Utawala, Ibada na Sakramenti za Kipresbiteri — Sehemu ya 6: Kanuni ya Kuongoza IbadaPresbyterian Polity, Worship, and Sacraments — Unit 6: The Regulative Principle of Worship

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Mungu ni roho; nao wamwabuduo hawana budi kumwabudu katika roho na kweli." (Yohana 4:24, SUV)"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24, 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 kanuni ya kuongoza ibada (regulative principle of worship) kwa maneno rahisi na kusema ni wapi maungamo ya Matengenezo yanaifundisha.1. State the regulative principle of worship in plain words and say where the Reformed confessions teach it.

2. Kutoa vifungu kuu vya Biblia vinavyounga mkono kanuni hii na kueleza kila kimoja kinaonyesha nini.2. Give the main biblical passages that support the principle and explain what each one shows.

3. Kueleza tofauti kati ya vipengele vya ibada (elements) na mazingira ya ibada (circumstances).3. Explain the difference between the elements of worship and the circumstances of worship.

4. Kulinganisha kanuni ya kuongoza ibada na kanuni ya kawaida (normative principle) inayoshikiliwa na makanisa mengi ya Kilutheri na ya Kianglikana.4. Compare the regulative principle with the normative principle held by many Lutheran and Anglican churches.

5. Kutaja pingamizi kuu dhidi ya kanuni ya kuongoza ibada na kutoa jibu la Matengenezo kwa kila moja.5. State the main objections to the regulative principle 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 au wanaoyasoma. Ni ya kihafidhina kitheolojia. Inashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na lisilo na kosa, na inapokea Viwango vya Westminster na Fomu Tatu za Umoja kama muhtasari wa uaminifu wa yale Maandiko yanayofundisha. Pale ambapo fani hii inatofautiana na msimamo wa jumla wa Chapala Theological Seminary, msimamo wa Matengenezo ndio unaotawala hapa. Wakristo wengine wanaona mambo haya tofauti. Tunaeleza maoni yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Maandiko yanasema, "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 or are studying it. It is theologically conservative. It holds that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and it receives the Westminster Standards and the Three Forms of Unity as faithful summaries of what Scripture teaches. Where this specialization differs from the general position of Chapala Theological Seminary, the Reformed position governs here. Other Christians see these matters differently. We state their views fairly and then give our answer. Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Kwa Nini Ibada Inahitaji KanuniWhy Worship Needs a Rule

Kila kanisa huabudu. Swali ni nani anayeamua jinsi gani. Katika makanisa mengine mchungaji huamua, katika mengine kusanyiko hupiga kura, na katika mengine utamaduni unaozunguka kanisa huamua. Mapokeo ya Matengenezo huuliza swali tofauti la kwanza: Mungu mwenyewe ametuambia nini kuhusu jinsi anavyotaka kuabudiwa?Every church worships. The question is who decides how. In some churches the pastor decides, in others the congregation votes, and in others the culture around the church decides. The Reformed tradition asks a different first question: what has God Himself told us about how He wishes to be worshiped?

Swali hili ni muhimu kwa sababu ibada ndiyo wajibu wa kwanza wa kiumbe kwa Muumba. Ikiwa Mungu ni mtakatifu, hatuwezi kumkaribia kwa njia yoyote tunayotaka. Ikiwa Mungu ni mwenye neema, hajatuacha tukisia. Ameongea. Kanuni ya kuongoza ibada ni jibu la Matengenezo kwa swali la nani ana mamlaka juu ya ibada ya kanisa. Jibu ni kwamba Kristo, Mfalme na Kichwa cha kanisa (tazama Kipindi cha 1 cha kozi hii), ana mamlaka hayo, na huyatumia kupitia Neno lake lililoandikwa.This question matters because worship is the first duty of the creature toward the Creator. If God is holy, then we cannot approach Him in any way we like. If God is gracious, He has not left us to guess. He has spoken. The regulative principle of worship is the Reformed answer to the question of who has authority over the worship of the church. The answer is that Christ, the King and Head of the church (see Unit 1 of this course), has that authority, and He exercises it through His written Word.

