Utakatifu, Utakaso na Ukamilifu wa Kikristo — Sehemu ya 8: Utakatifu Bila Ushika Sheria Tupu: Viwango vya Nje na Hatari ya Kanuni Zisizo na UpendoHoliness, Sanctification, and Christian Perfection — Unit 8: Holiness without Legalism: Outward Standards and the Danger of Rules without Love

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Basi, simameni imara katika uhuru ule ambao Kristo alitupa sisi tuwe huru; wala msikubali tena kutiwa chini ya nira ya utumwa." (Wagalatia 5:1, SUV)"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kufafanua ushika sheria tupu (legalism) na kupinga sheria (antinomianism) na kueleza kwa nini Wesley alikataa vyote viwili.1. Define legalism and antinomianism and explain why Wesley rejected both.

2. Kueleza kutoka katika Maandiko jinsi kanuni zisizo na upendo zinavyoharibu maisha ya Kikristo (Mathayo 23; Wagalatia; Wakolosai 2; Warumi 14).2. Explain from Scripture how rules without love damage the Christian life (Matthew 23; Galatians; Colossians 2; Romans 14).

3. Kueleza jinsi Wesley na miili ya Utakatifu ya baadaye ilivyotumia kanuni za nje, na kueleza kwa uadilifu mjadala wa wanahistoria kuhusu kanuni hizo.3. Describe how Wesley and the later Holiness bodies used outward rules, and state fairly the debate among historians about them.

4. Kujibu pingamizi kwamba mafundisho ya utakatifu husababisha ushika sheria tupu na pingamizi la upande mwingine kwamba uhuru husababisha ulimwengu.4. Answer the objection that holiness teaching leads to legalism and the opposite objection that freedom leads to worldliness.

5. Kutumia maswali matano katika kisa cha viwango vya nje katika kanisa la mahali.5. Apply five questions to a case of outward standards in a local church.

Sauti ya Kipindi HikiThe Voice of This Unit

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Wesley kwa wanafunzi wa Wesley. Sisi ni wainjilisti wahafidhina tunaoshikilia Biblia kuwa Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na mamlaka yetu ya mwisho. Kipindi hiki kinaweza kuwa kigumu kwa baadhi yetu, kwa sababu familia yetu wenyewe haijaepuka daima kosa linaloelezwa. Tunaeleza kwa uadilifu pingamizi za wakosoaji, wakiwemo wale wanaosema kwamba mafundisho ya utakatifu huzaa ushika sheria tupu, kisha tunajibu kutoka upande wa Wesley. Jibu letu si kwamba viwango ni vibaya. Ni kwamba upendo ni wa kwanza na kwamba kanuni zinatumikia upendo.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition for Wesleyan students. We are conservative evangelicals who hold the Bible as the inspired Word of God and our final authority. This unit may be uncomfortable for some of us, because our own family has not always avoided the fault it describes. We state the objections of critics fairly, including those who say that holiness teaching breeds legalism, and then we answer from the Wesleyan side. Our answer is not that standards are bad. It is that love is first and that rules serve love.

Mifereji MiwiliTwo Ditches

Barabara milimani inaweza kuwa na mfereji pande zote mbili. Dereva anayeogopa mfereji mmoja anaweza kwa urahisi kuendesha ndani ya mwingine. Wesley alisema kwamba utakatifu una hatari hiyohiyo. Upande mmoja ni ushika sheria tupu: imani kwamba tunakubaliwa na Mungu, au kwamba sisi ni watakatifu, kwa sababu tunashika orodha ya kanuni. Upande mwingine ni kupinga sheria (antinomianism), neno linalomaanisha "dhidi ya sheria." Ni imani kwamba kwa sababu tumeokolewa kwa neema, Mungu hajali sana jinsi tunavyoishi.A road in the mountains may have a ditch on each side. A driver who fears one ditch can easily drive into the other. Wesley said that holiness has the same danger. On one side is legalism: the belief that we are accepted by God, or that we are holy, because we keep a list of rules. On the other side is antinomianism, a word that means "against law." It is the belief that because we are saved by grace, God cares little about how we live.

