📖 Utangulizi wa Agano Jipya — Sehemu ya 8: Nyaraka za Gerezani: Mwili wa Kristo📖 New Testament Survey — Unit 8: The Prison Epistles: The Body of Christ

I. Nyaraka Nne Kutoka Nyumba ya KupangaI. Four Letters from a Rented House

Baadhi ya muziki mzuri kuliko yote katika Biblia uliandikwa nyuma ya nondo za gereza. Nyaraka nne katika Agano Jipya — Waefeso, Wafilipi, Wakolosai, na Filemoni — zinashiriki jambo fulani linalostahili kutazamwa. Jibu liko katika mstari wa anwani mwishoni mwa kila mmoja. Zote nne ziliandikwa na mtume Paulo wakati wa kifungo chake cha kwanza huko Rumi, takriban mwaka 60 hadi 62 B.K., kutoka katika nyumba ya kupanga aliyokaa akilindwa kwa muda wa miaka miwili (Matendo 28:30). Askari wa Kirumi alifungwa pamoja naye kwa mnyororo mkononi mwake mchana na usiku. Hakuweza kuhubiri katika masinagogi. Hakuweza kusafiri. Hakuweza kusimama sokoni. Basi akaichukua kalamu, na kupitia mkono ule wa kuume uliofungwa minyororo Roho Mtakatifu akaongoza kuandikwa kwa nyaraka nne zilizo miongoni mwa nyaraka tajiri kabisa kwa theolojia zilizowahi kuandikwa.Some of the most beautiful music in the Bible was written behind bars. Four letters in the New Testament — Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon — share something worth noticing. The answer is the address line at the bottom of each one. All four were written by the apostle Paul during his first imprisonment in Rome, around AD 60 to 62, from the rented house where he was kept under guard for two years (Acts 28:30). A Roman soldier was chained to his wrist day and night. He could not preach in synagogues. He could not travel. He could not stand in marketplaces. So he picked up a pen, and from that chained right hand the Holy Spirit dictated four of the most theologically rich letters ever written.

Nyaraka hizi nne ni za pamoja kama madirisha manne ya nyumba moja. Kila mmoja unamtazama Kristo yule yule kutoka upande tofauti. Waefeso unatazama utajiri wa Mwili wa Kristo. Wafilipi unatazama furaha ya Mwili wa Kristo. Wakolosai unatazama Kichwa cha Mwili wa Kristo. Filemoni unatazama ushirika wa Mwili wa Kristo. Madirisha manne. Nyumba moja. Kristo mmoja. Mwili mmoja.These four letters belong together like four windows of a single house. Each one looks out at the same Christ from a different angle. Ephesians looks at the wealth of the Body of Christ. Philippians looks at the joy of the Body of Christ. Colossians looks at the Head of the Body of Christ. Philemon looks at the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Four windows. One house. One Christ. One Body.

II. Waefeso — Utajiri wa MwaminiII. Ephesians — The Wealth of the Believer

Waefeso ndio wenye theolojia nyingi kuliko nyaraka zote nne za gerezani. Karibu hakika uliandikwa kama waraka wa mzunguko, uliokusudiwa kupitishwa miongoni mwa makanisa ya Asia Ndogo, Efeso ukiwa mji mkuu wa kwanza. Sura tatu za kwanza zinaandaa meza ya mafundisho. Sura tatu za mwisho zinaandaa chakula cha wajibu. Henrietta Mears alikuwa akiufupisha hivi: sura 1 hadi 3 zinakuambia kile ambacho Mungu amekufanyia katika Kristo; sura 4 hadi 6 zinakuambia kile unachopaswa kufanya sasa kwa sababu hiyo. Kila "basi" katika nusu ya pili ya Waefeso kinategemea kila "katika Kristo" katika nusu ya kwanza.Ephesians is the most theological of the four prison epistles. It was almost certainly written as a circular letter, intended to be passed among the churches of Asia Minor with Ephesus as the lead city. The first three chapters spread the table of doctrine. The last three chapters serve the meal of duty. Henrietta Mears used to summarize it this way: chapters 1 through 3 tell you what God has done for you in Christ; chapters 4 through 6 tell you what you must now do because of it. Every "therefore" in the second half of Ephesians depends on every "in Christ" in the first half.

