Utawala wa Kanisa kwa Usharika na Mfumo wa Kibaptisti — Sehemu ya 6: Nafasi ya Shemasi I: Asili, Jina, na SifaCongregational Church Government and Baptist Polity — Unit 6: The Deacon Office I: Origin, Name, and Qualifications

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Nao pia na wajaribiwe kwanza; kisha, wakionekana hawana lawama, na watumike kama mashemasi." (1 Timotheo 3:10, SUV)"But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless." (1 Timothy 3:10, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza maana ya neno la Kigiriki diakonos na kwa nini linamfanya shemasi kuwa mtumishi kabla ya kuwa kiongozi wa nafasi.1. Explain the meaning of the Greek word diakonos and why it makes the deacon a servant before he is an officer.

2. Kueleza jinsi Matendo 6:1-7 yanavyotoa mfano wa kazi ya shemasi, na kueleza kwa haki mjadala kuhusu kama wale Saba walikuwa "mashemasi."2. Describe how Acts 6:1-7 gives the pattern for the deacon's work, and state fairly the debate over whether the Seven were "deacons."

3. Kutaja sifa za shemasi katika Matendo 6:3 na 1 Timotheo 3:8-13, na kueleza kwa nini tabia hutangulia ustadi.3. Name the qualifications of a deacon in Acts 6:3 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13, and explain why character comes before skill.

4. Kueleza jinsi kanisa la Kibaptisti linavyochagua na kuwatenga mashemasi wake, kulingana na Howell na mfano wa Agano Jipya.4. Describe how a Baptist church chooses and sets apart its deacons, according to Howell and the New Testament pattern.

5. Kulinganisha mtazamo wa Kibaptisti kuhusu shemasi na mitazamo ya mapokeo mengine, na kueleza jinsi nafasi hiyo ilivyopotoka kuwa "bodi" na jinsi inavyoweza kurejeshwa.5. Compare the Baptist view of the deacon with the views of other traditions, and explain how the office drifted into a "board" and how it can be recovered.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kibaptisti, kwa wachungaji na viongozi wa makanisa ya Kibaptisti. Tunashikilia kwamba Biblia ndiyo mamlaka ya mwisho ya jinsi kanisa linavyopangwa. Tunaamini kanisa la mahali pamoja ni kusanyiko la waumini waliobatizwa chini ya Ukichwa wa Kristo, na kwamba lina nafasi mbili: mchungaji (anayeitwa pia mzee au mwangalizi) na shemasi. Wakristo wengine hutofautiana. Tunaeleza mitazamo yao kwa haki kisha tunatoa jibu la Kibaptisti.This course is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist pastors and church leaders. We hold that the Bible is the final authority for how a church is ordered. We believe a local church is a gathering of baptized believers under the headship of Christ, and that it has two offices: pastor (also called elder or overseer) and deacon. Other Christians differ. We state their views fairly and then give the Baptist answer.

Vipindi vya 6 hadi 9 vinahusu shemasi. Vimejengwa juu ya vyanzo viwili vilivyoandikwa au kurekebishwa na seminari hii: kozi ya Dkt. Wayne Cook "Deacon Family Ministry Plan" (Mpango wa Huduma ya Familia ya Shemasi) (CTS), na marekebisho ya CTS ya kitabu cha R. B. C. Howell, The Deaconship (Ushemasi) (1846). Howell alikuwa mchungaji Mbaptisti katika karne ya kumi na tisa, na kitabu chake ni kitabu cha lazima cha kozi hii. Kozi kamili ya mashemasi inapendekezwa kama mwandani wa vipindi hivi vinne. Tunakupa mistari mikuu hapa; kozi kamili inakupa maelezo na mazoezi.Units 6 to 9 are about the deacon. They are built on two sources written or adapted by this seminary: Dr. Wayne Cook's course "Deacon Family Ministry Plan" (CTS), and the CTS adaptation of R. B. C. Howell's book The Deaconship (1846). Howell was a Baptist pastor in the nineteenth century, and his book is the required textbook for this course. The full deacon course is the recommended companion to these four units. We give you the main lines here; the full course gives you the detail and the practice.

Kwa historia ya Wabaptisti, tazama Kozi ya 1.For Baptist history, see Course 1.

