Teolojia ya Agano, Maandiko na Maungamo ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 1: Teolojia ya Agano ni Nini?Covenant Theology, Scripture, and Reformed Confessions — Unit 1: What Is Covenant Theology?

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Bali hili ndilo agano nitakalolifanya na nyumba ya Israeli baada ya siku zile, asema BWANA; Nitatia torati yangu ndani yao, na katika mioyo yao nitaiandika; nami nitakuwa Mungu wao, nao watakuwa watu wangu." (Yeremia 31:33, SUV)"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza maneno ya Biblia yanayomaanisha "agano" na kueleza agano ni nini katika Maandiko.1. Define the biblical words for "covenant" and explain what a covenant is in Scripture.

2. Kueleza wazo kuu la teolojia ya agano: mpango mmoja wa wokovu, katika agano moja la neema, unaodhihirishwa katika vipindi tofauti vya usimamizi (administrations).2. Explain the main idea of covenant theology: one plan of salvation, in one covenant of grace, shown in different administrations.

3. Kutaja maagano makuu ya Maandiko na ahadi inayopita katikati yake yote.3. Name the main covenants of Scripture and the promise that runs through them.

4. Kueleza kwa ufupi jinsi walimu wa Kireformed walivyoendeleza teolojia ya agano, na kueleza mjadala wa wanahistoria kuhusu chimbuko lake.4. Describe in brief how Reformed teachers developed covenant theology, and state the historians' debate about its origins.

5. Kutaja pingamizi tatu zinazotolewa mara kwa mara dhidi ya teolojia ya agano na kujibu kila moja kwa Maandiko na maungamo ya imani.5. State three common objections to covenant theology and answer each from Scripture and the confessions.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Kireformed na Kipresbiteri unaofuata maungamo ya imani, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoshiriki utamaduni huo. Ni kozi ya kihafidhina. Inashikilia kwamba vitabu sitini na sita vya Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na lisilo na kosa, na inayapokea maungamo ya imani ya Kireformed kama muhtasari mwaminifu wa yale Maandiko yanayofundisha. Kozi hii inaposema "sisi" au "makanisa yetu," inamaanisha makanisa ya Kipresbiteri na ya Kireformed yanayokiri Ungamo la Ubelgiji (Belgic Confession), Katekisimu ya Heidelberg na Kanuni za Dort, au Viwango vya Westminster.This course is written from inside the confessional Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative. It holds that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired, inerrant Word of God, and it receives the Reformed confessions as faithful summaries of what Scripture teaches. When it says "we" or "our churches," it means the Presbyterian and Reformed churches that confess the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort, or the Westminster Standards.

Wakristo wengine husoma Biblia kwa njia tofauti, na baadhi ya wanahistoria huhoji jinsi utamaduni wetu ulivyokua. Tunaeleza mawazo yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Maandiko yasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Historia ya makanisa ya Kireformed imeelezwa katika Kozi ya 1 na hairudiwi hapa. Mafundisho ya neema yanafundishwa katika Kozi ya 2. Kozi hii inauliza swali tofauti: Biblia nzima inaungana vipi, na makanisa yetu huifupishaje?Other Christians read the Bible differently, and some historians question how our tradition grew. We state their views fairly and then give our answer. Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The history of the Reformed churches is told in Course 1 and is not repeated here. The doctrines of grace are taught in Course 2. This course asks a different question: how does the whole Bible fit together, and how do our churches summarize it?

Kwa Nini Tuanze na Agano?Why Begin with the Covenant?

