Utakatifu, Utakaso na Ukamilifu wa Kikristo — Sehemu ya 1: "Iweni Watakatifu, Kwa Maana Mimi Ni Mtakatifu": Wito wa BibliaHoliness, Sanctification, and Christian Perfection — Unit 1: "Be Holy, for I Am Holy": The Biblical Call

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"bali kama yeye aliyewaita alivyo mtakatifu, ninyi nanyi iweni watakatifu katika mwenendo wenu wote; maana imeandikwa, Mtakuwa watakatifu, kwa kuwa mimi ni mtakatifu." (1 Petro 1:15-16, SUV)"but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15-16, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza Biblia inamaanisha nini inaposema kwamba Mungu ni mtakatifu, na neno la Kiebrania lililo nyuma ya "takatifu" linamaanisha nini kwanza.1. Explain what the Bible means when it says that God is holy, and what the Hebrew word behind "holy" first means.

2. Kueleza jinsi Walawi 19 inavyounganisha ibada, uaminifu na upendo kwa jirani katika wito mmoja wa utakatifu.2. Describe how Leviticus 19 joins worship, honesty and love for the neighbor in one call to holiness.

3. Kufuatilia ahadi ya moyo uliobadilishwa kutoka katika Torati na Manabii hadi katika mafundisho ya Yesu na mitume.3. Trace the promise of a changed heart from the Law and the Prophets into the teaching of Jesus and the apostles.

4. Kutaja angalau vifungu vitano vya Agano Jipya vinavyoamuru au kuahidi utakatifu, na kusema kila kimoja kinaongeza nini.4. Name at least five New Testament passages that command or promise holiness, and say what each adds.

5. Kueleza pingamizi kuu dhidi ya msisitizo wa Wesley juu ya utakatifu na kutoa jibu la Wesley kwa kila moja.5. State the main objections to the Wesleyan emphasis on holiness and give the Wesleyan answer to each.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi walio ndani yake au wanaotaka kuyaelewa. Ni ya kihafidhina kitheolojia. Inashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na lenye mamlaka, na ndiyo kanuni ya mwisho ya imani na maisha. Inaposema "sisi," inamaanisha familia ya kiinjili ya Wesley: Wamethodisti wanaoshika mafundisho ya John Wesley, na makanisa ya Utakatifu (Holiness) kama Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan Church na Free Methodist Church.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition, for students who belong to it or wish to understand it. It is theologically conservative. It holds that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God and the final rule of faith and life. When it says "we," it means the evangelical Wesleyan family: Methodists who keep John Wesley's doctrine, and the Holiness churches such as the Church of the Nazarene, the Wesleyan Church and the Free Methodist Church.

Hadithi ya jinsi Umethodisti ulivyoanza imesimuliwa katika Kozi 1, na hatutairudia hapa. Kozi hii inahusu fundisho lenyewe. Tunaeleza kwa uadilifu mitazamo ya Wakristo wengine, kisha tunatoa jibu letu kutoka katika Maandiko. Mtume Paulo aliandika, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Kuhusu utakatifu, mapokeo yetu yana ujumbe unaoamini kuwa Mungu aliupa ili uubebe, na pia yana tofauti za kweli ndani ya familia yetu. Vipindi vya 4 na 5 vitaeleza mitazamo miwili miongoni mwetu, na kozi hii inaelekea upande wa mtazamo wa Kimethodisti.The story of how Methodism began is told in Course 1, and we will not repeat it here. This course is about the doctrine itself. We state the views of other Christians fairly, and then we give our answer from Scripture. The apostle Paul wrote, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). On holiness, our tradition has a message it believes God gave it to carry, and it also has honest differences inside the family. Units 4 and 5 will set out two views among us, and this course leans toward the Methodist one.