Kanuni Inasema NiniWhat the Principle Says

Kanuni ya kuongoza ibada inaweza kuelezwa kwa urahisi: kanisa linaweza kufanya katika ibada ya hadharani yale tu ambayo Mungu ameamuru katika Neno lake. Hii inajumuisha amri, lakini pia mifano na matokeo ya wazi ya Maandiko, yanayotolewa kwa hoja njema.The regulative principle may be stated simply: the church may do in public worship only what God has commanded in His Word. This includes commands, but also the examples and clear implications of Scripture, drawn out by good reasoning.

Ungamo la Imani la Westminster, sura ya 21, sehemu ya 1, linafundisha kwamba njia inayokubalika ya kumwabudu Mungu wa kweli imewekwa na Mungu mwenyewe na kuwekewa mipaka na mapenzi yake mwenyewe yaliyofunuliwa. Hatuwezi kumwabudu kwa mawazo na mbinu za wanadamu, wala kwa mapendekezo ya Shetani, wala kwa njia yoyote isiyoamriwa katika Maandiko Matakatifu. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg inasema jambo hilo hilo katika jibu lake juu ya amri ya pili (Swali na Jibu la 96): Mungu anataka tusifanye sanamu zake, na tusimwabudu kwa njia nyingine yoyote isipokuwa ile aliyoiamuru katika Neno lake. Ungamo la Imani la Ubelgiji, kifungu cha 32, vilevile linakataa mawazo ya kibinadamu yanayoifunga dhamiri katika mpangilio wa kanisa. Calvin analishughulikia suala hili katika Institutes, Kitabu cha 4, sura ya 10.The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 21, section 1, teaches that the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is appointed by God Himself and limited by His own revealed will. We may not worship Him by the imaginations and devices of men, or by the suggestions of Satan, or in any way not prescribed in Holy Scripture. The Heidelberg Catechism says the same thing in its answer on the second commandment (Question and Answer 96): God requires that we not make images of Him, and that we not worship Him in any other way than He has commanded in His Word. The Belgic Confession, article 32, likewise rejects human inventions that bind the conscience in the order of the church. Calvin treats the matter in the Institutes, Book 4, chapter 10.

Zingatia kanuni hii si nini. Haisemi kwamba ibada lazima iwe nzito au ya kimya. Inasema kwamba maudhui ya ibada ya hadharani yamewekwa na Mungu. Ndani ya maudhui hayo kuna nafasi pana kwa joto, furaha na tamaduni nyingi.Notice what the principle is not. It does not say that worship must be dull or silent. It says that the content of public worship is set by God. Within that content there is wide room for warmth, joy and many cultures.

Misingi ya KibibliaThe Biblical Foundations

Makanisa ya Matengenezo hayakuvumbua kanuni hii. Yaliamini kwamba waliipata katika Maandiko. Hivi ndivyo vifungu kuu.The Reformed churches did not invent this principle. They believed they found it in Scripture. Here are the main texts.

Amri ya pili. "Usijifanyie sanamu ya kuchonga" (Kutoka 20:4). Amri hii inakataza ibada kwa njia ya sanamu, lakini hoja ya ndani zaidi ni kwamba watu wa Mungu hawapaswi kuunda mawazo yao wenyewe ya jinsi ya kumkaribia. Mapokeo ya Matengenezo daima yameisoma amri ya pili kama amri kuhusu namna ya ibada, kama vile amri ya kwanza inavyohusu kitu cha ibada.The second commandment. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image" (Exodus 20:4). The commandment forbids worship through images, but the deeper point is that the people of God must not form their own ideas of how to approach Him. The Reformed tradition has always read the second commandment as the commandment about the manner of worship, just as the first commandment is about the object of worship.

Nadabu na Abihu. Katika Walawi 10:1-3, wana wawili wa Haruni walitoa "moto wa kigeni" mbele za Bwana, "ambao hakuwaamuru." Moto ukatoka kwa Bwana ukawahukumu. Kisha Musa alisema juu ya utakatifu wa Mungu. Maandishi hayasemi kwamba moto ulikuwa mbaya wenyewe. Yanasema kwamba Mungu hakuuamuru. Ibada ya dhati lakini isiyoruhusiwa humchukiza Mungu mtakatifu.Nadab and Abihu. In Leviticus 10:1-3, two sons of Aaron offered "profane fire" before the Lord, "which He had not commanded them." Fire came out from the Lord and judged them. Moses then spoke of the holiness of God. The text does not say the fire was evil in itself. It says that God had not commanded it. Sincere but unauthorized worship offends a holy God.