Wesley alipigana na vyote viwili. Rafiki yake na mtetezi wake John Fletcher wa Madeley aliandika Checks to Antinomianism (Vizuizi dhidi ya Kupinga Sheria) katika miaka ya 1770, katika mgogoro wa Kalvini na Armini ulioelezwa katika Kozi 1 yetu. Hata hivyo Wesley na Fletcher pia walionya dhidi ya dini ya umbo la nje. Njia ya Wesley hupita katikati: neema inayobadilisha maisha kweli, na maisha yanayoshikiliwa na upendo na si na woga.Wesley fought both. His friend and defender John Fletcher of Madeley wrote Checks to Antinomianism in the 1770s, in the Calvinist–Arminian dispute described in our Course 1. Yet Wesley and Fletcher also warned against a religion of outward form. The Wesleyan road runs between: grace that really changes the life, and a life that is held up by love and not by fear.

Ushika Sheria Tupu ni NiniWhat Legalism Is

Neno hilo hutumiwa kwa ulegevu, kwa hiyo tunalifafanua. Ushika sheria tupu una nyuso tatu katika Maandiko.The word is used loosely, so we define it. Legalism has three faces in Scripture.

Kwanza, kanuni kama msingi wa kukubaliwa. Hili ni kosa ambalo Paulo alipigana nalo katika Wagalatia. Walimu walikuja na kusema kwamba waumini wa Mataifa lazima watahiriwe na washike sheria ya Musa ili wawe wanyofu mbele za Mungu. Paulo alijibu kwamba hii ni "injili nyingine." Aliandika, "Basi, simameni imara katika uhuru ule ambao Kristo alitupa sisi tuwe huru; wala msikubali tena kutiwa chini ya nira ya utumwa" (Wagalatia 5:1). Mwamini anakubaliwa kwa neema kwa njia ya imani, na hakuna kinachoongezwa.First, rules as the ground of acceptance. This is the error Paul fought in Galatians. Teachers came and said that Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be right with God. Paul answered that this is "another gospel." He wrote, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). A believer is accepted by grace through faith, and nothing is added.

Pili, kanuni za kibinadamu zikichukuliwa kama amri za Mungu. Yesu aliwaambia Mafarisayo kwamba waliiacha amri ya Mungu ili kushika mapokeo yao wenyewe (Marko 7:6-8). Paulo aliwaonya Wakolosai dhidi ya kanuni kama "Usishike, wala usionje, wala usiguse" (Wakolosai 2:21), na akasema kwamba dini hiyo ya kujitengenezea ina sura ya hekima lakini haizuii tamaa za mwili (Wakolosai 2:23). Mapokeo yanaweza kuwa na faida. Huwa kosa yanapowekwa katika kiwango kimoja na Maandiko.Second, human rules treated as God's commands. Jesus told the Pharisees that they had set aside the commandment of God to keep their own traditions (Mark 7:6-8). Paul warned the Colossians against rules such as "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle" (Colossians 2:21), and said that such self-made religion has an appearance of wisdom but does not stop the desires of the flesh (Colossians 2:23). A tradition may be useful. It becomes a fault when it is placed on the same level as Scripture.

Tatu, kanuni zisizo na upendo. Yesu aliwaambia waandishi na Mafarisayo kwamba walitoa zaka ya mnanaa na bizari na jira lakini wakaacha mambo makuu ya sheria: haki, rehema na imani (Mathayo 23:23). Walikuwa makini katika mambo madogo na baridi kuelekea watu. Paulo anasema kwamba nikiwa na maarifa yote na kutoa vyote nilivyo navyo lakini sina upendo, mimi si kitu (1 Wakorintho 13:1-3). Kanisa linaweza kushika kila kanuni na bado liwe bila upendo.Third, rules without love. Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees that they paid tithes of mint and dill and cummin but neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23). They were exact about small things and cold toward people. Paul says that if I have all knowledge and give all I have but have not love, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). A church can keep every rule and still be without love.

