Uongozi wa Kichungaji na Misheni ya Ulimwengu ya Kipentekoste — Sehemu ya 7: Ushiriki wa Kijamii na MaskiniPentecostal Pastoral Leadership and Global Missions — Unit 7: Social Engagement and the Poor

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Roho wa Bwana yu juu yangu, Kwa maana amenitia mafuta kuwahubiri maskini habari njema;" (Luka 4:18, SUV)"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor;" (Luke 4:18, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini kuwajali maskini ni sehemu ya misheni ya kanisa lililojaa Roho, kwa kutumia Luka 4:18 na kitabu cha Matendo.1. Explain why care for the poor belongs to the mission of a Spirit-filled church, using Luke 4:18 and the book of Acts.

2. Kueleza shtaka la wanahistoria kwamba Wapentekoste wa kwanza walipuuza jamii, na kutoa jibu la Kipentekoste.2. Describe the historians' charge that early Pentecostals neglected society, and give the Pentecostal answer.

3. Kutoa mifano ya huruma ya Kipentekoste katika historia na katika ulimwengu wa walio wengi leo, ikiwemo wazo la "Upentekoste wa kimaendeleo" (progressive Pentecostalism).3. Give examples of Pentecostal compassion in history and in the majority world today, including the idea of "progressive Pentecostalism."

4. Kueleza jinsi kanisa la mahali linavyoweza kuwahudumia maskini bila kuleta utegemezi au kuchukua nafasi ya Injili.4. Explain how a local church can serve the poor without creating dependence or replacing the gospel.

5. Kueleza mkabala wa kichungaji wa uangalifu kuhusu siasa, haki na mamlaka.5. Describe a careful pastoral approach to politics, justice and the authorities.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Unit

Kipindi hiki kimeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kipentekoste ya asili, kwa ajili ya wachungaji wanaotumika mahali ambapo umaskini uko karibu. Tunashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na kwamba Roho Mtakatifu analiwezesha kanisa kwa ushuhuda na kwa huduma. Tunaeleza kwa haki wanahistoria na Wakristo wengine wanasema nini kutuhusu, kisha tunajibu kutoka kwa Maandiko. Pale Wakristo wenye nia njema wanapotofautiana, kwa mfano kuhusu hatua za kisiasa, tunasema hivyo wazi.This unit is written from inside the classical Pentecostal tradition, for pastors who serve in places where poverty is close. We hold that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that the Holy Spirit empowers the church for witness and for service. We state fairly what historians and other Christians say about us, and then we answer from Scripture. Where Christians of good will disagree, for example about political action, we say so plainly.

Roho na MaskiniThe Spirit and the Poor

Mstari wetu mkuu unatoka katika mahubiri ya kwanza ya Yesu huko Nazareti. Alisoma kutoka Isaya na akasema kwamba Roho wa Bwana yu juu yake "kuwahubiri maskini habari njema." Luka anatuambia kwamba Yesu alibatizwa katika Roho huko Yordani na akaanza huduma yake kwa nguvu za Roho (Luka 3:21-22; 4:1, 14). Kwa hiyo upako wa Roho katika Luka umeunganishwa na habari njema kwa maskini. Wapentekoste husoma Luka na Matendo kama vielelezo kwa kanisa (tazama Kozi ya 2, Kipindi cha 2). Ikiwa Roho alimtia Yesu mafuta kuleta habari njema kwa maskini, basi kanisa lililojazwa Roho yuleyule haliwezi kuwa halijali kuhusu maskini.Our key verse comes from the first sermon of Jesus in Nazareth. He read from Isaiah and said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him "to preach the gospel to the poor." Luke tells us that Jesus was baptized in the Spirit at the Jordan and began His ministry in the Spirit's power (Luke 3:21-22; 4:1, 14). So the anointing of the Spirit in Luke is joined to good news for the poor. Pentecostals read Luke and Acts as models for the church (see Course 2, Unit 2). If the Spirit anointed Jesus to bring good news to the poor, then a church filled with the same Spirit cannot be indifferent to them.

