Historia ya Matengenezo ya Kanisa na Makanisa ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 1: Neno "Reformed" Linamaanisha Nini? Majina, Mizizi na Umbo la Utamaduni HuuHistory of the Reformation and Reformed Churches — Unit 1: What Does "Reformed" Mean? Names, Roots, and the Shape of the Tradition

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Maandiko Matakatifu yote yamepuliziwa na Mungu, yafaa kwa mafundisho, na kwa kuonya, na kwa kuweka sawa, na kwa kuadibu katika haki; ili mtu wa Mungu awe kamili, amekwisha kutayarishwa apate kutenda kila kazi njema." (2 Timotheo 3:16-17, SUV)"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza neno "Reformed" linamaanisha nini, na kwa nini utamaduni huu unasema makanisa yake lazima yapimwe daima kwa Neno la Mungu.1. Explain what "Reformed" means and why the tradition says its churches must always be tested by the Word of God.

2. Kutofautisha majina Reformed, Calvinist na Presbyterian, na kueleza yanavyoingiliana.2. Distinguish the names Reformed, Calvinist and Presbyterian, and say how they overlap.

3. Kutaja maungamo makuu ya Reformed na karne ya kila moja.3. Name the great Reformed confessions and give the century of each.

4. Kueleza moyo wa imani ya Reformed kupitia misemo mitano inayoitwa "solas" (maneno matano ya "pekee").4. Describe the heart of the Reformed faith through the five phrases called the solas.

5. Kueleza mjadala wa wanahistoria kuhusu kama Yohana Calvin ndiye aliyeanzisha utamaduni huu, na kutoa jibu la Reformed.5. State the historians' debate about whether John Calvin founded the tradition, and give the Reformed answer.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Reformed, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoutegemea. Ni kozi ya kihafidhina. Inaposema "sisi" au "utamaduni wetu," inamaanisha makanisa ya Reformed na Presbyterian yanayoshika maungamo ya imani, yanayoamini kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na lisilo na kosa, na yanayoungama imani iliyowekwa katika hati za kihistoria kama Katekisimu ya Heidelberg na Viwango vya Westminster. Makanisa kama hayo yanapatikana leo katika nchi nyingi, yakiwemo Presbyterian Church in America, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, makanisa ya Reformed Presbyterian, na makanisa mwaminifu ya Reformed na Presbyterian huko Mexico, Brazili, Afrika na Asia.This course is written from inside the Reformed tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative. When it says "we" or "our tradition," it means the confessional Reformed and Presbyterian churches that hold the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God and that confess the faith set out in historic documents such as the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Standards. Such churches are found today in many lands, including the Presbyterian Church in America, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian churches, and faithful Reformed and Presbyterian churches in Mexico, Brazil, Africa and Asia.

Baadhi ya wanahistoria, na baadhi ya Wakristo wengine, wanaona mambo haya kwa njia tofauti. Pale ilivyo hivyo, tunaeleza mtazamo wao kwa haki kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Pale ambapo kanisa la Reformed limeacha maungamo yake, kama baadhi ya madhehebu makubwa yalivyofanya, tunalieleza kwa uaminifu na hatulifuati. Biblia inatufundisha jinsi ya kusikiliza: watu wa Beroya "walilipokea lile neno kwa nia yote, wakitafuta-tafuta Maandiko kila siku waone kama mambo hayo ni hivyo" (Matendo 17:11). Hivi ndivyo tunavyotaka usome historia hii.Some historians, and some other Christians, see these matters differently. Where that is so, we state their view fairly and then give our answer. Where a Reformed body has drifted from its confession, as some large church bodies have, we describe it honestly and do not follow it. The Bible tells us how to listen: the people of Berea "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). That is how we want you to read this history.

