📖 Wagalatia — Somo la Kina — Sehemu ya 4: Imani, Si Matendo ya Sheria📖 Galatians Intensive — Unit 4: Faith, Not Works of the Law

Andiko: Wagalatia 3:1-29 (SUV)Text: Galatians 3:1-29 (NKJV)

Ni Nani Aliyewaloga?Who Has Bewitched You?

Baada ya kuitetea injili katika sura mbili za kwanza, sasa Paulo anageuka na kuwahoji Wagalatia moja kwa moja, na maneno yake ni makali kwa sababu hatari ni kubwa. "Enyi Wagalatia msio na akili, ni nani aliyewaloga...?" Walikuwa wamemwona Kristo aliyesulibiwa akiwekwa wazi mbele yao katika kuhubiriwa kwa injili, na sasa walikuwa wakirudi nyuma kuelekea sheria kana kwamba msalaba haukutosha. Paulo anawauliza swali moja linalomaliza jambo: "Je! Mlipokea Roho kwa matendo ya sheria, au kwa kusikia kwa imani?" Walilijua jibu. Roho aliwajia, na miujiza ilitendeka kati yao, walipouamini ujumbe — si walipoishika sheria. Kwa hiyo Paulo analisisitiza jambo hilo: "Je! Baada ya kuanza kwa Roho, mnataka kukamilishwa sasa kwa mwili?" Kuanza kwa neema kisha kutafuta kumalizia kwa kushika sheria ni kurudi nyuma, kutoka kwa Roho kwenda kwa mwili.Having defended the gospel in the first two chapters, Paul now turns and reasons with the Galatians directly, and his words are sharp because the danger is great. "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you...?" They had seen Christ crucified set plainly before them in the preaching of the gospel, and now they were drifting back toward the law as if the cross were not enough. Paul puts to them a single, settling question: "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" They knew the answer. The Spirit had come to them, and miracles had been worked among them, when they believed the message — not when they kept the law. And so Paul presses the point home: "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" To begin with grace and then seek to finish by law-keeping is to move backward, from the Spirit to the flesh.

Ibrahimu Alimwamini MunguAbraham Believed God

Sasa Paulo anarudi nyuma hadi kwa baba mkuu wa waaminio. "Ibrahimu alimwamini Mungu, ikahesabiwa kwake kuwa haki." Muda mrefu kabla sheria haijatolewa, Ibrahimu alihesabiwa haki si kwa matendo bali kwa imani; Mungu alimhesabia haki kwa sababu aliiamini ahadi. Kutokana na hili Paulo anatoa hitimisho pana: "wale walio wa imani, hao ndio wana wa Ibrahimu." Watoto wa kweli wa Ibrahimu si wale wanaobeba alama za sheria, bali wale wanaoamini kama yeye alivyoamini. Na Paulo anasema kwamba andiko, likitangulia kuona ya kuwa Mungu atawahesabia haki Mataifa kwa imani, "lilimhubiri Ibrahimu habari njema zamani," likisema, "Katika wewe Mataifa yote watabarikiwa." Basi wale walio wa imani hubarikiwa pamoja na Ibrahimu aliyekuwa mwenye imani — injili ya kuhesabiwa haki kwa imani si jambo jipya, bali ni mpango wa Mungu wa tangu zamani.Paul now reaches back to the great father of the faithful. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Long before the law was given, Abraham was justified not by works but by faith; God credited righteousness to him because he believed the promise. From this Paul draws a sweeping conclusion: "those who are of faith are sons of Abraham." The true children of Abraham are not those who carry the marks of the law, but those who believe as he believed. And Paul says the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, "preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand," saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So those who are of faith are blessed together with believing Abraham — the gospel of justification by faith is no novelty, but the ancient plan of God.

