Baadhi ya maandishi haya bado hayajatafsiriwa kwa Kiswahili; sehemu hizo zinaonyeshwa kwa Kiingereza.

Kusoma mitazamo tofauti ya kiteolojia. Masomo ya kihistoria yanaeleza mitazamo ya waandishi wake, ikiwemo mapokeo ya Kiarminiani na ya Kireformed au ya Kikalvini. Kujumuishwa hakufanyi msimamo wa mwandishi kuwa fundisho thabiti la CTS. Soma pamoja na Maandiko na nyenzo zilizopangwa. Jibu lenye hoja kutoka mtazamo mwingine wa kiinjili linapaswa kupimwa kwa hoja zake, si kuadhibiwa kwa sababu tu linatofautiana na mwandishi. Ikiwa alama ya kompyuta inakataa jibu kama hilo, omba CTS ilipitie.

Masomo Yaliyopangwa ya Uzamili (yote matano)

Wanafunzi wa M.Div. na Th.M. husoma masomo yote matano yaliyopangwa na kufanya mtihani wake tofauti baada ya kuanzishwa. Ukurasa wa mtihani unaeleza kanuni ya sasa; ukamilishaji halali wa awali unabaki halali.

Heshima ya Hiari (chagua matatu)

Heshima ni ya hiari kwa kila programu. Wanafunzi wa Cheti na wa Shahada ya Mshiriki wanaweza kusoma masomo matatu ya heshima bila mtihani wa masomo ya lazima. Heshima haichukui nafasi ya mtihani wowote wa Uzamili.

The Master's textbook test: read The New Directory for Baptist Churches (selections) — Edward T. Hiscox, then take its test: twenty fill-in-the-blank questions, drawn from forty; eighteen right passes. Each answer is marked right or wrong at once. Correct answers and explanations are available after the attempt passes. It is separate from the reading test on the five digests below: passing one does not pass the other. On the M.Div. and Th.M. tracks both tests are being introduced; each test's page says whether it is in force yet. Until then any student may take them, and a pass is kept in your record.

The Master's reading test: separate from the honors invitation below. Honors asks you to read any three of these digests; the Master's test covers all five. It has twenty fill-in-the-blank questions, four from each reading, drawn from forty; eighteen right passes. Each answer is marked right or wrong at once; correct answers and explanations are available after the attempt passes. You may try again after a short wait. The test is being introduced: its page says whether it is in force yet. Until then any student may take it, and a pass is kept in your record.

Chaguo la heshima: Kamilisha masomo matatu yoyote kati ya matano yaliyo hapa chini. Masomo haya yanaongeza kozi na hayachukui nafasi ya sehemu zake wala mitihani yake.

Kwenye tovuti hii: Kila moja ya masomo matano ni muhtasari wa Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala, ulioandikwa na CTS, unaopatikana hapa kwenye tovuti — kila mmoja unafunguka moja kwa moja kutoka ukurasa huu, bila kupakua chochote. Kila kadi inataja kitabu ambacho muhtasari wake umetokana nacho.

Yaliyochaguliwa: 0 kati ya 3

Somo la 1 · The Nature of the Church

Called Out and Gathered

A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), ch. II, “A Christian Church”

Hiscox defines a church as a local company of regenerate, baptized believers united in covenant under Christ alone. He studies the word ekklesia, weighs the creeds, redefines the four marks of the church, rejects any confederation of churches or rule by the state, and gives practical counsel on constituting, recognizing and disbanding churches.

MUHTASARI WA CTSSoma muhtasari wote — unafunguka hapa hapa

Muhtasari wa Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala — muhtasari asilia ulioandikwa na CTS, unaopatikana kwa Kiingereza, Kihispania na Kifaransa, unaosomeka bila mtandao. Huu ni muhtasari wa CTS, si maandishi kamili ya chanzo asilia.

Walioitwa Kutoka na Kukusanywa: Kanisa Ni NiniCalled Out and Gathered: What a Church Is

Somo la Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala — sura ya Hiscox juu ya asili ya kanisa la Kikristo: kundi la mahali, lililoungana kwa agano, la waumini chini ya Kristo peke yakeA Chapala Theological Seminary reading — Hiscox’s chapter on the nature of a Christian church: a local, covenanted company of believers under Christ alone

Muhtasari wa CTS wa Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), sura ya II, “Kanisa la Kikristo.” Kitabu cha awali kiko katika uwanja wa umma; nukuu fupi zilizo hapa chini zimetoka kwake.A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), chapter II, “A Christian Church.” The original is in the public domain; the short quotations below are from it.

New Directory*, sura ya IINew Directory, ch. II
Chanzo cha msingiPrimary source
18941894
Edward T. HiscoxEdward T. Hiscox

Neno kabla ya kusoma. Hiscox aliandika kwa makanisa ya Kibaptisti ya Kaskazini nchini Marekani mwishoni mwa karne ya kumi na tisa. Anaandika kwa msimamo thabiti na, wakati mwingine, kwa maneno makali kuhusu jumuiya nyingine za Kikristo ambayo mwandishi wa Kikristo leo angeyatamka kwa upole zaidi. CTS inawasilisha sura yake kama tamko moja lenye nguvu na la kihistoria la utaratibu wa kanisa la Kibaptisti, si kama mtazamo pekee wa Kibaptisti wala maelezo ya uongozi wa CTS yenyewe. Pale ambapo mapokeo mengine ya Kikristo yanaona mambo tofauti, muhtasari huu unasema hivyo kwa haki. A word before you read. Hiscox wrote for Northern Baptist churches in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. He writes with conviction and, at times, with sharp words about other communions that a Christian writer today would put more gently. CTS presents his chapter as one strong and historic statement of Baptist church order, not as the only Baptist view and not as a description of CTS’s own governance. Where other Christian traditions see things differently, this digest says so fairly.

1.Mwongozo wa Mchungaji kwa Zaidi ya Karne Moja1.A Pastor’s Handbook for More Than a Century

Edward Thurston Hiscox (1814–1901) alizaliwa Rhode Island, koloni ambalo Roger Williams alilianzisha juu ya uhuru wa dhamiri, na alitumia huduma yake ndefu kama mchungaji huko New England na New York. Hakuwa profesa aliyeandikia wasomi. Alikuwa mchungaji anayefanya kazi, aliyeona kwamba makanisa machanga na wahudumu vijana walihitaji mwongozo rahisi wa utaratibu wa kanisa. Baptist Church Directory yake ya kwanza ilitoka mwaka 1859. Standard Manual for Baptist Churches fupi zaidi ilifuata mwaka 1890, na mwaka 1894 alichapisha New Directory hii kubwa zaidi, yenye kurasa zaidi ya mia sita. CTS inasoma sura tano kati yake. Miongozo ya Hiscox imetumika sana kwa zaidi ya karne moja. Makanisa yameitumia kuandika maagano, kuendesha mikutano ya shughuli, kupokea washiriki na kushughulikia migogoro. Pia imesambaa kwa Kihispania chini ya jina Manual para las iglesias bautistas, na wachungaji wengi wa Kibaptisti huko Meksiko, Amerika ya Kati na Karibea walijifunza utaratibu wa kanisa kutoka kwayo. Kumsoma Hiscox ni kusoma kitabu ambacho kimeunda kimya kimya maelfu ya makusanyiko.Edward Thurston Hiscox (1814–1901) was born in Rhode Island, the colony Roger Williams had founded on liberty of conscience, and he spent his long ministry as a pastor in New England and New York. He was not a professor writing for scholars. He was a working pastor who saw that young churches and young ministers needed a plain guide to church order. His first Baptist Church Directory appeared in 1859. A shorter Standard Manual for Baptist Churches followed in 1890, and in 1894 he published this much larger New Directory, more than six hundred pages long. CTS reads five of its chapters. Hiscox’s manuals have been widely used for well over a century. Churches have used them to write covenants, run business meetings, receive members and handle conflict. They have also circulated in Spanish under the title Manual para las iglesias bautistas, and many Baptist pastors in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean learned church order from them. To read Hiscox is to read a book that has quietly shaped thousands of congregations.

2.Ekklesia: Mkutano wa Walioitwa Kutoka2.Ekklesia: The Called-Out Assembly

Hiscox anaanza kwa fasili atakayoitetea katika kitabu chote. Kanisa ni “kundi la watu waliozaliwa upya,” waliobatizwa kwa kukiri imani, “walioungana kwa agano” kwa ibada, mafundisho, maagizo na huduma, wanaomkubali Kristo kuwa “Bwana mkuu na Mtoaji wa Sheria” na Neno lake kuwa kanuni pekee ya imani na mwenendo. Kisha anachunguza neno la Kigiriki ekklesia. Limeundwa na ek, “kutoka,” na kaleo, “kuita.” Katika mji wa Kigiriki ekklesia haikuwa umati wa watu. Ulikuwa mkutano halali wa raia, walioitwa pamoja kuamua mambo ya umma. Hiscox analihesabu neno hilo kuwa takriban mara mia moja na kumi na tano katika Agano Jipya, mia moja na kumi kati yake kwa kanisa la Kikristo. Katika zaidi ya tisini kati ya hizo linamaanisha kusanyiko la mahali linaloonekana: kanisa la Korintho, makanisa ya Galatia, kanisa lililo nyumbani. Katika sehemu chache, kama Waefeso 5:25 na Waebrania 12:23, linamaanisha kundi lote la waliokombolewa mbinguni na duniani. Kwa hiyo kuna kanisa la mahali linaloonekana, na kanisa la ulimwengu mzima lisiloonekana. Hiscox anasisitiza kwamba maana ya mahali ni “ya kwanza na inayotawala.” Kwake, kanisa la ulimwengu mzima ni halisi machoni pa Mungu, lakini halina viongozi, mikutano wala shirika la duniani. Ndiyo maana anakataa kusema “Kanisa la Uingereza” au kanisa lolote la kitaifa kuwa kanisa kwa maana ya Agano Jipya.Hiscox opens with a definition he will defend through the whole book. A church is “a company of regenerate persons,” baptized on a profession of faith, “united in covenant” for worship, teaching, the ordinances and service, accepting Christ as “supreme Lord and Lawgiver” and His Word as the only rule of faith and practice. He then studies the Greek word ekklesia. It is made of ek, “out of,” and kaleo, “to call.” In a Greek city the ekklesia was not a crowd. It was the lawful assembly of citizens, called together to decide public affairs. Hiscox counts the word about one hundred and fifteen times in the New Testament, a hundred and ten of them for the Christian church. In more than ninety of these it means a visible, local congregation: the church at Corinth, the churches of Galatia, the church in a house. In a few places, such as Ephesians 5:25 and Hebrews 12:23, it means the whole company of the redeemed in heaven and on earth. So there is the visible, local church and the invisible, universal church. Hiscox insists that the local meaning is “first and ruling.” For him, the universal church is real in God’s sight, but it has no officers, no meetings and no earthly organization. That is why he refuses to speak of “the Church of England” or any national church as a church in the New Testament sense.

3.Ufalme, Kanisa na Maungamo ya Imani3.The Kingdom, the Church and the Creeds

Yesu alisema juu ya kanisa mara mbili tu, katika Mathayo 16:18 na 18:17, lakini juu ya ufalme mara nyingi. Hiscox anatofautisha kwa uangalifu hivyo viwili. Ufalme ni utawala wa kiroho wa Kristo mioyoni mwa watu. Kanisa ni udhihirisho wake unaoonekana na wenye mpangilio, “si nakala kamilifu, bali uwakilishi usiokamilika.” Kanisa laweza kuwa na wengine wasio katika ufalme, na ufalme una wengi wasio wa kanisa lolote. Kisha Hiscox anaweka fasili za mapokeo makuu kando kwa kando. Teolojia ya Kikatoliki ya Roma, kupitia Kardinali Bellarmine, inafasili kanisa kwa imani moja, sakramenti zilezile na utawala wa wachungaji halali chini ya Papa. Waorthodoksi huongeza daraja za uongozi. Makala Thelathini na Tisa ya Waanglikana na Maungamo ya Augsburg ya Walutheri yanasema juu ya kusanyiko ambamo Neno linahubiriwa safi na sakramenti zinatolewa ipasavyo. Wabaptisti, Hiscox anabainisha, wameweka “umuhimu mdogo zaidi kwa matamko ya maungamo” kuliko jumuiya nyingi nyingine. Wanayaheshimu maungamo yao lakini hawafungwi nayo. Ananukuu Maungamo ya London ya 1644 (anayoyataja kuwa 1643), Maungamo ya Pili ya London ya 1677 na 1689, yaliyopitishwa Amerika kama Maungamo ya Philadelphia mwaka 1742, na Maungamo ya New Hampshire ya 1833. Yote yanaeleza kanisa kama kundi la watakatifu wanaoonekana, waliobatizwa kwa kukiri imani na kuunganishwa na Bwana na kila mmoja na mwenzake kwa makubaliano ya pamoja.Jesus spoke of the church only twice, in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17, but of the kingdom many times. Hiscox carefully distinguishes the two. The kingdom is the spiritual reign of Christ in human hearts. The church is its visible, organized expression, “not a perfect counterpart, but an imperfect representation.” A church may contain some who are not in the kingdom, and the kingdom contains many who belong to no church. Hiscox then lays out the definitions of the great traditions side by side. Roman Catholic theology, through Cardinal Bellarmine, defines the church by one faith, the same sacraments and the government of lawful pastors under the Pope. The Orthodox add the hierarchy. The Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles and the Lutheran Augsburg Confession speak of a congregation where the Word is purely preached and the sacraments rightly administered. Baptists, Hiscox notes, have attached “less importance to creed statements” than most other bodies. They respect their confessions but are not bound to them. He quotes the London Confession of 1644 (which he dates 1643), the Second London Confession of 1677 and 1689, adopted in America as the Philadelphia Confession in 1742, and the New Hampshire Confession of 1833. All of them describe a church as a company of visible saints, baptized on confession of faith and joined to the Lord and to each other by mutual agreement.

