Teolojia ya Agano, Maandiko na Maungamo ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 7: Aina Tatu za Umoja: Ungamo la Ubelgiji, Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, Kanuni za DortCovenant Theology, Scripture, and Reformed Confessions — Unit 7: The Three Forms of Unity: Belgic, Heidelberg, Dort

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Maana tukiishi, tunaishi kwa Bwana; tukifa, tunakufa kwa Bwana; basi, tukiishi au tukifa, tu mali ya Bwana." (Warumi 14:8, SUV)"For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14:8, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kutaja hati tatu zinazoitwa Aina Tatu za Umoja (Three Forms of Unity) na kueleza kila moja ni hati ya aina gani.1. Name the three documents called the Three Forms of Unity and say what kind of document each one is.

2. Kueleza chimbuko, muundo na mafundisho makuu ya Ungamo la Ubelgiji (Belgic Confession), pamoja na alama za kanisa la kweli.2. Describe the origin, structure and main teaching of the Belgic Confession, including its marks of the true church.

3. Kueleza Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, sehemu zake tatu na swali lake la kwanza juu ya faraja.3. Describe the Heidelberg Catechism, its three parts and its opening question on comfort.

4. Kueleza Kanuni za Dort (Canons of Dort), tukio lililozizaa na muundo wake wa mafundisho chanya na kukataa makosa.4. Describe the Canons of Dort, their occasion and their structure of positive teaching and rejection of errors.

5. Kutaja angalau pingamizi mbili dhidi ya hati hizi kwa haki na kuzijibu kutoka upande wa Kireformed.5. State at least two objections to these documents fairly and answer them from the Reformed side.

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. Aina Tatu za Umoja ni viwango vya familia ya makanisa ya Kireformed ya Kiholanzi, na zinapendwa mbali zaidi ya familia hiyo. Tunaeleza pingamizi za wengine kwa haki kisha kutoa jibu letu, kwa sababu Maandiko yasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Kozi ya 1 ilisimulia historia ya Matengenezo huko Ufaransa, Uholanzi na Palatinate, na hadithi ya Sinodi ya Dort. Hapa tunasoma yale ambayo hati zenyewe zinafundisha.This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. The Three Forms of Unity are the standards of the Dutch Reformed family of churches, and they are loved far beyond it. We state the objections of others fairly and then give our answer, because Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Course 1 told the history of the Reformation in France, the Netherlands and the Palatinate, and the story of the Synod of Dort. Here we study what the documents themselves teach.

Aina Tatu za Umoja Ni NiniWhat the Three Forms Are

"Aina Tatu za Umoja" ni jina linalopewa hati tatu: Ungamo la Ubelgiji (1561), Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (1563) na Kanuni za Dort (1619). Makanisa ya Kireformed ya Uholanzi yalifikia kuzishikilia pamoja kama viwango vyao vya mafundisho, na bado ni viwango vya makanisa yanayotoka katika utamaduni huo, kama Christian Reformed Church na United Reformed Churches. Neno "umoja" linaelekeza kusudi: hati hizi zilikusudiwa kueleza makubaliano ya makanisa na kuyashikilia pamoja katika imani moja.The "Three Forms of Unity" is the name given to three documents: the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and the Canons of Dort (1619). The Reformed churches of the Netherlands came to hold them together as their doctrinal standards, and they are still the standards of churches that come from that tradition, such as the Christian Reformed Church and the United Reformed Churches. The word "unity" points to the purpose: these documents were meant to express the agreement of the churches and to hold them together in one faith.

