Utawala wa Kanisa kwa Usharika na Mfumo wa Kibaptisti — Sehemu ya 1: Kristo Kichwa: Misingi ya Kibiblia ya Uongozi wa KanisaCongregational Church Government and Baptist Polity — Unit 1: Christ the Head: Biblical Foundations of Church Government

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Naye ndiye kichwa cha mwili, yaani, kanisa; yeye aliye mwanzo, mzaliwa wa kwanza katika wafu; ili yeye awe mtangulizi katika yote." (Wakolosai 1:18, SUV)"And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (Colossians 1:18, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini mchungaji anahitaji ufahamu ulio wazi na wa kibiblia wa uongozi wa kanisa.1. Explain why a pastor needs a clear, biblical understanding of church government.

2. Kutaja kile ambacho Agano Jipya hufundisha kuhusu Kristo kuwa Kichwa cha kanisa.2. State what the New Testament teaches about the headship of Christ over the church.

3. Kueleza maana ya neno "kanisa" (ekklesia) na mtazamo wa Wabaptisti kuhusu kanisa la mahali pamoja na kanisa lote kwa ujumla.3. Describe the meaning of the word "church" (ekklesia) and the Baptist view of the local church and the whole church.

4. Kueleza kwa nini Wabaptisti huchukulia Maandiko kuwa kanuni ya utaratibu wa kanisa, na jinsi tunavyowajibu wale wanaosema Agano Jipya halitoi muundo wowote.4. Explain why Baptists treat Scripture as the rule for church order, and how we answer those who say the New Testament gives no pattern.

5. Kutaja mifumo mitatu mikuu ya uongozi wa kanisa, na kueleza kwa nini Ukichwa wa Kristo unakataa mchungaji-mmiliki na utawala wa wengi kuwa mamlaka ya mwisho.5. Name the three main models of church government, and explain why Christ's headship excludes both the pastor-owner and the rule of the majority as the final authority.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kibaptisti, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi Wabaptisti. Ni ya kihafidhina. Inaposema "sisi," humaanisha makanisa ya Kibaptisti yanayoshikilia kuwa Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na linalostahili kuaminiwa kikamilifu, yanayofanya ubatizo wa waumini kwa kuzamishwa, na yanayojiongoza kama makutaniko huru ya mahali pamoja. Wakristo wengine huona utaratibu wa kanisa tofauti, na wengi wao humpenda Bwana na Neno lake. Tunaeleza mitazamo yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Historia ya jinsi Wabaptisti walivyoanza inafundishwa katika Kozi ya 1, na hatutairudia hapa. Mafundisho kuhusu kanisa, ubatizo na Meza ya Bwana yako katika Kozi ya 2. Kozi hii huuliza swali la vitendo: kanisa la Kibaptisti hujipangaje na kufanya maamuzi chini ya mamlaka ya Kristo?This course is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist students. It is conservative. When it says "we," it means Baptist churches that hold the Bible to be the inspired and fully trustworthy Word of God, practice believer's baptism by immersion, and govern themselves as free local congregations. Other Christians see church order differently, and many of them love the Lord and His Word. We state their views fairly and then give our answer. The history of how Baptists arose is taught in Course 1, and we will not repeat it here. The doctrines of the church, baptism and the Lord's Supper belong to Course 2. This course asks a practical question: how does a Baptist church organize itself and make decisions under the authority of Christ?

Kwa Nini Uongozi wa Kanisa Ni MuhimuWhy Church Government Matters

Wachungaji wengi husema, "Mimi nahubiri injili; sitaki kubishana kuhusu muundo." Tunalielewa hili. Injili huja kwanza. Lakini muundo haukosekani kamwe. Kila kanisa lina njia fulani ya kuchagua viongozi, kupokea washiriki, kutumia fedha na kutatua migogoro. Tusipofundisha njia ya kibiblia, kanisa litatumia njia ililoiiga kutoka kwa serikali, biashara, ukoo wa familia au mtu mwenye haiba kali.Many pastors say, "I preach the gospel; I do not want to argue about structure." We understand this. The gospel comes first. But structure is never absent. Every church has some way of choosing leaders, receiving members, spending money and settling disputes. If we do not teach a biblical way, the church will use a way it has copied from a government, a business, a family clan or a strong personality.