Waumini wengi husoma Biblia kama mkusanyo wa hadithi tofauti: Adamu, Nuhu, Ibrahimu, Musa, Daudi, Yesu. Wanafurahia kila hadithi, lakini hawawezi kueleza jinsi hadithi hizo zinavyounda kitabu kimoja. Wakristo wa Kireformed wamejibu kwa muda mrefu kwamba Biblia imeshikamanishwa na agano la Mungu. Mungu alijifunua kwa watu wake si kama Muumba na Hakimu tu, bali kama Yule anayejifunga kwao kwa ahadi. "Nami nitakuwa Mungu wao, nao watakuwa watu wangu" ndiyo moyo wa agano, na sentensi hii inarudiwa tena na tena katika Maandiko (tazama Walawi 26:12; Yeremia 31:33; 2 Wakorintho 6:16; Ufunuo 21:3).Many believers read the Bible as a collection of separate stories: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus. They enjoy each story, but they cannot say how the stories form one book. Reformed Christians have long answered that the Bible is held together by God's covenant. God made himself known to his people not only as Creator and Judge, but as the One who binds himself to them by promise. "I will be their God, and they shall be My people" is the heart of the covenant, and the sentence returns again and again in Scripture (see Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3).

Mchungaji anayelielewa jambo hili anaweza kuhubiri Agano la Kale kwa ujasiri na furaha. Anaweza kuwaonyesha watu wake kwamba Ibrahimu, Musa na Daudi ni wa familia ile ile ya imani kama kanisa lake. Anaweza kueleza kwa nini makanisa yetu huwabatiza watoto wa waumini, na kwa nini tunamsoma Kristo katika Maandiko yote. Teolojia ya agano si burudani ya wasomi. Ndiyo njia ambayo utamaduni wetu husoma Biblia kama hadithi moja.A pastor who understands this can preach the Old Testament with confidence and joy. He can show his people that Abraham, Moses and David belong to the same family of faith as his own church. He can explain why our churches baptize the children of believers, and why we read Christ in all the Scriptures. Covenant theology is not a hobby for scholars. It is how our tradition reads the Bible as one story.

Agano ni Nini?What Is a Covenant?

ManenoThe words

Neno la Agano la Kale ni berit. Hutumiwa kwa makubaliano kati ya watu, kama mikataba kati ya mataifa au ahadi kati ya marafiki, na pia kwa vifungo vitakatifu ambavyo Mungu hufanya na watu wake. Njia ya kawaida ya kusema ni "kukata" agano, usemi unaokumbusha dhabihu ambazo mara nyingi zilitia muhuri agano hilo (tazama Mwanzo 15). Neno la Kiyunani la Agano Jipya ni diatheke. Linaweza kutafsiriwa "agano" au "wasia" (testament). Tunaposema Agano la Kale na Agano Jipya, kwa kweli tunasema Agano la Kale na Agano Jipya la Mungu na watu wake.The Old Testament word is berit. It is used for agreements between people, such as treaties between nations or pledges between friends, and for the solemn bonds that God makes with his people. The usual way of speaking is to "cut" a covenant, a phrase that recalls the sacrifices that often sealed it (see Genesis 15). The New Testament Greek word is diatheke. It may be translated "covenant" or "testament." When we speak of the Old Testament and the New Testament, we are really saying the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

MaanaThe meaning

Agano katika Maandiko ni uhusiano mtakatifu kati ya watu, ulioanzishwa kwa ahadi na kutiwa muhuri kwa kiapo au ishara. Ni zaidi ya mkataba. Mkataba kati ya watu walio sawa hubadilishana bidhaa au huduma. Agano la kibiblia huunda kifungo cha uaminifu na upendo, chenye ahadi, wajibu na ishara inayoashiria uhusiano huo. Katika maagano na Nuhu, Ibrahimu, Israeli na Daudi, Mungu ndiye anayechukua hatua ya kwanza. Yeye husema kwanza. Yeye huweka masharti. Yeye hutoa ahadi. Watu hujibu kwa imani na utii.A covenant in Scripture is a solemn relationship between persons, established by promises and sealed by an oath or a sign. It is more than a contract. A contract between equals trades goods or services. A biblical covenant creates a bond of loyalty and love, with promises, obligations and a sign that marks the relationship. In the covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel and David, God is the one who takes the initiative. He speaks first. He sets the terms. He gives the promise. The people respond with faith and obedience.

Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 7, huanza kwa jambo hili. Umbali kati ya Mungu na viumbe wake ni mkubwa sana hata watu wasingeweza kamwe kumfurahia kama baraka na thawabu yao, isipokuwa Mungu apende kushuka kwao kwa njia ya agano. Kwa maneno mengine, agano lenyewe ni tendo la wema wa Mungu. Sisi hatumpandii Mungu. Yeye hujishusha kwetu.The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 7, begins with this point. The distance between God and his creatures is so great that people could never enjoy him as their blessing and reward unless he were pleased to come down to them by way of a covenant. In other words, the covenant is itself an act of God's kindness. We do not climb up to God. He condescends to us.

Maagano ya MaandikoThe Covenants of Scripture

Biblia inaandika maagano kadhaa yenye majina. Tunayataja kwa ufupi hapa na tutayasoma katika vipindi vijavyo.The Bible records several named covenants. We list them briefly here and study them in the next units.

• Nuhu (Mwanzo 9). Mungu anaahidi kutoharibu tena dunia kwa gharika, na anatoa upinde wa mvua kuwa ishara. Ni agano na viumbe vyote hai, na linaihifadhi dunia ambamo ukombozi utatendeka.• Noah (Genesis 9). God promises never again to destroy the earth by flood, and he gives the rainbow as a sign. It is a covenant with all living creatures and it preserves the world in which redemption will unfold.

• Ibrahimu (Mwanzo 12, 15 na 17). Mungu anamwahidi Ibrahimu nchi, wazao wengi, na baraka kwa jamaa zote za dunia. Anasema, "Nami nitafanya imara agano langu, kati ya mimi na wewe, na kati ya uzao wako baada yako, katika vizazi vyao, liwe agano la milele; ili kuwa Mungu kwako, na kwa uzao wako baada yako" (Mwanzo 17:7). Ishara ni tohara.• Abraham (Genesis 12, 15 and 17). God promises Abraham land, many descendants, and blessing for all the families of the earth. He says, "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you" (Genesis 17:7). The sign is circumcision.

• Musa na Israeli huko Sinai (Kutoka 19 hadi 24). Mungu anawakomboa Israeli kutoka Misri na kuwapa sheria, hema la kukutania na dhabihu. Israeli wanapaswa kuwa taifa takatifu miongoni mwa mataifa.• Moses and Israel at Sinai (Exodus 19 to 24). God redeems Israel from Egypt and gives the law, the tabernacle and the sacrifices. Israel is to be a holy nation among the peoples.

• Daudi (2 Samweli 7; Zaburi 89). Mungu anamwahidi Daudi mwana ambaye kiti chake cha enzi kitadumu milele.• David (2 Samuel 7; Psalm 89). God promises David a son whose throne will last forever.

• Agano Jipya (Yeremia 31; Luka 22:20). Mungu anaahidi kuandika sheria yake mioyoni mwa watu wake na kusamehe dhambi zao. Yesu alitwaa kikombe katika Karamu ya Mwisho na kukiita agano jipya katika damu yake.• The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31; Luke 22:20). God promises to write his law on his people's hearts and to forgive their sins. Jesus took the cup at the Last Supper and called it the new covenant in his blood.

Dai Kuu la Teolojia ya AganoThe Central Claim of Covenant Theology

Teolojia ya Kireformed hufupisha mafundisho ya Biblia kwa dai hili: Mungu ana mpango mmoja wa wokovu kwa watu wake katika kila kizazi, na anautekeleza katika agano moja la neema. Ungamo la Westminster linasema agano la neema lilisimamiwa (administered) kwa njia tofauti wakati wa sheria na wakati wa injili, lakini hakuna maagano mawili ya neema yanayotofautiana katika asili yake. Ni agano moja chini ya vipindi tofauti vya usimamizi (sura ya 7, sehemu ya 5 na 6). Katekisimu ya Heidelberg inasema vivyo hivyo inapofundisha kwamba waumini na watoto wao ni wa agano la Mungu na kanisa lake (Swali la 74).Reformed theology summarizes the Bible's teaching with this claim: God has one plan of salvation for his people in every age, and he carries it out in the one covenant of grace. The Westminster Confession says the covenant of grace was "administered" differently in the time of the law and in the time of the gospel, but that there are not two covenants of grace differing in substance. It is one covenant under different administrations (chapter 7, sections 5 and 6). The Heidelberg Catechism speaks in the same way when it teaches that believers and their children belong to God's covenant and church (Question 74).