Kwa Nini Kuanza na BibliaWhy Begin with the Bible

Chochote ambacho Wamethodisti wanafundisha kuhusu utakatifu lazima kitoke kwanza katika Biblia, si katika uzoefu wa Wesley wala katika uamsho wowote. Kwa hiyo Kipindi 1 kinaanza na Mungu, anayesema, "Iweni watakatifu, kwa kuwa mimi ni mtakatifu." Jambo la kwanza la kujifunza ni kwamba utakatifu huanza na Mungu alivyo, si na yale tunayopaswa kufanya.Whatever Methodists teach about holiness must come first from the Bible, not from Wesley's experience or from any revival. So Unit 1 begins with God, who says, "Be holy, for I am holy." The first thing to learn is that holiness starts with what God is like, not with what we must do.

Utakatifu wa MunguThe Holiness of God

Neno la Kiebrania la "takatifu" ni qadosh. Wazo lake la msingi ni kutengwa, kuwa tofauti, kuwa katika daraja la pekee. Mungu ni mtakatifu kwanza kabisa kwa sababu hafanani na kitu chochote alichokiumba. Katika maono ya Isaya maserafi walilia, "Mtakatifu, mtakatifu, mtakatifu, Bwana wa majeshi; Dunia yote imejaa utukufu wake" (Isaya 6:3). Kilio hicho cha mara tatu kinaonyesha utakatifu mkuu kuliko wote unaoweza kuwapo.The Hebrew word for "holy" is qadosh. Its root idea is being set apart, different, in a class by itself. God is holy first of all because He is not like anything He has made. In Isaiah's vision the seraphim cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3). The threefold cry points to the greatest holiness there can be.

Hata hivyo, utakatifu ni zaidi ya umbali. Katika Biblia utakatifu wa Mungu unajumuisha wema wake kamili, haki yake na usafi wake. Habakuki anasema kwamba macho ya Mungu ni safi mno hata asiweze kutazama maovu (Habakuki 1:13). Utakatifu wake pia umejaa upendo, kwa maana Aliye Mtakatifu ndiye Mungu anayekuja karibu kuokoa. Hili lina umuhimu mkubwa kwa ujumbe wa Wesley. Tunaposema kwamba Mungu anataka watu wake wawe watakatifu, hatumaanishi kwamba anataka wawe baridi au wenye kiburi. Tunamaanisha kwamba anataka wawe kama yeye, naye ni upendo (1 Yohana 4:8).Holiness is more than distance, however. In the Bible God's holiness includes His perfect goodness, justice and purity. Habakkuk says that God's eyes are too pure to look on evil (Habakkuk 1:13). His holiness is also full of love, for the Holy One is the God who comes near to save. This matters a great deal for the Wesleyan message. When we say that God wants His people to be holy, we do not mean that He wants them to be cold or proud. We mean that He wants them to be like Him, and He is love (1 John 4:8).

Watu Watakatifu na Vitu Vitakatifu katika Agano la KaleHoly People and Holy Things in the Old Testament

Kwa sababu Mungu ni mtakatifu, vitu na watu walio wake huitwa watakatifu. Huko Sinai Bwana aliiambia Israeli, "nanyi mtakuwa kwangu ufalme wa makuhani, na taifa takatifu" (Kutoka 19:6). Hema la kukutania, makuhani, Sabato na dhabihu vyote vilitengwa kwa ajili ya Mungu. Hii ndiyo maana ya kwanza ya "kutakasa": kutenga kwa matumizi ya Mungu.Because God is holy, things and people that belong to Him are called holy. At Sinai the Lord told Israel, "you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). The tabernacle, the priests, the Sabbath and the offerings were all set apart for God. This is the first meaning of "sanctify": to set apart for God's use.