Sura ya 1 ina mojawapo ya sentensi moja zenye fahari kubwa kuliko zote katika Agano Jipya la Kiyunani — mistari ya 3 hadi 14 katika Biblia zetu kwa kweli ni sentensi moja isiyokatika katika lugha ya asili, nayo inaorodhesha baraka za rohoni za mwamini kama taarifa ya benki inavyoorodhesha amana. Tulichaguliwa kabla ya kuwekwa misingi ya ulimwengu, tukachaguliwa tangu asili tufanywe wana, tukakubaliwa katika yeye Mpendwa, tukakombolewa kwa damu yake, tukasamehewa makosa, tukapewa urithi, na tukatiwa muhuri kwa Roho Mtakatifu wa ahadi. Sura hii inagawanyika katika sehemu tatu zinazolingana na Nafsi tatu za Utatu. Baba alituchagua (mistari 3–6). Mwana alitukomboa (mistari 7–12). Roho alitutia muhuri (mistari 13–14). Kila baraka ambayo nafsi ya mwanadamu iliwahi kuihitaji tayari imo katika akaunti.Chapter 1 is one of the most majestic single sentences in the Greek New Testament — verses 3 through 14 in our Bibles are actually one unbroken sentence in the original, and it lists the spiritual blessings of the believer the way a bank statement lists deposits. We were chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined to adoption, accepted in the Beloved, redeemed through His blood, forgiven of trespasses, given the inheritance, and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The chapter divides into three movements that correspond to the three Persons of the Trinity. The Father chose us (verses 3–6). The Son redeemed us (verses 7–12). The Spirit sealed us (verses 13–14). Every blessing the human soul ever needed is already in the account.

Sura ya 2 ina mistari maarufu kuliko yote ya Waefeso: "Kwa maana mmeokolewa kwa neema, kwa njia ya imani; ambayo hiyo haikutokana na nafsi zenu, ni kipawa cha Mungu; wala si kwa matendo, mtu awaye yote asije akajisifu" (Waefeso 2:8–9). Kisha Paulo anahama kutoka wokovu wa mtu mmoja mmoja hadi utambulisho wa jumuiya. Kristo amekivunja "kiambaza cha kati kilichotutenga" (2:14) kati ya Myahudi na Mtu wa Mataifa. Hao wawili wamekuwa "mtu mmoja mpya" (2:15). Na wote wawili pamoja wanajengwa kuwa "hekalu takatifu katika Bwana" (2:21). Utajiri wa mwamini si wa binafsi tu — ni wa jumuiya. Kristo ameunda Mwili mmoja kutoka katika kila kabila na lugha.Chapter 2 contains the most famous verses of Ephesians: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9). Paul then sweeps from individual salvation to corporate identity. Christ has broken down "the middle wall of separation" (2:14) between Jew and Gentile. The two have become "one new man" (2:15). And both together are being built into "a holy temple in the Lord" (2:21). The wealth of the believer is not only personal — it is corporate. Christ has formed one Body out of every tribe and tongue.

Kisha sura 4 hadi 6 zinatuambia jinsi ya kuenenda katika utajiri huo. Sura ya 4 ni sura ya umoja na karama: "Bwana mmoja, imani moja, ubatizo mmoja. Mungu mmoja, Baba wa wote" (4:5–6). Sura ya 5 ni siri ya mume, mke, Kristo na Kanisa, ambapo Paulo anaiinua ndoa kutoka ngazi ya kibinadamu na kuionyesha kama picha ya Kristo na Kanisa lake. Sura ya 6 inafunga kwa silaha zote za Mungu — vazi la mwamini kwa ajili ya vita vya kiroho. Kweli kama mshipi. Haki kama dirii kifuani. Amani kama viatu. Imani kama ngao. Wokovu kama chapeo. Neno la Mungu kama upanga. Vipande sita vya silaha kwa mwamini ambaye sasa amesoma sura tatu za kwanza na anajua anapigania nini. Mstari mkuu wa Waefeso: "Apate kujiletea Kanisa tukufu, lisilo na ila wala kunyanzi wala lo lote kama hayo; bali liwe takatifu lisilo na mawaa" (Waefeso 5:27).Chapters 4 through 6 then tell us how to walk in that wealth. Chapter 4 is the unity-and-gifts chapter: "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all" (4:5–6). Chapter 5 is the husband-wife-Christ-Church mystery, where Paul lifts marriage off the human plane and shows it as a picture of Christ and His Church. Chapter 6 closes with the armor of God — the believer's wardrobe for the spiritual war. Truth as the belt. Righteousness as the breastplate. Peace as the shoes. Faith as the shield. Salvation as the helmet. The Word of God as the sword. Six pieces of armor for the believer who has now read the first three chapters and knows what he is fighting for. The key verse of Ephesians: "That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27).