Agano la Kale linasema vivyo hivyo. Mungu husikia kilio cha walioonewa, na huwaamuru watu wake kumjali mgeni, yatima na mjane. Katika Agano Jipya, Yakobo anaandika, "Dini safi isiyo na taksiri mbele za Mungu Baba ni hii, kuwaangalia yatima na wajane katika dhiki zao, na kujilinda na dunia hii, ili mtu asijechafuliwa nayo" (Yakobo 1:27). Yohana anauliza upendo wa Mungu waweza kukaaje ndani ya mtu anayemwona ndugu yake ana uhitaji na kumfungia huruma zake (1 Yohana 3:17). Yesu alisema juu ya walio wadogo kati ya ndugu zake, "Kwa kadiri mlivyomtendea mmoja wa hawa walio wadogo, ndugu zangu, mmenitendea mimi" (Mathayo 25:40).The Old Testament says the same. God hears the cry of the oppressed, and He commands His people to care for the foreigner, the orphan and the widow. In the New Testament, James writes, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). John asks how the love of God can remain in a person who sees a brother in need and shuts up his heart (1 John 3:17). Jesus said of the least of His brothers, "inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40).

Tunapaswa kuwa wazi juu ya kile ambacho hatusemi. Hatusemi kwamba kuwalisha wenye njaa kunachukua nafasi ya kuhubiri Injili, au kwamba Injili inahusu maisha haya tu. Wokovu wa roho, kuzaliwa upya na tumaini la uzima wa milele vinabaki kiini. Lakini Maandiko hayaweki kuhubiri na huruma kinyume cha kila kimoja. Yesu alihubiri, na pia aliwalisha makutano na kuponya wagonjwa. Roho hutoa nguvu kwa yote mawili.We should be clear about what we do not say. We do not say that feeding the hungry replaces the preaching of the gospel, or that the gospel is only about this life. The salvation of the soul, the new birth and the hope of eternal life remain at the center. But Scripture does not set preaching and compassion against each other. Jesus preached, and He also fed the crowds and healed the sick. The Spirit gives power for both.

Kanisa la Kwanza katika MatendoThe Early Church in Acts

Kitabu cha Matendo kinaonyesha kanisa lililojaa Roho lilifanya nini. Baada ya Pentekoste, waumini walishiriki na wenye uhitaji: "Wala hapakuwa na mhitaji ye yote kati yao" (Matendo 4:34). Kutoa huku kulikuwa kwa hiari na kwa kupenda. Haikuwa sheria, na Petro alimwambia Anania kwamba mali yake ilikuwa yake kuiweka (Matendo 5:4). Katika Matendo 6 kanisa liliona kwamba wajane walikuwa wakisahauliwa katika mgawo wa kila siku, na mitume wakaliomba kanisa lichague watu saba "wenye sifa njema, waliojaa Roho na hekima" kusimamia kazi hiyo. Zingatia kwamba wale saba walikuwa wamejazwa Roho. Kuwajali maskini kwa vitendo haikuwa kazi ya hadhi ya chini kwa watu wasio na Roho. Wawili kati yao, Stefano na Filipo, pia wakawa mashahidi wenye nguvu.The book of Acts shows what the Spirit-filled church did. After Pentecost, believers shared with those in need: "nor was there anyone among them who lacked" (Acts 4:34). This giving was free and willing. It was not a law, and Peter told Ananias that his property was his own to keep (Acts 5:4). In Acts 6 the church noticed that widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution, and the apostles asked the church to choose seven men "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" to oversee the work. Notice that the seven were Spirit-filled. Practical care for the poor was not a lower task for people without the Spirit. Two of them, Stephen and Philip, also became powerful witnesses.