Hati hizi tatu ni aina tofauti za uandishi, na tofauti hiyo ni ya manufaa. Ungamo la Ubelgiji ni ungamo: kauli kamili na yenye mpangilio ya kile kanisa linachoamini, iliyoelekezwa kwa ulimwengu. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ni katekisimu: mfululizo wa maswali na majibu kwa ajili ya kufundisha, hasa vijana. Kanuni za Dort ni hati ya kimahakama: uamuzi wa sinodi ya kanisa juu ya mfululizo wa maswali yaliyobishaniwa. Kwa ufupi, Ungamo la Ubelgiji linasema tunachoamini, Katekisimu inafundisha jinsi tunavyokiamini kwa mioyo yetu, na Kanuni zinatetea injili ya neema dhidi ya kosa fulani. Kila moja inasimama chini ya Maandiko, kama Kipindi cha 6 kilivyofundisha.The three are different kinds of writing, and the difference is useful. The Belgic Confession is a confession: a full, orderly statement of what the church believes, addressed to the world. The Heidelberg Catechism is a catechism: a set of questions and answers for teaching, especially the young. The Canons of Dort are a judicial document: the decision of a church synod on a set of disputed questions. In short, the Belgic Confession says what we believe, the Catechism teaches how we believe it with our hearts, and the Canons defend the gospel of grace against a particular error. Each stands under Scripture, as Unit 6 taught.

Ungamo la UbelgijiThe Belgic Confession

Ungamo la Ubelgiji liliandikwa mwaka 1561 na Guido de Brès, mchungaji wa Kireformed katika sehemu za kusini za Nchi za Chini, kwa lugha ya Kifaransa. Wakati huo Uholanzi na Ubelgiji zilikuwa chini ya taji ya Hispania, na Waprotestanti waliteswa na mara nyingi walishutumiwa kuwa waasi na wenye msimamo mkali wa Waanabaptisti. De Brès aliandika kuonyesha kwamba waumini wa Kireformed walishikilia imani ya kale ya kanisa lote, na kwamba walikuwa watu watiifu na wenye utaratibu. Yeye mwenyewe aliuawa kwa imani yake mwaka 1567. Ungamo lilirekebishwa katika miongo iliyofuata, na maandishi yake ya mwisho yalipokelewa na Sinodi ya Dort mwaka 1619.The Belgic Confession was written in 1561 by Guido de Brès, a Reformed pastor in the southern Low Countries, in the French language. At that time the Netherlands and Belgium were under the Spanish crown, and Protestants were persecuted and often accused of being rebels and Anabaptist radicals. De Brès wrote to show that the Reformed believers held the old catholic faith, and that they were loyal and orderly people. He was himself put to death for his faith in 1567. The Confession was revised in the following decades, and its final text was received by the Synod of Dort in 1619.

Lina vifungu thelathini na saba. Kifungu cha 1 kinaungama Mungu mmoja, na Kifungu cha 2 kinafundisha kwamba tunamjua Mungu kwa njia mbili: kwa uumbaji, utunzaji na utawala wa ulimwengu, na kwa uwazi zaidi kwa Neno lake takatifu na la kimungu. Vifungu vya 3 hadi 7 vinafundisha Maandiko. Kifungu cha 7, kama tulivyoona, kinafundisha utoshelevu wake, na Kifungu cha 9 kinakubali imani tatu za kale. Vifungu vya 8 hadi 11 vinafundisha Utatu na uungu wa Mwana na wa Roho. Vifungu vya kati vinafundisha uumbaji, utunzaji wa Mungu, anguko, uchaguzi, nafsi na kazi ya Kristo, kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani peke yake, na maisha mapya ya utii. Vifungu vya 27 hadi 32 vinafundisha kanisa, vya 33 hadi 35 sakramenti, Kifungu cha 36 serikali ya kiraia na Kifungu cha 37 hukumu ya mwisho.It has thirty-seven articles. Article 1 confesses one God, and Article 2 teaches that we know God in two ways: by creation, preservation and government of the world, and more clearly by His holy and divine Word. Articles 3 to 7 teach the Scriptures. Article 7, as we saw, teaches their sufficiency, and Article 9 accepts the three ancient creeds. Articles 8 to 11 teach the Trinity and the deity of the Son and the Spirit. The middle articles teach creation, providence, the fall, election, the person and work of Christ, justification by faith alone, and the new life of obedience. Articles 27 to 32 teach the church, Articles 33 to 35 the sacraments, Article 36 civil government and Article 37 the last judgment.

