Teolojia ya Kireformed na Mafundisho ya Neema — Sehemu ya 1: Enzi Kuu ya MunguReformed Theology and the Doctrines of Grace — Unit 1: The Sovereignty of God

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Katika yeye huyo sisi tulifanywa kuwa urithi, tukiwa tumekusudiwa tangu asili sawasawa na kusudi lake yeye ayatendaye yote kwa shauri la mapenzi yake." (Waefeso 1:11, SUV)"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." (Ephesians 1:11, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini utamaduni wa Matengenezo huanza teolojia yake na tabia ya Mungu na utawala wake.1. Explain why the Reformed tradition begins its theology with the character and rule of God.

2. Kufafanua agizo la Mungu na majaliwa ya Mungu, na kutaja sehemu tatu za majaliwa: kuhifadhi, kushirikiana na kutawala.2. Define God's decree and God's providence, and name the three parts of providence: preservation, concurrence and government.

3. Kuonyesha kutoka katika Maandiko kwamba Mungu anatawala maumbile, mataifa, chaguo za wanadamu na hata msalaba.3. Show from Scripture that God rules nature, nations, human choices and even the cross.

4. Kueleza jinsi maungamo ya imani ya Matengenezo yanavyofundisha kwamba Mungu si mwanzilishi wa dhambi na kwamba wanadamu bado wanawajibika.4. Explain how the Reformed confessions teach that God is not the author of sin and that human beings are still responsible.

5. Kueleza pingamizi nne dhidi ya enzi kuu ya Mungu kwa haki (imani ya majaliwa isiyo na tumaini, Mungu kuwa mwanzilishi wa uovu, kupotea kwa uhuru wa mwanadamu, na teolojia ya wazi) na kujibu kila moja kutoka upande wa Matengenezo.5. State four objections to divine sovereignty fairly (fatalism, God as author of evil, loss of human freedom, and open theism) and answer each from the Reformed side.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Matengenezo na Kipresbiteri, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoutumikia. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya kiungamo. Inaposema "sisi" au "utamaduni wetu," inamaanisha makanisa yanayoshikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililoongozwa na Roho na lisilokosea, na yanayoungama imani iliyoelezwa katika Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, Ungamo la Ubelgiji, Kanuni za Dort na Viwango vya Westminster. Kwa historia ya jinsi nyaraka hizi zilivyoibuka, tazama Kozi ya 1 ya mfululizo huu, hasa kipindi kuhusu Sinodi ya Dort. Kozi hii hairudii historia hiyo. Inauliza makanisa yanaamini nini na kwa nini.This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. When it says "we" or "our tradition," it means the churches that hold the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God and that confess the faith set out in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort and the Westminster Standards. For the history of how these documents arose, see Course 1 of this specialization, especially the unit on the Synod of Dort. This course does not repeat that history. It asks what the churches believe and why.

Wakristo wengine, wakiwemo wengi wanaompenda Bwana kama sisi, wanasoma mambo haya kwa njia tofauti. Tunaeleza pingamizi zao kwa haki kisha tunazijibu kutoka katika Maandiko. "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkaze lile lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Tunashikilia imani zetu kwa uthabiti na kwa unyenyekevu.Other Christians, including many who love the Lord as much as we do, read these matters differently. We state their objections fairly and then answer them from Scripture. "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We hold our convictions firmly and with humility.

Kwa Nini Tunaanza na MunguWhy We Begin With God

Watu wengi hufikiri kwamba teolojia ya Matengenezo ni hasa mkusanyiko wa hoja tano kuhusu wokovu. Hoja hizo tano ni muhimu, na Vipindi vya 3 hadi 8 vya kozi hii vinazishughulikia. Lakini utamaduni huu unaanza na Mungu ni nani. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg huanza na faraja pekee ya mwamini katika uzima na katika kifo, na faraja hiyo inategemea Mwokozi mwaminifu na Baba atawalaye vitu vyote. Katekisimu Fupi ya Westminster inafundisha kwamba kusudi kuu la mwanadamu ni kumtukuza Mungu na kufurahia kuwa naye milele. Wokovu ni kazi ya Mungu tangu mwanzo hadi mwisho, ili Mungu apate utukufu.Many people think Reformed theology is mainly a set of five points about salvation. The five points matter, and Units 3 to 8 of this course treat them. But the tradition starts with who God is. The Heidelberg Catechism opens with the believer's only comfort in life and in death, and that comfort rests on a faithful Savior and a Father who rules all things. The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Salvation is God's work from beginning to end, so that God gets the glory.