Katika Matendo 11:27-30, manabii walikuja kutoka Yerusalemu hadi Antiokia, na mmoja wao, Agabo, "akaonyesha kwa Roho ya kwamba njaa kuu itakuwapo katika dunia yote." Wanafunzi wa Antiokia waliamua kutuma msaada kwa ndugu wa Uyahudi, kila mmoja kulingana na uwezo wake. Hapa karama ya unabii iliongoza moja kwa moja kwenye msaada wa vitendo. Sadaka ya Paulo ya baadaye kwa waumini maskini wa Yerusalemu (Warumi 15:25-27; 2 Wakorintho 8-9) inaonyesha kwamba alipa kazi hii umuhimu mkubwa. Viongozi wa Yerusalemu walipoitambua huduma ya Paulo kwa Mataifa, waliomba tu "wawakumbuke maskini," na Paulo akaandika, "ambayo mimi nalijitahidi kuyafanya hayo" (Wagalatia 2:10).In Acts 11:27-30, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch, and one of them, Agabus, "showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world." The disciples in Antioch decided to send relief to the brethren in Judea, each according to his ability. Here a gift of prophecy led directly to practical help. Paul's later collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27; 2 Corinthians 8-9) shows that he gave this work high importance. When the leaders in Jerusalem recognized Paul's ministry to the Gentiles, they asked only that he "remember the poor," and Paul wrote, "the very thing which I also was eager to do" (Galatians 2:10).

Swali la Haki: Je, Wapentekoste wa Kwanza Walipuuza Jamii?A Fair Question: Did Early Pentecostals Neglect Society?

Baadhi ya wanahistoria na wakosoaji wanasema kwamba Wapentekoste wa kwanza walijikita sana katika Roho, katika misheni na katika kuja kwa Kristo hata wakajali kidogo mahitaji ya kijamii. Hoja inaenda hivi. Waumini wa kwanza walitarajia Yesu arudi hivi karibuni sana. Walifundisha kwamba ulimwengu unazidi kuwa mbaya na kwamba kazi ya kanisa ni kuokoa roho nyingi iwezekanavyo kabla ya mwisho. Kwa nini kuosha nje ya meli inayokaribia kuzama? Baadhi ya waandishi wanasema kwa hiyo Wapentekoste walijiondoa katika masuala ya kijamii, au waliyaachia makanisa "ya kiliberali" yaliyosisitiza injili ya kijamii.Some historians and critics say that early Pentecostals were so focused on the Spirit, on missions and on the coming of Christ that they paid little attention to social needs. The argument runs as follows. The early believers expected Jesus to return very soon. They taught that the world was growing worse and that the church's task was to rescue as many souls as possible before the end. Why wash the outside of a ship that is about to sink? Some writers say that Pentecostals therefore withdrew from social concerns, or that they left such concerns to "liberal" churches that stressed the social gospel.

Kuna kweli fulani katika hili. Wapentekoste wa kwanza mara nyingi waliweka uinjilisti kwanza, na baadhi yao hawakuamini maisha ya kisiasa. Kizazi kilichotarajia Bwana wakati wowote kilitoa kipaumbele kwa kuwashinda watu kwa Kristo. Wapentekoste wengi pia waliogopa kwamba kujali jamii kunaweza kuwa mbadala wa Injili, kama walivyoona katika baadhi ya makanisa yaliyopoteza imani katika Biblia. Tunapaswa kusema hili kwa unyofu.There is something true in this. Early Pentecostals often put evangelism first, and some distrusted political life. A generation that expected the Lord at any moment gave priority to winning people to Christ. Many Pentecostals also feared that care for society could become a substitute for the gospel, as they saw in some churches that had lost confidence in the Bible. We should say this honestly.

Lakini picha hiyo haijakamilika, na mapokeo yetu yanajibu kwa njia nne.But the picture is incomplete, and our tradition answers it in four ways.

Kwanza, Wapentekoste wa kwanza wenyewe walikuwa maskini kwa kiasi kikubwa. Hawakuwa watu wa nje waliowadharau maskini. Wao walikuwa maskini. Kozi ya 1, Kipindi cha 5 ilisimulia jinsi Azusa Street ilivyoleta pamoja watu wa jamii na tabaka tofauti. Roho alishuka juu ya "watumwa na wajakazi" kama Yoeli alivyosema, na vuguvugu liliendelea miongoni mwa watu waliokuwa pembezoni mwa jamii.First, the early Pentecostals were themselves mostly poor. They were not outsiders who looked down on the poor. They were the poor. Course 1, Unit 5 told how Azusa Street drew together people of different races and classes. The Spirit fell on "servants and maidservants" as Joel had said, and the movement spread among people at the margins of society.

