Teolojia ya Kipentekoste na ya Karismatiki — Sehemu ya 1: Theolojia ya Kipentekoste kama Kukutana na Mungu: Vyanzo na MbinuPentecostal and Charismatic Theology — Unit 1: Pentecostal Theology as Encounter: Sources and Method

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Na uzima wa milele ndio huu, wakujue wewe, Mungu wa pekee wa kweli, na Yesu Kristo uliyemtuma." (Yohana 17:3, SUV)"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza maana ya kuiita theolojia ya Kipentekoste "theolojia ya kukutana na Mungu."1. Explain what it means to call Pentecostal theology a "theology of encounter."

2. Kueleza sehemu tatu za kiroho cha Kipentekoste kulingana na Steven Land: imani sahihi, mwenendo sahihi na mapenzi ya moyo yaliyo sahihi.2. Describe Steven Land's three parts of Pentecostal spirituality: right belief, right practice and right affections.

3. Kutaja vyanzo vikuu vya theolojia ya Kipentekoste na kuviweka katika mpangilio wake unaofaa, huku Maandiko yakiwa ya kwanza.3. Name the main sources of Pentecostal theology and put them in their proper order, with Scripture first.

4. Kueleza mbinu rahisi ya kupima fundisho au uzoefu kwa kutumia Maandiko.4. Describe a simple method for testing a teaching or an experience against Scripture.

5. Kutaja pingamizi kuu dhidi ya theolojia inayoweka uzoefu katikati, na kueleza jinsi Wapentekoste wanavyozijibu.5. State the main objections to an experience-centered theology and explain how Pentecostals answer them.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Upentekoste wa kiklasiki (classical), kwa ajili ya wanafunzi walio ndani yake. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya Utatu. Inaposema "sisi," humaanisha waumini Wapentekoste wanaomkiri Baba, Mwana na Roho Mtakatifu kuwa Mungu mmoja, na wanaoshikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililovuviwa na lenye mamlaka. Hatuurudii historia iliyofundishwa katika Kozi ya 1. Hapa tunauliza swali tofauti: tunamfikiriaje Mungu, na tunajuaje kwamba fikira zetu ni sahihi?This course is written from inside the classical Pentecostal tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and Trinitarian. When it says "we," it means Pentecostal believers who confess the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one God and hold the Bible to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We do not repeat the history taught in Course 1. Here we ask a different question: how do we think about God, and how do we know that our thinking is sound?

Wakristo wengine na baadhi ya wasomi wanaona mambo haya kwa njia tofauti. Tunaeleza mawazo yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Maandiko yasema, "jaribuni yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21).Other Christians and some scholars see these matters differently. We state their views fairly and then give our answer. Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Kwa Nini Kuanza na Kukutana na MunguWhy Begin with Encounter

Kozi nyingi za theolojia huanza kwa orodha ya mafundisho. Kozi hii huanza kwa mkutano. Biblia haitupi kwanza mfumo wa mafundisho. Kwanza inatuonyesha Mungu akiwajia watu na watu wakijibu. Abrahamu alisikia wito. Musa alikutana na Mungu kwenye kichaka kilichowaka moto. Isaya alimwona Bwana hekaluni. Siku ya Pentekoste wanafunzi walijazwa Roho Mtakatifu, na umati ulikusanyika kwa sababu ya mambo waliyoyaona na kuyasikia (Matendo 2:4-6).Many theology courses begin with a list of doctrines. This course begins with a meeting. The Bible does not first offer us a system. It first shows us God coming to people and people responding. Abraham heard a call. Moses met God at a burning bush. Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple. On the day of Pentecost the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and a crowd came together because of what they saw and heard (Acts 2:4-6).