Msiongeze wala msipunguze. Katika Kumbukumbu la Torati 12:29-32 Israeli walionywa wasimwabudu Bwana kwa njia ambayo mataifa waliwaabudu miungu yao. Waliambiwa wafanye yale Mungu aliyoamuru na wasiongeze juu yake wala kupunguza.Do not add or take away. In Deuteronomy 12:29-32 Israel was warned not to worship the Lord the way the nations worshiped their gods. They were told to do what God commanded and not to add to it or take from it.

Sanduku na utaratibu unaofaa. Daudi alijaribu kwanza kulileta sanduku Yerusalemu kwa gari, naye Uza akafa (2 Samweli 6). Baadaye Daudi alisema kwamba "hatukumtafuta kwa kanuni inayofaa" (1 Mambo ya Nyakati 15:13). Nia njema haikufidia kupuuza yale Mungu aliyosema.The ark and the proper order. David first tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem on a cart, and Uzzah died (2 Samuel 6). Later David said that they "did not consult Him about the proper order" (1 Chronicles 15:13). Good intentions did not make up for ignoring what God had said.

Yesu juu ya mapokeo ya kibinadamu. Katika Mathayo 15:1-9 Bwana aliwakemea Mafarisayo. Alinukuu Isaya: "Nami nawaabudu bure, wakifundisha mafundisho yaliyo maagizo ya wanadamu" (Mathayo 15:9). Ibada inayotegemea amri za wanadamu ni tupu, hata ionekane ya kidini kiasi gani. Wasiwasi huohuo unaonekana katika Wakolosai 2:20-23, ambapo Paulo anaonya dhidi ya dini iliyotengenezwa na mtu mwenyewe.Jesus on human traditions. In Matthew 15:1-9 the Lord rebuked the Pharisees. He quoted Isaiah: "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). Worship that rests on human commandments is empty, however religious it looks. The same concern appears in Colossians 2:20-23, where Paul warns against self-made religion.

Ibada katika roho na kweli. Katika Yohana 4:24 Yesu anamwambia mwanamke kisimani kwamba Baba anatafuta waabuduo wanaoabudu katika roho na kweli. Walimu wa Matengenezo wameelewa "kweli" kumaanisha ibada inayoafikiana na kweli iliyofunuliwa ya Mungu, na "roho" kumaanisha ibada kutoka moyoni, kwa msaada wa Roho Mtakatifu. Ibada inahitaji vyote viwili. Umbo sahihi bila moyo limekufa; hisia za dhati bila kweli ni upofu.Worship in spirit and truth. In John 4:24 Jesus tells the woman at the well that the Father seeks worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. Reformed teachers have understood "truth" to mean worship that is according to God's revealed truth, and "spirit" to mean worship from the heart, by the help of the Holy Spirit. Worship needs both. Right form without the heart is dead; sincere feeling without the truth is blind.

Mfano wa Agano Jipya. Kanisa la mitume "likidumu katika mafundisho ya mitume na katika ushirika, na kumega mkate, na katika kuomba" (Matendo 2:42). Paulo alimpa Timotheo agizo lake: "Hata nitakapokuja, ujitahidi katika kusoma na kuonya na kufundisha" (1 Timotheo 4:13). Paulo pia anaeleza zaburi, nyimbo na tenzi za rohoni (Wakolosai 3:16; Waefeso 5:19) na kutoa kanuni za utaratibu katika kusanyiko (1 Wakorintho 14:26-40). Agano Jipya halioachi ibada bila umbo. Linataja sehemu zake, na makanisa nayo yanapaswa kuzishikilia.The New Testament pattern. The apostolic church "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42). Paul gave Timothy his charge: "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine" (1 Timothy 4:13). Paul also describes psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19) and gives rules for order in the assembly (1 Corinthians 14:26-40). The New Testament does not leave worship without a form. It names the parts, and the churches in turn are to keep to them.