Neno "Shemasi"The Word "Deacon"

"Deacon" (shemasi) ni namna ya Kiingereza ya neno la Kigiriki diakonos. Katika Kigiriki cha kawaida lilimaanisha mtumishi, yule anayewahudumia wengine, mtu anayehudumia chakula. Agano Jipya hutumia neno hili na jamaa zake, kitenzi diakoneo (kutumikia) na nomino diakonia (huduma), mara nyingi, kwa kawaida kwa huduma ya kawaida na ya unyenyekevu."Deacon" is the English form of the Greek word diakonos. In ordinary Greek it meant a servant, one who waits on others, the person who serves the meal. The New Testament uses this word and its relatives, the verb diakoneo (to serve) and the noun diakonia (service or ministry), many times, usually of plain, humble service.

Hili linatuambia kitu kabla hata hatujasoma sifa moja. Shemasi kwanza ni mtumishi. Si kwanza meneja, mwanachama wa bodi, wala mtawala. Paulo anatumia neno hilohilo juu yake mwenyewe kama mtumishi wa injili (Waefeso 3:7). Bwana Yesu alitoa kanuni kwa viongozi wote katika ufalme wake: "yeyote atakaye kuwa mkubwa kwenu, atakuwa mtumishi wenu" (Marko 10:43). Nafasi ya shemasi ni mafundisho hayo yaliyofanywa ya kudumu katika maisha ya kanisa. Inasimama pale kama ukumbusho wa kila siku kwamba viongozi katika kanisa huwatumikia watu. Hawawatawali kwa nguvu.This tells us something before we read a single qualification. The deacon is first a servant. He is not first a manager, a board member or a ruler. Paul uses the same word of himself as a servant of the gospel (Ephesians 3:7). The Lord Jesus gave the rule for all leaders in His kingdom: "whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant" (Mark 10:43). The office of deacon is that teaching made permanent in the life of a church. It stands there as a daily reminder that leaders in the church serve the people. They do not lord it over them.

Howell anaanza mahali pamoja. Kila Mkristo ameitwa kutumikia, lakini kanisa pia hutambua baadhi ya watumishi hadharani na kuwapa wajibu ulioelezwa. Hiyo ndiyo tofauti kati ya kutumikia na kushika nafasi.Howell begins in the same place. Every Christian is called to serve, but the church also recognizes some servants publicly and gives them a defined responsibility. That is the difference between serving and holding the office.

Mfano katika Matendo 6The Pattern in Acts 6

Agano Jipya halitoi kitabu cha mwongozo kwa mashemasi. Linatoa hadithi, ambayo kanisa limeisoma kama mfano wa nafasi hiyo.The New Testament gives no handbook for deacons. It gives a story, which the church has read as the pattern of the office.

Kanisa la Yerusalemu lilikuwa likikua haraka. Kisha "ikatokea manung'uniko ya Wayunani juu ya Waebrania, kwa kuwa wajane wao walionekana kupuuzwa katika huduma ya kila siku" (Matendo 6:1). Wayunani (Hellenists) walikuwa waumini Wayahudi waliosema Kigiriki; Waebrania walisema lugha ya mahali. Wajane kutoka kundi lililosema Kigiriki walikuwa wakisahauliwa. Tatizo halikuwa mafundisho ya uongo wala mateso. Lilikuwa wajane wenye njaa na sura ya upendeleo, na lilitishia umoja wa kanisa.The church in Jerusalem was growing fast. Then "there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution" (Acts 6:1). The Hellenists were Jewish believers who spoke Greek; the Hebrews spoke the local language. Widows from the Greek-speaking group were being overlooked. The problem was not false teaching or persecution. It was hungry widows and the appearance of partiality, and it threatened the unity of the church.

Mitume hawakulipuuza jambo hilo, na hawakujaribu kulifanya lote wenyewe. Walisema, "Haifai sisi kuliacha neno la Mungu, na kuhudumu mezani" (Matendo 6:2). Hawakuidharau kazi hiyo; walitambua wito wao wenyewe. Walilitaka kusanyiko lote "chagueni watu saba miongoni mwenu, watu wenye sifa njema, waliojaa Roho na hekima, tuwakabidhi kazi hii" (Matendo 6:3), na waliahidi, "sisi tutadumu katika kuomba na kulihudumia neno" (Matendo 6:4).The apostles did not wave the matter away, and they did not try to do it all themselves. They said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables" (Acts 6:2). They did not despise the work; they recognized their own calling. They asked the whole congregation to "seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business" (Acts 6:3), and they promised, "we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4).

Kutoka kwenye simulizi hili tunapata mafunzo matano ambayo Howell na kozi ya mashemasi ya CTS yanasisitiza.From this account we draw five lessons that Howell and the CTS deacon course both stress.