Pili, kuna ushahidi mwingi wa huruma. Misheni ya Mukti huko India, iliyoongozwa na Pandita Ramabai, iliwajali wajane na wasichana, na ilikuwa mahali pa uamsho na msaada wa vitendo pia (tazama Kozi ya 1, Kipindi cha 3). Makanisa ya awali ya Kipentekoste katika nchi nyingi yaliendesha vituo vya yatima, mipango ya kulisha, makao ya uokoaji na zahanati pamoja na kuhubiri kwao. Washiriki waligawana chakula na makazi wao kwa wao nyakati za shida.Second, there is plenty of evidence of compassion. The Mukti mission in India, led by Pandita Ramabai, cared for widows and girls, and it was a place of both revival and practical help (see Course 1, Unit 3). Early Pentecostal churches in many lands ran orphanages, feeding programs, rescue missions and clinics alongside their preaching. Members shared food and housing with one another in hard times.

Tatu, kuamini kurudi karibu kwa Kristo si sababu ya kuwapuuza maskini. Yesu aliwaambia watumishi wake, "Fanyeni biashara hata nitakapokuja" (Luka 19:13), na alisema kwamba siku ya mwisho mataifa yatahukumiwa kwa jinsi walivyowatendea wenye njaa, mgeni na mfungwa (Mathayo 25:31-46). Tumaini letu katika kuja kwake linapaswa kutufanya waaminifu zaidi, si pungufu (tazama Kozi ya 2, Kipindi cha 8 juu ya mambo ya mwisho na misheni).Third, belief in the soon return of Christ is not a reason to neglect the poor. Jesus told His servants, "Do business till I come" (Luke 19:13), and He said that on the last day the nations will be judged by how they treated the hungry, the stranger and the prisoner (Matthew 25:31-46). Our hope in His coming ought to make us more faithful, not less (see Course 2, Unit 8 on eschatology and mission).

Nne, uponyaji wenyewe ni huduma kwa maskini. Katika sehemu nyingi za ulimwengu wa walio wengi, waumini hawakuwa na daktari karibu na hawakuweza kumlipa. Maombi kwa wagonjwa, yaliyofanywa kwa huruma, mara nyingi yalikuwa huduma pekee iliyopatikana, na ni namna ya habari njema kwa maskini. Kozi ya 3, Vipindi vya 5 na 6 vinaeleza kwamba maombi ya uponyaji hayachukui nafasi ya dawa, na kwamba Wakristo wanapaswa kutumia vyote viwili kwa shukrani.Fourth, healing is itself a ministry to the poor. In much of the majority world, believers had no doctor within reach and could not pay for one. Prayer for the sick, practiced with compassion, was often the only care available, and it is a form of good news to the poor. Course 3, Units 5 and 6 explain that prayer for healing does not replace medicine, and that Christians should use both with thanksgiving.

Upentekoste wa Kimaendeleo (Progressive Pentecostalism)Progressive Pentecostalism

Katika utafiti wao Global Pentecostalism (2007), Donald Miller na Tetsunao Yamamori walieleza makanisa yanayochanganya uinjilisti na karama za Roho na mipango ya kijamii. Walitumia neno "Upentekoste wa kimaendeleo" (progressive Pentecostalism) kwa makanisa haya. Walichunguza jumuiya za Kipentekoste katika nchi nyingi na kupata shule, zahanati, mipango ya kulisha, huduma kwa walevi wa dawa, msaada kwa wasio na makazi na mafunzo ya kazi. Walihoji kwamba aina hii ya huduma ya kijamii inakua katika ulimwengu wa Kipentekoste, na kwamba mara nyingi inatokana na hisia ya mwito ya makanisa wenyewe na si shinikizo la nje.In their study Global Pentecostalism (2007), Donald Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori described churches that combine evangelism and the Spirit's gifts with social programs. They used the term "progressive Pentecostalism" for these churches. They looked at Pentecostal communities in many countries and found schools, clinics, feeding programs, care for people with addiction, help for the homeless and training for work. They argued that this kind of social service is growing in the Pentecostal world, and that it often grows out of the churches' own sense of calling and not from outside pressure.

