Historia ya Matengenezo ya Kanisa na Makanisa ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 5: Yohana Knox na Matengenezo ya ScotlandHistory of the Reformation and Reformed Churches — Unit 5: John Knox and the Scottish Reformation

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Imetupasa kumtii Mungu kuliko wanadamu." (Matendo 5:29, SUV)"We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza wafia dini wa mwanzo wa Scotland na maisha ya Yohana Knox hadi aliporudi Scotland mwaka 1559.1. Describe the early Scottish martyrs and the life of John Knox up to his return to Scotland in 1559.

2. Kueleza jinsi Matengenezo ya mwaka 1560 yalivyofikiwa na Bunge la Scotland liliamua nini.2. Explain how the Reformation of 1560 was achieved and what the Scottish Parliament decided.

3. Kueleza Ungamo la Scotland (Scots Confession) la mwaka 1560 na Kitabu cha Kwanza cha Nidhamu (First Book of Discipline).3. Describe the Scots Confession of 1560 and the First Book of Discipline.

4. Kueleza jinsi Kanisa la Scotland lilivyokuja kuongozwa na mabaraza ya mtaa (kirk sessions), presbyteries, sinodi na Mkutano Mkuu (General Assembly), na kutaja sehemu ya Andrew Melville.4. Explain how the Church of Scotland came to be governed by kirk sessions, presbyteries, synods and the General Assembly, and name Andrew Melville's part.

5. Kueleza ukosoaji mkuu dhidi ya Knox, ukiwemo kitabu chake dhidi ya utawala wa wanawake na mabishano yake na Mary, Malkia wa Waskoti, na kutoa jibu la Reformed.5. State the main criticisms of Knox, including his book against rule by women and his quarrels with Mary, Queen of Scots, and give the Reformed answer.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kipindi hiki kimeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Reformed kwa wanafunzi wa Reformed. Kanisa la Scotland ndilo mama wa familia ya Presbyterian, na makanisa mengi unayoyajua yanafuatilia mfumo wake wa uongozi hadi kwake. Tunamheshimu Knox na wanamatengenezo wenzake. Pia tunamweleza Knox kwa uaminifu, kama mtu jasiri na wakati mwingine mkali ambaye hatuwezi kutetea maneno na matendo yake yote. Pale wanahistoria wanapomkosoa, tunaeleza mtazamo wao kwa haki na kujibu kutoka Maandiko.This unit is written from inside the Reformed tradition for Reformed students. The Church of Scotland is the mother of the Presbyterian family, and many of the churches you know trace their form of government to it. We honor Knox and his fellow reformers. We also describe Knox honestly, as a courageous and sometimes severe man whose words and acts we cannot all defend. Where historians criticize him, we state their view fairly and answer from Scripture.

Scotland Kabla ya MatengenezoScotland Before the Reformation

Mwanzoni mwa karne ya kumi na sita Kanisa huko Scotland lilikuwa tajiri na lenye nguvu. Sehemu kubwa ya ardhi ilikuwa ya maaskofu na nyumba za watawa. Nafasi nyingi za kanisa zilitolewa kwa wana wa wakuu ambao hawakuishi kama wachungaji, na makasisi wengi wa parokia walikuwa wamefundishwa vibaya. Ukiukaji huu haukuwa sababu pekee ya matengenezo. Waskoti wengi, kama kwingineko Ulaya, walitaka kusikia Injili katika lugha yao wenyewe na kusoma Biblia wao wenyewe.In the early sixteenth century the Church in Scotland was rich and powerful. A large part of the land belonged to bishops and abbeys. Many church offices were given to the sons of nobles who did not live as pastors, and many parish priests were poorly taught. These abuses were not the only reason for reform. Many Scots, as elsewhere in Europe, wanted to hear the gospel in their own language and to read the Bible for themselves.