Katika maeneo mengi wanapohudumu wanafunzi wetu, hatari hii ni halisi. Katika makanisa mengine mwanzilishi huwa mmiliki, na kusanyiko halina sauti. Katika mengine, kila jambo dogo hugeuka kuwa kura ya kelele, na mchungaji hana nafasi ya kuongoza. Katika mengine, chombo cha nje hutoa amri kwa kanisa la mahali pamoja. Kila moja ya haya ni tatizo la uongozi, na kila moja limewadhuru watu wa Mungu. Mchungaji anayejua kile Biblia inachofundisha anaweza kulinda kanisa lake dhidi ya yote matatu.In many places where our students serve, the danger is real. In some churches the founder becomes the owner, and the congregation has no voice. In others, every small matter becomes a noisy vote, and the pastor has no room to lead. In others, an outside body gives orders to the local church. Each of these is a problem of government, and each has hurt God's people. A pastor who knows what the Bible teaches can protect his church from all three.

Kuna sababu nyingine. Maandiko yenyewe yanajali utaratibu. Paulo aliwaambia Wakorintho, "Lakini yote na yatendeke kwa uzuri na kwa utaratibu" (1 Wakorintho 14:40). Alimwacha Tito huko Krete ili "uyatengeneze yaliyopungua" (Tito 1:5). Utaratibu hauipingi Roho. Ni mojawapo ya njia ambazo Roho huwahudumia watu wa Mungu.There is another reason. Scripture itself cares about order. Paul told the Corinthians, "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40). He left Titus in Crete so that he would "set in order the things that are lacking" (Titus 1:5). Order is not opposed to the Spirit. It is one way the Spirit serves the people of God.

Kristo Ndiye KichwaChrist Is the Head

Kweli ya kwanza ya uongozi wa kanisa haihusu wachungaji wala kura. Inamhusu Yesu Kristo. Paulo aliandika kwamba Baba "akavitiisha vitu vyote chini ya miguu yake, akamweka kuwa kichwa juu ya vitu vyote kwa ajili ya kanisa, ambalo ni mwili wake, ukamilifu wake yeye ajazaye vyote katika vyote" (Waefeso 1:22-23). Katika Waefeso 5:23 aliandika kwamba Kristo ni kichwa cha kanisa. Katika Wakolosai 1:18, mstari wetu mkuu, anasema kwamba Kristo ni kichwa cha mwili na lazima awe na nafasi ya kwanza katika yote.The first truth of church government is not about pastors or votes. It is about Jesus Christ. Paul wrote that the Father "put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23). In Ephesians 5:23 he wrote that Christ is head of the church. In Colossians 1:18, our key verse, he says that Christ is head of the body and must have the first place in all things.

Mambo matatu hufuata kutokana na hili.Three things follow from this.

Kanisa ni mali ya Kristo. Yesu alisema, "Nitalijenga kanisa langu" (Mathayo 16:18). Si mali ya mwanzilishi, wala ya dhehebu, wala ya familia ya mchungaji, wala ya jumuiya ya wamisionari. Paulo aliwaambia wazee wa Efeso walichunge "kanisa la Mungu, alilolinunua kwa damu yake mwenyewe" (Matendo 20:28). Kile ambacho Kristo alikinunua kwa damu yake, hakuna mtu awezaye kukimiliki.The church belongs to Christ. Jesus said, "I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18). It is not the property of a founder, a denomination, a pastor's family or a missionary society. Paul told the Ephesian elders to shepherd "the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). What Christ bought with His blood, no man may own.

Kanisa linatawaliwa na Kristo. Yeye si mwanzilishi aliye mbali ambaye aliacha kanuni akaondoka. Yeye ni Bwana aliye hai, naye alisema, "Nimepewa mamlaka yote mbinguni na duniani" (Mathayo 28:18). Yeye hulitawala kanisa lake kupitia Neno lake lililoandikwa, kwa Roho wake, na kupitia watu aliowajalia karama. Kanisa linapokutana kuamua jambo, swali la kwanza si kamwe, "Sisi tunataka nini?" Ni, "Bwana anataka nini?"The church is ruled by Christ. He is not a distant founder who left rules and went away. He is the living Lord, and He said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). He governs His church through His written Word, by His Spirit, and through the people He has gifted. When a church meets to decide a matter, the question is never first, "What do we want?" It is, "What does the Lord want?"