Sehemu mbili zinastahili uangalifu maalum. Ya kwanza ni Kifungu cha 29, kinachotoa alama za kanisa la kweli. Kanisa la kweli hutambulika kwa kuhubiriwa kwa injili safi, kusimamiwa kwa sakramenti safi kama Kristo alivyoziweka, na kutekelezwa kwa nidhamu ya kanisa katika kuadhibu dhambi. Mahali ambapo mambo haya yapo, kuna kanisa la kweli, hata likiwa dogo na dhaifu. Alama hizi zikawa kipimo cha msingi cha Kireformed, na Kozi ya 4 itazirudia. Ya pili ni Kifungu cha 34, kinachofundisha kwamba ubatizo unachukua mahali pa tohara na kwamba watoto wa waumini wanapaswa kubatizwa kama warithi wa agano la Mungu. Hili linaunganisha Ungamo na teolojia ya agano ya kozi hii na litachunguzwa katika Kozi ya 4, katika kipindi "Ubatizo wa Waumini na wa Watoto Wao."Two parts deserve special attention. First is Article 29, which gives the marks of the true church. The true church is known by the pure preaching of the gospel, the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them, and the exercise of church discipline in punishing sin. Where these are, there is a true church, even if it is small and weak. These marks became a basic Reformed test, and Course 4 will return to them. Second is Article 34, which teaches that baptism replaces circumcision and that children of believers should be baptized as heirs of God's covenant. This connects the Confession to the covenant theology of this course and will be examined in Course 4, in the unit "Baptism of Believers and Their Children."

Katekisimu ya HeidelbergThe Heidelberg Catechism

Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ilichapishwa mwaka 1563 huko Palatinate, eneo la Kijerumani ambalo mji wake mkuu ulikuwa Heidelberg. Mtawala wake alikuwa Mteule Frederick wa Tatu, aliyetaka mafundisho wazi ya Kireformed kwa makanisa na shule zake. Katekisimu kwa jadi inahusishwa na watu wawili, Zacharias Ursinus, profesa kijana huko Heidelberg, na Caspar Olevianus, mchungaji na mhubiri. Wanahistoria wanajadili kila mmoja alichangia kiasi gani. Ursinus kwa kawaida anaonekana kama mwandishi mkuu, ambaye mihadhara yake juu ya Katekisimu ikawa ufafanuzi maarufu, ulioorodheshwa katika usomaji wetu zaidi.The Heidelberg Catechism was published in 1563 in the Palatinate, a German territory whose capital was Heidelberg. Its ruler was the Elector Frederick III, who wanted a clear Reformed teaching for his churches and schools. The Catechism is traditionally credited to two men, Zacharias Ursinus, a young professor at Heidelberg, and Caspar Olevianus, a pastor and preacher. Historians discuss how much each man contributed. Ursinus is usually seen as the main author, whose lectures on the Catechism became a famous commentary, listed in our further reading.

Katekisimu ina maswali na majibu 129, yaliyogawanywa katika sehemu hamsini na mbili zinazoitwa Siku za Bwana (Lord's Days), ili iweze kuhubiriwa kwa mwaka mmoja, sehemu moja kwa kila Jumapili. Hii bado ni desturi katika makanisa mengi ya Kireformed.The Catechism has 129 questions and answers, divided into fifty-two sections called Lord's Days, so that it could be preached through in a year, one section for each Sunday. This is still the practice in many Reformed churches.