Neno Lenye HistoriaA Word with a History

Neno "reformed" kwa urahisi linamaanisha "kuundwa upya" au "kupewa umbo jipya." Katika karne ya kumi na sita, Wakristo wa Ulaya waliuliza kama kanisa la siku zao lililingana na kanisa la Agano Jipya. Waliamini kwamba halikulingana. Mafundisho, ibada na maisha ya kanisa yalikuwa yameongezewa mambo mengi kwa karne nyingi, na mahali pengine Injili yenyewe ilikuwa imefichwa. Hawakutaka kuanzisha dini mpya. Walitaka kulirudisha kanisa lililopo chini ya Neno la Mungu. Walikuwa wakilifanyia kanisa matengenezo, na hivyo makanisa yaliyowafuata yaliitwa "makanisa ya Reformed."The word "reformed" simply means "re-formed" or "made new in shape." In the sixteenth century, Christians in Europe asked whether the church of their day matched the church of the New Testament. They believed it did not. Teaching, worship and church life had been added to over many centuries, and in places the gospel itself was hidden. They did not wish to start a new religion. They wished to bring the existing church back under the Word of God. They were reforming the church, and so the churches that followed them were called "reformed churches."

Matengenezo ya Kanisa kwa kawaida huwekwa tarehe 1517, wakati Martin Luther alipotangaza hadharani Hoja zake Tisini na Tano huko Wittenberg, Ujerumani. Wito wa Luther wa matengenezo ulienea haraka. Katika nchi za Kijerumani ulizaa makanisa ya Kilutheri. Huko Uswisi, karibu wakati huo huo, wachungaji wengine walifikia imani zinazofanana na wakaanza kufanyia miji yao matengenezo. Harakati hizi za Uswisi na zile zinazohusiana nazo zikawa familia ya Reformed. Katika miongo iliyofuata, harakati hiyo ilienea hadi Ufaransa, Uholanzi, Ujerumani, Hungaria, Scotland, Uingereza na kwingineko, kama vipindi vijavyo vitakavyoonyesha.The Reformation is usually dated from 1517, when Martin Luther made public his Ninety-five Theses in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther's call for reform spread quickly. In the German lands it produced the Lutheran churches. In Switzerland, at about the same time, other pastors reached similar convictions and began to reform their own cities. These Swiss and related movements became the Reformed family. Over the following decades the movement spread to France, the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Scotland, England and beyond, as later units will show.

Angalia neno hili halimaanishi nini. Halimaanishi kwamba sisi ni bora kuliko Wakristo wengine. Halimaanishi kwamba kazi imekwisha. Vizazi vya baadaye vilifupisha wazo hili kwa msemo wa Kilatini kwamba kanisa lililofanyiwa matengenezo linapaswa daima kufanyiwa matengenezo. Msemo huo kamili ulikuja baada ya karne ya kumi na sita, lakini wazo lenyewe ni la zamani zaidi. Kanisa halifanyiwi matengenezo kwa hekima yake lenyewe; linafanyiwa matengenezo na Neno. Kwa sababu "Maandiko Matakatifu yote yamepuliziwa na Mungu," kama Paulo anavyomwandikia Timotheo, ndiyo kipimo ambacho kila kanisa, kila ungamo na kila mchungaji lazima vipimwe kwacho. Hii ndiyo alama ya kwanza ya utamaduni wa Reformed.Notice what the word does not mean. It does not mean that we are better than other Christians. It does not mean that the work is finished. Later generations summed up the idea in the Latin saying that the church reformed is always to be reformed. The exact slogan came after the sixteenth century, but the idea is older. The church is never reformed by its own wisdom; it is reformed by the Word. Because "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," as Paul writes to Timothy, it is the standard by which every church, every confession and every pastor must be judged. This is the first mark of the Reformed tradition.

Majina Matatu: Reformed, Calvinist, PresbyterianThree Names: Reformed, Calvinist, Presbyterian

Wanafunzi mara nyingi husikia majina matatu na kujiuliza kama yanamaanisha makanisa matatu tofauti. Yanaingiliana, lakini si sawa.Students often hear three names and wonder whether they mean three different churches. They overlap, but they are not the same.