Uchunguzi wa KichungajiA Pastoral Observation

Dkt. Wayne Cook, mwanzilishi wa Chapala Theological Seminary, ametoa uchunguzi wa kichungaji kutoka katika makanisa mawili ya Kibaptisti aliyoyachunga kwanza. Wengi wa washiriki huko walitoka katika mazingira makali ya kujitenga, ambamo msisitizo juu ya yaliyokatazwa ulikuwa mkubwa sana hata wakatamani kitu tofauti. Uzoefu wao ni onyo kwa kila mapokeo yanayohubiri utakatifu, na mapokeo yetu pia.Dr. Wayne Cook, founder of Chapala Theological Seminary, has made a pastoral observation from the two Baptist churches he first pastored. Many of the members there came from strict separatist backgrounds, where the focus on what was forbidden was so strong that they wanted something different. Their experience is a warning to every tradition that preaches holiness, ours included.

Mfereji wa Pili: Kupinga SheriaThe Other Ditch: Antinomianism

Hatupaswi kuacha hisia kwamba uhuru unamaanisha ruhusa ya kutenda lolote. Paulo alikabiliana na wazo hilo moja kwa moja: "Tuseme nini basi? Tuendelee kukaa katika dhambi, ili neema izidi? Hasha! Sisi tuliokufa kwa dhambi tutaendeleaje kuishi ndani yake?" (Warumi 6:1-2). Yesu alisema kwamba wale wanaompenda hushika amri zake (Yohana 14:15). Mahubiri ya Wesley "The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law" (Asili, Tabia, Sifa, na Matumizi ya Sheria) (1750) yanafundisha kwamba sheria ya kimaadili ya Mungu inabaki kuwa na nguvu kwa waumini. Aliona matumizi matatu: kutuhakikishia dhambi, kutuleta kwa Kristo, na kutuweka hai na macho baada ya kumjia. Mahubiri "The Law Established through Faith" (Sheria Imeimarishwa kwa Imani) yanabishana kwamba imani katika Kristo haibatilishi sheria bali inaitimiza, kwa sababu upendo ni utimilifu wa sheria (Warumi 13:10).We must not leave the impression that freedom means license. Paul faced the idea directly: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1-2). Jesus said that those who love Him keep His commandments (John 14:15). Wesley's sermon "The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law" (1750) teaches that the moral law of God remains in force for believers. He saw three uses: to convince us of sin, to bring us to Christ, and to keep us alive and watchful after we have come to Him. The sermon "The Law Established through Faith" argues that faith in Christ does not cancel the law but fulfills it, because love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).

Kwa hiyo jibu la Wesley kwa mshika sheria tupu ni "upendo huitimiza sheria, kwa hiyo usiiongeze." Jibu kwa mpinga sheria ni "upendo huitimiza sheria, kwa hiyo usiipunguze." Mstari uleule hufanya kazi zote mbili.So the Wesleyan answer to the legalist is "love fulfills the law, so do not add to it." The answer to the antinomian is "love fulfills the law, so do not subtract from it." The same verse does both jobs.

Matumizi ya Wesley Mwenyewe ya KanuniWesley's Own Use of Rules

Wesley hakupinga viwango vya nje. Kanuni zake za Jumla za 1743, ambazo Kipindi 7 kilizianzisha, zinataja maovu fulani ya kuepukwa: kulitaja bure jina la Mungu, kuinajisi siku ya Bwana, ulevi, ugomvi, kuvaa dhahabu na mavazi ya gharama, na kujiwekea hazina duniani, pamoja na mengine. Pia zilitaka kufanya mema na kuhudhuria njia za neema. Mahubiri yake "On Dress" (Juu ya Mavazi) (1786) yalihimiza unyenyekevu na usafi. Sababu kuu aliyotoa ilikuwa upendo kwa maskini, kwa kuwa pesa zilizotumika kwa mavazi ya gharama zingeweza kutumika kuwasaidia wahitaji.Wesley was not against outward standards. His General Rules of 1743, which Unit 7 introduced, name some evils to avoid: taking the name of God in vain, profaning the Lord's day, drunkenness, quarreling, wearing gold and costly apparel, and laying up treasure on earth, with others. They also called for doing good and for attending the means of grace. His sermon "On Dress" (1786) urged plainness and neatness. A chief reason he gave was love for the poor, since money spent on costly clothing could have been spent to help those in need.

Hata hivyo Wesley alishughulikia kanuni kwa njia nne zinazotufundisha.Yet Wesley handled rules in four ways that teach us.