Bwana Yesu alisema kwamba uzima wa milele ni kumjua Mungu, na neno "kujua" katika Maandiko si kuhusu ukweli wa kiakili tu. Linamaanisha uhusiano ulio hai. Ndiyo sababu wasomi wengi wa Kipentekoste huita theolojia yetu theolojia ya kukutana na Mungu. Msomi wa Kipentekoste Keith Warrington alitumia wazo hili katika kichwa kidogo cha kitabu chake Pentecostal Theology (2008). Wapentekoste wanaamini kwamba Mungu wa Biblia bado anakutana na watu wake, anasema nao, anawaponya, anawajaza na kuwatuma.The Lord Jesus said that eternal life is to know God, and the word "know" in Scripture is not only about facts. It means a living relationship. This is why many Pentecostal scholars call our theology a theology of encounter. The Pentecostal scholar Keith Warrington used this idea in the subtitle of his book Pentecostal Theology (2008). Pentecostals believe that the God of the Bible still meets His people, speaks to them, heals them, fills them and sends them out.

Paulo alielewa kuhubiri kwa namna hii. Aliwaandikia Wakorintho: "Na neno langu na kuhubiri kwangu hakukuwa kwa maneno ya hekima yenye kuvutia, bali kwa dhihirisho la Roho na la nguvu; ili imani yenu isiwe katika hekima ya wanadamu, bali katika nguvu za Mungu" (1 Wakorintho 2:4-5). Paulo hakudharau kufundisha. Aliandika baadhi ya theolojia ya ndani kabisa katika Biblia. Lakini alitaka wasikilizaji wake wakutane na Mungu, si kujifunza kumhusu tu.Paul understood preaching in this way. He wrote to the Corinthians: "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Paul did not despise teaching. He wrote some of the deepest theology in the Bible. But he wanted his hearers to meet God, not only to learn about Him.

Kukutana na Mungu hakumaanishi kwamba hisia ndizo zinazohukumu ukweli. Mkutano na Mungu lazima uelewekwe, na tunachokielewa lazima kipimwe. Ndiyo sababu pia tunahitaji vyanzo na mbinu.Encounter does not mean that feelings are the judge of truth. A meeting with God must be understood, and what we understand must be tested. That is why we also need sources and a method.

Imani, Mwenendo na Mapenzi ya Moyo kwa PamojaBelief, Practice and Affections Together

Mwanatheolojia Mpentekoste Mmarekani Steven Land aliandika Pentecostal Spirituality (1993). Alisema kwamba Wapentekoste wa mwanzo walishikilia pamoja mambo matatu ambayo mara nyingi hutenganishwa. Tunaweza kuyaeleza kwa maneno rahisi.The American Pentecostal theologian Steven Land wrote Pentecostal Spirituality (1993). He argued that the early Pentecostals held together three things that are often separated. We may put them in plain words.

Imani sahihi. Hiki ni tunachokiri kuhusu Mungu: Utatu, uungu wa Kristo, msalaba na ufufuo, mamlaka ya Maandiko, na kurudi kwa Bwana.Right belief. This is what we confess about God: the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the cross and resurrection, the authority of Scripture, and the return of the Lord.

Mwenendo sahihi. Hiki ni tunachokifanya: kuomba, kuabudu, kushuhudia, kuwahudumia maskini, kuwaombea wagonjwa, na kutii katika maisha ya kila siku.Right practice. This is what we do: prayer, worship, witness, service to the poor, praying for the sick, and obedience in daily life.

Mapenzi ya moyo yaliyo sahihi. Hiki ni tunachokipenda na kukitamani: shukrani, furaha, unyenyekevu wa kumcha Mungu, huruma, na shauku inayowaka ya kumwona Kristo akiheshimiwa. Land alitumia neno "mapenzi ya moyo" (affections) kumaanisha mielekeo ya ndani ya moyo inayoumba maisha yote.Right affections. This is what we love and long for: gratitude, joy, reverence, compassion, and a burning desire to see Christ honored. Land used the word "affections" for the deep dispositions of the heart that shape a whole life.