Reformed. Hili ndilo jina la zamani zaidi na pana zaidi. Linaeleza familia ya makanisa yaliyotokana na Matengenezo ya Uswisi na walimu waliofuata Zurich na Geneva. Katika Uswisi, Ujerumani, Uholanzi, Ufaransa na Hungaria, makanisa kwa kawaida yaliitwa "Reformed." Katika Uholanzi na makoloni yake ni makanisa ya Dutch Reformed. Jina hili linaelekeza kwenye imani moja inayoshirikiwa, si kwa mtu mmoja.Reformed. This is the oldest and broadest name. It describes the family of churches that came from the Swiss Reformation and from the teachers who followed Zurich and Geneva. In Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Hungary, the churches were usually called "Reformed." In the Netherlands and its colonies they are the Dutch Reformed churches. The name points to a shared faith, not to one man.

Calvinist. Jina hili linatokana na Yohana Calvin wa Geneva (1509-1564), mwalimu mkuu wa kizazi cha pili. Lilitumika tangu karne ya kumi na sita, mara nyingi na wapinzani na mara nyingi kama neno la lawama. Calvin mwenyewe hakutaka kanisa litwe kwa jina la mtu. Wakristo wengi wa Reformed leo wanalitumia kwa shukrani, hasa kwa ajili ya mafundisho juu ya enzi ya Mungu na wokovu kwa neema. "Ukalvini" (Calvinism) pia hutumika kwa mafundisho ya neema, ambayo Kozi ya 2 itayachunguza. Hata hivyo, neno pana "Reformed" ndilo bora zaidi, kwa sababu utamaduni wetu ni mkubwa kuliko Calvin.Calvinist. This name comes from John Calvin of Geneva (1509-1564), the great teacher of the second generation. It was used from the sixteenth century onward, often by opponents and often as a word of blame. Calvin himself did not wish the church to be named after a man. Many Reformed Christians use it today with thanks, especially for the teaching on the sovereignty of God and salvation by grace. "Calvinism" is also used for the doctrines of grace, which Course 2 will study. Still, the wider term "Reformed" is the better one, because our tradition is larger than Calvin.

Presbyterian. Jina hili linatokana na neno la Kigiriki la "mzee," presbyteros. Linaeleza makanisa ya Reformed yanayoongozwa na wazee waliokusanyika katika mabaraza: baraza la mtaa (session), presbytery na mabaraza makubwa zaidi. Mtindo huu ulikua sana huko Scotland, na kutoka Scotland ulienea hadi Uingereza, Ireland, Amerika Kaskazini na mashamba mengi ya misheni. Kanisa la Presbyterian ni kanisa la Reformed lenye aina fulani ya uongozi. Kozi ya 4 itachunguza uongozi huo kwa kina.Presbyterian. This name comes from the Greek word for "elder," presbyteros. It describes Reformed churches that are governed by elders gathered in courts: the local session, the presbytery and the wider assemblies. This pattern grew strongly in Scotland, and from Scotland it spread to England, Ireland, North America and many mission fields. A Presbyterian church is a Reformed church with a particular form of government. Course 4 will study that government in detail.

Kwa hiyo tunaweza kusema kwa sentensi moja. Wapresbyterian ni Reformed katika mafundisho, Calvinist katika mafundisho yao juu ya neema, na huongozwa na wazee. Makanisa ya Dutch, Swiss na Hungarian Reformed yanashiriki mafundisho yale yale, ingawa mengine hujiongoza kwa majina na miundo tofauti kidogo.So we may say it in one sentence. Presbyterians are Reformed in doctrine, Calvinist in their teaching about grace, and governed by elders. Dutch, Swiss and Hungarian Reformed churches share the same doctrine, though some govern themselves with slightly different names and structures.

Mizizi katika Karne ya Kumi na SitaRoots in the Sixteenth Century

Utamaduni wetu una mizizi kadhaa, na ni vizuri kuijua kwa mpangilio.Our tradition has several roots, and it is good to know them in order.

Zurich. Huldrych Zwingli alianza kuhubiri Injili huko Zurich mwaka 1519, na mrithi wake Heinrich Bullinger aliliongoza kanisa huko kwa miongo mingi. Kipindi cha 2 kinasimulia hadithi hii. Zurich inaonyesha kwamba harakati ya Reformed ilikuwa tayari inaendelea kabla Calvin hajawa Mwanamatengenezo.Zurich. Huldrych Zwingli began preaching the gospel in Zurich in 1519, and his successor Heinrich Bullinger led the church there for decades. Unit 2 tells this story. Zurich shows that the Reformed movement was already under way before Calvin was a Reformer.

