J.I. PACKER NGHILHLOH NAN

Evangelical theologian ropui ber zinga mi leh sulsutu thawhhlawk James Innell Packer chuan kum sawmkua pathum chhungin, ṭhahnemngai takin Chanchin Ṭha leh a thiltihtheihna puandarh, zirtir, hrilhfiah, vawnhim leh venhim hna, a hmaa tla chu ṭha taka a hlen chhuah hnuin, July 17, 2020 (Zirtawpni) ah khan Canada rama Vancouver, British Colombia-ah chatuan chawlhna ram a pan ta a. Ni nga chauhvin a kum 94-na piancham a nghak thleng zo ta lo a ni. Kum zabi 20-na a evangelical theologian ropui leh pawimawh berte zinga chhiar a ni kumkhua tawh ang. 

A hun hnuhnung lamah an chhungkuaa Canada rama Vancouver khuaa an khawsak avangin mi tam takin J.I. Packer hi Canada a piang leh seilian emaw an ti ṭhin. Amaherawhchu, Packer-a hi English mi dik tak, sap pachal a ni. England rama Gloucester khawpui pawn lam thingtlang khaw pakhat Twyning-a piang a ni a, Gloucester khawpuiah an chhungkuain an pem lut a, chu khawpuiah chuan a seilian a ni. 

Chhungkaw hausa erawh an ni lo, an nitin eitur thawk chhuak turin an bei ve fat fat ṭhin a ni mai thei. A pa chu Great Western Railway-ah clerk hna thawk a ni a, a hlawh pawh a tam fahran lo. Chuvangin, a nu leh pate chuan Packer-a chuan zirna sang zawk zir zawm a duh a nih chuan scholarship a hmuh a ngai a, a nih loh chuan an chawm chhunzawm thei dawn lo tih an hrilh sa a ni. 

Packer-a tumruhna leh taimakna chuan Oxford University a lut turin scho­larship a hlawh chhuak ta a. Oxford University hnuaia college pakhat Corpus Christi College aṭangin Bachelor of Arts (1948), Master of Arts (1952) leh Doctor of Philosophy (1955) te a zo ta vek a ni.     

J.I. Packer te chhungkua hi Anglican Kohhrana lawi an ni a, a naupan lai chuan Biak Inah leh an inchhungkhurah Pathian thu an lak dan a nep (nominal) hle a, chutih hunlaia Pathian thua an inkaihhruai dan chu amah ngeiin a sawi dan chuan, “Nominal Anglicanism a ni a, tluangtlam takin thu ṭha kan inhrilh satliah a ni ber a, Krista chu Chhandamtu a ni tih kan inzirtir ngai lo,” a ti a ni. 

Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (OICCU) library-a lehkhabute a chhiar aṭangin Puritan thurin, zirtirna leh kalphung chungchang thuah a mit a keu ṭan a. Hetih hunlai vel hian Anglican Pastor pakhat chuan, a mit khawhmuh a ṭhat tawk tawh loh avanga lehkha a chhiar theih tawh loh avangin a lehkhabu zozaite chu OICCU library-ah hian a pe a. OICCU hruai­tute chuan, Packer-a chu lehkhabu ngaina a ni tih an hriat avangin, chung lehkhabute chu lo buaipui turin an ngen a. Chutia a singsak velna lamah chuan kum zabi sawmpasarihna hunlaia Puritan mithiam chungchuang John Owen-a lehkhabute chu a hai chhuak ta a; tui ti takin a fawp dawk dawk a, a hap ta bawrh bawrh mai a ni ber a. Puritan zirtir­na chuan a nunah hmun pawimawh ber a chang zui ta a ni. 

Oxford-a a luh hnu kar hnihnaah, October 22, 1944-ah chuan St. Aldate’s Biak Inah, “Ka awm angin ka lokal ang,” tih hla sak a nih laiin a nun pumpui chu Krista leh a ram zauna atan a hlan ta a. “Inkhawm kan bang a, Biak In pawnah ka chhuak a, Kristian ka ni ta tih ka inhria a ni,” a ti. 