Hoja ya Land ni kwamba imani hai huhitaji yote matatu. Kanisa linaweza kuwa na mafundisho sahihi na moyo baridi. Kanisa linaweza kuwa na hisia za joto na mafundisho dhaifu. Kanisa linaweza kuwa na shughuli nyingi lisijue kwa nini. Mapokeo ya Kipentekoste yakiwa katika hali yake bora huunganisha kweli, vitendo na upendo. Yesu alisema amri kuu ni kumpenda Bwana kwa moyo wote, roho yote, akili yote na nguvu zote. Fundisho lisilofika moyoni wala mikononi halijakamilika.Land's point is that a living faith needs all three. A church can have correct doctrine and a cold heart. A church can have warm feelings and weak doctrine. A church can be busy and yet not know why. The Pentecostal tradition at its best joins truth, action and love. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all the heart, soul, mind and strength. Doctrine that never reaches the heart or the hands is incomplete.

Vyanzo vya Theolojia ya KipentekosteThe Sources of Pentecostal Theology

Tunapata wapi theolojia yetu? Wapentekoste hutaja vyanzo kadhaa. Havilingani. Kuna mpangilio.Where do we get our theology? Pentecostals name several sources. They are not equal. There is an order.

1. Maandiko, mamlaka ya mwisho1. Scripture, the final authority

Biblia ndiyo mamlaka yetu ya kwanza na ya mwisho. "Maandiko yote yamevuviwa na Mungu, yafaa kwa mafundisho, kwa kuwaonya watu makosa yao, kwa kuwaongoza na kwa kuwafundisha katika haki" (2 Timotheo 3:16). Kila chanzo kingine hupimwa kwa Biblia. Huu ndio msimamo wa Wapentekoste wa mwanzo, ambao walijiita watu wa "Kitabu" na walisoma Biblia kwa masaa mengi pamoja. Matamko makuu ya madhehebu yetu yote huanza kwa uvuvio na mamlaka ya Maandiko.The Bible is our first and final authority. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Every other source is judged by it. This was the conviction of the early Pentecostals, who called themselves people of "the Book" and who read the Bible for hours together. The great statements of our denominations all begin with the inspiration and authority of Scripture.

2. Roho Mtakatifu, anayelifungua na kulitumia Neno2. The Holy Spirit, who opens and applies the Word

Bwana Yesu aliahidi, "Lakini yeye atakapokuja, huyo Roho wa kweli, atawaongoza awatie kwenye kweli yote" (Yohana 16:13). Wapentekoste wanaamini kwamba Roho yule aliyevuvia Neno pia hutusaidia kulielewa na kulitii. Lakini Roho kamwe hapingani na Maandiko aliyoyavuvia. Bwana huyo huyo alisema kuhusu Roho, "Yeye atanitukuza mimi; kwa maana atatwaa yaliyo yangu, na kuwapasha habari" (Yohana 16:14). Roho hutuongoza kwa Kristo na kwa Neno lake. Kile kinachoitwa uongozi lakini kinapingana na Biblia hakitoki kwa Roho Mtakatifu.The Lord Jesus promised, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). Pentecostals believe the Spirit who inspired the Word also helps us to understand it and to obey it. But the Spirit never contradicts the Scripture He inspired. The same Lord said of the Spirit, "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:14). The Spirit leads us to Christ and to His Word. A so-called leading that goes against the Bible is not from the Holy Spirit.

3. Mafundisho ya kanisa katika historia3. The teaching of the church through history

Upentekoste si harakati ya upweke iliyoanza bila uhusiano na yaliyopita. Makanisa yetu yanakiri imani ya mabaraza ya kwanza kuhusu Utatu na kuhusu nafsi ya Kristo. Mwaka 1916 Assemblies of God, dhehebu changa lenye miaka miwili tu, lilipitisha Taarifa ya Kweli za Msingi, na ukiri wake wa Mungu mmoja katika nafsi tatu ulikuwa jibu kwa mjadala wa Upentekoste wa "Umoja" (Oneness) tuliojifunza katika Kozi ya 1. Tutajifunza mjadala huo katika Kipindi cha 7. Wapentekoste huheshimu kanuni za imani (creeds) kwa sababu zinafupisha yale ambayo Maandiko yanafundisha. Tunaziweka chini ya Maandiko, lakini hatuzipuuzi.Pentecostalism is not a lonely movement that began with no connection to the past. Our churches confess the faith of the early councils about the Trinity and about the person of Christ. In 1916 the Assemblies of God, a young denomination only two years old, adopted a Statement of Fundamental Truths, and its confession of one God in three persons was a response to the Oneness controversy you studied in Course 1. We will study that controversy in Unit 7. Pentecostals respect the creeds because the creeds summarize what Scripture teaches. We hold them below Scripture, but we do not ignore them.