1. Huduma ya shemasi huanza pale uhitaji halisi wa kibinadamu unapokutana na familia ya Mungu. Kuwatunza wajane ni ibada, kama Yakobo anavyosema (Yakobo 1:27).1. Deacon ministry begins where real human need meets the family of God. Caring for widows is worship, as James says (James 1:27).

2. Shemasi yupo kubeba utunzaji wa vitendo ili mchungaji awe huru kwa maombi na Neno. Afya ya mimbari imefungamana na uaminifu wa mashemasi.2. The deacon exists to carry practical care so that the pastor is free for prayer and the Word. The health of the pulpit is tied to the faithfulness of the deacons.

3. Kanisa lilihitaji tabia, si ustadi wa kiufundi. Sifa njema, Roho na hekima vyote ni alama za kiroho.3. The church required character, not technical skill. Good reputation, the Spirit and wisdom are all spiritual marks.

4. Kusanyiko liliwachagua wale Saba, mitume wakawathibitisha, nao wakaomba na kuwawekea mikono (Matendo 6:5-6). Nafasi hiyo hutoka kwa kanisa.4. The congregation chose the Seven, the apostles confirmed them, and they prayed and laid hands on them (Acts 6:5-6). The office rises from the church.

5. Huduma huzaa matunda. "Neno la Mungu likaenea; hesabu ya wanafunzi ikaongezeka sana huko Yerusalemu" (Matendo 6:7).5. Service bears fruit. "Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem" (Acts 6:7).

Angalia pia kwamba Stefano alihubiri na kufa kwa ajili ya Kristo (Matendo 7), na Filipo alipeleka injili Samaria (Matendo 8). Huduma ilitoa nafasi kwa injili.Notice also that Stephen preached and died for Christ (Acts 7), and Philip carried the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8). Service made room for the gospel.

Je, wale Saba kweli walikuwa mashemasi?Were the Seven really deacons?

Mwanafunzi mwaminifu anapaswa kujua mjadala huu. Matendo 6 halitumii kamwe nomino diakonos kwa watu hawa. Linatumia familia ya neno: "huduma ya kila siku" katika mstari wa 1 (diakonia) na "kuhudumu mezani" katika mstari wa 2 (diakonein). Kwa hiyo baadhi ya wasomi husema wale Saba walikuwa kundi maalum la muda, labda viongozi wa waumini waliosema Kigiriki, na kwamba nafasi ya shemasi ilikuja baadaye. Wengine hudhani wale Saba walikuwa kitu kati ya hivi viwili.An honest student should know the debate. Acts 6 never uses the noun diakonos for these men. It uses the word family: "daily distribution" in verse 1 (diakonia) and "serve tables" in verse 2 (diakonein). Some scholars therefore say the Seven were a special, temporary group, perhaps leaders of the Greek-speaking believers, and that the office of deacon came later. Others think the Seven were something between the two.

Jibu letu ni hili. Tunaweza kukubali kwamba Luka hasemi, "hawa walikuwa mashemasi wa kwanza." Lakini kazi ni ileile, neno la msingi ni lilelile, sifa zinalingana na zile zilizotolewa baadaye kwa mashemasi, na Paulo, akiandika miaka baadaye, anasalimu "waangalizi na mashemasi" kama makundi mawili yaliyoimarika ya viongozi katika kanisa (Wafilipi 1:1). Kwa hiyo Wabaptisti wameshikilia kwamba Matendo 6 hutuonyesha kusudi na roho ya nafasi hiyo, na kwamba 1 Timotheo 3 na Wafilipi 1:1 hutuonyesha nafasi yenyewe. Howell ana mtazamo uleule: tukio la Matendo ni asili ya kivitendo, na uhitaji lililojibu haukutoweka mitume walipokufa. Makanisa bado yana wajane, washiriki maskini, fedha, majengo na kazi ya vitendo inayohitaji watumishi wa kuaminika. Nafasi hiyo inaendelea kwa sababu uhitaji unaendelea.Our answer is as follows. We can grant that Luke does not say, "these were the first deacons." But the work is the same work, the root word is the same, the qualifications match those later given for deacons, and Paul, writing years later, greets "the bishops and deacons" as the two settled groups of leaders in a church (Philippians 1:1). Baptists have therefore held that Acts 6 shows us the purpose and spirit of the office, and that 1 Timothy 3 and Philippians 1:1 show us the office itself. Howell takes the same view: the event in Acts is the practical origin, and the need it answered did not disappear when the apostles died. Churches still have widows, poor members, funds, buildings and practical work that needs trustworthy servants. The office continues because the need continues.

