufalme wake si wa ulimwengu huu, na mitume hawakuomba Roma kamwe kulazimisha imani. Agano jipya limeandikwa moyoni na Roho (Waebrania 8:10), na nguvu haiwezi kuufikia moyo.Our answer. Israel was a unique people, chosen for a unique purpose, in a covenant that God did not make with any other nation. The New Testament does not describe the church as a nation. Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, and the apostles never asked Rome to enforce the faith. The new covenant is written on the heart by the Spirit (Hebrews 8:10), and force cannot reach the heart.

Pingamizi la 2: Kanisa la dola lenye nguvu linawalinda watu dhidi ya mafundisho ya uongo, na historia inaonyesha kwamba linaweka utaratibu.Objection 2: A strong state church protects the people from false teaching, and history shows it keeps order.

Baada ya mfalme Konstantino kukomesha mateso ya Wakristo mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 300, kanisa na dola vilikaribiana, na watawala wa baadaye walitumia sheria kulazimisha imani moja. Augustino, mwalimu mkuu, alitumia maneno "ukawalazimishe waingie" katika Luka 14:23 kutetea matumizi ya dola dhidi ya Wadonati, kundi la kanisa lililogawanyika huko Afrika Kaskazini.After the emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians in the early 300s, the church and the empire grew close, and later rulers used the law to enforce one faith. Augustine, a great teacher, used the words "compel them to come in" in Luke 14:23 to defend using the state against the Donatists, a divided church group in North Africa.

Jibu letu. Tunawaheshimu watu hawa kwa mengi waliyofundisha, lakini tunafikiri walikosea hapa. Maneno ya Luka 14:23 yanahusu mwaliko wa dharura kwenye karamu katika mfano wa bwana wa nyumba. Si amri ya kutumia askari. Mahali ambapo kanisa la dola limekuwa na nguvu, pia limewatesa waumini wa kweli, ikiwa ni pamoja na Wabaptisti wa kwanza. Waanabaptisti wa awali kama Balthasar Hubmaier walibishana dhidi ya kuwaua wazushi katika miaka ya 1520, na Wabaptisti waliendeleza ushuhuda huo.Our answer. We honor these men for much that they taught, but we think they erred here. The words in Luke 14:23 are about the urgent invitation to the feast in the master's parable. They are not an order to use soldiers. Where the state church has been strong, it has also persecuted true believers, including the early Baptists. Early Anabaptists such as Balthasar Hubmaier argued against killing heretics in the 1520s, and the Baptists carried on that witness.

Pingamizi la 3: "Kutenganishwa kwa kanisa na dola" hakumo katika Biblia wala Katiba na hutumiwa leo kuondoa imani katika maisha ya umma.Objection 3: "Separation of church and state" is not in the Bible or the Constitution and is used today to push faith out of public life.

Wakristo fulani wanasema msemo huo unatumiwa vibaya na watu wanaochukia dini. Wabaptisti wengine wanahofu kwamba kuchanganya dini na serikali kutalidhuru kanisa.Some Christians say the phrase is misused by people hostile to religion. Other Baptists worry that mixing religion and government will harm the church.

Jibu letu. Maneno hayo hayamo katika Maandiko, kama vile neno "Utatu" halimo, lakini wazo lipo. Tunatafuta uhuru kwa ajili ya kanisa, si kuondolewa kwa sauti ya kanisa katika uwanja wa umma. Wabaptisti leo hawakubaliani wote juu ya jinsi ya kutumia kanuni hiyo katika hali ngumu kama maombi katika shule za umma, fedha za serikali kwa shule au misaada inayoendeshwa na makanisa, na maonyesho ya kidini katika mali ya umma. Haya ni maswali ya utekelezaji ambayo Wabaptisti waaminifu hutofautiana. Kanuni yenyewe ni ileile: hakuna kanisa la dola, hakuna kulazimisha dhamiri, na uhuru kwa wote wa kuabudu au kutoabudu.Our answer. The words are not in Scripture, just as the word "Trinity" is not, yet the idea is. We seek freedom for the church, not removal of the church's voice from the public square. Baptists today do not all agree on how to apply the principle to hard cases such as prayer in public schools, government money for church-run schools or charities, and religious displays on public property. These are questions of application on which faithful Baptists differ. The principle itself is the same: no state church, no coercion of conscience, and freedom for all to worship or not to worship.