Viongozi wote wa kibinadamu wako chini ya Kristo. Yesu aliwaambia wanafunzi wake kwamba watawala wa Mataifa huwatawala watu kwa nguvu, "lakini kwenu si hivyo" (Marko 10:42-43 na mistari inayofuata). Petro aliwaandikia wazee kwamba walichunge kundi kwa hiari, "wala msiwe kama mmewatawala wale mliokabidhiwa, bali kuwa vielelezo kwa lile kundi" (1 Petro 5:3). Mchungaji ni mchungaji msaidizi. Petro anamwita Kristo "Mchungaji Mkuu" (1 Petro 5:4).All human leaders are under Christ. Jesus told His disciples that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over people, "yet it shall not be so among you" (Mark 10:42-43 and following). Peter wrote to the elders that they should shepherd the flock willingly, "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3). The pastor is an under-shepherd. Peter calls Christ the "Chief Shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4).

Neno "Kanisa" Linamaanisha NiniWhat the Word "Church" Means

Neno la Agano Jipya la kanisa ni ekklesia. Katika ulimwengu wa Kigiriki lilimaanisha kusanyiko, mkutano wa watu walioitwa pamoja kwa kusudi fulani. Agano la Kale la Kigiriki liliitumia kwa kusanyiko la Israeli. Katika Agano Jipya kwa kawaida linamaanisha mkutano maalum wa mahali pamoja wa waumini: "kanisa la Mungu lililoko Korintho" (1 Wakorintho 1:2), kanisa "lililo nyumbani mwako" (Filemoni 2), na "makanisa ya Galatia" (Wagalatia 1:2). Kanisa la namna hiyo lingeweza kukutana, kupokea washiriki, kusikia barua ikisomwa, na kufanya maamuzi. Tutaona katika Kipindi cha 2 kwamba hivi ndivyo vitendo ambavyo Agano Jipya linaonyesha makanisa yakifanya.The New Testament word for church is ekklesia. In the Greek-speaking world it meant an assembly, a gathering of people called together for a purpose. The Greek Old Testament used it for the assembly of Israel. In the New Testament it usually means a particular, local gathering of believers: "the church of God which is at Corinth" (1 Corinthians 1:2), the church "in your house" (Philemon 2), and "the churches of Galatia" (Galatians 1:2). Such a church could meet, receive members, hear a letter read, and make decisions. We will see in Unit 2 that these are the very acts the New Testament shows churches doing.

Agano Jipya pia huzungumza kuhusu kanisa kwa maana pana zaidi. Kristo "alilipenda kanisa, akajitoa kwa ajili yake" (Waefeso 5:25), na Waebrania 12:23 husema juu ya "kanisa la wazaliwa wa kwanza walioandikwa mbinguni." Wabaptisti wengi hufahamu maana hii pana kuwa ni wote waliokombolewa wa vizazi vyote, waliokusanywa na Kristo na wanaojulikana kikamilifu kwake peke yake. Maungamo ya Kibaptisti husema hivyo. Kwa mfano, Baptist Faith and Message (2000) (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti) husema kwamba kanisa linajumuisha wote waliokombolewa wa vizazi vyote.The New Testament also speaks of the church in a wider sense. Christ loved "the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25), and Hebrews 12:23 speaks of "the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven." Most Baptists understand this wider sense to mean all the redeemed of all ages, gathered by Christ and known fully only to Him. Baptist confessions say this. The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), for example, says that the church includes all the redeemed of all the ages.