III. Wafilipi — Furaha ya MwaminiIII. Philippians — The Joy of the Believer

Ikiwa Waefeso ni mafundisho, Wafilipi ni furaha tele. Ndio waraka wa kibinafsi zaidi wa Paulo. Alikuwa akiliandikia kanisa alilolipenda kuliko jingine lolote duniani — kanisa la Filipi, kanisa la kwanza alilolianzisha katika ardhi ya Ulaya (Matendo 16). Walikuwa wamesimama pamoja naye kwa zaidi ya miaka kumi. Walikuwa wamemtumia fedha alipokuwa gerezani. Walikuwa wamemtuma Epafrodito, mmoja wao, kumhudumia yeye binafsi huko Rumi. Wafilipi ni barua ya shukrani ya Paulo, na upendo wake wa kichungaji unafurika katika kila ukurasa.If Ephesians is doctrine, Philippians is delight. It is Paul's most personal letter. He was writing to a church that he loved more than any other on earth — the church at Philippi, the first church he had founded on European soil (Acts 16). They had stood by him for over ten years. They had sent him money in prison. They had sent Epaphroditus, one of their own, to look after him personally in Rome. Philippians is Paul's thank-you letter, and his pastoral love overflows on every page.

Neno linalojirudia katika Wafilipi ni furaha — linatumika mara kumi na sita katika sura nne fupi. Angalia jambo la kushangaza: mtume anaandika kitabu chenye furaha kuliko vyote katika Biblia akiwa katika gereza la Kirumi, huenda shingo yake ikiwa chini ya tishio la kuuawa. "Furahini katika Bwana sikuzote; tena nasema, Furahini" (Wafilipi 4:4). Na anamaanisha hivyo. Amejifunza siri: "Nimejifunza kuridhika na hali yo yote niliyo nayo" (4:11). Siri si mazingira. Siri ni ile Nafsi.The recurring word in Philippians is joy — used sixteen times in four short chapters. Note the irony: the apostle is writing the most joyful book in the Bible from a Roman prison, with his neck possibly under threat of execution. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). And he means it. He has learned a secret: "I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content" (4:11). The secret is not circumstances. The secret is the Person.

Uti wa mgongo wa muundo wa Wafilipi ni picha moja inayopita katika kila moja ya sura zile nne: nia ya Kristo. Sura ya 1 — "kuishi ni Kristo, na kufa ni faida" (1:21). Nia ya Kristo juu ya kuishi na kufa. Sura ya 2 — ule wimbo mkuu wa kenosis: "Iweni na nia iyo hiyo ndani yenu ambayo ilikuwamo pia ndani ya Kristo Yesu; ambaye yeye mwanzo alikuwa yuna namna ya Mungu... bali alijifanya kuwa hana utukufu, akatwaa namna ya mtumwa" (2:5–7). Nia ya Kristo juu ya unyenyekevu. Sura ya 3 — "nikiyasahau yaliyo nyuma, nikiyachuchumilia yaliyo mbele; nakaza mwendo, niifikilie mede ya thawabu ya mwito mkuu wa Mungu katika Kristo Yesu" (3:13–14). Nia ya Kristo juu ya kupiga mbio za imani. Sura ya 4 — "Msijisumbue kwa neno lo lote... Na amani ya Mungu, ipitayo akili zote, itawahifadhi mioyo yenu na nia zenu" (4:6–7). Nia ya Kristo juu ya wasiwasi.The structural backbone of Philippians is a single image that runs through each of the four chapters: the mind of Christ. Chapter 1 — "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1:21). The mind of Christ on living and dying. Chapter 2 — the great kenosis hymn: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God... made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant" (2:5–7). The mind of Christ on humility. Chapter 3 — "forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (3:13–14). The mind of Christ on running the race. Chapter 4 — "Be anxious for nothing... and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds" (4:6–7). The mind of Christ on worry.

Inasimuliwa habari ya mchungaji mmoja aliyekuwa katika safari ndefu ya ndege dhoruba ilipoanza. Sauti ya rubani ikasikika: "Tafadhali hakikisheni mikanda yenu ya kiti imefungwa; tunatarajia misukosuko." Ndege ikaanza kurushwa huku na huku na upepo mkali. Ngurumo za radi zikatikisa juu ya injini. Umeme ukaangaza ndani ya ndege. Mchungaji akatazama pande zote akaona abiria wameshika viti vyao kwa nguvu kwa hofu, wengine wakiomba, wengine wakilia. Kisha macho yake yakamwona msichana mdogo safu mbili mbele, ameketi kwa utulivu akiwa amekunja miguu chini yake, akisoma kitabu. Ndege ikayumba na kushuka ghafla; yeye akafungua ukurasa. Hatimaye ndege ilipotua na walipokuwa wakitoka kwa mstari, mchungaji alipiga magoti kando yake akamwuliza, "Hukuogopa?" Akamtazama juu bila mshangao wowote usoni mwake. "Hapana," akasema. "Baba yangu ndiye rubani. Ananipeleka nyumbani." Hiyo ndiyo furaha ya Wafilipi. Ndege inatikisika. Baba ndiye anayeiendesha.The story is told of a pastor who was on a long flight when the storm broke. The captain's voice came on: "Please be sure your seat belt is fastened; we are expecting turbulence." The plane began to be tossed by violent winds. Cracks of thunder rattled above the engines. Lightning lit up the cabin. The pastor looked around and saw passengers white-knuckled in their seats, some praying, some weeping. Then his eye fell on a small girl two rows up, sitting calmly with her feet tucked under her, reading a book. The plane lurched and dropped; she turned a page. When at last the plane landed and they were filing out, the pastor knelt down beside her and asked, "Were you not afraid?" She looked up at him with no surprise on her face at all. "No," she said. "My Daddy's the pilot. He's taking me home." That is the joy of Philippians. The plane is shaking. The Father is flying.