Baadhi ya wasomi wanasema kwamba katika Agano la Kale utakatifu mara nyingi ni wa kitamaduni za ibada, jambo la vitu safi na najisi, na kwamba maana ya kimaadili ilikuja baadaye. Hili ni swali la haki, na jibu lake linapatikana katika maandiko yenyewe. Walawi 19:2 inasema, "Mtakuwa watakatifu; kwa maana mimi, Bwana, Mungu wenu, ni mtakatifu." Sura inayofuata si ya ibada tu. Inawaambia Israeli waache pembe za shamba kwa ajili ya maskini na mgeni (mistari 9-10), wasiibe wala wasidanganye (mstari 11), wasimnyime mfanyakazi mshahara wake (mstari 13), wasimlaani kiziwi wala kumwekea kipofu kikwazo (mstari 14), wahukumu kwa haki (mstari 15), na wasimchukie ndugu moyoni (mstari 17). Kisha inasema, "Umpende jirani yako kama nafsi yako" (mstari 18). Ibada, uaminifu na upendo ni sehemu zote za amri moja. Vivyo hivyo mtunga zaburi anauliza ni nani atakayesimama mahali pake patakatifu, na jibu ni yeye aliye na mikono safi na moyo safi (Zaburi 24:3-4). Manabii walipowashutumu Israeli baadaye, hawakushutumu dhabihu zenyewe. Walishutumu dhabihu zilizotolewa na watu waliofanya dhuluma na wasiojali maskini (Isaya 1:10-17; Amosi 5:21-24). Katika Agano la Kale, utakatifu daima ulikuwa na upande wa kimaadili na wa kibinafsi.Some scholars say that in the Old Testament holiness is mostly ritual, a matter of clean and unclean things, and that the moral meaning came later. This is a fair question, and the answer is found in the text. Leviticus 19:2 says, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." The chapter that follows is not only about ritual. It tells Israel to leave the edges of the field for the poor and the stranger (verses 9-10), not to steal or lie (verse 11), not to cheat a worker of his pay (verse 13), not to curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind (verse 14), to judge fairly (verse 15), and not to hate a brother in the heart (verse 17). Then it says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (verse 18). Worship, honesty and love are all part of one command. In the same way the psalmist asks who may stand in God's holy place, and the answer is the one who has clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4). When the prophets later attacked Israel, they did not attack the sacrifices as such. They attacked sacrifices offered by people who did injustice and did not care for the poor (Isaiah 1:10-17; Amos 5:21-24). In the Old Testament, holiness always had a moral and personal side.

Ahadi ya Moyo MpyaThe Promise of a New Heart

Torati iliamuru utakatifu, lakini Israeli mara nyingi walishindwa. Torati yenyewe ilionyesha chanzo: tatizo lilikuwa ndani. Musa aliwaambia watu kwamba siku moja Bwana atawatahiri mioyo yao ili wampende kwa moyo wao wote na roho yao yote (Kumbukumbu la Torati 30:6). Zingatia kwamba ahadi hii ni kuhusu upendo. Daudi aliomba, "Ee Mungu, uniumbie moyo safi" (Zaburi 51:10). Yeremia aliahidi agano jipya ambamo Mungu angeandika sheria yake moyoni (Yeremia 31:33). Ezekieli alimsikia Bwana akisema kwamba atawanyunyizia watu wake maji safi, atawapa moyo mpya na roho mpya, na kuweka Roho wake ndani yao, ili waende katika njia zake (Ezekieli 36:25-27).The Law commanded holiness, but Israel often failed. The Law itself pointed to the cause: the problem was inside. Moses told the people that the Lord would one day circumcise their hearts so that they would love Him with all their heart and soul (Deuteronomy 30:6). Notice that this promise is about love. David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10). Jeremiah promised a new covenant in which God would write His law on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33). Ezekiel heard the Lord say that He would sprinkle clean water on His people, give them a new heart and a new spirit, and put His Spirit within them, so that they would walk in His ways (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Ahadi hizi ziko katikati ya mafundisho ya Wesley. Zinaonyesha kwamba mpango wa Mungu haukuwa tu kutoa kanuni kisha kutazama. Aliahidi kuwabadilisha watu kutoka ndani kwa Roho wake. Wesley alihubiri mahubiri ya mapema yaliyoitwa "The Circumcision of the Heart" (Kutahiriwa kwa Moyo) mwaka 1733, ambayo yalichukua kiini chake kutoka Kumbukumbu la Torati 30:6 na Warumi 2:29. Muda mrefu kabla ya kuwa maarufu kwa kuhubiri mashambani, alikuwa ameshaona kwamba utakatifu ni jambo la upendo wa moyo kwa Mungu.These promises are at the center of Wesleyan teaching. They show that God's plan was never just to give a rule and then watch. He promised to change the people from the inside by His Spirit. Wesley preached an early sermon called "The Circumcision of the Heart" in 1733, which took its theme from Deuteronomy 30:6 and Romans 2:29. Long before he became famous for field preaching, he had already seen that holiness is a matter of the heart's love for God.