4.Alama za Kanisa la Kweli4.The Marks of a True Church

Maungamo ya kale yanataja alama nne za kanisa: moja, takatifu, la ulimwengu mzima (katoliki) na la kitume. Hiscox anazikubali zote nne, lakini anazifasili upya kila moja. Umoja ni halisi, kwa kuwa kuna mwili mmoja, Roho mmoja na Bwana mmoja, lakini si kuunganisha makusanyiko mengi kuwa shirika moja kubwa. Ni “Ushirika wa Watakatifu” wa kiroho kati ya wote waliozaliwa na Mungu. Utakatifu ni wa kanisa kwa sababu washiriki wake wanakusudiwa kuwa wamezaliwa upya, “viumbe vipya katika Kristo Yesu,” ingawa hakuna mshiriki aliye kamilifu. Ukatoliki si wa jumuiya moja inayodai jina hilo. Kila kusanyiko la waumini linalowaheshimu watu wa Kristo katika kila taifa ni, kwa maana yake, katoliki. Ukitume uko “si katika mfululizo, bali katika kumiliki”: kanisa ni la kitume linaposhikilia mafundisho, roho na maisha ya mitume, si kwa sababu wahudumu wake wanaweza kufuatilia mstari usiokatika wa kuwekwa wakfu. Hiscox anazungumza pia na watu wake mwenyewe hapa. Baadhi ya Wabaptisti wa siku zake walidai kwamba mnyororo usiokatika wa makanisa yanayofanana na ya Kibaptisti waweza kufuatiliwa kutoka kwa mitume hadi sasa. Mtazamo huu ulikuwa na nguvu katika vuguvugu la Landmark na bado unashikiliwa na baadhi ya Wabaptisti wa Kimisionari na wengine. Hiscox aliuona hauwezi kuthibitishwa na hauhitajiki. Cha muhimu ni kwamba kanisa linafuata Agano Jipya sasa, iwe mnyororo wa kihistoria “haukuwahi kukatika, au ulikatika mara elfu.” CTS inabainisha kwamba wanahistoria wa Kibaptisti bado wanajadili swali hili, na waumini upande wote wawili wanampenda Bwana yuleyule.The ancient creeds name four marks of the church: one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Hiscox accepts all four, but he redefines each. Unity is real, because there is one body, one Spirit and one Lord, but it is not the joining of many congregations into one great organization. It is the spiritual “Communion of Saints” among all who are born of God. Holiness belongs to a church because its members are meant to be born again, “new creatures in Christ Jesus,” even though no member is perfect. Catholicity does not belong to any one body that claims the name. Every congregation of believers that honours Christ’s people in every nation is, in his sense, catholic. Apostolicity lies “not in succession, but in possession”: a church is apostolic when it holds the doctrine, spirit and life of the apostles, not because its ministers can trace an unbroken line of ordinations. Hiscox also speaks to his own people here. Some Baptists of his day claimed that an unbroken chain of Baptist-like churches could be traced from the apostles to the present. This view was strong in the Landmark movement and is still held by some Missionary Baptists and others. Hiscox thought it unprovable and unnecessary. What matters is that a church follows the New Testament now, whether the historical chain “may never have been broken, or broken a thousand times.” CTS notes that Baptist historians still discuss this question, and believers on both sides love the same Lord.

5.Chini ya Kristo, Si Chini ya Dola5.Under Christ, Not Under the State

Kanisa, Hiscox anasema, si “shirikisho” la makusanyiko chini ya askofu, patriaki au papa, au chini ya presbyteri, sinodi au kongamano. Agano Jipya linasema juu ya “makanisa ya Galatia” na “makanisa ya Asia,” kwa wingi. Kila kanisa hupokea mamlaka yake kutoka kwa Kristo peke yake. Washiriki huacha uhuru mdogo wa kibinafsi wanapojiunga, lakini hati halisi ya kanisa inatoka kwa Bwana aliyesema, “Juu ya mwamba huu nitalijenga kanisa langu,” akalituma na Agizo Kuu, na kuahidi kuwa pamoja nalo daima. Mabunge wala mahakama hawawezi kutoa wala kufuta hati hiyo, wala maaskofu wala mikutano mikuu, kwa sababu miili kama hiyo huundwa na makanisa na haiyaundi. Mipaka miwili inafuata. Kanisa laweza kutumia mamlaka juu ya washiriki wake tu, kama Paulo asemavyo katika 1 Wakorintho 5:12. Na mamlaka yake ni ya “kimaadili na kiroho” tu. Haliwezi kuwaambia washiriki wale nini, wavae nini au wafanye kazi gani, isipokuwa mwenendo wao unaleta aibu kwa Kristo. Wakristo wanapaswa kuwa raia wema na kutii sheria, lakini sheria ya wanadamu inapopingana na sheria ya Mungu, “Mungu atiiwe kuliko mwanadamu.” Hapa Hiscox anasimama katika mstari mrefu wa Kibaptisti wa uhuru wa dini, kutoka kwa Thomas Helwys na Roger Williams hadi John Leland, waliohoji kwamba Dola haina haki ya kutawala dhamiri.A church, Hiscox says, is “not a confederation” of congregations under a bishop, patriarch or pope, or under a presbytery, synod or conference. The New Testament speaks of “the churches of Galatia” and “the churches of Asia,” in the plural. Each church receives its authority from Christ alone. Members give up a little personal freedom when they join, but the church’s real charter comes from the Lord who said, “On this rock I will build my church,” sent it out with the Great Commission, and promised to be with it always. Neither parliaments nor courts can grant or cancel that charter, and neither can bishops or conventions, because such bodies are made by churches and do not make them. Two limits follow. A church may exercise authority only over its own members, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:12. And its authority is “moral and spiritual” only. It cannot tell members what to eat, wear or do for a living, unless their conduct brings reproach on Christ. Christians should be good citizens and obey the law, but when human law contradicts God’s law, “God is to be obeyed rather than man.” Here Hiscox stands in the long Baptist line of religious liberty, from Thomas Helwys and Roger Williams to John Leland, who argued that the state has no right to rule the conscience.

6.Makanisa Yanavyozaliwa, Kutambuliwa na Kufungwa6.How Churches Are Born, Recognized and Closed

Makanisa yanahusiana kwa heshima ya pamoja (comity), yaani adabu na upendo wa kindugu, si kwa utawala. Hakuna kanisa linaloweza kulitia lingine nidhamu. Hakuna mshiriki anayeweza kupiga kura katika kanisa lingine. Hakuna mchungaji anayeweza kuhudumu katika mimbari nyingine bila mwaliko. Hata hivyo makanisa hubadilishana barua, hupokea washiriki wa kila jingine, huheshimu maamuzi ya kila jingine na kujiunga katika muungano kwa ajili ya umisionari. Kisha Hiscox anatoa hatua za vitendo. Waumini mahali papya wanapoona haja ya kanisa, huomba, hushauriana, hupata barua kutoka makanisa yao na hukutana kupitisha agano na makala za imani. Azimio rahisi, lililopigiwa kura pamoja, huwafanya “Kanisa la Yesu Kristo.” Hiscox anaonya dhidi ya katiba ndefu na kanuni ndogo, “hazihitajiki kamwe, na mara nyingi huleta usumbufu zaidi kuliko msaada.” Pia anaonya dhidi ya kuanzisha makanisa dhaifu mahali ambapo mengi yapo tayari, na dhidi ya makanisa mapya yanayozaliwa kutokana na magomvi, ambayo anasema mara chache hustawi. Baraza la makanisa jirani laweza kuitwa kulitambua kanisa jipya. Hili ni la hekima lakini la hiari: kanisa halijakuwa kanisa zaidi kwa idhini ya baraza wala pungufu bila hiyo. Hatimaye, kanisa wakati mwingine linaweza kuhitaji kuvunjwa. Hatua hiyo inahitaji maombi na mashauri, barua kwa kila mshiriki, uangalifu kwa mali na kura ya mwisho.Churches are related by comity, that is, by courtesy and brotherly love, not by government. No church may discipline another. No member may vote in another church. No pastor may minister in another pulpit without an invitation. Yet churches exchange letters, receive each other’s members, respect each other’s decisions and join in associations for missions. Hiscox then gives practical steps. When believers in a new place see the need for a church, they pray, take counsel, obtain letters from their churches and meet to adopt a covenant and articles of faith. A simple resolution, voted together, makes them “a Church of Jesus Christ.” Hiscox warns against long constitutions and bylaws, “never necessary, and often more trouble than help.” He also warns against starting weak churches where many already exist, and against new churches born of quarrels, which he says seldom prosper. A council of neighbouring churches may be called to recognize a new church. This is wise but optional: a church is no more a church with the council’s approval and no less a church without it. Finally, a church may sometimes need to disband. That step requires prayer and counsel, letters for every member, care for property and a final vote.

7.Anachochukua Mchungaji wa Kibaptisti Leo Kutoka Humo7.What a Baptist Pastor Takes from It Today

Hiscox anampa mchungaji wa leo picha wazi ya kanisa la mahali: familia ya agano ya waumini, iliyokusanywa na injili, inayowajibika kwa Kristo, na huru chini ya Mungu kupanga maisha yake yenyewe. Picha hiyo bado inasafiri vyema. Huko Meksiko, Kuba, Brazili, Nigeria na Kenya, makusanyiko ya Kibaptisti mara nyingi huanza hasa kama anavyoeleza: kundi la waumini katika mtaa mpya, kanisa mama linalotuma washiriki kwa barua, agano linalosomwa kwa sauti na kura. Mikutano mikuu mingi katika Amerika ya Kilatini na Afrika bado huwapa wachungaji mwongozo uliojengwa juu ya Hiscox au ulioandikwa kwa mtindo wake. Huutumia wanapoanzisha kanisa, wanapoandaa agano au wanapoomba makanisa jirani kulitambua kazi mpya. Wachungaji leo wanapaswa pia kusikia maonyo yake. Kupanda kanisa kutokana na mgawanyiko mara chache huleta baraka. Katiba nzito yaweza kulisonga kusanyiko dogo. Kanisa hupata mamlaka yake kutoka kwa Kristo, si kutokana na ukubwa au fedha. Wakati huohuo, wanafunzi wa CTS wanapaswa kuelewa mapokeo mengine kwa haki. Wapresbyteri wanaamini kwamba makanisa ya mahali yameunganishwa na wazee katika presbyteri na sinodi, kama ulinzi wa mafundisho na haki. Waanglikana, Wakatoliki na Waorthodoksi wanamwona askofu kama ishara na mtumishi wa umoja wa kanisa kupitia nyakati na mahali. Wametodisti wanathamini “muungano” wao, ambamo makanisa hushiriki wachungaji na rasilimali. Jumuiya za Kipentekoste hutofautiana sana: baadhi ni za kura ya waumini wote kikamilifu, baadhi huchanganya sifa za kura ya waumini na za presbyteri, na nyingine hufuata mchungaji mwenye nguvu au msimamizi. Maneno makali ya Hiscox kuhusu jumuiya hizi yanaakisi zama zake. Leo Wabaptisti wanaweza kushikilia imani zao kwa uthabiti na bado kuzungumza kuhusu Wakristo wenzao kwa heshima.Hiscox gives today’s pastor a clear picture of the local church: a covenant family of believers, gathered by the gospel, accountable to Christ, and free under God to order its own life. That picture still travels well. In Mexico, in Cuba, in Brazil, in Nigeria and in Kenya, Baptist congregations often begin exactly as he describes: a group of believers in a new neighbourhood, a mother church that sends members with letters, a covenant read aloud and a vote. Many conventions in Latin America and Africa still give pastors a manual based on Hiscox or written in his pattern. They use it when they organize a church, prepare a covenant or ask neighbouring churches to recognize a new work. Pastors today should also hear his warnings. Planting a church out of a split rarely brings blessing. A heavy constitution can choke a small congregation. A church gets its authority from Christ, not from size or money. At the same time, CTS students should understand other traditions fairly. Presbyterians believe that local churches are joined by elders in presbyteries and synods, as a safeguard of doctrine and fairness. Anglicans, Catholics and Orthodox see the bishop as a sign and servant of the church’s unity across time and place. Methodists value their “connection,” in which churches share pastors and resources. Pentecostal bodies differ widely: some are fully congregational, some mix congregational and presbyterian features, and others follow a strong pastor or overseer. Hiscox’s sharp words about these bodies reflect his era. Today Baptists can hold their convictions firmly and still speak of fellow Christians with respect.

8.Kuliweka Moyoni8.Taking It to Heart

Kwa tafakari. Hiscox anasema kanisa ni kundi “lililoitwa kutoka” na kukusanywa chini ya Kristo. Je, kusanyiko lako linafanana zaidi na mkutano wa walioitwa kutoka au na umati unaokutana kwa bahati katika jengo moja? Kama kanisa lako lingehitaji kuundwa upya kesho, ungeandika nini katika agano lake? Unaona wapi hatari ya kanisa linalotegemea majengo, ibada za taratibu au idadi badala ya uwepo wa Roho? Na unawezaje kushikilia imani za Kibaptisti huku ukiwaheshimu waumini wa mapokeo mengine? For reflection. Hiscox says a church is a company “called out” and gathered under Christ. Does your congregation look more like a called-out assembly or like a crowd that happens to meet in the same building? If your church had to be constituted again tomorrow, what would you write in its covenant? Where do you see the danger of a church that depends on buildings, ritual or numbers rather than on the presence of the Spirit? And how can you hold Baptist convictions while honouring believers in other traditions?

Chagua

Somo la 2 · Church Membership

Living Stones

A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), ch. III, “Church Membership”

A church is “a society under law to Christ,” so Christ, not the church or the pastor, sets the terms of membership. Hiscox names four conditions: a regenerate heart, a confession of faith, baptism and a Christian life. He explains how members are received by baptism, letter or experience, and how they leave.

MUHTASARI WA CTSSoma muhtasari wote — unafunguka hapa hapa

Mawe Yaliyo Hai: Uanachama wa Kanisa wa Waliozaliwa UpyaLiving Stones: A Regenerate Church Membership

Somo la Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala — Hiscox juu ya nani anaweza kuwa wa kanisa, jinsi washiriki wanavyopokelewa, na jinsi wanavyoondokaA Chapala Theological Seminary reading — Hiscox on who may belong to a church, how members are received, and how they leave

Muhtasari wa CTS wa Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), sura ya III, “Uanachama wa Kanisa.” Kitabu cha awali kiko katika uwanja wa umma; nukuu fupi zilizo hapa chini zimetoka kwake.A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), chapter III, “Church Membership.” The original is in the public domain; the short quotations below are from it.

New Directory*, sura ya IIINew Directory, ch. III
Chanzo cha msingiPrimary source
18941894
Edward T. HiscoxEdward T. Hiscox

Neno kabla ya kusoma. Sura hii inaeleza moyo wa maisha ya kanisa la Kibaptisti: kanisa linapaswa kuundwa na watu waliozaliwa upya na kumkiri Kristo katika ubatizo. Hiscox anaandika kama mchungaji makini, na maelezo yake mengi ya vitendo bado ni ya hekima. Baadhi ya desturi zake ni za makanisa ya wakati na mahali pake. CTS inawasilisha mtazamo wake kama msimamo wa kihistoria wa Kibaptisti na inabainisha mahali ambapo Wakristo wengine, na Wabaptisti wengine, wanaendesha uanachama tofauti. A word before you read. This chapter states the heart of Baptist church life: a church should be made up of people who have been born again and have confessed Christ in baptism. Hiscox writes as a careful pastor, and many of his practical notes are still wise. Some of his customs belong to churches of his time and place. CTS presents his view as a historic Baptist position and notes where other Christians, and other Baptists, practise membership differently.