Muundo wake ni rahisi na unakumbukwa kwa urahisi. Swali la pili linauliza tunapaswa kujua nini ili tuishi na kufa katika furaha ya faraja yetu, na linajibu kwa mambo matatu: ukubwa wa dhambi na taabu yetu, jinsi tunavyofunguliwa kutoka kwazo, na jinsi tunavyopaswa kumshukuru Mungu kwa ukombozi huo. Walimu mara nyingi huzitaja sehemu tatu hizi hatia, neema na shukrani. Katika sehemu ya kwanza sheria inaonyesha dhambi yetu. Katika sehemu ya pili, iliyo ndefu zaidi, Imani ya Mitume inaelezwa, pamoja na mafundisho juu ya imani, kuhesabiwa haki na sakramenti za ubatizo na Meza ya Bwana. Katika sehemu ya tatu Amri Kumi zinaelezwa kama mfano wa maisha ya shukrani, na Sala ya Bwana inaelezwa kama sala ya muumini ya shukrani na uhitaji.Its structure is simple and memorable. The second question asks what we must know to live and die in the joy of our comfort, and answers with three things: how great our sin and misery are, how we are set free from them, and how we are to thank God for that deliverance. Teachers often name the three parts guilt, grace and gratitude. In the first part the law shows our sin. In the second part, the longest, the Apostles' Creed is explained, with the teaching on faith, justification and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. In the third part the Ten Commandments are explained as the pattern of a thankful life, and the Lord's Prayer is explained as the believer's prayer of thanks and need.

Swali la kwanza ndilo linalojulikana zaidi. Linauliza, "Faraja yako pekee katika uzima na katika kifo ni nini?" Jibu linasema kwamba mimi si mali yangu mwenyewe, bali ni mali, mwili na roho, katika uzima na katika kifo, ya Mwokozi wangu mwaminifu Yesu Kristo. Amelipa kikamilifu dhambi zangu zote kwa damu yake na kunifungua kutoka katika nguvu za shetani. Ananilinda ili hakuna kinachotokea bila mapenzi ya Baba yangu, na kwa Roho wake ananihakikishia uzima wa milele na kunifanya tayari kuishi kwa ajili yake. Zingatia sauti ya jibu hili. Ni jibu la kibinafsi na la kichungaji, si fasili baridi. Maandiko ya kuthibitisha ya Katekisimu kwa ufunguzi huu yanajumuisha Warumi 14:7-9, mstari mkuu wa kipindi hiki.The first question is the best known. It asks, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" The answer says that I am not my own, but belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has paid fully for all my sins with His blood and set me free from the power of the devil. He watches over me so that nothing happens without my Father's will, and by His Spirit He assures me of eternal life and makes me ready to live for Him. Notice the tone. It is a personal and pastoral answer, not a cold definition. The Catechism's proof texts for the opening include Romans 14:7-9, the key verse of this unit.

Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ni ya Kireformed katika mafundisho yake juu ya neema, lakini ina roho ya joto na upole. Iliandikwa kwa kanisa lenye mchanganyiko lililojumuisha waumini wa Kilutheri na wa Kireformed, na wanahistoria bado wanajadili ni kiasi gani inadaiwa na vyanzo vya Kireformed, na Melanchthon, na katekisimu za zamani za makanisa ya Kijerumani. Jibu bora, tunaamini, ni kwamba inatumia vyote na ni mwaminifu kwa Maandiko.The Heidelberg Catechism is Reformed in its teaching on grace, but it has a warm and gentle spirit. It was written for a mixed church that included Lutheran and Reformed believers, and historians still debate how much it owes to Reformed sources, to Melanchthon, and to the older catechisms of the German churches. The best answer, we believe, is that it draws on all of them and is faithful to Scripture.

