Teolojia ya Kiwesley na Fundisho la Wokovu — Sehemu ya 1: Njia ya Wesley ya Kufanya Teolojia: Maandiko Kwanza, pamoja na Mapokeo, Akili na UzoefuWesleyan Theology and the Doctrine of Salvation — Unit 1: The Wesleyan Way of Doing Theology: Scripture First, with Tradition, Reason and Experience

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Maandiko Matakatifu yote yamevuviwa na Mungu, yafaa kwa mafundisho, na kwa kuonya, na kwa kurekebisha, na kwa kuadibu katika haki; ili mtu wa Mungu awe kamili, amekamilishwa apate kutenda kila kazi njema." (2 Timotheo 3:16-17, SUV)"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini wafuasi wa Wesley huweka Maandiko kwanza na kuyaita mamlaka ya mwisho katika imani na maisha.1. Explain why Wesleyans place Scripture first and call it the final authority for faith and practice.

2. Kueleza majukumu ambayo mapokeo, akili na uzoefu hucheza katika teolojia ya Wesley, na kwa nini kila kimoja kinayatumikia Maandiko.2. Describe the roles that tradition, reason and experience play in Wesleyan theology, and why each one serves Scripture.

3. Kueleza "Pembenne ya Wesley" (Wesleyan Quadrilateral) ni nini, ni nani aliyeipa jina hilo, na kwa nini wanahistoria wanalijadili.3. Explain what the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" is, who gave it that name, and why historians debate it.

4. Kueleza kwa haki pingamizi za Wakristo wa "Maandiko peke yake," za Wakristo Wakatoliki na Waorthodoksi, na za teolojia huria, na kutoa jibu la Wesley kwa kila moja.4. State fairly the objections of "Scripture alone" Christians, of Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and of liberal theology, and give the Wesleyan answer to each.

5. Kutumia vipimo vinne katika hali rahisi ya kichungaji mtu anapoleta fundisho jipya kanisani.5. Use the four tests in a simple pastoral situation when someone brings a new teaching to the church.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley, kwa wanafunzi wanaoyashiriki. Ni ya kihafidhina na ya kiinjilisti. Inaposema "sisi" au "mapokeo yetu," inamaanisha makanisa yanayofuata mafundisho ya John Wesley: Kanisa la Nazarene, Kanisa la Wesleyan (The Wesleyan Church), Kanisa la Free Methodist, Kanisa la Global Methodist, na makanisa ya Methodisti katika Amerika ya Kusini na Afrika yanayoshika mafundisho ya Wesley. Historia ya makanisa haya ilisimuliwa katika Kozi ya 1, na hatuirudii hapa. Kozi hii inauliza swali tofauti: tunafundisha nini kuhusu wokovu, na kwa nini?This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and evangelical. When it says "we" or "our tradition," it means the churches that follow John Wesley's teaching: the Church of the Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church, the Free Methodist Church, the Global Methodist Church, and Methodist churches in Latin America and Africa that keep Wesley's doctrine. The history of these churches was told in Course 1, and we do not repeat it here. This course asks a different question: what do we teach about salvation, and why?

Wakristo wengine huona mambo haya kwa njia tofauti. Tunaeleza mawazo yao kwa haki, kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Maandiko yanasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkamateni sana lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Imani iliyojaribiwa ina nguvu kuliko ile ambayo haijawahi kuulizwa maswali.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). A faith that has been tested is stronger than one that has never been questioned.

Kwa Nini Njia HutanguliaWhy Method Comes First

Kabla hatujasoma fundisho lolote, ni lazima tuulize tunajuaje kilicho kweli. Kila kanisa lina njia, hata kama halijawahi kuitamka. Wengine husema, "Tunaamini kile mwanzilishi wetu alichofundisha." Ikiwa njia ni dhaifu, mafundisho yaliyojengwa juu yake yatakuwa dhaifu.Before we study any doctrine, we must ask how we know what is true. Every church has a method, even if it never states it. Some say, "We believe what our founder taught." If the method is weak, the doctrines built on it will be weak.