Tunapaswa kutumia matokeo yao kwa uangalifu. Miller na Yamamori ni wasomi wanaoeleza walichoona; hitimisho lao liko wazi kwa mjadala, na neno "kimaendeleo" linaweza kumaanisha mambo tofauti kwa wasomaji tofauti. Baadhi ya Wapentekoste hawalipendi, kwa sababu kwao linaashiria kuhama mbali na Biblia. Wapentekoste tunaowasema hawabadilishi Injili. Wanatekeleza kile ambacho Injili tayari inasema.We should use their findings with care. Miller and Yamamori are scholars who describe what they saw; their conclusions are open to discussion, and the term "progressive" may mean different things to different readers. Some Pentecostals dislike it, because to them it suggests a move away from the Bible. The Pentecostals we are speaking of are not changing the gospel. They are putting into practice what the gospel already says.

Hizi hapa ni baadhi ya mifano ya aina ya kazi hii. Utapata mingine zaidi katika nchi yako mwenyewe.Here are some examples of the kind of work this includes. You will find more in your own country.

• Nchini Marekani, David Wilkerson, mhudumu wa Assemblies of God, alianza huduma ya kuwafikia vijana walioathiriwa na dawa za kulevya katika jiji la New York, ambayo ikawa huduma iitwayo Teen Challenge. Mkabala wake unachanganya uangalifu, nidhamu na mwito wa kumwamini Kristo.• In the United States, David Wilkerson, an Assemblies of God minister, began outreach in New York City to young people addicted to drugs, which became the ministry called Teen Challenge. Its approach combines care, discipline and a call to faith in Christ.

• Nchini Ghana, Church of Pentecost, kanisa kubwa la Kipentekoste, limeanzisha shule na chuo kikuu, Pentecost University. Church of Pentecost pia hufanya kazi ya msaada kwa watu wenye uhitaji. Hili ni shirika la Kipentekoste ambalo limeunganisha mapokeo yenye nguvu ya uinjilisti na misheni pamoja na elimu na huduma.• In Ghana, the Church of Pentecost, a large Pentecostal church, has established schools and a university, Pentecost University. The Church of Pentecost also engages in relief work for people in need. This is a Pentecostal body that has joined a strong tradition of evangelism and mission with education and service.

• Katika miji mingi ya Amerika ya Kusini na Afrika, makanisa ya Kipentekoste huwasaidia washiriki waliopoteza kazi, hutegemeza familia zilizo katika mgogoro, na hupokea watu waliohangaika na pombe na vurugu. Chumba cha mbele cha mchungaji kinaweza kuwa ofisi ya ushauri, ghala la chakula na chumba cha maombi siku moja.• In many Latin American and African cities, Pentecostal congregations help members who have lost work, support families in crisis, and receive people who have struggled with alcohol and violence. A pastor's front room may be a counseling office, a food store and a prayer room on the same day.

Kumbusho: hatudai kwamba Wapentekoste wamefanya zaidi kuliko Wakristo wengine. Hoja ni kwamba kuwajali maskini ni sehemu ya sisi tulivyo, na inaweza kufanywa na mashirika makubwa na pia na kusanyiko dogo la watu ishirini.A reminder: we do not claim that Pentecostals have done more than other Christians. The point is that care for the poor belongs to who we are, and it can be done by large organizations and also by a small congregation of twenty people.

