Ibada, Maagizo na Mahubiri ya Kibaptisti — Sehemu ya 1: Kanuni ya Kuongoza na Kanuni ya Kielelezo katika Ibada ya KibaptistiBaptist Worship, Ordinances, and Preaching — Unit 1: The Regulative and Normative Principles in Baptist Worship

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Mungu ni roho; nao wamwabuduo hana budi kumwabudu katika roho na kweli." (Yohana 4:24, SUV)"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini swali "Kanisa linapaswa kuabudu vipi?" ni swali kuhusu Maandiko na si kuhusu ladha ya mtu binafsi.1. Explain why the question "How should the church worship?" is a question about Scripture and not about personal taste.

2. Kufafanua kanuni ya kuongoza (regulative principle) na kanuni ya kielelezo (normative principle) na kutaja familia za makanisa zinazoshikilia kila moja.2. Define the regulative principle and the normative principle and name the church families that hold each.

3. Kutofautisha "vipengele" vya ibada na "mazingira" ya ibada na kutoa mifano ya kila kimoja.3. Distinguish the "elements" of worship from the "circumstances" of worship and give examples of each.

4. Kueleza mapingamizi makuu dhidi ya kanuni ya kuongoza na mapingamizi makuu dhidi ya kanuni ya kielelezo, na kutoa jibu la Kibaptisti kwa kila moja.4. State the main objections to the regulative principle and the main objections to the normative principle, and give the Baptist answer to each.

5. Kutumia mfululizo rahisi wa maswali kwa jambo jipya ambalo mtu anapendekeza kwa kanisa lako.5. Apply a simple set of questions to a new practice that someone proposes for your church.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kibaptisti, kwa wanafunzi Wabaptisti. Ni ya kihafidhina. Inashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililovuviwa na linaloaminika kikamilifu, na kwamba ndiyo mamlaka ya mwisho kwa imani na mwenendo. Inaposema "sisi," inamaanisha Wabaptisti wanaokiri hayo. Wakristo wengine, na baadhi ya wanahistoria, wanaona mambo kwa namna tofauti. Tunaeleza mawazo yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu la Kibaptisti. Historia yetu inafundishwa katika Kozi ya 1 na mafundisho yetu katika Kozi ya 2, kwa hiyo kozi hii itayataja kwa ufupi na haitayarudia.This course is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist students. It is conservative. It holds that the Bible is the inspired and fully trustworthy Word of God and the final authority for faith and practice. When it says "we," it means Baptists who confess this. Other Christians, and some historians, see matters differently. We state their views fairly and then give the Baptist answer. Our history is taught in Course 1 and our doctrine in Course 2, so this course will refer to them briefly and will not repeat them.

Kwa Nini Ibada Inahitaji KanuniWhy Worship Needs a Principle

Kila kanisa huabudu. Kila mchungaji lazima aamue kitakachofanyika Jumapili: nini kiimbwe, nini kisomwe, nani aseme, na nini kiongezwe au kuachwa. Maamuzi haya kamwe hayana upande wowote. Huwafundisha watu Mungu ni wa namna gani na anataka nini.Every church worships. Every pastor must decide what happens on Sunday: what is sung, what is read, who speaks, and what is added or left out. These choices are never neutral. They teach the people what God is like and what He desires.

Wachungaji wengi huamua kwa mazoea ("siku zote tumefanya hivi") au kwa shinikizo ("vijana wanataka kitu kipya"). Wabaptisti siku zote wametaka sababu iliyo bora kuliko hizi. Sababu yetu huanzia katika Maandiko. Ibada ni mali ya Mungu. Yeye si mgeni katika ibada yetu; sisi ndio wageni wake. Kwa hiyo swali la kwanza si "Tunafurahia nini?" bali "Mungu anatuomba nini?"Many pastors decide by habit ("we have always done it this way") or by pressure ("the young people want something new"). Baptists have always wanted a better reason than these. Our reason begins with Scripture. Worship belongs to God. He is not the guest at our service; we are His guests. So the first question is not "What do we enjoy?" but "What does God ask of us?"