John Wesley alikuwa kasisi wa Kianglikana, mwalimu wa Oxford, na kiongozi wa uamsho mkuu. Aliandika mahubiri, barua, maelezo juu ya Biblia, vijitabu na nyimbo kwa watu wa kawaida. Njia yake inapatikana katika jinsi alivyofanya kazi. Tunapomtazama akifanya kazi, tunaona mpangilio ulio wazi. Maandiko huja kwanza. Vyanzo vingine vitatu vinatusaidia kuelewa na kutumia Maandiko. Havisimami juu yake.John Wesley was an Anglican priest, an Oxford teacher, and the leader of a great revival. He wrote sermons, letters, notes on the Bible, tracts and hymns for ordinary people. His method is found in how he worked. When we watch him work, we see a clear order. Scripture comes first. The other three sources help us understand and apply Scripture. They do not stand above it.

Maandiko KwanzaScripture First

Wesley alijiita "mtu wa kitabu kimoja." Alimaanisha kwamba Biblia ndicho kitabu alichohukumu nacho kila kitabu kingine na kila wazo. Katika utangulizi wa kitabu chake cha kwanza cha mahubiri (1746) alisema kwamba alitaka kuonyeshwa njia ya kwenda mbinguni kutoka katika Neno la Mungu. Kwake, Biblia haikuwa sauti moja kati ya nyingi. Ilikuwa sauti ya Mungu.Wesley called himself "a man of one book." He meant that the Bible was the book by which he judged every other book and every idea. In the preface to his first volume of sermons (1746) he said that he wanted to be shown the way to heaven from God's Word. The Bible, for him, was not one voice among many. It was the voice of God.

Mstari wetu mkuu unatoa sababu. Paulo anasema kwamba Maandiko yote "yamevuviwa na Mungu." Neno la Kigiriki lililo nyuma ya msemo huu linazungumza juu ya "pumzi" ya Mungu. Maandiko yanafaa kwa kufundisha, kwa kuonya, kwa kurekebisha na kwa kuadibu katika haki. Yanamfanya mtumishi wa Mungu awe "kamili, amekamilishwa apate kutenda kila kazi njema." Ikiwa Maandiko yanaweza kufanya haya yote, hatuhitaji chanzo cha pili chenye uzito sawa.Our key verse gives the reason. Paul says that all Scripture is "given by inspiration of God." The Greek word behind this phrase speaks of the "breath" of God. Scripture is useful for teaching, for rebuke, for correction and for training in righteousness. It makes the servant of God "complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." If Scripture can do all this, then we need no second source of equal weight.

Makala ya Dini ya Methodisti (Articles of Religion), ambayo Wesley aliyaandaa kwa ajili ya Wamethodisti wa Amerika mwaka 1784 kutoka katika Makala ya zamani ya Kianglikana, yanasema kwamba Maandiko Matakatifu yana mambo yote yanayohitajika kwa wokovu. Yanasema kwamba chochote kisichosomwa katika Maandiko, na kisichoweza kuthibitishwa nayo, haipaswi kudaiwa kwa mtu yeyote kama kifungu cha imani. Makanisa yetu yameshika kanuni hii tangu mwanzo.The Methodist Articles of Religion, which Wesley prepared for the American Methodists in 1784 from the older Anglican Articles, say that the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary for salvation. They say that whatever is not read in Scripture, and cannot be proved by it, should not be required of anyone as an article of faith. Our churches have held this principle from the beginning.

Kwa hiyo wafuasi wa Wesley hufundisha mambo manne kuhusu Biblia.Wesleyans therefore teach four things about the Bible.

Kwanza, imevuviwa na inaaminika. Yesu alisema kwamba Maandiko hayawezi kutanguka (Yohana 10:35). Pale ambapo kifungu ni kigumu, tunakisoma kwa subira na unyenyekevu.First, it is inspired and trustworthy. Jesus said that Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). Where a passage is hard, we study it patiently and humbly.

Pili, iko wazi katika yale tunayohitaji kwa wokovu. Si kila mstari ni rahisi, lakini njia ya wokovu iko wazi. Mkulima, mtoto na mchungaji wote wanaweza kusoma kwamba Kristo alikufa kwa ajili ya wenye dhambi na kwamba wanaoamini wanaokolewa.Second, it is clear on what we need for salvation. Not every verse is easy, but the way of salvation is plain. A farmer, a child and a pastor can all read that Christ died for sinners and that those who believe are saved.