Vipengele na MazingiraElements and Circumstances

Chombo muhimu zaidi cha kuelewa kanuni hii ni tofauti kati ya vipengele na mazingira.The most important tool for understanding the principle is the difference between elements and circumstances.

Kipengele cha ibada ni kitendo kilicho na maana yake ya kidini, kinachotolewa kwa Mungu kama ibada. Maandiko lazima yatoe idhini kwa kila kipengele. Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (21.3-5) linataja vikuu: maombi, kusoma Maandiko, kuhubiri na kusikia Neno, kuimba zaburi kwa neema moyoni, na kuendesha na kupokea sakramenti za ubatizo na Meza ya Bwana kwa usahihi. Wajibu mwingine, kama viapo vya dhati, kufunga na kushukuru, hutumiwa katika nyakati maalum. Kutoa sadaka (1 Wakorintho 16:1-2) pia ni sehemu ya mkutano wa kanisa. Kipindi cha 7 kitaangalia vipengele hivi mmoja mmoja.An element of worship is an act that has its own religious meaning, offered to God as worship. Scripture must give a warrant for each element. The Westminster Confession (21.3-5) names the main ones: prayer, the reading of Scripture, the preaching and hearing of the Word, the singing of psalms with grace in the heart, and the right administration and receiving of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Other duties, such as solemn vows, fasting and thanksgiving, are used on special occasions. The giving of offerings (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) is also part of the gathering of the church. Unit 7 will look at these elements one by one.

Mazingira ni undani unaohusu mkutano wowote wa wanadamu na usio na maana yake yenyewe kama ibada. Mifano ni wakati wa ibada, urefu wa mahubiri, jengo, viti, mpangilio wa sehemu, lugha inayotumika, na matumizi ya kipaza sauti. Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (1.6) linasema kwamba baadhi ya mazingira yanayohusu ibada na uongozi wa kanisa ni ya kawaida kwa matendo na jamii za wanadamu, na yanapaswa kupangwa kwa mwanga wa asili na busara ya Kikristo, kulingana na kanuni za jumla za Neno, ambazo zinapaswa kuzingatiwa daima. Paulo anatoa kanuni moja ya jumla ya aina hiyo: "Basi yote yafanyike kwa staha na kwa taratibu" (1 Wakorintho 14:40).A circumstance is a detail that belongs to any human gathering and has no meaning of its own as worship. Examples are the time of the service, the length of the sermon, the building, the seating, the order of the parts, the language spoken, and the use of a microphone. The Westminster Confession (1.6) says that some circumstances concerning worship and church government are common to human actions and societies, and are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. Paul gives one such general rule: "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Tofauti hii inajibu wasiwasi wa kawaida. Kanuni ya kuongoza ibada haihitaji kwamba Maandiko yatupe saa ya ibada au rangi ya kuta. Inahitaji kwamba vitendo vya ibada viwe vile ambavyo Mungu ameviweka. Katika kanisa linalozungumza Kihispania, matumizi ya Kihispania ni mazingira. Kuimba Zaburi kwa Kihispania ni kipengele kinachotekelezwa katika lugha hiyo. Kanisa liko huru kupanga mazingira kwa hekima, daima likizingatia kujengwa na heshima.This distinction answers a common worry. The regulative principle does not require that Scripture give us the hour of the service or the color of the walls. It requires that the acts of worship be those God has appointed. In a Spanish-speaking church, the use of Spanish is a circumstance. The singing of the Psalms in Spanish is an element carried out in that language. The church is free to order the circumstances wisely, always with an eye to edification and reverence.

Historia FupiA Short History

Kozi ya 1 ya fani hii inasimulia hadithi pana zaidi ya Matengenezo, kwa hiyo muhtasari mfupi unatosha. Waliofanya Matengenezo walikubaliana kwamba ibada ya zama za kati ilikuwa imeongeza mengi yasiyo na idhini ya Maandiko. Hawakuondoa vitu vile vile vyote. Martin Luther alihifadhi desturi ambazo Maandiko hayakuzikataza na ambazo hazikupinga injili. Waliofanya Matengenezo wa Uswisi, Zwingli na baadaye Calvin na Bullinger, walikuwa wakali zaidi na waliondoa kile ambacho Maandiko hayakuamuru.Course 1 of this specialization tells the larger story of the Reformation, so a short summary is enough. The Reformers agreed that medieval worship had added much that had no warrant in Scripture. They did not all remove the same things. Martin Luther kept practices that Scripture did not forbid and that did not contradict the gospel. The Swiss Reformers, Zwingli and later Calvin and Bullinger, were stricter and removed what Scripture did not command.