Yesu alisema kwamba Baba anawatafuta watu wanaomwabudu "katika roho na kweli" (Yohana 4:23-24). "Katika roho" maana yake ni kutoka moyoni, kwa msaada wa Roho, si kwa maumbo ya nje tu. "Katika kweli" maana yake ni kupatana na yale Mungu aliyoyafunua. Maneno yote mawili ni muhimu. Ibada iliyojaa hisia lakini isiyo na kweli haimpendezi. Ibada iliyo sahihi kwa umbo lakini baridi moyoni nayo haimpendezi.Jesus said that the Father seeks worshippers who worship "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24). "In spirit" means from the heart, by the Spirit's help, not only with outward forms. "In truth" means in agreement with what God has revealed. Both words matter. A service full of feeling but without truth does not please Him. A service correct in form but cold in heart does not please Him either.

Maandiko yanatoa onyo. Katika Walawi 10:1-3, Nadabu na Abihu walitoa moto "ambao hakuwaamuru," naye Bwana akawahukumu. Yesu alisema kuhusu viongozi wa dini wa siku zake, "Lakini wananiabudu bure, wakifundisha mafundisho yaliyo maagizo ya wanadamu" (Marko 7:7). Paulo aliwaonya Wakolosai dhidi ya dini ya kujitungia (Wakolosai 2:20-23). Vifungu hivi havimalizi kila jambo dogo, lakini vinaonyesha kwamba namna ya kuabudu ni jambo zito kwa Mungu.Scripture gives a warning. In Leviticus 10:1-3, Nadab and Abihu offered fire "which He had not commanded them," and the Lord judged them. Jesus said of religious leaders in His day, "And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). Paul warned the Colossians against self-made religion (Colossians 2:20-23). These passages do not settle every detail, but they show that the manner of worship is a serious matter to God.

Kanuni ya KuongozaThe Regulative Principle

Kanuni ya kuongoza (regulative principle) husema kwamba kanisa lifanye katika ibada ya hadharani yale Mungu aliyoyaamuru katika Neno lake, na lisifanye yale asiyoyaamuru. Maandiko huongoza, au hutawala, ibada.The regulative principle says that the church should do in public worship what God has commanded in His Word, and should not do what He has not commanded. Scripture regulates, or governs, worship.

Kanuni hii ilifundishwa na Yohana Calvin na makanisa ya Reformed, na Wapuritani wa Uingereza waliishikilia kwa nguvu. Ungamo la Westminster (miaka ya 1640) linaieleza, na Ungamo la Pili la London (1689) la Wabaptisti linafuata Ungamo la Westminster kwa karibu katika sura yake kuhusu ibada. Wabaptisti walioandika Ungamo la 1689 walikuwa Wabaptisti Maalumu (Particular Baptists). Walifundisha kwamba Mungu mwenyewe ameweka njia sahihi ya kuabudu, kwamba hapaswi kuabudiwa kwa uvumbuzi wa kibinadamu wala kwa picha na sanamu, na kwamba njia aliyoiweka ndiyo ile iliyofunuliwa katika Maandiko.This principle was taught by John Calvin and the Reformed churches, and the English Puritans held it strongly. The Westminster Confession (1640s) states it, and the Baptist Second London Confession (1689) follows the Westminster Confession closely in its chapter on worship. The Baptists who wrote the 1689 Confession were Particular Baptists. They taught that God Himself has set the right way to worship, that He is not to be worshipped by human inventions or by pictures and images, and that the way He has set is the way revealed in Scripture.

Kanuni hii inatoka wapiWhere the principle comes from

Wanaoshikilia mtazamo huu hutaja mambo kadhaa:Those who hold this view point to several things:

• Amri za Mungu mwenyewe kuhusu ibada katika Agano la Kale, kama vile Kumbukumbu la Torati 12:32, linalowaambia Israeli wasiongeze wala wasipunguze kitu katika yale Bwana aliyoamuru.• God's own commands about worship in the Old Testament, such as Deuteronomy 12:32, which tells Israel not to add to or take away from what the Lord commanded.

• Hukumu juu ya Nadabu na Abihu, na maneno ya Yesu katika Marko 7.• The judgment on Nadab and Abihu, and Jesus' words in Mark 7.

• Utoshelevu wa Maandiko. Ikiwa Biblia "yafaa... ili mtu wa Mungu awe kamili, amekamilishwa apate kutenda kila kazi njema" (2 Timotheo 3:16-17), basi inatosha kuongoza ibada yetu pia.• The sufficiency of Scripture. If the Bible is "profitable... that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), then it is enough to guide our worship too.

