Utawala, Ibada na Sakramenti za Kipresbiteri — Sehemu ya 1: Kristo, Mfalme na Kichwa cha KanisaPresbyterian Polity, Worship, and Sacraments — Unit 1: Christ, King and Head of the Church

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Naye ni kichwa cha mwili, yaani, kanisa; yeye ni mwanzo, mzaliwa wa kwanza katika wafu; ili apate yeye kuwa mtangulizi katika yote." (Wakolosai 1:18, SUV)"And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (Colossians 1:18, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, unapaswa kuwa na uwezo wa:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza kwa nini uongozi wa kanisa la Kipresbiteri huanza na ufalme na ukuu wa Yesu Kristo, na si na mfumo wa vyeo.1. Explain why Presbyterian church government begins with the kingship and headship of Jesus Christ, and not with a system of offices.

2. Kueleza Kristo kama nabii, kuhani na mfalme, na kuonyesha jinsi utawala wake wa kifalme unavyolifikia kanisa kupitia Neno lake.2. Describe Christ as prophet, priest and king, and show how His kingly rule reaches the church through His Word.

3. Kueleza maana ya kusema kwamba kanisa halina kichwa duniani, na kwa nini makanisa ya Matengenezo (Reformed) yametetea uhuru wa kiroho wa kanisa dhidi ya dola.3. Explain what it means to say that the church has no head on earth, and why Reformed churches have defended the church's spiritual independence from the state.

4. Kutofautisha mamlaka ya kihuduma (uwezo wa kutumikia na kutangaza Neno la Kristo) na ubwana (uwezo wa kuamuru kwa jina lako mwenyewe).4. Distinguish ministerial authority (the power to serve and declare Christ's Word) from lordship (the power to command in one's own name).

5. Kutaja pingamizi kuu kutoka kwa mitazamo ya Kanisa Katoliki la Roma, Kianglikana, Kikongregational na ya kisasa, na kutoa jibu la Matengenezo kwa kila moja.5. State the main objections from the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Congregational and modern viewpoints, and give the Reformed answer to each.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Matengenezo (Reformed) na ya Kipresbiteri, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoyashiriki. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya kiungamo cha imani. Inaposema "sisi" au "makanisa yetu," inamaanisha makanisa ya Kipresbiteri na ya Matengenezo yanayoungama Utatu, yanayoshikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na lisilo na kosa, na yanayokubali Viwango vya Westminster (Westminster Standards) au Fomu Tatu za Umoja (Three Forms of Unity). Wakristo wengine wanaona mambo haya tofauti. Tunaeleza maoni yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Paulo aliandika, "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkaposhike lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21).This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. When it says "we" or "our churches," it means the Presbyterian and Reformed churches that confess the Trinity, hold the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and subscribe to the Westminster Standards or the Three Forms of Unity. Other Christians see these matters differently. We state their views fairly and then give our answer. Paul wrote, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Historia ya jinsi makanisa haya yalivyoanza ni sehemu ya Kozi ya 1 ya fani hii, na hatutairudia. Hapa tunauliza swali tofauti. Biblia inafundisha nini kuhusu jinsi Kristo anavyoliongoza kanisa lake, na mchungaji anapaswa kuliongozaje kusanyiko kwa kuzingatia hilo? Tunaanzia pale ambapo uongozi wote mwema wa kanisa huanzia: kwa Bwana mwenyewe.The history of how these churches began belongs to Course 1 of this specialization, and we will not repeat it. Here we ask a different question. What does the Bible teach about how Christ governs His church, and how should a pastor lead a congregation in light of it? We begin where all good church government begins: with the Lord Himself.

Kwa Nini Kuanza na KristoWhy Begin with Christ

Vitabu vingi kuhusu uongozi wa kanisa huanza na orodha ya vyeo. Mapokeo yetu huanza mahali pengine. Kabla ya kuuliza ni nani anayetawala kanisani, tunauliza kanisa ni la nani.Many books on church government begin with a list of offices. Our tradition begins somewhere else. Before we ask who rules in the church, we ask whose church it is.