Tunaposema Mungu ni mwenye enzi kuu, tunamaanisha kwamba yeye ni Bwana wa vyote. Hakuna chochote nje yake kinachomzuia. Aliumba vitu vyote, anavidumisha vyote katika kuwepo, na hakuna kinachotokea nje ya mapenzi yake yenye hekima na utakatifu. Yeye si nguvu baridi. Maandiko yale yanayosema "Amefanya yote aliyoyapenda" pia yanasema kwamba Mungu ni upendo, mwema, mvumilivu na mwenye haki. Enzi kuu ni utawala wa Baba mtakatifu na mwenye upendo.When we say God is sovereign, we mean that He is the Lord of all. Nothing outside Himself limits Him. He made all things, He keeps all things in being, and nothing happens outside His wise and holy will. He is not a cold power. The same Scripture that says "He does whatever He pleases" also says that God is love, good, patient and just. Sovereignty is the rule of a holy and loving Father.

Maandiko Yanasema Nini Kuhusu Utawala wa MunguWhat Scripture Says About God's Rule

Fundisho la Matengenezo halitokani na mistari miwili au mitatu migumu. Ni mafundisho thabiti ya Biblia nzima. Fikiria maeneo manne.The Reformed doctrine is not drawn from one or two hard verses. It is the steady teaching of the whole Bible. Consider four areas.

Uumbaji na maumbile. "Lakini Mungu wetu yu mbinguni; Amefanya yote aliyoyapenda" (Zaburi 115:3). Bwana anatawala upepo, mvua, mbegu na mavuno. Yesu alifundisha kwamba hata shomoro mmoja haanguki chini pasipo Baba (Mathayo 10:29), na kwamba hata nywele za vichwa vyetu zimehesabiwa zote.Creation and nature. "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases" (Psalm 115:3). The Lord rules wind, rain, seed and harvest. Jesus taught that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father (Matthew 10:29), and that the very hairs of our heads are numbered.

Mataifa na wafalme. Nebukadneza alijifunza hili katika kiburi chake. Baada ya kushushwa, alimkiri Mungu hivi: "Naye hufanya apendavyo katika jeshi la mbinguni, na kati ya wakaao duniani; wala hakuna awezaye kuuzuia mkono wake, wala kumwambia, Wafanya nini wewe?" (Danieli 4:35). Mithali 21:1 inasema: "Moyo wa mfalme u mkononi mwa BWANA kama mifereji ya maji; Huugeuza kila upendako." Watawala wanaofikiri wanatenda peke yao wanatimiza makusudi wasiyoyaona.Nations and kings. Nebuchadnezzar learned this in his pride. After his humbling he confessed of God: "He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Daniel 4:35). Proverbs 21:1 says: "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." Rulers who think they act alone are carrying out purposes they do not see.

Wakati ujao. Bwana anatangaza kwamba shauri lake litasimama na kwamba anatangaza mwisho tangu mwanzo (Isaya 46:9-10). Unabii unawezekana kwa sababu Mungu hakisii kuhusu kesho.The future. The Lord declares that His counsel will stand and that He announces the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10). Prophecy is possible because God is not guessing about tomorrow.

Maisha yetu wenyewe na wokovu wetu. Paulo anaandika kwamba tulikuwa "tumekusudiwa tangu asili sawasawa na kusudi lake yeye ayatendaye yote kwa shauri la mapenzi yake" (Waefeso 1:11). Zingatia maneno "yote." Paulo hasemi "baadhi ya mambo" wala "mambo mengi." Urithi wa mwamini u salama kwa sababu Mungu aliyeahidi anatawala kila kitu.Our own lives and salvation. Paul writes that we were "predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). Notice the words "all things." Paul does not say "some things" or "most things." The believer's inheritance is secure because the God who has promised it governs everything.