4. Jumuiya na ushuhuda wake4. The community and its testimony

Theolojia nyingi ya Kipentekoste haikuandikwa kwanza vitabuni. Iliimbwa katika nyimbo, ilisemwa katika ushuhuda, ilihubiriwa katika mahubiri na kuombewa madhabahuni. Jumuiya inayoshuhudia yale Mungu aliyoyafanya ni chanzo halisi cha ufahamu, na pia ni kipimo. Mwumini anaposema, "Mungu amesema nami," kanisa husikiliza, hupima na kulinganisha na Maandiko. Paulo aliwaambia Wakorintho kwamba manabii wanaposema, "wale wengine na wapambanue" (1 Wakorintho 14:29).Most Pentecostal theology was not first written in books. It was sung in hymns, spoken in testimonies, preached in sermons and prayed at altars. The community that testifies to what God has done is a real source of understanding, and it is also a check. When a believer says, "God spoke to me," the church listens, weighs, and compares it with Scripture. Paul told the Corinthians that when prophets speak, "let the others judge" (1 Corinthians 14:29).

5. Uzoefu, unaopokelewa kwa shukrani na kupimwa5. Experience, received with thanks and tested

Uzoefu si chanzo kilicho katika kiwango kimoja na Maandiko. Ni mahali pa mkutano ambapo Maandiko huwa halisi. Mpentekoste husema, "Nilisoma katika Matendo kwamba Roho huwajaza waumini, kisha nikampokea Roho." Hapa uzoefu huthibitisha na kulimulika Neno. Hauchukui nafasi yake. Wasomi wa Kipentekoste wakati mwingine husema kwamba uzoefu huathiri jinsi tunavyosoma, lakini Maandiko bado lazima yauhukumu uzoefu wetu. Tunarudi kwenye swali hili katika Kipindi cha 2.Experience is not a source on the same level as Scripture. It is a meeting place where Scripture becomes real. A Pentecostal says, "I read in Acts that the Spirit fills believers, and then I received the Spirit." Experience here confirms and illuminates the Word. It does not replace it. Pentecostal scholars sometimes say that experience shapes how we read, but Scripture must still judge our experience. We return to this question in Unit 2.

6. Akili na uchunguzi6. Reason and study

Wengine hudhani kwamba muumini aliyejazwa Roho hahitaji kusoma. Maandiko yasema vinginevyo. Luka aliwasifu watu wa Beroya: "Hawa walikuwa watu wa fikira njema kuliko wale wa Thesalonike, kwa kuwa walilipokea lile neno kwa nia yote, wakayachunguza Maandiko kila siku, waone kama mambo hayo ndivyo yalivyo" (Matendo 17:11). Angalia kwamba walikuwa na hamu na uangalifu kwa wakati mmoja. Lugha, historia na kufikiri kwa makini ni zawadi za Mungu. Zinalitumikia Neno na si bwana wake.Some think a Spirit-filled believer does not need to study. Scripture says otherwise. Luke praised the people of Berea: "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Notice that they were eager and careful at the same time. Languages, history and careful thinking are gifts of God. They serve the Word and are not its master.