SifaThe Qualifications

Paulo alipomwandikia Timotheo, aliweka tabia ambayo kanisa lazima litafute:When Paul wrote to Timothy, he set down the character the church must look for:

"Mashemasi vivyo hivyo wawe watu wa heshima, wasio na ulimi wa uwili, wasiokuwa walevi, wasiopenda faida ya aibu; washike siri ya imani kwa dhamiri safi. Nao pia na wajaribiwe kwanza; kisha, wakionekana hawana lawama, na watumike kama mashemasi." (1 Timotheo 3:8-10)"Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless." (1 Timothy 3:8-10)

TabiaCharacter

Paulo anaanza na kile ambacho shemasi lazima awe, kisha anaorodhesha kile asichopaswa kuwa. Lazima awe mwenye heshima, mtu mwenye uzito, anayechukulia mambo matakatifu kwa uzito. Asiwe na ulimi wa uwili, akimwambia mtu mmoja jambo moja na mwingine jambo lingine. Shemasi huenda nyumba hadi nyumba, na lazima abebe kweli ileile kwenye kila nyumba. Asiwe mlevi, kwa sababu mtu asiyeweza kutawala tamaa zake mwenyewe hawezi kuaminiwa na mambo maridadi. Na asipende faida ya aibu, kwa sababu atashughulikia zawadi zilizotolewa na maskini kuwasaidia maskini. Hizi ni dhambi za kimya zinazofanya madhara yao faraghani. Howell anasema kanisa lisimchague shemasi kwa sababu ni tajiri, anapendwa au yuko tayari kufanya kazi. Haya hayawezi kuchukua nafasi ya tabia ya kibiblia, kwa sababu shemasi hushughulikia fedha na husikia mahitaji ya siri.Paul begins with what the deacon must be, then lists what he must not be. He must be reverent, a person of weight, who takes holy things seriously. He must not be double-tongued, saying one thing to one person and another to the next. A deacon goes from home to home, and he must carry the same truth into every house. He must not be given to much wine, because a man who cannot master his own appetites cannot be trusted with delicate matters. And he must not be greedy for money, because he will handle gifts given by the poor to help the poor. These are quiet sins that do their damage in private. Howell says a church must not choose a deacon because he is rich, popular or willing to work. These cannot replace biblical character, for the deacon handles funds and hears private needs.

Imani thabitiConviction

Shemasi lazima ashike "siri ya imani kwa dhamiri safi" (1 Timotheo 3:9). "Siri ya imani" ni injili, iliyofichwa wakati mmoja na sasa imefunuliwa katika Kristo. Shemasi si meneja aliyeajiriwa wa shirika la kidini. Ni mwamini anayesimama juu ya kweli anayoitumikia, na maisha yake yanakubaliana na imani yake. Howell haombi elimu ya juu bali hekima ya vitendo na imani ambayo mtu anaweza kuiishi na kuitetea kwa unyenyekevu.The deacon must hold "the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience" (1 Timothy 3:9). The "mystery of the faith" is the gospel, once hidden and now revealed in Christ. A deacon is not a hired manager of a religious organization. He is a believer who stands on the truth he serves, and his life agrees with his creed. Howell asks not for advanced education but for practical wisdom and a faith the man can live and humbly defend.

Thamani iliyothibitishwaProven worth

"Nao pia na wajaribiwe kwanza" (1 Timotheo 3:10). Mpangilio umewekwa: kwanza kujaribiwa, kisha kuwekwa. Jaribio si mtihani ulioandikwa. Ni maisha yaliyoangaliwa kwa muda katika majaribu ya kawaida ya maisha ya kanisa. Paulo anamwonya Timotheo mahali pengine asimwekee mtu mikono kwa haraka (1 Timotheo 5:22). Howell anasema jambo hilohilo kwa maneno ya kisasa: nafasi ya kanisa isiwe jaribio la kugundua kama mtu anawajibika. Mgombea anapaswa kuwa ameshaonyesha uaminifu, kujizuia na kutegemewa."Let these also first be tested" (1 Timothy 3:10). The order is fixed: first tested, then placed. The test is not a written examination. It is a life observed over time in the ordinary trials of church life. Paul warns Timothy elsewhere not to lay hands on anyone hastily (1 Timothy 5:22). Howell says the same thing in modern words: church office should not be an experiment to find out whether someone is responsible. The candidate should already have shown faithfulness, self-control and reliability.