• Uzoefu wa watu wetu wenyewe. Wabaptisti waliteswa Uingereza kwa sababu walikataa kutumia Kitabu cha Sala ya Kawaida (Book of Common Prayer) kilichohitajika na Sheria ya Umoja ya mwaka 1662 (Act of Uniformity). Waliamini kwamba mfalme na maaskofu hawakuwa na haki ya kuamuru ibada ambayo Kristo hakuiamuru. Dhamiri na Maandiko vilisimama pamoja.• The experience of our own people. Baptists were persecuted in England because they would not use the Book of Common Prayer that the Act of Uniformity of 1662 required. They believed the king and the bishops had no right to command worship that Christ had not commanded. Conscience and Scripture stood together.

Vipengele vya ibadaThe elements of worship

Wanaoshikilia kanuni ya kuongoza kwa kawaida huorodhesha vipengele vya ibada, yaani sehemu ambazo Mungu ameziamuru. Wengi huorodhesha hivi:Those who hold the regulative principle usually list the elements of worship, meaning the parts God has commanded. Most list these:

1. Kusoma Maandiko (1 Timotheo 4:13).1. Reading of Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13).

2. Kuhubiri na kulisikia Neno (2 Timotheo 4:2; Matendo 20:7).2. Preaching and hearing the Word (2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7).

3. Sala (Matendo 2:42; 1 Timotheo 2:1-2).3. Prayer (Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

4. Kuimba zaburi, nyimbo na tenzi za rohoni (Waefeso 5:19; Wakolosai 3:16).4. Singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).

5. Maagizo mawili ya kanisa: ubatizo na Meza ya Bwana (Mathayo 28:19; 1 Wakorintho 11:23-26).5. The two ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

6. Kutoa sadaka (1 Wakorintho 16:1-2).6. Giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

Matendo 2:42 inatoa picha fupi ya kanisa la kwanza: "Nao walidumu katika mafundisho ya mitume, na katika ushirika, na katika kumega mkate, na katika kusali."Acts 2:42 gives a short picture of the first church: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Mazingira ya ibadaThe circumstances of worship

Hakuna kanisa lenye uaminifu linaloweza kutii Biblia bila kufanya maamuzi mengine ambayo Biblia haiyafanyi. Maandiko hayatuambii tukutane saa ngapi, tuhubiri muda gani, tutumie jengo la aina gani, tuwe na viti vya benchi au vya kawaida, wala jinsi ya kuwasha taa chumbani. Mambo haya huitwa mazingira. Ungamo la 1689, pamoja na Ungamo la Westminster, linafundisha kwamba mambo kama hayo yapangwe kwa busara ya Kikristo na kwa kanuni za jumla za Neno. Hata Paulo alisema, "Lakini mambo yote yatendeke kwa uzuri na kwa taratibu" (1 Wakorintho 14:40).No honest church can obey the Bible without making some decisions the Bible does not make. The Scriptures do not tell us at what hour to meet, how long to preach, what kind of building to use, whether to have benches or chairs, or how to light the room. These are called circumstances. The 1689 Confession teaches, with the Westminster Confession, that such matters are to be arranged by Christian prudence and the general rules of the Word. Even Paul said, "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Huu ni utofautishaji muhimu sana. Kanuni ya kuongoza haisemi, "Chochote kisichotajwa katika Biblia kimekatazwa." Inasema, "Vipengele, yaani sehemu za ibada, lazima viwe vimeamriwa; mazingira yanaweza kupangwa kwa busara." Kitabu cha nyimbo, kipaza sauti, karatasi ya matangazo iliyochapishwa, na saa ya mkutano ni mazingira. Ngoma ya kuigiza, michezo ya kuigiza, na ubani, ukiletwa kama matendo ya ibada, hudaiwa kuwa vipengele vipya, na swali lazima liulizwe kama Mungu aliviamuru.This is a very important distinction. The regulative principle does not say, "Whatever is not mentioned in the Bible is forbidden." It says, "The elements, the parts of worship, must be commanded; the circumstances may be arranged wisely." A hymnbook, a microphone, a printed bulletin, and the time of the meeting are circumstances. Dance, drama, and incense, if they are brought in as acts of worship, are claimed to be new elements, and the question must be asked whether God commanded them.

Kanuni ya KielelezoThe Normative Principle

Kanuni ya kielelezo (normative principle) husema kwamba kanisa linaweza kufanya katika ibada chochote ambacho Maandiko hayakikatazi, mradi kinafanyika kwa uzuri, kwa taratibu, na kwa kulijenga kanisa. Maandiko hayadhibiti kila jambo dogo; huweka mipaka na vielelezo.The normative principle says that the church may do in worship whatever is not forbidden by Scripture, so long as it is done decently, in order, and for the building up of the church. Scripture does not regulate every detail; it sets limits and norms.

