Utakatifu, Utakaso na Ukamilifu wa Kikristo — Sehemu ya 6: Majibu kwa Pingamizi: Mitazamo ya Kireformed, ya Keswick na ya KipentekosteHoliness, Sanctification, and Christian Perfection — Unit 6: Objections Answered: Reformed, Keswick, and Pentecostal Views

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Mungu wa amani mwenyewe awatakase kabisa; na roho zenu na nafsi zenu na miili yenu mhifadhiwe kamilifu, bila lawama, wakati wa kuja kwake Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo." (1 Wathesalonike 5:23, SUV)"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza pingamizi la Kireformed dhidi ya ukamilifu wa Kikristo na kutoa jibu la Wesley kutoka katika Maandiko.1. State the Reformed objection to Christian perfection and give the Wesleyan answer from Scripture.

2. Kueleza harakati ya Keswick inafundisha nini kuhusu ushindi juu ya dhambi na inatofautiana wapi na Wesley.2. Explain what the Keswick movement teaches about victory over sin and where it differs from Wesley.

3. Kueleza jinsi mafundisho ya Kipentekoste juu ya ubatizo katika Roho yanavyohusiana na mafundisho ya Wesley na Utakatifu juu ya utakaso kamili.3. Describe how Pentecostal teaching on Spirit baptism relates to the Wesleyan-Holiness teaching on entire sanctification.

4. Kueleza kwa nini Wesley alitenganisha "dhambi kwa maana yake halisi" na makosa na udhaifu.4. Explain why Wesley separated "sin properly so called" from mistakes and weakness.

5. Kumjibu muulizaji kutoka mapokeo mengine kwa uthabiti, unyofu na upendo.5. Answer a questioner from another tradition with firmness, honesty and love.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Unit

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley kwa wanafunzi wa Wesley. Sisi ni wainjilisti wahafidhina. Tunashikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na ndiyo mamlaka yetu ya mwisho. Katika Vipindi 3 hadi 5 tulieleza yale Wesley aliyofundisha kuhusu upendo kamili, na tuliona kwamba wafuasi wa Wesley wana njia kuu mbili za kuelezea kazi hiyo. Miili ya Utakatifu husema juu ya "kazi ya pili ya neema." Wamethodisti katika mstari wa Wesley wanaeleza kukua katika upendo kamili, ambao unaweza kupokelewa papo hapo lakini unakaribiwa kupitia kazi ya taratibu. Kozi hii inaelekea mtazamo wa pili, na inaushughulikia wa kwanza kwa heshima.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition for Wesleyan students. We are conservative evangelicals. We hold that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and our final authority. In Units 3 to 5 we set out what Wesley taught about perfect love, and we saw that Wesleyans have two main ways of describing the work. The Holiness bodies speak of a "second work of grace." Methodists in the line of Wesley describe growth in perfect love, which may be received in a moment but is approached through a gradual work. This course leans toward the second view, and it treats the first with respect.

Wakristo wengine wanaompenda Bwana yuleyule husoma maswali haya tofauti. Katika kipindi hiki tunaeleza mitazamo yao kama wao wenyewe wangeieleza. Kisha tunajibu kutoka upande wa Wesley. Paulo anasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; lishikeni lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21).Other Christians who love the same Lord read these questions differently. In this unit we state their views as they would state them. Then we answer from the Wesleyan side. Paul says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Kwa Nini Tunajibu PingamiziWhy We Answer Objections

Mafundisho ya Wesley kuhusu utakatifu daima yamekutana na maswali. Mengine yanatoka katika makanisa ya Kireformed (Presbyterian, Reformed, na Wabaptisti wa Kikalvini). Mengine yanatoka katika harakati ya Keswick. Mengine yanatoka kwa marafiki Wapentekoste. Mchungaji asiyeweza kujibu maswali haya hivi karibuni atakuwa na wasiwasi juu ya ujumbe wake mwenyewe, na ujumbe usio na uhakika hauwaongoi watu kwenye utakatifu.Wesley's teaching on holiness has always met questions. Some come from the Reformed churches (Presbyterian, Reformed, and Calvinistic Baptist). Some come from the Keswick movement. Some come from Pentecostal friends. A pastor who cannot answer these questions will soon be unsure of his own message, and an unsure message does not lead people to holiness.