London-a Oak Hill Theo­logical College-ah hun rei vak lo Greek leh Latin a zirtir a. Hetia hun a hman lai hian Westminster Chapel-ah Martyn Lloyd-Jones zirtirna ngaithla turin a kebulah a khawsa hman a, hei hian a nunah nasa takin thu a sawi zui bawk a. A hnu lamah Martyn Lloyd-Jones nen hian ngaihdan inan lohna avangin boruak nei zui ta deuh mahse, Martyn Lloyd-Jones thusawi a ngaihthlak hi a rinna tinghet tlattu zinga mi a ni. Martyn Lloyd-Jones thusawiin a rilru a khawih nasat dan a sawifiah dan chu, “…kawlphethain taksa pum a man chhuak vek ang mai hi a ni…” a ti hial a ni. 

Oxford University-a Wycliffe Hall-ah Pathian thu zir turin a lut a. Deacon atan nemngheh a nih hnuah Church of England chuan Puithiam (Pastor) atan an nemngheh ta bawk a. Church of England-a rawng a bawl lai aṭang hian evangelical theology-a sulsutu leh hmahruaitu angin khawvel pumah a lar ṭan tawh a ni. 

Birmingham khuaa Harborne Heath-ah Assistant Curate hna a chelh a. Chumi hnuah Bristol khuaa Tyndale Hall-ah zirtirtu (Lecturer) a ni a. Oxford University-ah kir lehin Latimer House-ah Librarian a ni a, Latimer House-ah hian Warden a ni zui ta nghe nghe a. Latimer House hi evangelical theologian chhuanawm leh thuhriltu ropui John Stott nena evangelical research centre atana mitthla chunga an din a ni. Bristol khuaa Tyndale Hall-ah let lehin Principal a ni a. Bristol-ah hian mi thahnemngaiten Trinity College an din thar a. Chu college chu zirna in ropui tak tak pathum - Tyndale Hall, Clifton College leh Dalton House-St. Michael’s te chhunfina an siam a ni a; he college tharah hian Associate Principal a ni. 

Oxford University-a a thian pakhatin tihtakzeta a sawmna chu ngai pawimawh­in Canada rama Vancouver, British Columbia-ah pemin Regent College-ah ‘Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology’ hmasa ber a ni a. Chu hna chu kum tam tak a chelh hnuin Regent College Board of Governor’s Professor of Theology hna a thawk leh a, Systematic Theology leh Puritan subject a zirtir ber thin. Kum 2016 atangin a khawhmuh a fiah lo zual a, lehkha a chhiar thei ta lova, a ziak thei tawh hek lo; a rawngbawlna pawh a chawlhsan ve ta a ni.

Khawvel ngaihsan rawn J. I. Packer hi mi inngaitlawm tak a ni. Lar khel ngai lo, lansarh nuam ti lo, lansarh duh lo leh lansarh tum lo angin a chanchin ziaktuten an ziak thin. Mahse, khawvel pumah a hming hi mite hriat rawn a ni. Kum 2005 khan khawvela chanchinbu lar ber zinga mi Time chanchinbu chuan ‘25 Most Influential Evangelicals’ zingah J. I. Packer hi an thlang a ni. Chanvo ropui (prestigious academic post) a chelh tam lo va, pulpit-ah langsar taka rawngbawl turin kohhran a enkawl rei lo. A dinhmun leh huhang thlirin chanvo ropui tak tak chelh fer fur tura ngaih a ni a, sawmna pawh a dawng nasa thawkhat hle. Mahse, chung zawng zawngte chu a thil thlakhlelh ber a ni lo. 

Chuvangin, a tan rawng­bawlnaah te lua a awm lo. A chanchin ziaktu Leland Ryken phei chuan, “Biak In leh university ropui tak taka mipui sang tam pungkhawm hmaa thu sawi aiin a thut pindana thalai pahnih khat zinga Pathian thu sawi chu nuam a ti zawk,” a ti hial a ni. A ropuina leh a mawina chu khawvel tehfunga teh tur chi niin a hre lova, Lalpa zara ropui ve chauh a nihzia a sawi tam hle, rawngbawl leh chawimawi mai chu a tihtur a ni tih a hria. Amah ngeiin heti hian a ti a, “A formula chu ho te a ni a, kan hmaa rawngbawlna chanvo tla chu tlin takin zo ila, a rahchhuah (result) lam chu Lalpa kut a ni. Huan chu a zau emaw, a zim emaw pawh nise, fai takin kan thlo anga, tha takin thlai chi kan thlak ang a, to tirtu, than tirtu leh rah tirtu chu Lalpa a ni,” tiin.