Geneva. Yohana Calvin alifundisha na kuandika huko Geneva, mji mdogo ulio mpakani mwa nchi za Kifaransa na Kiswisi. Kitabu chake Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo), kilichochapishwa kwanza mwaka 1536 na kuongezwa hadi umbo lake la mwisho la Kilatini mwaka 1559, kikawa maelezo yanayojulikana zaidi ya mafundisho ya Reformed. Geneva pia ilifundisha wachungaji waliokwenda Ufaransa, Scotland, Uholanzi na nchi nyingine. Kipindi cha 3 kinasimulia hadithi hii.Geneva. John Calvin taught and wrote in Geneva, a small city on the border of French and Swiss lands. His book Institutes of the Christian Religion, first published in 1536 and enlarged until its final Latin form in 1559, became the best-known statement of Reformed teaching. Geneva also trained pastors who went out to France, Scotland, the Netherlands and other lands. Unit 3 tells this story.

Walimu wengine. Walimu wengine wengi waliiunda familia hii: Martin Bucer huko Strasbourg, Guillaume Farel, Theodore Beza, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Zacharias Ursinus na John Knox. Utamaduni wa Reformed haukuwa kazi ya mtu mmoja au mji mmoja.Other teachers. Many other teachers shaped the family: Martin Bucer in Strasbourg, Guillaume Farel, Theodore Beza, Peter Martyr Vermigli, Zacharias Ursinus and John Knox. The Reformed tradition was never the work of one man or one city.

Kutambuliwa kwa makanisa ya Reformed. Mwanzoni, Wakristo wa Reformed hawakuwa na ulinzi wa kisheria katika sehemu kubwa ya Ulaya. Makubaliano ya kidini ya mwaka 1555 katika nchi za Kijerumani yalitambua watawala wa Kilutheri na wa Kikatoliki lakini si wa Reformed. Ni Amani ya Westphalia mwaka 1648 tu iliyoyapa makanisa ya Reformed hadhi sawa ya kisheria na makanisa ya Kilutheri na ya Kikatoliki katika Dola Takatifu ya Kirumi. Baba zetu mara nyingi walimwabudu Mungu katika hatari, na wengine walikufa kwa ajili ya imani.The recognition of Reformed churches. Early on, Reformed Christians had no legal protection in much of Europe. The religious settlement of 1555 in the German lands recognized Lutheran and Catholic rulers but not Reformed ones. Only the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 gave the Reformed churches equal legal standing with the Lutheran and Catholic churches in the Holy Roman Empire. Our fathers often worshiped under danger, and some died for the faith.

Moyo wa Utamaduni HuuThe Heart of the Tradition

Mtu akiuliza, "Wa-Reformed wanaamini nini?" jibu fupi zaidi ni mfululizo wa misemo ya Kilatini, kila mmoja ukianza na neno "pekee." Vizazi vya baadaye viliikusanya kama solas tano. Wanamatengenezo wenyewe hawakutumia orodha hii kamili kama seti, lakini kila msemo unafupisha kile walichofundisha.If someone asks, "What do the Reformed believe?" the shortest answer is a set of Latin phrases, each beginning with the word "alone." Later generations gathered them as the five solas. The Reformers themselves did not use this exact list as a set, but each phrase sums up what they taught.

Maandiko pekee (sola Scriptura). Biblia ndiyo mamlaka ya mwisho kwa imani na maisha. Mapokeo na mabaraza yanaweza kusaidia, lakini hayalingani kamwe na Neno.Scripture alone (sola Scriptura). The Bible is the final authority for faith and life. Tradition and councils may help, but they are never equal to the Word.

Kristo pekee (solus Christus). Wokovu unapatikana katika Yesu Kristo, nabii wetu, kuhani wetu na mfalme wetu, na kwa mtu mwingine yeyote hapana.Christ alone (solus Christus). Salvation is found in Jesus Christ, our prophet, priest and king, and in no one else.