Kanuni za DortThe Canons of Dort

Kanuni za Dort zilipitishwa na Sinodi ya Dort mwaka 1619, kujibu mafundisho ya Waremonstranti (Remonstrants). Baada ya kifo cha Jacobus Arminius mwaka 1609, wafuasi wake walieleza mafundisho yao katika hati iliyoitwa Remonstrance mwaka 1610, katika vifungu vitano. Hawakukubaliana na makanisa ya Kireformed juu ya uchaguzi, upeo wa upatanisho wa Kristo, utumwa wa mapenzi ya mwanadamu, nguvu ya neema na kuvumilia. Sinodi ilikutana katika mji wa Dordrecht kuanzia Novemba 1618 hadi Mei 1619. Haikuwa mkutano wa Kiholanzi tu. Ilijumuisha wajumbe kutoka makanisa kadhaa ya Kireformed katika nchi nyingine, wakiwemo wa Uingereza, Ujerumani na Uswisi. Kozi ya 1 ilitoa hadithi ya kihistoria. Hapa tunaangalia hati yenyewe.The Canons of Dort were adopted by the Synod of Dort in 1619, in answer to the teaching of the Remonstrants. After the death of Jacobus Arminius in 1609, his followers set out their teaching in a document called the Remonstrance in 1610, in five articles. They disagreed with the Reformed churches on election, the extent of Christ's atonement, the bondage of the human will, the power of grace and perseverance. The Synod met in the city of Dordrecht from November 1618 to May 1619. It was not only a Dutch gathering. It included delegates from several Reformed churches in other lands, including Britain, Germany and Switzerland. Course 1 gave the historical story. Here we look at the document.

Kanuni zinafuata hoja za Remonstrance lakini zinazipanga katika Vichwa Vinne Vikuu vya Mafundisho, kwa sababu cha tatu na cha nne vimeunganishwa. Kichwa cha 1 ni juu ya kuchaguliwa tangu awali na Mungu (predestination). Kichwa cha 2 ni juu ya kifo cha Kristo na ukombozi wa wanadamu kwa kifo hicho. Vichwa vya 3 na 4 pamoja ni juu ya uharibifu wa mwanadamu na kugeuka kwake kwa Mungu. Kichwa cha 5 ni juu ya kuvumilia kwa watakatifu. Ndani ya kila kichwa, Kanuni kwanza zinatoa mafundisho chanya ya Maandiko, kisha zinaongeza "Kukataa Makosa," ambamo zinataja na kukanusha madai mahususi ya Waremonstranti. Njia hii ni ya hekima: kwanza inafundisha kilicho kweli kisha ndipo inaonyesha kilicho uongo.The Canons follow the points of the Remonstrance but organize them in four Main Heads of Doctrine, because the third and fourth are joined together. Head 1 is on divine predestination. Head 2 is on the death of Christ and the redemption of men by it. Heads 3 and 4 together are on the corruption of man and his conversion to God. Head 5 is on the perseverance of the saints. Within each head, the Canons first give the positive teaching of the Scriptures, and then add a "Rejection of Errors," in which they name and refute the specific claims of the Remonstrants. This method is wise: it first teaches what is true and only then shows what is false.

Herufi maarufu TULIP, zinazofupisha mafundisho haya, hazitumiwi na Kanuni zenyewe, na zilikuja baadaye kama kifaa cha kukumbuka. Kanuni ni makini zaidi, na za kichungaji zaidi, kuliko kifupi hicho. Kichwa cha 2 kinafundisha kwamba kifo cha Kristo kina thamani isiyo na kikomo, kinatosha kulipia dhambi za ulimwengu mzima, na pia kwamba ahadi ya injili lazima ihubiriwe kwa watu wote bila ubaguzi (Kichwa cha 2, Vifungu vya 3 na 5). Kichwa cha 1 kinasema kwa upole na waumini wenye mashaka, na Kichwa cha 5 kimeandikwa kuwafariji watakatifu, kikifundisha kwamba wanavumilia kwa sababu Mungu anawahifadhi. Kozi ya 2 inasoma mafundisho ya neema kwa kina. Hapa yatosha kusema kwamba Kanuni ziliandikwa si kukanusha tu bali kufariji.The popular letters TULIP, which summarize these teachings, are not used by the Canons themselves, and they came later as a memory device. The Canons are more careful, and more pastoral, than the acronym. Head 2 teaches that the death of Christ is of infinite worth, sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world, and also that the gospel promise must be proclaimed to all people without distinction (Head 2, Articles 3 and 5). Head 1 speaks tenderly to believers who doubt, and Head 5 is written to comfort the saints, teaching that they persevere because God preserves them. Course 2 studies the doctrines of grace in detail. Here it is enough to say that the Canons were written not only to refute but to comfort.

