ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Puleulu Ma’asi 16, 2022

FAITH CONSISTS IN KNOWLEDGE

‘OKU MA’UMA’ULUTA ‘A E TUI ‘I HE ‘ILO

2 PETER 1:5

For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.

2 PITA 1:5

Pea koe‘uhi ko e me‘a ko ia, ke fai ‘e kimoutolu foki homou tūkuingata ke lava ‘i ho‘omou ma‘u tui na ‘a e ‘ulungāanga lelei; pea ‘i ho‘omou ma‘u ‘a e ‘ulungāanga lelei, ke lava ‘a e mafai ke ‘ilo;

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the church? Faith consists not in ignorance, but in knowledge—knowledge not of God merely, but of the divine will. We do not obtain salvation either because we are prepared to embrace every dictate of the church as true, or leave to the church the province of inquiring and determining; but when we recognize God as a propitious Father through the reconciliation made by Christ, and Christ as given to us for righteousness, sanctification, and life. By this knowledge, I say, not by the submission of our understanding, we obtain an entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

For when the apostle says, "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10), he intimates that it is not enough to believe implicitly without understanding or even inquiring. The thing requisite is an explicit recognition of the divine goodness in which our righteousness consists.

JOHN CALVIN

Ko e tui nai eni? Ke ‘oua te te mahino’i ha me’a, ka te tali kakato pe lau mo e tu’utu’uni ‘a e siasi? ‘Oku ‘ikai ke fakakofu ‘a e tui´ ‘aki ‘a e fakapo’uli (ta’e’ilo), ka ‘i he ‘ilo - ‘o ‘ikai ko e ‘ilo’i pe ‘o e ‘Otua, ko e ko hono finangalo haohaoa. ‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau ma’u ‘a hotau fakamo’ui ‘i he’etau tali kotoa ‘a e ngaahi tu’utu’uni ‘a e siasi´ ko e mo’oni´ pe ia, pe te tau tuku ki he siasi´ ‘a e fekumi mo e sivi ‘o e ‘ilo; ka ‘oku tau fakamo’oni ko e ‘Otua ko e Tamai anga’ofa fou ‘i he fakalelei kuo fai ‘e Kalaisi, pea kuo ne foaki ma’a kitautolu ‘a e ma’oni’oni, fakahaohaoa, mo e mo’ui. Pea ‘ilo ia ko eni, ‘o ‘ikai ko ‘etau si’aki ‘etau mahino, ‘oku tau ma’u ai ‘a e ngofua ke hu ki he pule’anga ‘o hevani.

Ko e lea na’e fai ‘e he ‘aposetolo, “He ‘oku fai ‘a e tui ‘aki ‘a e loto ke ma‘u ‘a e fakatonuhia, ka ‘oku fai ‘a e fakahā ‘aki ‘a e ngutu ke ma‘u ‘a e fakamo‘ui” (loma 10:10), ‘oku ne fakaha mai, ‘oku ‘ikai fe’unga ke te tui fakakaunga tui pe ‘o ‘ikai toe ‘i ai ha vivili ki ha ‘ilo mo ha fakamaama. Ko e me’a mahu’inga ke te ma’u, ko ha ‘ilo mo’oni ki he koloa fakalangi ‘oku makatu’unga ai ‘etau ma’oni’oni.