Agizo na MajaliwaThe Decree and Providence

Maungamo ya imani ya Matengenezo yanapa majina yale ambayo Maandiko yanafundisha. Katekisimu Fupi ya Westminster, swali la 7, linaita maagizo ya Mungu kusudi lake la milele, sawasawa na shauri la mapenzi yake, ambalo kwalo ameagiza tangu zamani kila kinachotokea kwa utukufu wake mwenyewe. Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 3, linaongeza kinga mbili papo hapo. Mungu si mwanzilishi wa dhambi, na hakuna jeuri inayofanywa kwa mapenzi ya viumbe wake. Badala yake, ungamo linasema, uhuru na utendaji wa visababishi vya pili vinathibitishwa, haviondolewi. Tutarudi kwenye jambo hili.The Reformed confessions give names to what Scripture teaches. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 7, calls the decrees of God His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, by which He has foreordained whatever comes to pass for His own glory. The Westminster Confession, chapter 3, adds two safeguards in the same breath. God is not the author of sin, and no violence is done to the will of His creatures. Instead, the confession says, the freedom and the working of secondary causes are established, not removed. We will return to this.

Agizo ni mpango wa milele wa Mungu. Majaliwa ni mpango huo ukitekelezwa katika wakati. Katekisimu Fupi, swali la 11, inayaita majaliwa kuwa uhifadhi na utawala wa Mungu ulio mtakatifu kupita yote, wenye hekima na nguvu, juu ya viumbe vyake vyote na matendo yao yote. Walimu wa Matengenezo kwa kawaida hugawanya majaliwa katika sehemu tatu.The decree is God's eternal plan. Providence is that plan carried out in time. The Shorter Catechism, question 11, calls it God's most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing of all His creatures and all their actions. Reformed teachers usually divide providence into three parts.

Kuhifadhi. Mungu huweka kila kiumbe katika kuwepo. Kama angeondoa mkono wake kwa muda mfupi, hakuna kitu ambacho kingeendelea kuwepo. Paulo aliwaambia Waathene kwamba "katika yeye tunaishi, tunakwenda, na kuwa na uhai wetu" (Matendo 17:28).Preservation. God keeps every creature in being. If He withdrew His hand for a moment, nothing would continue to exist. Paul told the Athenians that "in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

Kushirikiana. Mungu hufanya kazi ndani ya matendo ya viumbe wake na kupitia kwayo. Mkulima hupanda, mvua hunyesha, jua huangaza, na mazao hukua, na Mungu yuko kazini katika kila moja la haya. Kiumbe hutenda kweli, na Mungu hutenda kweli kupitia tendo la kiumbe huyo.Concurrence. God works in and through the actions of His creatures. A farmer plants, rain falls, the sun shines, and the crop grows, and God is at work in each of these. The creature really acts, and God is really acting through the creature's act.

Kutawala. Mungu huelekeza vitu vyote kuelekea malengo aliyoyachagua. Hakuna kinachoepuka kusudi lake, naye hugeuza hata matendo yenye madhara kuwa malengo mema.Government. God directs all things toward the ends He has chosen. Nothing escapes His purpose, and He turns even harmful acts to good ends.

Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, maswali ya 27 na 28, inafundisha kwamba majaliwa ni nguvu ya Mungu iliyo kuu na iliyopo daima ambayo kwayo anashikilia mbingu na dunia na kutawala vitu vyote, hivi kwamba jani na nyasi, mvua na ukame, afya na ugonjwa, utajiri na umaskini, vyote vinatujia si kwa bahati bali kutoka katika mkono wake wa kibaba. Ungamo la Ubelgiji, kifungu cha 13, linasema vivyo hivyo na kuongeza kwamba fundisho hili linawapa waumini faraja kubwa. Hakuna kinachoweza kuwapata isipokuwa kwa mapenzi ya Baba yao.The Heidelberg Catechism, questions 27 and 28, teaches that providence is God's almighty and ever-present power by which He upholds heaven and earth and governs all things, so that leaf and blade, rain and drought, health and sickness, riches and poverty, all come to us not by chance but from His fatherly hand. The Belgic Confession, article 13, says the same and adds that this teaching gives believers great comfort. Nothing can happen to them except by the will of their Father.

