Ibada, Maagizo na Mahubiri ya Kibaptisti — Sehemu ya 3: Uimbaji wa Tenzi: Keach, Mabishano ya Kuimba Tenzi, na Nyimbo za Kibaptisti LeoBaptist Worship, Ordinances, and Preaching — Unit 3: Hymnody: Keach, the Hymn-Singing Controversy, and Baptist Song Today

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Neno la Kristo na likae kwa wingi ndani yenu, kwa hekima yote; mkifundishana na kuonyana kwa zaburi na tenzi na nyimbo za rohoni, huku mkimwimbia Mungu kwa neema mioyoni mwenu." (Wakolosai 3:16, SUV)"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kutoa sababu za kibiblia za kuimba kwa kusanyiko na kueleza kile Waefeso 5:19 na Wakolosai 3:16 vinafundisha kuhusu kusudi lake.1. Give the biblical reasons for congregational singing and explain what Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 teach about its purpose.

2. Kueleza sehemu aliyoifanya Benjamin Keach katika kuanzisha uimbaji wa tenzi miongoni mwa Wabaptisti Maalumu (Particular Baptists).2. Describe the part played by Benjamin Keach in introducing hymn-singing among Particular Baptists.

3. Kueleza mapingamizi yaliyotolewa dhidi ya kuimba tenzi kwa kusanyiko katika karne ya kumi na saba na majibu ambayo Keach na marafiki zake walitoa.3. State the objections raised against congregational hymn-singing in the seventeenth century and the answers Keach and his friends gave.

4. Kutaja waandishi kadhaa wa tenzi za Kibaptisti na kueleza kwa nini tenzi zao zililitumikia kanisa.4. Name several Baptist hymn writers and explain why their hymns served the church.

5. Kutumia vipimo vya maudhui, urahisi wa kuimbwa na utamaduni kwa nyimbo ambazo kanisa huimba leo, ikiwa ni pamoja na nyimbo za lugha ya mahali.5. Apply tests of content, singability and culture to the songs a church sings today, including songs in the local language.

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, na kwamba ndiyo mamlaka ya mwisho kwa imani na mwenendo. Inaposema "sisi," inamaanisha Wabaptisti wanaokiri hayo. Mahali ambapo Wakristo wengine, au wanahistoria, wanaona mambo kwa namna tofauti, tunaeleza mawazo yao kwa haki kisha tunatoa jibu la Kibaptisti. Kwa historia pana ya Wabaptisti tazama Kozi ya 1; hapa tunaitaja kwa ufupi tu.This course is written from inside the Baptist tradition, for Baptist students. It is conservative. It holds that the Bible is the inspired and trustworthy Word of God and the final authority for faith and practice. When it says "we," it means Baptists who confess this. Where other Christians, or historians, see matters differently, we state their views fairly and then give the Baptist answer. For the wider history of Baptists see Course 1; here we refer to it only briefly.

Kwa Nini Kanisa HuimbaWhy the Church Sings

Kuimba ni mojawapo ya matendo ya zamani kabisa ya watu wa Mungu. Israeli waliimba kwenye Bahari ya Shamu (Kutoka 15), na Zaburi zilikuwa kitabu cha nyimbo cha Israeli. Yesu na wanafunzi wake waliimba wimbo mwishoni mwa Karamu ya Mwisho (Mathayo 26:30). Paulo na Sila walimwimbia Mungu sifa katika gereza la Filipi usiku wa manane (Matendo 16:25). Mtunga zaburi anaita, "Mwimbieni BWANA wimbo mpya" (Zaburi 98:1).Singing is one of the oldest acts of God's people. Israel sang at the Red Sea (Exodus 15), and the Psalms were Israel's songbook. Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn at the close of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30). Paul and Silas sang praises in the Philippian jail at midnight (Acts 16:25). The psalmist calls, "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!" (Psalm 98:1).