Mawazo ya kiinjili yalifika Scotland katika miaka ya 1520 kupitia vitabu na wanafunzi waliokuwa ng'ambo. Viongozi waliwaadhibu vikali. Mwaka 1528 Patrick Hamilton, mkuu kijana na msomi aliyefundisha mafundisho ya Luther ya kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani, alichomwa moto huko St Andrews. Mwaka 1546 mhubiri George Wishart, aliyeathiriwa na mafundisho ya Reformed ya Uswisi, naye alichomwa moto huko. Kila kifo kilifanya jambo hilo lijulikane zaidi. Baadaye mwaka 1546 kikundi cha wanaume Waprotestanti kilimuua Kardinali David Beaton, kiongozi wa kanisa aliyesimamia kesi ya Wishart. Hatuutetei mauaji hayo. Injili haiendelezwi kwa kuua kwa siri (2 Wakorintho 10:4).Evangelical ideas reached Scotland in the 1520s through books and students who had been abroad. The authorities punished them severely. In 1528 Patrick Hamilton, a young nobleman and scholar who had taught Luther's doctrine of justification by faith, was burned at St Andrews. In 1546 the preacher George Wishart, who had been influenced by the Swiss Reformed teaching, was also burned there. Each death made the cause better known. Later in 1546 a group of Protestant men killed Cardinal David Beaton, the church leader who had overseen Wishart's trial. We do not defend that murder. The gospel is not advanced by assassination (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Kutengenezwa kwa Yohana KnoxThe Making of John Knox

Yohana Knox alizaliwa karibu mwaka 1514 katika eneo la Haddington, mashariki mwa Edinburgh. Mwaka kamili hauna uhakika. Alifunzwa kuwa kasisi na alifanya kazi kama mthibitishaji na mwalimu wa wana wa mabwana wa huko. Alikuwa mfuasi wa George Wishart na hata alibeba upanga kumlinda wakati wa ziara za mahubiri za Wishart. Wishart alimwambia arudi kwa wanafunzi wake, na punde baadaye Wishart alikamatwa na kuuawa.John Knox was born around 1514 in the area of Haddington, east of Edinburgh. The exact year is uncertain. He was trained as a priest and worked as a notary and as a tutor to the sons of local gentlemen. He became a follower of George Wishart and even carried a sword to guard him during Wishart's preaching tours. Wishart told him to go back to his pupils, and soon afterwards Wishart was arrested and executed.

Baada ya kifo cha Wishart, wanaume waliomuua Beaton walitwaa ngome ya St Andrews. Mwaka 1547 Knox alijiunga nao pamoja na wanafunzi wake. Kusanyiko huko lilimwita kuwa mhubiri wao. Alikubali, inasemekana kwa machozi, na akaanza kuhubiri kwa nguvu kubwa. Mwaka huo meli za Kifaransa, zilizotumwa kuisaidia serikali ya Scotland, ziliteka ngome. Knox alikamatwa na alikaa karibu miaka miwili kama mtumwa wa kupiga makasia katika meli za Kifaransa. Mateso haya yalimwumba. Aliachiliwa mwaka 1549 kupitia kazi ya serikali ya Uingereza.After Wishart's death, the men who had killed Beaton took the castle of St Andrews. In 1547 Knox joined them with his pupils. The congregation there called him to be their preacher. He accepted, with tears, it is said, and began to preach with great force. In that year a French fleet, sent to help the Scottish government, took the castle. Knox was captured and spent nearly two years as a galley slave in French ships. This suffering shaped him. He was freed in 1549 through the work of the English government.

Kisha Knox alihudumu Uingereza chini ya Edward VI, ambapo alihubiri Berwick na Newcastle na alifanywa mmoja wa wachungaji wa mfalme. Alishauriwa juu ya marekebisho ya Kitabu cha Maombi cha Kiingereza (Prayer Book) na alikataa ofa ya wadhifa wa askofu. Mary Tudor, Mkatoliki, alipokuwa malkia mwaka 1553, alikimbilia Bara. Alichunga kusanyiko la wakimbizi wanaozungumza Kiingereza, kwanza huko Frankfurt kisha Geneva. Huko Geneva alikutana na Calvin na kujifunza kutoka kwa kanisa la Geneva.Knox then served in England under Edward VI, where he preached in Berwick and Newcastle and was made one of the king's chaplains. He was consulted on the revision of the English Prayer Book and declined the offer of a bishop's office. When Mary Tudor, a Catholic, became queen in 1553, he fled to the Continent. He pastored an English-speaking exile congregation, first at Frankfurt and then at Geneva. In Geneva he met Calvin and learned from the Genevan church.

