Teolojia ya Agano, Maandiko na Maungamo ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 10: Maungamo katika Maisha ya Kanisa LeoCovenant Theology, Scripture, and Reformed Confessions — Unit 10: Confessions in the Life of the Church Today

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Na mambo yale uliyoyasikia kwangu mbele ya mashahidi wengi, mambo hayo uwakabidhi watu waaminifu watakaoweza kuwafundisha na wengine." (2 Timotheo 2:2, SUV)"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kutaja angalau mahali pa tano katika maisha ya kanisa la Kireformed ambapo maungamo hutumiwa.1. Name at least five places in the life of a Reformed church where the confessions are used.

2. Kueleza maana ya mzee wa kanisa au mchungaji kukubali ungamo kwa kutia sahihi (subscription), na kueleza njia kuu za kulikubali.2. Explain what it means for an elder or minister to subscribe to a confession, and describe the main ways of subscribing.

3. Kueleza jinsi makanisa katika Amerika ya Kusini, Afrika na Asia yanavyoweza kushikilia maungamo ya kale kwa uaminifu na bado kusema katika lugha na mazingira yao wenyewe.3. Explain how churches in Latin America, Africa and Asia may hold the old confessions faithfully and still speak in their own languages and settings.

4. Kutaja angalau pingamizi tatu dhidi ya kanisa linalofuata maungamo kwa haki na kuzijibu kutoka upande wa Kireformed.4. State at least three objections to a confessional church fairly and answer them from the Reformed side.

5. Kutaja hatari mbili katika matumizi ya maungamo na kueleza jinsi mchungaji anavyoweza kujilinda dhidi yake.5. Name two dangers in the use of confessions and say how a pastor can guard against them.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Kireformed na Kipresbiteri, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoshiriki utamaduni huo. Ni kozi ya kihafidhina na inayofuata maungamo ya imani. Katika kipindi hiki cha mwisho tunauliza maungamo tuliyoyasoma yanalitumikiaje kanisa hai leo. Tunaeleza pingamizi kwa haki kisha kuzijibu, kwa sababu Maandiko yasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Historia ya mgawanyiko na upya katika karne ya ishirini inahusu Kozi ya 1, katika kipindi "Mgawanyiko, Uliberali na Upya wa Kufuata Maungamo katika Karne ya Ishirini na Leo." Tunaitaja kwa ufupi na hatuirudii.This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. In this last unit we ask how the confessions we have studied serve a living church today. We state objections fairly and then answer them, because Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The history of division and renewal in the twentieth century belongs to Course 1, in the unit "Division, Liberalism, and Confessional Renewal in the Twentieth Century and Today." We refer to it briefly and do not repeat it.

Mahali Maungamo YanapoishiWhere the Confessions Live

Ungamo linalokaa kwenye rafu ni hati iliyokufa. Makanisa ya Kireformed siku zote yamekusudia maungamo yao yatumiwe. Yanaishi mahali pasipopungua saba.A confession that sits on a shelf is a dead document. The Reformed churches have always meant their confessions to be used. They live in at least seven places.

Katika kufundisha. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg na katekisimu za Westminster zilitungwa kwa ajili ya kufundisha, na Kozi ya 5 inaishughulikia katika kipindi "Kufundisha kwa Katekisimu na Kuwafanya Wanafunzi." Watoto na waumini wapya hujifunza imani swali kwa swali. Paulo alimwambia Timotheo awakabidhi watu waaminifu mambo aliyoyasikia, nao wawafundishe na wengine (2 Timotheo 2:2), na katekisimu ni njia moja ambayo kanisa hufanya hivi kupitia vizazi.In teaching. The Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster catechisms were made for teaching, and Course 5 treats this in the unit "Catechizing and Discipleship." Children and new believers learn the faith question by question. Paul told Timothy to entrust the things he had heard to faithful men who would teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2), and the catechism is one way that a church does this across generations.

Katika kuhubiri. Katika makanisa mengi ya Kireformed mchungaji huhubiri kupitia Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, Siku moja ya Bwana (Lord's Day) kwa wakati mmoja, kwani watu hutarajia mahubiri juu ya Katekisimu katika ibada ya pili. Mahubiri bado hutoka katika andiko la Biblia, na Katekisimu huongoza mpangilio wa mafundisho. Katika makanisa yanayotumia Viwango vya Westminster, wachungaji hutumia Ungamo kuona jinsi andiko linavyolingana na mafundisho yote ya Maandiko.In preaching. In many Reformed churches the minister preaches through the Heidelberg Catechism, one Lord's Day at a time, as the people expect a sermon on the Catechism in the second service. The sermon still comes from a text of Scripture, and the Catechism guides the order of doctrine. In churches that use the Westminster Standards, ministers draw on the Confession to see how a text fits the whole teaching of Scripture.