Wesley mwenyewe alikuwa mvumilivu kwa wapinzani. Aliandika kwamba yeye na wakosoaji wake mara nyingi walimaanisha mambo tofauti kwa maneno yaleyale. Tunapaswa kuanza vivyo hivyo. Mabishano mengi kuhusu ukamilifu hupungua pale kila upande unaposema kwanza waziwazi unachomaanisha. Kwa hiyo tunaanza kwa kueleza kila mtazamo kwa maneno yake yenyewe. Waumini wa Kireformed hufundisha kwamba Mungu huwatakasa watu wake hatua kwa hatua kwa Roho kupitia Neno, kwamba ukuaji wa kweli katika utakatifu unatarajiwa, na kwamba mapambano na dhambi inayobaki hudumu hadi kifo. Walimu wa Keswick hufundisha kwamba mwamini anaweza kuishi katika ushindi juu ya dhambi inayojulikana kwa kujisalimisha kikamilifu na kumtumainia Kristo wakati kwa wakati, wakati asili ya dhambi inabaki. Wapentekoste hufundisha kwamba ubatizo katika Roho Mtakatifu ni zawadi ya nguvu kwa ushuhuda, tofauti na wokovu, na Wapentekoste hutofautiana wao kwa wao jinsi unavyohusiana na utakaso. Hizi ndizo kauli zao, na tunazijibu baada ya kuzieleza kikamilifu zaidi hapa chini. Katika Kipindi 3 tulijifunza maana yetu: upendo kamili, unaojaza moyo upendo kwa Mungu na jirani. Si ukamilifu usio na dhambi, na si uhuru kutoka katika ujinga, makosa au udhaifu wa mwili.Wesley himself was patient with objectors. He wrote that he and his critics often meant different things by the same words. We should begin the same way. Most quarrels about perfection become shorter when each side first says plainly what it means. So we begin by stating each view in its own terms. Reformed believers teach that God sanctifies His people progressively by the Spirit through the Word, that real growth in holiness is expected, and that the struggle with remaining sin lasts until death. Keswick teachers teach that the believer may live in victory over known sin by full surrender and by trusting Christ moment by moment, while the sinful nature remains. Pentecostals teach that baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift of power for witness, separate from conversion, and Pentecostals differ among themselves on how it relates to sanctification. These are their statements, and we answer them after stating them more fully below. In Unit 3 we learned our meaning: perfect love, which fills the heart with love for God and neighbor. It is not sinless perfection, and it is not freedom from ignorance, mistakes or bodily weakness.

Pingamizi la KireformedThe Reformed Objection

Pingamizi linasema niniWhat the objection says

Makanisa ya Kireformed hufundisha kwamba utakaso huanza wakati wa kuzaliwa upya na hukua katika maisha yote, lakini haukamiliki kabla ya kifo. Westminster Confession of Faith (Ungamo la Imani la Westminster), iliyoandikwa katika miaka ya 1640, inasema kwamba mabaki ya uharibifu hubaki ndani ya mwamini katika maisha haya. Heidelberg Catechism (Katekisimu ya Heidelberg) (1563) inasema kwamba hata watu watakatifu zaidi wana mwanzo mdogo tu wa utii ambao Mungu anauhitaji. Walimu wa Kireformed wanaongeza hoja nne.The Reformed churches teach that sanctification begins at new birth and grows through life, but is never finished before death. The Westminster Confession of Faith, written in the 1640s, says that some remains of corruption stay in the believer in this life. The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) says that even the holiest people have only a small beginning of the obedience God requires. Reformed teachers add four arguments.

Kwanza, 1 Yohana 1:8 inasema, "Tukisema kwamba hatuna dhambi, twajidanganya wenyewe, wala kweli haimo mwetu." Pili, wanasoma Warumi 7:14-25 kama Paulo anayesema juu ya yeye mwenyewe kama mwamini, anayepambana na dhambi. Tatu, wanasema haki yetu kamilifu pekee ni ya Kristo, tunayopewa kwa imani, na kwamba kutafuta ukamilifu ndani yetu kunaondoa macho yetu kwenye msalaba. Nne, wanasema kwamba yeyote anayedai kuwa mkamilifu anaonyesha kiburi. Wanabainisha kwamba Wesley mwenyewe, kadiri kumbukumbu zinavyoonyesha, hakudai hadharani kamwe kuwa amepokea baraka hiyo. Hizi ni hoja nzito, zinazotolewa na watu wanaopenda Maandiko na waliomtumikia Kristo kwa uaminifu.First, 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Second, they read Romans 7:14-25 as Paul speaking about himself as a believer, struggling with sin. Third, they say our only perfect righteousness is Christ's, given to us by faith, and that looking for perfection in ourselves takes our eyes from the cross. Fourth, they say that anyone who claims to be perfect shows pride. They note that Wesley himself, as far as the records show, never publicly claimed to have received the blessing. These are serious arguments, made by people who love Scripture and who have served Christ faithfully.