Wabaptisti hawajakubaliana wote kuhusu jinsi ya kulisema hili. Baadhi ya Wabaptisti, hasa katika mapokeo ya Landmark ambayo Kozi ya 1 inayaeleza, hushikilia kuwa "kanisa" katika Agano Jipya humaanisha kusanyiko la mahali pamoja tu, na kwamba maana pana ni mfano wa lugha tu. Sisi tunaona kwamba maana pana ni halisi, kwa sababu waliokombolewa ni mwili mmoja katika Kristo, lakini tunakubaliana na ndugu wa Landmark kuhusu jambo muhimu zaidi la kivitendo: kanisa linalofanya kazi ya Kristo duniani, lenye mamlaka ya kupokea washiriki, kubatiza, kukusanyika kwenye meza ya Bwana, kuchagua viongozi na kuwarekebisha washiriki, ni kusanyiko la mahali pamoja. Hakuna chombo kikubwa zaidi chenye mamlaka haya. Huu ndio msingi wa kila kitu kinachofuata katika kozi hii.Baptists have not all agreed on how to say this. Some Baptists, especially in the Landmark tradition, which Course 1 describes, hold that "church" in the New Testament means only the local congregation and that the wider sense is a figure of speech. We think the wider sense is real, because the redeemed are one body in Christ, but we agree with the Landmark brothers on the most important practical point: the church that does the work of Christ on earth, with authority to receive members, baptize, gather at the Lord's table, choose leaders and discipline, is the local congregation. No larger body has these powers. This is the foundation of everything that follows in this course.

Kwa Nini Wabaptisti Hutazama Maandiko kwa Ajili ya Utaratibu wa KanisaWhy Baptists Look to Scripture for Church Order

Tunaamini kwamba Biblia ndiyo kanuni pekee ya mwisho ya imani na matendo. Hili linahusu utaratibu wa kanisa pia, si mafundisho tu. Wakati wa Matengenezo, baadhi ya viongozi walisema kwamba kanisa linaweza kushika desturi yoyote ambayo Biblia haikatazi. Wabaptisti, na wengine kabla yao, walichukua njia kali zaidi. Waliuliza Agano Jipya linafundisha nini au linaonyesha nini, na walikuwa wepesi kidogo kuongeza kile lisichosema.We believe the Bible is the only final rule for faith and practice. This applies to church order as well as to doctrine. In the days of the Reformation, some leaders said that the church may keep any custom the Bible does not forbid. Baptists, and others before them, took a stricter road. They asked what the New Testament teaches or shows, and they were slow to add what it does not.

Hii haimaanishi kwamba tunadhani kila kipengele cha karne ya kwanza kiliamriwa kwa nyakati zote. Agano Jipya linatuambia kwamba makanisa yalikutana katika nyumba, lakini hatuhitimishi kwamba kila kanisa lazima likutane nyumbani. Tunatofautisha kati ya kanuni na mazingira. Kanuni ni pamoja na Ukichwa wa Kristo, kukusanyika kwa waumini waliobatizwa, nafasi mbili za mchungaji na shemasi, urekebishaji wa kanisa, na uhuru wa kila kusanyiko chini ya Kristo. Mazingira ni pamoja na jengo, saa ya siku, lugha na mtindo wa mkutano.This does not mean we imagine that every detail of the first century was commanded for all time. The New Testament tells us that churches met in homes, but we do not conclude that every church must meet in a home. We distinguish between principles and circumstances. The principles include Christ's headship, the gathering of baptized believers, the two offices of pastor and deacon, the discipline of the church, and the freedom of each congregation under Christ. The circumstances include the building, the time of day, the language and the style of the meeting.

Pingamizi: Agano Jipya halitoi muundo mmojaThe objection: the New Testament gives no single pattern

Baadhi ya wasomi na viongozi wa makanisa husema kwamba Agano Jipya halina ramani moja ya kanisa. Wanaonyesha kwamba makanisa yalikuwa machanga, kwamba Yerusalemu, Antiokia, Korintho na Efeso hazikufanana, na kwamba makanisa ya baadaye yamepata uungwaji mkono kwa maaskofu, kwa mabaraza ya wazee au kwa kura za kusanyiko. Wanasema kwamba kila kanisa linapaswa kuchagua umbo linalofaa wakati wake na mahali pake. Mtazamo huu unashikiliwa na Wakristo wenye busara katika mapokeo mengi.Some scholars and church leaders say that the New Testament contains no single blueprint. They point out that the churches were young, that Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth and Ephesus did not look the same, and that different later churches have found support for bishops, for presbyteries or for congregational votes. They say that each church should choose the form that fits its time and place. This view is held by thoughtful Christians in many traditions.