IV. Wakolosai — Kichwa cha MwiliIV. Colossians — The Head of the Body

Ikiwa Waefeso unatangaza utajiri wa Mwili, na Wafilipi unatangaza furaha ya Mwili, Wakolosai unatangaza ukuu wa Kichwa. Paulo aliuandika kwa kanisa dogo katika Bonde la Liko huko Asia Ndogo, ambalo yeye mwenyewe hakuwahi kulitembelea. Lilikuwa limeanzishwa na Epafra (Wakolosai 1:7), mmoja wa waongofu wa Paulo kutoka Efeso. Lakini fundisho geni lilikuwa limejipenyeza katika kanisa la Kolosai — uzushi mchanganyiko uliochanganya falsafa ya Kiyunani na taratibu za kidini za Kiyahudi, mafumbo ya kuabudu malaika, na sheria kali za kujinyima. Kosa hilo la Kolosai lilikana kwamba Kristo peke yake anatosha. Wakolosai ni jibu la Paulo.If Ephesians proclaims the riches of the Body, and Philippians proclaims the joy of the Body, Colossians proclaims the supremacy of the Head. Paul wrote it to a small church in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor that he had never personally visited. It had been founded by Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), one of Paul's converts from Ephesus. But a strange teaching had crept into the Colossian church — a hybrid heresy that mixed Greek philosophy with Jewish ritual, angelic mysticism, and ascetic legalism. The Colossian error denied that Christ alone was enough. Colossians is Paul's answer.

Kifungu kilicho juu kuliko vyote ni Wakolosai 1:15–20, ambacho wasomi wengi wanaamini kilikuwa wimbo wa Wakristo wa kwanza ambao Paulo aliunukuu au aliutunga. "Naye ni mfano wa Mungu asiyeonekana, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa viumbe vyote. Kwa kuwa katika yeye vitu vyote viliumbwa, vilivyo mbinguni na vilivyo juu ya nchi, vinavyoonekana na visivyoonekana... vitu vyote viliumbwa kwa njia yake, na kwa ajili yake. Yeye ndiye aliyekuwa kabla ya vitu vyote, na vitu vyote hushikana katika yeye... Kwa kuwa ilipendeza Baba kwamba utimilifu wote ukae ndani yake" (Wakolosai 1:15–19). Ndiyo Kristolojia ya juu kuliko zote ambayo Paulo aliwahi kuandika. Kristo wa Wakolosai ni mkuu kuliko kila malaika, mkuu kuliko kila falsafa, mkuu kuliko kila sheria, mkuu kuliko kila pepo, mkuu kuliko ulimwengu wenyewe. Yeye si chaguo moja la kidini kati ya mengi. Yeye ndiye Kichwa juu ya kila enzi na mamlaka (2:10), na Mwili ambao Yeye ndiye Kichwa chake unatosha kwa kila hitaji la mwanadamu.The towering passage is Colossians 1:15–20, which most scholars believe was an early Christian hymn that Paul either quoted or composed. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist... For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell" (Colossians 1:15–19). It is the highest Christology Paul ever wrote. The Christ of Colossians is bigger than every angel, bigger than every philosophy, bigger than every law, bigger than every demon, bigger than the universe itself. He is not one religious option among many. He is the Head over every power and principality (2:10), and the Body of which He is the Head is sufficient for every human need.