Katika ibada. Imani za kale hukiriwa kwa pamoja katika makanisa mengi ya Kireformed. Makutaniko husikia sheria ikisomwa, huungama dhambi zao, huimba Zaburi na nyimbo, na hutumwa kwa baraka. Ibada yenyewe si ungamo, lakini inaeleza kile kanisa linachoamini.In worship. The ancient creeds are confessed together in many Reformed churches. Congregations hear the law read, confess their sins, sing the Psalms and hymns, and are sent out with the blessing. Worship is not itself a confession, but it expresses what the church believes.

Katika uanachama. Mtu anapojiunga na kanisa la Kireformed, hufanya ungamo la imani katika Kristo hadharani mbele ya kutaniko. Makanisa hutofautiana juu ya kile zaidi wanachoomba. Baadhi huwaomba washiriki wakubaliane na mafundisho yanayofundishwa katika Maandiko na kufupishwa katika ungamo. Mengine huomba ungamo rahisi na ahadi za kujitiisha kwa mafundisho na utawala wa kanisa. Kwa vyovyote vile, kanisa huwafundisha washiriki wake ungamo katika madarasa ya uanachama, kama mchungaji alivyofanya katika Kipindi cha 6.In membership. When a person joins a Reformed church, he or she makes a public profession of faith in Christ before the congregation. Churches differ on what more they ask. Some ask members to agree with the doctrine taught in Scripture and summarized in the confession. Others ask for a simple profession and promises to submit to the church's teaching and government. In either case, the church teaches its members the confession in membership classes, as the pastor did in Unit 6.

Katika kutawazwa. Wazee, mashemasi na wachungaji huombwa wakubaliane na ungamo la kanisa. Hili huitwa kutia sahihi (subscription), na tunalieleza hapa chini.In ordination. Elders, deacons and ministers are asked to agree with the confession of the church. This is called subscription, and we treat it below.

Katika nidhamu. Mshiriki au mchungaji anapofundisha au kuishi kwa njia inayopinga imani, kanisa linahitaji kiwango ambacho linaweza kukitegemea. Ungamo, lililo chini ya Maandiko, linawapa wazee kipimo cha haki na cha hadharani, ili wasiadhibu kwa kufuata mapendeleo yao wenyewe. Kozi ya 4 inashughulikia nidhamu katika kipindi "Nidhamu ya Kanisa na Uanachama."In discipline. When a member or a minister teaches or lives in a way that contradicts the faith, the church needs a standard to which it can appeal. The confession, which is under Scripture, gives the elders a fair and public measure, so that they do not discipline according to their own preferences. Course 4 treats discipline in the unit "Church Discipline and Membership."

Katika ushirika kati ya makanisa. Makanisa yanayoshikilia ungamo moja yanaweza kutambuana na kushiriki wachungaji, misheni na utunzaji wa pamoja. Mashirika mbalimbali ya Kireformed hufanya kazi pamoja kwa msingi huu, na baadhi ya ushirika mkubwa zaidi hukusanya makanisa ya Kireformed kutoka mataifa mengi. Makubaliano yao ni mapana au membamba kulingana na jinsi kila ushirika unavyoshikilia maungamo yake kwa ukali, na hili ni jambo ambalo waumini wa Kireformed wametofautiana juu yake.In fellowship among churches. Churches that hold the same confession can recognize one another and share ministers, missions and mutual care. Different Reformed bodies work together on this basis, and some larger fellowships gather Reformed churches from many nations. Their agreement is wider or narrower according to how strictly each fellowship holds its confessions, and this is a matter on which Reformed believers have differed.