Jibu letu. Ni kweli kwamba Agano Jipya si kitabu cha sheria, na hatupaswi kudai zaidi ya linalosema. Lakini halinyamazi. Katika kila kanisa tunaloliona kama kusanyiko la mahali pamoja, tunakuta mambo yaleyale: kundi la waumini waliobatizwa, wazee au waangalizi wanaochunga, mashemasi wanaotumikia, na kusanyiko linalotenda pamoja katika mambo yanayogusa maisha yake. Mitume hawakuweka mtawala yeyote juu ya makanisa ya mahali pamoja zaidi ya wao wenyewe, nao wenyewe hawapo tena. Paulo aliandika barua zake nyingi kwa makanisa mazima, si kwa maaskofu juu ya makanisa, na aliwahutubia kusanyiko lote, kwa mfano alipowaambia Wakorintho wamwondoe mtu mwasherati (1 Wakorintho 5). Umbo linalojitokeza tena na tena, na ambalo hakuna mtu katika Agano Jipya analipinga, ni mfano unaostahili kufuatwa. Hatusemi kwamba maumbo mengine si ya Kikristo. Tunasema kwamba tunapaswa kufuata kile Maandiko yanachoonyesha, na huo ni mfano wa kijumuiya.Our answer. It is true that the New Testament is not a legal code, and we should not claim more than it says. But it is not silent. In every church where we see a local assembly, we find the same things: a body of baptized believers, elders or overseers who shepherd, deacons who serve, and a congregation that acts together in the matters that touch its life. The apostles appointed no ruler over the local churches beyond themselves, and they themselves are gone. Paul wrote most of his letters to whole churches, not to bishops over churches, and he addressed the whole congregation, for example when he told the Corinthians to put away an immoral man (1 Corinthians 5). A form that appears again and again, and that nobody in the New Testament contradicts, is a pattern worth following. We do not say that other forms are not Christian. We say that we should follow what Scripture shows, and that this is the congregational pattern.

Mifumo Mitatu ya Uongozi wa KanisaThree Models of Church Government

Wakristo wamepanga makanisa yao kwa njia tatu kuu. Vipindi vya baadaye vitachunguza kila moja kwa undani zaidi, kwa hiyo hapa tunatoa maelezo mafupi.Christians have organized their churches in three main ways. Later units will examine each more closely, so here we give a short description.

Uongozi wa kiaskofu (Episcopal) huweka mamlaka kwa maaskofu, wanaosimamia makasisi na makutaniko katika eneo pana. Makanisa ya Roma Katoliki, Othodoksi na Anglikana, na makanisa mengi ya Methodisti, hufuata namna fulani ya mfumo huu. Watetezi wake huonyesha mitume, Timotheo na Tito, na waandishi wa kanisa la awali.Episcopal government places authority in bishops, who oversee priests and congregations over a wide area. The Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches, and many Methodist churches, follow some form of this model. Its defenders point to the apostles, to Timothy and Titus, and to early church writers.

Uongozi wa kipresbiteri (Presbyterian) huweka mamlaka kwa wazee, wanaotawala kanisa la mahali pamoja pamoja, na pia hukutana katika mabaraza makubwa zaidi yanayoitwa presbiteri na sinodi au mikutano mikuu. Makanisa ya Presbiteri na makanisa mengi ya Matengenezo hufuata mfumo huu. Watetezi wake huonyesha wazee wa Matendo 15 na matumizi ya Agano Jipya ya neno "wazee" kwa wingi.Presbyterian government places authority in elders, who govern the local church together and also meet in larger courts, called presbyteries and synods or assemblies. Presbyterian and many Reformed churches follow this model. Its defenders point to the elders of Acts 15 and to the New Testament use of the plural "elders."