Kitabu Dhidi ya Watawala WanawakeThe Book Against Women Rulers

Mwaka 1558 Knox alichapisha, akiwa uhamishoni, kijitabu kilichoitwa The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (Mlio wa Kwanza wa Tarumbeta Dhidi ya Utawala wa Kutisha wa Wanawake). Mada yake haikuwa nafasi ya wanawake kanisani bali utawala wa wanawake juu ya mataifa. Knox aliandika dhidi ya Mary Tudor huko Uingereza na Mary wa Guise, mwakilishi wa mfalme huko Scotland, na alishikilia kwamba utawala wa mwanamke ulikuwa kinyume na Maandiko na kinyume na maumbile. Kitabu kilichapishwa wakati mbaya zaidi kwake. Elizabeth, Mprotestanti, alikuwa malkia wa Uingereza mwaka huo huo, naye alikasirishwa na kijitabu hicho. Knox baadaye alimwandikia Elizabeth kujieleza, lakini hakuwahi kuziondoa hoja zake kabisa.In 1558 Knox published, from his exile, a pamphlet entitled The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. Its subject was not the role of women in the church but the rule of women over nations. Knox wrote against Mary Tudor in England and Mary of Guise, the regent in Scotland, and held that rule by a woman was contrary to Scripture and to nature. The book was published at the worst possible time for him. Elizabeth, a Protestant, became queen of England in the same year, and she was offended by the pamphlet. Knox afterwards wrote to Elizabeth to explain himself, but he never withdrew his arguments entirely.

Kitabu hiki kinaibua swali la haki kwa wanahistoria na kwetu, nasi tunalieleza kama linavyoulizwa. Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba hoja ya Knox ilikuwa shambulio kali na la kijinga dhidi ya wanawake lililoidhuru Mprotestanti, na kwamba inaonyesha roho nyembamba na chungu. Watetezi wanasema kwamba alikuwa akizungumza wakati wa mateso ambapo malkia wawili walikuwa wakilidhuru kanisa lake, na kwamba alikuwa akitoa maoni ya wanaume wengi wa zama zake, Wakatoliki na Waprotestanti. Jibu letu ni kwamba imani ya Reformed haitegemei kitabu hiki. Swali la nani anaweza kutumika kama mtawala wa kiraia ni tofauti na swali la nani anaweza kushika wadhifa katika kanisa. Makanisa ya Reformed yametofautiana, wakati ule na sasa, juu ya swali la kiraia, na Kozi ya 4 italishughulikia swali la wadhifa wa kanisa kwa haki. Hatulifuati kijitabu cha Knox. Kanuni yetu ni Maandiko, na tunamhukumu Knox kwayo.This book raises a fair question for historians and for us, and we state it as it is asked. Critics say that Knox's argument was a harsh and foolish attack on women that damaged the Protestant cause, and that it shows a narrow and bitter spirit. Defenders say that he was speaking in a time of persecution when two queens were harming his church, and that he was voicing the opinion of most men of his age, Catholic and Protestant. Our answer is that the Reformed faith does not rest on this book. The question of who may serve as a civil ruler is a different one from who may hold office in the church. Reformed churches have differed, then and now, about the civil question, and Course 4 will treat the question of church office fairly. We do not follow Knox's pamphlet. Our rule is Scripture, and we judge Knox by it.

Matengenezo Yanafikiwa, 1559 hadi 1560The Reformation Achieved, 1559 to 1560

Knox alirudi Scotland Mei 1559 na alihubiri Perth dhidi ya ibada ya sanamu. Mahubiri yake yalifuatiwa na kuzuka kwa uvunjaji wa sanamu, na vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe vilianza kati ya wakuu Waprotestanti, walioitwa Lords of the Congregation (Mabwana wa Kusanyiko), na mwakilishi wa mfalme Mary wa Guise, aliyeungwa mkono na wanajeshi wa Kifaransa. Waprotestanti waliomba msaada kutoka Uingereza. Majeshi ya Kiingereza yaliungana nao, na Juni 1560 Mary wa Guise alikufa. Julai 1560 Mkataba wa Edinburgh ulipanga wanajeshi wa Kifaransa na Kiingereza waondoke Scotland.Knox returned to Scotland in May 1559 and preached at Perth against idolatry. His sermon was followed by an outbreak of image-breaking, and civil war began between the Protestant nobles, called the Lords of the Congregation, and the regent Mary of Guise, who was supported by French troops. The Protestants asked for help from England. English forces joined them, and in June 1560 Mary of Guise died. In July 1560 the Treaty of Edinburgh arranged for French and English troops to leave Scotland.