Kutia Sahihi: Kile Afisa AnachoahidiSubscription: What an Officer Promises

Mtu anapotawazwa kuwa mchungaji au mzee wa kanisa katika kanisa la Kipresbiteri, anaulizwa kama anapokea na kukubali kwa dhati Ungamo la Imani na Katekisimu kama zenye mfumo wa mafundisho unaofundishwa katika Maandiko Matakatifu. Hii ni ahadi ya dhati mbele za Mungu. Pia ni kinga kwa kutaniko, ambalo lina haki ya kujua walimu wake watafundisha nini.When a man is ordained as a minister or elder in a Presbyterian church, he is asked whether he sincerely receives and adopts the Confession of Faith and Catechisms as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures. This is a solemn promise before God. It is also a safeguard for the congregation, which has a right to know what its teachers will teach.

Makanisa yameielewa ahadi hii kwa njia tofauti, na ni uaminifu kusema hivyo.Churches have understood this promise in different ways, and it is honest to say so.

Kutia sahihi kamili au kwa ukali (full or strict subscription). Afisa anakubaliana na kila kauli katika ungamo. Wale wanaoshikilia mtazamo huu wanaelekeza kwenye uwazi unaoleta na maana wazi ya kiapo.Full or strict subscription. The officer agrees with every statement in the confession. Those who hold this view point to the clarity it gives and to the plain meaning of the vow.

Kutia sahihi kwa mfumo (system subscription). Afisa anakubaliana na mfumo mzima wa mafundisho katika ungamo, lakini anaweza kutofautiana katika mambo fulani yasiyogusa kiini cha mfumo. Katika makanisa mengi lazima amwambie presbyteri yake juu ya tofauti hiyo, na presbyteri huamua kama inakubalika. Hii ndiyo desturi ya kawaida zaidi ya Kipresbiteri.System subscription. The officer agrees with the whole system of doctrine in the confession, but may differ on certain points that do not touch the heart of the system. In many churches he must tell his presbytery of the difference, and the presbytery decides whether it is acceptable. This is the most common Presbyterian practice.

Kutia sahihi kwa nia njema (good-faith subscription). Baadhi ya makanisa hutumia msemo huu kusisitiza kwamba afisa lazima awe mwaminifu na wazi juu ya tofauti yoyote. Kanuni ni kwamba kiapo ni ahadi iliyofanywa mbele ya Mungu, na haipaswi kufanywa kukiwa na masharti ya kimya.Good-faith subscription. Some churches use this phrase to emphasize that the officer must be honest and open about any difference. The principle is that the vow is a promise made in the sight of God, and must not be made with silent reservations.

Wanahistoria wanafuatilia mjadala huu hadi Wapresbiteri wa mwanzo wa Amerika. Mwaka 1729 Sinodi ya Philadelphia ilipitisha kile kinachoitwa Adopting Act (Sheria ya Kupitisha), ambamo wachungaji walipitisha Viwango vya Westminster kama ungamo lao na pia waliruhusiwa kutaja mashaka yao, huku Sinodi ikihukumu kama tofauti zilihusu vifungu muhimu na vya lazima. Wanahistoria bado wanajadili kama Sheria hiyo ilikusudiwa kuwa kali au pana, na Wapresbiteri wa baadaye wameinukuu kwa pande zote mbili.Historians trace this discussion to the early American Presbyterians. In 1729 the Synod of Philadelphia passed what is called the Adopting Act, in which ministers adopted the Westminster Standards as their confession and also allowed them to state scruples, with the Synod to judge whether the differences touched essential and necessary articles. Historians still debate whether the Act was meant to be strict or broad, and later Presbyterians have quoted it on both sides.

Jibu la Kireformed kwa swali la ukali upi unapaswa kuwa linategemea kanuni ambazo wote wanashiriki. Ungamo liko chini ya Maandiko, na hakuna afisa anayepaswa kulazimishwa kufundisha kile anachoamini Maandiko yanapinga. Lakini kanisa linaloacha kila afisa afundishe apendavyo halina ungamo kwa vitendo. Dawa ni uaminifu: afisa anataja tofauti zake wazi, kanisa linazihukumu kihalali, na kanisa halijifanyi kwamba hakuna kilicho hatarini. Kozi ya 4 inaeleza jinsi presbyteri zinavyowachunguza wagombea katika kipindi "Session, Presbyteri, Sinodi na Mkutano Mkuu."The Reformed answer to the question of how strict to be rests on principles that all share. A confession is under Scripture, and no officer should be forced to teach what he believes Scripture contradicts. But a church that lets every officer teach as he pleases has no confession in practice. The remedy is honesty: an officer states his differences openly, the church judges them lawfully, and the church does not pretend that nothing is at stake. Course 4 explains how presbyteries examine candidates in the unit "Session, Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly."