Kwa kanisa, amri ziko wazi. Paulo anawaandikia Waefeso kwamba wajazwe Roho, "mkisemezana kwa zaburi na tenzi na nyimbo za rohoni, mkimwimbia Bwana na kumshangilia mioyoni mwenu" (Waefeso 5:18-19). Katika Wakolosai 3:16, mstari ulio kichwani mwa kipindi hiki, kuimba kunaunganishwa na neno la Kristo kukaa ndani yetu kwa wingi.For the church, the commands are clear. Paul writes to the Ephesians that they should be filled with the Spirit, "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18-19). In Colossians 3:16, the verse at the head of this unit, singing is joined to the word of Christ dwelling in us richly.

Angalia mistari hii inasema nini kuhusu kusudi la kuimba. Kuimba ni kwa Bwana: ni sifa na shukrani. Lakini pia ni kwa kila mmoja kwa mwenzake: ni "kufundishana na kuonyana." Hiyo inamaanisha kwamba maneno ya nyimbo zetu hufundisha mafundisho na huonya na kutia watu moyo. Wimbo ni mahubiri ambayo kanisa lote huhubiri pamoja, nao hukaa kwenye kumbukumbu muda mrefu baada ya mahubiri kusahaulika. Hii ndiyo sababu Wabaptisti, wanaojali mafundisho yaliyo sahihi, lazima wajali maudhui ya yale yanayoimbwa.Notice what these verses say about the purpose of singing. Singing is to the Lord: it is praise and thanks. But it is also to one another: it is "teaching and admonishing." That means the words of our songs teach doctrine and warn and encourage the people. A song is a sermon the whole church preaches together, and it stays in the memory long after the sermon is forgotten. This is why Baptists, who care about sound doctrine, must care about the content of what is sung.

Angalia pia kwamba amri imetolewa kwa kanisa zima, si kwa kwaya au waimbaji wachache wenye karama. Katika kanisa la Kibaptisti, ambamo kila mwamini ni kuhani, kusanyiko huimba.Notice also that the command is given to the whole church, not to a choir or a few gifted singers. In a Baptist church, where every believer is a priest, the congregation sings.

Mwanzo wa Wabaptisti: Kuimba Kabla ya KeachBaptist Beginnings: Singing Before Keach

Wabaptisti hawakuanza na uimbaji imara wa kusanyiko. Wabaptisti wa mwanzo huko Uingereza walikuwa Watengano (Separatists) waliotoka katika Kanisa la Uingereza. Baadhi yao walishuku chochote kilichofanana na maumbo yaliyowekwa ya ibada. Wengine waliogopa kuchanganya waumini na wasioamini katika tendo la ibada. Kwa hiyo katika makanisa mengi ya mwanzo ya Kibaptisti kulikuwa na uimbaji mdogo wa kusanyiko.Baptists did not begin with strong congregational singing. The early Baptists in England were Separatists who had come out of the Church of England. Some distrusted anything that looked like set forms of worship. Others were afraid of mixing believers and unbelievers in an act of worship. So in many early Baptist churches there was little congregational singing.

Huu ndio msingi wa mabishano ya mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1600. Historia ya Wabaptisti inafundishwa katika Kozi ya 1; hapa tunataja tu kwamba Wabaptisti Maalumu wa London walikuwa watu walioteswa, wakijaribu kuwa waaminifu kwa Maandiko chini ya shinikizo la sheria.This is the background to the controversy of the later 1600s. Baptist history is taught in Course 1; here we note only that the Particular Baptists of London were a persecuted people, trying to be faithful to Scripture under pressure from the law.

Benjamin Keach na Mabishano ya Kuimba TenziBenjamin Keach and the Hymn-Singing Controversy

Keach alikuwa nani?Who was Keach?

Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) alikuwa mchungaji wa Wabaptisti Maalumu huko London. Alilitumikia kanisa la Horsleydown huko Southwark, kanisa ambalo lilikuwa babu wa kusanyiko ambalo, miaka mia mbili baadaye, liliongozwa na Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Keach alikuwa mhubiri na mwandishi. Aliandika vitabu vingi, na aliteseka kwa ajili ya imani yake: aliwekwa kwenye mti wa kuadhibu hadharani (pillory) kwa kitabu alichoandika kwa ajili ya watoto. Alitia sahihi Ungamo la Pili la London la mwaka 1689 pamoja na viongozi wengine wa Kibaptisti.Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) was a Particular Baptist pastor in London. He served the church at Horsleydown in Southwark, a church that was the ancestor of the congregation which, two centuries later, was led by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Keach was a preacher and a writer. He wrote many books, and he suffered for his faith: he was put in the pillory for a book he wrote for children. He signed the Second London Confession of 1689 together with other Baptist leaders.