Utawala wa Mungu na MsalabaGod's Rule and the Cross

Jaribio lililo wazi zaidi la fundisho hili ni msalaba. Siku ya Pentekoste, Petro aliuambia mji wa Yerusalemu kwamba Yesu alitolewa "kwa kusudi la Mungu lililokwisha kujulikana, na kwa kujua kwake tangu zamani," na kwamba "mkamsulibisha na kumwua kwa mikono ya watu wasio na sheria" (Matendo 2:23). Mambo yote mawili ni kweli katika sentensi moja. Msalaba ulipangwa na Mungu. Watu waliomsulibisha Yesu walifanya hivyo kwa hiari yao na wana hatia. Petro haoni mgongano wowote kati ya kweli hizi, wala hadhoofishi mojawapo.The clearest test of this doctrine is the cross. On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to Jerusalem that Jesus was "delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God," and that "you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:23). Both things are true in one sentence. The cross was planned by God. The men who crucified Jesus did it freely and are guilty. Peter does not feel any conflict between these truths, and he does not weaken either of them.

Yusufu anasema vivyo hivyo kwa ndugu zake: "Nanyi mlifikiri kunidhuru; lakini Mungu alifikiri kwa wema, ili kutimiza kama hivi leo, kuwahifadhi watu wengi hali ya uhai" (Mwanzo 50:20). Ndugu walikusudia uovu, na Mungu alikusudia wema, katika tukio hilo hilo.Joseph says the same to his brothers: "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20). The brothers meant evil, and God meant good, in the same event.

Enzi Kuu na Wajibu wa MwanadamuSovereignty and Human Responsibility

Utamaduni wetu haufundishi kwamba Mungu anatawala badala ya wanadamu kutenda. Unafundisha kwamba anatawala kwa namna ambayo wanadamu hutenda kweli na kuwajibika kweli kwa matendo yao. Walimu wa zamani waliwaita watu "visababishi vya pili." Mungu ndiye chanzo cha kwanza cha yote, lakini hutumia njia: wakulima, watawala, wahubiri, wazazi. Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 5, linafundisha kwamba Mungu kwa kawaida hufanya kazi kwa njia, ingawa ana uhuru wa kufanya kazi bila njia hizo au kinyume chake.Our tradition does not teach that God rules instead of human beings acting. It teaches that He rules in such a way that human beings really act and really answer for their acts. The older teachers called people "secondary causes." God is the first cause of all, but He uses means: farmers, rulers, preachers, parents. The Westminster Confession, chapter 5, teaches that God ordinarily works by means, though He is free to work without them or against them.

Wanafalsafa huita msimamo kwamba uhuru halisi na agizo la Mungu vinaweza kushikiliwa pamoja ulinganifu wa uhuru na agizo (compatibilism). Hatutegemei neno hilo bali tunategemea kile Biblia inachofanya: inaamuru, inaonya na kualika watu kama wahusika wanaowajibika, na pia inasema kwamba Mungu hufanya vitu vyote sawasawa na shauri lake. Kipindi cha 10 kinachunguza jinsi hili linavyofanya kazi katika maombi, uinjilisti na uhakika wa wokovu. Hapa tunasema tu kwamba Bwana hajatueleza kila kitu. "Mambo ya siri ni ya BWANA, Mungu wetu; bali yale yaliyofunuliwa ni yetu na watoto wetu hata milele" (Kumbukumbu la Torati 29:29). Tunaamini yale aliyoyafunua na kustarehe katika yale aliyojiwekea mwenyewe.Philosophers call the view that real freedom and God's ordaining can be held together compatibilism. We depend not on the word but on what the Bible does: it commands, warns and invites people as responsible agents, and it also says that God works all things according to His counsel. Unit 10 studies how this works in prayer, evangelism and assurance. Here we say only that the Lord has not explained everything to us. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever" (Deuteronomy 29:29). We believe what He has revealed and rest in what He has kept to Himself.