Kweli tatu zimo ndani ya dai hili.Three truths are packed into this claim.

Kwanza, wokovu umekuwa daima kwa neema kwa njia ya imani katika Kristo. Ibrahimu "alimsadiki BWANA; naye akamhesabia kuwa haki" (Mwanzo 15:6). Paulo anamtumia Ibrahimu kuonyesha jinsi watu wote wanavyohesabiwa haki (Warumi 4). Waumini wa Agano la Kale walimtazamia Mkombozi aliyeahidiwa, nasi tunamtazama nyuma. Mwokozi ni yule yule. Yesu alisema kwamba Ibrahimu "aliiona" siku yake akafurahi (Yohana 8:56).First, salvation has always been by grace through faith in Christ. Abraham "believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). Paul uses Abraham to show how all people are justified (Romans 4). Old Testament believers looked forward to the promised Redeemer, and we look back to him. The Savior is the same. Jesus said that Abraham "saw" his day and rejoiced (John 8:56).

Pili, watu wa Mungu ni watu wamoja. Paulo anawaambia waumini wa Mataifa kwamba hapo zamani walikuwa wageni waliotengwa na jumuiya ya Israeli, lakini sasa ni "raia wenzao na watakatifu, na watu wa nyumbani mwa Mungu" (Waefeso 2:12, 19). Wagalatia 3:29 yasema, "Nanyi mkiwa ni wa Kristo, mmekuwa uzao wa Ibrahimu, na warithi sawasawa na ahadi." Kanisa si jambo la kushangaza lililokatiza mpango wa Mungu. Ni tunda la ahadi aliyopewa Ibrahimu.Second, the people of God are one people. Paul tells Gentile believers that they were once "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel" but are now "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:12, 19). Galatians 3:29 says, "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." The church is not a surprise that interrupted God's plan. It is the fruit of the promise made to Abraham.

Tatu, vipindi vya usimamizi hutofautiana kwa umbo, si kwa asili. Agano la Kale lilikuwa na dhabihu, ukuhani, hekalu na taifa. Agano Jipya lina kazi iliyokamilika ya Kristo, Neno lihubiriwalo, ubatizo na Meza ya Bwana. Vivuli vimetoa nafasi kwa uhalisi wenyewe (Wakolosai 2:16-17; Waebrania 10:1). Calvin alifundisha jambo hili katika kitabu chake Institutes (Kitabu cha 2, sura ya 10 na 11), ambamo alijadili kwamba Agano la Kale na Agano Jipya ni kitu kimoja katika asili lakini hutofautiana katika namna ya usimamizi.Third, the administrations differ in form but not in substance. The Old Testament had sacrifices, a priesthood, a temple and a nation. The New Testament has the finished work of Christ, the preached Word, baptism and the Lord's Supper. The shadows have given way to the reality (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1). Calvin taught this in his Institutes (Book 2, chapters 10 and 11), where he argued that the Old and New Testaments are one in substance and different in manner of administration.

Maagano Matatu ya Teolojia ya Shirikisho (Federal Theology)The Three Covenants of Federal Theology

Teolojia ya agano pia huitwa teolojia ya shirikisho (federal theology), kutokana na neno la Kilatini foedus, lenye maana ya agano. Maungamo na walimu wa Kireformed kwa kawaida huzungumza juu ya maagano matatu.Covenant theology is also called federal theology, from the Latin foedus, which means covenant. Reformed confessions and teachers commonly speak of three covenants.

1. Agano la ukombozi. Tangu milele, Baba, Mwana na Roho Mtakatifu walikubaliana pamoja juu ya kazi ya kuokoa watu (Kipindi cha 2).1. The covenant of redemption. In eternity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit agreed together on the work of saving a people (Unit 2).

2. Agano la matendo. Mungu alifanya agano na Adamu kama mwakilishi wa wanadamu wote, akiahidi uzima kwa utii na kuonya juu ya kifo kwa kutotii (Kipindi cha 2).2. The covenant of works. God made a covenant with Adam as the representative of all humanity, promising life for obedience and warning of death for disobedience (Unit 2).