Uongozi wa kijumuiya (Congregational) huweka mamlaka ya mwisho ya kibinadamu kwa kusanyiko la mahali pamoja la waumini, linalotenda chini ya Ukichwa wa Kristo. Wabaptisti, Wakongregational na makanisa mengi huru hufuata mfumo huu. Tunaushikilia kwa sababu tunaamini ndivyo Agano Jipya linavyoonyesha, na kwa sababu unaafikiana na mambo mawili ambayo Biblia inasema: kila mwamini ni kuhani mbele za Mungu (1 Petro 2:9), na kila mwamini ana Roho (Warumi 8:9).Congregational government places final human authority in the local congregation of believers, which acts under the headship of Christ. Baptists, Congregationalists and many independent churches follow this model. We hold it because we believe it is what the New Testament shows, and because it fits two things the Bible says: every believer is a priest before God (1 Peter 2:9), and every believer has the Spirit (Romans 8:9).

Tofauti kati ya mifumo hii ni halisi, lakini mifumo yote mitatu inakubaliana zaidi kuliko inavyotofautiana. Yote matatu yanakiri kwamba Kristo ni kichwa. Yanatofautiana juu ya jinsi Yeye anavyotawala kupitia wanadamu.The differences between these models are real, but the three agree on more than they differ. All three affirm that Christ is the head. They differ on how He governs through human beings.

Hatari Mbili Ambazo Ukichwa wa Kristo HuzirekebishaTwo Dangers That Christ's Headship Corrects

Kwa sababu Kristo ni kichwa, makosa mawili yanayotokea mara nyingi katika maisha ya Wabaptisti lazima yakataliwe.Because Christ is the head, two errors that appear often in Baptist life must be refused.

Mchungaji kama mmilikiThe pastor as owner

Katika baadhi ya makanisa mchungaji, au mwanzilishi, amekuwa mamlaka ya mwisho. Huchagua mashemasi peke yake, hudhibiti fedha, na hamjibu mtu yeyote. Watetezi wake husema, "Mungu amemweka hapo, na watu lazima watii." Mara nyingi hutaja Waebrania 13:17, "Watiini wenye kuwaongoza, mkawatii."In some churches the pastor, or the founder, has become the final authority. He chooses the deacons alone, controls the money, and answers to no one. His defenders say, "God has placed him there, and the people must obey." They often cite Hebrews 13:17, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive."

Jibu letu. Mstari huu ni halisi na tunauheshimu. Waumini wanapaswa kuwafuata viongozi wacha Mungu, na kanisa linalomdharau mchungaji wake hujidhuru lenyewe. Lakini mstari huu haumfanyi mchungaji kuwa kichwa. Barua hiyohiyo huwaambia watu "mkiangalia sana mwisho wa mwenendo wao" (Waebrania 13:7), ili viongozi wapimwe kwa Maandiko. Petro huwakataza wazee kulitawala kundi kwa nguvu. Paulo aliwaambia Wakorintho wahukumu wenyewe kesi ya dhambi. Mitume hawakuwahi kutawala kanisa bila kuwashirikisha waumini. Mchungaji anayesahau kwamba kanisa ni mali ya Kristo amechukua nafasi isiyo yake. Lazima aongoze kwa kufundisha, kwa mfano wake na kwa upendo.Our answer. This verse is real and we honor it. Believers should follow godly leaders, and a church that despises its pastor does itself harm. But the verse does not make the pastor the head. The same letter tells the people to "consider the outcome of their conduct" (Hebrews 13:7), so that leaders are measured by Scripture. Peter forbids elders to lord it over the flock. Paul told the Corinthians to judge a case of sin themselves. The apostles never ruled a church without involving the believers. A pastor who forgets that the church belongs to Christ has taken a place that is not his. He must lead by teaching, example and love.

Walio wengi kama bwanaThe majority as lord

Kosa la kinyume huchukulia kura ya watu kuwa mamlaka ya juu kabisa. Kwa mtazamo huu, kanisa ni demokrasia ndogo, na lolote ambalo walio wengi wanataka ni sahihi. Baadhi ya makanisa ya Kibaptisti, kwa masikitiko, yamefanya hivyo, na mikutano yao ya biashara imekuwa vita vya makundi.The opposite error treats the vote of the people as the highest authority. On this view, the church is a small democracy, and whatever the majority wants is right. Some Baptist churches have sadly acted this way, and their business meetings have become battles of parties.