Mungu na UovuGod and Evil

Hili ndilo swali gumu zaidi katika fundisho hili. Ikiwa Mungu anaagiza kila kinachotokea, je, yeye ni mwanzilishi wa uovu? Jibu la Matengenezo ni hapana, na linategemea Maandiko. "Mtu asiseme, ajaribiwapo, Ninajaribiwa na Mungu; kwa maana Mungu hawezi kujaribiwa kwa mabaya, wala yeye mwenyewe hamjaribu mtu yeyote" (Yakobo 1:13). Mungu ni mtakatifu, na dhambi ni kinyume cha asili yake na sheria yake.This is the hardest question in the doctrine. If God ordains whatever comes to pass, is He the author of evil? The Reformed answer is no, and it rests on Scripture. "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone" (James 1:13). God is holy, and sin is contrary to His nature and His law.

Maungamo ya imani hutumia lugha ya uangalifu. Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 3, linasema kwamba Mungu si mwanzilishi wa dhambi. Sura ya 5 inasema kwamba majaliwa ya Mungu yanafikia anguko la kwanza na dhambi nyingine zote za malaika na za wanadamu, lakini kwa namna ambayo uovu unatoka kwa kiumbe na si kwa Mungu. Ungamo la Ubelgiji, kifungu cha 13, linasema kwamba Mungu hupanga na kutawala vitu hivi hata yeye si mwanzilishi wa dhambi zinazotendeka wala hana hatia nazo. Walimu wa zamani mara nyingi walisema Mungu "huruhusu" dhambi. Walimaanisha kuruhusu kwa hekima na utakatifu, kulikojumuishwa katika mpango wake na kuwekewa mipaka na nguvu zake, si kujitenga tu na kusimama kando.The confessions use careful language. The Westminster Confession, chapter 3, says that God is not the author of sin. Chapter 5 says that God's providence reaches to the first fall and all other sins of angels and men, but in such a way that the sinfulness comes from the creature and not from God. The Belgic Confession, article 13, says that God so orders and governs things that He is neither the author of nor guilty of the sins that are committed. The older teachers often spoke of God "permitting" sin. They meant a wise and holy permitting that is included in His plan and limited by His power, not a mere standing aside.

Hakuna maelezo ya kibinadamu yanayoondoa kila ugumu. Tunashikilia mambo mawili ambayo Maandiko yanayashikilia: Mungu ni mwema kabisa, na hakuna kinachoanguka nje ya mpango wake. Hatuwezi kuona jinsi kila sehemu inavyolingana. Tunaombwa tumtumaini.No human explanation removes every difficulty. We hold two things that Scripture holds: God is perfectly good, and nothing falls outside His plan. We cannot see how every part fits together. We are asked to trust Him.

Swali la Wanahistoria: Je, Uteuzi wa Kimbele Ulikuwa "Fundisho Kuu la Msingi"?A Historians' Question: Was Predestination the "Central Dogma"?

Baadhi ya wanahistoria wa zamani wa teolojia walisema kwamba utamaduni wa Matengenezo ulijengwa juu ya "fundisho kuu la msingi" moja, kwa kawaida uteuzi wa kimbele, na kwamba wafuasi wa Calvin, hasa Theodore Beza, walipata kila kitu kingine kwa hoja za kimantiki kutoka kwake. Mtazamo huu uliipa imani ya Calvin sifa ya mantiki baridi.Some older historians of theology argued that the Reformed tradition was built on a single "central dogma," usually predestination, and that Calvin's followers, especially Theodore Beza, deduced everything else logically from it. This view gave Calvinism a reputation for cold logic.