Tatu, inajifasiri yenyewe. Wesley mara nyingi alisema juu ya "mlinganisho wa imani" (analogy of faith). Hii inamaanisha kwamba tunasoma kila mstari mgumu kwa kuangalia ujumbe wote wa Maandiko. Paulo alitumia msemo unaofanana katika Warumi 12:6, "kwa kadiri ya imani yetu." Ikiwa usomaji wetu wa mstari mmoja unavunja mafundisho ya wazi ya mistari mingi, tunapaswa kuusoma tena.Third, it interprets itself. Wesley often spoke of "the analogy of faith." This means that we read each hard verse in light of the whole message of Scripture. Paul used a similar phrase in Romans 12:6, "according to the proportion of faith." If our reading of one verse breaks the plain teaching of many others, we should read it again.

Nne, ni kipimo cha kila mwalimu. Wakristo wa Beroya "walikuwa wakarimu kuliko wale wa Thesalonike, kwa kuwa walilipokea lile neno kwa nia yote, na kuchunguza Maandiko kila siku, wapate kujua kama mambo hayo ndivyo yalivyo" (Matendo 17:11). Walimpima hata mtume Paulo kwa Maandiko.Fourth, it is the test of every teacher. The Bereans "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). They tested even the apostle Paul by Scripture.

Wasaidizi WatatuThe Three Helpers

Ikiwa Maandiko huja kwanza, kwa nini tunahitaji kitu kingine? Jibu ni kwamba Maandiko husomwa kila wakati na mtu fulani, mahali fulani, kwa zana fulani. Wafuasi wa Wesley wanataja wasaidizi watatu. Kila mmoja anayatumikia Maandiko. Hakuna anayeyabadilisha.If Scripture is first, why do we need anything else? The answer is that Scripture is always read by someone, in some place, with some tools. Wesleyans name three helpers. Each one serves the Bible. None replaces it.

MapokeoTradition

Wesley hakuwa mtu aliyeanza bila kitu. Alilipenda kanisa la kwanza. Alisoma maandishi ya mababa wa kanisa, wa Magharibi na wa Mashariki, na alivutiwa na imani na utakatifu wa Wakristo wa kwanza. Alikubali kanuni kuu za imani, Kanuni ya Imani ya Mitume na Kanuni ya Imani ya Nikea, zinazoeleza Utatu na nafsi ya Kristo. Pia aliishi ndani ya Kanisa la Uingereza, na alithamini Makala yake ya Dini, Kitabu chake cha Sala ya Pamoja (Book of Common Prayer) na Mahubiri yake rasmi (Homilies).Wesley was not a man who started from nothing. He loved the early church. He read the writings of the church fathers, both in the West and in the East, and he admired the faith and holiness of the first Christians. He accepted the great creeds, the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, which state the Trinity and the person of Christ. He also lived inside the Church of England, and he valued its Articles of Religion, its Book of Common Prayer and its Homilies.

Kwa nini tunathamini mapokeo? Kwa sababu Roho Mtakatifu amekuwa akilifundisha kanisa kwa miaka elfu mbili. Sisi si watu wa kwanza kusoma Warumi. Wakati kanisa lote, katika karne nyingi, limekiri kwamba Mungu ni nafsi tatu katika kiumbe kimoja, ungamo hilo ni ushahidi mkubwa wa yale ambayo Maandiko yanafundisha.Why do we value tradition? Because the Holy Spirit has been teaching the church for two thousand years. We are not the first people to read Romans. When the whole church, across many centuries, has confessed that God is three persons in one being, that confession is a strong witness to what Scripture teaches.

Lakini mapokeo yana kikomo. Ni shahidi, si hakimu. Yesu aliwakemea viongozi walioiacha amri ya Mungu kwa ajili ya mapokeo yao wenyewe (Marko 7:8-9). Mabaraza na walimu wanaweza kukosea. Tunaheshimu mapokeo yanapokubaliana na Maandiko na tunayarekebisha yasipokubaliana.But tradition has a limit. It is a witness, not a judge. Jesus rebuked leaders who set aside God's commandment for the sake of their own traditions (Mark 7:8-9). Councils and teachers can be wrong. We honor tradition when it agrees with Scripture and we correct it when it does not.