Keach alifanya niniWhat Keach did

Mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1600 Keach alianzisha uimbaji wa tenzi kwa kusanyiko katika kanisa lake. Kulingana na simulizi la jadi, alianza kwa kuwafanya watu waimbe wimbo mwishoni mwa Meza ya Bwana, akifuata mfano wa Yesu na wanafunzi katika Mathayo 26:30. Baadaye kanisa liliimba katika nyakati nyingine za ibada. Yeye mwenyewe aliandika tenzi na kuzichapisha. Mwaka 1691 alichapisha mkusanyiko wa tenzi uitwao Spiritual Melody (Wimbo wa Rohoni), na mwaka huohuo kitabu kinachotetea kuimba kwa kusanyiko kiitwacho The Breach Repaired in God's Worship (Ufa Uliorekebishwa katika Ibada ya Mungu).In the later 1600s Keach introduced the congregational singing of hymns in his church. According to the traditional account, he began by having the people sing a hymn at the end of the Lord's Supper, and he followed the example of Jesus and the disciples in Matthew 26:30. Later the church sang on other occasions in the worship. He wrote hymns himself and published them. In 1691 he published a collection of hymns called Spiritual Melody, and the same year a book defending congregational singing called The Breach Repaired in God's Worship.

Badiliko hilo halikukaribishwa na wote. Kulingana na historia ya kanisa, baadhi ya washiriki waliondoka kwa sababu yake. Mabishano yalienea katika makanisa ya Kibaptisti ya London na zaidi, nayo yalidumu kwa miaka. Wanahistoria wamesimulia hadithi hii kwa njia zaidi ya moja. Wengine wanasisitiza maumivu ya mgawanyiko na nguvu ya hisia pande zote mbili. Wengine wanaona kwamba lilikuwa moja tu kati ya mabishano kadhaa ya wakati huo, na hatimaye lilitatuliwa kwa upande wa kuimba. Wote wanakubali kwamba liliwaachia Wabaptisti mapokeo ya tenzi yanayodumu.The change was not welcomed by all. According to the history of the church, some members left because of it. The controversy spread through the Baptist churches of London and beyond, and it lasted for years. Historians have told this story in more than one way. Some stress the pain of the division and the strength of feeling on both sides. Others observe that it was only one of several disputes of the time and was settled, in the end, in favor of singing. All agree that it left Baptists with a lasting hymn tradition.

Mapingamizi dhidi ya kuimba kwa kusanyikoThe objections to congregational singing

Wapinzani wa Keach hawakuwa watu wasio wa rohoni. Isaac Marlow, Mbaptisti wa London, alikuwa mmoja wa wale walioandika dhidi ya zoea hilo. Sababu zao zilitoka katika Maandiko kama walivyoyaelewa. Tunazieleza kwa haki:The opponents of Keach were not unspiritual men. Isaac Marlow, a London Baptist, was one of those who wrote against the practice. Their reasons were taken from Scripture as they understood it. We state them fairly:

1. Hakuna amri ya kuimba tungo za wanadamu. Wapinzani walisema kwamba Maandiko yanaamuru kuimba, lakini nyimbo pekee tulizopewa ni Zaburi. Tenzi iliyoandikwa na mwanadamu ni uvumbuzi wa kibinadamu katika ibada, na hilo linavunja kanuni ya kuongoza (regulative principle) tuliyojifunza katika Kipindi cha 1.1. No command to sing human compositions. The opponents said that Scripture commands singing, but that the only songs given to us are the Psalms. A hymn written by a man is a human invention in worship, and that violates the regulative principle we studied in Unit 1.