Jibu la WesleyThe Wesleyan answer

Tunajibu kwa hatua tano.We answer in five steps.

Kwanza, tunakubaliana juu ya hitaji la mwamini kwa Kristo. Wesley alifundisha kwamba hakuna aliye katika maisha haya zaidi ya hitaji la damu ya Kristo. Alitenganisha "dhambi kwa maana yake halisi" na mapungufu mengine. Dhambi kwa maana yake halisi ni kuvunja kwa hiari sheria ya Mungu inayojulikana. Makosa ya hukumu, mipaka ya maarifa na udhaifu wa mwili si aina hiyo ya dhambi, lakini yanapungukiwa na sheria kamilifu na bado yanahitaji upatanisho. Kwa sababu hii hata mwamini aliyekomaa zaidi anaendelea kuomba, "Utusamehe deni zetu." Mahubiri ya Wesley "The Repentance of Believers" (Toba ya Waumini) (1767) yanasema hili waziwazi. Hatufundishi kwamba Mkristo yeyote anaacha kumhitaji Mwokozi.First, we agree about the believer's need of Christ. Wesley taught that no one in this life is beyond the need of the blood of Christ. He separated "sin properly so called" from other failings. Sin properly so called is a willing breach of a known law of God. Mistakes of judgment, limits of knowledge and weakness of body are not that kind of sin, yet they fall short of the perfect law and still need the atonement. For this reason even the most mature believer keeps praying, "Forgive us our debts." Wesley's sermon "The Repentance of Believers" (1767) says this plainly. We do not teach that any Christian stops needing the Savior.

Pili, tunakubali kwamba dhambi inabaki ndani ya mwamini mpya. Mahubiri ya Wesley "On Sin in Believers" (Juu ya Dhambi ndani ya Waumini) (1763) yanafundisha kwamba baada ya kuzaliwa upya bado kuna mwelekeo wa ndani kuelekea uovu, ingawa haitawali tena. Swali si kama mwelekeo huu unabaki mwanzoni. Swali ni kama Mungu anaahidi kuusafisha katika maisha haya. Tunasema anaahidi. Ezekieli 36:25-27 inaahidi moyo safi na roho mpya. Paulo anaomba kwamba Mungu "awatakase kabisa" (1 Wathesalonike 5:23) na anawaombea Waefeso wajazwe utimilifu wote wa Mungu (Waefeso 3:19). Yohana anaandika kwamba "damu ya Yesu Kristo Mwanawe yatusafisha dhambi yote" (1 Yohana 1:7).Second, we agree that sin remains in the new believer. Wesley's sermon "On Sin in Believers" (1763) teaches that after new birth there is still an inward tendency toward evil, though it no longer reigns. The question is not whether this tendency remains at first. The question is whether God promises to cleanse it in this life. We say He does. Ezekiel 36:25-27 promises a clean heart and a new spirit. Paul prays that God would "sanctify you completely" (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and prays for the Ephesians to be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). John writes that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Tatu, tunasoma 1 Yohana 1:8 pamoja na mistari jirani. Mstari unaofuata unasema kwamba tukiziungama dhambi zetu, Mungu ni mwaminifu na mwenye haki hata atuondolee dhambi zetu na "kutusafisha na udhalimu wote" (1 Yohana 1:9). Mstari wa 8 unaonya dhidi ya kukana hitaji letu la zamani na la sasa la msamaha. Hausemi kwamba kusafishwa hakuwezekani. Yohana pia anaandika kwamba "kila mtu aliyezaliwa na Mungu hatendi dhambi" (1 Yohana 3:9), na kwamba "upendo kamili huitupa nje hofu" (1 Yohana 4:18). Wafuasi wa Wesley wanasoma mistari hii kama inayoeleza maisha ambamo dhambi ya hiari haitawali tena.Third, we read 1 John 1:8 with its neighbors. The next verse says that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Verse 8 warns against denying our past and present need of forgiveness. It does not say that cleansing is impossible. John also writes that "whoever has been born of God does not sin" (1 John 3:9), and that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Wesleyans read these verses as describing a life in which willing sin no longer rules.

