Teolojia ya Agano, Maandiko na Maungamo ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 8: Viwango vya WestminsterCovenant Theology, Scripture, and Reformed Confessions — Unit 8: The Westminster Standards

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Basi, mkila, au mkinywa, au mkifanya neno lo lote, fanyeni yote kwa utukufu wa Mungu." (1 Wakorintho 10:31, SUV)"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kutaja hati zinazounda Viwango vya Westminster na kutoa tarehe za Mkutano (Assembly) na za kazi zake kuu.1. Name the documents that make up the Westminster Standards and give the dates of the Assembly and of its main works.

2. Kueleza umbo la Ungamo la Imani la Westminster na kutaja mafundisho yake matano.2. Describe the shape of the Westminster Confession of Faith and name five of its teachings.

3. Kueleza tofauti ya kusudi kati ya Katekisimu Fupi na Katekisimu Kubwa, na kukariri swali la kwanza la Katekisimu Fupi.3. Explain the difference in purpose between the Shorter Catechism and the Larger Catechism, and recite the first question of the Shorter Catechism.

4. Kueleza jinsi Viwango vilivyorekebishwa na makanisa mengine, na jinsi vinavyoshughulikia maswali ambayo waumini wa Kireformed hutofautiana juu yake.4. Explain how the Standards were adapted by other churches, and how they treat questions on which Reformed believers differ.

5. Kutaja angalau pingamizi tatu au mijadala ya wanahistoria kwa haki na kuzijibu kutoka upande wa Kireformed.5. State at least three objections or historians' debates 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. Viwango vya Westminster ni viwango vya mafundisho vya makanisa mengi ya Kipresbiteri katika ulimwengu unaozungumza Kiingereza, na vya makanisa mengi ya Kipresbiteri mahali pengine, kama Kanisa la Kipresbiteri la Brazil. Tunavipenda, na tunavishikilia chini ya Maandiko, kama Kipindi cha 6 kilivyofundisha. Tunaeleza pingamizi kwa haki kisha kuzijibu, kwa sababu Maandiko yasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Kozi ya 1 ilisimulia hadithi ya Wapuritani na ya Mkutano wa Westminster, kwa hiyo hapa tunasoma hati zenyewe.This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. The Westminster Standards are the doctrinal standards of most Presbyterian churches in the English-speaking world, and of many Presbyterian churches elsewhere, such as the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. We love them, and we hold them under Scripture, as Unit 6 taught. We state objections fairly and then answer them, because Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Course 1 told the story of the Puritans and of the Westminster Assembly, so here we study the documents themselves.

Mkutano na Kazi YakeThe Assembly and Its Work

Mkutano wa Westminster (Westminster Assembly) ulikuwa mkusanyiko wa wachungaji na walei wachache walioitwa na Bunge la Uingereza. Ulikutana Westminster, London, kuanzia mwaka 1643. Wakati huo Uingereza ilikuwa katika vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe kati ya Mfalme Charles wa Kwanza na Bunge, na Bunge lilihitaji msaada wa Waskoti. Mwaka 1643 falme hizo mbili ziliungana katika Solemn League and Covenant (Agano la Ushirikiano Mtakatifu), lililoahidi kutafuta kanisa lililofanyiwa matengenezo na makubaliano ya karibu katika dini kote Uingereza, Scotland na Ireland. Wajumbe kutoka Kanisa la Scotland walikuja kwenye Mkutano kuushauri, ingawa hawakupiga kura.The Westminster Assembly was a gathering of ministers and a few laymen called by the English Parliament. It met in Westminster, in London, from 1643. England was then in a civil war between King Charles I and Parliament, and Parliament needed the help of the Scots. In 1643 the two kingdoms joined in the Solemn League and Covenant, which pledged them to seek a reformed church and a close agreement in religion across England, Scotland and Ireland. Commissioners from the Church of Scotland came to the Assembly to advise it, though they did not vote.

Kazi ya kwanza ya Mkutano ilikuwa kurekebisha Vifungu Thelathini na Tisa vya Kanisa la Uingereza. Hivi karibuni uligeukia kuandika hati mpya. Kazi zake kuu zilikuwa hizi:The Assembly's first task was to revise the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. It soon turned to writing new documents. Its main works were these:

• Directory for the Publick Worship of God (Mwongozo wa Ibada ya Hadharani ya Mungu) (1645), mwongozo wa ibada badala ya Kitabu cha Sala ya Pamoja (Book of Common Prayer).• The Directory for the Publick Worship of God (1645), a guide for worship in place of the Book of Common Prayer.