2. Kusanyiko lililochanganyika haliwezi kuimba pamoja. Kusanyiko lina waumini na wasioamini. Kuimba ni tendo la ibada ambalo ni waumini tu wanaoweza kulifanya kwa kweli kutoka moyoni. Kusanyiko lote likiimba, watu wasiobadilika watalazimishwa kuimba sifa kwa midomo yao, na hiyo ni namna ya uongo.2. A mixed congregation cannot sing together. A congregation includes believers and unbelievers. Singing is an act of worship that only believers can do truly from the heart. If a whole congregation sings, then unconverted persons will be made to sing praises with their lips, and that is a kind of lie.

3. Kuimba lazima kutoke kwa Roho na si kwa maumbo yaliyowekwa. Wapinzani walifundisha kwamba sala na sifa za kweli hutoka kwa Roho Mtakatifu akiusukuma moyo. Maneno yaliyowekwa, yanayoimbwa na watu wengi kwa wakati mmoja, yalifanana na Kitabu cha Sala ambacho Wabaptisti walikuwa wameteseka kwa kukikataa.3. Singing must come from the Spirit and not from a set form. The opponents taught that true prayer and praise come from the Holy Spirit moving the heart. A set form of words, sung by many people at once, resembled the Prayer Book that Baptists had suffered for refusing.

4. Kuimba katika Agano Jipya kulikuwa karama ya pekee. Wengine walisema kwamba nyimbo za Agano Jipya zilikuwa karama ya watu fulani, kama karama za unabii, na si wajibu wa wote.4. Singing in the New Testament was an extraordinary gift. Some said that the New Testament songs were the gift of particular persons, like the gifts of prophecy, and not a duty of all.

Majibu ya Keach na marafiki zakeThe answers of Keach and his friends

Keach na wale waliokubaliana naye walijibu kila hoja kutoka katika Biblia.Keach and those who agreed with him answered each point from the Bible.

Kwa la kwanza. Waefeso 5:19 na Wakolosai 3:16 vinataja aina tatu za nyimbo: zaburi, tenzi na nyimbo za rohoni. Kama Zaburi pekee ndizo zilizokusudiwa, hakungekuwa na haja ya maneno matatu. Maneno hayo katika Kigiriki cha asili yanaweza kumaanisha Zaburi na pia nyimbo nyingine za sifa. Na kanisa la Agano Jipya tayari lilikuwa na nyimbo ambazo hazimo katika Kitabu cha Zaburi; wasomi wengi wanaamini kwamba sehemu za Agano Jipya, kama vile Wafilipi 2:6-11, zinanukuu tenzi za Wakristo wa mwanzo. Hatusemi tuna uhakika wa hili, lakini ni mtazamo wa busara, na unaonyesha kwamba Roho aliongoza kanisa la mwanzo kutunga sifa mpya.To the first. Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 name three kinds of songs: psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. If only the Psalms were meant, there would be no need for three words. The words in the original Greek can refer to the Psalms and also to other songs of praise. And the church in the New Testament already had songs that are not in the Psalter; many scholars believe that parts of the New Testament, such as Philippians 2:6-11, quote early Christian hymns. We do not say we are sure of this, but it is a reasonable view, and it shows that the Spirit led the early church to compose new praise.

Kwa la pili. Amri imetolewa kwa kanisa kwa ujumla. Paulo hawaambii Waefeso waimbe tu kama wana uhakika kuhusu moyo wa kila jirani. Hoja hiyohiyo ingetumika kwa sala na kusikia Neno, hakuna kusanyiko lililochanganyika lingeweza kusali wala kusikia. Wajibu wa mchungaji ni kuhubiri injili ili wasioamini wabadilishwe, na kuwafundisha watu kuimba kutoka moyoni. Kila mtu anawajibika mbele za Mungu kwa moyo wake mwenyewe.To the second. The command is given to the church as a whole. Paul does not tell the Ephesians to sing only if they are sure about every neighbor's heart. If the same argument were applied to prayer and to the hearing of the Word, no mixed congregation could pray or hear. The pastor's duty is to preach the gospel so that unbelievers are converted, and to teach the people to sing from the heart. Each person is responsible before God for his own heart.