Yesu alisema, "Nitalijenga kanisa langu; wala milango ya kuzimu haitalishinda" (Mathayo 16:18). Hakusema "kanisa mtakalojenga ninyi." Alisema "kanisa langu." Kanisa ni mali ya Kristo kwa sababu alilinunua kwa damu yake mwenyewe. Paulo aliwaambia wazee wa Efeso walichunge "kanisa la Mungu, alilolinunua kwa damu yake mwenyewe" (Matendo 20:28). Kila cheo na kila kanuni vipo ili kumtumikia yule ambaye kanisa ni mali yake.Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). He did not say "the church that you will build." He said "My church." The church belongs to Christ because He bought it with His own blood. Paul told the elders of Ephesus to "shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). Every office and every rule exists to serve the one to whom the church belongs.

Mchungaji anayefikiri kwamba kanisa ni "lake" atakuwa mdhalimu, au mtumishi wa ujira anayeondoka watu wanapomkatisha tamaa. Kusanyiko linalofikiri kwamba kanisa ni "letu" litamchukulia mchungaji kama mwajiriwa na Biblia kama ushauri tu. Tunapokumbuka kwamba ni kanisa la Kristo, mchungaji na watu wote wananyenyekezwa na wote wanalindwa.A pastor who thinks the church is "his" will become a tyrant, or a hireling who leaves when the people disappoint him. A congregation that thinks the church is "ours" will treat the pastor as an employee and the Bible as advice. When we remember that it is Christ's church, both pastor and people are humbled and both are protected.

Kristo Ndiye KichwaChrist Is the Head

Agano Jipya hutumia picha ya mwili na kichwa chake. Paulo anasema kwamba Mungu "akavitiisha vitu vyote chini ya miguu yake, akamweka awe kichwa juu ya vitu vyote kwa ajili ya kanisa, ambalo ni mwili wake" (Waefeso 1:22-23). Katika Wakolosai 1:18, mstari wetu mkuu, Kristo anaitwa kichwa cha mwili na yule mwenye nafasi ya kwanza katika yote. Katika Waefeso 5:23 Paulo anaandika kwamba "Kristo ni kichwa cha kanisa, naye ni mwokozi wa mwili."The New Testament uses the picture of a body and its head. Paul says that God "put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body" (Ephesians 1:22-23). In Colossians 1:18, our key verse, Christ is called the head of the body and the one who has first place in all things. In Ephesians 5:23 Paul writes that "Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body."

Kweli tatu zinafuata kutoka kwa picha hii.Three truths follow from this picture.

Kwanza, kichwa hutoa uzima. Mwili usio na kichwa umekufa. Kanisa si shirika la kibinadamu ambalo Kristo hulitembelea mara kwa mara. Anaishi ndani yake kwa Roho wake na kulipa uzima. Wachungaji hupanda na kumwagilia, lakini Mungu ndiye anayekuza (1 Wakorintho 3:6-7).First, the head gives life. A body without its head is dead. The church is not a human organization that Christ visits from time to time. He lives in it by His Spirit and gives it life. Pastors plant and water, but God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Pili, kichwa hutoa mwelekeo. Mwili haujiamulii wenyewe unakokwenda. Kabla Yesu hajapaa, alisema, "Nimepewa mamlaka yote mbinguni na duniani" (Mathayo 28:18). Kisha akalipa kanisa lake kazi yake: kufanya wanafunzi, kubatiza na kufundisha kila kitu alichoamuru. Kanisa hupokea utume wake, ujumbe wake na ibada yake kutoka kwake.Second, the head gives direction. The body does not decide for itself where to go. Before Jesus ascended, He said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). Then He gave His church its work: to make disciples, to baptize and to teach everything He commanded. The church receives its mission, its message and its worship from Him.