Nyumba iliyopangwa vizuriA well-ordered home

Paulo anaongeza, "Mashemasi wawe waume wa mke mmoja, wakiwaongoza vema watoto wao na nyumba zao wenyewe" (1 Timotheo 3:12). Kiini cha hili ni uaminifu wa ndoa na nyumba iliyo katika utaratibu, kwa kuwa nyumba ni uwanja wa kujaribiwa kwa huduma katika nyumba ya Mungu. Howell anasoma "mume wa mke mmoja" hasa kama dai la uadilifu wa kijinsia na wa ndoa, si kama kanuni kwamba kila shemasi lazima awe ameoa, na hamchukulii mtu asiyeoa kuwa amekosa sifa moja kwa moja. Wabaptisti wengine husoma maneno hayo kwa ukali zaidi. Wote wawili wanakubaliana kwamba kutokuwa mwaminifu katika ndoa kunaondoa sifa, na kwamba nafasi hiyo si ya watu ambao nyumba zao ziko katika machafuko.Paul adds, "Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well" (1 Timothy 3:12). The core of this is marital faithfulness and a home that is in order, since the home is the proving ground for service in God's household. Howell reads "husband of one wife" chiefly as a demand for sexual and marital integrity, not as a rule that every deacon must be married, and he does not treat an unmarried man as automatically disqualified. Other Baptists read the phrase more strictly. Both agree that unfaithfulness in marriage disqualifies, and that the office is not for men whose homes are in disorder.

Mstari wa 11 kuhusu "wake zao" au "wanawake" unajadiliwa na unashughulikiwa katika Kipindi cha 9.Verse 11 about "their wives" or "the women" is debated and is taken up in Unit 9.

AhadiThe promise

Paulo anamaliza kwa ahadi: "Kwa maana wale waliotumika vema hujipatia daraja njema, na ujasiri mwingi katika imani iliyo katika Kristo Yesu" (1 Timotheo 3:13). Howell anaona hili kama tunda la kiroho, si kupandishwa cheo kwa ulimwengu.Paul ends with a promise: "For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 3:13). Howell sees this as spiritual fruit, not worldly promotion.

Kuchagua na Kuwatenga MashemasiChoosing and Setting Apart Deacons

Inasaidia kutenganisha mambo mawili. Sifa katika Matendo 6:3 na 1 Timotheo 3:8-13 ni za kibiblia, na Wabaptisti wanazishikilia kwa pamoja. Njia za kuchagua, kuweka wakfu na kupanga mashemasi ni desturi za kidhehebu ambazo Wabaptisti wamezitengeneza, na zinatofautiana. Baadhi ya makanisa huchagua mashemasi kwa kipindi fulani na mengine kwa maisha, baadhi huwazungusha, baadhi hutumia kamati ya uteuzi, na baadhi huweka wakfu kila shemasi wakati wengine hawafanyi hivyo. Wabaptisti pia hutofautiana kuhusu kama wanawake wanaweza kuhudumu kama mashemasi: baadhi husoma Warumi 16:1 (Foibe, mhudumu wa kanisa la Kenkrea) na maneno yanayojadiliwa "wake zao" au "wanawake" katika 1 Timotheo 3:11 kama yanayoruhusu mashemasi wanawake, na wengine husoma 1 Timotheo 3:12 ("waume wa mke mmoja") kama inayopunguza nafasi hiyo kwa wanaume. Tunaeleza mitazamo yote miwili kwa heshima. Kinachofuata kinaelezea mfano ambao makanisa mengi ya Kibaptisti hutumia, na katiba ya kanisa lako na desturi yake ndiyo neno la mwisho.It helps to separate two things. The qualifications in Acts 6:3 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 are biblical, and Baptists hold them in common. The ways of choosing, ordaining and organizing deacons are denominational customs that Baptists have developed, and they vary. Some churches elect deacons for a term and others for life, some rotate them, some use a nominating committee, and some ordain every deacon while others do not. Baptists also differ on whether women may serve as deacons: some read Romans 16:1 (Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchrea) and the debated words "their wives" or "the women" in 1 Timothy 3:11 as allowing women deacons, and others read 1 Timothy 3:12 ("husbands of one wife") as limiting the office to men. We state both views with respect. What follows describes the pattern most Baptist churches use, and your own church's constitution and practice are the final word.