• Form of Presbyterial Church Government (Muundo wa Utawala wa Kanisa wa Kipresbiteri) (1645).• The Form of Presbyterial Church Government (1645).

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (kukamilika 1646).• The Westminster Confession of Faith (completed 1646).

• Katekisimu Kubwa na Katekisimu Fupi (1647).• The Larger Catechism and the Shorter Catechism (1647).

Kanisa la Scotland lilipitisha Ungamo na Katekisimu mwaka 1647. Huko Uingereza hadithi ilikuwa tofauti. Hali ya kisiasa ilibadilika, na baada ya kurudi kwa ufalme mwaka 1660 Kanisa la Uingereza lilihifadhi maaskofu wake na kitabu chake cha sala. Kwa hiyo Viwango vya Westminster vilipata makao yao ya kudumu huko Scotland na katika makanisa ya Kipresbiteri na mengine ya Kireformed yaliyotoka huko, Ireland, Amerika na sehemu nyingi za dunia. Pia viliunda maisha ya Kireformed yanayozungumza Kiingereza kwa njia nyingine. Mwaka 1658 Wakongregationali wa Uingereza walirekebisha Ungamo katika Tamko la Savoy (Savoy Declaration), na Wabaptisti Maalum (Particular Baptists) walilirekebisha katika Ungamo la Pili la London la mwaka 1677, lililochapishwa upya 1689. Charles Spurgeon, sauti ya Mbaptisti wa Kireformed, aliuthamini umbo hilo la Kibaptisti. Marekebisho haya yalibadilisha sura juu ya ubatizo na utawala wa kanisa lakini yalihifadhi mafundisho mengine, jambo linaloonyesha jinsi Ungamo lilivyopendwa kwa upana.The Church of Scotland adopted the Confession and the Catechisms in 1647. In England the story went differently. The political situation changed, and after the return of the monarchy in 1660 the Church of England kept its bishops and its prayer book. The Westminster Standards therefore found their lasting home in Scotland and in the Presbyterian and other Reformed churches that came from it, in Ireland, America and many parts of the world. They also shaped English-speaking Reformed life in other ways. In 1658 the English Congregationalists adapted the Confession in the Savoy Declaration, and the Particular Baptists adapted it in the Second London Confession of 1677, reissued in 1689. Charles Spurgeon, a Reformed Baptist voice, valued that Baptist form. These adaptations changed the chapters on baptism and church government but kept the rest of the teaching, which shows how widely the Confession was loved.

Ungamo la Imani la WestminsterThe Westminster Confession of Faith

Ungamo lina sura thelathini na tatu. Halifuati mpangilio wa Imani ya Mitume bali mpangilio wa teolojia: kwanza Maandiko, kisha Mungu, kisha kazi za Mungu, kisha wokovu, kisha kanisa na mambo ya mwisho. Hizi ndizo sehemu zake kuu.The Confession has thirty-three chapters. It does not follow the order of the Apostles' Creed but the order of theology: first Scripture, then God, then the works of God, then salvation, then the church and last things. Here are its main parts.