Neema pekee (sola gratia). Mungu huwaokoa wenye dhambi kwa fadhili zake za bure, si kwa sifa yoyote ndani yetu. Paulo anaandika, "Maana mmeokolewa kwa neema, kwa njia ya imani; wala hii haikutokana na nafsi zenu; ni kipawa cha Mungu; wala si kwa matendo, mtu awaye yote asije akajisifu" (Waefeso 2:8-9).Grace alone (sola gratia). God saves sinners by His free favor, not by any merit in us. Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Imani pekee (sola fide). Tunapokea wokovu huo kwa imani, ambayo hutegemea Kristo na si matendo yetu.Faith alone (sola fide). We receive that salvation through faith, which rests on Christ and not on our works.

Utukufu wa Mungu pekee (soli Deo gloria). Vitu vyote vipo kwa utukufu wa Mungu. Msemo huu pengine ndio wa Reformed zaidi kati ya hiyo mitano. Paulo anamalizia hoja yake kuu katika Warumi kwa maneno ambayo Wa-Reformed wameyapenda: vitu vyote "watoka kwake, na kwa yeye, na kwake yeye" (Warumi 11:36).To God's glory alone (soli Deo gloria). All things exist for the glory of God. This phrase is perhaps the most Reformed of the five. Paul ends his great argument in Romans with the words that the Reformed have loved: all things are "of Him and through Him and to Him" (Romans 11:36).

Misemo hii inashirikiwa na Walutheri na wainjilisti wengi. Kinachoitambulisha familia ya Reformed hasa ni jinsi inavyoiunganisha. Mafundisho ya Reformed yanamweka Mungu mwenye enzi katikati, kuanzia mpango wake wa milele hadi siku ya mwisho. Yanafundisha kwamba Mungu hushughulika na watu wake kwa agano. Yanafundisha kwamba kanisa huundwa na Maandiko katika ibada na uongozi wake. Pia yanafundisha mafundisho ya neema. Tutayachunguza yote haya katika kozi zijazo.These phrases are shared with Lutherans and many evangelicals. What marks the Reformed family in particular is how it draws them together. Reformed teaching puts the sovereign God at the center, from His eternal plan to the last day. It teaches that God deals with His people in covenant. It teaches that the church is shaped by Scripture in its worship and government. It also teaches the doctrines of grace. We will study all these in the courses ahead.

Jinsi Utamaduni Huu Unavyosema: MaungamoHow the Tradition Speaks: The Confessions

Ungamo ni maelezo yaliyoandikwa ya kile ambacho kanisa linaamini Biblia inafundisha. Makanisa ya Reformed yaliandika maungamo mengi, katika sehemu na karne tofauti. Yale makuu kwa ajili ya fani hii ni haya.A confession is a written statement of what a church believes the Bible teaches. The Reformed churches wrote many, in different places and centuries. The main ones for this specialization are these.

• Ungamo la Scotland (Scots Confession, 1560), lililoandikwa kwa ajili ya Matengenezo huko Scotland.• The Scots Confession (1560), written for the Reformation in Scotland.

• Ungamo la Ubelgiji (Belgic Confession, 1561), lililoandikwa hasa kwa ajili ya makanisa ya Nchi za Chini.• The Belgic Confession (1561), written chiefly for the churches in the Low Countries.

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (Heidelberg Catechism, 1563), iliyoandikwa kwa ajili ya Palatinate huko Ujerumani.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), written for the Palatinate in Germany.

• Ungamo la Pili la Helvetic (Second Helvetic Confession, 1566), lililoandikwa na Bullinger na kukubaliwa katika makanisa mengi ya Reformed.• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566), written by Bullinger and accepted in many Reformed churches.

• Kanuni za Dort (Canons of Dort, 1619), jibu la Sinodi ya Dort kwa pingamizi za Waarmini.• The Canons of Dort (1619), the answer of the Synod of Dort to the Arminian objections.

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster na Katekisimu Kubwa na Fupi (1646-47), viwango vya Wapresbyterian wanaozungumza Kiingereza.• The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1646-47), the standards of English-speaking Presbyterians.