Hapa imani ya Kibaptisti kuhusu uongozi wa kijumuiya inaonekana. Katika Matendo 6 mitume walitaja sifa, lakini waumini waliokusanyika waliwachagua watu. Howell anasisitiza kwamba hii inaafikiana na mtazamo wa Kibaptisti kwamba kanisa la mahali pamoja linawajibika chini ya Kristo kwa viongozi wake. Hatua za vitendo ni hizi.Here the Baptist conviction about congregational government appears. In Acts 6 the apostles stated the qualifications, but the gathered believers chose the men. Howell insists that this fits the Baptist view that a local church is responsible under Christ for its own officers. The practical steps are these.

• Kanisa hufundisha sifa kutoka Maandiko.• The church teaches the qualifications from Scripture.

• Washiriki huteua kwa maombi, na wagombea huambiwa wazi kazi hiyo inahusisha nini kabla ya kukubali.• Members nominate prayerfully, and candidates are told plainly what the work involves before they accept.

• Kanisa huangalia maisha ya mgombea kwa muda na kutambua kama "amejaribiwa."• The church observes the candidate's life over time and discerns whether he is "tested."

• Kusanyiko hupiga kura. Kura ni tendo la kutambua, si shindano la umaarufu.• The congregation votes. The vote is an act of discernment, not a popularity contest.

• Kanisa humtenga mtu kwa maombi na, katika makanisa mengi ya Kibaptisti, kwa kuwekewa mikono, kama katika Matendo 6:6. Hii ni desturi ya makanisa mengi ya Kibaptisti, si yote.• The church sets the man apart with prayer and, in most Baptist churches, the laying on of hands, as in Acts 6:6. This is a custom of most, not all, Baptist churches.

Howell ni mwangalifu kuhusu mambo mawili. Kwanza, kuwekwa wakfu hakuumbi tabia. Kunatambua kile ambacho kinapaswa kuwa tayari kipo. Pili, kuwekwa wakfu hakutoi kinga ya kudumu. Ikiwa kutokuwa mwaminifu kwa kimaadili, kimafundisho au kwa vitendo kunajitokeza, kanisa lazima lishughulike nako na lisiruhusu cheo kimlinde mtu.Howell is careful on two points. First, ordination does not create character. It recognizes what should already be present. Second, ordination gives no permanent immunity. If serious moral, doctrinal or practical unfaithfulness develops, the church must deal with it and must not let the title protect the man.

Jinsi Mapokeo Mengine Yanavyotumia Neno HiliHow Other Traditions Use the Word

Neno hilohilo hutumika kwa njia tofauti sana. Makanisa mengi ya Presbiteri na ya Matengenezo huweka mashemasi kama nafasi iliyowekwa wakfu iliyotolewa kwa huruma na misaada, huku kundi tofauti la wazee likitawala. Katika makanisa ya Roma Katoliki, Othodoksi, Anglikana na Methodisti, "shemasi" mara nyingi hutaja daraja la makasisi walioweka wakfu, na katika kadhaa ya haya ushemasi ni hatua kuelekea ukuhani. Baadhi ya makanisa huiacha nafasi hiyo isiyo rasmi.The same word is used very differently. Many Presbyterian and Reformed churches keep deacons as an ordained office devoted to mercy and benevolence, while a separate body of elders governs. In Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist churches, "deacon" often names an order of ordained clergy, and in several of these the diaconate is a step toward the priesthood. Some churches keep the role informal.

Tunaheshimu utunzaji wa maskini wa Matengenezo. Lakini jibu la Kibaptisti ni kwamba Agano Jipya linatupa mtumishi wa kanisa la mahali pamoja, si cheo katika ngazi ya makasisi. Wafilipi 1:1 huweka mashemasi kando ya waangalizi kama moja ya makundi mawili katika kusanyiko, na 1 Timotheo 3 hutoa orodha ya sifa za nafasi hiyo, si hatua za kazi. Kwa hiyo Wabaptisti hawamchukulii shemasi kama kasisi. Yeye ni mshiriki aliyetengwa kutumikia chini ya mchungaji na pamoja naye, bila mamlaka yake mwenyewe ya kulitawala kanisa.We respect the Reformed care for the poor. But the Baptist answer is that the New Testament gives us a servant of the local church, not a rank in a clerical ladder. Philippians 1:1 puts the deacons beside the overseers as one of two groups in a congregation, and 1 Timothy 3 gives a list of qualifications for the office, not stages of a career. Baptists therefore do not treat a deacon as clergy. He is a member set apart to serve under and alongside the pastor, with no authority of his own to rule the church.