Kwanza, sharti pekee la ushirika lilikuwa tamaa ya kuokolewa kutoka katika dhambi, si rekodi ya mwenendo kamili. Watu walikuja kwenye jumuiya kama wanaotafuta, na kanuni zilifundishwa kama tunda ambalo tamaa hiyo ingezaa.First, the only condition for membership was a desire to be saved from sin, not a record of perfect behavior. People came to the societies as seekers, and the rules were taught as the fruit that such a desire would bear.

Pili, kanuni zilitoka katika Maandiko na upendo. Lengo lilikuwa kuepuka kile kinachoumiza roho au jirani na kufanya kile kinachojenga. Hazikubuniwa ili kuwafanya Wamethodisti waonekane tofauti.Second, the rules came from Scripture and love. The aim was to avoid what harms the soul or the neighbor and to do what builds up. They were not invented to make Methodists look different.

Tatu, Wesley alitenganisha mambo ya msingi na maoni. Katika mahubiri yake "Catholic Spirit" (Roho ya Ulimwengu Wote) (1750) alifundisha kwamba Wakristo wanaotofautiana katika maoni na katika namna za ibada wanaweza bado kupendana na kufanya kazi pamoja, mradi wanashiriki kweli kuu za imani. Si lazima tufikiri sawa ili tupendane sawa.Third, Wesley separated essentials from opinions. In his sermon "Catholic Spirit" (1750) he taught that Christians who differ in opinions and in forms of worship can still love one another and work together, provided they share the central truths of the faith. We need not think alike to love alike.

Nne, aliwaondoa kutoka katika jumuiya wale walioendelea kudumu katika dhambi, lakini kwa kusudi la kuwarejesha. Viongozi wa darasa walitazamana roho za wenzao kwa upendo. Kanuni ya Paulo ni ileile: "Ndugu, mtu akinaswa katika kosa lolote, ninyi mlio wa Roho mrudisheni mtu kama huyo kwa roho ya upole" (Wagalatia 6:1).Fourth, he removed from the societies those who persisted in sin, but with a purpose to restore. The class leaders watched over each other's souls in love. Paul's rule is the same: "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" (Galatians 6:1).

Viwango vya Nje katika Miili ya UtakatifuOutward Standards in the Holiness Bodies

Katika karne ya kumi na tisa na ishirini miili mingi ya Utakatifu ilikubali orodha za viwango vya nje kwa washiriki. Hivi mara nyingi vilihusu mavazi na vito, pombe na tumbaku, na aina fulani za burudani. Free Methodist Church, kwa mfano, ilijulikana katika miaka yake ya mwanzo kwa mavazi ya kawaida na kwa kupinga utumwa na jumuiya za siri. Washiriki wa Church of the Nazarene pia walitarajiwa kuepuka burudani fulani. (Kozi 1, Kipindi 7, inasimulia historia.) Katika miongo ya karibuni miili mingi hii imefupisha au kubadilisha orodha hizo, na inatofautiana yenyewe kwa yenyewe na kutoka mahali hadi mahali. Tunaeleza historia hii bila kudai kwamba kila kanuni ilikuwa sahihi au kosa.In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries many Holiness bodies adopted lists of outward standards for members. These often dealt with dress and jewelry, with alcohol and tobacco, and with some kinds of entertainment. The Free Methodist Church, for instance, became known in its early years for plain dress and for opposing slavery and secret societies. Church of the Nazarene members were also expected to avoid certain amusements. (Course 1, Unit 7, tells the history.) In more recent decades many of these bodies have shortened or reshaped such lists, and they differ among themselves and from place to place. We describe this history without claiming that every rule was right or wrong.

Wanahistoria hawakubaliani kuhusu viwango hivi vilimaanisha nini. Wengine wanaviona kama ushuhuda wa kweli dhidi ya kiburi, ubadhirifu na majaribu yaliyoumiza familia maskini, na kama njia ya kuwasaidia wageuzwa wapya kuacha maisha ya zamani. Wengine wanaviona kama uzio wa kitamaduni uliofunga utakatifu na mtindo fulani wa maisha na kuwafanya watu wafikirie utakatifu kama jambo la mwonekano. Wengi wangesema kwamba yote mawili yalitokea, katika sehemu na nyakati tofauti. Mtazamo wa Wesley ni kwamba viwango vinaweza kutumikia upendo, lakini vinapochukua nafasi ya upendo, au kuwa kipimo cha nani ameokoka, vimekuwa nira.Historians disagree about what these standards meant. Some see them as a sincere witness against pride, waste and the temptations that harmed poor families, and as a way of helping new converts to leave an old life. Others see them as cultural fences that tied holiness to a particular style of life and made people think of holiness as a matter of appearance. Most would say that both things happened, in different places and times. The Wesleyan view is that standards can serve love, but when they take the place of love, or become the test of who is saved, they have become a yoke.