Sura ya 1 ni juu ya Maandiko Matakatifu, kama Kipindi cha 6 kilivyoonyesha. Sura ya 2 hadi 5 zinafundisha Utatu, amri ya milele ya Mungu, uumbaji na utunzaji wa Mungu. Sura ya 3 inafundisha kuchaguliwa tangu awali (predestination), na 3.8 inaomba fundisho hili lishughulikiwe kwa busara na uangalifu, ili litoe faraja na si kukata tamaa. Sura ya 6 inafundisha anguko, na sura ya 7 inafundisha maagano ya Mungu, agano la matendo lililofanywa na Adamu na agano la neema lililofanywa kupitia Kristo. Vipindi "Agano la Ukombozi na Agano la Matendo" na "Agano la Neema, Kuanzia Adamu hadi Kristo" vinayashughulikia kwa kina. Sura ya 8 ni juu ya Kristo Mpatanishi. Sura ya 9 hadi 18 zinafuata mpangilio wa wokovu: hiari huru, wito wenye nguvu, kuhesabiwa haki, kufanywa wana, utakaso, imani ya kuokoa, toba, matendo mema, kuvumilia na uhakika. Sura ya 19 hadi 24 zinashughulikia sheria ya Mungu, uhuru wa Kikristo, ibada na Sabato, viapo na nadhiri, mtawala wa kiraia, na ndoa. Sura ya 25 hadi 31 zinafundisha kanisa, ushirika wa watakatifu, sakramenti, ubatizo, Meza ya Bwana, nidhamu ya kanisa, na sinodi na mabaraza. Sura ya 32 na 33 zinafundisha hali ya wafu, ufufuo na hukumu ya mwisho.Chapter 1 is on Holy Scripture, as Unit 6 showed. Chapters 2 to 5 teach the Trinity, God's eternal decree, creation and providence. Chapter 3 teaches predestination, and 3.8 asks that this doctrine be handled with prudence and care, so that it gives comfort and not despair. Chapter 6 teaches the fall, and chapter 7 teaches God's covenants, the covenant of works made with Adam and the covenant of grace made through Christ. The units "The Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Works" and "The Covenant of Grace from Adam to Christ" treat these in detail. Chapter 8 is on Christ the Mediator. Chapters 9 to 18 follow the order of salvation: free will, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, saving faith, repentance, good works, perseverance and assurance. Chapters 19 to 24 treat the law of God, Christian liberty, worship and the Sabbath, oaths and vows, the civil magistrate, and marriage. Chapters 25 to 31 teach the church, the communion of saints, the sacraments, baptism, the Lord's Supper, church discipline, and synods and councils. Chapters 32 and 33 teach the state of the dead, the resurrection and the last judgment.

Mambo kadhaa yanastahili kuzingatiwa.Several features are worth noticing.

Kwanza, muundo wa agano. Sura ya 7 inasema kwamba umbali kati ya Mungu na viumbe wake ni mkubwa sana hata wasingeweza kamwe kumfurahia kama thawabu yao isipokuwa kwa kujishusha kwa hiari kwa upande wake, ambako ameridhika kukueleza kwa njia ya agano. Huu ndio mfumo wa Ungamo lote, na ndiyo sababu kozi hii inaanza na teolojia ya agano.First, the covenant structure. Chapter 7 states that the distance between God and His creatures is so great that they could never enjoy Him as their reward except by some voluntary condescension on His part, which He has been pleased to express by way of covenant. This is the framework of the whole Confession, and it is the reason why this course begins with covenant theology.

Pili, jinsi linavyoshikilia pamoja enzi ya Mungu na wajibu wa binadamu. Sura ya 3.1 inafundisha kwamba Mungu aliamuru yote yatakayotokea, na hata hivyo Mungu si mwandishi wa dhambi, hakuna nguvu inayotumiwa juu ya mapenzi ya viumbe, na uhuru au uwezekano wa sababu za pili haviondolewi bali vinathibitishwa. Kozi ya 2 inaendeleza mafundisho haya.Second, the way it holds together God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Chapter 3.1 teaches that God ordained whatever comes to pass, and yet that God is not the author of sin, that no violence is done to the will of the creatures, and that the liberty or contingency of second causes is not taken away but established. Course 2 develops this teaching.

Tatu, heshima yake kwa dhamiri. Sura ya 20 inasema kwamba Mungu peke yake ndiye Bwana wa dhamiri, na sura ya 21 inaweka kanuni ya kudhibiti ibada (regulative principle): kwamba njia inayokubalika ya kumwabudu Mungu imewekwa na yeye mwenyewe na imefungwa na mapenzi yake yaliyofunuliwa. Kozi ya 4 inachukua kanuni hii katika kipindi "Kanuni ya Kudhibiti Ibada."Third, its regard for conscience. Chapter 20 says that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and chapter 21 sets out the regulative principle: that the acceptable way of worshipping God is appointed by Himself and limited by His revealed will. Course 4 takes up the principle in the unit "The Regulative Principle of Worship."

Nne, uthibitisho wake wa ndoa. Sura ya 24 inafundisha kwamba ndoa ni kati ya mwanamume mmoja na mwanamke mmoja. Inaeleza ndoa kama iliyoamriwa kwa msaada wa pamoja wa mume na mke, kwa ongezeko la wanadamu kwa watoto wacha Mungu, na kwa ongezeko la kanisa kwa uzao mtakatifu. Haya ni mafundisho ya furaha na ya heshima, yaliyo na mizizi katika Mwanzo na katika maneno ya Bwana wetu, na yanaunda jinsi makanisa ya Kipresbiteri yanavyotunza familia.Fourth, its affirmation of marriage. Chapter 24 teaches that marriage is to be between one man and one woman. It describes marriage as ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a godly offspring, and for the increase of the church with a holy seed. This is a happy and honorable teaching, rooted in Genesis and in the words of our Lord, and it shapes how Presbyterian churches care for families.