Tahadhari MbiliTwo Cautions

Usichukue nafasi ya InjiliDo not replace the gospel

Baadhi ya Wakristo wanaogopa kwamba hatua za kijamii zitammeza uinjilisti. Wanataja makanisa yaliyoacha kuhubiri msalaba na kuwa mashirika ya kijamii tu. Hofu hii ina msingi. Jibu letu ni kwamba neno na tendo vinakwenda pamoja. Hatuwalishi watu ili kununua kuongoka kwao, na hatuhubiri kwa wale wanaoweza kulipa tu. Tunawatumikia watu kwa sababu wameumbwa kwa mfano wa Mungu na wanapendwa na Kristo, na tunamnena Kristo kwa uhuru kadiri Bwana anavyotupa fursa. Huruma isiyoelezwa inaweza kuwa wema tu, na Injili isiyoonyeshwa inaweza kutiliwa shaka.Some Christians fear that social action will swallow evangelism. They point to churches that stopped preaching the cross and became only social agencies. This fear is reasonable. Our answer is that word and deed belong together. We do not feed people to buy their conversion, and we do not preach only to those who can pay. We serve people because they are made in God's image and loved by Christ, and we speak freely of Christ as the Lord gives us opportunity. Compassion that is never explained may become mere kindness, and a gospel that is never shown may be doubted.

Usilete utegemeziDo not create dependence

Msaada unaotoka nje unaweza kulidhoofisha kanisa. Kusanyiko likijifunza kutarajia msaada kila linapokuwa na hitaji, linaweza kuacha kutoa na kufanya kazi. Wachungaji wengi wa ulimwengu wa walio wengi wameliona hili. Kipindi cha 3 cha kozi hii juu ya kanuni za kanisa asilia kilifundisha kwamba kanisa linapaswa kujitawala, kujitegemea kifedha na kujieneza. Kanuni zilezile zinatumika katika kazi ya kijamii. Msaada wenye hekima hujenga nguvu za watu wenyewe: mafunzo, zana, mikopo midogo, ada za shule zinazolipwa kwa ushiriki wa familia, na usimamizi mwaminifu wa fedha. Paulo aliwaambia Wathesalonike kwamba "mtu ye yote asiyetaka kufanya kazi, asile chakula pia" (2 Wathesalonike 3:10), kanuni kuhusu wale wanaokataa kufanya kazi na si wale wasioweza. Aliwaambia pia wasikate tamaa katika kutenda mema (2 Wathesalonike 3:13). Mchungaji anahitaji hekima kujua hali ipi anayokabiliana nayo. Pia anahitaji vitabu safi: kanisa linalowajali maskini kwa sadaka lazima liweze kuonyesha fedha zilikwenda wapi (tazama Kipindi cha 5 juu ya maadili ya kichungaji na fedha).Help that comes from outside can weaken a church. If a congregation learns to expect aid every time it has a need, it may stop giving and working. Many majority-world pastors have seen this. Unit 3 of this course on indigenous church principles taught that a church should govern, support and extend itself. The same principles apply to social work. Wise help builds up people's own strength: training, tools, small loans, school fees paid with the family's participation, and honest management of funds. Paul told the Thessalonians that "if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10), a rule about those who refuse to work and not about those who cannot. He also told them to "do good" and not grow weary (2 Thessalonians 3:13). A pastor needs wisdom to tell which situation he faces. He also needs clean books: a church that cares for the poor with offerings must be able to show where the money went (see Unit 5 on pastoral ethics and finances).

Haki, Siasa na MamlakaJustice, Politics and the Authorities

Je, kanisa la Kipentekoste linapaswa kusema juu ya dhuluma, rushwa au sheria? Hapa Wakristo wenye nia njema hutofautiana, na tunaeleza mitazamo mitatu ya kawaida.Should a Pentecostal church speak about injustice, corruption or laws? Here Christians of good will differ, and we state three common views.

Wengine wanaamini kwamba kanisa linapaswa kuepuka siasa kabisa na kutunza tu kuhubiri na kuomba. Wanaogopa kwamba kanisa lililofungamana na chama litapoteza ujumbe wake na kuwagawa washiriki wake. Wanakumbuka kwamba Yesu alikataa kufanywa mfalme wa kisiasa (Yohana 6:15).Some believe that the church should avoid politics altogether and attend only to preaching and prayer. They fear that a church tied to a party will lose its message and divide its members. They remember that Jesus refused to be made a political king (John 6:15).