Pingamizi la 4: Uhuru unamaanisha kwamba uongo una haki sawa na ukweli, na hii itaacha mafundisho ya uongo yaenee.Objection 4: Liberty means that error has the same rights as truth, and this will let false teaching spread.

Jibu letu. Uhuru ni haki ya watu, si ya mawazo. Hatusemi kwamba kila fundisho ni la kweli. Tunasema kwamba uhusiano wa mtu na Mungu hauwezi kuamuliwa kwa sheria. Ukweli hauhitaji polisi. Paulo alimwambia Timotheo kwamba mtumishi wa Bwana lazima awasahihishe wapinzani kwa upole, kwa matumaini kwamba Mungu atawapa toba (2 Timotheo 2:24-26). Kama dola inaweza kuadhibu imani ya uongo, basi dola yenye uadui inaweza kuadhibu ile ya kweli, nasi tumeona ikifanya hivyo.Our answer. Liberty is a right of persons, not of ideas. We do not say that every teaching is true. We say that a person's relation to God cannot be settled by law. Truth needs no police. Paul told Timothy that the Lord's servant must correct opponents with gentleness, in the hope that God may grant them repentance (2 Timothy 2:24-26). If the state may punish a false belief, then a hostile state may punish the true one, and we have seen it do so.

Kuishi Fundisho Hili LeoLiving This Doctrine Today

Wabaptisti wanaishi chini ya aina nyingi za serikali. Katika Meksiko, katiba ya mwaka 1917 iliweka vikwazo vikali kwa makanisa, na marekebisho ya mwaka 1992 yalitoa utambuzi wa kisheria kwa vyama vya kidini. Katika miji fulani, waumini wa kiinjilisti wamelazimishwa kuchangia sikukuu za kidini za mahali hapo. Mchungaji mwaminifu lazima ajue sheria ya nchi yake inaruhusu nini, awe raia mwema, na awe tayari kuteseka kwa ajili ya dhamiri pale inapobidi.Baptists live under many kinds of government. In Mexico, the 1917 constitution placed severe limits on churches, and reforms in 1992 gave religious associations legal recognition. In some towns, evangelical believers have been pressured to pay for local religious festivals. A faithful pastor must know what the law of his country allows, must be a good citizen, and must be ready to suffer for conscience where necessary.

Kanuni nne zinafuata. Waombee watawala kwa majina. Tii kila sheria isiyohitaji kumwasi Mungu. Simama kwa ajili ya uhuru wa wengine, ikiwa ni pamoja na watu ambao imani yao tunafikiri si sahihi. Usitafute upendeleo maalum kutoka kwa nguvu za kisiasa.Four rules follow. Pray for rulers by name. Obey every law that does not require disobedience to God. Stand for the freedom of others, including people whose beliefs we think are wrong. Do not seek special favors from political power.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji anahudumu kanisa dogo la Kibaptisti katika mji wa kusini mwa Meksiko. Kila mwaka kamati ya mahali hapo huomba kila kaya mchango kwa ajili ya sikukuu ya mtakatifu mlinzi wa mji. Mwaka huu baadhi ya washiriki wa kanisa waliambiwa kwamba wasipolipa, huduma ya maji kwenye mtaa wao inaweza kucheleweshwa. Washiriki wanamjia mchungaji, wakiwa na hofu. Wanauliza kama wanapaswa kulipa ili kuweka amani.A pastor serves a small Baptist church in a town in southern Mexico. Each year the local committee asks every household for a contribution for the festival of the town's patron saint. This year some of the church members were told that if they do not pay, the water service to their street may be delayed. The members come to the pastor, frightened. They ask whether they should pay to keep the peace.

Kwanza, anasikiliza na kujifunza ukweli. Je, dai hilo linatolewa kwa sheria, au kwa desturi na shinikizo?First, he listens and learns the facts. Is the demand made by law, or by custom and pressure?

Pili, anafundisha kutoka katika Maandiko. Paulo aliwaambia waumini waheshimu walio na mamlaka, lakini pia alisema tunapaswa kumtii Mungu kuliko wanadamu. Malipo yanayohitajika kwa ibada ambayo hatuwezi kushiriki ni suala la dhamiri.Second, he teaches from Scripture. Paul told believers to honor those in authority, but he also said we must obey God rather than men. A required payment for worship we cannot share is a matter of conscience.