Maungamo Ulimwenguni KoteConfessions Around the World

Maungamo ya Kireformed yaliandikwa Ulaya, lakini imani ya Kireformed sasa inabebwa na makanisa katika Amerika ya Kusini, Afrika na Asia. Kozi ya 1 ilitoa sehemu ya historia hii katika kipindi juu ya misheni na makanisa ya Kireformed katika maeneo hayo. Hapa tunauliza makanisa haya yanaweza kuishi vipi na maungamo ya kale.The Reformed confessions were written in Europe, but the Reformed faith is now carried by churches in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Course 1 gave some of this history in the unit on Reformed missions and churches in those regions. Here we ask how these churches may live with the old confessions.

Kwanza, wameyatafsiri. Ungamo katika lugha ambayo watu hawawezi kuisoma halifundishi mtu. Makanisa ya Kireformed yametafsiri katekisimu na maungamo katika lugha nyingi, na kazi inaendelea. Tafsiri ya uaminifu na vifaa vizuri vya kufundishia ni huduma muhimu kwa kanisa. Kanisa la Kipresbiteri la Brazil, kwa mfano, linashikilia Viwango vya Westminster.First, they have translated them. A confession in a language the people cannot read teaches no one. Reformed churches have translated the catechisms and confessions into many languages, and the work continues. Faithful translation and good teaching materials are an important service to the church. The Presbyterian Church of Brazil, for example, holds the Westminster Standards.

Pili, wanayafundisha katika mazingira. Wapinzani wa karne ya kumi na sita walikuwa Roma na Waremonstranti. Katika kijiji cha Mexico au Afrika maswali yanaweza kuwa juu ya dini za kienyeji, ujumbe wa ufanisi (prosperity message), mababu au hofu ya pepo. Mchungaji anayeijua ungamo anaweza kutumia mafundisho yake juu ya Mungu, juu ya Mpatanishi na juu ya utunzaji wa Mungu kujibu maswali haya mapya, na hahitaji kurudia mabishano ya zamani.Second, they teach them in context. The sixteenth-century opponents were Rome and the Remonstrants. In a village in Mexico or Africa the questions may be about folk religion, the prosperity message, the ancestors or fear of spirits. A pastor who knows the confession can use its teaching on God, on the Mediator and on providence to answer these new questions, and does not need to repeat old controversies.

Tatu, wanaweza kuandika kauli zao wenyewe. Makanisa yamefanya hivi huko nyuma, na desturi hii si kosa pale kauli mpya iko chini ya Maandiko na inakubaliana na maungamo ya zamani. Kwa mfano, Tamko la Barmen (Barmen Declaration) la mwaka 1934 lilikuwa kauli ya Kanisa la Kuungama (Confessing Church) huko Ujerumani dhidi ya madai ya Wanazi juu ya kanisa. Ungamo la Belhar (Belhar Confession), lililoandikwa Afrika Kusini mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 1980, lilitokana na mapambano dhidi ya ubaguzi wa rangi wa apartheid. Baadhi ya makanisa ya Kireformed yameliweka na mengine yamejadili kama linapaswa kusimama kando ya maungamo ya zamani, na wanafunzi wahafidhina wa Kireformed watataka kulisoma kwa uangalifu katika nuru ya Maandiko. Kauli ya Chicago juu ya Kutokuwa na Kosa kwa Biblia (Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy) ya mwaka 1978 ni mfano mwingine wa kauli ya kisasa inayotumiwa na Wakristo wengi wa Kireformed. Hati kama hizi husaidia kanisa kusema kwa siku yake, lakini maungamo ya zamani yamejaribiwa kwa muda mrefu zaidi.Third, they may write their own statements. Churches have done this in the past, and the practice is not wrong when the new statement is under Scripture and agrees with the old confessions. For example, the Barmen Declaration of 1934 was a statement by the Confessing Church in Germany against Nazi claims over the church. The Belhar Confession, written in South Africa in the early 1980s, came from the struggle against apartheid. Some Reformed churches have adopted it and others have debated whether it should stand beside the older confessions, and conservative Reformed students will want to read it carefully in the light of Scripture. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy of 1978 is another example of a modern statement used by many Reformed Christians. Such documents help a church to speak to its day, but older confessions have been tested for longer.