Kwa la tatu. Roho hufanya kazi kupitia maneno, na maneno yanaweza kutayarishwa mapema. Mhubiri huandaa mahubiri yake, na Zaburi zenyewe ziliandikwa na kuimbwa na wengi. Wakolosai 3:16 inasema "kwa neema mioyoni mwenu," ambayo ni sehemu ya moyo. Maneno ya tenzi nzuri si maumbo yaliyowekwa na askofu; hutolewa kwa hiari na kanisa lililoyachagua.To the third. The Spirit works through words, and the words may be prepared beforehand. A preacher prepares his sermon, and the Psalms themselves were written down and sung by many. Colossians 3:16 says "with grace in your hearts," which is the heart's part. The words of a good hymn are not a set form imposed by a bishop; they are offered freely by a church that has chosen them.

Kwa la nne. Amri za Waefeso na Wakolosai zimeelekezwa kwa waumini wote, na zimeunganishwa na kujazwa Roho na neno la Kristo kukaa ndani yao. Hazikutolewa kama karama maalumu kwa wachache.To the fourth. The commands of Ephesians and Colossians are addressed to all the believers, and are joined to the filling of the Spirit and the word of Christ dwelling in them. They are not given as a special gift to a few.

Makanisa ya Kibaptisti kwa wakati yalifikia kukubaliana na Keach. Inafaa kuzingatia kwamba Ungamo la Pili la London lenyewe, katika sura ya ibada, linataja kuimba zaburi kwa neema moyoni kama sehemu ya ibada ya hadharani. Swali halikuwa kama kuimba au la, bali kuimba nini na jinsi gani. Kwa wakati, wengi wa Wabaptisti walihitimisha kwamba maneno matatu ya Paulo yanaruhusu tenzi na nyimbo za rohoni zilizo waaminifu kwa Maandiko, pamoja na Zaburi.The Baptist churches in time came to agree with Keach. It is worth noting that the Second London Confession itself, in the chapter on worship, names the singing of psalms with grace in the heart as part of public worship. The question was not whether to sing but what to sing and how. In time most Baptists concluded that the three words of Paul allow hymns and spiritual songs that are faithful to Scripture, in addition to the Psalms.

Matunda: Waandishi wa Tenzi za KibaptistiThe Fruit: Baptist Hymn Writers

Baada ya Keach mapokeo ya tenzi za Kibaptisti yalikua. Isaac Watts (1674-1748) alikuwa Mkongregationali, si Mbaptisti, lakini tenzi zake ziliimbwa katika makanisa ya Kibaptisti kila mahali na zilihimiza kuenea kwa uimbaji wa tenzi. Miongoni mwa Wabaptisti tunaweza kutaja:After Keach the Baptist hymn tradition grew. Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was a Congregationalist, not a Baptist, but his hymns were sung in Baptist churches everywhere and encouraged the spread of hymn-singing. Among Baptists we may name:

• Benjamin Beddome (1717-1795), mchungaji wa Bourton-on-the-Water, anayekumbukwa kwa kuandika tenzi za kufuata mahubiri yake ili watu waweze kulijibu Neno kwa wimbo.• Benjamin Beddome (1717-1795), pastor at Bourton-on-the-Water, who is remembered for writing hymns to follow his sermons so that the people could answer the Word in song.

• Anne Steele (1717-1778), mwanamke Mbaptisti wa Hampshire, aliyeandika tenzi kuhusu upendo na rehema za Mungu ambazo bado zinaimbwa. Anaonyesha kwamba karama ya ushairi ya mwanamke ililitumikia kanisa lote.• Anne Steele (1717-1778), a Baptist woman of Hampshire, who wrote hymns on the love and mercy of God that are still sung. She shows that a woman's gift of poetry served the whole church.

• Samuel Stennett (1727-1795), mchungaji wa Kibaptisti wa London na mwandishi wa tenzi.• Samuel Stennett (1727-1795), a London Baptist pastor and hymn writer.