Mtazamo huu unashikiliwa na Walutheri na Waanglikana, na Wakristo wengine wengi. Katika familia ya Wabaptisti, unashikiliwa na makanisa mengi leo, ingawa mara nyingi bila jina hilo. Wanaoshikilia mtazamo huu hutaja mambo haya:This view is held by Lutherans and Anglicans, and by many other Christians. In the Baptist family, it is held by many churches today, though often without the name. Those who hold this view point to these things:

• Agano Jipya halitoi mpangilio kamili wa ibada. Linatoa maelezo machache. Ukimya huo unaacha nafasi kwa hekima na desturi za mahali.• The New Testament does not give a full order of service. It gives few details. The silence leaves room for wisdom and local custom.

• Yesu alihudhuria sikukuu ya kutabaruku (Yohana 10:22), sikukuu ambayo sheria ya Agano la Kale haikuiamuru, naye hakuilaumu.• Jesus attended the feast of dedication (John 10:22), a festival that the Old Testament law did not command, and He did not condemn it.

• Paulo aliwaambia Wakorintho, "Mkutanikapo, kila mmoja anazo zaburi, anayo mafundisho, anayo ufunuo, anayo lugha, anayo tafsiri. Mambo yote na yatendeke ili kuujenga" (1 Wakorintho 14:26). Lengo lilikuwa kulijenga kanisa, na mpangilio uliachiwa wao.• Paul told the Corinthians, "Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26). The goal was the church's building up, and the order was left to them.

• Makanisa katika tamaduni tofauti hayawezi kuabudu kwa namna ileile. Kanisa katika milima ya Meksiko, kanisa katika mji wa Nigeria, na kanisa huko Cuba yana lugha, vyombo vya muziki na desturi tofauti. Kanuni ya kielelezo inayapa uhuru wa kuabudu kama watu wao wenyewe, si kama wageni.• Churches in different cultures cannot all worship in the same way. A church in the highlands of Mexico, a church in a city in Nigeria, and a church in Cuba have different languages, instruments and customs. The normative principle gives them freedom to worship as their own people, not as foreigners.

Kupima Kanuni Hizi MbiliWeighing the Two Principles

Mapingamizi dhidi ya kanuni ya kuongoza, na jibuObjections to the regulative principle, and the answer

Pingamizi la 1: Ni finyu mno, na hakuna anayeifuata kweli. Wakosoaji husema Biblia haiamuru Shule ya Jumapili, karatasi ya matangazo iliyochapishwa, jengo la kanisa, wala mfumo wa sauti. Tungetii kanuni hii kikamilifu, tusingekuwa na kitu chochote kati ya hivyo.Objection 1: It is too narrow, and no one really follows it. Critics say the Bible does not command the Sunday School, the printed bulletin, the church building, or the sound system. If we obeyed the principle strictly we would have none of them.

Jibu letu. Pingamizi hili lina haki dhidi ya namna ya kutojali ya kanuni hii, lakini linashindwa dhidi ya namna yake ya makini. Ungamo lenyewe la Kibaptisti linatenga vipengele na mazingira. Shule ya Jumapili na mfumo wa sauti ni misaada kwa vipengele vilivyoamriwa: kufundisha na kusikia Neno. Mstari wa kutenganisha si rahisi kuchorwa kila wakati, na Wabaptisti waaminifu huuchora mahali tofauti. Lakini mstari mgumu kuuchora si mstari usiokuwepo.Our answer. This objection is fair against a careless form of the principle, but it fails against the careful form. The Baptist confession itself separates elements from circumstances. Sunday School and a sound system are helps to the commanded elements: teaching and hearing the Word. The line is not always easy to draw, and sincere Baptists draw it in different places. But a line that is hard to draw is not a line that does not exist.