Nne, wanakumbuka kwamba ungamo halifungwi na taifa. Swali la Katekisimu ya Heidelberg kuhusu faraja yetu pekee ni la mkulima wa Brazil kama lilivyo la mwana wa mfalme wa Kijerumani. Injili si ya utamaduni wowote mmoja.Fourth, they remember that the confession is not tied to a nation. The Heidelberg Catechism's question about our only comfort belongs to a Brazilian farmer as much as to a German prince. The gospel does not belong to any one culture.

Hatari MbiliTwo Dangers

Imani sahihi iliyokufa (dead orthodoxy). Kanisa linaweza kushikilia kila neno la ungamo na lisiwe na uhai. Bwana aliyefufuka alisema kwa kanisa moja, "Una jina kwamba unaishi, nawe umekufa" (Ufunuo 3:1). Katekisimu ya Heidelberg inajilinda dhidi ya hili kwa kuwa ya joto na ya kibinafsi. Swali lake la kwanza linaomba faraja, na sehemu yake ya mwisho ni juu ya shukrani. Mchungaji anaweza kujilinda dhidi ya imani sahihi iliyokufa kwa kuhubiri mafundisho ya ungamo kama kweli zinazotoa uzima, kwa kuomba na watu wake, na kwa kufundisha kwamba imani ni kumtumaini Kristo na si kukubaliana na kauli tu.Dead orthodoxy. A church can hold every word of the confession and have no life. The risen Lord said to one church, "You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead" (Revelation 3:1). The Heidelberg Catechism guards against this by being warm and personal. Its first question asks for comfort, and its last part is about gratitude. A pastor can guard against dead orthodoxy by preaching the confession's doctrines as truths that give life, by praying with his people, and by teaching that faith is trust in Christ and not only agreement with a statement.

Kutumia ungamo kama silaha. Wengine hutumia ungamo kuwajeruhi wengine, au kushinda mabishano. Paulo anatuambia tuseme "kweli katika upendo" (Waefeso 4:15). Mchungaji anaweza kujilinda dhidi ya hili kwa kukumbuka kwamba ungamo linalitumikia Neno, na kwamba lazima afundishe "akiwaonya kwa upole wale wanaojiweka kinyume chake" (2 Timotheo 2:25).Using the confession as a weapon. Some use the confession to wound others, or to win arguments. Paul tells us to speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). A pastor can guard against this by remembering that the confession serves the Word, and that he must teach "in humility correcting those who are in opposition" (2 Timothy 2:25).

Pia kuna hatari upande wa pili. Makanisa yanayoacha maungamo yao mara nyingi huteleza. Kozi ya 1 ilieleza jinsi baadhi ya madhehebu ya Kireformed katika karne ya ishirini yalivyopoteza mshiko wao kwenye imani kwa kuyachukulia maungamo kwa wepesi. Tunalisema hili kwa huzuni na si kwa kiburi.There is also a danger on the other side. Churches that give up their confessions often drift. Course 1 told how some Reformed denominations in the twentieth century lost their hold on the faith by treating the confessions loosely. We say this sadly and not proudly.

Pingamizi na Majibu YetuObjections and Our Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Maungamo yanalitenganisha kanisa.Objection 1: Confessions divide the church.

Wakristo wengi, hasa katika duru za kiinjili na za Kipentekoste, wanasema kwamba kauli za kina zinajenga kuta kati ya waumini wote wanaompenda Kristo. Wananukuu wito wa Paulo wa kudumisha "umoja wa Roho katika kifungo cha amani" (Waefeso 4:3).Many Christians, especially in evangelical and Pentecostal circles, say that detailed statements make walls between believers who all love Christ. They quote Paul's call to keep "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3).

Jibu letu. Tunashikilia wito huo. Lakini umoja wa Roho ni umoja katika kweli, na sura hiyo hiyo inasema juu ya "Bwana mmoja, imani moja, ubatizo mmoja" (Waefeso 4:5). Ungamo haliamui nani ni Mkristo. Tunawatambua waumini katika makanisa mengi. Linaamua kanisa fulani litafundisha na kutenda nini. Kanisa linalosema wazi linachoamini linaweza kufanya kazi na Wakristo wengine kwa uaminifu zaidi, kwa sababu kila mtu anajua msimamo wake.Our answer. We hold to that call. But the unity of the Spirit is a unity in truth, and the same chapter speaks of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). A confession does not decide who is a Christian. We recognize believers in many churches. It decides what a particular church will teach and practice. A church that says plainly what it believes can work with other Christians more honestly, because everyone knows where it stands.