• John Fawcett (1739-1817), mchungaji wa Yorkshire, aliyeandika "Blest Be the Tie That Binds."• John Fawcett (1739-1817), pastor in Yorkshire, who wrote "Blest Be the Tie That Binds."

• John Rippon (1751-1836), mchungaji wa London, ambaye mwaka 1787 alichapisha A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors (Uchaguzi wa Tenzi kutoka kwa Waandishi Bora), kilichotumiwa sana miongoni mwa Wabaptisti.• John Rippon (1751-1836), pastor in London, who in 1787 published A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, which was used widely among Baptists.

• Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895), mchungaji wa Kibaptisti wa Marekani aliyeandika "The Morning Light Is Breaking," tenzi ya kimisionari.• Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895), an American Baptist pastor who wrote "The Morning Light Is Breaking," a missionary hymn.

Katika miaka ya baadaye makanisa ya Kibaptisti ya Waamerika Weusi ya Marekani yalilipa kanisa nyimbo za kiroho (spirituals) na wimbo wa injili, zilizotoka katika mateso na tumaini la watu. Wabaptisti katika mataifa mengi wameongeza nyimbo katika lugha na miziki yao wenyewe.In later years the African American Baptist churches of the United States gave the church the spirituals and the gospel song, which came out of the suffering and hope of a people. Baptists in many nations have added songs in their own languages and tunes.

Mabishano Kuhusu Nyimbo za Kibaptisti LeoDebates in Baptist Song Today

Kuimba Zaburi peke yake, na kuimba bila vyomboPsalm-singing only, and unaccompanied singing

Wakristo wachache wa Reformed bado wanashikilia kwamba Zaburi pekee ndizo zinazopaswa kuimbwa katika ibada, na baadhi ya vikundi vya Kibaptisti, kama vile Wabaptisti wa Kale (Primitive Baptists) wa Kusini mwa Marekani, wameimba bila vyombo. Vikundi vyote viwili hushikilia mtazamo wao kwa hamu ya kuwa waaminifu kwa kanuni ya kuongoza. Tunaliheshimu hilo. Jibu letu ni lilelile la Keach: Waefeso 5:19 na Wakolosai 3:16 vinaruhusu tenzi na nyimbo za rohoni, na Zaburi zenyewe zinaamuru vyombo (Zaburi 150). Vyombo vinatumikia kuimba na ni mazingira ya ibada. Lakini kanisa likishikilia msadikisho tofauti kwa dhamiri njema, halipaswi kudharauliwa.A few Reformed Christians still hold that only the Psalms should be sung in worship, and some Baptist groups, such as the Primitive Baptists in the American South, have sung without instruments. Both groups hold their view from a desire to be faithful to the regulative principle. We respect that. Our answer is the same as Keach's: Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 allow hymns and spiritual songs, and the Psalms themselves command instruments (Psalm 150). Instruments serve the singing and are a circumstance of worship. But if a church holds a different conviction in good conscience, it should not be despised.

Tenzi na nyimbo fupi za kurudiwaHymns and choruses

Mahali pengi leo swali ni tenzi au nyimbo fupi za kurudiwa (choruses), ogani au gitaa, kitabu cha nyimbo au skrini. Washiriki wazee huogopa kwamba mafundisho yatapotea, na washiriki vijana huogopa kwamba ibada itakuwa mapokeo yaliyokufa. Tunapaswa kuepuka makosa yote mawili. Nyimbo za zamani si takatifu kwa sababu ni za zamani, wala nyimbo mpya si takatifu kwa sababu ni mpya. Tenzi nyingi nzuri za karne zilizopita hufundisha mafundisho zaidi kuliko baadhi ya nyimbo za kisasa; nyimbo nyingi za kisasa zimeandikwa kwa moyo wa kweli na teolojia nzuri. Kipimo si umri wala mtindo.In many places today the question is hymns or choruses, organ or guitar, hymnbook or screen. Older members fear that doctrine will be lost, and younger members fear that worship will become dead tradition. We should avoid both mistakes. Old songs are not holy because they are old, and new songs are not holy because they are new. Many fine hymns of past centuries teach more doctrine than some modern songs; many modern songs have been written with real devotion and good theology. The test is not age or style.