Tano, kile inachokiacha wazi. Ungamo linafundisha kurudi kwa Kristo, ufufuo wa wafu na hukumu ya mwisho, lakini halieleza mtazamo mmoja wa milenia. Waumini wa Kireformed wanaoshikilia Ungamo wamekuwa wa amillennial, postmillennial na premillennial. Kozi hii haichagui kati yao.Fifth, what it leaves open. The Confession teaches the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the last judgment, but it does not set out one view of a millennium. Reformed believers who hold the Confession have been amillennial, postmillennial and premillennial. This course does not choose among them.

Katekisimu MbiliThe Two Catechisms

Katekisimu Kubwa ina maswali 196. Katekisimu Fupi ina 107. Zilitungwa kwa matumizi tofauti. Katekisimu Kubwa ilikusudiwa kutumiwa katika mafundisho ya hadharani na wachungaji, na kwa hiyo inaingia katika undani zaidi. Kwa mfano, katika ufafanuzi wake wa Amri Kumi inaorodhesha wajibu unaohitajika na dhambi zinazokatazwa katika kila amri. Katekisimu Fupi ilikusudiwa watoto na wanaoanza, na ni fupi vya kutosha kujifunza kwa moyo.The Larger Catechism has 196 questions. The Shorter Catechism has 107. They were made for different uses. The Larger Catechism was meant for use in public teaching by ministers, and so it goes into more detail. For example, in its explanation of the Ten Commandments it lists the duties required and the sins forbidden in each commandment. The Shorter Catechism was meant for children and beginners, and it is short enough to learn by heart.

Swali la kwanza la Katekisimu Fupi ni mojawapo ya sentensi zinazojulikana zaidi katika ulimwengu wa Kireformed. Linauliza, "Kusudi kuu la mwanadamu ni nini?" na kujibu, "Kusudi kuu la mwanadamu ni kumtukuza Mungu, na kumfurahia milele." Jibu linaunganisha mambo mawili ambayo watu mara nyingi huyatenganisha: wajibu na furaha. Maandiko kama 1 Wakorintho 10:31 na Zaburi 73:24-26 yako nyuma yake. Swali la 3 linasema kwamba Maandiko yanafundisha hasa yale mwanadamu anapaswa kuamini kuhusu Mungu, na wajibu ambao Mungu anamtaka mwanadamu, na Katekisimu imepangwa katika sehemu hizi mbili hasa. Swali la 4 linatoa fasili nzuri ya Mungu kama Roho, asiye na kikomo, wa milele na asiyebadilika katika uhai wake, hekima, nguvu, utakatifu, haki, wema na kweli.The first question of the Shorter Catechism is one of the best-known sentences in the Reformed world. It asks, "What is the chief end of man?" and answers, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever." The answer joins two things that people often separate: duty and delight. Texts such as 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Psalm 73:24-26 stand behind it. Question 3 says that the Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man, and the Catechism is arranged in just these two parts. Question 4 gives a beautiful definition of God as a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

Kukariri majibu kama haya kumekuwa alama ya familia za Kireformed kwa karne nyingi. Kozi ya 5 inarudi kwenye kufundisha kwa katekisimu katika kipindi "Kufundisha kwa Katekisimu na Kuwafanya Wanafunzi."Memorizing such answers has been a mark of Reformed families for centuries. Course 5 returns to catechizing in the unit "Catechizing and Discipleship."

Pingamizi na Mijadala ya WanahistoriaObjections and Historians' Debates

Pingamizi la 1: Viwango vinafundisha ubatizo wa watoto wachanga na utawala wa kipresbiteri, na Maandiko hayafundishi.Objection 1: The Standards teach infant baptism and presbyterian government, and Scripture does not.

Wakristo wa Kibaptisti, wa Kikongregationali na huru wanashikilia kwamba ni waumini tu wanaopaswa kubatizwa na kwamba kila kanisa la mahali lijitawale lenyewe. Wabaptisti walirekebisha Ungamo la Westminster kwa sababu hii.Baptist, Congregational and independent Christians hold that only believers should be baptized and that each local church should govern itself. Baptists adapted the Westminster Confession for this reason.