Pingamizi la 2: Uhuru wa Roho unazuiwa na maumbo yaliyoandikwa.Objection 2: The Spirit's freedom is hindered by written forms.

Baadhi katika makanisa ya karismatiki na ya Kipentekoste, ambao ni sehemu ya wasomaji wetu, wanaogopa kwamba maungamo yanapunguza kile Roho anachoweza kufanya miongoni mwa watu.Some in the charismatic and Pentecostal churches, who are part of our readership, fear that confessions limit what the Spirit can do among the people.

Jibu letu. Tunaamini katika kazi ya Roho katika kuzaliwa upya, katika kuwatakasa watu wa Mungu na katika kulipa kanisa nguvu kwa ajili ya ushuhuda. Hata hivyo Roho aliyepulizia Maandiko hapingani nayo. Ungamo la Westminster linafundisha kwamba Roho Mtakatifu anayesema katika Maandiko ndiye hakimu wa mwisho katika mabishano yote ya kidini (1.10). Ungamo ni muhtasari wa kibinadamu wa yale ambayo Roho ameshasema, na liko wazi kwa marekebisho kutoka kwa Neno lilelile. Uhuru wa Roho kamwe si uhuru kutoka kwa Neno lake mwenyewe.Our answer. We believe in the Spirit's work in new birth, in sanctifying God's people and in empowering the church for witness. Yet the Spirit who inspired the Scriptures does not contradict them. The Westminster Confession teaches that the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture is the final judge in all religious disputes (1.10). A confession is a human summary of what the Spirit has already said, and it is open to correction by the same Word. The Spirit's freedom is never a freedom from His own Word.

Pingamizi la 3: Maungamo yanasema kidogo mno, au mengi mno, juu ya maswali ya leo.Objection 3: Confessions say too little, or too much, about the questions of today.

Wengine wanauliza kwa nini maungamo hayashughulikii kila swali la kisasa, na wengine wanasema yananyamaza pale tunapohitaji mwongozo, kwa mfano juu ya maswali ya ofisi na nafasi za wanawake katika kanisa.Some ask why the confessions do not address every modern question, and others say they are silent where we need guidance, for example on questions of office and the roles of women in the church.

Jibu letu. Maungamo yanafundisha kweli kuu za imani, na hayawezi kujibu kila swali jipya. Juu ya maswali kama hayo kanisa linatumia Maandiko kupitia utawala wake, katika kitabu chake cha utaratibu wa kanisa. Juu ya swali la ofisi na jinsia, makanisa ya Kireformed ya kihafidhina huhifadhi ofisi za mzee wa kanisa na mchungaji kwa wanaume wenye sifa, ilhali baadhi ya mashirika ya Kireformed huwatawaza wanawake, na wote wanakubali huduma pana ya wanawake katika kanisa. Kipindi "Ofisi na Jinsia katika Makanisa ya Kireformed" katika Kozi ya 4 kinaeleza mitazamo hiyo. Ungamo la Westminster linashughulikia ndoa, na kuifundisha kama muungano wa mwanamume mmoja na mwanamke mmoja. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg inasifu usafi, iwe katika ndoa au katika maisha ya useja. Mafundisho haya husaidia kanisa kutunza familia na watu wasio na ndoa kwa uwazi na upole.Our answer. The confessions teach the great truths of the faith, and they cannot answer every new question. On such questions the church applies Scripture through its government, in its book of church order. On the question of office and gender, conservative Reformed churches reserve the offices of elder and minister to qualified men, while some Reformed bodies ordain women, and all affirm the wide service of women in the church. The unit "Office and Gender in the Reformed Churches" in Course 4 sets out the views. The Westminster Confession addresses marriage, and teaches it as the union of one man and one woman. The Heidelberg Catechism commends chastity, whether in marriage or in single life. These teachings help a church to care for families and single people with clarity and kindness.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mtu mwaminifu katika kanisa la Kipresbiteri huko Amerika ya Kusini ameteuliwa kuwa mzee wa kanisa. Anampenda Bwana na watu, na kutaniko linamwamini. Wakati wa uchunguzi anamwambia mchungaji kwa faragha, "Siwezi kusema kwamba nakubaliana na kila neno la sehemu ya Ungamo juu ya Siku ya Bwana. Naogopa kutoa ahadi ambayo siwezi kuitimiza."A faithful man in a Presbyterian church in Latin America has been nominated to serve as an elder. He loves the Lord and the people, and the congregation trusts him. During the examination he tells the pastor privately, "I cannot say that I agree with every word of the Confession's section on the Lord's Day. I am afraid to make a promise I cannot keep."