AkiliReason

Wesley alikuwa msomi aliyefundishwa, na aliamini kwamba Mungu aliumba akili ili itumiwe. Katika andiko lake "Rufaa ya Dhati kwa Watu wa Akili na Dini" (An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion, 1743) aliwaomba watu wenye elimu wafikiri kwa uwazi juu ya imani ya Kikristo. Pia aliandika mahubiri juu ya nafasi sahihi ya akili katika dini, "Hoja ya Akili Kuzingatiwa kwa Haki" (The Case of Reason Impartially Considered). Ndani yake alisema kwamba akili ina kazi halisi ya kufanya: inatusaidia kuelewa maneno ya Maandiko, kupanga mawazo, na kufikia hitimisho sahihi. Lakini akili haiwezi kuzaa imani, na haiwezi kutufanya tumpende Mungu. Ni Roho tu anayeweza kufanya hivyo.Wesley was a trained scholar, and he believed that God made the mind to be used. In his writing "An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion" (1743) he appealed to educated people to think clearly about the Christian faith. He also wrote a sermon on the proper place of reason in religion, "The Case of Reason Impartially Considered." In it he argued that reason has real work to do: it helps us understand the words of Scripture, put ideas in order, and draw right conclusions. But reason cannot create faith, and it cannot make us love God. Only the Spirit does that.

Mungu mwenyewe huwaalika watu kufikiri: "Haya, njoni, tusemezane, asema Bwana" (Isaya 1:18). Tunatumia akili kusoma Biblia kwa uangalifu, kutambua neno linamaanisha nini, kulinganisha vifungu, na kuepuka migongano.God Himself invites thought: "Come now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18). We use reason to read the Bible carefully, to notice what a word means, to compare passages, and to avoid contradictions.

Kikomo cha akili kiko wazi. Ikiwa akili inakuwa hakimu wa Maandiko, watu hukubali tu sehemu za Biblia zinazoonekana kwao kuwa na maana. Njia hiyo inaelekea mbali na mitume. Akili ni mtumishi wa Neno, si bwana wake.The limit of reason is plain. If reason becomes the judge of Scripture, people accept only the parts of the Bible that seem sensible to them. That road leads far from the apostles. Reason is the servant of the Word, not its master.

UzoefuExperience

Hapa mapokeo ya Wesley yanatofautiana zaidi na mengine. Wesley aliamini kwamba injili inaweza kujulikana moyoni, si kichwani tu. Paulo anaandika, "Roho mwenyewe hushuhudia pamoja na roho zetu ya kuwa sisi tu watoto wa Mungu" (Warumi 8:16). Wesley alihubiri kwamba waumini wanaweza kujua kwamba dhambi zao zimesamehewa. Kipindi cha 7 kitasoma fundisho hili. Huko Aldersgate mwaka 1738, Wesley alisema kwamba moyo wake "ulipata joto la ajabu" (angalia Kozi ya 1, Kipindi cha 3). Hakujenga dini mpya juu ya jioni hiyo. Aligundua kwamba ahadi za Maandiko zilikuwa kweli kwake.Here the Wesleyan tradition is most different from some others. Wesley believed that the gospel can be known in the heart, not only in the head. Paul writes, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). Wesley preached that believers can know that their sins are forgiven. Unit 7 will study this teaching. At Aldersgate in 1738, Wesley said that his heart was "strangely warmed" (see Course 1, Unit 3). He did not build a new religion on that evening. He found that the promises of Scripture were true for him.

Uzoefu hufanya nini katika njia yetu? Unathibitisha. Maandiko yanapoahidi msamaha, kuzaliwa upya na upendo wa Mungu uliomwagwa mioyoni mwetu, tunatarajia kuona mambo haya katika maisha halisi. Na tunayaona. Wesley aliandika hadithi nyingi za maisha yaliyobadilika katika Shajara yake (Journal). Hadithi hizi hazikuwa chanzo cha fundisho. Zilikuwa ushahidi kwamba fundisho ni kweli.What does experience do in our method? It confirms. When Scripture promises forgiveness, new birth and the love of God poured into our hearts, we expect to find these things in real lives. And we do. Wesley recorded many stories of changed lives in his Journal. These stories were not the source of the doctrine. They were evidence that the doctrine was true.