Jibu letu. Tunawaheshimu ndugu na dada hawa, na tunafurahi kwamba wanapenda sehemu kubwa ya Ungamo. Lakini tunaamini kwamba Maandiko yanafundisha yote mawili. Tunasoma ubatizo katika nuru ya agano ambalo Mungu alifanya na Ibrahimu na watoto wake, na Viwango vinafundisha hili katika sura ya 28. Tunasoma utawala wa kanisa kama ulioshirikishwa miongoni mwa wazee, kama kitabu cha Matendo na nyaraka zinavyoonyesha. Kozi ya 4 inaeleza mafundisho yote mawili na kujibu pingamizi katika vipindi "Ubatizo wa Waumini na wa Watoto Wao" na "Utawala kwa Wazee."Our answer. We respect these brothers and sisters, and we are glad that they love much of the Confession. But we believe that the Scripture teaches both. We read baptism in light of the covenant that God made with Abraham and his children, and the Standards teach this in chapter 28. We read the government of the church as shared among elders, as the book of Acts and the epistles show. Course 4 sets out both teachings and answers the objections in the units "Baptism of Believers and Their Children" and "Government by Elders."

Pingamizi la 2: Kuchaguliwa tangu awali katika sura ya 3 kunamfanya Mungu mwandishi wa dhambi na kuondoa chaguzi za kweli.Objection 2: Predestination in chapter 3 makes God the author of sin and removes real choices.

Wakristo wa Kiarminiani na wa Kiwesley wanaogopa kwamba Ungamo linawafanya watu kuwa vikaragosi.Arminian and Wesleyan Christians fear that the Confession makes people into puppets.

Jibu letu. Ungamo linajibu hofu hii kwa maneno yake yenyewe, katika sura ya 3.1, kwa kukana kwamba Mungu ni mwandishi wa dhambi na kukana kwamba mapenzi ya kiumbe yanalazimishwa. Chaguzi za binadamu ni chaguzi za kweli na zina matokeo ya kweli, na Mungu anaziamuru bila kuziharibu. Biblia inaonyesha yote mawili katika tukio lilelile, kama katika hadithi ya Yusufu, aliyewaambia ndugu zake kwamba yale waliyokusudia kuwa mabaya Mungu aliyakusudia kuwa mema (Mwanzo 50:20). Kozi ya 2 inaendeleza hili katika kipindi "Enzi ya Mungu na Wajibu wa Binadamu."Our answer. The Confession answers this fear in its own words, in chapter 3.1, by denying that God is the author of sin and denying that the will of the creature is forced. Human choices are real choices and have real consequences, and God ordains them without destroying them. The Bible shows both in the same event, as in the story of Joseph, who told his brothers that what they meant for evil God meant for good (Genesis 50:20). Course 2 develops this in the unit "Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility."

Pingamizi la 3: Ungamo linasema mengi mno na ni la kitaaluma mno kwa watu wa kawaida.Objection 3: The Confession says too much and is too scholastic for ordinary people.

Wengine wanasema kwamba sura thelathini na tatu zilizojaa maneno ya kiufundi ziko mbali na injili rahisi.Some say that thirty-three chapters, full of technical words, are far from the simple gospel.

Jibu letu. Mafundisho ya uangalifu si adui wa imani rahisi. Ungamo liliandikwa kwa wachungaji na wazee, wanaopaswa kufundisha shauri lote la Mungu. Kwa waumini wa kawaida na watoto kanisa lina Katekisimu Fupi, ambayo ni fupi, wazi na ya joto. Mchungaji anayeijua Ungamo anaweza kutoa jibu rahisi kwa sababu anajua kilichoko nyuma yake.Our answer. A careful teaching is not an enemy of simple faith. The Confession was written for ministers and elders, who must teach all of God's counsel. For ordinary believers and children the church has the Shorter Catechism, which is short, plain and warm. A pastor who knows the Confession can give a simple answer because he knows what lies behind it.

Pingamizi la 4: Sura juu ya mtawala wa kiraia ilitoa serikali mamlaka juu ya kanisa.Objection 4: The chapter on the civil magistrate gave the state power over the church.