Nne, tunasoma Warumi 7 kwa njia tofauti. Wanahistoria wanabainisha kwamba Wakristo wamegawanyika kwa muda mrefu hapa. Waandishi wengine wa mapema wa Kigiriki walisoma kifungu hicho kama kinachoeleza mtu aliyeamshwa na sheria lakini bado hajawekwa huru. Augustino alikisoma hivyo kwanza kisha akabadili mawazo, na Wanamatengenezo walifuata mtazamo wake wa baadaye. Wesley alishikilia usomaji wa awali. Aliona katika Warumi 7 mtu aliye chini ya sheria, anayetaka kutenda mema lakini ni mtumwa wa dhambi. Kisha Warumi 8:2 inatoa jibu: "Kwa maana sheria ya Roho wa uzima ndani ya Kristo Yesu imeniacha huru mbali na sheria ya dhambi na mauti." Tunakubali kwamba hiki ni kifungu kinachojadiliwa. Tunaomba tu kwamba usomaji wa Kireformed usichukuliwe kuwa ndio pekee ambao Biblia inaruhusu.Fourth, we read Romans 7 differently. Historians point out that Christians have long been divided here. Some early Greek writers read the passage as describing a person who is awakened by the law but not yet freed. Augustine first read it that way and later changed his mind, and the Reformers followed his later view. Wesley held the earlier reading. He saw in Romans 7 a person under the law, who wants to do right but is a slave to sin. Then Romans 8:2 gives the answer: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." We admit that this is a debated passage. We ask only that the Reformed reading not be treated as the only one the Bible allows.

Tano, tunajibu shtaka kuhusu haki ya Kristo. Wesley alifundisha yote mawili. Haki ya Kristo inahesabiwa kuwa yetu tunapohesabiwa haki, na kwa Roho utakatifu wa Kristo pia unatendwa ndani yetu tunapotakaswa. Ya kwanza ni yale Mungu analotufanyia. Ya pili ni yale Mungu analofanya ndani yetu. Yote mawili hutoka kwa neema kwa njia ya imani, na hakuna anayeweza kujisifu. Kuhusu kiburi, Wesley alionya kwamba wale wanaojidhania wakamilifu wako hatarini, na alifundisha kwamba upendo kamili ni wa unyenyekevu. Pia aliwaambia watu wahukumu madai kama hayo kwa matunda, si kwa maneno.Fifth, we answer the charge about Christ's righteousness. Wesley taught both. Christ's righteousness is counted as ours when we are justified, and by the Spirit Christ's holiness is also worked into us as we are sanctified. The first is what God does for us. The second is what God does in us. Both come by grace through faith, and no one can boast. As for pride, Wesley warned that those who think themselves perfect are in danger, and he taught that perfect love is humble. He also told people to judge such claims by fruit, not by words.

Pingamizi la KeswickThe Keswick Objection

Keswick inafundisha niniWhat Keswick teaches

Mkutano wa Keswick ulianza Uingereza mwaka 1875, na mafundisho yake yalikua kutoka katika harakati pana ya karne ya kumi na tisa iliyoitwa "Higher Life" (Maisha ya Juu Zaidi). Mwandishi Mmarekani Hannah Whitall Smith, katika The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life (Siri ya Mkristo ya Maisha ya Furaha) (1875), alifikisha ujumbe huo kwa hadhira pana sana. Wazungumzaji wa baadaye walijumuisha F. B. Meyer na Andrew Murray. Keswick imekuwa baraka kwa makanisa mengi, hasa kwa ajili ya misheni na kiu ya kuwa na mwendo wa ndani zaidi na Mungu.The Keswick Convention began in England in 1875, and its teaching grew out of the wider nineteenth-century "Higher Life" movement. The American writer Hannah Whitall Smith, in The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life (1875), gave the message to a very wide audience. Later speakers included F. B. Meyer and Andrew Murray. Keswick has been a blessing to many churches, especially for missions and for hunger after a deeper walk with God.