Wengine wanaamini kwamba kanisa lazima lisema dhidi ya dhuluma, kama manabii walivyofanya. Wanataja Amosi na Mika, na wanasema kwamba kunyamaza mbele ya ukandamizaji hufanya kanisa kushiriki. Katika nchi fulani viongozi wa Kipentekoste wamesema kwa ajili ya maskini hadharani, na katika nyingine wameunga mkono serikali.Others believe that the church must speak against injustice, as the prophets did. They point to Amos and Micah, and they say that silence in front of oppression makes the church share in it. In some countries Pentecostal leaders have spoken for the poor in public, and in others they have supported governments.

Mtazamo wa tatu, unaoshikiliwa na Wapentekoste wengi wa asili, ni wa kati. Mchungaji huwaombea walio na mamlaka (1 Timotheo 2:1-2), huwafundisha washiriki kutii sheria na kulipa kinachodaiwa (Warumi 13:1-7), na hushuhudia dhidi ya dhambi na dhuluma pale Maandiko yanaposema wazi. Lakini hafungi kanisa na chama au mgombea, kwa sababu kanisa ni la wote wanaompenda Kristo. Watawala wanapoamuru yale Mungu anayokataza, waumini hujibu kama mitume walivyofanya: "Imetupasa kumtii Mungu kuliko wanadamu" (Matendo 5:29). Kwa vyovyote vile kanisa hutafuta mema ya mahali linapoishi, kama Yeremia alivyowaambia mateka, "Utafuteni amani ya mji ule niliowahamisha ninyi mpate kwenda huko, mkauombee kwa Bwana" (Yeremia 29:7).A third view, held by many classical Pentecostals, is a middle one. The pastor prays for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2), teaches members to obey the law and to pay what is owed (Romans 13:1-7), and bears witness against sin and injustice when Scripture clearly speaks. But he does not tie the church to a party or a candidate, because the church belongs to all who love Christ. When rulers command what God forbids, believers answer as the apostles did: "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). In every case the church seeks the good of the place where it lives, as Jeremiah told the exiles to "seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it" (Jeremiah 29:7).

Mchungaji awe na mtazamo wowote, anapaswa kukumbuka kwamba ushawishi wa mchungaji ni mkubwa. Mchungaji anayewatishia washiriki kwa hukumu ya Mungu ikiwa watapiga kura vibaya anatumia vibaya mimbari. Mchungaji asiyewapa watu wake mafundisho ya jinsi ya kuishi kama raia waaminifu pia anawakosea.Whatever view a pastor holds, he should remember that the influence of a pastor is great. A pastor who threatens members with the judgment of God if they vote the wrong way misuses the pulpit. A pastor who gives his people no teaching on how to live as honest citizens fails them as well.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mji wako umeteseka kwa kipindi kirefu cha ukosefu wa ajira baada ya kiwanda kufungwa. Washiriki wengi wa kanisa lako lenye familia sitini hawawezi kununua chakula cha kutosha. Sadaka za kanisa ni ndogo. Mgeni kutoka nchi nyingine anatoa fedha kwa ajili ya mpango wa kulisha, kwa sharti kwamba uendeshwe kwa njia yake.Your town has suffered a long period of unemployment after a factory closed. Many members of your church of sixty families cannot buy enough food. The church's offerings are small. A visitor from another country offers to send money for a feeding program, on the condition that it be run in his way.