Swali likawa kali huko Uingereza, ambako Wapuritani walisema kwamba sherehe fulani zilizohifadhiwa na Kanisa la Uingereza hazikuwa na idhini katika Maandiko. Katika Kusanyiko la Westminster, Directory for the Public Worship of God (Mwongozo wa Ibada ya Hadharani ya Mungu, 1645) iliweka mpangilio rahisi wa ibada, na Ungamo la Imani la Westminster lilitoa kanuni hiyo umbo lake la kawaida katika sura ya 21. Kupitia umisheni kanuni hiyo ilipitishwa kwa makanisa ya Kipresbiteri huko Meksiko, Brazili, Korea na Afrika.The question became sharp in England, where the Puritans said that certain ceremonies kept by the Church of England had no warrant in Scripture. At the Westminster Assembly the Directory for the Public Worship of God (1645) set out a plain order of worship, and the Westminster Confession gave the principle its classic form in chapter 21. Through missions the principle passed to Presbyterian churches in Mexico, Brazil, Korea and Africa.

Kanuni ya Kawaida (Normative Principle)The Normative Principle

Wakristo wengi, wakiwemo Walutheri na Waanglikana wengi, wanashikilia kinachoitwa kanuni ya kawaida. Inasema kwamba kanisa linaweza kujumuisha katika ibada chochote ambacho Maandiko hayakikatazi, mradi hakipingani na Neno na kinatumikia utaratibu mwema wa kanisa. Maandiko basi ni kipimo kinacholinda dhidi ya kosa, si orodha ya kile kinachoruhusiwa.Many Christians, including most Lutherans and Anglicans, hold what is called the normative principle. It says that the church may include in worship anything that Scripture does not forbid, as long as it is not against the Word and serves the good order of the church. Scripture then is a norm that guards against error, not a list of what is permitted.

Nguvu ya kanuni ya kawaida ni kwamba inalipa kanisa uhuru wa kutumia hekima na utamaduni wake, na inaepuka mzigo wa kuamua kama kila desturi ina idhini. Udhaifu wake, kwa mtazamo wa Matengenezo, ni kwamba inafungua njia kwa kile Yesu alichokilaani katika Mathayo 15: maagizo ya wanadamu yanayofundishwa kama ibada. Mapokeo ya Matengenezo yanashikilia kwamba kanuni inayotawala kanisa lazima iwe kali zaidi kuliko "chochote tunachopenda," kwa sababu Mungu ndiye anayeabudiwa, na ana haki ya kuweka masharti.The strength of the normative principle is that it gives freedom to the church to use its wisdom and culture, and it avoids the burden of deciding whether each practice has a warrant. Its weakness, in the Reformed view, is that it opens the way to what Jesus condemned in Matthew 15: the commandments of men taught as worship. The Reformed tradition holds that the principle that rules the church must be stricter than "whatever we like," because God is the One being worshiped, and He has the right to set the terms.

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Mchungaji lazima awe tayari kwa maswali ya dhati. Tunaeleza kila pingamizi kama wanaolishikilia wangeliweka, kisha tunajibu.A pastor must be ready for honest questions. We state each objection as its holders would, and then answer.

Pingamizi la 1: Biblia haisemi popote kanuni ya kuongoza ibada.Objection 1: The Bible nowhere states the regulative principle.

Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba hakuna mstari unaosema, "Kanisa linaweza kufanya yale tu yaliyoamriwa," na kwamba kanuni hiyo ni hitimisho.Critics say that no verse says, "The church may only do what is commanded," and that the principle is an inference.