Lakini uzoefu pia una kikomo. Hisia hubadilika. Watu wanaweza kuchukua hisia kali, ndoto au wazo la busara kuwa sauti ya Mungu. Maandiko yanatuonya tuzijaribu roho (1 Yohana 4:1). Kwa sababu hiyo, uzoefu unaopingana na Maandiko haukubaliwi. Badala yake, tunapima uzoefu kwa Neno.But experience also has a limit. Feelings change. People can mistake a strong emotion, a dream or a clever idea for the voice of God. Scripture warns us to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). For this reason, an experience that contradicts Scripture is not accepted. Instead, we test the experience by the Word.

"Pembenne ya Wesley" (Wesleyan Quadrilateral)The "Wesleyan Quadrilateral"

Katika karne ya ishirini, msomi wa Methodisti aitwaye Albert Outler alilipa jina mfumo huu. Aliuita "Pembenne ya Wesley" (Wesleyan Quadrilateral): Maandiko, mapokeo, akili na uzoefu. Pembenne ni umbo lenye pande nne. Jina hili lilipendwa katika makanisa ya Methodisti ya Marekani, na wachungaji wengi walijifunza kama muhtasari wa jinsi Wesley alivyofikiri.In the twentieth century, a Methodist scholar named Albert Outler gave a name to this pattern. He called it the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral": Scripture, tradition, reason and experience. A quadrilateral is a shape with four sides. The name became popular in the Methodist churches of the United States, and many pastors learned it as a summary of how Wesley thought.

Unapaswa kujua mambo matatu kuhusu jina hili.You should know three things about this name.

Kwanza, Wesley hakuwahi kulitumia. Ni muhtasari wa kisasa, si neno la Wesley mwenyewe. Neno hili lina faida, lakini hatupaswi kudai kwamba Wesley alichora mchoro.First, Wesley never used it. It is a modern summary, not Wesley's own word. The word is useful, but we must not claim that Wesley drew a diagram.

Pili, wanahistoria hawakubaliani juu ya kile Wesley alichomaanisha. Wengine husema kwamba Wesley alipa vyanzo vinne uzito sawa, kama miguu minne ya meza. Wengine husema kwamba Maandiko ndiyo mamlaka pekee ya kweli kwa Wesley na kwamba mengine matatu ni wasaidizi. Wengine wanaonyesha kwamba walimu wa zamani wa Wesley wa Kianglikana, kama Richard Hooker katika karne ya kumi na sita, walikuwa tayari wamesema juu ya Maandiko, akili na mapokeo kwa pamoja. Wasomi hawa wanasema kwamba Wesley aliongeza mkazo juu ya uzoefu, lakini hakubadilisha nafasi ya Maandiko.Second, historians disagree about what Wesley meant. Some say that Wesley gave the four sources equal weight, like four legs of a table. Others say that Scripture is the only true authority for Wesley and that the other three are helpers. Some point out that Wesley's older Anglican teachers, such as Richard Hooker in the sixteenth century, had already spoken of Scripture, reason and tradition together. These scholars say that Wesley added the emphasis on experience, but did not change the place of Scripture.

Tatu, jina hili limetumiwa kwa njia mbili tofauti sana. Katika baadhi ya madhehebu ya zamani ya Methodisti, viongozi wa kanisa wamelitumia kusema kwamba uzoefu wa kibinadamu na akili ya kisasa vinaweza kusimama kando ya Maandiko, au hata kuyarekebisha. Matumizi haya yameyaongoza baadhi ya makanisa mbali na mafundisho ya Kikristo ya kihistoria, na ni mojawapo ya sababu ambazo Wamethodisti wahafidhina wameunda makanisa mapya (angalia Kozi ya 1, Kipindi cha 9).Third, the name has been used in two very different ways. In some older Methodist bodies, church leaders have used it to say that human experience and modern reason may stand beside Scripture, or even correct it. This use has led some churches away from historic Christian teaching, and it is one reason why conservative Methodists have formed new churches (see Course 1, Unit 9).