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Pingamizi 1: Mafundisho ya utakatifu kwa kawaida huzaa ushika sheria tupu. Baadhi ya wakosoaji wa Kireformed na Kibaptisti wanasema kwamba ukiweka ukamilifu mbele ya watu, lazima uufafanue, na ufafanuzi hivi karibuni huwa orodha. Wangeonyesha ukali unaopatikana katika baadhi ya makanisa ya Utakatifu.Objection 1: Holiness teaching naturally produces legalism. Some Reformed and Baptist critics say that if you set perfection before people, you must define it, and a definition soon becomes a list. They would point to the strictness found in some Holiness churches.

Jibu letu. Hatari ni ya kweli, na baadhi ya watu wetu wameanguka ndani yake. Lakini mafundisho yenyewe hufafanua utakatifu kuwa upendo kamili, si orodha. Ufafanuzi wa Wesley mwenyewe ni moyo ambamo upendo kwa Mungu na jirani hujaza kila kitu. Tiba ya ushika sheria tupu si kushusha tumaini letu bali kuweka mbele yetu ufafanuzi wa kweli. Makanisa ya kila mapokeo yamejua ushika sheria tupu, kwa hiyo kosa ni la moyo wa mwanadamu na si la familia moja ya makanisa. Hakuna mapokeo yaliyo salama.Our answer. The danger is real, and some of our people have fallen into it. But the teaching itself defines holiness as perfect love, not as a list. Wesley's own definition is a heart in which love for God and neighbor fills everything. The cure for legalism is not to lower our hope but to keep the true definition in front of us. Churches of every tradition have known legalism, so the fault belongs to the human heart and not to one family of churches. No tradition is safe.

Pingamizi 2: Bila viwango vilivyo wazi kanisa litateleza kuelekea ulimwengu. Wengine wanajibu kutoka upande wa pili. Wanasema kwamba kupungua kwa kanuni kumesababisha makanisa vuguvugu, na kwamba neema imekuwa ya bei rahisi.Objection 2: Without clear standards the church will drift into worldliness. Others reply from the opposite side. They say that the decline of rules has led to lukewarm churches, and that grace has become cheap.

Jibu letu. Hii pia ni hatari ya kweli, na ndiyo sababu Wesley na Fletcher waliandika dhidi ya kupinga sheria. Maandiko hutoa amri wazi kuhusu mwenendo: usafi wa kijinsia, uaminifu, haki, kiasi, na upendo kwa adui. Kanisa linalofundisha neema lazima pia lifundishe utii. Lakini kinachoweka kanisa mbali na ulimwengu si hasa orodha ndefu zaidi. Ni upendo hai kwa Kristo, njia za neema, na ndugu na dada wanaotazamana. Kanuni inayoshikiliwa kwa woga hudumu tu wakati mtu anatazama. Tabia inayozaliwa na upendo hudumu hata kama hakuna anayetazama.Our answer. This also is a real danger, and it is why Wesley and Fletcher wrote against antinomianism. Scripture does give plain commands on conduct: sexual purity, honesty, justice, sobriety, and love for enemies. A church that teaches grace must also teach obedience. But what keeps a church from worldliness is not mainly a longer list. It is a living love for Christ, the means of grace, and brothers and sisters who watch over one another. A rule held by fear lasts only while someone is watching. A habit born of love lasts when no one is.

Pingamizi 3: Biblia haisemi kitu juu ya maswali mengi ya kisasa, kwa hiyo kanuni zinahitajika. Kweli, na ndiyo sababu tunahitaji hekima.Objection 3: The Bible is silent on many modern questions, so rules are needed. True, and so we need wisdom.