Tatu, kichwa kipo pamoja nasi. Yesu aliahidi, "Mimi nipo pamoja nanyi siku zote, hata ukamilifu wa dahari" (Mathayo 28:20). Ni mfalme aliye hai anayetawala sasa kutoka mkono wa kuume wa Baba, na aliye pamoja na watu wake kwa Roho Mtakatifu.Third, the head is present. Jesus promised, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). He is a living king who rules now from the right hand of the Father, and who is present with His people by the Holy Spirit.

Nabii, Kuhani na MfalmeProphet, Priest and King

Mapokeo ya Matengenezo yamefundisha kwa muda mrefu kwamba Kristo ana vyeo vitatu. Yohana Calvin alieleza hili katika kitabu chake Institutes (Kitabu cha 2, sura ya 15), na Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (Heidelberg Catechism) inalifundisha katika Swali na Jibu la 31, linalosema kwamba Kristo anaitwa "mpakwa mafuta" kwa sababu aliwekwa kuwa nabii na mwalimu wetu mkuu, kuhani wetu mkuu wa pekee na mfalme wetu wa milele. Katekisimu Fupi ya Westminster (Westminster Shorter Catechism) inafundisha kweli hiyo hiyo katika majibu yake kuhusu Kristo kama nabii, kuhani na mfalme.The Reformed tradition has long taught that Christ holds three offices. John Calvin explained this in his Institutes (Book 2, chapter 15), and the Heidelberg Catechism teaches it in Question and Answer 31, which says that Christ is called "anointed" because He was appointed to be our chief prophet and teacher, our only high priest and our eternal king. The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches the same truth in its answers on Christ as prophet, priest and king.

• Kama nabii, Kristo hutufunulia mapenzi ya Mungu. Hufanya hivyo katika mafundisho yake mwenyewe, na kupitia mitume na manabii walioandika Maandiko.• As prophet, Christ reveals the will of God to us. He does this in His own teaching, and through the apostles and prophets who wrote the Scriptures.

• Kama kuhani, Kristo alijitoa mwenyewe mara moja kuwa dhabihu kwa dhambi, na sasa huwaombea watu wake (Waebrania 7:25; 9:26).• As priest, Christ offered Himself once as a sacrifice for sin and now intercedes for His people (Hebrews 7:25; 9:26).

• Kama mfalme, Kristo huwatawala watu wake na vitu vyote. Yeye ni "MFALME WA WAFALME, NA BWANA WA MABWANA" (Ufunuo 19:16).• As king, Christ rules over His people and over all things. He is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16).

Kwa somo letu, cheo cha tatu ndicho kinachohusika zaidi. Ufalme wa Kristo juu ya kanisa si tamathali ya usemi. Huwapa watu wake sheria, huteua viongozi, huweka mpangilio wa ibada na huwarudi wale wanaoasi. Isaya aliahidi kwamba "uweza wa kifalme utakuwa begani mwake" (Isaya 9:6). Kwa hiyo uongozi wa kanisa ni njia ambayo Mfalme aliyefufuka ameichagua ili kuwatawala watu wake mwenyewe.For our subject, the third office matters most. Christ's kingship over the church is not a figure of speech. He gives His people laws, He appoints officers, He sets the pattern of worship and He disciplines those who rebel. Isaiah promised that "the government will be upon His shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6). Church government is therefore the way the risen King has chosen to govern His own people.

Mfalme hutawalaje? Hutawala kwa Neno lake. Makanisa ya Matengenezo daima yamesema kwamba Kristo huliongoza kanisa kupitia Maandiko, yanayotumiwa na Roho Mtakatifu. Ndiyo maana Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (Westminster Confession), katika sura ya 1, linafundisha kwamba Maandiko ndiyo mamlaka yetu ya mwisho katika mambo ya imani na maisha. Wazee wanapokutana, hawauliza, "Sisi tunapendelea nini?" Wanauliza, "Mfalme amesema nini?"How does the King rule? He rules by His Word. The Reformed churches have always said that Christ governs the church through the Scriptures, applied by the Holy Spirit. This is why the Westminster Confession, in chapter 1, teaches that Scripture is our final authority in matters of faith and life. When the elders meet, they do not ask, "What do we prefer?" They ask, "What has the King said?"