1.Wanajengwa Pamoja Kuwa Makao ya Mungu1.Built Together as a Dwelling of God

Hiscox anaanza na uchunguzi wa mjenzi. Tabia ya jengo hutegemea vifaa vyake, na tabia ya kanisa hutegemea washiriki wake. Waumini “mnajengwa pamoja ili mwe maskani ya Mungu katika Roho” (Waefeso 2:22). Watu mara nyingi huliita kanisa jumuiya ya hiari. Hiscox anakubali, lakini kwa sehemu tu. Hakuna nguvu ya nje inayoweza kumlazimisha mtu yeyote kujiunga na kanisa au kulilazimisha kanisa kumpokea yeyote. Hata hivyo kujiunga si jambo la hiari kwa muumini kwa maana ya kutokuwa na umuhimu. Kristo ameagiza kwamba wafuasi wake wakusanyike katika udugu kama huo. Kwa hiyo kanisa ni “zaidi ya jumuiya ya hiari: ni jumuiya iliyo chini ya sheria ya Kristo.” Sentensi hiyo moja inaeleza mengi ya yanayofuata. Kwa kuwa Kristo ndiye anayeweka masharti, uanachama ni jambo zito, la kujifunza na kuzingatiwa kwa uangalifu.Hiscox begins with a builder’s observation. The character of a building depends on its materials, and the character of a church depends on its members. Believers are “builded together for a habitation of God, through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). People often call a church a voluntary society. Hiscox agrees, but only in part. No outside power can force anyone to join a church or force a church to receive anyone. Yet joining is not optional for a believer in the sense of being unimportant. Christ has ordained that His followers gather in such brotherhoods. So a church is “more than a voluntary society: it is a society under law to Christ.” That one sentence explains much of what follows. Because Christ sets the terms, membership is a serious matter, to be studied and kept with care.

2.Nani Huweka Masharti?2.Who Sets the Terms?

Hiscox anatoa hoja tano fupi kabla ya kuorodhesha masharti. Kwanza, Kristo mwenyewe ameweka tabia ya wale watakaounda makanisa yake, na haibadiliki. Pili, kwa hiyo hakuna kanisa linaloweza kubadilisha masharti hayo, na mchungaji ana haki ndogo zaidi ya kufanya hivyo; mgombea ndiye mwenye haki ndogo kuliko wote. Tatu, baraka za ushirika wa kanisa huja pale kanisa linapofuata kielelezo cha Kristo. Nne, kuporomoka kwa mafundisho na maisha mara nyingi hutokana na kukubali washiriki wasioongoka kuliko karibu kosa lolote jingine. Tano, uanachama wa kiroho ndio ulinzi bora wa huduma ya uaminifu. Pale utauwa unapotawala katika mwili, utadai mchungaji mcha Mungu; lakini “uanachama wa kimwili utavumilia, na hata kudai huduma ya kimwili.” Hiscox anahitimisha kwa msemo wa nabii kutoka Hosea 4:9, “Kama watu, ndivyo kuhani.” Wachungaji leo mara nyingi hudhani kwamba mimbari huunda viti vya waumini. Hiscox anatukumbusha kwamba viti vya waumini pia huunda mimbari.Hiscox makes five short points before he lists the conditions. First, Christ Himself has fixed the character of those who are to form His churches, and it does not change. Second, therefore no church may alter those terms, and the pastor has still less right to do so; the candidate has least of all. Third, the blessings of church fellowship come when the church follows Christ’s pattern. Fourth, decline in doctrine and life comes more often from admitting unconverted members than from almost any other fault. Fifth, a spiritual membership is the best protection for a faithful ministry. Where godliness rules in the body, it will demand a godly pastor; but “a carnal membership will endure, and even demand a carnal ministry.” Hiscox sums it up with the prophet’s phrase from Hosea 4:9, “Like people, like priest.” Pastors today often think the pulpit shapes the pews. Hiscox reminds us that the pews also shape the pulpit.

3.Masharti Manne ya Uanachama3.Four Conditions of Membership

Hiscox anataja masharti manne: moyo uliozaliwa upya, kukiri imani, kupokea ubatizo na maisha ya Kikristo. Moyo uliozaliwa upya unakuja kwanza. Haitoshi kuwa mwenye heshima au mwadilifu. Mshiriki lazima atoe ushahidi mzuri wa kuwa “kiumbe kipya katika Kristo Yesu.” Hiscox analinganisha hili na makanisa yanayokubali watu wa tabia njema walio tayari kufundishwa, na yanayobatiza watoto wachanga, yakitarajia kuzaliwa upya kutokee ndani ya kanisa. Wabaptisti, anasema, lazima wasisitize uanachama wa waliozaliwa upya “kwa vitendo” pamoja na nadharia. Kukiri imani kunafuata. Kanisa lazima liwe na ushahidi fulani kwamba mgeni anashiriki imani yake, na ushahidi mkuu ni neno la mtu mwenyewe: “kwa kinywa hukiri hata kupata wokovu” (Warumi 10:10). Ubatizo ni sharti la kisherehe. Mtu huingia katika ufalme kwa kuzaliwa upya, lakini huingia katika kanisa linaloonekana kwa kukiri kuzaliwa huko upya katika ubatizo, akizikwa na kufufuliwa pamoja na Kristo. Katika Agano Jipya utaratibu ulikuwa rahisi: walitubu, waliamini, walibatizwa, wakaongezwa kwa kanisa. Maisha ya Kikristo hukamilisha picha. Katika nyakati za kitume ubatizo ulifuata imani karibu mara moja. Leo kwa kawaida muda fulani hupita, na katika muda huo kanisa linapaswa kuona mwenendo unaolingana na kukiri. Kama mtu bado anapenda marafiki wa zamani na raha za zamani, ni vigumu kuamini kukiri kwake.Hiscox names four conditions: a regenerate heart, a confession of faith, the reception of baptism and a Christian life. A regenerate heart comes first. It is not enough to be respectable or moral. A member must give good evidence of being “a new creature in Christ Jesus.” Hiscox contrasts this with churches that admit people of good character who are willing to be taught, and that baptize infants, expecting regeneration to happen within the church. Baptists, he says, must insist on a regenerate membership “in practice” as well as in theory. A confession of faith follows. The church must have some evidence that a newcomer shares its faith, and the main evidence is the person’s own word: “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Baptism is the ceremonial condition. A person enters the kingdom by the new birth, but enters the visible church by confessing that new birth in baptism, buried and raised with Christ. In the New Testament the order was simple: they repented, believed, were baptized and were added to the church. A Christian life completes the picture. In apostolic times baptism followed faith almost immediately. Today some time usually passes, and in that time the church should see conduct that fits the confession. If a person still loves the old companions and old pleasures, the profession is hard to believe.

4.Kusimulia Bwana Alichofanya4.Telling What the Lord Has Done

“Njia ya zamani ya Kibaptisti,” Hiscox anasema, ni kwa kila mgombea kuja mbele ya kanisa na “kusimulia uzoefu wake,” akieleza Bwana alichowatendea. Wachungaji na mashemasi wanaweza kuzungumza na wagombea kwanza, lakini mgombea bado lazima aseme kibinafsi kwa kanisa, na desturi hiyo “inapaswa kudumishwa kwa ushujaa.” Hiscox hakubali aibu kama kisingizio: kama moyo umebadilishwa, waweza kusema kitu kuhusu hilo. Hata hivyo maelezo yake ni ya kichungaji na ya hekima. Si kila mtu anaweza kusimulia hadithi ya kustaajabisha, na wale wenye hadithi ya kustaajabisha zaidi si lazima wawe walioongoka kwa hakika zaidi. Washiriki wapya wanaweza kujua mafundisho machache; kanisa ni “shule ya mafunzo matakatifu” ambamo watafundishwa. Katika mambo madogo “uhuru mkubwa wa Kikristo” unapaswa kuruhusiwa. Kinachowashawishi wasikilizaji si maneno kuliko roho ambayo kwayo yanasemwa. Na Hiscox anawakaripia wachungaji wanaowahimiza watu kuingia uanachama kwa maswali machache rahisi na kura ya haraka. Kanisa kama hilo laweza kuonekana kustawi kwa sababu ubatizo ni wa mara kwa mara, lakini nguvu yake imedhoofika. Dokezo moja linajitokeza kwa wakati wake. “Wala umri, wala jinsia, wala kabila, wala tabia ya zamani, wala hali ya maisha” haipaswi kumzuia mtu kuingia Kanisani ikiwa kuna ushahidi wazi wa neema ya wokovu. Likiandikwa mwaka 1894, sentensi hiyo bado inalipinga kila kanisa linalojaribiwa kuwakaribisha aina fulani za watu kwa urahisi zaidi kuliko wengine.The “old Baptist way,” Hiscox says, is for each candidate to come before the church and “relate their experience,” telling what the Lord has done for them. Pastors and deacons may talk with candidates first, but the candidate must still speak personally to the church, and the custom “should be heroically maintained.” Hiscox does not accept shyness as an excuse: if a heart has been changed, it can say something about it. Yet his notes are pastoral and wise. Not everyone can tell a dramatic story, and those with the most remarkable story are not always the most surely converted. New members may know little doctrine; the church is “a school of sacred learning” where they will be taught. In minor matters “large Christian liberty” should be allowed. What convinces hearers is less the words than the spirit in which they are spoken. And Hiscox rebukes pastors who hurry people into membership with a few easy questions and a quick vote. Such a church may look prosperous because baptisms are frequent, but its strength is weakened. One note stands out for its time. “Neither age, sex, race, past character, nor condition in life” should keep anyone out of the church if there is clear evidence of saving grace. Written in 1894, that sentence still challenges every church that is tempted to welcome some kinds of people more readily than others.

5.Njia Tatu za Kuingia5.Three Ways In

Hiscox hataki sherehe kuu ya kupokea washiriki. Hata hivyo anafikiri makanisa hulifanya tendo hilo dogo mno. Katika kila hali hatua ya msingi ni ileile: kanisa hupiga kura ya kumpokea mtu. Si mchungaji peke yake, wala bodi, wala kamati, bali kusanyiko ndilo huamua, ili mwili mzima utoe karibisho lake. Kamati zaweza kuwahoji wagombea kwanza, lakini kazi yao ni maandalizi tu. Zipo njia tatu za kuingia. Kwa ubatizo, muumini mpya huliambia kanisa juu ya imani yake na hupokelewa anapobatizwa. Kwa barua, mshiriki anayehama huleta barua ya mapendekezo na kuachiliwa kutoka kanisa la awali, inayothibitisha hadhi nzuri. Kwa uzoefu, mtu aliyebatizwa lakini amepoteza uanachama kwa njia fulani hutoa taarifa ya kuongoka kwake na hupokelewa bila kubatizwa tena. Kisa cha nne, kurejeshwa, humrudisha mshiriki wa zamani aliyetengwa na ambaye sasa ametubu. Hiscox anashauri kwamba wagombea wapokelewe kwa kura ya kauli moja, ili mtu yeyote asiingizwe “kwa huzuni” ya mshiriki yeyote, ingawa pingamizi za kuleta mafarakano ziwekwe kando. Anakataa kipindi chochote cha kusubiri kilichowekwa kuwa kisicho cha Kimaandiko, huku akishauri subira katika visa visivyo wazi. Kisha mchungaji hutoa mkono wa kuume wa ushirika, mara nyingi katika Meza ya Bwana. Katika makanisa mengine, hasa Kusini, kila mshiriki hutoka mbele kumpa mkono mshiriki mpya, desturi ambayo Hiscox anaona “yenye kuelezea zaidi.” Washiriki wote kisha wana haki sawa, “bila ubaguzi wa jinsia, umri wala hali.”Hiscox wants no grand ceremony for receiving members. Yet he thinks churches make too little of the act. In every case the essential step is the same: the church votes to receive the person. Not the pastor alone, nor a board, nor a committee, but the congregation decides, so that the whole body gives its welcome. Committees may examine candidates first, but their work is only preparation. There are three ways in. By baptism, a new believer tells the church of his or her faith and is received on being baptized. By letter, a member who moves brings a letter of commendation and dismission from the former church, which certifies good standing. By experience, a person who was baptized but has lost membership in some way gives an account of conversion and is received without rebaptism. A fourth case, restoration, brings back a former member who was excluded and has now repented. Hiscox advises that candidates be received by a unanimous vote, so that no one is taken in “to the grief” of any member, though factious objections should be set aside. He rejects any fixed waiting period as unscriptural, while advising patience in unclear cases. The pastor then gives the right hand of fellowship, often at the Lord’s Supper. In some churches, especially in the South, every member comes forward to shake the new member’s hand, a custom Hiscox finds “more expressive.” All members then have equal rights, “without distinction of sex, age or condition.”

6.Njia Tatu za Kutoka6.Three Ways Out

Uanachama, kwa Hiscox, umekusudiwa kuwa wa maisha yote. Hakuna nguvu ya kibinadamu inayoweza kumshikilia mtu ndani ya kanisa kinyume cha mapenzi yake, lakini kujiunga hufanywa “kama kwa Bwana,” si kwa urahisi tu. Wakristo ni wa ndani ya zizi. Kwa hiyo zipo njia tatu tu za kutoka: kwa barua kwenda kanisa jingine la imani ileile, kwa kutengwa kupitia nidhamu ya kanisa, na kwa kifo, kinachomhamisha mshiriki kutoka kanisa la duniani kwenda kanisa la juu. Maelezo yake yamejaa busara ya vitendo. Barua kwa kawaida ni halali kwa takriban miezi sita, na hadi itumike mtu hubaki mshiriki wa kanisa lililoitoa. Hakuna mshiriki awezaye tu kujiuzulu; kanisa lazima litende. Wala kanisa haliwezi kumsukuma nje mshiriki asiyetakiwa kwa kumlazimisha kuchukua barua; hilo lingekuwa kutengwa bila mchakato wa haki. Washiriki wanaohamia mbali wanapaswa kuhamisha uanachama wao badala ya kuushikilia katika kanisa moja na kuabudu katika jingine. Kanisa laweza kuweka orodha tofauti ya watu ambao limepoteza habari zao, lakini “kuondoa” majina hakupaswi kamwe kutumiwa kama nidhamu wala kumwondoa mshiriki msumbufu. Hiscox anamalizia kwa uhalisia wa kweli. Hakuna kanisa lililo kamilifu, na washiriki wakati mwingine watakuwa mzigo kwa kila mmoja. Lakini wale walio wa Kristo “huchukuliana mizigo” na hawavunji ushirika kwa njia zisizo za fadhili.Membership, for Hiscox, is meant to be lifelong. No human power can keep a person in a church against his will, yet joining is done “as unto the Lord,” not as a matter of convenience. Christians belong inside the fold. There are therefore only three ways out: by letter to another church of the same faith, by exclusion through the church’s discipline, and by death, which moves a member from the church on earth to the church above. His notes are full of practical sense. A letter is usually valid for about six months, and until it is used the person remains a member of the church that gave it. No member can simply resign; the church must act. Nor may a church push an unwanted member out by forcing a letter on him; that would be exclusion without a fair process. Members who move far away should transfer their membership instead of holding it in one church and worshipping in another. A church may keep a separate list of people it has lost track of, but “dropping” names must never be used as discipline or to get rid of a troublesome member. Hiscox closes with honest realism. No church is perfect, and members will sometimes find each other a burden. But those who belong to Christ “bear one another’s burdens” and do not break fellowship by unkind means.