Jibu letu. Paulo anatupa mwongozo katika Warumi 14 na 1 Wakorintho 8 juu ya mambo ambayo Wakristo hutofautiana katika dhamiri. Anasema, "kwa maana ufalme wa Mungu si kula wala kunywa, bali ni haki na amani na furaha katika Roho Mtakatifu" (Warumi 14:17). Walio na nguvu wasiwadharau walio dhaifu, na walio dhaifu wasiwahukumu walio na nguvu. Hakuna hata mmoja anayepaswa kumkwaza ndugu. Katika mambo kama hayo upendo na dhamiri huongoza, na mchungaji hufundisha kanuni.Our answer. Paul gives us guidance in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 on matters where Christians differ in conscience. He says, "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). The strong must not despise the weak, and the weak must not condemn the strong. Neither should cause a brother to stumble. In such matters love and conscience lead, and the pastor teaches principles.

Maswali Matano kwa Viwango vya NjeFive Questions for Outward Standards

Mchungaji au bodi ya kanisa inapokabiliwa na swali kuhusu mwenendo, maswali haya matano husaidia.When a pastor or a church board faces a question about conduct, these five questions help.

1. Je, Maandiko yanaamuru au kukataza wazi? Ikiwa ndivyo, tunatii, na tunafundisha kwa upendo.1. Does Scripture command or forbid it plainly? If so, we obey, and we teach it with love.

2. Ikiwa Maandiko si wazi, ni kanuni gani inatumika? Mifano ni upendo kwa jirani, kuwajali walio dhaifu, uaminifu, kiasi na usimamizi mwema.2. If Scripture is not plain, which principle applies? Examples are love for neighbor, care for the weak, honesty, self-control and good stewardship.

3. Je, inasaidia au inazuia upendo kwa Mungu na jirani? Hiki ndicho kipimo kikuu.3. Does it help or hinder love for God and neighbor? This is the main test.

4. Je, inashikiliwa kwa unyenyekevu na nafasi ya dhamiri? Kanisa linaweza kuwaomba washiriki wake wafuate kiwango, lakini halipaswi kuita desturi kuwa amri.4. Is it held with humility and room for conscience? A church may ask its members to follow a standard, but it must not call a custom a commandment.

5. Je, inaiweka wazi njia ya kwenda kwa Kristo? Kanuni inayomfungia nje anayetafuta mwenye njaa, au inayompa mgeni sababu ya kusema lazima ajisafishe kwanza, ni kosa, bila kujali asili yake.5. Does it keep the way to Christ open? A rule that shuts out a hungry seeker, or gives an outsider a reason to say he must clean himself first, is wrong, whatever its origin.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji Daniel anaongoza kanisa linalokua katika mji wa soko. Familia kadhaa zimemjia Kristo hivi karibuni kutoka katika maisha ya ulevi na kamari. Mmoja wa wazee wake, mtu mcha Mungu, anakuja kwake na kusema kwamba washiriki wapya hawapaswi kushiriki Meza ya Bwana mpaka wavae kama washiriki wazee, waache kutazama televisheni, na waache kuvaa vito.Pastor Daniel leads a growing church in a market town. Several families have recently come to Christ from lives of drinking and gambling. One of his elders, a godly man, comes to him and says that the new members must not take the Lord's Supper until they dress as the older members do, stop watching television, and stop wearing jewelry.