Kupotoka na KurudiThe Drift and the Recovery

Wabaptisti hawajaishi daima kulingana na hili. Katika makanisa mengi mashemasi walikuwa kwa vitendo bodi ya wakurugenzi. Walisimamia bajeti, walidhibiti mali, waliajiri na kufukuza wafanyakazi na walifanya maamuzi ya kutawala, na mchungaji alilazimishwa kuwajibika kwao. Taulo ilibadilishwa na nyundo ya mwenyekiti. Makanisa yalipokua na kuwa taasisi, yalikopa bodi ya biashara, na mkutano wa mashemasi ukawa mkutano wa biashara. Mgogoro wa mchungaji na mashemasi ni tunda chungu.Baptists have not always lived up to this. In many churches the deacons became in practice a board of directors. They managed the budget, controlled the property, hired and fired staff and made the governing decisions, and the pastor was made to answer to them. The towel was traded for the gavel. As churches grew into institutions, they borrowed the business board, and the deacons' meeting became a business meeting. Pastor-deacon conflict is the bitter fruit.

Baadhi ya makanisa ya Kibaptisti hutetea bodi ya mashemasi yenye nguvu kama mapokeo yao. Tunajibu kwamba mapokeo ya Kibaptisti, yakieleweka vizuri, huweka mamlaka ya mwisho kwa kusanyiko chini ya Kristo (Kipindi cha 2), kwamba mchungaji ni kiongozi-mchungaji wa kundi (Kipindi cha 4), na kwamba hakuna kitu katika Matendo 6 au 1 Timotheo 3 kinachowapa mashemasi utawala juu ya mojawapo. Kurudi ni kurudi kwenye Matendo 6. Katika karne ya ishirini, Wabaptisti wa Kusini walikuza mpango uliompa kila shemasi idadi ya familia za kuzijua na kuzitumikia. Mpango huo, unaoitwa Deacon Family Ministry Plan (Mpango wa Huduma ya Familia ya Shemasi), ndio mada ya Kipindi cha 8.Some Baptist churches defend a strong deacon board as their tradition. We answer that Baptist tradition, rightly understood, puts final authority in the congregation under Christ (Unit 2), that the pastor is the shepherd-leader of the flock (Unit 4), and that nothing in Acts 6 or 1 Timothy 3 gives deacons rule over either. The recovery is a return to Acts 6. In the twentieth century, Southern Baptists promoted a plan that gave each deacon a number of families to know and serve. That plan, called the Deacon Family Ministry Plan, is the subject of Unit 8.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Kanisa lako la washiriki wapatao themanini katika mji unaokua lina mashemasi wawili, wote wazee, na kusanyiko linataka kuchagua watatu zaidi. Katika mkutano wa kanisa mtu fulani anamteua mfanyabiashara anayejulikana ambaye hutoa kwa ukarimu na ana sauti kubwa katika mikutano. Amekuwa mshiriki kwa miezi minane tu. Ameachana na kuoa tena, na baadhi ya washiriki wananong'ona kuhusu mgogoro wa biashara. Mteule mwingine ni dereva wa basi mtulivu ambaye ametembelea wagonjwa kwa miaka mingi na hajawahi kuomba cheo.Your church of about eighty members in a growing town has two deacons, both elderly, and the congregation wants to elect three more. At the church meeting someone nominates a well-known businessman who gives generously and has a strong voice in meetings. He has been a member for only eight months. He has been divorced and remarried, and some members whisper about a business dispute. Another nominee is a quiet bus driver who has visited the sick for years and has never asked for a title.

Mchungaji mwenye hekima hufanya mambo manne. Kwanza, anafundisha Matendo 6:3 na 1 Timotheo 3:8-13 kabla ya kura, ili washiriki wachague wakiwa na Biblia wazi na si kwa upendeleo. Pili, anaomba kanisa lingoje. "Kwanza kujaribiwa" humaanisha kwamba miezi minane ni jaribio fupi, na kanisa linalokimbilia litabeba gharama kwa miaka. Tatu, anaongea faraghani na kwa upole na mfanyabiashara, akimshukuru, akieleza kwamba hili ni suala la wakati na kuthibitishwa, na kumpa njia ya kutumika sasa. Nne, haamui peke yake. Kanisa huchagua, na yeye huongoza. Wabaptisti hutofautiana kuhusu jinsi ya kutumia kifungu kwa talaka na kuoa tena, kwa hiyo mchungaji huongoza kanisa katika kujifunza kwa unyenyekevu na hatatui kwa maoni yake mwenyewe.A wise pastor does four things. First, he teaches Acts 6:3 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 before the vote, so that members choose with the Bible open and not by favor. Second, he asks the church to wait. "First tested" means that eight months is a short test, and a church that rushes will carry the cost for years. Third, he speaks privately and gently with the businessman, thanking him, explaining that this is a matter of time and proving, and giving him a way to serve now. Fourth, he does not decide alone. The church chooses, and he guides. Baptists differ on how to apply the passage to divorce and remarriage, so the pastor leads the church in humble study and does not settle it by his own opinion.