Nyimbo za watuSongs of the people

Injili lazima iimbwe katika lugha ya watu. Mafundisho ya Kibaptisti kwamba kila mwamini ni kuhani yanamaanisha kwamba makanisa ya Meksiko, Cuba, Nigeria au mahali pengine popote hayapaswi kunakili tu muziki wa Amerika Kaskazini au Ulaya. Tenzi za watu wengine zinapaswa kutafsiriwa kwa uangalifu, ili maneno yapatane na muziki na mafundisho yasipotee. Nyimbo za mahali, vyombo vya mahali, na nyimbo za mahali zilizoandikwa na waumini katika kanisa zinapaswa kukaribishwa. Wakati huohuo, wachungaji lazima watumie busara pale chombo au mdundo unapohusiana kwa karibu na ibada ya kipagani katika kumbukumbu ya mahali; waumini huko wanaweza kuhitaji kuchagua njia nyingine ili wasiwachanganye walio dhaifu.The gospel must be sung in the language of the people. The Baptist teaching that every believer is a priest means that the churches in Mexico, Cuba, Nigeria or anywhere else should not simply copy the music of North America or Europe. The hymns of another people should be translated with care, so that the words fit the music and the doctrine is not lost. Local melodies, local instruments, and local songs written by believers in the church are to be welcomed. At the same time, pastors must use discernment when an instrument or rhythm is closely bound to pagan worship in the local memory; the believers there may need to choose another way so as not to confuse the weak.

Vipimo kwa Nyimbo TunazoimbaTests for the Songs We Sing

Mchungaji au kamati ya ibada inaweza kuuliza maswali haya:A pastor or a worship committee may ask these questions:

1. Je, ni kweli? Je, wimbo unapatana na Maandiko? Wimbo mzuri hauwezi kuokoa mafundisho ya uongo.1. Is it true? Does the song agree with Scripture? A beautiful tune cannot rescue false doctrine.

2. Je, unamlenga Kristo? Je, unaelekeza sifa kwa Mungu na kwa injili, na si kwetu sisi wenyewe?2. Is it Christ-centered? Does it direct praise to God and to the gospel, and not to ourselves?

3. Je, unafundisha? Wakolosai 3:16 inasema tunafundisha na kuonya. Je, una maudhui thabiti, au ni hisia zinazorudiwa tu?3. Does it teach? Colossians 3:16 says we teach and admonish. Does it have solid content, or is it only repeated feelings?

4. Je, watu wanaweza kuuimba? Kiwango cha sauti na mdundo vinapaswa kufaa kusanyiko la kawaida, si mwimbaji aliyefunzwa.4. Can the people sing it? The range and rhythm should fit an ordinary congregation, not a trained soloist.

5. Je, unaeleweka? Paulo anasema, "Nitaimba kwa roho, nitaimba kwa akili pia" (1 Wakorintho 14:15).5. Is it understood? Paul says, "I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15).

6. Je, unafaa watu wetu? Lugha, muziki na vyombo vinapaswa kufaa kanisa la mahali na utamaduni.6. Does it fit our people? Language, music and instruments should be suitable for the local church and culture.

7. Je, unasaidia ibada? Nyimbo zinapaswa kupatana na kifungu na mahubiri.7. Does it help the service? The songs should fit the passage and the sermon.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Katika kanisa la Kibaptisti linalozungumza Kihispania, washiriki wazee wanapenda tenzi zilizotafsiriwa walizoimba maisha yao yote. Kikundi cha vijana kimeanza kuandika nyimbo zao wenyewe kwa Kihispania na wanataka ziimbwe Jumapili. Washiriki wazee wanasema, "Hizo si nyimbo za ibada." Vijana wanasema, "Tenzi za zamani zinachosha na hatuelewi maneno."In a Spanish-speaking Baptist church, the older members love the translated hymns they have sung all their lives. A group of young people have begun to write their own songs in Spanish and want them sung on Sunday. The older members say, "They are not worship songs." The young people say, "The old hymns are boring and we do not understand the words."