Yesu na Wito wa UtakatifuJesus and the Call to Holiness

Yesu hakushusha wito huo. Aliuinua kwa kuuelekeza moyoni. Katika Mahubiri ya Mlimani alisema, "Heri wenye moyo safi, maana hao watamwona Mungu" (Mathayo 5:8). Alifundisha kwamba hasira inaweza kuwa uuaji na kwamba tamaa inaweza kuwa uzinzi (Mathayo 5:21-30). Alihitimisha sehemu hiyo kwa amri, "Basi, ninyi mtakuwa wakamilifu, kama Baba yenu wa mbinguni alivyo mkamilifu" (Mathayo 5:48). Tutalichunguza neno "mkamilifu" katika Kipindi 3; kwa sasa inatosha kuona kwamba Bwana anatuwekea mbele tabia ya Baba mwenyewe.Jesus did not lower the call. He raised it by turning it to the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). He taught that anger can be murder and that lust can be adultery (Matthew 5:21-30). He closed that section with the command, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). We will study the word "perfect" in Unit 3; for now it is enough to see that the Lord holds the Father's own character before us.

Alipoulizwa kuhusu amri kuu kuliko zote, Yesu aliunganisha maandiko mawili ya Torati. Alisema tunapaswa kumpenda Bwana Mungu wetu kwa moyo wetu wote, roho yetu yote na akili zetu zote, na kumpenda jirani yetu kama nafsi yetu (Mathayo 22:37-40). Wesley aliona katika maneno haya maana yote ya utakatifu. Amri zote za Maandiko, alifundisha, hukua kutokana na upendo. Yesu pia aliwaombea wanafunzi wake usiku uliotangulia msalaba: "Uwatakase kwa ile kweli; neno lako ndiyo kweli" (Yohana 17:17). Aliomba kwamba watu wake watakaswe, si kuhesabiwa watakatifu tu.When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus joined two texts from the Law. He said we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Wesley saw in these words the whole meaning of holiness. All the commands of Scripture, he taught, grow out of love. Jesus also prayed for His disciples the night before the cross: "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17). He prayed that His people would be made holy, not only counted holy.

Mitume Wanafundisha UtakatifuThe Apostles Teach Holiness

Mitume walipeleka ujumbe uleule kwa makanisa. Tunaorodhesha vifungu vichache, nawe unapaswa kusoma kila kimoja katika Biblia yako mwenyewe.The apostles carried the same message to the churches. We list a few passages, and you should read each in your own Bible.

Warumi 12:1-2. Paulo anawasihi waumini watoe miili yao iwe dhabihu iliyo hai, takatifu, ya kumpendeza Mungu, na wabadilishwe kwa kufanywa upya nia zao.Romans 12:1-2. Paul urges believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, and to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.

2 Wakorintho 7:1. Kwa sababu ya ahadi za Mungu, waumini wanapaswa kujitakasa na uchafu wote wa mwili na roho, "tukiukamilisha utakatifu kwa kumcha Mungu." Hapa utakatifu ni amri na pia ni kitu kinachoweza kuendelezwa.2 Corinthians 7:1. Because of God's promises, believers are to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, "perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Here holiness is both a command and something that can be advanced.