Ungamo la Ubelgiji, Katekisimu ya Heidelberg na Kanuni za Dort kwa pamoja huitwa Fomu Tatu za Umoja (Three Forms of Unity). Kozi ya 3 inazichunguza hati hizi kwa karibu.The Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort are together called the Three Forms of Unity. Course 3 studies these documents closely.

Kwa nini kuwa na maungamo? Pingamizi hutoka kwa Wakristo wengine, hasa baadhi ya Wabaptisti na waumini wa makanisa huru: "Tuna Biblia tu. Ungamo huongeza maneno ya wanadamu kwenye Neno la Mungu." Tunajibu kwamba utamaduni wa Reformed haweki ungamo lolote juu ya Maandiko. Ungamo ni kiwango cha chini: kinapimwa kwa Biblia na kinaweza kusahihishwa na Biblia. Wakati huo huo, kila kanisa lina kanuni ya imani, iliyoandikwa au isiyoandikwa. Swali pekee ni kama inasemwa wazi na inapimwa wazi. Ungamo hulinda kundi dhidi ya walimu wa uongo, hufundisha watoto na waumini wapya, na huunganisha makanisa katika nchi nyingi. Ni njia ambayo kanisa husema, "Hiki ndicho tunachoelewa Neno linafundisha."Why have confessions? An objection comes from some other Christians, especially some Baptist and free-church believers: "We have only the Bible. A confession adds human words to God's Word." We answer that the Reformed tradition does not place any confession above Scripture. A confession is a subordinate standard: it is tested by the Bible and may be corrected by the Bible. At the same time, every church has a creed, written or unwritten. The only question is whether it is stated openly and tested openly. A confession protects the flock from false teachers, teaches children and new believers, and joins churches in many lands. It is how a church says, "Here is what we understand the Word to teach."

Pingamizi na MajibuDebates and Objections

Mchungaji anapaswa kuwa tayari kwa maswali ya dhati. Tunaeleza kila swali kama wanaolishikilia wangelieleza kisha tunalijibu.A pastor should be ready for honest questions. We state each as its holders would and then answer.

Swali la 1: Je, Calvin ndiye aliyeanzisha utamaduni wa Reformed?Question 1: Did Calvin found the Reformed tradition?

Watu wengi, wakiwemo wengi walio nje ya kanisa, wanadhani hivyo. Wanasema kwamba "Reformed" na "Calvinist" ni kitu kimoja, na kwamba Geneva ya Calvin ndiyo chanzo cha kila kitu. Baadhi ya wanahistoria huenda mbali zaidi na kubishana kwamba walimu wa Reformed wa baadaye walibadilisha mawazo ya Calvin, hivyo "Wakalvini" hawakuwa waaminifu kwa Calvin. Wanahistoria wengine hujibu kwamba walimu wa baadaye waliendeleza kazi yake kwa mwendelezo nayo. Mwanahistoria Richard Muller ni miongoni mwa wanaotetea mwendelezo halisi pamoja na maendeleo, katika maumbo tofauti kwa zama mpya.Many people, including many outside the church, think so. They say that "Reformed" and "Calvinist" are the same, and that Calvin's Geneva was the source of everything. Some historians go further and argue that later Reformed teachers changed Calvin's ideas, so that the "Calvinists" were unfaithful to Calvin. Other historians reply that the later teachers developed his work in continuity with it. The historian Richard Muller is among those who argue for real continuity with development, in different forms for a new age.