Hakuna Kichwa KingineNo Other Head

Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 25, linafundisha kwamba Bwana Yesu Kristo ndiye kichwa pekee cha kanisa. Inafuata kwamba hakuna papa, mfalme, rais, askofu wala mchungaji anayeshika nafasi hiyo. Calvin alishikilia msimamo huu, na vivyo hivyo Ungamo la Imani la Ubelgiji (Belgic Confession, Kifungu cha 31), Ungamo la Pili la Helvetia (Second Helvetic Confession, sura ya 17, yenye kichwa "Juu ya Kanisa Katoliki na Takatifu la Mungu, na juu ya Kichwa Kimoja Pekee cha Kanisa"), na Ungamo la Uskoti (Scots Confession).The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 25, teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the church. It follows that no pope, king, president, bishop or pastor holds that place. Calvin held this view, and so did the Belgic Confession (Article 31), the Second Helvetic Confession (chapter 17, titled "Of the Catholic and Holy Church of God, and of the One Only Head of the Church"), and the Scots Confession.

Fundisho hili lilikuwa na gharama. Waumini wa Matengenezo mara nyingi waliambiwa na watawala kwamba wanapaswa kutii katika dini kama katika mambo ya kiraia. Mahali ambapo wafalme walidai mamlaka juu ya kanisa, waumini wa Matengenezo walijibu kwamba kuna falme mbili, na kwamba Kristo peke yake ndiye anayelitawala kanisa. Huko Uskoti msimamo huu uliendelea katika kazi ya Andrew Melville na wengine wengi baada yake. Pia ulikuwa kiini cha Mgawanyiko wa mwaka 1843 (Disruption), wakati kundi kubwa la wachungaji lilipoliacha Kanisa la Uskoti lililoungwa mkono na dola ili kuunda Kanisa Huru la Uskoti (Free Church of Scotland) badala ya kukubali udhibiti wa dola juu ya kuitwa kwa wachungaji. Mwaka 1934, makanisa ya Ujerumani yalikusanyika Barmen na kutangaza kwamba kanisa ni mali ya Kristo peke yake.This doctrine had a cost. Reformed Christians were often told by rulers that they must obey in religion as well as in civil matters. Where kings claimed authority over the church, Reformed believers answered that there are two kingdoms, and that Christ alone rules the church. In Scotland this conviction ran through the work of Andrew Melville and many others after him. It was also at the heart of the Disruption of 1843, when a large body of ministers left the established Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland rather than accept the state's control over the calling of ministers. In 1934, churches in Germany gathered at Barmen and declared that the church belongs to Christ alone.

Tunapaswa kuwa wa haki kwa upande wa pili. Wanahistoria wanajadili ni uhuru kiasi gani kanisa lilikuwa nao katika Geneva ya Calvin. Wengine husema kwamba Geneva ilikaribia kuwa kanisa linalotawaliwa na dola, kwa kuwa baraza la jiji lilikuwa na nguvu kubwa. Wengine huonyesha kwamba Calvin alifanya kazi kwa miaka mingi kulipatia kanisa haki yake mwenyewe ya kuwaadhibu washiriki wake, bila kutegemea mahakimu. Madai yote mawili yana kweli fulani. Tunachoweza kusema ni kwamba Calvin alifundisha katika Institutes (Kitabu cha 4, sura ya 11 na 20) kwamba utawala wa kiroho wa kanisa na utawala wa kiraia wa hakimu ni tofauti, na kwamba kila mmoja una eneo lake. Kwa hiyo jibu la Matengenezo kwa wale wanaosema kanisa linapaswa kuwa chini ya dola ni wazi: dola ni mtumishi wa Mungu kwa ajili ya utaratibu wa kiraia (Warumi 13:1-4), lakini si kichwa cha kanisa.We should be fair to the other side. Historians debate how much freedom the church had in Calvin's Geneva. Some say that Geneva came close to a church ruled by the state, since the city council held great power. Others point out that Calvin worked for years to win for the church its own right to discipline its members, apart from the magistrates. Both claims have some truth. What we can say is that Calvin taught in the Institutes (Book 4, chapters 11 and 20) that the spiritual rule of the church and the civil rule of the magistrate are different, and that each has its own sphere. The Reformed answer to those who say the church should be under the state is therefore plain: the state is God's servant for civil order (Romans 13:1-4), but it is not the head of the church.