Mafundisho ya Keswick, kwa ufupi, ni haya. Mwamini anaweza kuishi katika ushindi juu ya dhambi inayojulikana kwa kujisalimisha kikamilifu kwa Kristo na kwa imani, akimtumainia wakati kwa wakati. Asili ya kale ya dhambi haiondolewi katika maisha haya. Inazuiliwa chini, au "inapingwa," na nguvu za Roho, mradi mwamini anaendelea kutumaini. Walimu wengi wa Keswick walibaki katika makanisa ya Kireformed au Kianglikana, na walihifadhi mafundisho ya Kireformed kwamba dhambi hubaki moyoni hadi kifo. Unaweza kusikia ujumbe wao ukifupishwa katika msemo maarufu, "Let go and let God" (Achilia na umwachie Mungu). Msemo huo ni kauli mbiu, si mafundisho yote, na haki inatutaka tukumbuke hilo.Keswick teaching, put simply, is this. The believer can live in victory over known sin by full surrender to Christ and by faith, trusting Him moment by moment. The old sinful nature is not removed in this life. It is held down, or "counteracted," by the Spirit's power, as long as the believer keeps trusting. Most Keswick teachers stayed within Reformed or Anglican churches, and they kept the Reformed teaching that sin remains in the heart until death. You may hear their message summed up in the popular saying, "Let go and let God." That saying is a slogan, not the whole teaching, and fairness requires us to remember it.

Tunakubaliana wapiWhere we agree

Tunakubaliana na Keswick zaidi kuliko na wakosoaji wengi. Tunakubali kwamba kuna maisha ya ndani zaidi katika Kristo kuliko wanayoishi waumini wengi. Tunakubali kwamba kujisalimisha na imani ndiyo njia ya kuingia. Tunakubali kwamba nguvu za Roho, si juhudi yetu, ndizo hufanya utakatifu kuwa wa kweli. Tunakubali kwamba Wakristo wanapaswa kutarajia ushindi juu ya dhambi ya hiari.We agree with Keswick more than with most critics. We agree that there is a deeper life in Christ than many believers live. We agree that surrender and faith are the way in. We agree that the Spirit's power, not our effort, makes holiness real. We agree that Christians should expect victory over willing sin.

Tunatofautiana wapi, na jibu letuWhere we differ, and our answer

Tunatofautiana kwa njia tatu.We differ in three ways.

Kwanza, Keswick husema asili ya kale imezuiliwa chini. Wesley alisema moyo umesafishwa. Biblia hutumia picha zote mbili, lakini ahadi zake za kusafishwa ziko wazi: katika 2 Wakorintho 7:1 Paulo anawaita waumini wajitakase na uchafu wote wa mwili na roho, "tukiukamilisha utakatifu kwa kumcha Mungu." Moyo unaozuiliwa tu lazima ulindwe bila kupumzika. Moyo uliofanywa safi na Mungu unaweza kupumzika katika upendo wake, ingawa bado lazima ukeshe.First, Keswick speaks of the old nature as held down. Wesley spoke of the heart as cleansed. The Bible uses both pictures, but its promises of cleansing are plain: in 2 Corinthians 7:1 Paul calls believers to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, "perfecting holiness in the fear of God." A heart that is only held down must be guarded without rest. A heart that is made clean by God can rest in His love, though it must still watch.

Pili, tuna wasiwasi kwamba lugha ya "achilia" inaweza kuwafanya waumini wawe watazamaji tu. Wesley alifundisha kwamba imani hutenda kazi kwa upendo (Wagalatia 5:6), na kwamba Mungu hutoa neema kupitia njia za kawaida alizoziweka: maombi, Maandiko, Meza ya Bwana, kufunga na ushirika. Kipindi 7 kinazisoma. Utakatifu ni zawadi ya Mungu, lakini tumeambiwa "utimizeni wokovu wenu wenyewe kwa kuogopa na kutetemeka; kwa maana ndiye Mungu atendaye kazi ndani yenu" (Wafilipi 2:12-13). Nusu zote mbili za sentensi hiyo ni muhimu.Second, we are concerned that "let go" language may make believers passive. Wesley taught that faith works through love (Galatians 5:6), and that God gives grace through the ordinary means He has set: prayer, Scripture, the Lord's Supper, fasting and fellowship. Unit 7 studies these. Holiness is God's gift, but we are told to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you" (Philippians 2:12-13). Both halves of that sentence matter.