Mstari mkuu wa Wakolosai unasimama kama ukuta wa ulinzi kuizunguka injili: "Kwa kuwa katika yeye unakaa utimilifu wote wa Mungu, kwa jinsi ya kimwili. Nanyi mmetimilika katika yeye" (Wakolosai 2:9–10). Mmetimilika katika yeye. Si kukamilika kwa sehemu. Si kukamilika kwa asilimia 90. Si kukamilika-pamoja-na-tohara-pamoja-na-kuabudu-malaika-pamoja-na-chakula-maalum. Mmetimilika. Sehemu iliyobaki ya Wakolosai ni mfululizo wa maonyo juu ya jambo lolote ambalo lingeongeza kitu kwa Kristo anayetosha kwa yote. "Angalieni mtu asiwafanye mateka kwa elimu ya bure na madanganyo matupu" (2:8). Maisha ya Kikristo hayahitaji virutubisho vya ziada. Yanamhitaji Kristo ambaye tayari anatimiza kila hitaji.The key verse of Colossians stands like a wall of defense around the gospel: "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him" (Colossians 2:9–10). Complete in Him. Not partly complete. Not 90 percent complete. Not complete-plus-circumcision-plus-angel-worship-plus-special-diet. Complete. The rest of Colossians is a series of warnings about anything that would add to the all-sufficient Christ. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit" (2:8). The Christian life does not need supplements. It needs the Christ who already supplies every need.

V. Filemoni — Ndugu AliyerejeshwaV. Philemon — A Brother Restored

Mfupi kuliko nyaraka zote za gerezani ndio wa kibinafsi zaidi. Filemoni ni sura moja, mistari ishirini na mitano, ulioandikwa na Paulo kwa mwamini tajiri huko Kolosai ambaye Paulo mwenyewe alikuwa amemwongoza kwa Bwana. Filemoni alikuwa na mtumwa aliyetoroka aitwaye Onesimo, ambaye jina lake maana yake ni mwenye kufaa. Onesimo alikuwa amemwibia bwana wake, akakimbilia Rumi ili apotelee katika umati wa mji mkuu wa dola, na kwa maongozi ya Mungu akaishia kuketi miguuni pa Paulo aliyekuwa kifungoni nyumbani. Onesimo akaokoka. Paulo akamweka kama msaidizi wake binafsi kwa muda, na kisha, kwa kuitii sheria na upendo, akamrudisha kwa Filemoni akiwa na barua mkononi mwake.The shortest of the prison letters is the most personal. Philemon is a single chapter, twenty-five verses, written by Paul to a wealthy believer in Colossae whom Paul had personally led to the Lord. Philemon had a runaway slave named Onesimus, whose name means useful. Onesimus had stolen from his master, fled to Rome to disappear into the crowds of the imperial capital, and in the providence of God had ended up sitting at the feet of Paul under house arrest. Onesimus was converted. Paul kept him as a personal helper for a while, and then, in obedience to the law and to love, sent him back to Philemon with a letter in his hand.

Barua hii ni mojawapo ya kazi bora kabisa za busara ya kichungaji katika maandiko ya ulimwengu. Paulo hatumii cheo chake. Hatumii mamlaka yake ya kitume. Anaomba tu. "Kwa hiyo, ingawa nina ujasiri mwingi katika Kristo kukuamuru yaliyo wajibu, lakini kwa ajili ya upendo nakusihi afadhali" (Filemoni 1:8–9). Na kisha, katika sentensi moja nzuri kuliko zote ya upendo wa kujitoa badala ya mwingine katika Agano Jipya nje ya Injili, Paulo anaandika mistari ya 17 hadi 19: "Basi, ikiwa wanihesabu mimi kuwa mshirika nawe, mkaribishe yeye kama mimi mwenyewe. Lakini ikiwa amekudhulumu, au unamdai kitu, ukiandike hicho juu yangu. Mimi Paulo nimeandika kwa mkono wangu mwenyewe, mimi nitakulipa." Martin Luther aliguswa sana na aya hiyo hata akaandika wakati mmoja: "Sisi sote ni Onesimo wa Mungu." Sisi ndio tuliokuwa tumetoroka. Tuliiba. Tulilitia aibu Jina lake. Tulistahili adhabu. Na Sauti nyingine ikanena ikimwambia Baba: "Ikiwa amekudhulumu, au unamdai kitu, ukiandike hicho juu yangu." Na mkono uliotobolewa kwa misumari wa Bwana Yesu Kristo ukatia sahihi kwenye hati ya deni. Bwana Yesu ndiye Paulo wa kila mwana mpotevu. Baba ndiye Filemoni. Mwamini ndiye Onesimo, si mtumwa tena bali ndugu mpendwa katika familia.The letter is one of the great masterpieces of pastoral tact in the literature of the world. Paul does not pull rank. He does not invoke apostolic authority. He simply asks. "Though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you" (Philemon 1:8–9). And then, in the most beautiful single sentence of substitutionary love in the New Testament outside the Gospels, Paul writes the verses 17 through 19: "If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay." Martin Luther was so moved by that paragraph that he once wrote: "All of us are God's Onesimus." We were the runaway. We stole. We disgraced the Name. We deserved punishment. And another Voice spoke up and said to the Father: "If he has wronged you or owes you anything, put that on My account." And the nail-pierced hand of the Lord Jesus Christ signed the bill. The Lord Jesus is the Paul of every prodigal. The Father is the Philemon. The believer is the Onesimus, no longer a slave but a beloved brother in the family.