Khawvelin J. I. Packer a hriat zui rengna tur zinga langsar tak chu Bible lehlin lar tak, kum 2001-a lehlin, The English Standard Version buaipuitu ber, General Editor a nihna anga a hnathawh kha a ni a, amah pawhin he a thiltih hi, “Lalram tana ka thiltih ropui ber…” a ti hial a, Bible lehlin thar hming pawh hi Packer-a phuah a ni. English Standard Version hi evangelical rilru leh thlirna atanga Revised Standard Version (RSV) ennawn thatna a ni ber a, chuvangin, ‘Evangelical Revision of the RSV’ tia koh a ni thin nghe nghe a, RSV hi kum 1971 a tihchhuah tawh kha a ni. He Bible a buatsaih avang chauh pawh hian J. I. Packer hi ‘Chawimawina Nopui’ hlan tlak a ni. ESV Study Bible buatsaihnaah Theological Editor a ni zui ta nghe nghe. 

Khawvelin J. I. Packer a hriat zuina tur langsar dang leh chu a lehkhabu ziahte hi an ni. A lehkhabu tihchhuah hmasak ber chu ‘Fundamentalism and the Word of God’ tih a ni a, kum 1958-a tihchhuah a ni a, hetih hunlai hian Packer hi kum 31 mi a ni. A chhuah kum hian copy singhnih an hralh nghal a, kum 1958 lai velah kum khata lehkhabu copy singhnih hralh chu thil namai a ni lo. Zirlaite hmaa a thusawi chu Inter-Varsity Press-a an Editor in a lo ngaithla ve a, ngaihnawm a ti takzet a. Packer-a hnenah chuan bu thelep (pamphlet) ang chauh pawha tichhuak turin nawr namenin a nawr lova. Packer-a chuan thla 18 zet a chulman hnuin, chu editor hnenah chuan chhuah turin a pe ta a, lehkhabu ropui tak a lo piang ta a ni. 

A lehkhabu ziah hmasak ber ‘Fundamentalism and the Word of God’ hian danglamna tak a nei a. An tihchhuah atanga tun thlengin chhum lo chat lova an la chhut reng avangin a copy hi lei tur a awm reng a, a thu a hlui thei lo va, huhang a la nei reng a, miin an la chhiar reng a; a hralh pawh a la kal reng niin an sawi. 

A lehkhabu ziah zinga ropui ber erawh chu ‘Knowing God’ a ni. Kum 1960 chho lai vel khan chanchinbu pakhat ‘Evangelical Magazine’ ah khatih hunlaia an Editor Elizabeth Braund chuan Packer-a chu thu ziak turin a sawm thin a. Chu chanchinbuah chuan kum nga chhung chu thlatin thu a ziak ve ta ziah a. Chunga a thuziahte chu a hnuah a lakhawm a, siam remin a chulmam a, lehkhabu ropui ‘Knowing God’ a lo piang ta a ni. 

‘Knowing God’ hi kum 1973-ah tihchhuah hmasak ber a ni a, vawi duai lo an chhu nawn awn awn tawh a, tawng hrang hrang 12-in lehlin a ni tawh bawk a. North America-ah ngawt pawh copy maktaduai chuang hralh chhuah a ni tawh a, khawvel pumah phei chuan copy engzat tak hralh tawh ang maw! Evangelist ropui Billy Graham-a bul tan, kristian chanchinbu lar tak Christianity Today chuan kum 2006 khan ‘Books that have shaped evangelicals’ tih an thlang a. Lehkhabu ropui leh lar heti zozai zingah ‘Knowing God’ hian panga-na dinhmun a hauh pha a ni. 

Khawvelin J. I. Packer a hriat zuina ber tur erawh chu evangelical theologian ropui leh huaisen a nihna hi a ni. Hemi thu ringawt hi sawi zui dawn ila, nileng zankhuaa sawi daih a awm dawn a, ‘sawi zawh sen loh­nain min nang’ dawn a, dang a ro hman ang a, kan sawi seng dawn chuang si lo. Chuvangin, heti hian i duhtawk ringawt mai ang u. 

“Chuvangin, ka unau duh takte u, nghet takin, tihchet rual lohvin, Lalpa hna thahnemngai taka thawk fovin awm rawh u, in thawhrimna chu Lalpaah chuan a thlawn ngai lo tih in hre si a,” (I Kor. 15:58).