Theolojia ya Mdomo na Theolojia ya MaandishiOral Theology and Written Theology

Kwa miongo yake ya kwanza theolojia ya Kipentekoste ilikuwa hasa ya mdomo. Mahubiri, nyimbo, ushuhuda na wito wa madhabahuni vilifundisha mafundisho kwa watu wa viwango vyote vya elimu. Hii bado ni kweli katika makanisa yenu mengi. Kwaya moja inaweza kufundisha theolojia zaidi kwa kijiji kuliko kitabu. Wanahistoria wa Upentekoste mara nyingi huliona hili, na ni mojawapo ya sababu harakati hii ilienea vizuri miongoni mwa watu wasiojua kusoma.For its first decades Pentecostal theology was mainly oral. Sermons, songs, testimonies and altar calls taught doctrine to people of all levels of education. This is still true in many of your churches. A chorus can teach more theology to a village than a book. Historians of Pentecostalism often note this, and it is one reason the movement spread so well among people who could not read.

Theolojia ya mdomo ni nguvu, lakini ina udhaifu. Fundisho linalosemwa tu linaweza kubadilika polepole bila mtu yeyote kutambua, na wazo potofu linaweza kusafiri haraka kama la kweli. Ndiyo sababu wachungaji wanahitaji kuweka mafundisho yao katika taarifa zilizo wazi zilizoandikwa na kuyafundisha kwa kizazi kijacho. Leo kuna kundi linalokua la usomi wa Kipentekoste. Waandishi kama Steven Land, Frank Macchia, Keith Warrington, Wolfgang Vondey, Amos Yong na Kenneth Archer wameandika kuhusu theolojia na mbinu ya Kipentekoste. Hatukubaliani na kila hoja ya kila mwandishi, lakini tunashukuru kwamba mapokeo yetu sasa yanafikiri kwa maandishi, na tunatumia kazi hiyo kwa uangalifu.Oral theology is a strength, but it has a weakness. A teaching that is only spoken can change slowly without anyone noticing, and a mistaken idea may travel as fast as a true one. This is why pastors need to put their teaching into clear, written statements and to teach them to the next generation. Today there is a growing body of Pentecostal scholarship. Writers such as Steven Land, Frank Macchia, Keith Warrington, Wolfgang Vondey, Amos Yong and Kenneth Archer have written on Pentecostal theology and method. We do not agree with every point any writer makes, but we are grateful that our tradition is now thinking in writing, and we use the work with care.

Mbinu Rahisi kwa WachungajiA Simple Method for Pastors

Fundisho au uzoefu unapofika kanisani, mchungaji anaweza kufuata hatua tano. Si kanuni ngumu, lakini zinalinda kundi.When a teaching or an experience comes to the church, a pastor can follow five steps. They are not a formula, but they protect the flock.

1. Sikiliza. Jua hasa kinachodaiwa. Uliza nani, nini na wapi. Usijibu uvumi.1. Listen. Find out exactly what is being claimed. Ask who, what and where. Do not answer a rumor.

2. Fungua Maandiko. Uliza vifungu vinasema nini hasa katika mazingira yake. Mwandishi alimaanisha nini kwa wasomaji wake wa kwanza?2. Open the Scripture. Ask what the passages actually say, in their setting. What did the author mean for his first readers?

3. Linganisha Biblia nzima. Mstari mmoja hautoshi. Uliza kama wazo hilo linalingana na mafundisho yote ya Maandiko na imani ya kanisa kwa karne nyingi.3. Compare the whole Bible. A single verse is not enough. Ask whether the idea fits the whole teaching of Scripture and the faith of the church through the centuries.

4. Pima matunda. Yohana aliandika, "Wapenzi, msiiamini kila roho, bali zijaribuni hizo roho kwamba zimetokana na Mungu; kwa sababu manabii wa uongo wengi wametokea duniani" (1 Yohana 4:1). Je, fundisho hilo linamheshimu Yesu Kristo kama Bwana? Je, linazaa upendo, kweli na utakatifu?4. Test the fruit. John wrote, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Does the teaching honor Jesus Christ as Lord? Does it produce love, truth and holiness?

5. Amua ndani ya jumuiya. Peleka jambo hilo kwa wazee wa kanisa na kwa kutaniko. Hakuna anayepaswa kuamua peke yake, hasa yule aliyetoa dai hilo.5. Decide in the community. Bring the matter to the elders and the congregation. No one should decide alone, least of all the one who made the claim.