7.Anachochukua Mchungaji wa Kibaptisti Leo Kutoka Humo7.What a Baptist Pastor Takes from It Today

Imani ya Hiscox kwamba kanisa linapaswa kuwa ushirika wa waliozaliwa upya inabaki kuwa kitovu cha utambulisho wa Kibaptisti. Inaunda jinsi wachungaji katika Amerika ya Kilatini na Afrika wanavyopokea washiriki leo. Katika makanisa mengi ya Meksiko, Kuba na Amerika ya Kati, mgombea huhudhuria darasa la ubatizo, hutoa ushuhuda mbele ya kusanyiko au mashemasi, na hupokelewa kwa kura katika mkutano wa shughuli, mara nyingi huitwa sesión de negocios. “Barua ya kuhamisha” bado ni muhimu, ingawa uhamiaji unamaanisha kwamba washiriki wengi huhama haraka kati ya nchi na kati ya miji, na makanisa lazima yaamue jinsi ya kuwakaribisha watu ambao kanisa lao la awali liko mbali. Nigeria, Ghana na Kenya, makanisa ya Kibaptisti kwa kawaida hudai miezi ya mafundisho kabla ya ubatizo, desturi iliyo karibu na hoja ya Hiscox kwamba mwenendo unapaswa kuthibitisha kukiri. Wachungaji wanaweza pia kujifunza kutokana na tahadhari zake: msikimbilie idadi, msiruhusu uanachama kuwa orodha ya majina, na wakaribisheni watu wa kila tabaka na kabila. Wakristo wengine hujibu swali la uanachama tofauti. Wapresbyteri, Waanglikana, Walutheri na Wametodisti huwabatiza watoto wachanga wa waumini na kuwapokea katika jumuiya ya agano, baadaye wakiwaita kuthibitisha imani yao. Makanisa mengi ya Kipentekoste yanashiriki msisitizo wa Kibaptisti juu ya kuongoka kwa kibinafsi, mara nyingi yakiongeza madarasa ya uanachama na wakati mwingine ushuhuda wa kazi ya Roho. Baadhi ya Wabaptisti leo pia hutofautiana na Hiscox. Wengine huwapokea waumini waliobatizwa kwa kuzamishwa katika makanisa mengine bila kubatizwa tena, na wengine hufanya Meza ya Bwana iwe wazi zaidi. Haya ni maswali mazito ambayo watu waaminifu wanatofautiana juu yake.Hiscox’s conviction that the church should be a fellowship of the born again remains the centre of Baptist identity. It shapes how pastors in Latin America and Africa receive members today. In many Mexican, Cuban and Central American churches, a candidate attends a baptismal class, gives a testimony before the congregation or the deacons, and is received by a vote in the business meeting, often called the sesión de negocios. The “letter of transfer” still matters, though migration means that many members move between countries and between cities quickly, and churches must decide how to welcome people whose former church is far away. In Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, Baptist churches commonly require months of instruction before baptism, a practice close to Hiscox’s concern that conduct should confirm confession. Pastors can also learn from his cautions: do not rush numbers, do not let membership become a list of names, and welcome people of every class and race. Other Christians answer the membership question differently. Presbyterians, Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists baptize the infants of believers and receive them into the covenant community, later calling them to confirm their faith. Many Pentecostal churches share the Baptist emphasis on personal conversion, often adding membership classes and sometimes a testimony of the Spirit’s work. Some Baptists today also differ from Hiscox. Some receive believers baptized by immersion in other churches without rebaptism, and some practise more open communion. These are serious questions on which faithful people disagree.

8.Kuliweka Moyoni8.Taking It to Heart

Kwa tafakari. Hiscox anasema kwamba “uanachama wa kimwili” utavumilia na hata kudai huduma ya kimwili. Maisha ya kiroho ya kusanyiko lako yanaunda vipi kile linachotarajia kutoka kwa mchungaji wake? Kama ungeulizwa kesho kuliambia kanisa Bwana alichokutendea, ungesema nini? Kanisa lako linapokeaje washiriki wapya, na je, mchakato huo unajenga ushirika wa kweli? Na je, zipo watu ambao kusanyiko lako huwakaribisha kwa urahisi mdogo kwa sababu ya tabaka, kabila au maisha ya zamani? For reflection. Hiscox says that “a carnal membership” will tolerate and even demand a carnal ministry. How does the spiritual life of your congregation shape what it expects of its pastor? If you were asked tomorrow to tell the church what the Lord has done for you, what would you say? How does your church receive new members, and does that process build real fellowship? And are there people your congregation welcomes less readily because of class, race or past life?

Chagua

Somo la 3 · Church Officers

Shepherds and Servants

A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), ch. IV, “Church Officers”

Hiscox argues that the New Testament knows two offices only: pastors, also called bishops and elders, and deacons. He describes the pastor’s preaching and visiting, his call by congregational vote, his moral authority and fair support, and the deacon’s real ministry of service. CTS adds other traditions and the views on women in office.

MUHTASARI WA CTSSoma muhtasari wote — unafunguka hapa hapa

Wachungaji na Watumishi: Wachungaji na MashemasiShepherds and Servants: Pastors and Deacons

Somo la Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala — Hiscox juu ya ofisi mbili za Agano Jipya, jinsi wachungaji wanavyoitwa na kutegemezwa, na mashemasi wanakusudiwa niniA Chapala Theological Seminary reading — Hiscox on the two New Testament offices, how pastors are called and supported, and what deacons are for

Muhtasari wa CTS wa Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), sura ya IV, “Viongozi wa Kanisa.” Kitabu cha awali kiko katika uwanja wa umma; nukuu fupi zilizo hapa chini zimetoka kwake.A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), chapter IV, “Church Officers.” The original is in the public domain; the short quotations below are from it.

New Directory*, sura ya IVNew Directory, ch. IV
Chanzo cha msingiPrimary source
18941894
Edward T. HiscoxEdward T. Hiscox

Neno kabla ya kusoma. Hii ndiyo ndefu zaidi kati ya sura zetu tano na ya vitendo zaidi. Hiscox anaandika kama mchungaji aliyeona huduma nzuri na mbaya, makanisa yenye afya na yasiyo na afya. Anahoji ofisi mbili tu, mchungaji na shemasi, na anakosoa vikali mfumo wa maaskofu. CTS inaeleza hoja yake, inabainisha jinsi mapokeo mengine yanavyojibu, na inawasilisha mitazamo tofauti ya Kikristo kuhusu wanawake katika ofisi ya kanisa bila kuchagua upande. A word before you read. This is the longest of our five chapters and the most practical. Hiscox writes as a pastor who had seen good and bad ministries, healthy and unhealthy churches. He argues for two offices only, pastor and deacon, and he criticizes the episcopal system sharply. CTS sets out his case, notes how other traditions answer it, and presents the different Christian views on women in church office without taking a side.

1.Viongozi Wanalitumikia Kanisa1.Officers Serve the Church

Kila jumuiya iliyopangwa ina viongozi, na kanisa pia. Hata hivyo Hiscox anatoa hoja inayowashangaza wasomaji wengi: viongozi “si lazima kwa kuwapo” kwa kanisa. Dola haikomi kuwapo rais wake akifa, na kanisa halikomi kuwa kanisa mchungaji wake akiondoka. Lilikuwa kanisa kabla ya kuwa na viongozi, na liliwachagua kutoka miongoni mwa washiriki wake. Wote wakijiuzulu, kanisa lingechagua wengine. Viongozi ni muhimu kwa afya na kazi ya kanisa, lakini kanisa linakuja kwanza. Kisha Hiscox anauliza viongozi wa kanisa ni nani, wanachaguliwaje, wanafanya nini na mamlaka yao yanatoka wapi. Anasisitiza kwamba jibu lazima litoke katika Agano Jipya, si katika mapokeo ya baadaye ya kanisa. Na jibu lake ni kwamba zipo ofisi mbili tu: wachungaji na mashemasi.Every organized society has officers, and so does a church. Yet Hiscox makes a point that surprises many readers: officers are “not essential to the existence” of a church. A state does not cease to exist when its president dies, and a church does not cease to be a church when its pastor leaves. It was a church before it had officers, and it chose them from its own members. If all of them resigned, the church would elect others. Officers are important for a church’s health and work, but the church comes first. Hiscox then asks what the officers of a church are, how they are chosen, what they do and where their authority comes from. He insists that the answer must come from the New Testament, not from later church tradition. And his answer is that there are two offices only: pastors and deacons.

2.Askofu, Mzee na Mchungaji: Ofisi Moja2.Bishop, Elder and Pastor: One Office

Agano Jipya linatumia maneno matatu kwa ofisi ya kwanza. Episkopos, ambalo kwa kawaida hutafsiriwa “askofu,” linamaanisha msimamizi. Presbyteros, “mzee,” lilitoka sinagogini na lilitumiwa hasa miongoni mwa Wakristo wa Kiyahudi. “Mchungaji” humaanisha mfugaji wa kondoo anayeongoza, kulisha, kuelekeza na kulinda kundi. Hiscox anahoji kwamba maneno haya yanaeleza ofisi ileile moja. Katika Matendo 20:17 Paulo anawaita wazee wa Efeso, na katika mstari wa 28 anawaambia watu wale wale kwamba Roho Mtakatifu amewaweka kuwa wasimamizi. Katika Tito 1:5–7 watu ambao Tito lazima awaweke wanaitwa wazee kisha maaskofu. Wafilipi 1:1 inawasalimu “watakatifu ... pamoja na waangalizi na mashemasi,” kana kwamba hilo ndilo kanisa lote. Hiscox anaita mstari mrefu wa wanahistoria kuwa mashahidi, wengi wao wa makanisa yenye maaskofu: Neander, Mosheim, Gieseler, Schaff na Mkuu wa Kianglikana Alford. Neander alisema vyema: jina “mzee” lilionyesha heshima ya ofisi, ilhali “askofu” lilionyesha wajibu wake. Kwa hiyo utaratibu wa baadaye wa daraja tatu wa maaskofu, makuhani na mashemasi, ukilinganishwa na kuhani mkuu, makuhani na Walawi wa Israeli, hauna msingi katika matumizi ya mitume ya maneno haya.The New Testament uses three words for the first office. Episkopos, usually translated “bishop,” means an overseer. Presbyteros, “elder,” came from the synagogue and was used especially among Jewish Christians. “Pastor” means a shepherd who leads, feeds, guides and guards the flock. Hiscox argues that these words describe one and the same office. In Acts 20:17 Paul calls for the elders of Ephesus, and in verse 28 he tells the same men that the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. In Titus 1:5–7 the men Titus must appoint are called elders and then bishops. Philippians 1:1 greets “the saints … with the bishops and deacons,” as if that were the whole church. Hiscox calls a long line of historians as witnesses, many of them from churches with bishops: Neander, Mosheim, Gieseler, Schaff and the Anglican Dean Alford. Neander put it neatly: the name “elder” showed the dignity of the office, while “bishop” showed its duties. So the later threefold order of bishops, priests and deacons, compared to the high priest, priests and Levites of Israel, has no basis in the apostles’ use of these words.

3.Daraja ya Juu Ilivyotokea, na Jinsi Wengine Wanavyoiona3.How a Higher Order Arose, and How Others See It

Basi maaskofu walikuwaje daraja tofauti? Hiscox anatoa maelezo ya kihistoria. Mitume walipokuwa hai, waliheshimiwa kama wa pekee. Baada yao, wachungaji waliowajua walipokea heshima ya pekee. Makanisa ya zamani katika majiji makuu yalipata ushawishi juu ya makanisa mapya ya vijijini, na mzee mmoja mwenye kusimamia katika kila kanisa polepole alichukua jina la askofu. Kwa karne nyingi, anasema, hili lilikua kuwa uongozi wa kikuhani wenye nguvu. Mitume, anasisitiza, hawakuwa na warithi katika ofisi yao ya pekee. Hapa CTS inawaomba wanafunzi wasikie upande mwingine kwa haki. Wakristo wa Kikatoliki, Kiorthodoksi na Kianglikana wanamtaja Ignatio wa Antiokia, mapema katika karne ya pili, ambaye tayari anaeleza askofu mmoja akiongoza kila kanisa pamoja na wazee na mashemasi. Wanamwona askofu kama mlinzi aliyetolewa na Mungu wa mafundisho sahihi na wa umoja kupitia nyakati, mtazamo unaoitwa urithi wa kitume. Wapresbyteri wanakubaliana na Hiscox kwamba askofu na mzee ni ofisi moja, lakini wanatofautisha wazee wafundishaji, au wahudumu, na wazee watawala wanaotawala pamoja nao. Idadi inayoongezeka ya makanisa ya Kibaptisti leo pia yana wazee wengi, ambayo mengi yanaona karibu zaidi na Matendo 20. Mfumo wa ofisi mbili wa Hiscox bado ndio wa kawaida zaidi kati ya Wabaptisti.How then did bishops become a separate rank? Hiscox gives a historical explanation. While the apostles lived, they were honoured as unique. After them, pastors who had known them received special respect. The older churches in great cities gained influence over newer rural churches, and one presiding elder in each church gradually took the title of bishop. Over centuries, he says, this grew into a powerful hierarchy. The apostles, he insists, had no successors in their unique office. Here CTS asks students to hear the other side fairly. Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Christians point to Ignatius of Antioch, early in the second century, who already describes one bishop leading each church with elders and deacons. They see the bishop as a God-given guardian of sound teaching and of unity across time, a view called apostolic succession. Presbyterians agree with Hiscox that bishop and elder are one office, but they distinguish teaching elders, or ministers, from ruling elders who govern with them. A growing number of Baptist churches today also have a plurality of elders, which many of them see as closer to Acts 20. Hiscox’s two-office pattern remains the most common among Baptists.

4.Kazi ya Mchungaji4.The Pastor’s Work

Kazi ya pekee ya mchungaji ni “kuchunga kundi.” Anapaswa kujali mahitaji ya kila siku ya washiriki, lakini lengo lake ni kuvuta roho kwa Kristo na kuwajenga waumini. Mimbari ni “ngome ya nguvu zake.” Mchungaji asipoweza kuwashikilia watu kwa mahubiri thabiti na yaliyoandaliwa vyema, Hiscox anasema, hawezi kwa njia nyingine yoyote; hila za kuvuta umati hazidumu. Anaonya vilevile dhidi ya wachungaji wanaopuuza masomo na kutegemea kipaji chao cha kuzungumza bila maandalizi. Kutembelea kichungaji pia ni muhimu. Mchungaji lazima awajue watu wake majumbani mwao, nao lazima wamjue nje ya mimbari. Ziara ziwe fupi na za kiroho, si porojo wala huzuni. Mchungaji husimamia kazi zote za kanisa, za kiroho na za vitendo, lakini hapaswi “kutawala urithi wa Mungu kwa ubabe.” Anapaswa kuwajali watoto na vijana bila kuwapuuza wengine, na kuepuka kupendelea tabaka lolote la kijamii. Hiscox anaongeza dokezo thabiti la Kiprotestanti. Wahudumu si makuhani wanaotoa dhabihu au kusimama kati ya Mungu na watu. Waumini wote huunda “ukuhani wa kifalme” (1 Petro 2:9), na Kristo ndiye Mpatanishi mmoja.The pastor’s special work is “the shepherding of the flock.” He should care about members’ daily needs, but his aim is to win souls to Christ and build up believers. The pulpit is “the stronghold of his power.” If a pastor cannot hold the people by sound and well-prepared preaching, Hiscox says, he cannot hold them any other way; tricks to draw a crowd do not last. He warns equally against pastors who neglect study and trust their gift for speaking without preparation. Pastoral visiting matters too. The pastor must know his people in their homes, and they must know him outside the pulpit. Visits should be short and spiritual, neither gossip nor gloom. The pastor oversees all the church’s work, spiritual and practical, but must not “lord it over God’s heritage.” He should care for children and youth without neglecting others, and avoid favouring any social class. Hiscox adds a strong Protestant note. Ministers are not priests who offer sacrifice or stand between God and people. All believers form “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), and Christ is the one Mediator.