Waefeso 1:4 na 5:25-27. Mungu alituchagua katika Kristo ili tuwe watakatifu bila lawama mbele zake katika upendo, na Kristo alijitoa kwa ajili ya kanisa ili ajiletee kanisa tukufu, lisilo na doa wala kunyanzi, takatifu lisilo na ila. Lengo la ukombozi ni watu watakatifu.Ephesians 1:4 and 5:25-27. God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him in love, and Christ gave Himself for the church so that He might present the church to Himself glorious, without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. The goal of redemption is a holy people.

1 Wathesalonike 4:3, 7. "Maana huu ndio mapenzi ya Mungu, utakaso wenu," na "Kwa maana Mungu hakutuita kwa uchafu, bali kwa utakatifu." Paulo anasema wazi kwamba utakatifu ni mapenzi ya Mungu kwa kila mwamini.1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification," and "God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness." Paul says plainly that holiness is God's will for each believer.

1 Wathesalonike 5:23-24. Paulo anaomba kwamba Mungu wa amani mwenyewe awatakase kabisa, na anaongeza kwamba yeye anayewaita ni mwaminifu na atafanya hayo. Utakatifu ni kazi ya Mungu, na ni ahadi yake.1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. Paul prays that the God of peace Himself would sanctify them completely, and he adds that the One who calls them is faithful and will do it. Holiness is God's work, and it is His promise.

Waebrania 12:14. "Fuateni amani na watu wote, na utakatifu, ambao bila huo hakuna atakayemwona Bwana." Tunaambiwa tuufuate utakatifu. Si hiari.Hebrews 12:14. "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." We are told to pursue holiness. It is not optional.

1 Petro 1:15-16. Petro ananukuu amri ya Agano la Kale kutoka Walawi na kuitumia kwa Wakristo. Wito wa Walawi haujafutwa. Umefikia nguvu zake kamili katika agano jipya.1 Peter 1:15-16. Peter quotes the Old Testament command from Leviticus and applies it to Christians. The call in Leviticus has not been cancelled. It has come to full strength in the new covenant.

Kwa pamoja vifungu hivi vinafundisha mambo matatu. Utakatifu ni mapenzi ya Mungu kwa kila mwamini, ni zawadi na ahadi ya Mungu, na unajumuisha mabadiliko ya kweli katika mwenendo na moyoni.Together these passages teach three things. Holiness is God's will for every believer, it is God's gift and promise, and it includes real change in conduct and in the heart.

Zawadi na AmriGift and Command

Kweli mbili lazima zishikwe pamoja. Kwa upande mmoja, utakatifu ni zawadi. Mungu hutakasa; sisi hatujifanyi watakatifu. Paulo anasema kwamba waumini "mlitakaswa" katika jina la Bwana Yesu (1 Wakorintho 6:11), na kwamba Kristo amefanywa kwetu utakaso (1 Wakorintho 1:30). Waebrania inasema kwamba tumetakaswa kwa kutolewa mwili wa Yesu Kristo mara moja tu (Waebrania 10:10). Kwa upande mwingine, utakatifu ni amri. Tunaambiwa tuufuate (Waebrania 12:14), tuukamilishe (2 Wakorintho 7:1), na tujitoe kwa Mungu (Warumi 6:13; 12:1).Two truths must be kept together. On one side, holiness is a gift. God sanctifies; we do not make ourselves holy. Paul says that believers "were sanctified" in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11), and that Christ is made to us sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). Hebrews says that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10). On the other side, holiness is a command. We are told to pursue it (Hebrews 12:14), to perfect it (2 Corinthians 7:1), and to present ourselves to God (Romans 6:13; 12:1).