3. Agano la neema. Baada ya anguko, Mungu aliahidi Mwokozi na kukusanya watu kupitia yeye, tangu Adamu hadi siku ya mwisho (Kipindi cha 3).3. The covenant of grace. After the fall, God promised a Savior and gathered a people through him, from Adam to the last day (Unit 3).

Adamu na Kristo ni vichwa viwili vikuu, au wawakilishi, wa wanadamu. Paulo anawaweka bega kwa bega katika Warumi 5 na 1 Wakorintho 15. Hili ndilo shina la ndani kabisa la teolojia ya agano. Hatuokolewi wala kupotea kama watu binafsi tu. Tunaishi chini ya mmoja wa vichwa hivi viwili, na tunashiriki katika yale anayoyatenda.Adam and Christ are the two great heads, or representatives, of humanity. Paul sets them side by side in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15. This is the deepest root of covenant theology. We are not saved or lost merely as individuals. We belong to one of two heads, and we share in what he does.

Teolojia ya Agano IlivyoendeleaHow Covenant Theology Developed

Haturudii historia ya makanisa ya Kireformed hapa (tazama Kozi ya 1). Lakini mwanafunzi anapaswa kujua muhtasari wake.We do not repeat the history of the Reformed churches here (see Course 1). But a student should know the outline.

Wazo kwamba Mungu hushughulika na watu wake kwa agano ni kongwe kama kanisa lenyewe. Wanamatengenezo (Reformers) waliliweka mbele zaidi. Huldrych Zwingli alitumia umoja wa agano kutetea ubatizo wa watoto wachanga dhidi ya Waanabaptisti. Mrithi wake huko Zurich, Heinrich Bullinger, aliandika mwaka 1534 kitabu kifupi kuhusu agano moja na la milele la Mungu, na mara nyingi huitwa mwanzilishi wa mafundisho ya agano ya Kireformed. John Calvin alifundisha umoja wa Agano la Kale na Agano Jipya katika Institutes. Huko Heidelberg, Zacharias Ursinus na Caspar Olevianus, watu waliosimama nyuma ya Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, walitumia lugha ya agano katika mafundisho yao. Katika karne iliyofuata, mwanateolojia Mholanzi Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669) alijenga muhtasari kamili wa kihistoria wa maagano, na Wapuritani wa Uingereza na Scotland walifanya vivyo hivyo. Lugha ya agano kisha iliingia katika Ungamo na Katekisimu za Westminster (1646-47). Huko Scotland, Agano la Kitaifa (National Covenant, 1638) na Agano la Ushirikiano Mtakatifu (Solemn League and Covenant, 1643) vilionyesha jinsi wazo hili lilivyolitengeneza kanisa la kitaifa kwa kina.The idea that God deals with his people by covenant is as old as the church. The Reformers made it prominent. Huldrych Zwingli used the unity of the covenant to defend the baptism of infants against the Anabaptists. His successor in Zurich, Heinrich Bullinger, wrote in 1534 a short work on the one and eternal covenant of God, and he is often called a pioneer of Reformed covenant teaching. John Calvin taught the unity of the Old and New Testaments in the Institutes. In Heidelberg, Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus, the men behind the Heidelberg Catechism, used covenant language in their teaching. In the next century the Dutch theologian Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669) built a full historical outline of the covenants, and English and Scottish Puritans did the same. Covenant language then entered the Westminster Confession and Catechisms (1646-47). In Scotland, the National Covenant (1638) and the Solemn League and Covenant (1643) showed how deeply the idea had shaped the national church.

Mjadala Miongoni mwa WanahistoriaA debate among historians

Wanahistoria hawakubaliani kuhusu teolojia ya agano ya Kireformed ilitoka wapi. Maelezo matatu ni ya kawaida.Historians do not agree on where Reformed covenant theology came from. Three accounts are common.