Kanisa pia lina wajibu kwa dola. Tunawaombea watawala (1 Timotheo 2:1-2) na kuwaheshimu, na tunawaambia Neno lote la Mungu inapohitajika. Lakini hatupokei amri kutoka kwao katika mambo ya imani na ibada.The church also has duties toward the state. We pray for rulers (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and honor them, and we speak the whole Word of God to them when it is needed. But we do not take our orders from them in matters of faith and worship.

Mamlaka ya Kihuduma, Si UbwanaMinisterial Authority, Not Lordship

Ikiwa Kristo ndiye kichwa pekee, wachungaji na wazee wana mamlaka gani? Jibu la Matengenezo ni kwamba mamlaka yao ni ya kweli lakini ni ya kihuduma. Neno hilo linamaanisha "mamlaka ya mtumishi." Kiongozi katika kanisa ana uwezo wa kutangaza tu kile ambacho Kristo amesema, na kukitumia. Hana uwezo wa kutunga sheria mpya kwa dhamiri.If Christ is the only head, what authority do pastors and elders have? The Reformed answer is that their authority is real but is ministerial. That word means "the authority of a servant." An officer in the church has power only to declare what Christ has said, and to apply it. He has no power to make new laws for the conscience.

Yesu alifundisha hili waziwazi. Wanafunzi walipobishana kuhusu ukuu, alisema kwamba watawala wa Mataifa huwatawala kwa ubabe, "lakini kwenu si hivyo" (Marko 10:42-45). Alisema, "Mwalimu wenu ni mmoja, naye ni Kristo, na ninyi nyote ni ndugu" (Mathayo 23:8, 10). Petro aliwaandikia wazee wasiwe "wakitawala juu ya urithi wa Mungu," bali wawe vielelezo kwa kundi (1 Petro 5:3).Jesus taught this directly. When the disciples argued about greatness, He said that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, "yet it shall not be so among you" (Mark 10:42-45). He said, "One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren" (Matthew 23:8, 10). Peter wrote to the elders not to be "lords over those entrusted to you" but to be examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:3).

Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 20, linaongeza kwamba Mungu peke yake ndiye Bwana wa dhamiri. Sura ya 31 inafundisha kwamba mabaraza ya kanisa yanaweza kukosea, na kwamba hayapaswi kufanywa kuwa kanuni ya imani, bali msaada katika imani. Kikao cha wazee (session) hakina kosa lisilowezekana, na kinaposema kweli, ni kwa sababu kinarudia kile ambacho Kristo amekwisha kusema.The Westminster Confession, chapter 20, adds that God alone is Lord of the conscience. Chapter 31 teaches that church councils may err, and that they are not to be made the rule of faith, but a help in it. A session of elders is not infallible, and when it speaks truly, it is because it repeats what Christ has already said.