Jibu letu. Ni kweli kwamba kanuni ni hitimisho linalotolewa kutoka vifungu vingi na si mstari mmoja. Lakini ndivyo ilivyo fundisho la Utatu, ambalo wakosoaji hao hao wanalikubali. Maandiko yanafundisha kanuni hiyo kwa mfano (Nadabu na Abihu, Uza), kwa onyo (Kumbukumbu la Torati 12:32), na kwa neno la Bwana mwenyewe katika Mathayo 15:9.Our answer. It is true that the principle is a conclusion drawn from many passages and not one verse. But so is the doctrine of the Trinity, which the same critics accept. Scripture teaches the principle by example (Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah), by warning (Deuteronomy 12:32), and by the Lord's own word in Matthew 15:9.

Pingamizi la 2: Kanuni haitumiki kwa uthabiti.Objection 2: The principle is not applied consistently.

Wakosoaji wanaonyesha kwamba makanisa ya Matengenezo hutumia mimbari, vipeperushi, vipaza sauti na shule za Jumapili, ambavyo hakuna kilichoamriwa, na wanasema mstari kati ya kipengele na mazingira ni wa kiholela.Critics point out that Reformed churches use pulpits, bulletins, microphones and Sunday schools, none of which is commanded, and say the line between element and circumstance is arbitrary.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba mstari ni mgumu kuchora wakati mwingine na kwamba makanisa ya Matengenezo yametofautiana katika kuutumia. Kipaza sauti si kitendo cha ibada; hubeba sauti. Ugumu wa kutumia kanuni si ushahidi kwamba si sahihi. Kanuni bado hufanya kazi yake: huifanya kanisa kuuliza kuhusu kila kitendo, "Mungu ameomba hili wapi?"Our answer. We admit that the line is sometimes hard to draw and that Reformed churches have disagreed in applying it. A microphone is not an act of worship; it carries the voice. The difficulty of applying a principle is not a proof that it is false. The principle still does its work: it makes a church ask of each act, "Where has God asked for this?"

Pingamizi la 3: Kanuni ni baridi, finyu na ya kisheria.Objection 3: The principle is cold, narrow and legalistic.

Wakosoaji, wakiwemo wengi katika Amerika ya Kusini na Afrika, wanasema kwamba inanyamazisha muziki wa mahali, hisia na ubunifu, na inafanya ibada kuwa ngumu na ya kigeni.Critics, including many in Latin America and Africa, say that it silences local music, emotion and creativity, and that it makes worship stiff and foreign.

Jibu letu. Kanuni inatawala tunachofanya katika ibada, si kama tunaabudu kwa furaha. Zaburi zinatuita kupiga kelele za furaha, kuimba, kusujudu, kupiga makofi (Zaburi 47:1; 95:1-6; 100). Waebrania 12:28-29 inaita ibada kwa staha na hofu ya Mungu kwa sababu Mungu wetu ni moto ulao, na hili linaafikiana na furaha. Lugha, wimbo, mavazi na mtindo wa sauti kwa kiasi kikubwa ni mambo ya mazingira. Kanisa huko Chiapas, Lagos au Seoul linaweza kuimba Neno la Mungu kwa lugha yake huku likishikilia vipengele ambavyo Mungu ameviweka.Our answer. The principle governs what we do in worship, not whether we worship with joy. The Psalms call us to shout for joy, to sing, to bow down, to clap (Psalm 47:1; 95:1-6; 100). Hebrews 12:28-29 calls for worship with reverence and godly fear because our God is a consuming fire, and this fits with joy. Language, tune, clothing and the style of the voice are largely matters of circumstance. A church in Chiapas, Lagos or Seoul can sing the Word of God in its own language while holding to the elements God has appointed.

Pingamizi la 4: Uhuru wa Kikristo. Agano Jipya haliturudishi kwenye mifano ya Agano la Kale.Objection 4: Christian liberty. The New Testament does not tie us to Old Testament patterns.

Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba Nadabu, Abihu na Uza ni wa sheria ya kitamaduni ya Israeli, iliyoisha katika Kristo.Critics say that Nadab, Abihu and Uzzah belong to Israel's ceremonial law, which ended in Christ.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba sherehe za Agano la Kale zimetimizwa katika Kristo na kwamba Wakristo hawatoi dhabihu za wanyama. Lakini kanuni iliyo nyuma ya matukio hayo, kwamba Mungu ni mtakatifu na huweka masharti ya ibada yake mwenyewe, haijabadilika. Bwana Yesu aliitumia katika Injili. Waebrania 12:28-29 inatumia utakatifu huo huo wa Mungu kama sababu ya ibada ya staha chini ya agano jipya. Uhuru wa Kikristo unamaanisha kwamba dhamiri iko huru kutoka kwa amri za wanadamu, si kwamba kanisa liko huru kuongeza yake. Hii ndiyo sababu hasa maungamo ya Matengenezo yanatetea kanuni hii, kwani Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (20.2) linafundisha kwamba Mungu peke yake ndiye Bwana wa dhamiri.Our answer. We agree that the ceremonies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Christ and that Christians do not offer animal sacrifices. But the principle behind those events, that God is holy and sets the terms of His own worship, has not changed. The Lord Jesus applied it in the Gospels. Hebrews 12:28-29 uses the same holiness of God as the reason for reverent worship under the new covenant. Christian liberty means that the conscience is free from human commandments, not that the church is free to add its own. This is the very reason the Reformed confessions defend the principle, as the Westminster Confession (20.2) teaches that God alone is Lord of the conscience.

Mahali Waumini wa Matengenezo HutofautianaWhere Reformed Believers Differ

Kanuni ni ya kawaida katika familia ya Matengenezo, lakini matumizi yake si sawa. Wengine hushikilia matumizi makali, yanayoruhusu katika ibada ya hadharani vipengele tu ambavyo Maandiko yanaamuru na kuzuia chochote kisicho na idhini wazi, kama nyimbo zisizopuliziwa au vyombo vya muziki katika baadhi ya makanisa. Wengine hushikilia matumizi mapana zaidi, yanayokubali kwamba vipengele vinahitaji idhini, lakini husoma idhini kwa upana zaidi na kulipa kanisa nafasi zaidi ya hukumu juu ya mazingira na maumbo. Pande zote mbili hutegemea Ungamo na Maandiko. Makanisa mengine huimba Zaburi tu, na mengine huimba nyimbo pia. Mengine hutumia vyombo vya muziki na mengine hayatumii. Mengine huadhimisha Krismasi na Pasaka, na mengine huadhimisha Siku ya Bwana tu. Tofauti hizi zinapaswa kushikiliwa kwa upendo. Kipindi cha 7 kinarudi kwenye uimbaji wa zaburi na nyimbo.The principle is common to the Reformed family, but its application is not uniform. Some hold a strict application, which allows in public worship only the elements Scripture commands and excludes anything not clearly warranted, such as uninspired hymns or instruments in some churches. Others hold a broader application, which agrees that elements need a warrant but reads the warrant more widely and gives more room to the church's judgment about circumstances and forms. Both sides appeal to the Confession and to Scripture. Some churches sing only the Psalms, and others sing hymns as well. Some use instruments and others do not. Some keep Christmas and Easter, and others keep only the Lord's Day. These differences should be held with charity. Unit 7 returns to psalmody and hymns.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji katika kanisa la Kipresbiteri linalokua katika mji wa Meksiko ana kiongozi kijana mzuri katika kikundi chake cha vijana. Kijana huyo ameona makanisa katika jiji lililo karibu ambamo ibada zinajumuisha maigizo, vikundi vya densi na vipindi virefu vya burudani. Anamwuliza mchungaji, "Kwa nini hatuwezi kufanya hivi? Makanisa hayo yamejaa, na vijana wanapenda."A pastor in a growing Presbyterian church in a Mexican town has a good young leader in his youth group. The young man has seen churches in a nearby city where the services include skits, dance teams and long entertainment programs. He asks the pastor, "Why can't we do this? These churches are full, and the young people love it."

Kwanza, mchungaji anasikiliza, na anamshukuru kijana kwa bidii yake ya kuwafikia marafiki zake. Hamu ya kuwafikia waliopotea ni zawadi njema.First, the pastor listens, and he thanks the young man for his zeal to reach his friends. The desire to reach the lost is a good gift.