5.Wito, Mamlaka, Muda na Msaada5.Calling, Authority, Tenure and Support

Wito. Kanisa la Kibaptisti huchagua mchungaji wake mwenyewe kwa kura huru ya washiriki wake. Hakuna askofu, sinodi wala baraza linaloweza kuteua mmoja. Hiscox anashauri mkutano utangazwe Jumapili mbili, na kura ya angalau robo tatu; mgombea mwenye hekima hapaswi kukubali pungufu. Kanisa linapaswa kujua rekodi ya mtu, si tu “mahubiri machache ya kung’aa au ya kuvutia,” na linapaswa kuepuka kusikiliza wagombea wengi mmoja baada ya mwingine. Mtu wa utauwa wa kina ni bora kuliko “mtangazaji mng’ao wa jukwaani.” Mamlaka. Mchungaji hana nguvu ya kuamuru wala kuadhibu. Mamlaka yake ni ya kimaadili: yanategemea tabia, mafundisho ya uaminifu na ushawishi. Anapaswa kupendwa na kuheshimiwa, si kuchukuliwa kama mtu wa kibinadamu zaidi wala kama kikaragosi. Muda. Uchungaji bora kabisa ni wa maisha yote, lakini Hiscox anajua ni nadra. Wachungaji wengine hubaki baada ya manufaa yao kuisha; wengine huondoka haraka mno kwa matatizo madogo. Mchungaji aikimbie “magomvi ya Kanisa” kama tauni. Msaada. Kanisa linapaswa kumlipa mchungaji wake kwa ukarimu na kwa wakati. Zawadi kama pishi ya viazi hazipaswi kamwe kuhesabiwa kama mshahara. Kama kanisa haliwezi kumtegemeza, anaweza kufanya kazi kwa mikono yake, kama Paulo alivyofanya kwa kushona mahema. Hapa mifumo mingine ya uongozi hutofautiana. Katika makanisa ya Kimetodisti askofu na kongamano huteua wachungaji kwa makusanyiko, na katika makanisa ya Kipresbyteri presbyteri lazima iidhinishe wito. Hiscox anabainisha kwamba hata huko, makusanyiko mara chache hubakiza mchungaji wasiyemtaka.Calling. A Baptist church chooses its own pastor by the free vote of its members. No bishop, synod or council can appoint one. Hiscox advises a meeting announced on two Sundays, and a vote of at least three quarters; a wise candidate should not accept less. The church should know a man’s record, not just a few “flashy or fascinating sermons,” and should avoid hearing many candidates in turn. A man of deep piety is better than “the brilliant platform declaimer.” Authority. The pastor has no power to command or punish. His authority is moral: it rests on character, faithful teaching and persuasion. He should be loved and honoured, not treated as a superhuman figure or as a puppet. Tenure. The ideal pastorate is lifelong, but Hiscox knows it is rare. Some pastors stay after their usefulness has ended; others leave too quickly over small troubles. A pastor should flee “Church quarrels” as he would a plague. Support. A church should pay its pastor generously and on time. Gifts such as a bushel of potatoes must never be counted as salary. If a church cannot support him, he may work with his hands, as Paul did in tentmaking. Here other polities differ. In Methodist churches a bishop and conference appoint pastors to congregations, and in Presbyterian churches the presbytery must approve a call. Hiscox notes that even there, congregations rarely keep a pastor they do not want.

6.Mashemasi: Watumishi wa Kanisa6.Deacons: Servants of the Church

Neno diakonos linamaanisha mtumishi au mhudumu. Hiscox anafuatilia ofisi hiyo hadi kwa Saba waliochaguliwa katika Matendo 6 kuwajali wajane, ili mitume wajitoe kwa maombi na neno. Saba walichaguliwa na “umati wa wanafunzi” na kutengwa kwa sala na kuwekewa mikono, na Paulo baadaye alitoa sifa za mashemasi katika 1 Timotheo 3. Kwa hiyo ofisi hiyo ni ya kudumu. Mashemasi huwajali wagonjwa na wahitaji na mambo ya vitendo, na hutumika kama washauri na wasaidizi wa mchungaji. Idadi, kwa kawaida wawili hadi saba, ni juu ya kanisa, na makanisa mengi sasa huchagua mashemasi kwa vipindi vya miaka mitatu. Hiscox anasikitika kwamba kuwekwa rasmi kwa mashemasi kumeachwa mahali pengi, hivyo ofisi huchukuliwa kama “zaidi kidogo tu ya kamati.” Pia anakataa wazo kwamba mashemasi wapo hasa kugawa mkate na kikombe katika Meza ya Bwana; yeyote anaweza kufanya hivyo. Shemasi mwema ni “baraka ya pekee” kwa mchungaji na kanisa. Hata hivyo mashemasi si bodi tofauti ya kutawala, na hawapaswi kukutana kama hiyo bila mchungaji. Kazi nyingine za vitendo ni za karani, anayetunza historia ya kanisa; mweka hazina; na wadhamini, ambao sheria mahali pengi inawataka kumiliki mali.The word diakonos means a servant or minister. Hiscox traces the office to the Seven chosen in Acts 6 to care for widows, so that the apostles could give themselves to prayer and the word. The Seven were chosen by “the multitude of the disciples” and set apart by prayer and the laying on of hands, and Paul later gave qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3. So the office is permanent. Deacons care for the sick and needy and for practical affairs, and they serve as counsellors and helpers of the pastor. The number, usually two to seven, is up to the church, and many churches now elect deacons for terms of three years. Hiscox regrets that ordination of deacons has fallen into disuse in many places, so that the office is treated as “little more than a committee.” He also rejects the idea that deacons exist mainly to pass the bread and cup at the Lord’s Supper; anyone can do that. A good deacon is “a peculiar blessing” to pastor and church. Yet deacons are not a separate governing board, and they should not meet as one without the pastor. Other practical tasks belong to a clerk, who keeps the church’s history; a treasurer; and trustees, whom the law in many places requires to hold property.

7.Wanawake Katika Ofisi ya Kanisa, na Mchungaji Leo7.Women in Church Office, and the Pastor Today

Katika 1 Timotheo 3:11 Paulo anasema juu ya wanawake katika kifungu kuhusu mashemasi. Hiscox alidhani kwamba hawa huenda hawakuwa wake wa mashemasi bali mashemasi wa kike, wanawake walioteuliwa kuwahudumia wagonjwa na wanawake wengine. Kwa kuwa wanawake walikuwa wengi zaidi na mara nyingi wenye ufanisi zaidi katika kazi za rehema, hakuona sababu kwa nini wasaidizi kama hao wasiendelezwe. Kuhusu swali pana la wanawake katika ofisi ya kanisa, Wakristo waaminifu wanashikilia mitazamo tofauti, na CTS inaiwasilisha kando kwa kando. Wanaoamini utegemeano wa majukumu (complementarians) wanaamini kwamba wanaume na wanawake ni sawa katika thamani lakini kwamba Maandiko yanaweka ofisi ya mchungaji au mzee kwa wanaume wenye sifa, huku yakikaribisha wanawake katika huduma nyingine nyingi, na baadhi pia kama mashemasi. Wanaoamini usawa kamili (egalitarians) wanaamini kwamba Roho hutoa karama bila kujali jinsia na kwamba ofisi zote, ikiwa ni pamoja na mchungaji, ziko wazi kwa wanawake wenye sifa, wakitaja wanawake kama Foibe, Priskila na Yunia. Mtazamo wa tatu unasisitiza huduma ya kushirikiana kama timu, ambamo wanaume na wanawake hutumikia pamoja katika timu za uongozi, huku makanisa yakiamua kwa mahali pao jinsi ya kutaja na kupanga majukumu hayo. Mikutano mikuu ya Kibaptisti katika Amerika ya Kilatini, Afrika na kwingineko hufuata desturi tofauti, na kanisa la Kibaptisti, likiwa linajitawala, huamua swali hili lenyewe kwa mwanga wa Maandiko. Kuhusu mchungaji leo, Hiscox anatoa ushauri wa kudumu: hubiri vizuri, tembelea kwa uaminifu, ongoza kwa ushawishi, epuka magomvi, waheshimu mashemasi kama wahudumu halisi, na liombe kanisa liwalipe watumishi wake kwa haki. Katika sehemu kubwa ya Amerika ya Kilatini na Afrika, ambako wachungaji wengi hufanya kazi nyingine pia, ruhusa yake ya kufanya kazi “kama Paulo” alivyofanya, na karipio lake kwa makanisa yanayowapuuza wachungaji wao, vyote bado vinahitajika.In 1 Timothy 3:11 Paul speaks of women in a passage about deacons. Hiscox thought these were probably not deacons’ wives but deaconesses, women appointed to serve the sick and other women. Since women were the more numerous and often the more effective in works of mercy, he saw no reason why such helpers should not be continued. On the wider question of women in church office, faithful Christians hold different views, and CTS presents them side by side. Complementarians believe that men and women are equal in worth but that Scripture reserves the office of pastor or elder to qualified men, while welcoming women in many other ministries, and some also as deacons. Egalitarians believe that the Spirit gives gifts without regard to sex and that all offices, including pastor, are open to qualified women, citing women like Phoebe, Priscilla and Junia. A third approach stresses team ministry, in which men and women serve together in leadership teams, while churches decide locally how to name and order those roles. Baptist conventions in Latin America, Africa and elsewhere follow different practices, and a Baptist church, being self-governing, decides this question for itself in the light of Scripture. As for the pastor today, Hiscox offers lasting counsel: preach well, visit faithfully, lead by persuasion, avoid quarrels, honour deacons as real ministers, and ask the church to pay its servants fairly. In much of Latin America and Africa, where many pastors are bivocational, his permission to work “as Paul” did, and his rebuke of churches that neglect their pastors, are both still needed.

8.Kuliweka Moyoni8.Taking It to Heart

Kwa tafakari. Hiscox anasema mamlaka ya mchungaji ni “nguvu ya kimaadili” inayopatikana kwa tabia, si uwezo wa kuamuru. Unaona wapi wachungaji katika mazingira yako wakiegemea mno upande wa udhibiti au mno upande wa kutojishughulisha? Kanisa lako lingewezaje kuwapa mashemasi huduma halisi badala ya jukumu la kisherehe? Kusanyiko lako linajali vipi msaada wa mchungaji wake? Na utafundishaje mitazamo tofauti kuhusu wanawake katika ofisi kwa haki na kwa upendo? For reflection. Hiscox says a pastor’s authority is a “moral force” earned by character, not a power to command. Where do you see pastors in your setting leaning too far toward control or too far toward passivity? How could your church give deacons real service instead of a ceremonial role? How does your congregation care for its pastor’s support? And how will you teach the different views on women in office with fairness and charity?

Chagua

Somo la 4 · Church Government

Under Law to Christ Alone

A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), ch. VI, “Church Government”

Hiscox compares prelatical, presbyterian and independent church government and defends the independence of each local church under Christ. He sets out six limits on that liberty, rejects the “interdependence” of churches, and finds proof in Matthew 18, Acts 15, the Epistles and church historians. CTS adds how other traditions read the same evidence.

MUHTASARI WA CTSSoma muhtasari wote — unafunguka hapa hapa

Chini ya Sheria ya Kristo Peke Yake: Serikali ya Kanisa kwa Kura ya Waumini WoteUnder Law to Christ Alone: Congregational Church Government

Somo la Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala — Hiscox juu ya uhuru wa kanisa la mahali, mipaka yake, na ushahidi wa Agano Jipya kwakeA Chapala Theological Seminary reading — Hiscox on the independence of the local church, its limits, and the New Testament evidence for it

Muhtasari wa CTS wa Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), sura ya VI, “Serikali ya Kanisa.” Kitabu cha awali kiko katika uwanja wa umma; nukuu fupi zilizo hapa chini zimetoka kwake.A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), chapter VI, “Church Government.” The original is in the public domain; the short quotations below are from it.

New Directory*, sura ya VINew Directory, ch. VI
Chanzo cha msingiPrimary source
18941894
Edward T. HiscoxEdward T. Hiscox

Neno kabla ya kusoma. Sura hii fupi ndiyo kitovu cha kozi. Inaeleza kwa nini makanisa ya Kibaptisti hujitawala kama makusanyiko chini ya Kristo, na kwa nini hushirikiana bila kutawaliwa na chombo chochote cha juu. Hiscox anahoji kwa uthabiti kwa ajili ya mtazamo wake. CTS pia inaeleza, kwa haki na kwa ufupi, jinsi Wakristo wa mfumo wa maaskofu, wa Presbyteri, wa Kimetodisti na wa Kipentekoste wanavyosoma ushahidi uleule. A word before you read. This short chapter is the centre of the course. It explains why Baptist churches govern themselves as congregations under Christ, and why they cooperate with each other without being ruled by any higher body. Hiscox argues firmly for his view. CTS also sets out, fairly and briefly, how Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist and Pentecostal Christians read the same evidence.

1.Je, Upo Mfano wa Agano Jipya?1.Is There a New Testament Pattern?

Hiscox anaanza kwa swali la kweli. Je, Agano Jipya linafunua umbo la serikali ya kanisa? Wasomi wengine husema hapana: Mungu aliacha jambo hilo kwa hekima ya Kikristo, na miundo tofauti inafaa mahali tofauti. Wakristo wengi wanaamini kwamba mfano umeelezwa angalau kwa muhtasari, na, kama Hiscox anavyobainisha kwa upole, kila mmoja huelekea kuamini ni umbo linalotumiwa na kanisa lake mwenyewe. Anaanza kwa unyenyekevu. Hakuna kundi la Wakristo “lililofikia kweli yote,” na wote wanaotafuta kwa dhati kujua na kutenda mapenzi ya Mungu wanabarikiwa naye, kama Petro alivyojifunza nyumbani kwa Kornelio (Matendo 10:34–35). Hata hivyo, ikiwa mitume, wakiongozwa na Roho, walipanga makanisa kwa njia fulani, tunapaswa kuwafuata. Agano Jipya halitoi mpango rasmi, lakini marejeo yake mengi ya bahati, Hiscox anaamini, yanaonyesha wazi jinsi makanisa ya kwanza yalivyotawaliwa.Hiscox begins with an honest question. Does the New Testament reveal a form of church government? Some scholars say no: God left the matter to Christian wisdom, and different forms suit different places. Most Christians believe a pattern is at least outlined, and, as Hiscox gently notes, each tends to believe it is the form used by his own church. He begins with humility. No group of Christians “has attained to all the truth,” and all who sincerely seek to know and do God’s will are blessed by Him, as Peter learned in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:34–35). Still, if the apostles, guided by the Spirit, organized churches in a certain way, we should follow them. The New Testament gives no formal plan, but its many incidental references, Hiscox believes, show clearly how the first churches were governed.