Unyenyekevu huu pia unawalinda kondoo. Mshiriki aliyeambiwa afanye jambo ambalo Kristo hajaliamuru hafungwi nalo. Kwa hiyo mapokeo ya Matengenezo hufundisha kwamba wachungaji na wazee wana mamlaka ya kweli lakini yenye mipaka. Waebrania 13:17 inasema, "Watiini wenye kuwatawala, mkawanyenyekee; kwa maana hao hukesha kwa ajili ya roho zenu." Watu wanapaswa kutii kwa furaha. Watawala wanapaswa kukumbuka kwamba watatoa hesabu kwa Mfalme.This humility also protects the sheep. A member who is told to do something that Christ has not commanded is not bound by it. The Reformed tradition therefore teaches that ministers and elders have a real but limited authority. Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls." The people must give a joyful obedience. The rulers must remember that they will give account to the King.

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Pingamizi la 1 (Kikatoliki cha Roma): Kristo aliacha kichwa kinachoonekana duniani.Objection 1 (Roman Catholic): Christ left a visible head on earth.

Kanisa Katoliki la Roma linafundisha kwamba Petro alipewa nafasi ya kwanza, na kwamba papa, mrithi wake, ndiye kichwa kinachoonekana cha kanisa. Wakatoliki hutaja Mathayo 16:18-19, ambapo Yesu anamwambia Petro, "juu ya mwamba huu nitalijenga kanisa langu," na kumwahidi funguo za ufalme.The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Peter was given the first place, and that the pope, his successor, is the visible head of the church. Catholics point to Matthew 16:18-19, where Jesus says to Peter, "on this rock I will build My church" and promises him the keys of the kingdom.

Jibu letu. Tunaheshimu nafasi ya Petro kati ya mitume. Lakini Maandiko yanampa Kristo peke yake jina "kichwa," kama katika Waefeso 1:22 na Wakolosai 1:18. Katika Mathayo 18:18 Yesu alilipa kanisa zima uwezo wa kufunga na kufungua, na katika Yohana 20:23 aliwapa mitume wote pamoja. Petro mwenyewe alijiita "mzee mwenzao" (1 Petro 5:1) na si bwana wa wazee. Katika Matendo 15 uamuzi wa baraza ulitegemea mwili mzima, na Yakobo akitoa muhtasari. Agano Jipya halionyeshi mfululizo wa mapapa. Kwa hiyo makanisa ya Matengenezo yanashikilia kwamba kichwa cha kidunia kinachoonekana kinachukua nafasi inayomstahili Kristo peke yake.Our answer. We honor Peter's place among the apostles. But Scripture gives the title "head" to Christ alone, as in Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 1:18. In Matthew 18:18 Jesus gave the power of binding and loosing to the church as a whole, and in John 20:23 to the apostles together. Peter himself called himself a "fellow elder" (1 Peter 5:1) and not the lord of the elders. In Acts 15 the decision of the council rested on the whole body, with James giving the summary. The New Testament shows no line of popes. Reformed churches therefore hold that a visible earthly head takes a place that belongs to Christ alone.

Pingamizi la 2 (Kianglikana na la kanisa la dola): Mtawala wa kiraia anaweza kuwa msimamizi mkuu wa kanisa.Objection 2 (Anglican and state-church): The civil ruler may be the supreme governor of the church.

Baada ya Matengenezo ya Uingereza, mfalme au malkia alitajwa kuwa msimamizi mkuu wa Kanisa la Uingereza. Watetezi walisema kwamba mfalme mcha Mungu hulijali kanisa kama Hezekia na Yosia walivyofanya.After the English Reformation, the monarch was named supreme governor of the Church of England. Defenders said that a godly king cares for the church as Hezekiah and Josiah did.

Jibu letu. Wafalme wa Israeli waliwatumikia watu wa Mungu, lakini hawakuchukua cheo cha ukuhani. Mfalme Uzia alipoingia hekaluni kufukiza uvumba, makuhani walimzuia (2 Mambo ya Nyakati 26:16-21). Agano Jipya halisemi juu ya mfalme yeyote Mkristo kuwa kichwa cha kanisa. Pale ambapo dola na kanisa vimeunganishwa, dola huelekea kulitawala kanisa, na si kanisa kuitawala dola.Our answer. The kings of Israel served God's people, but they did not take over the priestly office. When King Uzziah entered the temple to burn incense, the priests stopped him (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). The New Testament speaks of no Christian king as head of the church. Where the state and the church are joined, the state tends to rule the church and not the church the state.