Mchungaji mwenye hekima huanza kwa kuomba na kukusanya viongozi wake. Anauliza Biblia inasema nini (Matendo 6 na Matendo 11), na anauliza kanisa linaweza kufanya nini kwa kile ambacho tayari lina. Kwanza, viongozi wanaandika orodha ya mahitaji na ya rasilimali, ikiwemo bustani, ujuzi na nafasi. Pili, wanachagua timu ndogo ya washiriki waaminifu waliojaa Roho kusimamia kazi, kama katika Matendo 6, na wanakubaliana kutunza hesabu zilizoandikwa. Tatu, wanaanza na kile walicho nacho: milo ya pamoja, mkusanyo wa chakula, na msaada kwa wajane na wagonjwa. Nne, wanaifikiria kwa uangalifu ofa ya mgeni. Wanashukuru, lakini wanauliza kama mpango ungeweza kuendelea ikiwa fedha zingeacha, na hawakubali masharti ambayo yangefanya kanisa kumjibu mtu mwingine kwa maamuzi yake. Tano, wanaweka Injili katikati. Kila mlo huanza kwa maombi na shukrani, na kanisa linawaalika wanaowatumikia kwenye mikutano yake, bila kufanya chakula kutegemea kuhudhuria.A wise pastor begins by praying and by gathering his leaders. He asks what the Bible says (Acts 6 and Acts 11), and he asks what the church can do with what it already has. First, the leaders make a list of needs and of resources, including gardens, skills and space. Second, they choose a small team of trustworthy, Spirit-filled members to oversee the work, as in Acts 6, and they agree to keep written accounts. Third, they begin with what they have: shared meals, a food collection, and help for widows and the sick. Fourth, they consider the visitor's offer carefully. They are thankful, but they ask whether the program could continue if the money stopped, and they do not accept conditions that would make the church answer to someone else for its decisions. Fifth, they keep the gospel at the center. Each meal begins with prayer and thanks, and the church invites those it serves to its meetings, without making food depend on attendance.

MuhtasariSummary

Roho aliyemtia Yesu mafuta "kuwahubiri maskini habari njema" analijaza kanisa kufanya vivyo hivyo. Matendo inaonyesha waumini waliojaa Roho wakishiriki na wenye uhitaji, wakiweka watu waliojaa Roho kusimamia utunzaji wa wajane, na wakituma msaada baada ya unabii. Baadhi ya wanahistoria wanasema kwamba Wapentekoste wa kwanza walipuuza jamii kwa sababu walitarajia Kristo arudi hivi karibuni. Tunajibu kwamba Wapentekoste wengi wa kwanza walikuwa maskini wenyewe, kwamba historia yao inajumuisha huruma ya kweli kama misheni ya Mukti, kwamba kumngoja Kristo kunaita uaminifu, na kwamba maombi kwa wagonjwa pia ni habari njema kwa maskini. Donald Miller na Tetsunao Yamamori walieleza "Upentekoste wa kimaendeleo," ambamo uinjilisti na karama huunganishwa na mipango ya kijamii. Kanisa halipaswi kuchukua nafasi ya Injili kwa kazi ya kijamii, na halipaswi kuleta utegemezi. Kuhusu siasa, Wapentekoste wana maoni tofauti, na wengi huchukua njia ya kati: maombi kwa mamlaka, kutii sheria, ushuhuda dhidi ya dhuluma iliyo wazi, na kutofungamana na chama.The Spirit who anointed Jesus "to preach the gospel to the poor" fills the church to do the same. Acts shows Spirit-filled believers sharing with the needy, appointing Spirit-filled men to oversee the care of widows, and sending relief after a prophecy. Some historians say that early Pentecostals neglected society because they expected Christ's soon return. We answer that most early Pentecostals were poor themselves, that their history includes real compassion such as the Mukti mission, that waiting for Christ calls for faithfulness, and that prayer for the sick is also good news for the poor. Donald Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori described "progressive Pentecostalism," in which evangelism and the gifts are joined to social programs. A church should not replace the gospel with social work, and should not create dependence. On politics, Pentecostals hold different views, and many take a middle way: prayer for authorities, obedience to the law, witness against clear injustice, and no tie to a party.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Donald E. Miller na Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement (2007) (Upentekoste wa Ulimwengu: Sura Mpya ya Ushiriki wa Kijamii wa Kikristo).• Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement (2007).

• J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Contemporary Pentecostal Christianity (2013) (Ukristo wa Kipentekoste wa Leo).• J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Contemporary Pentecostal Christianity (2013).

• Allan Anderson, An Introduction to Pentecostalism (2nd ed., 2014) (Utangulizi wa Upentekoste, toleo la 2).• Allan Anderson, An Introduction to Pentecostalism (2nd ed., 2014).

• Ogbu U. Kalu, African Pentecostalism (2008) (Upentekoste wa Afrika).• Ogbu U. Kalu, African Pentecostalism (2008).

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