Pingamizi la 2: Amri za Agano la Kale hazilifungi kanisa la Agano Jipya. Kumbukumbu la Torati 12 na Walawi 10 zilipewa Israeli chini ya agano la kale.Objection 2: The Old Testament commands do not bind the New Testament church. Deuteronomy 12 and Leviticus 10 were given to Israel under the old covenant.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba ibada ya hekalu ya agano la kale imekoma katika Kristo. Lakini kanuni iliyo nyuma ya amri hizo, kwamba Mungu ndiye anayesema jinsi anavyopaswa kuabudiwa, si sherehe; ni sehemu ya Mungu alivyo. Agano Jipya lenyewe linaendeleza kanuni hiyo katika Marko 7 na Wakolosai 2, vilivyoandikwa kwa watu wa agano jipya.Our answer. We agree that the old covenant temple worship has ended in Christ. But the principle behind the commands, that God is the one who says how He is to be worshipped, is not a ceremony; it is part of who God is. The New Testament itself carries the principle forward in Mark 7 and Colossians 2, which were written to the new covenant people.

Pingamizi la 3: Inaweza kuzaa ibada baridi na ya kisheria. Wakosoaji husema kanisa linaweza kujishughulisha mno na kanuni hata kusahau moyo.Objection 3: It can produce cold and legalistic worship. Critics say a church can become so concerned with rules that it forgets the heart.

Jibu letu. Hatari hii ni ya kweli. Maneno ya Yesu katika Yohana 4 yanahitaji roho na kweli vyote viwili. Kanisa linalodumisha vipengele sahihi lakini halimpendi Mungu wala watu limeshindwa. Jibu la hatari hii ni uchangamfu pamoja na utii, si uhuru wa kutotii.Our answer. This danger is real. Jesus' words in John 4 require both spirit and truth. A church that keeps the correct elements but loves neither God nor people has failed. The answer to the danger is warmth joined to obedience, not freedom from obedience.

Mapingamizi dhidi ya kanuni ya kielelezo, na jibuObjections to the normative principle, and the answer

Pingamizi la 1: Inafungua mlango kwa kila kitu. Ikiwa kila kisichokatazwa kinaruhusiwa, kanisa litaelekea kwenye burudani, maonyesho ya kujionyesha, au desturi za dunia.Objection 1: It opens the door to anything. If everything not forbidden is allowed, the church will drift toward entertainment, showmanship, or the customs of the world.

Jibu letu. Pingamizi hili ni zito, na historia ya kanisa inaliunga mkono. Kanisa Katoliki la Roma liliongeza mazoea mengi kwa karne nyingi kwa sababu Maandiko hayakuyakataza. Wabaptisti wakawa watu waliotengana kwa sehemu kwa sababu walikataa kuyakubali. Kwa hiyo hata Wabaptisti wasioshikilia kanuni ya kuongoza lazima washikilie kanuni imara: chochote kinachoongezwa lazima kihudumie vipengele vilivyoamriwa, lazima kipatane na injili, na lazima kilijenge kanisa (1 Wakorintho 14:26, 40).Our answer. This objection is serious, and the history of the church supports it. The Roman Catholic Church added many practices over the centuries on the ground that Scripture did not forbid them. Baptists became a separate people partly because they refused to accept them. So even Baptists who do not hold the regulative principle must hold a firm rule: anything added must serve the commanded elements, must be consistent with the gospel, and must build up the church (1 Corinthians 14:26, 40).

Pingamizi la 2: Inaiacha dhamiri chini ya huruma ya walio wengi au ya mchungaji. Ikiwa ibada inaamuliwa kwa desturi au kwa kura, ni nani anayemlinda muumini anayesumbuka moyoni?Objection 2: It leaves the conscience at the mercy of the majority or of the pastor. If worship is decided by custom or vote, who protects the believer who is troubled?

Jibu letu. Hapa mafundisho ya Kibaptisti kuhusu ukuhani wa waumini wote na uhuru wa dhamiri ni muhimu. Hakuna mchungaji anayeruhusiwa kuamuru kile ambacho Kristo hakukiamuru. Zoea likihojiwa, kanisa lazima liweze kuonyesha kutoka Maandiko kwamba linaruhusiwa na lina faida.Our answer. Here the Baptist teaching on the priesthood of all believers and the liberty of conscience is important. No pastor may command what Christ has not commanded. When a practice is questioned, the church must be able to show from Scripture that it is permitted and useful.

Wabaptisti hufanya nini kwa kweli?What do Baptists actually do?