Mbinu hii inaheshimu Roho na Neno pamoja. Inatuwezesha kupokea lililo jema na kukataa lisilo jema.This method honors both the Spirit and the Word. It lets us receive what is good and reject what is not.

Pingamizi na Majibu YetuObjections and Our Answers

Mchungaji anapaswa kuweza kueleza pingamizi kwa haki na kuzijibu kwa heshima.A pastor should be able to state objections fairly and answer them with courtesy.

Pingamizi la 1: Theolojia ya Kipentekoste huweka uzoefu juu ya Maandiko.Objection 1: Pentecostal theology puts experience above Scripture.

Baadhi ya wakosoaji wa kiinjilisti wanaogopa kwamba theolojia ya kukutana na Mungu itapima ukweli kwa hisia. Wanasema kwamba watu katika dini nyingi wana uzoefu wenye nguvu, na kwamba uzoefu unaweza kueleweka vibaya au hata kuwa wa uongo.Some evangelical critics fear that a theology of encounter will measure truth by feelings. They point out that people in many religions have powerful experiences, and that experiences can be misread or even false.

Jibu letu. Ukosoaji huu una onyo la kweli, nasi tunalikubali. Uzoefu unaweza kupotosha. Ndiyo sababu Wapentekoste huipa Biblia neno la kwanza na la mwisho. Biblia yenyewe inaagiza kupima (1 Wathesalonike 5:21; 1 Yohana 4:1). Lakini pia tunasema kwamba Biblia inaonyesha imani kama uhusiano ulio hai na Mungu, si kukubaliana tu na orodha ya mawazo. Paulo aliomba kwamba Waefeso wapate kujua upendo wa Kristo. Jibu kwa uzoefu wa uongo si kutokuwa na uzoefu. Ni uzoefu wa kweli, uliopimwa kwa Neno.Our answer. The criticism contains a real warning, and we accept it. Experience can mislead. That is why Pentecostals give Scripture the first and final word. The Bible itself calls for testing (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1). But we also say that the Bible presents faith as a living relationship with God, not only as agreement with a list of ideas. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know the love of Christ. The answer to false experience is not no experience. It is true experience, tested by the Word.

Pingamizi la 2: Wapentekoste hawana theolojia halisi, au wanapinga masomo.Objection 2: Pentecostals have no real theology, or they are against study.

Baadhi ya wakosoaji husema kwamba wahubiri wa kwanza wa Kipentekoste walikuwa na mashaka na shule na hawakupendezwa na kufikiri kwa makini.Some critics say early Pentecostal preachers were suspicious of schools and had little interest in careful thought.

Jibu letu. Ni kweli kwamba baadhi ya wahubiri wa mwanzo, ambao mara nyingi walikuwa maskini na waliosoma kidogo, waliogopa kwamba elimu inaweza kuchukua nafasi ya nguvu za Mungu. Hofu hiyo inapaswa kueleweka lakini isiigwe. Bwana aliipa Kanisa walimu (Waefeso 4:11), na Roho ni Roho wa kweli. Shule, vyuo vya theolojia na wasomi wa Kipentekoste sasa wanafanya kazi katika nchi nyingi. Mchungaji huwatumikia watu wake vizuri anapompenda Roho na pia kusoma Neno.Our answer. It is true that some early preachers, who were often poor and had little schooling, feared that learning could replace the power of God. That fear should be understood but not copied. The Lord gave the Church teachers (Ephesians 4:11), and the Spirit is the Spirit of truth. Pentecostal schools, seminaries and scholars now work in many countries. A pastor serves his people best when he loves both the Spirit and the study of the Word.

Pingamizi la 3: Msisitizo juu ya Roho unamsukuma Kristo na Biblia pembeni.Objection 3: Emphasis on the Spirit pushes Christ and the Bible to the side.

Baadhi ya wakosoaji husema kwamba Wapentekoste huzungumza kuhusu Roho zaidi kuliko kuhusu Yesu.Some critics say Pentecostals talk about the Spirit more than about Jesus.