Mchungaji anayakaribisha makundi yote mawili kukutana. Hahukumu kuhusu mtindo. Anawaomba walete nyimbo, za zamani na mpya, na kupima kila moja pamoja kwa maswali saba yaliyo hapo juu, huku Wakolosai 3:16 ikiwa wazi. Baadhi ya tenzi za zamani zinaonekana kuwa na maneno ambayo watu wachache wanayaelewa, na zinahifadhiwa kwa maelezo mafupi. Baadhi ya nyimbo mpya zinaonekana kuwa nyembamba katika maudhui, na zinawekwa kando au kuboreshwa. Nyimbo chache za vijana zinathibitika kuwa imara na zinaongezwa. Mchungaji pia analiambia kanisa kuhusu Keach, aliyekosolewa siku zake kwa kuleta kitu kipya, na aliyethibitishwa kuwa sahihi kwa sababu alienda kwenye Neno. Kanisa linajifunza kuimba zamani na mpya pamoja.The pastor invites both groups to meet. He does not rule on style. He asks them to bring songs, old and new, and tests each one together by the seven questions above, with Colossians 3:16 open. Some of the old hymns are found to have words few people understand and are kept with a short explanation. Some of the new songs are found to be thin in content and are set aside or improved. A few of the young people's songs prove strong and are added. The pastor also tells the church about Keach, who was criticized in his day for introducing something new, and who was proved right because he went to the Word. The church learns to sing old and new together.

MuhtasariSummary

Maandiko yanaliamuru kanisa kuimba zaburi, tenzi na nyimbo za rohoni, kwa Bwana na kufundishana, na amri ni kwa kusanyiko lote. Wabaptisti wa mwanzo walikuwa wepesi wa kuimba pamoja, na baadhi walipinga kwamba tenzi za wanadamu hazikuamriwa, kwamba kusanyiko lililochanganyika haliwezi kuimba kwa unyofu, na kwamba maneno yaliyowekwa yanamzimisha Roho. Benjamin Keach wa Horsleydown, London, alitetea kuimba kwa kusanyiko kutoka Waefeso 5:19, Wakolosai 3:16 na mfano wa Yesu katika Mathayo 26:30, na alichapisha Spiritual Melody na The Breach Repaired in God's Worship mwaka 1691. Kwa wakati Wabaptisti walikubaliana, na mapokeo tajiri ya waandishi wa tenzi za Kibaptisti yakafuata, wakiwemo Beddome, Steele, Stennett, Fawcett, Rippon na Smith. Leo kanisa linakabiliwa na maswali mapya kuhusu zaburi, vyombo, tenzi, nyimbo fupi za kurudiwa na muziki wa tamaduni nyingine. Mchungaji anapaswa kutumia vipimo vya ukweli, kumlenga Kristo, kufundisha, urahisi wa kuimbwa, kueleweka na kufaa utamaduni.Scripture commands the church to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, to the Lord and to teach one another, and the command is for the whole congregation. Early Baptists were slow to sing together, and some objected that human hymns were not commanded, that a mixed congregation could not sing sincerely, and that set words quenched the Spirit. Benjamin Keach of Horsleydown, London, defended congregational singing from Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16 and the example of Jesus in Matthew 26:30, and published Spiritual Melody and The Breach Repaired in God's Worship in 1691. In time Baptists came to agree, and a rich tradition of Baptist hymn writers followed, including Beddome, Steele, Stennett, Fawcett, Rippon and Smith. Today the church faces new questions about psalms, instruments, hymns, choruses and the music of other cultures. A pastor should apply tests of truth, Christ-centeredness, teaching, singability, understanding and cultural fit.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

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

• Ungamo la Pili la London (1689), sura ya 22.• The Second London Confession (1689), chapter 22.

• Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707) (Tenzi na Nyimbo za Rohoni), bila hakimiliki.• Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707), public domain.

• John Rippon, A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors (1787) (Uchaguzi wa Tenzi kutoka kwa Waandishi Bora), bila hakimiliki.• John Rippon, A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors (1787), public domain.

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

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

• 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).

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