Agosti 1560 Bunge la Scotland, likikutana bila mfalme, lilichukua hatua tatu kuu. Lilipitisha ungamo la imani la Kiprotestanti, Ungamo la Scotland. Lilifuta mamlaka ya Papa huko Scotland. Na lilikataza uadhimishaji wa Misa. Knox alifanywa mhudumu wa St Giles huko Edinburgh, na alibaki huko hadi mwisho wa maisha yake.In August 1560 the Scottish Parliament, meeting without a monarch, took three great steps. It adopted a Protestant confession of faith, the Scots Confession. It abolished the authority of the Pope in Scotland. And it forbade the celebration of the Mass. Knox was made the minister of St Giles in Edinburgh, and he remained there to the end of his life.

Wanahistoria wanauliza kama hii ilikuwa kweli harakati ya watu au mabadiliko ya kisiasa tu yaliyoongozwa na wakuu waliotaka kutwaa mali ya kanisa na wanajeshi wa kigeni. Hili ni swali la haki. Baadhi ya wakuu walijitwalia ardhi za kanisa, na hali ya kisiasa ilikuwa na uzito mkubwa. Jibu letu ni kwamba mambo haya yalikuwa kweli, lakini si hadithi nzima. Miaka ya mahubiri, usomaji wa Biblia kwa lugha ya Kiingereza au Kiskoti, na ujasiri wa wafia dini ulikuwa umewavuta Waskoti wengi wa kawaida kwa Injili. Bunge lilitenda kwa sababu kulikuwa na Waprotestanti wengi nchini, na katika miaka iliyofuata makutaniko yaliota mizizi. Matengenezo huko Scotland yalikuwa ya kisiasa na ya kiroho, lakini kanisa lililodumu lilijengwa kwa mahubiri ya Neno.Historians ask whether this was truly a popular movement or only a political change led by nobles who wished to seize church wealth and by foreign troops. This is a fair question. Some nobles did take church lands for themselves, and the political situation mattered a great deal. Our answer is that these things were true, but they are not the whole story. Years of preaching, Bible reading in the English or Scots language, and the courage of the martyrs had won many ordinary Scots to the gospel. The Parliament acted because there were many Protestants in the country, and in the years that followed the congregations took root. The Reformation in Scotland was both political and spiritual, but the church that lived on was built by the preaching of the Word.

Ungamo la Scotland la Mwaka 1560The Scots Confession of 1560

Bunge liliwaomba wachungaji Waprotestanti ungamo la imani, nalo liliandaliwa kwa muda mfupi na kikundi kidogo cha wachungaji, wakiwemo Knox. Mapokeo yanashikilia kwamba watu sita, wote wakiitwa John, waliliandika kwa siku nne. Ungamo lina sura ishirini na tano. Linafundisha Utatu, nafsi ya Kristo, kuchaguliwa, mamlaka ya Maandiko, kuhesabiwa haki, sakramenti, na wajibu wa kuwatii mahakimu.The Parliament asked the Protestant ministers for a confession of faith, and it was prepared in a short time by a small group of ministers, including Knox. Tradition holds that six men, all named John, wrote it in four days. The Confession has twenty-five chapters. It teaches the Trinity, the person of Christ, election, the authority of Scripture, justification, the sacraments, and the duty of obedience to magistrates.

Mambo kadhaa yanaliweka kuwa la Reformed. Linafundisha kwamba kanisa la kweli lina alama tatu: kuhubiriwa kwa kweli kwa Neno, kusimamiwa sahihi kwa sakramenti, na matumizi mwaminifu ya nidhamu. Linafundisha kwamba katika Meza ya Bwana Kristo hupewa kweli waumini na Roho Mtakatifu, anayeunganisha mbingu na dunia. Na linaweka Maandiko juu ya kila baraza na mapokeo. Katika dibaji yake waandishi wanamwalika yeyote anayeona taarifa kinyume na Neno la Mungu awaonyeshe kutoka Maandiko, nao wanaahidi kulirekebisha au kutoa jibu kutoka kwa Neno. Ungamo linalokaribisha kusahihishwa na Maandiko halitwai nafasi ya Maandiko. Linayatumikia.Several things mark it as Reformed. It teaches that the true church has three marks: the true preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and the faithful use of discipline. It teaches that in the Lord's Supper Christ is truly given to believers by the Holy Spirit, who joins heaven and earth. And it sets Scripture above every council and tradition. In its preface the authors invite anyone who finds a statement contrary to God's Word to show them from Scripture, and they promise to correct it or to give an answer from the Word. A confession that invites correction by Scripture does not usurp Scripture. It serves it.