Bunge liliita Mkutano, na Ungamo hapo awali lilimpa mtawala wa kiraia nafasi kubwa zaidi katika dini kuliko makanisa mengi ya Kireformed yanavyofundisha leo. Wakosoaji wanaona Viwango kama zao la mpangilio wa kanisa na serikali wa karne ya kumi na saba.Parliament called the Assembly, and the Confession originally gave the civil magistrate a larger role in religion than most Reformed churches teach today. Critics see the Standards as a product of a church-state arrangement of the seventeenth century.

Jibu letu. Hili ni jambo la kweli, na makanisa ya Kireformed yamelisema. Katika miaka ya 1780 Wapresbiteri wa Amerika walirekebisha sura juu ya mtawala wa kiraia na juu ya sinodi ili kuondoa nafasi ya serikali katika mambo ya kanisa, na makanisa mengine ya Kireformed yamefanya marekebisho yao wenyewe. Walifanya hivi kwa utaratibu wao halali, kama Kipindi cha 6 kilivyofundisha kwamba ungamo linaweza kurekebishwa, na wakaacha Ungamo lingine kama lilivyokuwa. Viwango viliandikwa katika wakati wa muungano wa kanisa na serikali, na mafundisho yake juu ya utawala wa kiroho wa kanisa lenyewe, bila serikali, ni imara kuliko wakosoaji wanavyokiri.Our answer. This is a real point, and Reformed churches have said so. In the 1780s American Presbyterians revised the chapters on the civil magistrate and on synods to remove a role for the state in church matters, and other Reformed churches have made their own revisions. They did this by their own lawful process, as Unit 6 taught that a confession may be revised, and they left the rest of the Confession as it was. The Standards were written in a time of church-state union, and their teaching on the church's own spiritual government, apart from the state, is stronger than the critics allow.

Mjadala wa 1: Je, Viwango vinaondoka kwa Calvin?Debate 1: Do the Standards depart from Calvin?

Baadhi ya wanahistoria wamejadili kwamba teolojia ya shirikisho au ya agano ya karne ya kumi na saba, pamoja na agano lake la matendo, ilikuwa hatua ya kuondoka kwenye msisitizo wa Calvin mwenyewe. Wengine, kama Richard Muller, wanashikilia kwamba waandishi wa baadaye wa Kireformed waliendeleza mawazo ambayo tayari yalikuwepo kwa Wanamatengenezo wa kwanza na warithi wao. Jibu letu ni lilelile kama katika Kipindi cha 6. Viwango vinakubaliana na Maandiko, na mafundisho ya agano yanapatikana katika Biblia, kama vipindi hivyo viwili vinavyoonyesha.Some historians have argued that the federal or covenant theology of the seventeenth century, with its covenant of works, was a move away from Calvin's own emphasis. Others, such as Richard Muller, hold that the later Reformed writers developed ideas that were already present in the first Reformers and their successors. Our answer is the same as in Unit 6. The Standards agree with Scripture, and the covenant teaching is found in the Bible, as those two units show.

Mjadala wa 2: Je, Viwango vinafundisha ukombozi mahususi tu?Debate 2: Do the Standards teach particular redemption only?

Wanahistoria wanabainisha kwamba wajumbe wachache wa Mkutano, kama Edmund Calamy, wanajulikana kushikilia aina ya hypothetical universalism (imani kwamba Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya wote kwa masharti), na wasomi wengine wanafikiri kwamba maneno ya Ungamo yalichaguliwa kuacha nafasi fulani. Wasomaji wengi wa Kireformed wamechukua sura ya 3 na 8 kufundisha kwamba Kristo aliwakomboa wateule. Kozi ya 2 inashughulikia hili katika kipindi juu ya ukombozi mahususi na toleo la bure la injili.Historians note that a few Assembly members, such as Edmund Calamy, are known to have held a form of hypothetical universalism, and some scholars think that the wording of the Confession was chosen to leave some room. Most Reformed readers have taken chapters 3 and 8 to teach that Christ redeemed the elect. Course 2 handles this in the unit on particular redemption and the free offer.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji katika kanisa linalokua huko Brazil anafundisha darasa la katekisimu kwa vijana. Kijana wa miaka kumi na mitano anayeitwa Marcos anasema, "Shuleni wanasema maisha hayana kusudi. Sisi ni ajali tu. Kwa nini nijali kuhusu kanisa?"A pastor in a growing church in Brazil teaches a catechism class for young people. A fifteen-year-old named Marcos says, "At school they say life has no purpose. We are accidents. Why should I care about church?"