Maelezo ya kwanza yasema ilianzia Zurich kwa Zwingli na Bullinger, ambao mapambano yao na Waanabaptisti yaliwafanya wasisitize agano moja. La pili yasema ilikuwa na nguvu zaidi katika eneo la Rhine na Heidelberg, miongoni mwa waandishi wa Katekisimu ya Heidelberg. La tatu linamwelekea Calvin, ingawa baadhi ya waandishi wa mapema wa karne ya ishirini walidai kwamba Calvin na walimu wa Kireformed wa baadaye walipingana vikali, hivyo kwamba teolojia ya "shirikisho" ilikuwa ugumu wa mawazo ya Calvin.One account says it began in Zurich with Zwingli and Bullinger, whose struggle with the Anabaptists led them to stress the single covenant. A second says it was strongest in the Rhineland and Heidelberg, among the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism. A third points to Calvin, though some earlier twentieth-century writers argued that Calvin and the later Reformed teachers were in sharp conflict, so that "federal" theology was a hardening of Calvin's thought.

Jibu letu ni hili. Utafiti wa makini umeonyesha kwamba Wanamatengenezo walitumia hazina ya pamoja ya mawazo, kwamba vituo kadhaa vilichangia, na kwamba Calvin mwenyewe alifundisha umoja wa agano na ahadi za Mungu zilizo thabiti. Tofauti za msisitizo miongoni mwa Wanamatengenezo ni za kweli, wala hatuzifichi. Lakini dai kwamba walimu wa baadaye walimwacha Calvin halina msingi. Muhimu zaidi, chimbuko haliwezi kuamua kama fundisho ni la kweli. Kipimo ni Maandiko. Fundisho linaweza kuwa limeendelezwa kwa kuchelewa na bado likawa ndilo ambalo Biblia imekuwa ikisema tangu mwanzo. Utatu ulifafanuliwa katika karne ya nne, lakini haukubuniwa wakati huo.Our answer is this. Careful study has shown that the Reformers drew on a shared stock of ideas, that several centers contributed, and that Calvin himself taught the unity of the covenant and the sure promises of God. Differences in emphasis among the Reformers are real, and we do not hide them. But the claim that later teachers abandoned Calvin does not stand up. Most important, origins cannot decide whether a doctrine is true. The test is Scripture. A teaching may have been developed late and still be what the Bible says all along. The Trinity was defined in the fourth century, yet it was not invented then.

Pingamizi dhidi ya Teolojia ya Agano na Majibu YetuObjections to Covenant Theology and Our Answers

Pingamizi la 1: "Agano la matendo" na "agano la neema" si maneno ya Biblia. Mfumo huu umewekwa juu ya Maandiko kutoka nje.Objection 1: "The covenant of works" and "the covenant of grace" are not Bible words. The system is imposed on Scripture.

Ni kweli kwamba misemo hiyo haipo katika Biblia, kama vile "Utatu" haupo. Ungamo la Westminster linasema kwamba shauri lote la Mungu linajumuisha yale yaliyoandikwa wazi katika Maandiko na pia yale ambayo "kwa matokeo mema na ya lazima yanaweza kupatikana kutoka katika Maandiko" (sura ya 1, sehemu ya 6). Swali ni kama Biblia inafundisha jambo lenyewe. Maandiko yanazungumza juu ya maagano (Mwanzo 9, 15, 17; Kutoka 24; 2 Samweli 7; Yeremia 31). Yanamweka Adamu na Kristo kama vichwa viwili vya uwakilishi (Warumi 5:12-19). Neno "agano la matendo" ni jina fupi la yale ambayo Mwanzo 2:16-17 na Warumi 5 yanaeleza kwa pamoja. Hosea 6:7 inaweza kumaanisha uvunjaji wa agano na Adamu, ingawa watafsiri na wafafanuzi hawakubaliani, na hatutaegemeza fundisho hili juu ya mstari huo peke yake.It is true that the phrases do not appear in the Bible, just as "Trinity" does not. The Westminster Confession says that the whole counsel of God includes what is stated in Scripture and also what "by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture" (chapter 1, section 6). The question is whether the Bible teaches the thing. Scripture does speak of covenants (Genesis 9, 15, 17; Exodus 24; 2 Samuel 7; Jeremiah 31). It sets Adam and Christ as two representative heads (Romans 5:12-19). The term "covenant of works" is a short name for what Genesis 2:16-17 and Romans 5 together describe. Hosea 6:7 may refer to Adam's breaking a covenant, though translators and commentators disagree, and we will not rest the doctrine on that verse alone.