Pingamizi na Majibu YetuObjections and Our Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Kanuni zinawapotosha Waremonstranti na zilikuwa matokeo ya kisiasa.Objection 1: The Canons misrepresent the Remonstrants and were a political result.

Wakristo wa Kiarminiani na wa Kiwesley wanasema kwamba Sinodi iliundwa na siasa za Kiholanzi, kwamba Waremonstranti hawakupewa usikilizwaji wa haki, na kwamba Kanuni zinawaeleza kama wanaoshikilia misimamo ambayo hawakuishikilia. Baadhi ya wanahistoria wanasisitiza mgogoro wa kisiasa kati ya wafuasi wa Mfalme Mkuu wa Orange na wapinzani wao.Arminian and Wesleyan Christians say that the Synod was shaped by Dutch politics, that the Remonstrants were not given a fair hearing, and that the Canons describe them as holding positions they did not hold. Some historians stress the political conflict between the supporters of the Prince of Orange and their opponents.

Jibu letu. Ni kweli kwamba Sinodi ilikutana wakati wa mvutano wa kisiasa, na Kozi ya 1 haikuficha hili. Waremonstranti waliitwa kwenye Sinodi, lakini wao na Sinodi hawakukubaliana juu ya jinsi usikilizwaji ufanywe, nao wakafukuzwa. Msomaji mwenye haki anapaswa kuchunguza Kanuni zenyewe. Vichwa vyake ni vya kiasi, na hoja yake inategemea hasa Maandiko, ikiwa na nukuu katika kila jambo kuu. Hati haithibitishwi kuwa ya uongo kwa shida za wakati ilipoandikwa. Swali ni kama inakubaliana na Biblia. Tunashikilia kwamba inakubaliana, na Kozi ya 2, katika kipindi "Pingamizi za Kiarminiani, za Kiwesley na za Kiamyraldi Zimejibiwa," inazishughulikia pingamizi hizi kwa kina.Our answer. It is true that the Synod met in a time of political strain, and Course 1 did not hide this. The Remonstrants were summoned to the Synod, but they and the Synod disagreed over how the hearing should be conducted, and they were dismissed. A fair reader should examine the Canons itself. Its Heads are measured, and its reasoning is based chiefly on Scripture, with citations on every main point. A document is not proved false by the troubles of the time when it was written. The question is whether it agrees with the Bible. We hold that it does, and Course 2, in the unit "Arminian, Wesleyan and Amyraldian Objections Answered," takes these objections up in detail.

Pingamizi la 2: Kanuni zinakwenda mbali zaidi ya yale baadhi ya waandishi wa Kireformed walioamini.Objection 2: The Canons go beyond what some Reformed writers believed.

Baadhi ya wanahistoria wanasema kwamba wajumbe wa Uingereza huko Dort, kama John Davenant, walishikilia kwamba Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya wote kwa maana fulani, huku pia wakifundisha kwamba neema inapewa wateule tu. Wanauliza kama Kanuni zinaondoa mtazamo huu. Wengine wanashikilia kwamba Kanuni zilichagua kwa makusudi maneno yaliyoacha nafasi fulani.Some historians point out that the British delegates at Dort, such as John Davenant, held that Christ died for all in some sense, while also teaching that grace is given only to the elect. They ask whether the Canons exclude this view. Others hold that the Canons deliberately chose wording that allowed some room.