Mchungaji hakemei. Kwanza, anamwuliza Marcos anachofurahia na anachoogopa, na kusikiliza. Pili, anawauliza darasa swali la kwanza la Katekisimu Fupi na kuwaacha wajibu pamoja, kwa kuwa wamelijifunza kwa moyo. Tatu, anafungua 1 Wakorintho 10:31 na Zaburi 73 na kuonyesha kwamba Biblia inatoa kusudi ambalo shule haiwezi kutoa: kumtukuza Mungu na kumfurahia milele, hata katika kula na kunywa na kazi za shule. Nne, haishii kwenye jibu. Anamwalika Marcos alete maswali yake kila juma na kuahidi kwamba majibu ya Katekisimu, kama maneno yote ya wanadamu, yatapimwa kwa Biblia. Marcos haombwi kukubali kauli mbiu. Anapewa kusudi linalofikia kila sehemu ya maisha yake.The pastor does not scold. First, he asks Marcos what he enjoys and what he fears, and listens. Second, he asks the class the first question of the Shorter Catechism and lets them answer it together, since they have learned it by heart. Third, he opens 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Psalm 73 and shows that the Bible gives a purpose that school cannot give: to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, even in eating and drinking and school work. Fourth, he does not stop at the answer. He invites Marcos to bring his questions each week and promises that the answers of the Catechism, like all human words, will be measured by the Bible. Marcos is not asked to accept a slogan. He is given a purpose that reaches to every part of his life.

MuhtasariSummary

Mkutano wa Westminster ulikutana London kuanzia 1643, ukiitwa na Bunge, huku wajumbe wa Scotland wakishauri. Ulitoa Mwongozo wa Ibada ya Hadharani, Muundo wa Utawala wa Kanisa, Ungamo (1646) na Katekisimu Kubwa na Fupi (1647). Kanisa la Scotland liliyapitisha mwaka 1647, na yakawa viwango vya makanisa ya Kipresbiteri ulimwenguni kote. Ungamo lina sura thelathini na tatu, muundo wa agano katika sura ya 7, mafundisho ya uangalifu juu ya amri ya Mungu na chaguo la binadamu, heshima kwa dhamiri na kanuni ya kudhibiti ibada, mafundisho chanya juu ya ndoa kama kati ya mwanamume mmoja na mwanamke mmoja, na mtazamo usiowekwa wa milenia. Katekisimu Kubwa ina maswali 196 kwa mafundisho ya hadharani, na Fupi ina maswali 107 kwa watoto, ikianza na kusudi kuu la mwanadamu. Pingamizi zinahusu ubatizo na utawala wa kanisa, kuchaguliwa tangu awali, urefu, na nafasi ya mtawala wa kiraia. Wanahistoria wanajadili kama Viwango vinaondoka kwa Calvin na ni kwa kiasi gani vinafundisha ukombozi mahususi. Tunaamini kwamba Viwango vinafupisha Biblia kwa uaminifu.The Westminster Assembly met in London from 1643, called by Parliament, with Scottish commissioners advising. It produced the Directory for Public Worship, the Form of Church Government, the Confession (1646) and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1647). The Church of Scotland adopted them in 1647, and they became the standards of Presbyterian churches worldwide. The Confession has thirty-three chapters, a covenant structure in chapter 7, a careful teaching on God's decree and human choice, a regard for conscience and the regulative principle, a positive teaching on marriage as between one man and one woman, and no fixed view of the millennium. The Larger Catechism has 196 questions for public teaching, and the Shorter has 107 questions for children, beginning with the chief end of man. Objections concern baptism and church government, predestination, length, and the role of the civil magistrate. Historians debate whether the Standards depart from Calvin and how far they teach particular redemption. We believe that the Standards faithfully summarize the Bible.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (The Westminster Confession of Faith) (1646).• The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646).

• Katekisimu Kubwa na Katekisimu Fupi ya Westminster (The Westminster Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism) (1647).• The Westminster Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism (1647).

• Directory for the Publick Worship of God (Mwongozo wa Ibada ya Hadharani ya Mungu) (1645).• The Directory for the Publick Worship of God (1645).

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo) (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), kwa ulinganisho juu ya agano na sakramenti.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), for comparison on covenant and the sacraments.

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

• B. B. Warfield, makala juu ya Mkutano wa Westminster na kazi yake.• B. B. Warfield, essays on the Westminster Assembly and its work.

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