Pili, hajibu tu kwa "Hatujawahi kufanya hivi." Anafungua Matendo 2:42 na 1 Timotheo 4:13 pamoja na kijana huyo na kuuliza, "Mungu ametuomba tufanye nini tunapokutana pamoja?"Second, he does not answer only with "We have never done this." He opens Acts 2:42 and 1 Timothy 4:13 with the young man and asks, "What has God asked us to do when we come together?"

Tatu, anatenganisha vipengele na mazingira. Mambo mengi yanaweza kufanywa katika mikutano ya vijana, milo, vikundi vya maigizo na matukio ya uinjilisti ambayo si ibada ya Siku ya Bwana ya kanisa. Kikao cha wazee kinaweza kuyaidhinisha kama ushirika na uinjilisti. Ibada ya hadharani ya kanisa ndipo kanuni inapotumika.Third, he separates elements from circumstances. Many things can be done in youth gatherings, meals, drama clubs and outreach events that are not the Lord's Day worship of the church. The session can approve these as fellowship and evangelism. The public worship of the church is where the principle applies.

Nne, analeta jambo hilo kwa kikao cha wazee na anawaahidi vijana huduma halisi katika kanisa, kama kusaidia muziki na kufundisha watoto.Fourth, he brings the matter to the session and promises the youth real service in the church, such as helping with music and teaching children.

MuhtasariSummary

Kanuni ya kuongoza ibada inafundisha kwamba kanisa linaweza kufanya katika ibada ya hadharani yale tu ambayo Mungu ameamuru katika Neno lake, kwa agizo, mfano au matokeo ya wazi. Inafundishwa katika Ungamo la Imani la Westminster sura ya 21 na Katekisimu ya Heidelberg Swali la 96. Msingi wake wa kibiblia unajumuisha amri ya pili, Nadabu na Abihu, sanduku, Mathayo 15:9 na Yohana 4:24. Vipengele vya ibada vinahitaji idhini katika Maandiko, ilhali mazingira hupangwa kwa busara chini ya kanuni za jumla za Neno. Kanuni ya kawaida ya makanisa mengi ya Kilutheri na ya Kianglikana inaruhusu yale ambayo Maandiko hayakatazi. Pingamizi zinasema kwamba kanuni haijatajwa katika Maandiko, inatumika kwa kutoendana, ni baridi na finyu, au imefungwa kwa sherehe za Agano la Kale. Walimu wa Matengenezo wanajibu kwamba kanuni ni mafundisho ya Biblia nzima, kwamba mazingira hutoa nafasi pana kwa utamaduni na furaha, na kwamba utakatifu wa Mungu haubadiliki. Waumini wa Matengenezo hutumia kanuni hiyo kwa tofauti fulani, na hushikilia tofauti hizo kwa upendo.The regulative principle teaches that the church may do in public worship only what God has commanded in His Word, by precept, example or clear implication. It is taught in Westminster Confession chapter 21 and Heidelberg Catechism Question 96. Its biblical support includes the second commandment, Nadab and Abihu, the ark, Matthew 15:9 and John 4:24. The elements of worship need a warrant in Scripture, while circumstances are ordered by prudence under the general rules of the Word. The normative principle of many Lutheran and Anglican churches permits what Scripture does not forbid. Objections say that the principle is unstated in Scripture, inconsistently applied, cold and narrow, or tied to Old Testament ceremony. Reformed teachers answer that the principle is the teaching of the whole Bible, that circumstances give wide room for culture and joy, and that the holiness of God does not change. Reformed believers apply the principle with some differences, and they hold those differences with charity.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Ungamo la Imani la Westminster (The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646-47), sura ya 1, 20 na 21.• The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646-47), chapters 1, 20 and 21.

• Katekisimu Kubwa ya Westminster (The Westminster Larger Catechism), juu ya amri ya pili.• The Westminster Larger Catechism, on the second commandment.

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

• Katekisimu ya Heidelberg (The Heidelberg Catechism, 1563), Swali na Jibu la 96.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Question and Answer 96.

• Ungamo la Imani la Ubelgiji (The Belgic Confession, 1561), kifungu cha 32.• The Belgic Confession (1561), article 32.

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo; tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845), Kitabu cha 4, sura ya 10.• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), Book 4, chapter 10.

• Ungamo la Pili la Helvetia (The Second Helvetic Confession, 1566).• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566).

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