Jibu letu. Huu ni mjadala wa kweli, na wanafunzi waaminifu wa Kireformed wanapaswa kuujua. Kanuni zenyewe zinasema kwamba kifo cha Kristo kinatosha kwa wote na kwamba injili lazima itolewe kwa wote, na zinafundisha kwamba kina nguvu kwa wateule. Wasomaji wengi wa Kireformed wamechukua Kichwa cha 2 kufundisha ukombozi mahususi (particular redemption). Nafasi hiyo ya maelezo tofauti wakati ule ilikuwa na upana gani, mafundisho makuu ya Kanuni juu ya uchaguzi usio na masharti na neema yenye nguvu ni wazi. Kozi ya 2, katika kipindi "Ukombozi Mahususi (upatanisho wenye mipaka) na Toleo la Bure la Injili," inalishughulikia hili.Our answer. This is a real discussion, and honest Reformed students should know it. The Canons themselves say that Christ's death is sufficient for all and that the gospel must be offered to all, and they teach that it is effective for the elect. Most Reformed readers have taken Head 2 to teach particular redemption. Whatever the exact range of room for different expressions at the time, the central teaching of the Canons about unconditional election and effectual grace is clear. Course 2, in the unit "Particular Redemption (limited atonement) and the Free Offer of the Gospel," takes this up.

Pingamizi la 3: Kifungu cha 34 na mafundisho ya Katekisimu juu ya ubatizo si ya kibiblia.Objection 3: Article 34 and the Catechism's teaching on baptism are not biblical.

Wabaptisti na Wakristo wengi wa Kipentekoste wanashikilia kwamba ni waumini tu wanaopaswa kubatizwa, na kwamba Ungamo la Ubelgiji na Katekisimu ya Heidelberg zinakosea kujumuisha watoto wachanga.Baptist and many Pentecostal Christians hold that only believers should be baptized, and that the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism are wrong to include infants.

Jibu letu. Tunaheshimu upendo wao kwa Maandiko, wala hatushikilii kwamba mtazamo wao unashikiliwa kwa nia mbaya. Maungamo yetu yanasoma ubatizo katika nuru ya agano ambalo Mungu alifanya na Ibrahimu na watoto wake, ndiyo sababu kozi hii inaanza na teolojia ya agano. Kozi ya 4, katika kipindi "Ubatizo wa Waumini na wa Watoto Wao," inaeleza pingamizi za Kibaptisti na kuzijibu kikamilifu.Our answer. We respect their love for Scripture, and we do not hold that their view is held in bad faith. Our confessions read baptism in light of the covenant God made with Abraham and his children, which is why this course begins with covenant theology. Course 4, in the unit "Baptism of Believers and Their Children," sets out the Baptist objections and answers them fully.

Pingamizi la 4: Hati za karne ya kumi na sita ni za Kizungu mno kwa kanisa la leo.Objection 4: Documents from the sixteenth century are too European for the church today.

Wanafunzi katika Amerika ya Kusini, Afrika na Asia wanaweza kuuliza kama hati za Kiholanzi na Kijerumani za karne ya kumi na sita zinawahusu.Students in Latin America, Africa and Asia may ask whether sixteenth-century Dutch and German documents belong to them.

Jibu letu. Makanisa ya Kireformed hayajawahi kudai kwamba hati hizi zimeandikwa katika Maandiko, lakini yamegundua kwamba injili inayofundisha ni kwa mataifa yote. Maswali ya faraja, dhambi, neema na shukrani si ya Kiholanzi wala Kijerumani bali ni ya kibinadamu. Hati hizi zimetafsiriwa katika lugha nyingi, na makanisa katika mabara mengi huzishikilia kama zao wenyewe. Tutarudi kwa hili katika Kipindi cha 10.Our answer. The Reformed churches have never claimed that these documents are written in Scripture, but they have found that the gospel they teach is for all nations. The questions of comfort, sin, grace and thanks are not Dutch or German but human. The documents have been translated into many languages, and churches in many continents hold them as their own. We will return to this in Unit 10.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mwanamke katika kutaniko amempoteza mumewe baada ya ugonjwa mrefu. Anakuja kwa mchungaji na kusema, "Nimeomba kwa miaka mingi. Je, Mungu hata anajali kuhusu mimi? Je, nimefanya kosa lolote?"A woman in the congregation has lost her husband after a long illness. She comes to the pastor and says, "I have prayed for years. Does God even care about me? Have I done something wrong?"