2.Miundo Mitatu ya Serikali ya Kanisa2.Three Forms of Church Government

Hiscox anataja miundo mitatu mikuu. Katika umbo la maaskofu (prelatical au episcopal), mamlaka yako kwa maaskofu na makasisi, kama katika makanisa ya Kikatoliki ya Roma, Kiorthodoksi na Kianglikana. Katika umbo la Presbyteri, mamlaka yako kwa ngazi ya vyombo vya uwakilishi: kikao cha kanisa la mahali, kisha presbyteri, sinodi na mikutano mikuu, kama katika Kanisa la Uskoti na makanisa ya Kipresbyteri na ya Kireformed. Katika umbo la kujitegemea au la kura ya waumini wote (congregational), mamlaka yako kwa washiriki wa kila kanisa la mahali, kama miongoni mwa Wabaptisti na Wakongregational. Wabaptisti, anasema, wanashikilia kwamba kanisa ni kusanyiko la waumini waliobatizwa, walioungana kwa agano, “wanaojitawala, na huru kutoka kwa wengine wote,” lakini katika ushirika wa kirafiki na makanisa ya imani inayofanana. Kanisa haliwezi kutunga sheria; linatekeleza tu sheria alizozitoa Kristo. Washiriki hutawala pamoja kwa haki sawa, na katika mambo ya maoni “walio wengi hutawala.” Mchungaji huongoza kwa kufundisha na kwa kusimamia mikutano kwa hekima. Hiscox anaiweka kwa msemo usiosahaulika: “Ushawishi wake ni wa juu, lakini si mamlaka yake.” Katika kura ana kura moja, kama kila mshiriki. Mashemasi wana dai dogo zaidi la kudhibiti. Maamuzi ni ya mwili.Hiscox names three main forms. In the prelatical or episcopal form, power rests with bishops and the clergy, as in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches. In the presbyterian form, power rests with a ladder of representative bodies: the session of the local church, then presbyteries, synods and general assemblies, as in the Church of Scotland and Presbyterian and Reformed churches. In the independent or congregational form, power rests with the members of each local church, as among Baptists and Congregationalists. Baptists, he says, hold that a church is a congregation of baptized believers, joined by covenant, “self-governing, and independent of all others,” yet in friendly fellowship with churches of like faith. A church cannot make laws; it only carries out the laws Christ has given. The members govern together with equal rights, and in matters of opinion “the majority bears rule.” The pastor leads by teaching and by wisely presiding at meetings. Hiscox puts it in a memorable phrase: “His influence is paramount, but not his authority.” In a vote he has one vote, like every member. The deacons have even less claim to control. Decisions belong to the body.

3.Uhuru na Mipaka Yake3.Independence and Its Limits

Kila kanisa, Hiscox anasema, liko “chini ya sheria ya Kristo peke yake,” na Agano Jipya ndilo kitabu chake pekee cha sheria. Hata hivyo mara moja anaongeza kwamba hakuna uhuru wa kibinadamu ulio kamili, na anataja mipaka sita. Kwanza, kanisa limewekewa mipaka na sheria za Kristo. Ni “la usimamizi tu,” si la kutunga sheria. Linafasiri sheria za Kristo kwa ajili yake lenyewe, si kwa ajili ya wengine, na hakuna chombo cha nje kinachoweza kulazimisha tafsiri yake. Kama kanisa linatenda kwa upumbavu, hakuna mahakama ya kibinadamu ya kuliadhibu, ila hukumu ya maoni ya umma na kuondolewa kwa ushirika na wengine. Hilo ni bora, anasema, kuliko kuharibu uhuru. Pili, katika mambo ya mali na haki za kisheria kanisa liko chini ya sheria za Dola, ingawa si kamwe katika mafundisho wala ibada. Mahakama za kiraia kwa kawaida huheshimu kanuni za kanisa lenyewe, zikiingilia tu pale kanuni hizo zimepuuzwa. Tatu, wengine walihoji kwamba makanisa yanategemeana, yamefungwa na ushirika mpana kama washiriki wanavyofungwa na kanisa, au kama majimbo yanavyofungwa na muungano wa shirikisho. Hiscox analiita hili “la kubuni.” Kama lingekuwa kweli, chombo kipana kingeweza kupokea, kuadhibu na kutenga makanisa, na matokeo yangekuwa uaskofu au Presbyteri kwa vitendo. Makanisa yanaweza kusaidiana na kushauriana, kama Antiokia ilivyotafuta ushauri kutoka Yerusalemu, lakini hilo halibadilishi nani anatawala. Nne, wakosoaji husema Wabaptisti wako huru mno. Hiscox anajibu kwamba kasoro ziko kwa watu, si kwenye mpango, na kwamba mifumo iliyokita katikati ina matatizo yake yenyewe. Tano, uhuru wa kanisa umewekewa mipaka na haki za washiriki wake. Linaweza kutengana na mshiriki ambaye imani au mwenendo wake linauhukumu kuwa kinyume cha Maandiko, lakini haliwezi kulazimisha kuamini wala kuadhibu upinzani isipokuwa kwa kutengana. Sita, kanisa limewekewa mipaka kwa utume wake. Haliwezi kuwa biashara, chama cha siasa wala jumuiya ya wasomi, ingawa lazima lisimame kwa wema na kuunga mkono kazi za huruma.Each church, Hiscox says, is “under law to Christ alone,” and the New Testament is its only statute book. Yet he immediately adds that no human freedom is absolute, and he names six limits. First, a church is limited by the laws of Christ. It is “administrative only,” not legislative. It interprets Christ’s laws for itself, not for others, and no outside body may impose its interpretation. If a church acts foolishly, there is no human court to punish it, only the judgment of public opinion and the withdrawal of fellowship by others. That is better, he says, than destroying liberty. Second, in matters of property and legal rights a church is subject to the laws of the state, though never in doctrine or worship. Civil courts usually respect a church’s own rules, stepping in only when those rules have been ignored. Third, some argued that churches are “interdependent,” bound to a wider fellowship as members are bound to a church, or as states are bound to a federal union. Hiscox calls this “a fiction.” If it were true, the wider body could receive, discipline and exclude churches, and the result would be prelacy or a de facto Presbyterianism. Churches may help and advise each other, as Antioch sought advice from Jerusalem, but that does not change who governs. Fourth, critics say Baptists are too independent. Hiscox answers that the faults lie in people, not in the plan, and that centralized systems have troubles of their own. Fifth, a church’s liberty is limited by its members’ rights. It may separate from a member whose faith or conduct it judges contrary to Scripture, but it may not force belief or punish dissent except by separation. Sixth, a church is limited to its mission. It cannot become a business, a political party or a learned society, though it must stand for virtue and support works of mercy.

4.Ushahidi wa Maandiko na Historia4.The Evidence of Scripture and History

Hiscox anapata uthibitisho wake wa kwanza katika Mathayo 18:15–17. Yesu anaposema juu ya kutatua makosa, hatua ya mwisho ni “liambie kanisa.” Hakuna rufaa zaidi yake. Kristo hakutaja presbyteri, sinodi wala baraza, kanisa la mahali tu. Uthibitisho wake wa pili ni Matendo 15. Antiokia ilipokuwa na wasiwasi kama waumini wa Mataifa lazima washike desturi za Kiyahudi, ilituma Paulo na Barnaba Yerusalemu. Walikaribishwa na “kanisa, na mitume, na wazee,” na jibu lilitumwa kwa idhini ya “kanisa lote.” Hata mitume hawakutenda peke yao. Hiscox anasoma hili kama kanisa moja la kujitegemea likitoa ushauri kwa jingine. Tatu, mitume waliandika barua zao kwa makanisa, si kwa mfumo wa makanisa wala kwa viongozi wao, na walitarajia kila kanisa kuchagua viongozi na kupokea, kuadhibu na kutenga washiriki. Nne, Bwana aliyefufuka alihutubia kila moja ya makanisa saba ya Asia kando katika Ufunuo 2–3, akiliwajibisha kila moja. Kisha Hiscox ananukuu wanahistoria. Mosheim aliandika kwamba katika karne ya pili kila kanisa lilikuwa “aina ya jamhuri ndogo huru.” Schaff alisema kwamba kanisa la kitume, mbali na kutegemezwa na Dola, lilisimamia mambo yake ya ndani “kwa uhuru ulio sawa.” Kiongozi wa Kibaptisti Francis Wayland aliandika kwamba pamoja na kila kanisa “hatua zote za kikanisa huanzia, na pamoja nalo zote huisha.” Hiscox anahitimisha kwamba katika uhuru wao Wabaptisti wanasimama juu ya msingi wa Agano Jipya.Hiscox finds his first proof in Matthew 18:15–17. When Jesus speaks of settling offences, the final step is “tell it to the church.” There is no appeal beyond it. Christ named no presbytery, synod or council, only the local church. His second proof is Acts 15. When Antioch was troubled over whether Gentile believers must keep Jewish customs, it sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. They were received by “the church, and the apostles and elders,” and the reply was sent with the consent of “the whole church.” Even the apostles did not act alone. Hiscox reads this as one independent church giving advice to another. Third, the apostles wrote their letters to churches, not to a system of churches or to their officers, and they expected each church to choose officers and to receive, discipline and exclude members. Fourth, the risen Lord addressed each of the seven churches of Asia separately in Revelation 2–3, holding each responsible. Hiscox then quotes historians. Mosheim wrote that in the second century each church was “a kind of small independent republic.” Schaff said the apostolic church, far from being supported by the state, managed its internal affairs “with equal independence.” The Baptist leader Francis Wayland wrote that with each church “all ecclesiastical action commences, and with it all terminates.” Hiscox concludes that in their independence Baptists stand on New Testament ground.

5.Jinsi Mapokeo Mengine Yanavyosoma Ushahidi5.How Other Traditions Read the Evidence

Wanafunzi wa CTS wanapaswa kujua jinsi wengine wanavyomjibu Hiscox. Wapresbyteri husoma Matendo 15 si kama kanisa moja likitoa ushauri kwa jingine bali kama baraza la awali ambalo uamuzi wake uliyafunga makanisa, kwa kuwa Matendo 16:4 inasema Paulo aliwapelekea maagizo yake. Wanathamini wazee katika presbyteri kama kizuizi cha makosa ya mahali na ulinzi kwa washiriki na wahudumu. Makanisa ya mfumo wa maaskofu, Kikatoliki, Kiorthodoksi na Kianglikana, yanawaona maaskofu kama watumishi wa umoja na mwendelezo, na yanaonyesha kuenea mapema kwa ofisi hiyo katika karne ya pili. Wametodisti huyaeleza makanisa yao kama “muungano” (connection). Wachungaji huteuliwa na askofu na kongamano na huhama kati ya makusanyiko, jambo linalosaidia makanisa dhaifu kupata wachungaji na kuiweka injili ikisonga. Makanisa ya Kipentekoste hutofautiana sana. Baadhi, kama makusanyiko mengi ya Assemblies of God, huchanganya kujitawala kwa kura ya waumini wote na vyombo vya wilaya na vya kitaifa vinavyothibitisha wahudumu. Mengine hutawaliwa kwa kati zaidi, na makanisa mengi huru hufuata mchungaji mwanzilishi mwenye nguvu au mtandao wa kitume. Kila umbo lina nguvu zake. Kila moja, kama Hiscox alivyoona, laweza pia kutumiwa vibaya. Wabaptisti wanaamini kwamba serikali ya kura ya waumini wote inafuata Agano Jipya kwa karibu zaidi, na wanapaswa kushikilia imani hiyo kwa unyenyekevu, wakiwaheshimu ndugu na dada wanaosoma Maandiko tofauti.CTS students should know how others answer Hiscox. Presbyterians read Acts 15 not as one church advising another but as an early council whose decision bound the churches, since Acts 16:4 says Paul delivered its decrees to them. They value elders in presbyteries as a check on local error and a protection for members and ministers. Episcopal churches, Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican, see bishops as servants of unity and continuity, and they point to the early spread of the office in the second century. Methodists describe their churches as a “connection.” Pastors are appointed by a bishop and conference and move among congregations, which helps weak churches receive pastors and keeps the gospel moving. Pentecostal churches vary widely. Some, like many congregations of the Assemblies of God, combine congregational self-government with district and national bodies that credential ministers. Others are governed more centrally, and many independent churches follow a strong founding pastor or an apostolic network. Each form has strengths. Each, as Hiscox saw, can also be misused. Baptists believe congregational government follows the New Testament most closely, and they should hold that conviction humbly, honouring brothers and sisters who read Scripture differently.

6.Ushirikiano Bila Udhibiti6.Cooperation Without Control

Uhuru haumaanishi kujitenga. Hiscox anasema kwa uchangamfu juu ya ushirika, msaada na ushauri kati ya makanisa. Makanisa ya Kibaptisti huunda miungano ya mahali na mikutano mikuu mikubwa zaidi kutuma wamisionari, kufundisha wahudumu, kuchapisha maandiko na kuwajali wahitaji. Vyombo hivi havina mamlaka juu ya kanisa; kanisa huamua lenyewe kama kujiunga, kutoa au kuondoka. Muungano waweza kuondoa ushirika wake kutoka kwa kanisa linaloiacha imani, lakini hauwezi kulitawala kanisa hilo. Mabaraza ya wajumbe kutoka makanisa jirani yanaweza kuitwa kushauri juu ya kutambua kanisa au kumweka mchungaji rasmi, na ushauri wao huheshimiwa lakini haufungi. Mfano huu umeenea ulimwenguni kote. Mkutano Mkuu wa Kitaifa wa Wabaptisti wa Meksiko, Mkutano Mkuu wa Wabaptisti wa Brazili, Mkutano Mkuu wa Wabaptisti wa Nigeria na mingine mingi ni ushirika wa makanisa yanayojitawala. Wameunganishwa katika Muungano wa Wabaptisti Ulimwenguni (Baptist World Alliance), ulioanzishwa mwaka 1905. Kanuni ya Hiscox inaeleza kwa nini vyombo hivi vinasema kwa mamlaka ya kimaadili badala ya amri ya kisheria.Independence does not mean isolation. Hiscox speaks warmly of fellowship, help and advice between churches. Baptist churches form local associations and larger conventions to send missionaries, train ministers, publish literature and care for the needy. These bodies have no authority over a church; a church decides for itself whether to join, give or leave. An association may withdraw its fellowship from a church that departs from the faith, but it cannot govern that church. Councils of messengers from neighbouring churches may be called to advise on recognizing a church or ordaining a pastor, and their advice is respected but not binding. This pattern has spread around the world. The National Baptist Convention of Mexico, the Brazilian Baptist Convention, the Nigerian Baptist Convention and many others are fellowships of self-governing churches. They are joined in the Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905. Hiscox’s principle explains why these bodies speak with moral authority rather than legal command.