Jibu letu. Uongozi wa kijumuiya si demokrasia kwa maana ya kawaida. Demokrasia huuliza watu wanataka nini. Kusanyiko huuliza Kristo anataka nini, na hutumia kura kugundua kama mwili unakubali kwamba umepata nia yake. Baptist Faith and Message (2000) husema kwamba kanisa hutenda chini ya ubwana wa Kristo kupitia michakato ya kidemokrasia, na mpangilio wa maneno hayo ni muhimu. Ubwana huja kwanza. Walio wengi wanaweza kukosea, na kanisa limefungwa na Maandiko hata kama washiriki wengi wangependa jambo lingine. Kura inayopinga Maandiko wazi haina mamlaka. Kusanyiko linalopiga kura ni ukuhani wa waumini wanaotafuta mapenzi ya Bwana pamoja, si umati unaohesabu mikono.Our answer. Congregational government is not democracy in the ordinary sense. A democracy asks what the people want. A congregation asks what Christ wants and uses a vote to discover whether the body agrees that it has found His mind. The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) says a church acts under the lordship of Christ through democratic processes, and the order of those words matters. The lordship comes first. A majority can be wrong, and the church is bound by Scripture even when most of its members would like something else. A vote that goes against clear Scripture has no authority. A congregation that votes is a priesthood of believers seeking the Lord's will together, not a crowd counting hands.

Umbo la Kozi HiiThe Shape of This Course

Kipindi cha 2 kitachunguza mamlaka ya kusanyiko katika Mathayo 18, Matendo 6 na 15, na 1 Wakorintho 5. Kipindi cha 3 kitachunguza uhuru wa kila kanisa na ushirikiano wa hiari wa makanisa. Kipindi cha 4 kitamchunguza mchungaji. Kipindi cha 5 kitachunguza uanachama na urekebishaji wa kanisa. Vipindi vya 6 hadi 9 vitamchunguza shemasi, kwa kutumia kozi ya CTS ya Dkt. Wayne Cook, Deacon Family Ministry Plan (Mpango wa Huduma ya Familia ya Shemasi), na kitabu cha R. B. C. Howell, The Deaconship (Ushemasi) (1846). Kipindi cha 10 kitageukia mikutano ya biashara, katiba na sheria.Unit 2 will study the congregation's authority in Matthew 18, Acts 6 and 15, and 1 Corinthians 5. Unit 3 will study the independence of each church and the voluntary cooperation of churches. Unit 4 will study the pastor. Unit 5 will study membership and discipline. Units 6 to 9 will study the deacon, drawing on Dr. Wayne Cook's CTS course Deacon Family Ministry Plan and on R. B. C. Howell's The Deaconship (1846). Unit 10 will turn to business meetings, constitutions and the law.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji katika mji unaokua ameanzisha kanisa kwa msaada wa familia chache. Baada ya miaka sita, kanisa lina washiriki themanini. Mchungaji hajawahi kufanya mkutano wa biashara. Yeye huamua bajeti na huwataja mashemasi mwenyewe. Siku moja mshiriki wa muda mrefu, mwalimu wa shule aitwaye Marta, anauliza kwa upole, "Mchungaji, kanisa hili ni la nani?" Anahisi swali hilo kama shambulio.A pastor in a growing town has started a church with the help of a few families. After six years, the church has eighty members. The pastor has never had a business meeting. He decides the budget and names the deacons himself. One day a longtime member, a schoolteacher named Marta, asks politely, "Pastor, whose church is this?" He feels the question as an attack.