MuhtasariSummary

Neno "shemasi" linamaanisha mtumishi, na nafasi hiyo ni mafundisho ya Yesu kuhusu uongozi wa utumishi yaliyofanywa ya kudumu katika kanisa. Matendo 6 yanaonyesha kusudi lake: kuwatunza waliosahauliwa, kulinda huduma ya Neno, tabia ya kiroho, uchaguzi na kusanyiko na matunda kwa injili. Kama wale Saba walikuwa mashemasi wa kwanza ni jambo linalojadiliwa, lakini Wafilipi 1:1 na 1 Timotheo 3 vinaonyesha nafasi hiyo wazi, na Wabaptisti huchukulia Matendo 6 kuwa mfano wake. Sifa za Paulo ni tabia, imani thabiti, thamani iliyothibitishwa na nyumba iliyopangwa vizuri, pamoja na ahadi ya daraja njema na ujasiri. Kanisa la Kibaptisti hufundisha sifa, hujaribu wagombea, huchagua kwa kura ya kusanyiko na kuwatenga watu kwa maombi. Kuwekwa wakfu kunatambua tabia na hakutoi kinga ya kudumu. Mapokeo mengine hutumia neno hili kwa njia tofauti, lakini Wabaptisti wanashikilia kwamba shemasi ni mtumishi wa kanisa la mahali pamoja, si cheo cha makasisi na si bodi ya watawala. Pale nafasi imepotoka, jibu ni kurudi kwenye Matendo 6. Kozi kamili ya mashemasi ya CTS inapendekezwa kama mwandani wa kipindi hiki.The word "deacon" means servant, and the office is the teaching of Jesus about servant leadership made permanent in the church. Acts 6 shows its purpose: care for the neglected, protection of the ministry of the Word, spiritual character, choice by the congregation and fruit for the gospel. Whether the Seven were the first deacons is debated, but Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3 show the office clearly, and Baptists treat Acts 6 as its pattern. Paul's qualifications are character, conviction, proven worth and a well-ordered home, with a promise of good standing and boldness. The Baptist church teaches the qualifications, tests the candidates, elects by congregational vote and sets the men apart with prayer. Ordination recognizes character and gives no permanent immunity. Other traditions use the word differently, but Baptists hold that the deacon is a servant of the local church, not a rank of clergy and not a board of rulers. Where the office has drifted, the answer is to return to Acts 6. The full CTS deacon course is the recommended companion to this unit.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• R. B. C. Howell, The Deaconship (1846) (Ushemasi), sura ya 1 hadi 3, katika marekebisho ya CTS (kitabu cha lazima cha kozi hii).• R. B. C. Howell, The Deaconship (1846), chapters 1 to 3, in the CTS adaptation (required textbook for this course).

• Dkt. Wayne Cook, "Deacon Family Ministry Plan" (Mpango wa Huduma ya Familia ya Shemasi) (CTS), Vipindi vya 1 hadi 3.• Dr. Wayne Cook, "Deacon Family Ministry Plan" (CTS), Units 1 to 3.

• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) (Imani na Ujumbe wa Kibaptisti), kifungu cha VI, kuhusu kanisa na nafasi zake mbili.• The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), article VI, on the church and its two offices.

• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867) (Mwongozo wa Kanisa), chanzo cha msingi cha Kibaptisti.• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867), a Baptist primary source.

• The New Hampshire Confession (1833) (Ungamo la New Hampshire) na The Second London Confession (1689) (Ungamo la Pili la London), kuhusu kanisa na viongozi wake.• The New Hampshire Confession (1833) and the Second London Confession (1689), on the church and its officers.

Wasilisha mtihani na uone kama umefauluSubmit Exam & Check Pass Anza upyaReset