Mstari mkuu wa Filemoni unaufunga pamoja mkusanyiko mzima wa nyaraka za gerezani: "Si kama mtumwa, bali zaidi ya mtumwa — ndugu mpendwa... katika mwili na katika Bwana pia" (Filemoni 1:16).The key verse of Philemon ties the whole prison epistle cluster together: "No longer as a slave but more than a slave — a beloved brother... both in the flesh and in the Lord" (Philemon 1:16).

VI. Mwili wa Kristo — Wazo Kuu Moja, Nyaraka NneVI. The Body of Christ — One Theme, Four Letters

Kuna picha chache zinazounganisha Agano Jipya ambazo Mkristo anahitaji kuzikariri, na mojawapo ni Mwili wa Kristo. Paulo anauzungumzia kwa ufupi katika Warumi 12 na kwa urefu katika 1 Wakorintho 12, lakini katika nyaraka za gerezani picha hii inafikia ukamilifu wake. Kristo ndiye Kichwa cha Mwili (Wakolosai 1:18). Waamini ndio viungo vya Mwili (Waefeso 4:25). Mwili ndio utimilifu wa Kristo (Waefeso 1:23). Mwili unajengwa kwa karama za kila kiungo (Waefeso 4:11–12). Mwili unashikamanishwa pamoja kwa upendo (Waefeso 4:16). Na Mwili ndio kitu ambacho kila mpotevu kama Onesimo anapatanishwa na kuingizwa ndani yake — si kama mtumwa, bali kama ndugu katika familia ya Mungu (Filemoni 1:16).There were a handful of unifying images in the New Testament that the Christian needed to memorize, and one of them was the Body of Christ. Paul speaks of it briefly in Romans 12 and at length in 1 Corinthians 12, but in the prison epistles the image reaches its full development. Christ is the Head of the Body (Colossians 1:18). Believers are the members of the Body (Ephesians 4:25). The Body is the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 1:23). The Body is built up by the gifts of every member (Ephesians 4:11–12). The Body is held together by love (Ephesians 4:16). And the Body is what every prodigal Onesimus is reconciled into — not as a slave, but as a brother in the family of God (Philemon 1:16).

Nyaraka hizi nne za gerezani kwa pamoja zinatupa picha kamili. Waefeso unatuambia kile ambacho Mwili unacho. Wafilipi unatuambia kile ambacho Mwili unahisi. Wakolosai unatuambia jinsi Kichwa cha Mwili kilivyo. Filemoni unatuambia kile ambacho Mwili hufanya mmoja wa viungo vyake anapoanguka na kuhitaji kurejeshwa. Huwezi kusoma nyaraka hizi nne bila kuona kwamba maisha ya Kikristo si utauwa wa faraghani. Ni kuwa kiungo cha Mwili ambao Kichwa chake ni Yesu Kristo.The four prison letters together give us the complete picture. Ephesians tells us what the Body has. Philippians tells us what the Body feels. Colossians tells us what the Body's Head is like. Philemon tells us what the Body does when one of its members falls and needs to be restored. You cannot read these four letters without seeing that the Christian life is not a private spirituality. It is membership in a Body whose Head is Jesus Christ.