Pingamizi la 2: Mazungumzo ya agano hugeuza wokovu kuwa mkataba na huleta kujitegemea kwa sheria (legalism).Objection 2: Covenant talk turns salvation into a contract and leads to legalism.

Wengine huogopa kwamba maagano humaanisha biashara ya kubadilishana. Tunajibu kwamba maagano ya kibiblia si biashara kati ya walio sawa. Agano la neema ni zawadi. Mungu huahidi, Mungu hutoa Mpatanishi, Mungu hutoa imani (Waefeso 2:8-9). Utii hufuata kama tunda la neema, si kama bei yake. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg huanza kwa faraja, si kwa matakwa: faraja yetu pekee ni kwamba sisi, mwili na roho, katika uzima na katika kifo, tu mali ya Mwokozi wetu mwaminifu Yesu Kristo. Agano ni kifungo cha upendo kwanza.Some fear that covenants mean bargains. We answer that biblical covenants are not bargains between equals. The covenant of grace is a gift. God promises, God provides the Mediator, God gives faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Obedience follows as the fruit of grace, not as its price. The Heidelberg Catechism begins with comfort, not with a demand: our only comfort is that we belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. The covenant is a bond of love first.

Pingamizi la 3: Agano Jipya linaonyesha kuvunjika kwa Agano la Kale. Kanisa ni kitu kipya, na Israeli na kanisa lazima vitenganishwe.Objection 3: The New Testament shows a break with the Old. The church is something new, and Israel and the church must be kept apart.

Huu ndio mtazamo wa mafundisho ya vipindi (dispensational teaching), na Kipindi cha 4 kinalishughulikia kikamilifu. Hapa tunasema tu kwamba Agano Jipya kweli linaonyesha mabadiliko ya kweli, ambayo Waebrania inayaita "agano lililo bora zaidi" (Waebrania 8:6). Lakini Paulo anawaita watu wa Mataifa "uzao wa Ibrahimu" na raia wenzao, na anasema kuhusu Wayahudi na watu wa Mataifa kufanywa mtu mmoja mpya (Waefeso 2:14-16). Mabadiliko ni kutoka ahadi hadi utimilifu, si kutoka watu wamoja hadi watu wa pili walio tofauti.This is the view of dispensational teaching, and Unit 4 deals with it fully. Here we say only that the New Testament does show a real change, which Hebrews calls a "better covenant" (Hebrews 8:6). But Paul calls the Gentiles "Abraham's seed" and fellow citizens, and he speaks of Jews and Gentiles made into one new man (Ephesians 2:14-16). The change is from promise to fulfillment, not from one people to a second, separate people.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mtu mmoja kutoka kanisa la kijijini anajiunga na kanisa lako. Anampenda Bwana na husoma Biblia yake kila siku, lakini anakuambia, "Agano la Kale ni historia na kanuni tu. Sijui nifanye nini nalo. Mimi naishi chini ya Agano Jipya." Mke wake anaongeza, "Na sielewi kwa nini mnawabatiza watoto wadogo ikiwa hawawezi kuamini."A man from a village church joins your congregation. He loves the Lord and reads his Bible daily, but he tells you, "The Old Testament is just history and rules. I don't know what to do with it. I live under the New Testament." His wife adds, "And I don't understand why you baptize little children if they can't believe."