Mapokeo yetu yanasoma ushahidi hivi. Utendaji wa Wesley mwenyewe unaonyesha kwamba Maandiko ndiyo kipimo. Alihoji kwa kutumia Biblia na kuichukulia kuwa kipimo chake cha mwisho. Vyanzo vingine vitatu vilikuwa halisi na vyenye thamani, lakini havikuwa hakimu wake kamwe. Tukitumia jina "pembenne," tunamaanisha pembenne ya "Maandiko Kwanza": chanzo kimoja kinachotawala, na vitatu vinavyotumikia. Baadhi ya wafuasi wa Wesley wanapendelea kuliepuka neno hilo kwa sababu hii. Vyovyote vile, mpangilio ni muhimu kuliko neno.Our tradition reads the evidence this way. Wesley's own practice shows that Scripture is the norm. He argued from the Bible and treated it as his final test. The other three sources were real and valuable, but they were never his judge. If we use the name "quadrilateral," we mean a "Scripture-first" quadrilateral: one source that rules, and three that serve. Some Wesleyans prefer to avoid the word for this reason. Either way, the order matters more than the word.

Pingamizi na Majibu ya WesleyObjections and Wesleyan Answers

Mchungaji lazima awe tayari kwa maswali ambayo Wakristo wengine huuliza. Tunaeleza kila pingamizi kama wanaolishikilia wanavyolieleza, kisha tunajibu.A pastor must be ready for the questions other Christians raise. We state each one as its holders would, and then answer.

Pingamizi la 1: Wakristo wa "Maandiko peke yake" husema kwamba wafuasi wa Wesley wanatoa mengi mno kwa mapokeo, akili na uzoefu.Objection 1: "Scripture alone" Christians say that Wesleyans give too much to tradition, reason and experience.

Wabaptisti wengi, Wareformed (Reformed) na wainjilisti wengine hushikilia kwamba Biblia ndiyo kanuni pekee ya imani. Wanaogopa kwamba tukiongeza vyanzo vingine, tutaondoka polepole mbali na Neno.Many Baptists, Reformed Christians and other evangelicals hold that the Bible is the only rule of faith. They fear that if we add other sources, we will slowly move away from the Word.

Jibu letu. Tunakubaliana na wasiwasi wao mkuu. Makala yetu ya Dini yanasema kwamba Maandiko yanatosha, na tunashikilia kwamba Maandiko ndiyo mamlaka pekee ya mwisho. Lakini hakuna mtu anayesoma Biblia bila mapokeo, akili na uzoefu. Mbaptisti anayesoma Maandiko pia anatumia Utatu aliojifunza kutoka katika kanuni za imani, mantiki ya akili yake mwenyewe na safari yake mwenyewe na Mungu. Swali si kama wasaidizi hawa wapo, bali kama tunawakubali na kuwaweka chini ya Maandiko. Wesley alifanya hivyo waziwazi. Tunadhani kwamba uaminifu huu ni ulinzi, si hatari.Our answer. We agree with their central concern. Our Articles of Religion state that Scripture is sufficient, and we hold that Scripture is the only final authority. But no one reads the Bible without tradition, reason and experience. A Baptist who reads Scripture also uses the Trinity he learned from the creeds, the logic of his own mind and his own walk with God. The question is not whether these helpers exist, but whether we admit them and keep them under Scripture. Wesley did so openly. We think that this honesty is a protection, not a danger.

Pingamizi la 2: Wakatoliki na Waorthodoksi husema kwamba mapokeo yanasimama kando ya Maandiko kwa uzito sawa.Objection 2: Catholic and Orthodox Christians say that tradition stands beside Scripture with equal weight.

Wanafundisha kwamba kanisa, likiongozwa na Roho, linashikilia kweli katika mapokeo yake hai na mabaraza yake, na kwamba Maandiko husomwa vizuri ndani ya mapokeo hayo.They teach that the church, guided by the Spirit, holds the truth in her living tradition and her councils, and that Scripture is rightly read inside that tradition.