VII. Hadithi Mbili za KurejeshwaVII. Two Stories of Restoration

Habari zilipoenea kwamba Adolph Coors III alikuwa ametekwa nyara na kuuawa mwaka 1960, mwanawe wa miaka kumi na mitano, Adolph Coors IV, alimpoteza mtu muhimu kuliko wote maishani mwake. Kwa miaka kumi na mitano kijana Coors aliubeba moyoni chuki dhidi ya Joseph Corbett, mtu aliyemwua baba yake, kama jiwe kifuani mwake. Mwaka 1975 Adolph Coors IV akawa Mkristo, akaacha maslahi yake katika kiwanda cha bia cha familia, akajaribu kuenenda pamoja na Bwana. Lakini chuki haikumwacha. Ilizuia maombi yake. Ilipoza ushirika wake. Mwishowe, akitegemea msaada wa Roho Mtakatifu, aliendesha gari hadi sehemu ya ulinzi mkali kabisa ya gereza la jimbo la Colorado huko Cañon City akaomba kumwona Joseph Corbett. Corbett alikataa. Coors akaacha Biblia yenye ujumbe ulioandikwa kwenye ukurasa wake wa kwanza mtupu. "Nimekuja kukuona leo na ninasikitika kwamba hatukuweza kukutana. Kama Mkristo ninaitwa na Bwana na Mwokozi wetu, Yesu Kristo, kusamehe. Ninakusamehe kweli, nami nakuomba unisamehe kwa chuki niliyokuwa nayo moyoni mwangu dhidi yako." Baadaye Coors alisema, "Nina upendo kwa mtu yule ambao ni Yesu Kristo peke yake angeweza kuuweka moyoni mwangu." Huo ndio Mwili wa Kristo. Huo ndio Filemoni katika vazi la kisasa. Huo ndio msamaha unaovuka ukuta wa gereza.When the news broke that Adolph Coors III had been kidnapped and murdered in 1960, his fifteen-year-old son Adolph Coors IV lost the most important man in his life. For fifteen years young Coors carried a hatred for Joseph Corbett, the man who had murdered his father, like a stone in his chest. In 1975 Adolph Coors IV became a Christian, gave up his interest in the family brewery, and tried to walk with the Lord. But the hatred would not leave. It blocked his prayers. It chilled his fellowship. At last, claiming the help of the Holy Spirit, he drove to the maximum-security wing of the Colorado state penitentiary at Canon City and asked to see Joseph Corbett. Corbett refused. Coors left behind a Bible with a note written on the flyleaf. "I'm here to see you today and I'm sorry that we could not meet. As a Christian I am summoned by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to forgive. I do forgive you, and I ask you to forgive me for the hatred I've held in my heart for you." Coors said afterward, "I have a love for that man that only Jesus Christ could have put in my heart." That is the Body of Christ. That is Philemon in modern dress. That is forgiveness across the prison wall.

Na kuna hadithi moja zaidi ya kurejeshwa ya kufungia. Miaka mia mbili iliyopita kijana mmoja, Mbunge huko Uingereza aitwaye William Wilberforce, aliokoka akiwa na umri wa miaka ishirini na mitatu. Usiku ule alipookoka aliandika katika shajara yake: "Mimi ni mnyonge, mwenye mashaka, kipofu, na uchi. Ni upendo usio na mwisho ulioje kwamba Kristo afe ili kumwokoa mwenye dhambi kama mimi." Tangu usiku ule Wilberforce aliyatoa maisha yake kwa lengo moja tu — kukomeshwa kwa biashara ya watumwa ya Uingereza. Alisimama katika Bunge la Commons mwaka baada ya mwaka, muongo baada ya muongo. Alipingwa, akadhihakiwa, akasalitiwa. Mwaka 1807 biashara ya watumwa ilikomeshwa. Mwaka 1833, siku tatu kabla Wilberforce hajafa, sheria ilipitishwa iliyokomesha utumwa katika himaya zote za Uingereza. Mtu mmoja, Mbunge mmoja aliyeokoka, aliiangusha biashara ya kimataifa iliyokuwa imesimama kwa karne nyingi. Si kama mtumwa tena bali kama ndugu mpendwa. Huo ndio Mwili wa Kristo ukifanya kazi katika historia. Hiyo ndiyo theolojia ya nyaraka za gerezani ikiishiwa sakafuni mwa Bunge la Commons. Hiyo ndiyo neema ikienda mbali zaidi ya sheria.And there is one more story of restoration to close on. Two hundred years ago a young Member of Parliament in England named William Wilberforce was converted at the age of twenty-three. The night of his conversion he wrote in his diary: "I am wretched, miserable, blind, and naked. What infinite love that Christ should die to save such a sinner as me." From that night forward Wilberforce gave his life to a single cause — the abolition of the British slave trade. He stood in the House of Commons year after year, decade after decade. He was opposed, mocked, betrayed. In 1807 the slave trade was abolished. In 1833, three days before Wilberforce died, the act passed that ended slavery in all British dominions. One man, one converted Member of Parliament, brought down a global trade that had stood for centuries. No longer as a slave but as a beloved brother. That is the Body of Christ working through history. That is the prison-epistles' theology lived out on the floor of the House of Commons. That is grace going further than law.