Laana ya SheriaThe Curse of the Law

Ikiwa imani ndiyo njia ya baraka, sheria peke yake ni njia ya laana. "Kwa maana wale wote walio wa matendo ya sheria wako chini ya laana; kwa kuwa imeandikwa, Amelaaniwa kila mtu asiyedumu katika yote yaliyoandikwa katika kitabu cha torati, ayafanye." Huu ndio mtego wa kutafuta haki kwa sheria: sheria haidai mambo mengi tu, bali yote, kwa ukamilifu na bila kukoma, na hakuna mwenye dhambi awezaye kutimiza hilo. Kwa hiyo kuweka tumaini lako katika kushika sheria ni kujiweka chini ya laana yake. Kinyume chake, Paulo anamnukuu nabii: "Mwenye haki ataishi kwa imani." Naye anaongeza kwamba "torati haikuja kwa imani"; kanuni ya sheria ni "tenda uishi," lakini kanuni ya imani ni "amini uishi." Hizi mbili haziwezi kuchanganywa kama njia ya wokovu.If faith is the way of blessing, the law by itself is the way of curse. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.'" Here is the trap of seeking righteousness by law: the law demands not most things, but all things, perfectly and continually, and no sinner can render that. To stake one's hope on law-keeping is therefore to place oneself under its curse. By contrast, Paul quotes the prophet: "The just shall live by faith." And he adds that "the law is not of faith"; the principle of the law is "do and live," while the principle of faith is "believe and live." The two cannot be mixed as a way of salvation.

Kristo Alifanywa Laana kwa Ajili YetuChrist Became a Curse for Us

Basi mwenye dhambi yeyote anawezaje kuiepuka laana? Ni kwa sababu Mwingine aliibeba tu. "Kristo alitukomboa katika laana ya torati, kwa kuwa alifanywa laana kwa ajili yetu; maana imeandikwa, Amelaaniwa kila mtu aliyetundikwa juu ya mti." Msalabani Yesu alijitwika laana ile ile ambayo sheria inaitamka juu ya wavunja sheria; alisimama mahali petu na kubeba kile tulichostahili. Na hili alilifanya kwa kusudi tukufu: "ili kwamba baraka ya Ibrahimu iwafikilie Mataifa katika Kristo Yesu, tupate kupokea ahadi ya Roho kwa njia ya imani." Laana ilimwangukia Yeye ili baraka ituangukie sisi; alitendewa kama mwenye hatia ili sisi tupate kumpokea Roho kwa imani. Huu ndio moyo wa injili ambayo Paulo hatawaruhusu Wagalatia waiache.How then can any sinner escape the curse? Only because Another bore it. "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')." On the cross Jesus took upon Himself the very curse the law pronounces against lawbreakers; He stood in our place and absorbed what we deserved. And this He did with a glorious purpose: "that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." The curse fell on Him so that the blessing might fall on us; He was treated as guilty so that we might receive the Spirit by faith. This is the heart of the gospel Paul will not let the Galatians abandon.

Laana ilimwangukia Kristo ili baraka ya Ibrahimu ituangukie sisi, na ahadi ya Roho ipokewe kwa imani.The curse fell on Christ so that the blessing of Abraham might fall on us, and the promise of the Spirit be received by faith.

Ahadi Ilikuja Kabla ya SheriaThe Promise Came Before the Law

Sasa Paulo anawajibu wale ambao wangeifanya sheria kuwa msingi wa jinsi Mungu anavyoshughulika na watu. Anahoji kwa mfano wa wazi wa kibinadamu: agano likishathibitishwa, hakuna mtu anayelibatilisha wala kuliongeza. "Basi ahadi zilinenwa kwa Ibrahimu na kwa mzao wake. Hasemi, Kwa wazao, kana kwamba ni wengi; bali kana kwamba ni mmoja, Kwa mzao wako, yaani, Kristo." Ahadi ilikuwa ikimwelekea Kristo tangu mwanzo. Na sheria, iliyokuja miaka mia nne na thelathini baadaye, haiwezi kulibatilisha agano ambalo Mungu alikuwa amekwisha kulithibitisha, hata kuifanya ahadi kuwa bure. "Kwa maana ikiwa urithi ni kwa sheria, basi si kwa ahadi tena; bali Mungu alimkirimia Ibrahimu kwa ahadi." Urithi haukupatikana kamwe kwa kushika sheria; ulitolewa kwa ahadi na kupokewa kwa imani.Paul now answers those who would make the law the basis of God's dealings. He argues from a plain human example: once a covenant is confirmed, no one annuls it or adds to it. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ." The promise pointed forward to Christ all along. And the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, cannot annul a covenant that God had already confirmed, so as to make the promise of no effect. "For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise." The inheritance was never earned by law; it was given by promise and received by faith.

Basi, Sheria Ni ya Nini?Why the Law, Then?