Wanahistoria wengi leo, wakiwemo Richard Muller, wameupinga. Wanaonyesha kwamba Institutes ya Calvin inashughulikia uteuzi wa kimbele mwishoni mwa kitabu, kama sehemu ya fundisho la wokovu, na kwamba maungamo ya imani yamepangwa kuzunguka Maandiko, agano, Kristo na kanisa badala ya wazo moja kuu. Tunakubaliana na marekebisho haya. Uteuzi wa kimbele ni fundisho la thamani, lakini utamaduni huu unaanza na utukufu wa Mungu na Maandiko.Most historians today, including Richard Muller, have challenged it. They point out that Calvin's Institutes deals with predestination late in the work, as part of the doctrine of salvation, and that the confessions are organized around Scripture, the covenant, Christ and the church rather than one master idea. We agree with this correction. Predestination is a precious doctrine, but the tradition begins with God's glory and with Scripture.

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Huu ni imani ya majaliwa isiyo na tumaini (fatalism). Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba ikiwa Mungu anaagiza vitu vyote, hakuna tunachofanya kinachojalisha; ni sawa na wazo la kipagani la hatima kipofu.Objection 1: This is fatalism. Critics say that if God ordains all things, nothing we do matters; it is the same as the pagan idea of blind fate.

Jibu letu. Hatima haina nafsi, haina akili wala upendo. Mungu ni Baba anayewajua watoto wake na kutenda kwa ajili yao. Mungu huagiza njia pamoja na malengo. Paulo aliwaambia mabaharia kwamba hakuna atakayepotea, lakini pia alisema kwamba hawawezi kuokoka isipokuwa mabaharia wakae ndani ya merikebu (Matendo 27:22, 31). Maombi yetu, kazi yetu na uhubiri wetu ni njia ambazo Mungu hutekeleza makusudi yake. Imani ya hatima kipofu huleta kukata tamaa; mafundisho ya Biblia huleta maombi na ujasiri.Our answer. Fate is impersonal and has no mind or love. God is a Father who knows His children and acts for them. God ordains the means as well as the ends. Paul told the sailors that none would be lost, yet he also said that they could not be saved unless the crew stayed on the ship (Acts 27:22, 31). Our prayers, work and preaching are the means by which God carries out His purposes. Fatalism leads to despair; the Bible's teaching leads to prayer and courage.

Pingamizi la 2: Hii inamfanya Mungu kuwa mwanzilishi wa dhambi. Pingamizi hili ni la zamani. Lilitolewa dhidi ya Augustino na Calvin, na mara nyingi hutolewa leo.Objection 2: This makes God the author of sin. The objection is old. It was made against Augustine and Calvin, and it is often made today.

Jibu letu. Tunashikilia yale maungamo ya imani yanayosema: dhambi huanzia katika mapenzi ya kiumbe, na Mungu si mwanzilishi wake wala hana hatia nayo. Tunategemea Yakobo 1:13 na jinsi Maandiko yanavyoshughulikia msalaba, ambapo watu waovu walitenda kwa uovu na Mungu alitenda kwa haki kupitia matendo yao. Tunakiri kwamba hili ni fumbo, lakini mbadala unaoondoa utawala wa Mungu juu ya uovu pia huondoa faraja yetu. Kama uovu wakati mwingine unaepuka udhibiti wa Mungu, hatuna uhakika kwamba anaweza kuufanya utumike kwa wema wetu, kama Warumi 8:28 inavyoahidi.Our answer. We hold what the confessions say: sin arises in the will of the creature, and God is neither its author nor guilty of it. We rely on James 1:13 and on the way Scripture treats the cross, where wicked men acted wickedly and God acted righteously through their acts. We admit this is a mystery, but an alternative that removes God's rule over evil also removes our comfort. If evil sometimes escapes God's control, we have no assurance that He can make it serve our good, as Romans 8:28 promises.