Jibu letu. Tunaliheshimu kanisa la kwanza na kushika kanuni zake za imani. Lakini Yesu alihukumu mapokeo kwa Neno la Mungu (Marko 7:8-9), na Wakristo wa Beroya walimhukumu hata mtume kwa Maandiko (Matendo 17:11). Ikiwa mapokeo yangeweza kuongeza mafundisho mapya ya lazima, basi kanisa lingesimama juu ya Neno lililolizaa. Tunashikilia kwamba mapokeo ni kiongozi mwaminifu, lakini si chanzo sawa kamwe.Our answer. We respect the early church and keep its creeds. But Jesus judged tradition by the Word of God (Mark 7:8-9), and the Bereans judged even an apostle by the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). If tradition could add new required doctrines, then the church would stand above the Word that made her. We hold that tradition is a faithful guide but never an equal source.

Pingamizi la 3: Teolojia huria husema kwamba akili ya kisasa na uzoefu vinaweza kurekebisha Biblia.Objection 3: Liberal theology says that modern reason and experience may correct the Bible.

Wengine katika madhehebu ya zamani ya Methodisti hushikilia kwamba Maandiko ni kumbukumbu ya uzoefu wa kidini wa kibinadamu, na kwamba pale yanapopingana na maarifa ya kisasa au uzoefu wa sasa, tunapaswa kufuata wa sasa.Some in older Methodist bodies hold that Scripture is a record of human religious experience, and that where it conflicts with modern knowledge or with present experience, we should follow the present.

Jibu letu. Hii si njia ya Wesley. Aliweka maisha yake juu ya Biblia. Paulo anasema kwamba Maandiko yamevuviwa na Mungu, na si kumbukumbu ya kibinadamu tu (2 Timotheo 3:16). Ikiwa mawazo yetu wenyewe yanaweza kuyashinda Maandiko, basi Biblia haituhukumu tena; sisi ndio tunaihukumu. Mapokeo yetu yanajibu kwa maneno ya mtume: "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkamateni sana lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Akili na uzoefu vinapaswa kupimwa kwa Neno.Our answer. This is not Wesley's method. He staked his life on the Bible. Paul says that Scripture is inspired by God, and not a human record only (2 Timothy 3:16). If our own thoughts may overrule the Bible, then the Bible no longer judges us; we judge it. Our tradition answers with the apostle: "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Reason and experience are to be tested by the Word.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji anahudumu kanisa dogo katika mji. Jumapili moja mwanamke anayeheshimika kanisani anamwambia kwamba Mungu alisema naye katika ndoto. Ndoto hiyo ilimwambia kwamba Wakristo lazima washike siku fulani ya kufunga kila mwezi, na kwamba wasiofanya hivyo watapoteza baraka zao. Watu kadhaa wanataka kumfuata. Yeye ni mkweli, na analia anapozungumza.A pastor serves a small church in a town. One Sunday a respected woman in the church tells him that God spoke to her in a dream. The dream told her that Christians must keep a certain day of fasting each month, and that those who do not will lose their blessing. Several people want to follow her. She is sincere, and she is weeping as she speaks.

Mchungaji hamdhihaki. Anamshukuru kwa kumchukulia Mungu kwa uzito na kumwambia kwamba ataomba naye. Kisha anauliza maswali manne.The pastor does not mock her. He thanks her for taking God seriously and tells her that he will pray with her. Then he asks four questions.

Kwanza, Maandiko yanasema nini? Anafungua Biblia pamoja naye. Anaonyesha kwamba kufunga kunafundishwa na kuheshimiwa, lakini hakuna mstari unaosema kwamba wale wasiofunga siku maalum ya kila mwezi hupoteza baraka zao. Kanuni ambayo Biblia haitoi haiwezi kufanywa ya lazima kwa kanisa.First, what does Scripture say? He opens the Bible with her. He shows that fasting is taught and honored, but that no verse says that those who do not fast on a fixed monthly day lose their blessing. A rule that the Bible does not give cannot be made binding on the church.

Pili, kanisa limefundisha nini kwa miaka mingi? Waumini wamefunga kwa njia nyingi, kwa uhuru, na kanisa halijawahi kufanya mtindo mmoja kuwa kipimo cha imani.Second, what has the church taught over the years? Believers have fasted in many ways, freely, and the church has never made one pattern a test of faith.