Tatu, neno kuu la Wesley ni upendo. Keswick mara nyingi husema kwanza juu ya ushindi. Ushindi juu ya dhambi ni muhimu, lakini Yesu alisema amri kuu ni kumpenda Mungu kwa moyo wote, roho yote na akili zote, na kumpenda jirani kama nafsi yetu (Mathayo 22:37-39). Mtu anaweza kuwa na rekodi ya ushindi na bado akawa baridi na mwenye kiburi. Tunapima utakatifu kwa upendo.Third, Wesley's central word is love. Keswick often speaks first of victory. Victory over sin matters, but Jesus said the great command is to love God with all the heart, soul and mind, and to love the neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). A person can have a record of victory and still be cold and proud. We measure holiness by love.

Swali la KipentekosteThe Pentecostal Question

Mafundisho ya KipentekosteThe Pentecostal teaching

Upentekoste ulikua kutoka katika harakati ya Utakatifu (angalia Kozi ya 1 ya Kipentekoste, Kipindi 2, na Kozi 1 yetu wenyewe, inayosimulia historia hiyo). Wapentekoste wa mwanzo wa Utakatifu walifundisha kazi tatu za neema: kuzaliwa upya, utakaso kamili, kisha ubatizo katika Roho Mtakatifu pamoja na kunena kwa lugha kama ishara ya kwanza. Wapentekoste wengi baada ya 1910, wakimfuata William Durham, walifundisha badala yake kwamba utakaso huanza wakati wa kuongoka na hukua katika maisha yote, kwa hiyo ubatizo katika Roho ni hatua ya pili kuu. Wapentekoste wa aina zote mbili husoma Matendo 1:8 kama ahadi ya nguvu kwa ushuhuda, zawadi tofauti na utakatifu.Pentecostalism grew out of the Holiness movement (see Pentecostal Course 1, Unit 2, and our own Course 1, which tells that history). The early Holiness Pentecostals taught three works of grace: new birth, entire sanctification, and then baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues as the first sign. Many Pentecostals after 1910, following William Durham, taught instead that sanctification begins at conversion and grows through life, so that Spirit baptism is the second great step. Pentecostals of both kinds read Acts 1:8 as a promise of power for witness, a separate gift from holiness.

Jibu la WesleyThe Wesleyan answer

Hatuidharau mafundisho haya, na hatukatai kwamba Roho hutoa karama. Paulo anaandika, "Fuateni upendo; lakini takeni sana karama za rohoni, na zaidi sana mpate kutabiri" (1 Wakorintho 14:1). Tunajibu kwa njia nne.We do not despise this teaching, and we do not deny that the Spirit gives gifts. Paul writes, "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). We answer in four ways.

Kwanza, miili ya Utakatifu iliunganisha kuja kwa Roho na kusafishwa. Petro alisema kwamba Mungu alimpa Roho Mtakatifu nyumba ya Kornelio na kuzisafisha mioyo yao kwa imani (Matendo 15:8-9). Kwa hiyo mapokeo ya Utakatifu yamefundisha kwamba ubatizo katika Roho ni hasa kuhusu usafi na upendo. Mwaka 1919 Church of the Nazarene iliondoa neno "Pentecostal" kutoka jina lake kwa sababu ya jinsi neno hilo lilivyokuwa limeanza kutumiwa. John Fletcher wa Madeley, rafiki na mtetezi wa Wesley, alitumia lugha ya Pentekoste kuhusu utimilifu wa Roho. Wesley mwenyewe kwa kawaida hakufanya hivyo.First, the Holiness bodies connected the Spirit's coming with cleansing. Peter said that God gave the Holy Spirit to the household of Cornelius and purified their hearts by faith (Acts 15:8-9). So the Holiness tradition has taught that the baptism with the Spirit is chiefly about purity and love. In 1919 the Church of the Nazarene dropped the word "Pentecostal" from its name because of the way the word had come to be used. John Fletcher of Madeley, Wesley's friend and defender, used Pentecost language about the fullness of the Spirit. Wesley himself usually did not.