7.Anachochukua Mchungaji wa Kibaptisti Leo Kutoka Humo7.What a Baptist Pastor Takes from It Today

Kwa mchungaji wa leo, serikali ya kura ya waumini wote ni zawadi na nidhamu. Katika makanisa mengi ya Amerika ya Kilatini, sesión de negocios ya kila mwezi au ya kila robo mwaka, mkutano wa shughuli, ndiyo mahali ambapo washiriki hupiga kura juu ya bajeti, viongozi, washiriki wapya na wito wa mchungaji. Kanuni za Hiscox huweka mikutano kama hiyo yenye afya. Ushawishi wa mchungaji unapaswa kuwa na nguvu, lakini mamlaka yake yasiwe kamili; yeye ni kura moja kati ya nyingi. Katika tamaduni zinazompenda kiongozi mwenye nguvu, caudillo, hii ni ulinzi halisi kwa kundi. Hata hivyo serikali ya kura ya waumini wote ina hatari zake yenyewe: familia yenye nguvu, kikundi au wengi wasiojali waweza kulidhuru kanisa kama askofu yeyote. Ndiyo maana Hiscox anasisitiza haki za washiriki, utaratibu wa haki na sheria ya Kristo juu ya kura. Maneno yake juu ya sheria ya kiraia pia yanafaa wakati huu. Huko Meksiko, kwa mfano, tangu 1992 makanisa yanaweza kujisajili serikalini kama asociaciones religiosas ili kumiliki mali, na katika nchi nyingi za Afrika makanisa lazima yajisajili kama vyama au dhamana. Wachungaji lazima watii sheria hizi katika mambo ya kidunia huku wakiweka maisha ya kiroho ya kanisa huru. Hiscox angewakumbusha kwamba bodi ya kisheria inalitumikia kusanyiko na haitawali kamwe.For a pastor today, congregational government is both a gift and a discipline. In many Latin American churches the monthly or quarterly sesión de negocios, the business meeting, is where members vote on budgets, officers, new members and the call of a pastor. Hiscox’s principles keep such meetings healthy. The pastor’s influence should be strong, but his authority should not be absolute; he is one vote among many. In cultures that admire the strong leader, the caudillo, this is a real protection for the flock. Yet congregationalism has its own dangers: a powerful family, a faction or a careless majority can harm a church as much as any bishop. That is why Hiscox stresses the rights of members, fair procedure and the law of Christ above the vote. His remarks on civil law are also timely. In Mexico, for example, churches since 1992 may register with the government as asociaciones religiosas in order to hold property, and in many African countries churches must register as associations or trusts. Pastors must obey these laws in temporal matters while keeping the church’s spiritual life free. Hiscox would remind them that a legal board serves the congregation and never rules it.

8.Kuliweka Moyoni8.Taking It to Heart

Kwa tafakari. Hiscox anasema, “Ushawishi wake ni wa juu, lakini si mamlaka yake,” kuhusu mchungaji. Kanuni hiyo ingebadilishaje jinsi unavyoongoza mkutano wa shughuli? Umeona wapi serikali ya kura ya waumini wote ikifanya kazi vyema, na wapi umeona kikundi au kiongozi mwenye nguvu akiitumia vibaya? Kanisa lako linashirikiana vipi na mengine bila kuacha uhuru wake? Na unawezaje kueleza mfumo wa uongozi wa Kibaptisti kwa marafiki wa Kipresbyteri, Kimetodisti au Kipentekoste kwa imani na kwa upendo? For reflection. Hiscox says the pastor’s “influence is paramount, but not his authority.” How would that principle change the way you lead a business meeting? Where have you seen congregational government work well, and where have you seen a faction or a strong leader misuse it? How does your church cooperate with others without giving up its freedom? And how can you explain Baptist polity to Presbyterian, Methodist or Pentecostal friends with both conviction and charity?

Chagua

Somo la 5 · Church Discipline

Restore Such a One

A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), ch. VII, “Church Discipline”

Discipline, for Hiscox, is training as well as correction, and it must be done “in the spirit of meekness.” He sets out three laws of Christ’s house, the three steps of Matthew 18 for private offences, a patient process for public ones, and strong protections for the accused. CTS reads it pastorally, with care for the vulnerable.

MUHTASARI WA CTSSoma muhtasari wote — unafunguka hapa hapa

Mrejesheni Mtu wa Namna Hiyo: Nidhamu ya Kanisa kwa UpendoRestore Such a One: Church Discipline in Love

Somo la Seminari ya Kitheolojia ya Chapala — Hiscox juu ya kusudi, roho na utaratibu wa nidhamu ya kanisa, linalosomwa kwa uangalifu wa kichungajiA Chapala Theological Seminary reading — Hiscox on the purpose, spirit and procedure of church discipline, read with pastoral care

Muhtasari wa CTS wa Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), sura ya VII, “Nidhamu ya Kanisa.” Kitabu cha awali kiko katika uwanja wa umma; nukuu fupi zilizo hapa chini zimetoka kwake.A CTS digest of Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894), chapter VII, “Church Discipline.” The original is in the public domain; the short quotations below are from it.

New Directory*, sura ya VIINew Directory, ch. VII
Chanzo cha msingiPrimary source
18941894
Edward T. HiscoxEdward T. Hiscox

Neno kabla ya kusoma. Nidhamu ya kanisa ni mada yenye maumivu. Watu wengi wameumizwa na makanisa yaliyotumia nidhamu kwa ukali, na makanisa mengi yameumizwa kwa kukataa kushughulikia dhambi kabisa. Hiscox aliandika kusahihisha kosa la pili, lakini mara kwa mara anasisitiza kwamba nidhamu lazima iwe ya upole, ya haki na inayolenga kurejesha. CTS inasoma sura hii kichungaji. Baadhi ya mifano yake ni ya wakati wake, na muhtasari huu unaongeza wasiwasi wa leo kwa ulinzi wa walio hatarini. A word before you read. Church discipline is a painful subject. Many people have been hurt by churches that disciplined harshly, and many churches have been hurt by refusing to deal with sin at all. Hiscox wrote to correct the second error, but again and again he insists that discipline must be gentle, fair and aimed at restoration. CTS reads this chapter pastorally. Some of his examples belong to his own time, and this digest adds today’s concern for the protection of the vulnerable.

1.Sheria na Uzima1.Law and Life

Kila jumuiya inayofanya kazi vyema inahitaji kanuni ambazo washiriki wake wanazishika, na kanisa si tofauti. Sheria zake, hata hivyo, ni za kimungu, “chache na rahisi,” na si nzito. Hiscox anajua kwamba sheria peke yake ni barua iliyokufa bila uzima wa Roho. Lakini Roho hufanya kazi kwa upatano na sheria alizotoa Kristo. Muhtasari wake unakumbukwa: “Uzima wa kutia nguvu; sheria ya kuongoza.” Kwa masikio mengi neno nidhamu linasikika kali na la adhabu. Hiscox anatukumbusha kwamba linatoka shina lilelile na mwanafunzi, yule anayejifunza. Kwa maana yake pana nidhamu humaanisha mafunzo. Anatofautisha nidhamu ya kuunda, yaani mafundisho, ibada na ushirika vinavyowaunda waumini, na nidhamu ya kurekebisha, inayoshughulikia makosa. Anatoa nafasi nyingi zaidi kwa ya pili, lakini si kwa sababu ya kwanza ni ya umuhimu mdogo. Pia anatoa uchunguzi wa kushangaza: katika siku zake hatari ya kawaida haikuwa ukali mwingi mno bali “uzembe mkubwa mno.” Wachungaji huona ni rahisi kuacha mambo yaende. Hata hivyo makanisa yanayorejesha nidhamu yenye afya kwa subira mara nyingi hupata upatano mpya, na wakati mwingine uamsho.Every society that works well needs rules that its members keep, and the church is no exception. Its laws, however, are divine, “few and simple,” and not burdensome. Hiscox knows that laws alone are a dead letter without the life of the Spirit. But the Spirit works in harmony with the laws Christ gave. His summary is memorable: “Life to energize; law to guide.” To many ears the word discipline sounds harsh and punitive. Hiscox reminds us that it comes from the same root as disciple, a learner. In its large sense discipline means training. He distinguishes formative discipline, the teaching, worship and fellowship that shape believers, from corrective discipline, which deals with offences. He gives most space to the second, but not because the first matters less. He also makes a striking observation: in his day the common danger was not too much severity but “too great laxity.” Pastors find it easier to let things drift. Yet churches that patiently restore healthy discipline often find new harmony, and sometimes revival.

2.Sheria Tatu za Nyumba ya Kristo2.Three Laws of Christ’s House

Kabla ya utaratibu wowote, Hiscox anataja “sheria tatu za nyumba ya Kristo.” Kama hizi zingejulikana na kupendwa, anasema, nidhamu nyingi isingehitajika kamwe. Sheria ya kwanza ni kwa kila mwanafunzi: sheria ya upendo. “Mpendane; kama nilivyowapenda ninyi” (Yohana 13:34). Upendo ungezuia mashaka, wivu na uchungu. Sheria ya pili ni kwa mkosaji: sheria ya kuungama. Ukikumbuka madhabahuni kwamba ndugu ana neno juu yako, nenda kwanza ukapatane (Mathayo 5:23–24). Hili linatumika iwe unafikiri ndugu ana sababu nzuri ya kuumia au la. Sheria ya tatu ni kwa aliyekosewa: sheria ya msamaha. Ndugu yako akikosa na akatubu, msamehe, hata mara saba kwa siku (Luka 17:3–4), na “hata sabini mara saba” (Mathayo 18:22). Kisha Hiscox anajibu kosa la kawaida. Msamaha wa kibinafsi hauondoi nidhamu ya kanisa, kama vile baba anayemsamehe mtoto haachi utaratibu wa familia. Wala msamaha haumaanishi kwamba uaminifu hurudi mara moja: “Imani iliyopotea hurejeshwa polepole.” Hata hivyo ndugu aliyetubu kwa dhati lazima atendewe kwa nia njema ya kweli, si kwa mashaka.Before any procedure, Hiscox names three “laws of Christ’s house.” If these were known and loved, he says, most discipline would never be needed. The first law is for every disciple: the law of love. “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Love would prevent suspicion, jealousy and bitterness. The second law is for the offender: the law of confession. If you remember at the altar that a brother has something against you, go first and be reconciled (Matthew 5:23–24). This applies whether or not you think the brother has good reason to be hurt. The third law is for the one offended: the law of forgiveness. If a brother sins against you and repents, forgive him, even seven times in a day (Luke 17:3–4), and “until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). Hiscox then answers a common mistake. Personal forgiveness does not abolish church discipline, just as a father who forgives a child does not abandon family order. Nor does forgiveness mean that trust returns at once: “Confidence lost is slowly restored.” Yet a sincerely repentant brother must be treated with real goodwill, not suspicion.

3.Kusudi na Roho ya Nidhamu3.The Purpose and Spirit of Discipline

Hiscox anaweka kanuni sita. Lengo la nidhamu ni kuzuia au kuondoa ubaya na kulinda lililo jema, “kwa kuujenga mwili wa Kristo.” Haipaswi kamwe kutumikia chuki ya kibinafsi. Kusudi lake ni kuwarejesha waliopotea na kulifanya kanisa liwe safi. Roho ya nidhamu ni ya maamuzi. Haipaswi kuwa ya kiburi wala ya kulipiza kisasi, bali ya “kujali kindugu, ya upole na upendo.” Mkosaji akihisi nia ya kulaani, kusudi lote linashindwa. Hiscox anasema Wagalatia 6:1, “mrejeshe mtu wa namna hiyo kwa roho ya upole,” inastahili “kuandikwa kwa dhahabu” juu ya kuta za kila kanisa. Haki ya nidhamu ni ya kila kanisa kwa asili ya maisha yao pamoja, kama Mathayo 18:17, 2 Wathesalonike 3:6 na Tito 3:10 zinavyoonyesha. Wajibu wa nidhamu unafuata: kanisa linaloupuuza si mwaminifu kwa washiriki wake wala kwa Kristo, ingawa halipaswi kamwe kwenda kutafuta makosa. Kikomo cha nidhamu ni sheria ya Kristo na agano ambalo washiriki walilikubali. Mambo ya kibinafsi tu, yasiyopingana na Maandiko, si sababu za nidhamu. Mwishowe, matokeo yanayotafutwa ni kuponya kosa au, hilo likishindwa, kumwondoa mkosaji. Mara tu mtu anayekosea anaporudi, kazi katika visa vya kawaida inapaswa kuisha.Hiscox sets out six principles. The object of discipline is to prevent or remove evil and to protect the good, “for the edifying of the body of Christ.” It must never serve personal prejudice. Its aim is to reclaim the wandering and to keep the church pure. The spirit of discipline is decisive. It must not be arrogant or vindictive, but full of “fraternal solicitude, of gentleness and love.” If the offender senses a desire to condemn, the whole purpose fails. Hiscox says Galatians 6:1, “restore such a one in the spirit of meekness,” deserves to be “inscribed in gold” on every church wall. The right of discipline belongs to every church by the nature of its life together, as Matthew 18:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and Titus 3:10 show. The duty of discipline follows: a church that neglects it is unfaithful to its members and to Christ, though it should never go looking for faults. The limit of discipline is the law of Christ and the covenant members accepted. Merely personal matters, not against Scripture, are not grounds for discipline. Finally, the result sought is to heal the offence or, if that fails, to remove the offender. As soon as the erring person turns back, the work in ordinary cases should end.

4.Makosa ya Faragha: Hatua Tatu za Mathayo 184.Private Offences: The Three Steps of Matthew 18

Hiscox anagawanya makosa kuwa ya faragha na ya hadharani. Kosa la faragha ni madhara, ya kweli au yanayodhaniwa, yaliyofanywa na mshiriki mmoja kwa mwingine. Linawahusu watu hao wawili peke yao, isipokuwa lisipoweza kutatuliwa na kulazimika kupelekwa kwa kanisa. Kwa visa kama hivyo Kristo alitoa utaratibu wazi katika Mathayo 18:15–17, na Hiscox anauita “sheria chanya” kwa makanisa yake kila mahali. Hatua ya kwanza: aliyekosewa anamwendea mkosaji peke yake na kumwambia kosa lake. Angalia kwamba aliyeumizwa ndiye anayeanza. Mkosaji naye anapaswa kwenda, lakini huenda hajui amemuudhi, na aliyeumizwa, ambaye hajafanya kosa lolote, ana uwezekano wa kwenda kwa roho ya msamaha. Lengo ni “kumpata ndugu,” si kumdhalilisha. Hakuna mtu mwingine anayepaswa kuambiwa. Hatua ya pili: hiyo ikishindwa, aliyekosewa anachukua “mmoja au wawili zaidi.” Wanatumika kama mashahidi jambo likifika kanisani, na kama wapatanishi wanaoweza kusaidia kuwapatanisha wawili hao. Hatua ya tatu: hiyo pia ikishindwa, jambo linaambiwa kanisa. Sasa linakuwa jambo la hadharani, na pande zote mbili zinakubali uamuzi wa kanisa. Ni mkosaji akikataa kulisikia kanisa tu ndipo anatengwa. Hiscox anaongeza kwamba yeyote anayelipeleka malalamiko ya faragha hadharani kabla ya kufuata hatua hizi huwa mkosaji mwenyewe, na kwamba viongozi wanapaswa kuwasaidia washiriki kimya kimya kupatanishwa kabla kisa hakijafika kanisani.Hiscox divides offences into private and public. A private offence is an injury, real or supposed, done by one member to another. It concerns those two people alone, unless it cannot be settled and must go to the church. For such cases Christ gave a clear procedure in Matthew 18:15–17, and Hiscox calls it “a positive law” for His churches everywhere. First step: the offended person goes to the offender alone and tells him his fault. Notice that the injured one goes first. The offender ought to go too, but he may not know he has given offence, and the injured person, having done no wrong, is likely to go in a forgiving spirit. The goal is to “gain a brother,” not to humiliate him. No one else should be told. Second step: if that fails, the offended person takes “one or two more.” They serve as witnesses if the matter reaches the church, and as peacemakers who may help reconcile the two. Third step: if that also fails, the matter is told to the church. It now becomes a public matter, and both parties accept the church’s decision. Only if the offender refuses to hear the church is he excluded. Hiscox adds that anyone who takes a private grievance public before following these steps becomes an offender himself, and that officers should quietly help members reconcile before a case ever reaches the church.