Pingamizi la 3 (Kikongregational na Kibaptisti): Ikiwa Kristo ni kichwa, kusanyiko la mahali linawajibika kwake peke yake, na hakuna mahakama juu ya kusanyiko zinazohitajika.Objection 3 (Congregational and Baptist): If Christ is head, the local congregation answers to Him alone, and no courts above the congregation are needed.

Marafiki zetu wengi Wabaptisti na Wakongregational husema kwamba Kristo hutawala kila kanisa la mahali moja kwa moja, na kwamba mfumo mkubwa zaidi unachukua nafasi yake.Many of our Baptist and Congregational friends say that Christ rules each local church directly and that a larger structure takes His place.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba Kristo hutawala kila kanisa la mahali. Tunaamini pia kwamba alitoa mfano ambao makanisa yameunganishwa na kushiriki uongozi mmoja. Matendo 15 inaonyesha baraza la mitume na wazee likiamua swali kwa niaba ya makanisa. Tunalizungumzia somo hili katika Kipindi cha 3. Kwa sasa tunaona kwamba umoja wa mwili mmoja chini ya kichwa kimoja hauishii kwenye kuta za jengo moja.Our answer. We agree that Christ rules each local church. We believe He also gave a pattern in which the churches are connected and share one government. Acts 15 shows a council of apostles and elders deciding a question for the churches. We take up this subject in Unit 3. For now we note that the unity of the one body under the one head does not stop at the walls of one building.

Pingamizi la 4 (la kisasa): Maneno juu ya "ukuu" huwapa wachungaji sababu ya kudai mamlaka ya Kristo kwa ajili yao wenyewe.Objection 4 (modern): "Headship" talk gives pastors a reason to claim Christ's authority for themselves.

Wengine wanaogopa kwamba fundisho hili hutumiwa na viongozi wanaosema, "Ninasema kwa niaba ya Mfalme, kwa hiyo msiniulize."Some fear that the doctrine is used by leaders who say, "I speak for the King, so do not question me."

Jibu letu. Unyanyasaji huo ni wa kweli na fundisho hili hulaani. Kwa sababu Kristo peke yake ndiye kichwa, hakuna mhudumu anayesema kwa niaba yake isipokuwa anaposema Neno lake. Wakaaji wa Beroya walisifiwa kwa kuchunguza Maandiko ili kuona kama mafundisho ya Paulo ni kweli (Matendo 17:11). Mzee mwaminifu hukaribisha upimaji wa namna hiyo.Our answer. The abuse is real and the doctrine condemns it. Because Christ alone is head, no minister speaks for Him except when he speaks His Word. The Bereans were praised for examining the Scriptures to see whether Paul's teaching was true (Acts 17:11). A faithful elder welcomes that kind of testing.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji kijana anaongoza kanisa dogo katika mji wa kusini mwa Meksiko. Familia tajiri inatoa zaidi ya nyingine zote na imelipia jengo. Siku moja ya Jumapili, mkuu wa familia anamwambia kwamba mshiriki fulani wa kusanyiko lazima aondolewe kwenye kufundisha watoto, na kwamba familia itaacha kutoa ikiwa mchungaji hatatii. Mtu huyo hajafanya lolote kinyume na Neno.A young pastor leads a small church in a town in southern Mexico. A wealthy family gives more than any other and has paid for the building. One Sunday the head of the family tells him that a certain member of the congregation must be removed from the teaching of the children, and that the family will stop giving if the pastor does not obey. The man in question has done nothing against the Word.

Kwanza, mchungaji anakumbuka kanisa ni la nani. Anaishukuru familia kwa dhati, na kuiombea, lakini hajibu kwa hofu.First, the pastor remembers whose church it is. He thanks the family sincerely, and prays for them, but he does not answer from fear.