VIII. Mavazi ya MwiliVIII. The Wardrobe of the Body

Paulo anafunga Waefeso, na kwa kweli anaufunga mkusanyiko huu wote wa nyaraka za gerezani, kwa kumkabidhi mwamini mavazi. "Vaeni silaha zote za Mungu, mpate kuweza kuzipinga hila za Shetani" (Waefeso 6:11). Vipande sita. Mshipi wa kweli, unaoshikilia silaha nyingine zote mahali pake. Dirii ya haki, inayofunika moyo dhidi ya pigo la kuua la mashtaka. Viatu vya utayari wa Injili ya amani, vinavyomwezesha askari kusonga mbele bila kuteleza. Ngao ya imani, inayozima mishale yenye moto ya adui. Chapeo ya wokovu, inayolinda akili dhidi ya shaka. Na upanga wa Roho, ambao ni Neno la Mungu, silaha pekee ya kushambulia katika orodha hii, tena yenye nguvu kuliko zote.Paul closes Ephesians, and effectively closes this whole prison cluster, by handing the believer a wardrobe. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). Six pieces. The belt of truth, that holds the rest of the armor in place. The breastplate of righteousness, that covers the heart from the kill-shot of accusation. The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, that let the soldier move forward without slipping. The shield of faith, that quenches the fiery darts of the enemy. The helmet of salvation, that protects the mind from doubt. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, the only offensive weapon in the list and the most powerful of all.

Hujipatii silaha hizi kwa juhudi. Unazivaa. Kila kipande tayari kimo katika kabati la mavazi la mwamini kwa sababu yuko ndani ya Kristo. Sura tatu za kwanza za Waefeso zimeweka silaha kabatini. Sura ya sita inasema tu, vaa nguo. Hakuna Mkristo anayeamka kitandani asubuhi akiwa amevaa kikamilifu kwa bahati. Kila siku, mwamini anachagua mshipi, dirii, viatu, ngao, chapeo, upanga. Kila siku, Mwili wa Kristo unatoka kwenda ulimwenguni ukiwa umevaa tayari kwa vita.You do not achieve the armor. You wear it. Every piece is already in the believer's wardrobe by virtue of being in Christ. The first three chapters of Ephesians have put the armor in the closet. The sixth chapter simply says, get dressed. No Christian gets out of bed in the morning fully clothed by accident. Every day, the believer chooses the belt, the breastplate, the shoes, the shield, the helmet, the sword. Every day, the Body of Christ goes out into the world dressed for the fight.

IX. Nyaraka Nne, Bwana MmojaIX. Four Letters, One Lord

Mtume Paulo aliandika nyaraka hizi nne kutoka nyumba ya kupanga huko Rumi akiwa na askari aliyefungwa kwa mnyororo mkononi mwake, bila kufikiri kamwe kwamba miaka elfu mbili baadaye wanafunzi walioketi Mexico, Afrika, Asia, na kila pembe nyingine ya dunia bado wangekuwa wakisoma kile alichokiandika kwenye mafunjo kwa mwanga wa taa ya mafuta. Alidhani alikuwa akiandikia Efeso na Filipi na Kolosai na mtu mmoja aitwaye Filemoni. Alikuwa akikuandikia wewe. Waefeso uliweka utajiri katika akaunti yako. Wafilipi uliweka wimbo kooni mwako. Wakolosai ulimweka Kristo juu ya kila nguvu inayoshindana naye. Filemoni ulimrudisha mtoro katika familia.The apostle Paul wrote these four letters from a rented house in Rome with a soldier chained to his wrist, never imagining that two thousand years later students sitting in Mexico, in Africa, in Asia, and in every other corner of the earth would still be reading what he scratched onto papyrus by the light of an oil lamp. He thought he was writing to Ephesus and Philippi and Colossae and a man named Philemon. He was writing to you. Ephesians put the wealth in your account. Philippians put the song in your throat. Colossians put the supremacy of Christ over every rival power. Philemon put the runaway back into the family.

Songa mbele, rafiki yangu, katika sehemu iliyobaki ya Agano Jipya pamoja na Bwana yule yule aliyemtegemeza Paulo katika nyumba yake ya kupanga, aliyemwongoza Wilberforce katika miaka arobaini na sita ya mapambano bungeni, aliyeivunja chuki moyoni mwa Adolph Coors IV, na ambaye ni Bwana yule yule leo. Vaa silaha. Imba furaha. Pokea utajiri. Mkaribishe nyumbani yule mpotevu. Kichwa cha Mwili kiko kitini mwa enzi. Mwili wa Kristo unasonga mbele. Yeye ni Bwana wako, naye ni yeye yule jana, na leo, na hata milele. Amina.Press on, my friend, into the rest of the New Testament with the same Lord who sustained Paul in his rented house, who walked Wilberforce through forty-six years of parliamentary battle, who broke the hatred in the heart of Adolph Coors IV, and who is the same Lord today. Wear the armor. Sing the joy. Receive the wealth. Welcome the prodigal home. The Head of the Body is on the throne. The Body of Christ is on the move. He is your Lord, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.

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