Wanahistoria wamejadili jinsi Wabaptisti wa mwanzo walivyoshikilia kanuni ya kuongoza kwa ukali. Wabaptisti Maalumu wa miaka ya 1600 waliieleza wazi katika ungamo lao. Hata hivyo Wabaptisti pia walitofautiana wao kwa wao tangu mwanzo. Mabishano kuhusu kuimba tenzi, ambayo tutayasoma katika Kipindi cha 3, yanaonyesha kwamba hata wafuasi wenye nguvu wa kanuni hii wangeweza kutofautiana kuhusu kile ambacho Maandiko yaliamuru. Baadhi ya wanahistoria wanahitimisha kwamba Wabaptisti siku zote walikuwa na mawazo mbalimbali. Wengine wanasema msimamo wa ungamo ndio ulikuwa kipimo na tofauti hizo zinaonyesha tu ugumu wa kibinadamu wa kuutumia. Kauli zote mbili zina ukweli.Historians have discussed how strictly the early Baptists held the regulative principle. The Particular Baptists of the 1600s expressed it clearly in their confession. Yet Baptists also disagreed with each other from the start. The controversy over singing hymns, which we study in Unit 3, shows that even strong supporters of the principle could differ about what Scripture commanded. Some historians conclude that the Baptists always held a wide range of views. Others say the confessional position was the standard and the variety shows only the human difficulty of applying it. Both statements contain truth.

Leo makanisa mengi ya Kibaptisti ya kihafidhina yamesimama mahali fulani kati ya kanuni hizi mbili. Yanakubali kwamba vipengele vya ibada vinatoka katika Maandiko, na hutumia hekima na desturi za mahali kwa mazingira. Hitimisho letu katika kozi hii ni hili: vipengele vya ibada ya Kibaptisti lazima vitegemee Maandiko; mazingira yanaweza kupangwa kwa hekima na upendo; na chochote ambacho kanisa linaongeza lazima kipimwe kwa Neno. Hitimisho hili linaheshimu hamu ya Wabaptisti kwamba ibada iwe ya kibiblia, na linahifadhi uhuru unaoyawezesha makanisa ya Kibaptisti kuabudu katika lugha na utamaduni wao wenyewe.Today most conservative Baptist churches stand somewhere between the two principles. They agree that the elements of worship come from Scripture, and they use wisdom and local custom for the circumstances. Our conclusion in this course is as follows: the elements of Baptist worship must rest on Scripture; the circumstances may be arranged by wisdom and love; and whatever a church adds must be tested by the Word. This conclusion honors the Baptist concern that worship be biblical, and it keeps the freedom that lets Baptist churches worship in their own language and culture.

Mfululizo wa Maswali kwa Mazoea MapyaA Set of Questions for New Practices

Mtu anapopendekeza kitu kipya, mchungaji anaweza kuongoza kanisa kupitia maswali haya:When a person proposes something new, a pastor can lead the church through these questions:

1. Je, hiki ni kipengele au mazingira? Ikiwa ni mazingira tu (wakati, mahali, chombo), kinaweza kuamuliwa kwa hekima.1. Is this an element or a circumstance? If it is only a circumstance (a time, a place, a tool), it may be decided by wisdom.

2. Ikiwa ni kipengele, je, kimeamriwa au kimeonyeshwa katika Maandiko?2. If it is an element, is it commanded or shown in Scripture?

3. Je, kinahudumia kusoma Maandiko, kuhubiri, sala, kuimba au maagizo ya kanisa, au kinaviondoa na kuvichukua nafasi yake?3. Does it serve the reading, preaching, prayer, singing or ordinances, or does it replace them?

4. Je, kinaeleweka kwa watu? Paulo alisema tunapaswa kusali na kuimba kwa akili pia (1 Wakorintho 14:15).4. Is it understandable to the people? Paul said we should pray and sing with the mind also (1 Corinthians 14:15).

5. Je, kinalijenga kanisa (1 Wakorintho 14:26), au kinavuta macho kwa mwigizaji?5. Does it build up the church (1 Corinthians 14:26), or does it draw attention to the performer?

6. Je, kinamfanya ndugu au dada ajikwae (Warumi 14:19-21)?6. Does it cause a brother or sister to stumble (Romans 14:19-21)?

7. Je, kinapatana na injili? Hakipaswi kuashiria kwamba tunapata kibali kwa Mungu kwa sherehe.7. Is it consistent with the gospel? It must not suggest that we earn favor with God by ceremony.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Kiongozi kijana katika kanisa dogo anataka kuongeza muda wa kuigiza upya hadithi za Biblia asubuhi za Jumapili na kufupisha mahubiri ili kupata nafasi. Washiriki wazee wamekasirika. Wanasema, "Hii si ibada." Kiongozi kijana anajibu, "Biblia haikatazi."A young leader in a small church wants to add a time of dramatic reenactment of Bible stories on Sunday mornings and to shorten the sermon to make room. Older members are upset. They say, "This is not worship." The young leader answers, "The Bible does not forbid it."