Pili, Maandiko hayafanyi kunena kwa lugha kuwa uthibitisho wa utakatifu. Paulo anawaambia Wakorintho kwamba mtu anaweza kunena kwa lugha za wanadamu na za malaika na bado asiwe na upendo (1 Wakorintho 13:1-3). Tunda la Roho ni "upendo, furaha, amani, uvumilivu, utu wema, fadhili, uaminifu, upole, kiasi" (Wagalatia 5:22-23). Kanisa la Korintho lilikuwa na karama nyingi na dhambi nzito. Kwa hiyo tunapima utakatifu kwa matunda, si kwa ishara.Second, Scripture does not make tongues the proof of holiness. Paul tells the Corinthians that a person may speak in the tongues of men and of angels and still have no love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). The Corinthian church had abundant gifts and serious sin. So we test holiness by fruit, not by a sign.

Tatu, tunakataa mafundisho yoyote yanayofanya baadhi ya waumini kuwa wa daraja la pili. Ujumbe wa Wesley ulikuwa kwamba kila mwamini amealikwa kwenye upendo kamili. Karama hutolewa kama Roho apendavyo (1 Wakorintho 12:11). Upendo ni kwa wote.Third, we reject any teaching that makes some believers second-class. Wesley's message was that every believer is invited to perfect love. Gifts are given as the Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). Love is for all.

Nne, tunasema wazi juu ya tofauti zetu bila hasira. Makanisa mengi ya Wesley leo hukaribisha karama chini ya mpangilio wa Maandiko. Mengine ni waangalifu zaidi. Familia ya Wesley haina nia moja kuhusu karama, na wafuasi wa Wesley hawafanyi kukubaliana juu yake kuwa kipimo cha ushirika. Kinachotuunganisha ni wito wa moyo uliokamilishwa katika upendo.Fourth, we speak plainly about our differences without anger. Many Wesleyan churches today welcome the gifts under Scripture's order. Others are more cautious. The Wesleyan family is not of one mind about the gifts, and Wesleyans do not make agreement on them a test of fellowship. What binds us is the call to a heart made perfect in love.

Mambo Haya Pingamizi YanatufundishaWhat These Objections Teach Us

Tunajifunza mambo matatu. Kwanza, makundi hayo matatu si adui zetu. Waumini wa Kireformed wanatukumbusha kwamba kazi ya Kristo imekamilika na kwamba kujisifu ni kosa. Keswick inatukumbusha kwamba kujisalimisha na imani ni muhimu. Wapentekoste wanatukumbusha kwamba Roho ni nguvu hai na si fundisho tu. Pili, kila mmoja wao ameona kitu cha kweli ambacho mfuasi wa Wesley asiye makini anaweza kusahau. Tatu, hakuna hata mmoja wao ambaye ameonyesha kwamba Maandiko yanakataza yale Wesley aliyofundisha. Alifundisha kwamba Mungu, anayetuamuru kuwa watakatifu (1 Petro 1:15-16), pia hutoa kile anachoamuru.We learn three things. First, the three groups are not our enemies. Reformed believers remind us that Christ's work is complete and that boasting is wrong. Keswick reminds us that surrender and faith matter. Pentecostals remind us that the Spirit is a living power and not only a doctrine. Second, each of them has seen something true that a careless Wesleyan could forget. Third, none of them has shown that Scripture forbids what Wesley taught. He taught that God, who commands us to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16), also gives what He commands.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji Marcos anahudumu katika kanisa dogo katika mji wa mtoni. Shemasi mmoja anarudi kutoka mkutano katika kanisa la Kireformed na kusema, "Mchungaji, unafundisha kwamba watu wanaweza kuwa wakamilifu. Biblia inasema sote tunatenda dhambi. Huo ni kiburi." Wengine chumbani wanasikiliza.Pastor Marcos serves a small church in a river town. A deacon returns from a conference in a Reformed church and says, "Pastor, you teach that people can be perfect. The Bible says we all sin. That is pride." Others in the room are listening.