Tatu, je, inakubalika kwa akili? Kanuni inayosema kwamba upendeleo wa Mungu unategemea tarehe inageuza neema kuwa wajibu wa kupatikana kwa jitihada.Third, is it reasonable? A rule that says that God's favor depends on a date turns grace into a duty to be earned.

Nne, uzoefu unaonyesha nini? Ukweli wake ni halisi, na hamu yake ya kumkaribia Mungu ni njema. Lakini ndoto kali si uthibitisho, na kanisa limejifunza kujaribu kila sauti (1 Yohana 4:1).Fourth, what does experience show? Her sincerity is real, and her desire to draw near to God is good. But a strong dream is not proof, and the church has learned to test every voice (1 John 4:1).

Mchungaji anamkaribisha afunge kama anavyoongozwa, kama zawadi ya hiari kwa Mungu, na kushiriki hamu yake na kanisa. Hairuhusu ndoto hiyo kuwa sheria.The pastor invites her to fast as she feels led, as a free gift to God, and to share her desire with the church. He does not allow the dream to become a law.

MuhtasariSummary

Wafuasi wa Wesley hufanya teolojia kwa kuweka Maandiko kwanza. Wesley alijiita mtu wa kitabu kimoja, na Makala yetu ya Dini yanasema kwamba Maandiko yana mambo yote yanayohitajika kwa wokovu. Wasaidizi watatu wanalitumikia Neno. Mapokeo hutoa ushahidi wa kanisa na kanuni za imani. Akili hutusaidia kusoma, kulinganisha na kutetea. Uzoefu huthibitisha ahadi za Mungu katika maisha halisi. Albert Outler alilipa mfumo huu jina "Pembenne ya Wesley," lakini Wesley hakuwahi kutumia jina hilo, na wanahistoria wanajadili kama aliyapa mambo manne uzito sawa. Mapokeo yetu yanashikilia kwamba Maandiko ndiyo kipimo na mengine matatu ni watumishi. Tunajibu pingamizi za Wakristo wa Maandiko peke yake, za Wakatoliki na Waorthodoksi, na za wanateolojia huria kutoka katika Maandiko yenyewe. Katika kila hali, Neno la Mungu husimama kwanza.Wesleyans do theology with Scripture first. Wesley called himself a man of one book, and our Articles of Religion say that Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation. Three helpers serve the Word. Tradition gives the witness of the church and the creeds. Reason helps us read, compare and defend. Experience confirms the promises of God in real lives. Albert Outler named this pattern the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral," but Wesley never used the name, and historians debate whether he gave the four equal weight. Our tradition holds that Scripture is the norm and the other three are servants. We answer the objections of Scripture-alone Christians, Catholics and Orthodox, and liberal theologians from Scripture itself. In every case, the Word of God stands first.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, Utangulizi wa Sermons on Several Occasions (1746) (Mahubiri ya Matukio Mbalimbali).• John Wesley, Preface to Sermons on Several Occasions (1746).

• John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (Maelezo ya Ufafanuzi juu ya Agano Jipya), pamoja na Utangulizi wake.• John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, with its Preface.

• John Wesley, An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion (1743) (Rufaa ya Dhati kwa Watu wa Akili na Dini).• John Wesley, An Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion (1743).

• John Wesley, "The Case of Reason Impartially Considered" (Hoja ya Akili Kuzingatiwa kwa Haki), katika Mahubiri ya Kawaida (Standard Sermons).• John Wesley, "The Case of Reason Impartially Considered," in the Standard Sermons.

• Makala ya Dini ya Methodisti (The Methodist Articles of Religion) (1784).• The Methodist Articles of Religion (1784).

• Richard Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (Juu ya Sheria za Utawala wa Kanisa), chanzo cha msingi cha mtazamo wa Kianglikana juu ya Maandiko, akili na mapokeo.• Richard Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, a primary source for the Anglican view of Scripture, reason and tradition.

• Sehemu za Kiarminiani za kozi ya Teolojia ya Mfumo ya CTS (CTSST).• The Arminian sections of the CTS Systematic Theology course (CTSST).

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