Pili, analeta jambo hilo kwa kikao cha wazee (session), ili asibebe uamuzi peke yake. Swali si nani anayetoa zaidi, bali Kristo amesema nini katika Neno lake kuhusu sifa za kufundisha na nidhamu ya washiriki.Second, he brings the matter to the session of elders, so that he does not carry the decision alone. The question is not who gives the most, but what Christ has said in His Word about the qualifications for teaching and the discipline of members.

Tatu, anazungumza na familia kwa upendo na kwa uwazi. Anaeleza kwamba hakuna zawadi inayoweza kununua sauti katika mafundisho au nidhamu ya kanisa, kwa sababu kanisa ni la Bwana.Third, he speaks to the family with love and plainness. He explains that no gift can buy a say in the church's doctrine or discipline, because the church is the Lord's.

Nne, anakubali gharama inayowezekana, akimtumaini Bwana aliye kichwa cha kanisa kutoa mahitaji, na anaiachia familia mlango wazi.Fourth, he accepts the possible cost, trusting the Lord who is head of the church to provide, and he keeps a door open for the family.

MuhtasariSummary

Uongozi wa Kipresbiteri huanza na swali "Kanisa ni la nani?" na hujibu, "Ni la Kristo." Yeye ndiye kichwa cha mwili, akiupa uzima, mwelekeo na uwepo wake. Ana vyeo vya nabii, kuhani na mfalme, na hulitawala kanisa lake kwa Neno lake. Hakuna papa, mfalme wala mchungaji aliye kichwa cha kanisa duniani, na makanisa ya Matengenezo yametetea kweli hii kwa gharama kubwa, kama huko Uskoti mwaka 1843. Viongozi katika kanisa wana mamlaka ya kihuduma tu: wanamtumikia Kristo na kutangaza Neno lake, na hawawezi kuwa mabwana wa dhamiri. Tunajibu pingamizi za Kikatoliki cha Roma, za kanisa la dola, za Kikongregational na za kisasa kutoka katika Maandiko. Tunashikilia imani hizi kwa unyenyekevu na kwa shukrani kwa Mfalme.Presbyterian government begins with the question "Whose church is it?" and answers, "Christ's." He is the head of the body, giving it life, direction and His presence. He holds the offices of prophet, priest and king, and He rules His church by His Word. No pope, monarch or pastor is the head of the church on earth, and Reformed churches have defended this truth at a high price, as in Scotland in 1843. Officers in the church have ministerial authority only: they serve Christ and declare His Word, and they may not be lords over the conscience. We answer the Roman Catholic, state-church, Congregational and modern objections from Scripture. We hold these convictions with humility and with thanks to the King.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo; tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), Kitabu cha 2 sura ya 15; Kitabu cha 4 sura ya 1-3 na 11.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), Book 2 chapter 15; Book 4 chapters 1-3 and 11.

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (The Westminster Confession of Faith), sura ya 20, 25 na 31, na Katekisimu Fupi kuhusu Kristo kama nabii, kuhani na mfalme.• The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapters 20, 25 and 31, and the Shorter Catechism on Christ as prophet, priest and king.

• Ungamo la Imani la Ubelgiji (The Belgic Confession, 1561), Vifungu vya 27-32.• The Belgic Confession (1561), Articles 27-32.

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (The Heidelberg Catechism, 1563), Swali na Jibu la 31 na Swali na Jibu la 54.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Question and Answer 31 and Question and Answer 54.

• Ungamo la Pili la Helvetia (The Second Helvetic Confession, 1566), sura ya 17 na 18.• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566), chapters 17 and 18.

• Ungamo la Uskoti (The Scots Confession, 1560), sura ya 16 na 18.• The Scots Confession (1560), chapters 16 and 18.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Teolojia ya Kimfumo; 1872-73), sehemu juu ya kanisa.• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), the section on the church.

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