Wafuasi wa Wesley wanashikilia kweli zote mbili kwa wakati mmoja. Amri haitolewi bila ahadi, na ahadi haitolewi bila wito wa kuitikia. Mungu hutoa neema kwa wale wanaoomba na kutii. Tunaamini kwamba neema haitulazimishi, kwa sababu Mungu alituwezesha kujibu. Ndiyo maana Wesley aliweza kusema kwamba tunautimiza wokovu wetu kwa sababu Mungu anafanya kazi ndani yetu (Wafilipi 2:12-13). Kipindi 2 kitaanza kuonyesha jinsi hili linavyofanya kazi katika maisha ya Mkristo.Wesleyans hold both truths at the same time. The command is never given without the promise, and the promise is never given without the call to respond. God gives grace to those who ask and obey. We believe that grace is not forced on us, because God made us able to answer. This is why Wesley could say that we work out our salvation because God works in us (Philippians 2:12-13). Unit 2 will begin to show how this works in the Christian life.

Pingamizi na Majibu ya Wafuasi wa WesleyObjections and Wesleyan Answers

Mchungaji anapaswa kujua pingamizi zinazotolewa na Wakristo wengine waaminifu.A pastor should know the objections that other faithful Christians raise.

Pingamizi 1: Utakatifu ni nafasi tu katika Kristo. Baadhi ya walimu wa Kireformed na wengine wa kiinjili wanasema kwamba utakaso unamaanisha hasa kwamba utakatifu wa Kristo unahesabiwa kuwa wetu. Tunasimama watakatifu ndani yake, na hatupaswi kutarajia kubadilishwa sana katika maisha haya. Wanaogopa kwamba msisitizo juu ya utakatifu hugeuza injili kuwa matendo.Objection 1: Holiness is only a position in Christ. Some Reformed and other evangelical teachers say that sanctification means chiefly that Christ's holiness is counted as ours. We stand holy in Him, and we should not expect to be changed much in this life. They fear that a stress on holiness turns the gospel into works.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba utakatifu wote hutoka kwa Kristo na kwamba hatuupati kwa kujitahidi. Pia tunafurahia mistari kuhusu kutakaswa ndani ya Kristo. Lakini Maandiko hayaishii hapo. Yanatuamuru kuufuata utakatifu na kusema kwamba bila huo hakuna atakayemwona Bwana (Waebrania 12:14). Yanaomba tutakaswe kabisa (1 Wathesalonike 5:23) na yanaeleza waumini kuwa wanabadilishwa (2 Wakorintho 3:18). Utakatifu usiogusa mwenendo haungepatana na maandiko haya. Mafundisho ya Wesley si utakatifu kwa matendo. Ni utakatifu kwa imani, kutoka kwa Roho, unaozaa matendo ya upendo.Our answer. We agree that all holiness comes from Christ and that we never earn it. We also rejoice in the verses about being sanctified in Christ. But Scripture does not stop there. It commands us to pursue holiness and says that without it no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). It prays that we be sanctified completely (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and describes believers as being transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18). A holiness that never touched conduct would not match these texts. The Wesleyan teaching is not holiness by works. It is holiness by faith, from the Spirit, producing works of love.

Pingamizi 2: Amri za Mungu zinaonyesha udhaifu wetu, lakini hazikusudiwi kutiiwa. Wengine wanasema kwamba amri hizo za juu ziko tu ili kutusukuma kwa Kristo kwa ajili ya rehema, kwa sababu hakuna anayeweza kuzishika.Objection 2: God's commands show our weakness, but they are not meant to be obeyed. Some say that the high commands are there only to drive us to Christ for mercy, because no one can keep them.

Jibu letu. Amri zinatusukuma kwa Kristo, kweli. Lakini Maandiko pia yanaziunganisha na ahadi: Mungu anasema atatia Roho wake ndani yetu ili tuende katika njia zake (Ezekieli 36:27), na Paulo anasema yeye anayetuita atafanya hayo (1 Wathesalonike 5:24). Ingekuwa ajabu kama Bwana angetoa amri ambazo hakukusudia kutusaidia kuzishika. Tunaamini kwamba Mungu hutoa kile anachoamuru.Our answer. The commands do drive us to Christ. But Scripture also joins them to promises: God says He will put His Spirit in us so that we walk in His ways (Ezekiel 36:27), and Paul says the One who calls us will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24). It would be strange if the Lord gave commands He never meant to help us keep. We believe that God gives what He commands.