Jibu letu. Tunamheshimu Calvin, lakini hatumfanyi mwanzilishi. Zwingli alianza huko Zurich mwaka 1519, wakati Calvin alikuwa na umri wa miaka kumi hivi. Bullinger, Bucer, Vermigli, Beza, Ursinus na Knox wote walichangia. Kipawa maalum cha Calvin kilikuwa kufundisha imani yote kwa mpangilio na kuwafunza wengine. Imani ya Reformed ilishirikiwa kwa upana kabla na zaidi ya Geneva. Walimu wa baadaye walitumia zana mpya na ufafanuzi mkali zaidi kujibu makosa mapya, lakini tunashikilia kwamba walikuwa wakijenga juu ya Maandiko yale yale na Injili ile ile. Wanahistoria wako sahihi kwamba utamaduni huu una utofauti. Wamekosea wakihitimisha kwamba hauna kitovu cha pamoja.Our answer. We honor Calvin, but we do not make him the founder. Zwingli began in Zurich in 1519, when Calvin was about ten years old. Bullinger, Bucer, Vermigli, Beza, Ursinus and Knox all contributed. Calvin's special gift was to teach the whole faith in order and to train others. The Reformed faith was shared widely before and beyond Geneva. Later teachers did use new tools and sharper definitions to answer new errors, but we hold that they were building on the same Scriptures and the same gospel. Historians are right that the tradition has diversity. They are wrong if they conclude that it has no common center.

Swali la 2: Je, theolojia ya Reformed ni mfumo tu uliojengwa juu ya kuchaguliwa tangu awali?Question 2: Is Reformed theology just a system built from predestination?

Waandishi wengine husema kwamba Wakalvini huanza na amri za Mungu kisha hutoa kila kitu kingine kwa hoja, hivyo mfumo huo ni baridi na wa kimantiki tu.Some writers say that Calvinists begin with God's decrees and then deduce everything else, so that the system is cold and logical.

Jibu letu. Kitovu cha imani yetu ni utukufu wa Mungu na Neno la Mungu, si fundisho moja. Kuchaguliwa tangu awali kunafundishwa katika Maandiko, kwa mfano katika Waefeso 1, na baba zetu walilifundisha kwa ajili ya faraja ya waumini, si kama fumbo la kutatua. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg haianzi na amri za Mungu bali na "faraja yetu pekee katika uzima na katika kifo." Kozi ya 2 itarudi kwenye jambo hili.Our answer. The center of our faith is the glory of God and the Word of God, not a single doctrine. Predestination is taught in Scripture, for instance in Ephesians 1, and our fathers taught it for the comfort of believers, not as a puzzle. The Heidelberg Catechism begins not with decrees but with our "only comfort in life and in death." Course 2 will return to this.

Swali la 3: Je, utamaduni wa Reformed umegawanyika mno hata usiwe utamaduni mmoja?Question 3: Is the Reformed tradition too divided to be one tradition?

Ni kweli kwamba makanisa ya Reformed hutumia majina tofauti, yana aina tofauti za uongozi na yanapatikana katika nchi nyingi. Mengine yamegawanywa na ugomvi, na mengine yameiacha imani.It is true that Reformed churches use different names, have different governments and are found in many countries. Some have been divided by quarrels, and some have left the faith.

Jibu letu. Familia inaweza kuwa pana bila kukosa umbo. Maungamo huipa familia sauti ya pamoja. Pale kanisa limeacha ungamo lake, kama ilivyotokea katika baadhi ya madhehebu makuu katika karne ya ishirini, tunasema hivyo waziwazi na kutafuta mabaki waaminifu, kama Kipindi cha 10 kitakavyofanya. Umoja katika kweli ni muhimu zaidi kwetu kuliko umoja katika jina.Our answer. A family can be broad without being formless. The confessions give the family a common voice. Where a church has abandoned its confession, as happened in some mainline bodies in the twentieth century, we say so plainly and look for the faithful remnant, as Unit 10 will do. Unity in the truth matters more to us than unity in name.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji wa kanisa dogo la Presbyterian huko Jalisco anatembelewa na wanandoa vijana wanaohudhuria kanisa jirani lisilo na dhehebu. Mume anasema, "Rafiki yangu aliniambia kwamba Wakalvini wanamfuata mtu aitwaye Calvin, si Kristo. Na ninyi mna ungamo. Kwa nini Biblia haitoshi?"A pastor in a small Presbyterian church in Jalisco is visited by a young couple who attend a neighboring non-denominational church. The husband says, "My friend told me Calvinists follow a man named Calvin, not Christ. And you have a creed. Why isn't the Bible enough?"