Mchungaji hatoi hotuba. Kwanza, anakaa pamoja naye na kumruhusu aseme. Pili, anauliza kama anaweza kumsomea swali kutoka Katekisimu ambalo kanisa limefundisha kwa vizazi. Anasoma swali na jibu la kwanza, polepole: kwamba yeye si mali yake mwenyewe, bali ni mali, mwili na roho, katika uzima na katika kifo, ya Mwokozi wake mwaminifu Yesu Kristo. Tatu, anafungua Warumi 14:8 na kusema kwamba kifo cha mumewe, na chake mwenyewe, kiko ndani ya utunzaji wa Bwana ambaye wao ni mali yake. Nne, anaahidi kutembelea na kuomba, na kumwalika kwenye ibada ya alasiri, ambako kanisa linapitia Katekisimu. Hajajibu kila swali kuhusu kwa nini ugonjwa ulikuja. Lakini amempa faraja ya hakika isiyo maneno yake wala yake mwenyewe, bali Neno la Mungu lililofupishwa katika ungamo.The pastor does not give a lecture. First, he sits with her and lets her speak. Second, he asks if he may read her a question from the Catechism that the church has taught for generations. He reads the first question and answer, slowly: that she is not her own, but belongs, body and soul, in life and in death, to her faithful Savior Jesus Christ. Third, he opens Romans 14:8 and says that her husband's death, and her own, falls inside the care of the Lord to whom they belong. Fourth, he promises to visit and pray, and he invites her to the afternoon service, where the church is working through the Catechism. He has not answered every question about why the illness came. But he has given her a sure comfort that is not her own words or his, but the Word of God summarized in a confession.

MuhtasariSummary

Aina Tatu za Umoja ni Ungamo la Ubelgiji (1561), Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (1563) na Kanuni za Dort (1619). Ungamo la Ubelgiji, lililoandikwa na Guido de Brès, lina vifungu thelathini na saba na linatoa alama tatu za kanisa la kweli katika Kifungu cha 29. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, inayohusishwa na Ursinus na Olevianus, ina maswali 129 katika Siku za Bwana hamsini na mbili na inafuata mfano wa hatia, neema na shukrani, ikianza na faraja kwamba sisi ni mali ya Kristo. Kanuni za Dort ziliwajibu Waremonstranti katika Vichwa Vinne Vikuu, kila kimoja chenye mafundisho chanya na kukataa makosa. Pingamizi zinahusu siasa, upana wa nafasi ndani ya Dort, ubatizo wa watoto wachanga na asili ya Kizungu ya hati hizi. Tunajibu kwamba swali ni kama viwango hivi vinakubaliana na Maandiko, na tunaamini kwamba vinakubaliana.The Three Forms of Unity are the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and the Canons of Dort (1619). The Belgic Confession, written by Guido de Brès, has thirty-seven articles and gives the three marks of the true church in Article 29. The Heidelberg Catechism, credited to Ursinus and Olevianus, has 129 questions in fifty-two Lord's Days and follows the pattern of guilt, grace and gratitude, beginning with the comfort that we belong to Christ. The Canons of Dort answered the Remonstrants in four Main Heads, each with positive teaching and a rejection of errors. Objections concern politics, the range of room within Dort, infant baptism and the European origin of the documents. We answer that the question is whether these standards agree with Scripture, and we believe that they do.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Ungamo la Ubelgiji (The Belgic Confession) (1561), hasa Vifungu vya 1-9, 27-29 na 34.• The Belgic Confession (1561), especially Articles 1-9, 27-29 and 34.

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

• Kanuni za Dort (The Canons of Dort) (1619), Vichwa Vinne Vikuu na Kukataa Makosa.• The Canons of Dort (1619), the four Main Heads and the Rejections of Errors.

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

• Ungamo la Pili la Helvetia (The Second Helvetic Confession) (1566), kwa ulinganisho na Aina Tatu za Umoja.• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566), for comparison with the Three Forms.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Teolojia ya Kimfumo) (1872-73), kwa mafundisho ya neema.• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), for the doctrines of grace.

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