Jibu letu. Kazi ya Roho mwenyewe ni kumtukuza Kristo (Yohana 16:14). Mafundisho ya Upentekoste wa kiklasiki yanamlenga Kristo: Injili Kamili, tunayoijifunza katika Kipindi cha 3, ni injili ya Yesu kama Mwokozi, Mtakasaji, Mbatizaji katika Roho, Mponyaji na Mfalme anayekuja. Mahali ambapo kanisa limeanza kuzungumza kuhusu Roho bila Kristo, linapaswa kurudi katikati. Hilo ni marekebisho ya mazoea, si kukataa fundisho.Our answer. The Spirit's own work is to glorify Christ (John 16:14). Classical Pentecostal teaching is Christ-centered: the Full Gospel, which we study in Unit 3, is a gospel of Jesus as Savior, Sanctifier, Baptizer in the Spirit, Healer and coming King. Where a church has drifted into talking about the Spirit apart from Christ, it should return to the center. That is a correction of practice, not a rejection of the doctrine.

Pingamizi la 4: Theolojia iliyojengwa juu ya "kukutana na Mungu" haiwezi kushirikiwa kati ya tamaduni wala kuhakikiwa.Objection 4: A theology built on "encounter" cannot be shared across cultures or checked.

Baadhi ya wakosoaji husema kwamba uzoefu ni wa faragha, kwa hiyo Wapentekoste hawawezi kukubaliana juu ya jambo lolote.Some critics say that experience is private, so that Pentecostals cannot agree on anything.

Jibu letu. Ukiri wetu, kanuni zetu za imani na usomaji wetu wa pamoja wa Maandiko vinaonyesha kwamba hivyo si kweli. Wapentekoste wa Chile, Ghana, Korea na Marekani wanakiri Utatu huo huo na Bwana huyo huyo. Wanachoshiriki si hisia tu bali ujumbe kuhusu Yesu, uliojengwa juu ya mafundisho ya mitume. Ushuhuda wa pamoja wa Roho kuhusu Kristo yule yule ni mojawapo ya ushahidi wenye nguvu kuliko wote kwamba tunamzungumzia Mungu yule yule.Our answer. Our confessions, creeds and shared reading of Scripture show that this is not so. Pentecostals in Chile, Ghana, Korea and the United States confess the same Trinity and the same Lord. What they share is not only a feeling but a message about Jesus, grounded in the apostles' teaching. The common testimony of the Spirit to the same Christ is one of the strongest evidences that we are speaking of the same God.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mtu mmoja katika kanisa la kijijini anasimama wakati wa ibada na kusema, "Mungu ameniambia kwamba familia tatu katika kutaniko hili lazima ziuze ardhi yao na kunipa pesa, kwa sababu nitajenga shule." Waumini wengine wanaogopa na wengine wanafurahi. Wanamtazama mchungaji.A man in a village church stands during the service and says, "God has told me that three families in this congregation must sell their land and give the money to me, because I will build a school." Some believers are afraid and some are excited. They look at the pastor.

Mchungaji hamwaibishi mtu huyo hadharani. Anamshukuru kwa bidii yake na kusema, "Tuyapime haya pamoja, kama Biblia inavyofundisha." Baadaye, pamoja na wazee wawili, anafuata hatua. Anasikiliza hasa kilichosemwa. Anafungua Maandiko na kuona kwamba Biblia inatuambia tutoe kwa uhuru na kwa furaha, kamwe si kwa shinikizo, na kwamba inaonya dhidi ya manabii wa uongo wanaotafuta faida. Analinganisha dai hilo na Biblia nzima na jinsi kanisa limeelewa unabii daima. Anauliza kuhusu matunda: je, ujumbe huu unamheshimu Kristo, unawalinda maskini, na unawaleta viongozi nuruni? Mwishowe, wazee wanaamua pamoja na kuzungumza na mtu huyo kwa upendo. Wanasema wazi kwamba hakuna mtu kanisani anayehitajika kuuza ardhi, na wanajitolea kumsaidia kupanga shule kwa njia iliyo wazi na ya uwajibikaji.The pastor does not shame the man in public. He thanks him for his zeal and says, "Let us weigh this together, as the Bible teaches." Later, with two elders, he follows the steps. He listens to exactly what was said. He opens Scripture and notes that the Bible tells us to give freely and cheerfully, never under pressure, and that it warns against false prophets who seek gain. He compares the claim with the whole Bible and with the way the church has always understood prophecy. He asks about the fruit: does this message honor Christ, protect the poor, and bring the leaders into the light? Finally, the elders decide together and speak with the man in love. They say plainly that no one in the church is required to sell land, and they offer to help him plan a school in an open and accountable way.