Pingamizi la 3: Hii inaharibu uhuru na wajibu wa mwanadamu. Walimu wa Kiarmini, wakimfuata Jacobus Arminius na Wapinga-Maandamano (Remonstrants), wanashikilia kwamba wajibu halisi unahitaji uwezo wa kuchagua vinginevyo, na kwamba enzi kuu ya Mungu hutekelezwa kwa namna inayoacha uhuru huo salama. Tunaeleza hoja yao kwa heshima. Wanataka kulinda haki ya Mungu na uwajibikaji wetu.Objection 3: This destroys human freedom and responsibility. Arminian teachers, following Jacobus Arminius and the Remonstrants, hold that real responsibility needs the ability to choose otherwise, and that God's sovereignty is exercised in a way that leaves such freedom intact. We state their concern with respect. They wish to protect God's justice and our accountability.

Jibu letu. Maandiko huwawajibisha watu hata wakati yanaposema kusudi la Mungu ni hakika, kama katika Matendo 2:23 na Mwanzo 50:20. Utamaduni wetu haukani kwamba watu huchagua. Tunasema kwamba wao huchagua wanachotamani, na kwamba Mungu hutawala hata tamaa za moyo. Kipindi cha 3 kitaonyesha kwamba watu walioanguka wanawajibika kwa dhambi yao kwa sababu wanatenda dhambi kwa hiari, si kwa sababu hawana upande. Wajibu wa kimaadili katika Maandiko unategemea amri ya Mungu, si uwezo wa kuchagua vinginevyo.Our answer. Scripture holds people accountable even when it says God's purpose is certain, as in Acts 2:23 and Genesis 50:20. Our tradition does not deny that people choose. We say they choose what they desire, and that God rules even the desires of the heart. Unit 3 will show that fallen people are responsible for their sin because they sin willingly, not because they are neutral. Moral responsibility in Scripture rests on God's command, not on the power to choose otherwise.

Pingamizi la 4: Teolojia ya wazi (open theism). Waandishi fulani wa kisasa wa kiinjili wanapendekeza kwamba Mungu hajui kwa undani chaguo huru za viumbe wake za wakati ujao, ili aweze kuzijibu kweli. Wanataka kuheshimu uhusiano wa Mungu na watu wake.Objection 4: Open theism. Some modern evangelical writers propose that God does not know the future free choices of His creatures in detail, so that He can truly respond to them. They want to honor God's relationship with His people.

Jibu letu. Mtazamo huu unaondoka katika ungamo la kihistoria la kanisa. Maandiko yanamwonyesha Mungu akijua mwisho tangu mwanzo (Isaya 46:9-10) na akitabiri matendo huru ya wafalme na mataifa. Uhusiano wa Bwana na watu wake ni halisi, lakini haujajengwa juu ya kutojua kwake.Our answer. This view departs from the church's historic confession. Scripture presents God as knowing the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10) and as foretelling the free acts of kings and nations. The Lord's relationship with His people is real, but it is not founded on His ignorance.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mwanamke katika kanisa lako anampoteza mwanawe kijana katika ajali ya barabarani. Kwenye mazishi anakuuliza kwa upole, "Je, Mungu alifanya hivi? Au aliruhusu tu litokee?"A woman in your congregation loses her teenage son in a road accident. At the funeral she asks you quietly, "Did God do this? Or did He just let it happen?"

Kwanza, usiharakishe kumpa hotuba. Kaa naye. Rafiki za Ayubu walikuwa na msaada zaidi walipokaa kimya (Ayubu 2:13), na msaada mdogo zaidi walipoanza kueleza.First, do not hurry to give her a lecture. Sit with her. Job's friends were most useful when they sat in silence (Job 2:13), and least useful when they began to explain.

Pili, sema wazi wakati utakapofika. Mwambie kwamba hakuna chochote katika maisha ya mwanawe wala kifo chake kilichokuwa nje ya mkono wa Baba, na kwamba hili ni faraja na si tishio, kwa sababu atawalaye ni Baba wa Yesu Kristo. Someni pamoja Siku ya Bwana ya 10 ya Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, au Warumi 8.Second, speak plainly when the time comes. Tell her that nothing in her son's life or death was outside the Father's hand, and that this is a comfort and not a threat, because the one who rules is the Father of Jesus Christ. Read Lord's Day 10 of the Heidelberg Catechism, or Romans 8, together.