Mchungaji analikaribisha swali hilo na hajibu kwa ukali. Kwanza, anafungua Biblia pamoja na yule mume na kusoma 2 Timotheo 3:16-17 na Matendo 17:11. Anakubali kwamba Maandiko ndiyo mamlaka ya mwisho. Pili, anaeleza kwamba "Reformed" ni jina la zamani na pana zaidi, kwamba Calvin alikuwa mwalimu mmoja miongoni mwa wengi, na kwamba Calvin mwenyewe hakutaka kanisa litwe kwa jina lake. Tatu, anawaonyesha wanandoa swali na jibu la kwanza la Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, na kueleza kwamba ungamo ni mtumishi wa Neno, kama muhtasari ulioandikwa na mwalimu, na si Biblia ya pili. Nne, anawaalika wanandoa kusoma vifungu vya Maandiko vinavyotajwa katika katekisimu hiyo na kuhukumu wenyewe. Anamaliza kwa kuwashukuru, kuomba nao, na kutoa kukutana tena.The pastor welcomes the question and does not answer sharply. First, he opens a Bible with the husband and reads 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Acts 17:11. He agrees that Scripture is the final authority. Second, he explains that "Reformed" is the older and wider name, that Calvin was one teacher among many, and that Calvin himself did not want a church named for him. Third, he shows the couple the Heidelberg Catechism's first question and answer, and explains that a confession is a servant of the Word, like a summary written by a teacher, and not a second Bible. Fourth, he invites the couple to read the Scripture passages cited in the catechism and judge for themselves. He ends by thanking them, praying with them, and offering to meet again.

MuhtasariSummary

"Reformed" inamaanisha kanisa lililofanyiwa matengenezo kwa Neno la Mungu. Utamaduni huu ulikua kutokana na Matengenezo ya Uswisi huko Zurich na Geneva baada ya 1517 na ukaenea katika nchi nyingi. Reformed ndilo jina pana zaidi; Calvinist linamtaja mwalimu wa Geneva na mafundisho ya neema; Presbyterian linataja makanisa ya Reformed yanayoongozwa na wazee. Moyo wa imani unaonyeshwa katika solas tano: Maandiko pekee, Kristo pekee, neema pekee, imani pekee, na utukufu wa Mungu pekee. Maungamo, kuanzia Ungamo la Scotland (1560) hadi Viwango vya Westminster (1646-47), yanatumikia Maandiko na yanapimwa nayo. Wanahistoria wanajadili kama Calvin alikuwa mwanzilishi; tunajibu kwamba alikuwa mwalimu mkuu katika familia kubwa zaidi, na kwamba familia hiyo ilikuwa tayari inaendelea kabla yake. Tunashikilia imani yetu kwa shukrani, kwa unyenyekevu na kwa utayari wa kusahihishwa na Neno."Reformed" means a church re-formed by the Word of God. The tradition grew from the Swiss Reformation in Zurich and Geneva after 1517 and spread through many lands. Reformed is the widest name; Calvinist names the Genevan teacher and the doctrines of grace; Presbyterian names the Reformed churches governed by elders. The heart of the faith is expressed in the five solas: Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and to God's glory alone. The confessions, from the Scots Confession (1560) to the Westminster Standards (1646-47), serve Scripture and are tested by it. Historians debate whether Calvin was the founder; we answer that he was a great teacher in a larger family, and that the family was in motion before him. We hold our convictions with thanks, with humility and with a readiness to be corrected by the Word.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo; tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), chanzo cha msingi.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), a primary source.

• The Heidelberg Catechism (Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, 1563), hasa Swali la 1.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), especially Question 1.

• The Belgic Confession (Ungamo la Ubelgiji, 1561).• The Belgic Confession (1561).

• The Second Helvetic Confession (Ungamo la Pili la Helvetic, 1566).• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566).

• The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms (Ungamo la Imani la Westminster na Katekisimu, 1646-47).• The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms (1646-47).

• The Scots Confession (Ungamo la Scotland, 1560).• The Scots Confession (1560).

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Theolojia ya Mfumo, 1872-73), kitabu cha kawaida cha Reformed.• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), a Reformed classic.

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