Mchungaji hajamzimisha Roho. Amefanya yale Maandiko yalivyoomba: alipima, na akashikilia lililo jema.The pastor has not quenched the Spirit. He has done what Scripture asked: he tested, and he held fast what was good.

MuhtasariSummary

Theolojia ya Kipentekoste huanza na kukutana na Mungu: Mungu aliye hai hukutana na watu wake na kujidhihirisha kwao. Kama Steven Land alivyoona, huunganisha imani sahihi, mwenendo sahihi na mapenzi ya moyo yaliyo sahihi. Vyanzo vyake ni Maandiko kama mamlaka ya mwisho, Roho Mtakatifu anayelifungua Neno na daima anakubaliana nalo, mafundisho ya kanisa katika historia, ushuhuda wa jumuiya, uzoefu unaopokelewa kwa shukrani na kupimwa, na akili na uchunguzi. Kwa miongo mingi theolojia yetu ilikuwa ya mdomo, ikibebwa na nyimbo, mahubiri na ushuhuda, na sasa pia inaandikwa na wasomi wa Kipentekoste. Wachungaji wanaweza kufuata mbinu rahisi: kusikiliza, kufungua Maandiko, kulinganisha Biblia nzima, kupima matunda, na kuamua pamoja na jumuiya. Wakosoaji wanaonya kwamba uzoefu unaweza kuwekwa juu ya Maandiko, kwamba Wapentekoste hupuuza masomo, na kwamba Roho husisitizwa kuliko Kristo. Tunayachukulia maonyo haya kwa uzito na kujibu kwamba Maandiko huhukumu uzoefu, kwamba Roho hutoa walimu na upendo wa kweli, na kwamba kazi ya Roho ni kumtukuza Yesu.Pentecostal theology begins with encounter: the living God meets His people and makes Himself known. As Steven Land observed, it holds together right belief, right practice and right affections. Its sources are Scripture as the final authority, the Holy Spirit who opens the Word and always agrees with it, the teaching of the church through history, the testimony of the community, experience that is received with thanks and tested, and reason and study. For many decades our theology was oral, carried by songs, sermons and testimonies, and it is now also written by Pentecostal scholars. Pastors can follow a simple method: listen, open Scripture, compare the whole Bible, test the fruit, and decide with the community. Critics warn that experience may be placed above Scripture, that Pentecostals neglect study, and that the Spirit is emphasized over Christ. We take these warnings seriously and answer that Scripture judges experience, that the Spirit gives teachers and the love of truth, and that the Spirit's work is to glorify Jesus.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Steven J. Land, Pentecostal Spirituality (1993) (Kiroho cha Kipentekoste).• Steven J. Land, Pentecostal Spirituality (1993).

• Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology (2008) (Theolojia ya Kipentekoste).• Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology (2008).

• Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit (2006) (Kubatizwa katika Roho).• Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit (2006).

• Wolfgang Vondey, Pentecostal Theology (2017) (Theolojia ya Kipentekoste).• Wolfgang Vondey, Pentecostal Theology (2017).

• Kenneth J. Archer, A Pentecostal Hermeneutic (2004) (Mbinu ya Kipentekoste ya Kutafsiri Maandiko).• Kenneth J. Archer, A Pentecostal Hermeneutic (2004).

• Amos Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh (2005) (Roho Aliyemwagwa Juu ya Wote wenye Mwili).• Amos Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh (2005).

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