Kitabu cha Kwanza cha Nidhamu na Umbo la KirkThe First Book of Discipline and the Shape of the Kirk

Wakati huo huo, wachungaji waliandika Kitabu cha Kwanza cha Nidhamu (1560), mpango wa utaratibu na maisha ya kanisa. Kilipendekeza kwamba kila kusanyiko liwe na mhudumu, wazee na mashemasi waliochaguliwa na watu. Kilipendekeza wasimamizi (superintendents) kusimamia wilaya kubwa wakati wahudumu wapya wakifunzwa. Kilipendekeza shule katika kila parokia, ili watoto wajifunze kusoma Biblia, na vyuo vikuu kwa mafunzo ya juu. Pia kilitaka maskini watunzwe na kanisa. Kwa bahati mbaya, mpango huo ulitekelezwa kwa sehemu tu, kwa sababu mali nyingi za kanisa la zamani zilikuwa zimepita kwa wakuu na taji. Hii inaonyesha mipaka ya Matengenezo: imani inaweza kufanyia mafundisho matengenezo kwa haraka zaidi kuliko inavyoweza kufanyia choyo matengenezo.At the same time, the ministers wrote the First Book of Discipline (1560), a plan for the church's order and life. It proposed that every congregation have a minister, elders and deacons chosen by the people. It proposed superintendents to oversee large districts while new ministers were trained. It proposed a school in every parish, so that the children might learn to read the Bible, and universities for higher training. It also called for the care of the poor by the church. Sadly, the plan was only partly carried out, because much of the old church's wealth had passed to the nobles and the crown. This shows the limits of the Reformation: faith can reform doctrine more quickly than it can reform greed.

Desemba 1560 Mkutano Mkuu wa kwanza (General Assembly) wa Kanisa la Scotland ulikutana. Mikutano hiyo ikawa sauti ya kanisa la taifa. Kusanyiko liliongozwa na mhudumu wake na wazee wake, walioiunda kirk session, ambalo ni neno la Kiskoti la "baraza la kanisa la mtaa." Kitabu cha Utaratibu wa Pamoja (Book of Common Order), kitabu cha ibada kilichotokana na mtindo wa ibada wa Knox wa Geneva, kilitumiwa sana katika makanisa ya Scotland. Ibada ilijikita katika kuhubiriwa kwa Biblia na uimbaji wa Zaburi.In December 1560 the first General Assembly of the Church of Scotland met. The assemblies became the voice of the national church. A congregation was governed by its minister and its elders, who formed the kirk session, which is the Scottish word for the "church session." The Book of Common Order, a service book based on Knox's Genevan form of worship, was widely used in the Scottish churches. Worship centered on the preaching of the Bible and the singing of the Psalms.

Knox na Mary, Malkia wa WaskotiKnox and Mary, Queen of Scots

Mwaka 1561 Mary kijana, Malkia wa Waskoti, alirudi kutoka Ufaransa. Alikuwa Mkatoliki, na alikuwa na Misa katika kanisa lake dogo la binafsi. Knox alihubiri dhidi yake na alikutana naye mara kadhaa katika mazungumzo aliyoyaandika katika History of the Reformation in Scotland (Historia ya Matengenezo huko Scotland). Katika hayo alizungumza kwa ujasiri, na malkia wakati mwingine alitiwa machozi. Utawala wa Mary uliisha mwaka 1567 wakati wakuu walipomlazimisha kuacha kiti chake kwa mwanawe mchanga, James VI.In 1561 the young Mary, Queen of Scots, returned from France. She was a Catholic, and she had the Mass in her private chapel. Knox preached against it and met her several times in conversations that he recorded in his History of the Reformation in Scotland. In them he spoke boldly, and the queen was sometimes moved to tears. Mary's rule ended in 1567 when the nobles forced her to give up her throne to her infant son, James VI.

Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba Knox alikuwa mkorofi na mkali kwa mwanamke kijana na malkia aliyetiwa mafuta, na kwamba alipaswa kuonyesha heshima zaidi. Wengine wanasema kwamba alikuwa mtu pekee ufalmeni aliyethubutu kumwambia kuhusu sheria ya Mungu. Tunadhani kwamba kauli zote mbili zina ukweli fulani. Maandiko yanaamuru tuwape watawala heshima (1 Petro 2:17), na pia tusema kweli kwa ujasiri. Knox wakati mwingine alifanya la pili bila la kwanza vya kutosha, kama marafiki zake mwenyewe walivyokiri. Mfano wake hufundisha ujasiri, na pia hufundisha kwamba mhubiri lazima awe mwangalifu jinsi anavyosema. Hata hivyo, mstari mkuu unabaki: mtawala anapoamuru kile Mungu anachokikataza, imetupasa kumtii Mungu.Critics say that Knox was rude and harsh toward a young woman and an anointed queen, and that he should have shown more respect. Others say that he was the only man in the kingdom who dared to speak to her about God's law. We think that both statements have some truth. Scripture commands that we give honor to rulers (1 Peter 2:17), and also that we tell the truth boldly. Knox sometimes did the second without enough of the first, as his own friends admitted. His example teaches courage, and it also teaches that a preacher must take care how he speaks. Even so, the key verse remains: when a ruler commands what God forbids, we ought to obey God.

Knox alizeeka na kuugua katika miaka ya 1560 na alikufa Edinburgh tarehe 24 Novemba 1572.Knox grew old and sick in the 1560s and died in Edinburgh on 24 November 1572.

Andrew Melville na Mfano wa PresbyterianAndrew Melville and the Presbyterian Pattern

Kizazi kilichofuata kilikamilisha kazi. Andrew Melville, msomi aliyesoma Geneva, alirudi Scotland mwaka 1574 na akawa kiongozi wa kanisa. Chini ya ushawishi wake, Kitabu cha Pili cha Nidhamu (1578) kiliweka mfano wa Presbyterian kwa ukamilifu zaidi. Kilifundisha kwamba Kristo ndiye kichwa cha kanisa na kwamba kanisa lina uongozi wake mwenyewe, tofauti na hakimu wa kiraia. Kilieleza huduma za mchungaji, mwalimu, mzee na shemasi. Pia kilitoa nafasi kwa presbytery, ambalo ni baraza la eneo la wahudumu na wazee, juu ya baraza la mtaa. Hivyo muundo wa session, presbytery, sinodi na Mkutano Mkuu ulifika Scotland. Wafalme wa karne iliyofuata mara nyingi walitaka maaskofu badala yake, na mapambano juu ya hili yalidumu katika karne yote ya kumi na saba. Kipindi cha 7 kitasimulia sehemu ya hadithi hiyo.The next generation completed the work. Andrew Melville, a scholar who had studied at Geneva, returned to Scotland in 1574 and became a leader of the church. Under his influence, the Second Book of Discipline (1578) set out the Presbyterian pattern more fully. It taught that Christ is the head of the church and that the church has its own government, separate from the civil magistrate. It described the offices of pastor, teacher, elder and deacon. It also provided for a presbytery, which is a regional court of ministers and elders, above the local session. Thus the structure of session, presbytery, synod and General Assembly came to Scotland. The kings of the next century often wanted bishops instead, and the struggle over this lasted through the seventeenth century. Unit 7 will tell part of that story.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji katika kanisa dogo la Presbyterian anaombwa na tajiri mmoja wa mji aache kuhubiri juu ya uaminifu katika biashara. Mtu huyo anatoa kwa ukarimu kwa kanisa na anaashiria kwamba michango yake inaweza kukoma.A pastor in a small Presbyterian church is asked by a wealthy man in the town to stop preaching about honesty in business. The man gives generously to the church and hints that his gifts may stop.