Mchungaji mwenye hekima kwanza angemshukuru kwa kuuliza na asijitetee. Pili, angefungua Wakolosai 1:18 na Mathayo 16:18 na kukubali kwamba kanisa ni la Kristo, si lake. Tatu, angekiri kwamba maamuzi yaliyofanywa bila kusanyiko hayakufuata mfano wa Agano Jipya, na angewaomba watu wajifunze pamoja naye kile Matendo 6 na 1 Wakorintho 5 vinavyoonyesha. Nne, angepanga mkutano wa kwanza wa kanisa wenye ajenda iliyochapishwa na maombi ya kuomba mwongozo wa Bwana, na angeeleza kwamba kusudi si kudhoofisha uongozi wake bali kugawana kazi. Mwishowe, angemkumbusha Marta, na yeye mwenyewe, kwamba yeye ni mtumishi na si mtawala. Hapotezi chochote alichopewa na Kristo, na anapata kanisa lililo la Bwana zaidi.A wise pastor would first thank her for asking and not defend himself. Second, he would open Colossians 1:18 and Matthew 16:18 and agree that the church belongs to Christ, not to him. Third, he would admit that decisions made without the congregation have not followed the New Testament pattern, and he would ask the people to study with him what Acts 6 and 1 Corinthians 5 show. Fourth, he would plan a first church meeting with a printed agenda and a prayer for the Lord's guidance, and he would explain that the purpose is not to weaken his leadership but to share the work. Finally, he would remind Marta, and himself, that he is a servant and not a ruler. He gives up nothing that Christ gave him, and he gains a church that is more fully the Lord's.

MuhtasariSummary

Uongozi wa kanisa huanza na Kristo, ambaye ni kichwa cha kanisa, aliyelinunua kwa damu yake, na analitawala kwa Neno na Roho wake. Neno la Agano Jipya ekklesia kwa kawaida humaanisha kusanyiko la mahali pamoja, ingawa pia linaelezea wote waliokombolewa. Wabaptisti wanakubaliana kwamba kusanyiko la mahali pamoja ndilo kanisa linalotenda duniani. Tunatazama Maandiko kwa ajili ya utaratibu wa kanisa, tukitofautisha kanuni na mazingira, na tunajibu dai kwamba Agano Jipya halina mfano kwa kuonyesha kile kinachojitokeza katika kila kanisa tunaloweza kuliona. Wakristo wamefuata mifumo ya kiaskofu, ya kipresbiteri na ya kijumuiya. Sisi tunafuata mfumo wa kijumuiya. Ukichwa wa Kristo hurekebisha makosa mawili: mchungaji anayetenda kama mmiliki na walio wengi wanaotenda kama bwana. Chini ya Kristo, mchungaji hutumikia, kusanyiko hutafuta mapenzi yake, na hakuna mtu anayechukua nafasi iliyo yake peke yake.Church government begins with Christ, who is head of the church, bought it with His blood, and rules it by His Word and Spirit. The New Testament word ekklesia usually means a local assembly, though it also describes all the redeemed. Baptists agree that the local congregation is the church that acts on earth. We look to Scripture for church order, distinguishing principles from circumstances, and we answer the claim that the New Testament has no pattern by pointing to what appears in every church where we can see it. Christians have followed episcopal, presbyterian and congregational models. We follow the congregational model. Christ's headship corrects two errors: the pastor who acts as owner and the majority that acts as lord. Under Christ, the pastor serves, the congregation seeks His will, and no one takes the place that belongs to Him alone.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti), kifungu kuhusu kanisa (Southern Baptist Convention).• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), article on the church (Southern Baptist Convention).

• The Second London Confession (1689) (Ungamo la Pili la London), sura ya 26, "Of the Church" (Kuhusu Kanisa), na New Hampshire Confession (1833) (Ungamo la New Hampshire).• The Second London Confession (1689), chapter 26, "Of the Church," and the New Hampshire Confession (1833).

• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867) (Mwongozo wa Kanisa).• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867).

• J. L. Dagg, Manual of Church Order (1858) (Mwongozo wa Utaratibu wa Kanisa).• J. L. Dagg, Manual of Church Order (1858).

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

• James Leo Garrett Jr., Baptist Theology (2009) (Theolojia ya Kibaptisti).• James Leo Garrett Jr., Baptist Theology (2009).

• Kozi ya 1 ya fani hii, kwa asili na historia ya Wabaptisti.• Course 1 of this specialization, for Baptist origins and history.

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