Mchungaji mwenye hekima hakemei. Kwanza, anawashukuru kwa maswali yao ya uaminifu. Pili, anafungua Yeremia 31:33 na kuwaonyesha ahadi "nami nitakuwa Mungu wao, nao watakuwa watu wangu," kisha anageukia Ufunuo 21:3, ambako ahadi ile ile inatimizwa mwishoni mwa Biblia. Anawaeleza kwamba kitabu chote kinasimulia hadithi moja: Mungu anatimiza ahadi yake kwa watu wake kupitia Kristo. Tatu, anawaonyesha Ibrahimu katika Warumi 4 na Wagalatia 3, na kueleza kwamba Ibrahimu ni mwamini wa aina ile ile kama wao. Nne, anaahidi kufundisha swali la ubatizo katika somo lake lenyewe, kutoka Mwanzo 17 na Matendo 2:39, bila haraka na bila shinikizo. Mwishowe, anamwomba mtu huyo asome kifungu kimoja cha Agano la Kale kila juma na kuuliza, "Kifungu hiki kinaelekeza vipi kwa Kristo na kwa ahadi?"The wise pastor does not scold. First, he thanks them for their honest questions. Second, he opens Jeremiah 31:33 and shows them the promise "I will be their God, and they shall be My people," and then turns to Revelation 21:3, where the same promise is fulfilled at the end of the Bible. He explains that the whole book tells one story: God keeps his promise to his people through Christ. Third, he shows them Abraham in Romans 4 and Galatians 3, and explains that Abraham is a believer of the same kind as they are. Fourth, he promises to teach the baptism question in its own lesson, from Genesis 17 and Acts 2:39, without hurry and without pressure. Finally, he asks the man to read one Old Testament passage each week and ask, "How does this point to Christ and the promise?"

MuhtasariSummary

Katika Maandiko, agano ni uhusiano mtakatifu ulioanzishwa na ahadi ya neema ya Mungu na kutiwa muhuri kwa ishara. Maagano makuu ni yale na Nuhu, Ibrahimu, Israeli huko Sinai, Daudi, na agano jipya katika Kristo. Teolojia ya Kireformed inafundisha kwamba Mungu ana mpango mmoja wa wokovu kwa neema kwa njia ya imani katika Kristo, unaotekelezwa katika agano moja la neema chini ya vipindi tofauti vya usimamizi. Teolojia ya shirikisho huzungumza juu ya maagano ya ukombozi, ya matendo na ya neema, na humwona Adamu na Kristo kama vichwa viwili vya wanadamu. Fundisho hili lilikua kupitia Zwingli, Bullinger, Calvin, Ursinus, Olevianus, Cocceius na wanateolojia wa Westminster, ingawa wanahistoria wanajadili vyanzo vyake. Kipimo cha fundisho hili ni Maandiko, nasi tunajibu pingamizi kwamba limewekwa kutoka nje, lina kujitegemea kwa sheria, au haliioni upya wa injili. Agano ni wema wa Mungu: anaahidi kuwa Mungu wetu, nasi tu watu wake.In Scripture a covenant is a solemn relationship established by God's gracious promise and sealed by a sign. The main covenants are those with Noah, Abraham, Israel at Sinai, David, and the new covenant in Christ. Reformed theology teaches that God has one plan of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, carried out in one covenant of grace under different administrations. Federal theology speaks of the covenants of redemption, works and grace, and sees Adam and Christ as the two heads of humanity. The doctrine grew through Zwingli, Bullinger, Calvin, Ursinus, Olevianus, Cocceius and the Westminster divines, though historians debate its sources. The test of the doctrine is Scripture, and we answer the objections that it is imposed, legalistic, or blind to the newness of the gospel. The covenant is God's kindness: he promises to be our God, and we are his people.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (The Westminster Confession of Faith), sura ya 1 na 7 (1646).• The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapters 1 and 7 (1646).

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (The Heidelberg Catechism) (1563), hasa Maswali ya 1 na 74.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), especially Questions 1 and 74.

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo), Kitabu cha 2, sura ya 10 na 11 (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845).• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2, chapters 10 and 11 (Beveridge translation, 1845).

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Teolojia ya Kimfumo) (1872-73), juu ya maagano.• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), on the covenants.

• Herman Witsius, The Economy of the Covenants between God and Man (Mpango wa Maagano kati ya Mungu na Mwanadamu) (1677), kitabu cha asili cha Kireformed juu ya mada hii.• Herman Witsius, The Economy of the Covenants between God and Man (1677), a classic Reformed treatment.

• Heinrich Bullinger, juu ya agano moja na la milele la Mungu (1534).• Heinrich Bullinger, on the one and eternal covenant of God (1534).

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