Ikiwa sheria haiwezi kumhesabia mtu haki, basi ni ya nini? Paulo haidharau sheria; anaeleza nafasi yake. "Iliingizwa kwa sababu ya makosa, hata aje yule mzao aliyeahidiwa." Sheria ilitolewa ili kuifunua dhambi na kuwalinda watu wa Mungu mpaka Kristo atakapokuja; ilikuwa msimamizi wa muda, si chanzo cha uzima. "Kwa maana kama ingetolewa sheria iwezayo kuhuisha, kweli haki ingetokana na sheria." Lakini hakuna sheria inayoweza kuwapa uzima wale waliokufa katika dhambi. Badala yake, "andiko limeyafunga yote chini ya dhambi, ili ile ahadi iliyo kwa imani ya Yesu Kristo wapewe wale waaminio." Sheria inafunga kila kinywa na kumfungia kila mwenye dhambi chini ya hatia, ili mlango pekee unaobaki wazi uwe mlango wa imani katika Kristo.If the law cannot justify, what is it for? Paul does not despise the law; he explains its place. "It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made." The law was given to expose sin and to hold God's people until Christ came; it was a temporary steward, not the source of life. "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law." But no law can give life to the dead in sin. Instead, "the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." The law shuts every mouth and locks every sinner up under guilt, so that the only door left open is the door of faith in Christ.

Sheria Kama Kiongozi WetuThe Law as Our Tutor

Paulo anatoa picha ya kukumbukwa ya kazi ya sheria. "Basi hivyo torati imekuwa kiongozi kutuleta kwa Kristo, ili tuhesabiwe haki kwa imani." Neno hili linamchora mlezi aliyemwangalia na kumwadibisha mtoto mpaka afikie umri wa utu uzima. Sheria iliwalinda watu wa Mungu na, kwa amri zake na laana yake, iliwasukuma kumtafuta Mwokozi. Lakini mamlaka ya mlezi yanakoma mtoto anapokua: "Lakini iwapo imani imekuja, hatupo tena chini ya kiongozi." Sasa kwa kuwa Kristo amekuja na imani imekuja, mwamini hawekwi chini ya sheria kama mtoto chini ya mlezi, bali anasimama kama mwana aliyekomaa ndani ya Kristo.Paul gives a memorable picture of the law's role. "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The word pictures a guardian who watched over and disciplined a child until he came of age. The law guarded God's people and, by its commands and its curse, drove them to look for a Savior. But a guardian's authority ends when the child grows up: "But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." Now that Christ has come and faith has come, the believer is not kept under the law as a child under a guardian, but stands as a grown son in Christ.

Wana na Warithi, Wote Mmoja Katika KristoSons and Heirs, All One in Christ

Paulo anaimaliza sura hii juu kileleni. "Kwa kuwa ninyi nyote mmekuwa wana wa Mungu kwa njia ya imani katika Kristo Yesu." Kila mwamini, akiwa amebatizwa katika Kristo, "amemvaa Kristo" na amevikwa ndani yake. Na ndani yake migawanyiko ya zamani inapoteza nguvu yake ya kutenganisha: "Hapana Myahudi wala Myunani, hapana mtumwa wala huru, hapana mtu mume wala mtu mke; kwa maana ninyi nyote mmekuwa mmoja katika Kristo Yesu." Waamini wote kama hao wanasimama katika usawa chini ya msalaba. Na sura inamalizika na urithi uliohakikishwa: "Na kama ninyi ni wa Kristo, basi, mmekuwa uzao wa Ibrahimu, warithi sawasawa na ahadi." Kuwa mali ya Kristo ni kuwa uzao wa kweli wa Ibrahimu na mrithi wa kila kitu ambacho Mungu aliahidi — si kwa matendo ya sheria, bali kwa imani.Paul closes the chapter on the heights. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." Every believer, having been baptized into Christ, has "put on Christ" and is clothed in Him. And in Him the old divisions lose their power to separate: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." All such believers stand on equal ground at the foot of the cross. And the chapter ends with the inheritance secured: "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." To belong to Christ is to be Abraham's true offspring and an heir of everything God promised — not by the works of the law, but by faith.

Wasilisha Mtihani & Angalia KufauluSubmit Exam & Check Pass Anza Upya Sehemu HiiReset Unit