Mchungaji hachagui upande haraka. Kwanza, anawaomba wote wawili waje na Maandiko. Pili, anaeleza tofauti kati ya kipengele na mazingira. Kuigiza kama msaada wa kufundisha watoto, katika Shule ya Jumapili, kunaweza kuwa mazingira. Kuigiza kunakochukua nafasi ya kuhubiri Neno kungebadilisha kipengele. Tatu, anaongoza kanisa kupitia maswali saba yaliyo hapo juu. Nne, haruhusu mahubiri kufupishwa kwa ajili ya kitu ambacho hakiwezi kuchukua nafasi yake, kwa sababu kuhubiri ni kipengele kilichoamriwa. Mwishowe, anamshukuru kiongozi kijana kwa juhudi yake. Matokeo yanaweza kuwa kwamba kuigiza kunatumika katika huduma ya watoto na kama utangulizi kabla ya kuhubiri, na mahubiri yanabaki. Pande zote zinaheshimiwa.The pastor does not choose a side too quickly. First, he asks both to come with Scripture. Second, he explains the difference between an element and a circumstance. Drama as a teaching help for children, in the Sunday School, may be a circumstance. Drama that replaces the preaching of the Word would change an element. Third, he leads the church through the seven questions above. Fourth, he does not allow the sermon to be shortened for the sake of something that cannot take its place, because preaching is a commanded element. Finally, he thanks the young leader for his zeal. The result may be that the drama is used in the children's ministry and as an introduction before the preaching, and the sermon is kept. All sides are treated with respect.

MuhtasariSummary

Ibada ni mali ya Mungu, naye ana haki ya kusema jinsi anavyopaswa kuabudiwa. Yesu anahitaji ibada "katika roho na kweli." Kanuni ya kuongoza, inayoshikiliwa na Wabaptisti Maalumu wa Ungamo la 1689, inafundisha kwamba vipengele vya ibada ya hadharani lazima viwe vile Mungu alivyoviamuru: kusoma, kuhubiri, sala, kuimba, maagizo ya kanisa, na kutoa sadaka. Kanuni ya kielelezo, inayoshikiliwa na Walutheri, Waanglikana na wengine wengi, inaruhusu kile Maandiko hayakikatazi. Kila kanuni ina nguvu zake na hatari zake. Ya kwanza hushtakiwa kwa ufinyu na kutegemea sheria; ya pili kwa kufungua mlango kwa kila kitu. Wabaptisti wengi wa kihafidhina leo hufunga vipengele kwa Neno na kupanga mazingira kwa hekima. Mchungaji anahitaji mfululizo wazi wa maswali kwa ajili ya kupima zoea jipya, na lazima aongoze kanisa lake kwa unyenyekevu na upendo.Worship belongs to God, and He has the right to say how He is to be worshipped. Jesus requires worship "in spirit and truth." The regulative principle, held by the Particular Baptists of the 1689 Confession, teaches that the elements of public worship must be those God commanded: reading, preaching, prayer, singing, the ordinances, and giving. The normative principle, held by Lutherans, Anglicans and many others, allows what Scripture does not forbid. Each principle has strengths and dangers. The first is accused of narrowness and legalism; the second of opening the door to anything. Most conservative Baptists today hold the elements to the Word and arrange the circumstances by wisdom. A pastor needs a clear set of questions for testing a new practice, and he must lead his church with humility and love.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Ungamo la Pili la London (1689), sura ya 1 na 22, linapatikana bila hakimiliki (public domain).• The Second London Confession (1689), chapters 1 and 22, available in the public domain.

• Benjamin Keach, The Breach Repaired in God's Worship (1691) (Ufa Uliorekebishwa katika Ibada ya Mungu), bila hakimiliki.• Benjamin Keach, The Breach Repaired in God's Worship (1691), public domain.

• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867) (Mwongozo wa Kanisa), bila hakimiliki.• J. M. Pendleton, Church Manual (1867), public domain.

• Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Mihadhara kwa Wanafunzi Wangu), bila hakimiliki.• Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, public domain.

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

• H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage (1987) (Urithi wa Kibaptisti).• H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage (1987).

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