Mchungaji anahisi shinikizo na anamfikiria Knox. Kwanza, anaomba na kumwomba mmoja wa wazee wake akutane naye, kwa sababu katika njia ya Presbyterian mchungaji hapakii uamuzi kama huo peke yake. Pili, anasoma tena kifungu alichopaswa kuhubiri, na anaona kwamba andiko lenyewe linazungumza juu ya uaminifu. Hawezi kubadilisha alichosema Mungu (Matendo 5:29). Tatu, anamtembelea mtu huyo faraghani kabla ya Jumapili, kwa wema. Anamwambia kwamba atahubiri kifungu hicho, kwamba hamlengi yeye, na kwamba angependa kusikia maswali yake. Nne, anajifunza kutoka kwa udhaifu wa Knox pamoja na nguvu yake: anakataa kunyamaza, lakini hasemi kwa dharau. Anaamini baraza la kanisa litamuunga mkono.The pastor feels the pressure and thinks of Knox. First, he prays and asks one of his elders to meet with him, because in the Presbyterian way a pastor does not carry such a decision alone. Second, he rereads the passage he was to preach, and sees that the text itself speaks of honesty. He cannot change what God has said (Acts 5:29). Third, he visits the man privately before the Sunday, with kindness. He tells him that he will preach the passage, that he is not aiming at him, and that he would like to hear his questions. Fourth, he learns from Knox's weakness as well as his strength: he refuses to be silent, but he does not speak with contempt. He trusts the session to support him.

MuhtasariSummary

Matengenezo ya Scotland yalikua kutokana na mahubiri ya Neno na ushuhuda wa wafia dini kama Patrick Hamilton (1528) na George Wishart (1546). Yohana Knox, baada ya kuwa mtumwa wa kupiga makasia, mchungaji wa mfalme huko Uingereza na mchungaji huko Geneva, alirudi mwaka 1559 na aliongoza jambo la Kiprotestanti pamoja na Lords of the Congregation. Mkataba wa Edinburgh Julai 1560 ulimaliza majeshi ya kigeni, na Bunge la Agosti 1560 lilipitisha Ungamo la Scotland, lilifuta mamlaka ya Papa na kukataza Misa. Kitabu cha Kwanza cha Nidhamu kilipanga wahudumu, wazee, mashemasi, shule na utunzaji wa maskini. Andrew Melville na Kitabu cha Pili cha Nidhamu (1578) walianzisha mfano wa Presbyterian wa mabaraza ya mtaa, presbyteries, sinodi na mikutano mikuu. Wakosoaji wanamlaumu Knox kwa kitabu chake dhidi ya watawala wanawake na ukali wake kwa Mary, Malkia wa Waskoti, na wengine wanasema Matengenezo yalikuwa ya kisiasa tu. Tunajibu kwamba Matengenezo yalijengwa juu ya mahubiri, kwamba hatulifuati kijitabu cha Knox, na kwamba Maandiko pekee ndiyo kanuni yetu.Scotland's Reformation grew from the preaching of the Word and the witness of martyrs such as Patrick Hamilton (1528) and George Wishart (1546). John Knox, after being a galley slave, a chaplain in England and a pastor in Geneva, returned in 1559 and led the Protestant cause with the Lords of the Congregation. The Treaty of Edinburgh in July 1560 ended the foreign armies, and the Parliament of August 1560 adopted the Scots Confession, abolished the Pope's authority and forbade the Mass. The First Book of Discipline planned ministers, elders, deacons, schools and care for the poor. Andrew Melville and the Second Book of Discipline (1578) established the Presbyterian pattern of sessions, presbyteries, synods and assemblies. Critics fault Knox for his book against women rulers and his harshness with Mary, Queen of Scots, and some say the Reformation was only political. We answer that the Reformation was built on preaching, that we do not follow Knox's pamphlet, and that Scripture alone is our rule.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• The Scots Confession (Ungamo la Scotland, 1560), chanzo cha msingi.• The Scots Confession (1560), a primary source.

• John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland (Historia ya Matengenezo huko Scotland), chanzo cha msingi.• John Knox, History of the Reformation in Scotland, a primary source.

• The First Book of Discipline (Kitabu cha Kwanza cha Nidhamu, 1560) na the Second Book of Discipline (Kitabu cha Pili cha Nidhamu, 1578).• The First Book of Discipline (1560) and the Second Book of Discipline (1578).

• The Westminster Confession of Faith (Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, 1646), kwa ajili ya kiwango cha baadaye cha Wapresbyterian wa Scotland.• The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), for the later standard of Scottish Presbyterians.

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo), Kitabu cha 4, sura ya 20 (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), juu ya serikali ya kiraia.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, chapter 20 (Beveridge translation, 1845), on civil government.

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