Pingamizi 3: Mafundisho ya utakatifu ni uvumbuzi wa Wesley. Baadhi ya wanahistoria wanasema kwamba Wesley alibuni msisitizo juu ya utakatifu, au aliuchukua kutoka wakati wake na si kutoka kwa kanisa la kwanza.Objection 3: Holiness teaching is a Wesleyan invention. Some historians say that Wesley made up the stress on holiness, or took it from his own time and not from the early church.

Jibu letu. Wesley alisema alipata mafundisho yake katika Biblia. Pia alisema kwamba alipokuwa kijana alisaidiwa na waandishi wa zamani waliosisitiza maisha yaliyotolewa kabisa kwa Mungu: Jeremy Taylor, Thomas à Kempis na William Law. Wesley mwenyewe aliwataja katika kitabu chake Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Maelezo Mafupi ya Ukamilifu wa Kikristo). Msisitizo wa Wesley ulikuwa mpya katika bidii yake na katika jinsi ulivyopangwa, lakini wito wenyewe ni wito wa Walawi, manabii, Yesu na mitume. Kozi 1 ilieleza jinsi jumuiya na vikundi vya darasa vilivyosaidia kuusambaza.Our answer. Wesley said he found his teaching in the Bible. He also said that as a young man he was helped by older writers who stressed a life wholly given to God: Jeremy Taylor, Thomas à Kempis and William Law. Wesley named them himself in his Plain Account of Christian Perfection. The Wesleyan accent was new in its zeal and in the way it was organized, but the call itself is the call of Leviticus, the prophets, Jesus and the apostles. Course 1 told how the societies and classes helped it spread.

Pingamizi 4: Kuhubiri utakatifu husababisha kiburi au kukata tamaa. Baadhi ya wachungaji wameona watu waliodai utakatifu wakiwa na kiburi, na wengine waliojaribu na kushindwa wakikata tamaa.Objection 4: Preaching holiness leads to pride or to despair. Some pastors have seen people who claimed holiness become proud, and others who tried and failed become hopeless.

Jibu letu. Hatari ni ya kweli. Jibu letu si kuacha kuhubiri utakatifu bali kuuhubiri kama upendo na unyenyekevu, si kama mafanikio. Vipindi vya baadaye vitaonyesha jinsi Wesley alivyojilinda dhidi ya makosa yote mawili.Our answer. The danger is real. Our answer is not to stop preaching holiness but to preach it as love and humility, not as achievement. Later units will show how Wesley guarded against both errors.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji kijana katika kanisa la kijijini anataka kuhubiri kuhusu utakatifu, lakini shemasi mzee anasema, "Mchungaji, tumeokolewa kwa neema. Utakatifu ni wa watawa na watakatifu. Tusiwalemee watu." Mchungaji habishani. Kwanza anakubaliana na shemasi kwamba tumeokolewa kwa neema peke yake. Kisha anafungua Tito 2:11-14 pamoja naye na kuuliza neema ya Mungu inafundisha nini. Kwa pamoja wanaona kwamba neema inatufundisha kuacha upotovu. Halafu anasoma 1 Wathesalonike 4:3 na Waebrania 12:14. Mwishowe, anamwambia shemasi kwamba atahubiri utakatifu kama zawadi ya Mungu, pamoja na ahadi ya 1 Wathesalonike 5:24, na si kama mzigo. Shemasi anakubali kusikiliza. Kisha mchungaji anapanga mfululizo wa mahubiri unaoanza na utakatifu wa Mungu na upendo wa Kristo, na kuelekea maisha ya Mkristo.A young pastor in a village church wants to preach on holiness, but an older deacon says, "Pastor, we are saved by grace. Holiness is for monks and saints. Let us not burden the people." The pastor does not argue. He first agrees with the deacon that we are saved by grace alone. Then he opens Titus 2:11-14 with him and asks what the grace of God teaches. Together they see that grace teaches us to deny ungodliness. Next he reads 1 Thessalonians 4:3 and Hebrews 12:14. Last, he tells the deacon that he will preach holiness as God's gift, with the promise of 1 Thessalonians 5:24, and not as a load. The deacon agrees to listen. The pastor then plans a series that starts with the holiness of God and the love of Christ, and moves toward the Christian's life.