Mchungaji Daniel anakutana na mzee huyo na kutumia maswali matano. Anauliza kwanza Maandiko yanaamuru nini wazi, nao wanaorodhesha mambo yaliyo wazi: hakuna ulevi, hakuna kamari inayoumiza familia, uaminifu, na usafi. Anakubali kwamba haya yanapaswa kufundishwa kwa uthabiti. Kisha anauliza kuhusu mavazi, vito na televisheni, ambavyo ni mambo ya kanuni na hekima, na anamkumbusha mzee kuhusu wasiwasi wa Wesley juu ya unyenyekevu na maskini. Anakumbuka kwamba waumini wapya wana miezi michache tu na kwamba jumuiya za Wesley zilikaribisha wanaotafuta. Mwishowe anapendekeza kwamba yeye na mzee wawatembelee kila familia, wawafundishe Neno, na watembee nao katika mkutano wa darasa. Katika mwaka mmoja, wanasema, tutatafuta matunda. Mzee anakubali kungoja, na meza ya Meza ya Bwana inabaki wazi kwa wote wanaotubu na kuamini.Pastor Daniel meets with the elder and uses the five questions. He asks first what Scripture plainly commands, and they list the clear things: no drunkenness, no gambling that harms a family, honesty, and purity. He agrees that these should be taught firmly. Then he asks about dress, jewelry and television, which are matters of principle and wisdom, and he reminds the elder of Wesley's concern for modesty and the poor. He recalls that the new believers are only months old and that Wesley's societies welcomed seekers. Finally he suggests that the elder and he visit each family, teach them the Word, and walk with them in a class meeting. In a year, they say, we will look for fruit. The elder agrees to wait, and the Supper table stays open to all who repent and believe.

MuhtasariSummary

Wesley alikataa mifereji miwili, ushika sheria tupu na kupinga sheria. Ushika sheria tupu hufanya kanuni kuwa msingi wa kukubaliwa, huchukulia mapokeo ya wanadamu kama amri za Mungu, au hushika kanuni bila upendo. Kupinga sheria husema kwamba neema hufanya utii usiwe wa muhimu. Wesley na Fletcher walifundisha kwamba sheria ya kimaadili bado inasimama, na kwamba upendo huitimiza. Wesley alitumia kanuni za nje, kama katika Kanuni za Jumla za 1743 na mahubiri yake "On Dress," lakini alipokea wanaotafuta kwa tamaa peke yake, alijenga kanuni juu ya Maandiko na upendo, alitenganisha mambo ya msingi na maoni katika "Catholic Spirit," na alitafuta kuwarejesha walioanguka. Miili mingi ya Utakatifu ilikubali viwango vya nje, na wanahistoria wanajadili kama vilikuwa ushuhuda mwaminifu au uzio wa kitamaduni. Uchunguzi wa kichungaji wa Dkt. Wayne Cook unaonyesha gharama ya kuzingatia makatazo. Tunajibu shtaka kwamba utakatifu huzaa ushika sheria tupu kwa kurudi kwenye ufafanuzi wa utakatifu kama upendo kamili, na shtaka kwamba uhuru huzaa ulimwengu kwa kufundisha utii unaotokana na upendo. Maswali matano humsaidia mchungaji kupima kiwango chochote.Wesley rejected two ditches, legalism and antinomianism. Legalism makes rules the ground of acceptance, treats human traditions as God's commands, or keeps rules without love. Antinomianism says that grace makes obedience unimportant. Wesley and Fletcher taught that the moral law still stands, and that love fulfills it. Wesley used outward rules, as in the General Rules of 1743 and his sermon "On Dress," but admitted seekers by desire alone, grounded rules in Scripture and love, separated essentials from opinions in "Catholic Spirit," and sought to restore the fallen. Many Holiness bodies adopted outward standards, and historians debate whether these were a faithful witness or cultural fences. A pastoral observation from Dr. Wayne Cook shows the cost of a focus on prohibitions. We answer the charge that holiness breeds legalism by returning to the definition of holiness as perfect love, and the charge that freedom breeds worldliness by teaching obedience from love. Five questions help a pastor weigh any standard.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (Asili, Kusudi, na Kanuni za Jumla za Jumuiya Zilizounganishwa) (1743).• John Wesley, "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (1743).

• John Wesley, mahubiri "Catholic Spirit" (Roho ya Ulimwengu Wote) (1750), "The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law" (Asili, Tabia, Sifa, na Matumizi ya Sheria) (1750), "The Law Established through Faith" (Sheria Imeimarishwa kwa Imani), na "On Dress" (Juu ya Mavazi) (1786).• John Wesley, sermons "Catholic Spirit" (1750), "The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law" (1750), "The Law Established through Faith," and "On Dress" (1786).

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

• Phoebe Palmer, The Way of Holiness (Njia ya Utakatifu) (1843), kwa msisitizo wa harakati ya Utakatifu juu ya kujitoa.• Phoebe Palmer, The Way of Holiness (1843), for the Holiness movement's emphasis on consecration.

• 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.

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