Tatu, usidai kujua kwa nini. Maandiko hayatoi sababu za kila hasara. Usiseme "Mungu alihitaji malaika mwingine," jambo ambalo haliko katika Biblia. Sema tunachojua: Bwana ni mwema, yu karibu na waliovunjika moyo, na Kristo ameshinda kifo.Third, do not claim to know why. Scripture does not give the reasons for each loss. Do not say "God needed another angel," which is not in the Bible. Say what we know: the Lord is good, He is near to the brokenhearted, and Christ has conquered death.

Nne, kaa naye katika majuma baada ya mazishi. Enzi kuu ya Mungu hujifunzwa kwa undani zaidi katika siku ndefu ambapo fundisho hugeuka kuwa mahali pa kustarehe.Fourth, remain with her in the weeks after the funeral. Sovereignty is learned most deeply in the long days when the doctrine becomes a place to rest.

MuhtasariSummary

Utamaduni wa Matengenezo huanza na Mungu, si na orodha ya hoja. Maandiko yanafundisha kwamba yeye anatawala uumbaji, mataifa, wakati ujao, na wokovu wetu wenyewe. Maungamo ya imani huita mpango wake wa milele agizo na utekelezaji wake katika wakati majaliwa, yanayojumuisha kuhifadhi, kushirikiana na kutawala. Msalaba unaonyesha pamoja mpango wa Mungu na hatia ya mwanadamu, kama inavyofanya hadithi ya Yusufu. Mungu si mwanzilishi wa dhambi, na watu bado wanawajibika kwa sababu wanatenda kwa hiari kupitia visababishi vya pili. Wazo la zamani kwamba uteuzi wa kimbele ulikuwa "fundisho kuu la msingi" la imani ya Calvin limerekebishwa na wanahistoria wa hivi karibuni. Tunajibu pingamizi za imani ya hatima kipofu, Mungu kuwa mwanzilishi wa dhambi, kupotea kwa uhuru, na teolojia ya wazi kwa kuelekeza kwenye Maandiko na faraja ambayo fundisho hili linatoa. Katika huduma, linatufanya tuwe wavumilivu kwa wanaoteseka na linatupa ujasiri wa kuomba na kuhubiri.The Reformed tradition begins with God, not with a list of points. Scripture teaches that He rules creation, nations, the future, and our own salvation. The confessions call His eternal plan the decree and its outworking in time providence, which includes preservation, concurrence and government. The cross shows both God's plan and human guilt together, as does the story of Joseph. God is not the author of sin, and people remain responsible because they act willingly through secondary causes. The old idea that predestination was the "central dogma" of Calvinism has been corrected by recent historians. We answer the objections of fatalism, God as author of sin, loss of freedom, and open theism by pointing to Scripture and to the comfort this doctrine gives. In ministry, it makes us patient with those who suffer and gives us courage to pray and to preach.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo), Kitabu cha I, sura za 16 hadi 18 (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), kuhusu majaliwa.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book I, chapters 16 to 18 (Beveridge translation, 1845), on providence.

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (1563), maswali ya 1, 26 hadi 28.• Heidelberg Catechism (1563), questions 1, 26 to 28.

• Ungamo la Ubelgiji (1561), vifungu vya 12 na 13.• Belgic Confession (1561), articles 12 and 13.

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (1646-47), sura za 2, 3 na 5; Katekisimu Fupi ya Westminster, maswali ya 1, 4, 7 na 11.• Westminster Confession of Faith (1646-47), chapters 2, 3 and 5; Westminster Shorter Catechism, questions 1, 4, 7 and 11.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Teolojia ya Kimfumo) (1872-73), juzuu kuhusu teolojia ya Mungu.• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), the volume on theology proper.

• Kanuni za Dort (1619), Sehemu ya 1, kuhusu jinsi agizo linavyohusiana na wokovu.• Canons of Dort (1619), Head 1, for how the decree relates to salvation.

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