MuhtasariSummary

Mungu ni mtakatifu, na neno la Kiebrania qadosh huanza na wazo la kutengwa. Katika Biblia utakatifu wa Mungu unajumuisha wema, usafi na upendo. Watu wa Mungu wameitwa kuwa watakatifu kwa sababu yeye ni mtakatifu, na wito wa Walawi 19 unaunganisha ibada, uaminifu na upendo kwa jirani. Torati na Manabii wanaahidi moyo mpya: uliotahiriwa ili kumpenda Mungu, safi, na uliojazwa Roho. Yesu aliuinua wito hadi moyoni, alifundisha amri mbili kuu, na aliomba kwamba watu wake watakaswe. Mitume wanarudia wito huo katika vifungu vingi, kati yake Warumi 6 na 12, 2 Wakorintho 7:1, 1 Wathesalonike 4 na 5, Waebrania 12:14 na 1 Petro 1:15-16. Utakatifu ni zawadi na pia ni amri. Tunawajibu wale wanaosema kuwa ni nafasi tu, wale wanaosema amri haziwezi kushikwa, wale wanaosema ni uvumbuzi wa Wesley, na wale wanaoogopa kiburi au kukata tamaa, daima kutoka katika Maandiko na kwa unyenyekevu.God is holy, and the Hebrew word qadosh begins with the idea of being set apart. In the Bible God's holiness includes goodness, purity and love. God's people are called to be holy because He is, and the call in Leviticus 19 joins worship, honesty and love of the neighbor. The Law and the Prophets promise a new heart: circumcised to love God, clean, and filled with the Spirit. Jesus raised the call to the heart, taught the two great commandments, and prayed that His people be sanctified. The apostles repeat the call in many passages, among them Romans 6 and 12, 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, Hebrews 12:14 and 1 Peter 1:15-16. Holiness is both a gift and a command. We answer those who say it is only a position, those who say the commands cannot be kept, those who say it is a Wesleyan invention, and those who fear pride or despair, always from Scripture and with humility.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Biblia: Walawi 19; Isaya 6; Ezekieli 36:22-32; Mathayo 5; Warumi 6 na 12; 1 Wathesalonike 4-5; Waebrania 12.• The Bible: Leviticus 19; Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 36:22-32; Matthew 5; Romans 6 and 12; 1 Thessalonians 4-5; Hebrews 12.

• John Wesley, "The Circumcision of the Heart" (Kutahiriwa kwa Moyo), katika Sermons (Mahubiri) yake (chanzo cha msingi).• John Wesley, "The Circumcision of the Heart," in his Sermons (a primary source).

• John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Maelezo Mafupi ya Ukamilifu wa Kikristo) (1766).• John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (1766).

• John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament (Maelezo juu ya Agano Jipya), juu ya vifungu vilivyoorodheshwa hapo juu.• John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament, on the passages listed above.

• Charles Wesley, nyimbo kuhusu utakatifu na upendo kamili.• Charles Wesley, hymns on holiness and perfect love.

• Holiness Through the Ages (Utakatifu Katika Karne Zote) (Coleman, Danielson na Parry), kitabu cha kiada cha Shahada ya Uzamili kwa kozi hii.• Holiness Through the Ages (Coleman, Danielson and Parry), the Master's textbook for this course.

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