Mchungaji hamkemei wala hamwambii anyamaze. Kwanza, anamshukuru kwa uaminifu wake. Pili, anaeleza kwamba kiapo cha kanisa kinafanywa mbele ya Mungu na kimekusudiwa kuchukuliwa kwa uzito. Tatu, anaeleza kwamba kanisa halitaki kimya bali uwazi, na kwamba mtu huyo anapaswa kutaja tofauti yake wazi kwa baraza la wazee (session) na presbyteri, watakaohukumu kama inagusa mfumo wa mafundisho. Nne, anapendekeza wasome Maandiko pamoja juu ya mada hiyo. Mtu huyo haombwi kuficha dhamiri yake wala kupuuza ungamo. Anaombwa kutenda kwa uaminifu chini ya Neno.The pastor does not scold him and does not tell him to say nothing. First, he thanks him for his honesty. Second, he explains that the church's vow is made before God and is meant to be taken seriously. Third, he explains that the church does not ask for silence but for openness, and that the man should state his difference plainly to the session and the presbytery, who will judge whether it touches the system of doctrine. Fourth, he suggests that they study Scripture together on the subject. The man is not asked to hide his conscience or to ignore the confession. He is asked to act honestly under the Word.

MuhtasariSummary

Maungamo yanaishi katika kufundisha, kuhubiri, ibada, uanachama, kutawazwa, nidhamu na ushirika kati ya makanisa. Maafisa waliotawazwa hutia sahihi ungamo, na makanisa yanalielewa hili kama kutia sahihi kamili, kutia sahihi kwa mfumo au kutia sahihi kwa nia njema, huku Adopting Act ya 1729 ikiwa mfano wa mapema wa mjadala huo. Wote wanakubaliana kwamba kiapo lazima kiwe cha uaminifu na wazi. Ulimwenguni kote, makanisa hutafsiri maungamo, huyafundisha katika mazingira na yanaweza kuandika kauli mpya chini ya Maandiko. Hatari mbili ni imani sahihi iliyokufa na kutumia ungamo kama silaha. Pingamizi zinasema maungamo hugawanya, hupunguza Roho, au hushindwa kujibu maswali ya kisasa. Tunajibu kwamba umoja ni katika kweli, kwamba Roho kamwe hapingani na Neno lake, na kwamba maungamo yanatoa kweli kuu huku utaratibu wa kanisa ukiongoza maelezo madogo. Ungamo ni mtumishi wa Neno, na Neno peke yake ndilo kipimo cha mwisho.The confessions live in teaching, preaching, worship, membership, ordination, discipline and fellowship among churches. Ordained officers subscribe to the confession, and churches understand this as full subscription, system subscription or good-faith subscription, with the Adopting Act of 1729 an early example of the discussion. All agree that the vow must be honest and open. Around the world, churches translate the confessions, teach them in context and may write new statements under Scripture. The two dangers are dead orthodoxy and using the confession as a weapon. Objections say that confessions divide, limit the Spirit, or fail to answer modern questions. We answer that unity is in truth, that the Spirit never contradicts His Word, and that the confessions give the great truths while church order guides the details. The confession is a servant of the Word, and the Word alone is the final norm.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (The Heidelberg Catechism) (1563), Maswali ya 1-2 na Siku ya Bwana ya 52.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Questions 1-2 and Lord's Day 52.

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

• Kanuni za Dort (The Canons of Dort) (1619), Vichwa vya 1 na 5.• The Canons of Dort (1619), Heads 1 and 5.

• Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism (Ufafanuzi wa Katekisimu ya Heidelberg).• Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism.

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo) (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), Kitabu cha 4, sura ya 8-9.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), Book 4, chapters 8-9.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Teolojia ya Kimfumo) (1872-73).• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73).

• Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (Mchungaji wa Kireformed) (1656), juu ya utunzaji wa mchungaji kwa kundi lake.• Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (1656), on the pastor's care of his flock.

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