Marcos anafanya mambo matano. Kwanza, anasikiliza, na anauliza shemasi alisikia nini kikihubiriwa, kwa sababu pingamizi linaweza kutoka kwa picha isiyo sahihi. Pili, anaeleza anachofundisha na asichofundisha: upendo kamili, si dai kwamba mtu yeyote hawezi kukosea au hahitaji msamaha. Tatu, anafungua 1 Yohana 1:7-9 na 4:17-18 pamoja na shemasi, na kuzisoma kikamilifu. Nne, anakubali kwamba Warumi 7 inajadiliwa na kwamba watu wacha Mungu hutofautiana. Tano, anamshukuru shemasi kwa kujali Maandiko na unyenyekevu. Hahitaji kushinda mjadala siku hiyo. Anamwomba shemasi aangalie jinsi kanisa linavyoishi kwa miezi mitatu kisha ahukumu kwa matunda.Marcos does five things. First, he listens, and he asks what the deacon heard preached, because the objection may come from a wrong picture. Second, he states what he does and does not teach: perfect love, not a claim that anyone cannot err or needs no forgiveness. Third, he opens 1 John 1:7-9 and 4:17-18 with the deacon, and reads them in full. Fourth, he admits that Romans 7 is debated and that godly people differ. Fifth, he thanks the deacon for caring about Scripture and about humility. He does not need to win the argument that day. He asks the deacon to watch how the church lives for three months and then to judge by fruit.

MuhtasariSummary

Wakristo wa Kireformed wanafundisha kwamba dhambi hubaki ndani ya mwamini hadi kifo na kwamba madai ya ukamilifu yanaonyesha kiburi. Tunajibu kwamba Wesley alifundisha upendo kamili, si ukamilifu usio na dhambi; kwamba "dhambi kwa maana yake halisi" ni kuvunja kwa hiari sheria inayojulikana ya Mungu wakati makosa na udhaifu bado vinahitaji damu ya Kristo; kwamba 1 Yohana 1:7-9 na 4:17-18 zinaahidi kusafishwa; kwamba Warumi 7 inaweza kusomwa kama inayoeleza mtu aliye chini ya sheria; na kwamba tunashikilia haki iliyohesabiwa na haki iliyotolewa ndani. Keswick, tangu 1875, inafundisha ushindi kwa kujisalimisha na imani, na asili ya kale ikipingwa na si kuondolewa. Tunakaribisha kujisalimisha na imani na kujibu kwamba Maandiko yanaahidi kusafishwa, kwamba imani hutenda kazi kwa upendo, na kwamba upendo ndio kipimo. Wapentekoste huchukulia ubatizo katika Roho kama zawadi tofauti ya nguvu. Miili ya Utakatifu inaunganisha kuja kwa Roho na usafi, na wafuasi wote wa Wesley hupima utakatifu kwa matunda, si kwa ishara. Tunajibu yote matatu kwa uthabiti na wema.Reformed Christians teach that sin remains in the believer until death and that claims of perfection show pride. We answer that Wesley taught perfect love, not sinless perfection; that "sin properly so called" is a willing breach of God's known law while mistakes and weakness still need Christ's blood; that 1 John 1:7-9 and 4:17-18 promise cleansing; that Romans 7 may be read as describing a person under law; and that we hold both imputed and imparted righteousness. Keswick, from 1875, teaches victory by surrender and faith, with the old nature counteracted and not removed. We welcome the surrender and faith and reply that Scripture promises cleansing, that faith works through love, and that love is the measure. Pentecostals treat Spirit baptism as a separate gift of power. The Holiness bodies link the Spirit's coming with purity, and all Wesleyans test holiness by fruit, not by a sign. We answer all three with firmness and kindness.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• 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, mahubiri "On Sin in Believers" (Juu ya Dhambi ndani ya Waumini) (1763), "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (Njia ya Maandiko ya Wokovu) (1765) na "The Repentance of Believers" (Toba ya Waumini) (1767).• John Wesley, sermons "On Sin in Believers" (1763), "The Scripture Way of Salvation" (1765) and "The Repentance of Believers" (1767).

• John Fletcher, Checks to Antinomianism (Vizuizi dhidi ya Kupinga Sheria).• John Fletcher, Checks to Antinomianism.

• Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life (Siri ya Mkristo ya Maisha ya Furaha) (1875), chanzo cha msingi cha ujumbe wa Higher Life.• Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life (1875), a primary source for the Higher Life message.

• The Westminster Confession of Faith (Ungamo la Imani la Westminster) (miaka ya 1640), sura ya utakaso, na The Heidelberg Catechism (Katekisimu ya Heidelberg) (1563), kama kauli za mtazamo wa Kireformed.• The Westminster Confession of Faith (1640s), chapter on sanctification, and the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), as statements of the Reformed view.

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

Wasilisha mtihani na uone kama umefauluSubmit Exam & Check Pass Anza upyaReset