Tatu, anawaongoza kujibu kwa heshima. Wanaweza kusema kwamba ni majirani wema, watasaidia kwa furaha kazi za umma kama barabara na maji, na hawawezi kutoa kwa sherehe ya kidini.Third, he guides them to answer with respect. They can say that they are good neighbors, they will gladly help with public works like roads and water, and they cannot give to a religious ceremony.

Nne, anatafuta msaada wa kisheria: mazungumzo na mamlaka za manispaa, ushauri kutoka kwa mwasiliani wa kisheria wa dhehebu, na, ikibidi, malalamiko kupitia mahakama. Kanisa halilipizi kisasi. Linaiombea kamati.Fourth, he seeks lawful help: a conversation with the municipal authorities, advice from the denomination's legal contact, and, if needed, a complaint through the courts. The church does not retaliate. It prays for the committee.

Tano, anaweka mwenendo wake mwenyewe safi na hafanyi biashara ya kuunga mkono kwa mimbari kwa kubadilishana na ulinzi.Fifth, he keeps his own conduct clean and does not trade pulpit support for protection.

MuhtasariSummary

Wabaptisti wanafundisha kwamba imani lazima iwe huru kwa sababu wokovu hutokana na toba na imani ya kibinafsi, ambayo hakuna serikali inayoweza kuiumba. Biblia inaonyesha kwamba Mungu peke yake ndiye Bwana wa dhamiri (Warumi 14:12), kwamba ufalme wa Kristo si wa ulimwengu huu (Yohana 18:36), kwamba dola ina mamlaka ya kweli lakini yenye kikomo (Mathayo 22:21; Warumi 13:1-7), na kwamba inapoamuru kile Mungu anachokikataza, tunamtii Mungu (Matendo 5:29). Helwys, Williams, Backus na Leland ni mashahidi muhimu, ingawa wanahistoria wanajadili hadhi ya Williams kama Mbaptisti na ushawishi wa Leland. Kutenganishwa kwa kanisa na dola kunamaanisha kwamba dola haipaswi kulidhibiti kanisa na kanisa halipaswi kutumia dola kuwadhibiti wengine. Hakumaanishi kunyamaza katika maisha ya umma. Tunajibu pingamizi zinazotokana na Israeli, Konstantino na Augustino, matumizi mabaya ya msemo huo, na hofu kwamba uhuru unalinda uongo. Katika kila hali tunaomba uhuru kwa wote, kwa sababu ukweli huenezwa kwa kushawishi.Baptists teach that faith must be free because salvation comes by personal repentance and faith, which no government can create. The Bible shows that God alone is Lord of the conscience (Romans 14:12), that Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), that the state has a real but limited authority (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1-7), and that when it commands what God forbids, we obey God (Acts 5:29). Helwys, Williams, Backus and Leland are important witnesses, though historians debate Williams's Baptist standing and Leland's influence. Separation of church and state means that the state must not control the church and the church must not use the state to control others. It does not mean silence in public life. We answer objections drawn from Israel, from Constantine and Augustine, from the misuse of the phrase, and from the fear that liberty protects error. In every case we ask for liberty for all, because truth is spread by persuasion.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Thomas Helwys, A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity (1612) (Tamko Fupi juu ya Siri ya Uovu), chanzo cha msingi.• Thomas Helwys, A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity (1612), a primary source.

• Roger Williams, The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution (1644) (Fundisho la Damu la Mateso), chanzo cha msingi.• Roger Williams, The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution (1644), a primary source.

• Isaac Backus na John Leland, maandishi ya msingi juu ya uhuru wa kidini (karne ya 18).• Isaac Backus and John Leland, primary writings on religious liberty (18th century).

• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti), Kifungu cha XVII.• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), Article XVII.

• E. Y. Mullins, The Axioms of Religion (1908) (Kanuni za Dini).• E. Y. Mullins, The Axioms of Religion (1908).

• McBeth, The Baptist Heritage (1987) (Urithi wa Kibaptisti), na Chute, Finn na Haykin, The Baptist Story (2015) (Hadithi ya Wabaptisti), kwa historia ya uhuru.• McBeth, The Baptist Heritage (1987), and Chute, Finn and Haykin, The Baptist Story (2015), for the history of liberty.

• Hobbs, The Baptist Faith and Message (1971) (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti).• Hobbs, The Baptist Faith and Message (1971).

• Garrett, Baptist Theology (2009) (Teolojia ya Kibaptisti).• Garrett, Baptist Theology (2009).

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