5.Makosa ya Hadharani na Jinsi ya Kuyashughulikia5.Public Offences and Their Treatment

Kosa la hadharani si ubaya dhidi ya mtu mmoja. Ni uvunjaji wa maadili ya Kikristo au wa agano la kanisa, kashfa kwa jina la Kristo, na kwa hiyo mwili mzima unahusika. Kutoka katika nyaraka za Agano Jipya Hiscox anaorodhesha mifano: kufundisha mafundisho ya uongo; kukataa mamlaka halali ya kanisa; kuchochea mafarakano; mwenendo mbaya wa kimaadili; maisha yasiyo na utaratibu; roho ya tamaa ya mali inayokataa kushiriki mizigo ya kanisa; roho ya kiburi inayotafuta kulitawala kanisa, kama Diotrefe katika 3 Yohana; na kuwashtaki washiriki wenzao mbele ya wasioamini, ambako Paulo anakaripia katika 1 Wakorintho 6. Anaeleza kwamba amri ya “kutokula” na watu kama hao inahusu Meza ya Bwana, si maisha ya kawaida ya kijamii. Utaratibu ni wa hatua kwa hatua. Mshiriki anayejua kosa anapaswa kwanza kwenda faraghani kumpata ndugu. Hilo likishindwa, anapaswa kushauriana na mchungaji na mashemasi. Kanisa laweza kisha kutuma kamati “kwa roho ya upole na upendo” kabla ya kumwita mtu ajibu mbele ya mwili. Akikanusha mashtaka, au akiungama na kufanya fidia, kisa kiishie hapo. Ni baada tu ya “kazi ya subira, ya makini na ya maombi” kushindwa ndipo kanisa linapaswa kuondoa ushirika. Hiscox pia anaonya kuhusu aina mbili za washiriki: wale wenye “pua kali ya kunusa kasoro” hivi kwamba daima wanataka mtu aadhibiwe, na wale wanaopinga nidhamu yote. Wote wawili wanahitaji kudhibitiwa.A public offence is not a wrong against one person. It is a breach of Christian morals or of the church’s covenant, a scandal to the name of Christ, and so the whole body is concerned. From the letters of the New Testament Hiscox lists examples: teaching false doctrine; refusing the church’s lawful authority; stirring up division; immoral conduct; a disorderly life; a covetous spirit that refuses to share the church’s burdens; an arrogant spirit that seeks to dominate the church, like Diotrephes in 3 John; and suing fellow members before unbelievers, which Paul rebukes in 1 Corinthians 6. He explains that the command “not to eat” with such persons refers to the Lord’s Supper, not to ordinary social life. The treatment is gradual. A member who knows of the offence should first go privately to win the brother. If that fails, he should consult the pastor and deacons. The church may then send a committee “in the spirit of meekness and love” before calling the person to answer before the body. If he disproves the charges, or confesses and makes amends, the case should end there. Only after “patient, deliberate and prayerful labor” has failed should the church withdraw fellowship. Hiscox also warns about two kinds of members: those with “so keen a scent for defects” that they always want someone disciplined, and those who oppose all discipline. Both need moderating.

6.Kusikilizwa kwa Haki na Mlango Ulio Wazi6.A Fair Hearing and an Open Door

Maelezo ya Hiscox kuhusu utaratibu yanamlinda mshtakiwa kwa kiasi cha ajabu. Kanisa halipaswi hata kuanza kisa isipokuwa shtaka lina uwezekano mkubwa sana. Mshtakiwa apewe nakala za mashtaka na majina ya washtaki na mashahidi, akutane nao uso kwa uso, alete mashahidi wake mwenyewe na ajibu mwenyewe. Kumbukumbu ziwe sahihi, naye aweza kupata nakala. “Haki yenyewe ya nyumba ya Kristo inapaswa kuelekea huruma.” Mchungaji, kama msimamizi wa mkutano, si mwendesha mashtaka wala mshabiki, bali lazima adumishe utaratibu na haki, na kama anahusika kibinafsi anapaswa kuondoka kwenye kiti. Wachungaji na mashemasi wako chini ya nidhamu ileile kama kila mtu mwingine, ingawa mashtaka dhidi ya mzee yanahitaji mashahidi wawili au watatu (1 Timotheo 5:19). Ya kugusa zaidi ni maneno yake juu ya yanayofuata. Kanisa linalogundua kwamba limetenda isivyo haki lisahihishe kosa lake haraka, bila kusubiri kuombwa. Washiriki bado wana “wajibu na huduma ya upendo” kwa wale waliotengwa. Wawaombee na kuwatendea kwa fadhili, wakitumaini watarudi nyumbani: “Wafuate kwa baraka; wanaweza kuokolewa.” Na kanisa lipende kumrejesha mshiriki yeyote aliyetengwa ambaye toba yake ni ya kweli.Hiscox’s notes on procedure are remarkably protective of the accused. A church should not even begin a case unless the charge is highly probable. The accused should receive copies of the charges and the names of accusers and witnesses, meet them face to face, bring witnesses of his own and answer for himself. Records should be accurate, and he may have a copy. “The very justice of Christ’s house should incline to mercy.” The pastor, as moderator, is not a prosecutor or a partisan but must keep order and fairness, and if he is personally involved he should leave the chair. Pastors and deacons are subject to the same discipline as everyone else, though accusations against an elder require two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19). Most moving are his words about what follows. A church that finds it has acted unjustly should correct its error quickly, without waiting to be asked. Members still owe “a duty and a service of love” to those who have been excluded. They should pray for them and treat them kindly, hoping they will come home: “Follow them with blessing; they may be saved.” And the church should gladly restore any excluded member whose repentance is real.

7.Anachochukua Mchungaji wa Kibaptisti Leo Kutoka Humo7.What a Baptist Pastor Takes from It Today

Hiscox anampa mchungaji wa leo mfano wa usawaziko: yachukulie dhambi kwa uzito, lakini daima lenga kurejesha, fuata hatua za Kristo, weka mambo ya faragha kadiri iwezekanavyo, toa nafasi ya kusikilizwa kwa haki na uache mlango wazi. Makanisa mengi katika Amerika ya Kilatini na Afrika bado hutumia nidhamu, mara nyingi kwa kumsimamisha mshiriki kwa muda kushiriki Meza ya Bwana kisha kumrejesha hadharani kwa furaha. Wachungaji huko, kama kila mahali, lazima waepuke hatari mbili alizozitaja Hiscox: ukali unaowafukuza watu, na uzembe unaoacha majeraha bila kutibiwa. Makanisa mengine huko nyuma yaliwaadhibu watu kwa mambo yaliyokuwa desturi za wakati badala ya amri za Maandiko, na kanuni ya Hiscox mwenyewe, kwamba ni “kile tu ambacho ni wazi kinyume cha Maandiko” kinastahili nidhamu, inalisahihisha hilo. Wasiwasi mmoja wa kisasa lazima uongezwe. Nidhamu isitumike kamwe kumlinda mtu anayewadhulumu wengine au kuwanyamazisha wanaoripoti. Karipio la Paulo kuhusu kesi za mahakamani kati ya waumini linahusu mabishano ya kawaida; haliizuii kuripoti uhalifu kama unyanyasaji wa watoto au jeuri nyumbani kwa mamlaka za kiraia, ambazo “zimetumwa naye kuwaadhibu watenda mabaya,” kama Hiscox mwenyewe anavyonukuu kutoka 1 Petro 2. Walio hatarini walindwe kwanza. Mapokeo mengine hushughulikia nidhamu tofauti. Makanisa ya Kipresbyteri huikabidhi kwa wazee wa kikao, kwa haki ya kukata rufaa kwa presbyteri. Makanisa ya Kimetodisti hufuata taratibu katika Kitabu chao cha Nidhamu (Book of Discipline). Makanisa ya Kikatoliki na ya Kiorthodoksi huunganisha nidhamu na maungamo na toba chini ya kuhani na askofu. Makanisa ya Kipentekoste mara nyingi hutegemea mchungaji na bodi ya wazee. Katika mfano wa Kibaptisti kusanyiko huamua, jambo linaloweka wajibu mzito kwa kila mshiriki kutenda kwa unyenyekevu na upendo.Hiscox gives today’s pastor a balanced pattern: take sin seriously, but always aim at restoration, follow Christ’s steps, keep matters as private as possible, give a fair hearing and leave the door open. Many churches in Latin America and Africa still practise discipline, often by suspending a member from the Lord’s Supper for a time and then restoring him or her publicly with joy. Pastors there, as everywhere, must avoid two dangers that Hiscox named: harshness that drives people away, and laxity that leaves wounds untreated. Some churches in the past disciplined people for matters that were customs of the time rather than commands of Scripture, and Hiscox’s own rule, that only what is “manifestly contrary to the Scriptures” deserves discipline, corrects that. One modern concern must be added. Discipline must never be used to protect someone who abuses others or to silence those who report it. Paul’s rebuke of lawsuits among believers concerns ordinary disputes; it does not forbid reporting crimes such as the abuse of children or violence in the home to the civil authorities, who are “sent by him for the punishment of evil doers,” as Hiscox himself quotes from 1 Peter 2. The vulnerable must be protected first. Other traditions handle discipline differently. Presbyterian churches entrust it to the elders of the session, with a right of appeal to presbytery. Methodist churches follow procedures in their Book of Discipline. Catholic and Orthodox churches join discipline to confession and penance under a priest and bishop. Pentecostal churches often rely on the pastor and a board of elders. In the Baptist pattern the congregation decides, which places a heavy duty on every member to act with humility and love.

8.Kuliweka Moyoni8.Taking It to Heart

Kwa tafakari. Hiscox alitaka Wagalatia 6:1 “iandikwe kwa dhahabu” juu ya kuta za kila kanisa. Je, kanisa lako liko hatarini zaidi kwa ukali au kwa uzembe? Mtu anapokukosea, je, unamwendea mtu huyo kwanza, au unawaambia wengine? Kusanyiko linawezaje kuuweka mlango wake wazi kwa wale waliotengwa? Na kanisa lako limechukua hatua gani kuhakikisha kuwa nidhamu haimlindi kamwe mnyanyasaji wala kuwanyamazisha walio hatarini? For reflection. Hiscox wanted Galatians 6:1 “inscribed in gold” on every church wall. Is your church more at risk of harshness or of neglect? When someone has wronged you, do you go to that person first, or tell others? How can a congregation keep its door open to those who have been excluded? And what steps has your church taken to make sure that discipline never shields an abuser or silences the vulnerable?

Chagua

Andika usomaji wako

Ukishasoma kikamilifu masomo matatu uliyochagua, andika jina lako na uthibitishe hapa chini. Kumbukumbu hii inatunzwa kwa uaminifu wako, kwenye kivinjari hiki; inaonekana kwenye cheti chako kama kwa heshima.

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Kwa uaminifu wangu, nimesoma kikamilifu masomo matatu niliyochagua hapo juu.

✓ Imeandikwa — kozi hii inahesabiwa katika maendeleo yako ya Heshima. Kusoma kwa Heshima ↗

Somo la Heshima — limeandikwa

alithibitisha tarehe kuwa amesoma kikamilifu:

Chapala Theological Seminary · Congregational Church Government and Baptist Polity · present or print this page as your honors reading record.

Masomo Zaidi: Vitabu Sita vya Uwanja wa Umma

Vitabu hivi sita ni kwa masomo zaidi, kwa mwanafunzi anayetaka kuendelea kusoma. Si sehemu ya masomo ya heshima yaliyo hapo juu: hayo yanabaki kama yalivyo — muhtasari tano za CTS, mitatu yoyote ikisomwa kikamilifu na kuandikwa kwa uaminifu wako. Vyote sita viko katika uwanja wa umma; kila kiungo kinafungua kitabu mtandaoni, na vingi vinapatikana pia katika Internet Archive au Project Gutenberg. Vingi viko kwa Kiingereza: kivinjari cha Chrome kinaweza kutafsiri ukurasa (bonyeza kitufe cha kulia cha kipanya, “Translate to…”; kwenye simu, menyu ya kivinjari).

The Chapters Not Assigned · Hiscox

1. The New Directory for Baptist Churches

Edward T. Hiscox · Philadelphia, 1894

Read the chapters the textbook leaves out: the ordinances, worship and councils, and the chapters on baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

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The Earlier Manual · Hiscox

2. The Baptist Church Directory

Edward T. Hiscox · 1860

Compare this earlier, shorter manual with the 1894 Directory to see what Hiscox revised, and keep the two editions apart when you quote.

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Historical Background · Armitage

3. A History of the Baptists

Thomas Armitage · New York, 1887

Read it for the historical background of the Baptist churches whose order Hiscox describes. Armitage’s judgments are his own nineteenth-century interpretation.

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A Generation Earlier · Haynes

4. The Baptist Denomination

D. C. Haynes · 1857

Read its account of historic Baptist doctrines and institutions, written a generation before Hiscox’s Directory.

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Confessional Contrast · 1644

5. The London Baptist Confession of Faith (1644)

Particular Baptist churches of London · 1644

Compare its articles on the church with Hiscox’s polity, and check which textual witness the online text follows.

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Historical Comparison · 1689

6. The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)

Particular Baptists · first printed 1677; adopted 1689

Read its chapter on the church beside Hiscox’s chapters on church government and discipline; check which edition the online text follows.

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Uthibitisho wa heshima: Kwa kuchagua masomo matatu hapo juu, unathibitisha kwamba umesoma muhtasari hiyo mitatu kikamilifu. Muhtasari hiyo imeandikwa na CTS na inaweza kuwa na dondoo fupi au marekebisho ya kazi zilizo katika uwanja wa umma.