Calvin Synod Herald, 1985 (85. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1985-06-01 / 3. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

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REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

Scripture reading: John 3:1—

15. Text: “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God,\ for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.’ ...Jesus answered him, 'Are you a teacher ofIsrael, and yet you do not understand i/i/.s.9’”(John 3:1—2 and 10)

Introduction: Most of us have a profession, occupation, job and we know the “secrets of our trade”. Let us learn from the various vocations which are mentioned in the Bible and are still important today. Obviously we cannot cover every aspect of a profession and we will be rather interested in a person’s business from the viewpoint of Christian life.

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher”... “Are you a teacher of Israel...?

— Since children should be taught and trained, the need and role of the teachers can be traced back to the earliest time. These words; to teach, train, teaching, teacher appear freq uently in the Bible. Please check; Exodus 4:12, Deuteronomy 4; 10, 6:4—7, Proverbs 22:6.

— Our Lord had considered teaching as one part of His mission: “And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom...” Matthew 4:23. Before He was taken up He had charged His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,... teaching them to observe all that 1 have commanded you;” Matthew 28:19—20. And the apostles followed their Master’s instruction: “And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” Acts of Apostles 5:42.

— Several famous institutions of higher learning find their origin in the humble beginning of a church sponsored school like Princeton.

A Latin proverb says: we do not study to graduate but to be prepared for life.

— Teachers can tell us the many problems and joy they encounter; for problems there are the parents (not all of them!) the influence of the TV, and the discipline in the schools, and for joy they have the affection and gratitude of the students as well as their success.

— How can we distinguish among these words; to teach, instruct, train, and educate? Today teachers are also specialized; one teaches physics and the other history, or chemistry, or geography. The students should learn the subjects taught in the school, but who will mold their character, make them be aware of moral issues, and help them to notice what is wrong and what is right?

— What does our society gain if we have plenty of smart savages, intelligent barbarians, and ruthless specialists? Are we much better off if we have people who know how to operate machines, program computers, speak languages but cannot get along with each other? What do we lack more; knowledge or understanding? Scientists or good neighbors?

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

— Apostle Peter has an important admonition for each of us: “For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ...” 2 Peter 1:5. Thus it is our duty not only to preach the good news that Christ came to save the

sinners but also to ask people to learn to live a Christian life. In other words we should make every effort to supplement our scientific knowledge with noble character, and the noble character with loving heart.

— What shall be the subject of our teaching and how shall we do it? As Jesus did! “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will lind rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28—29. In the “Christian school” of the world everybody is a student and only Christ is the instructor. If you listen to Him you will “graduate” with the highest honor “he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” John 11:25.

— What are the basics of the Christian “science”? So to live, speak, and act that nobody will suffer and God will be glorified by

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! The Power !

1 of the Keys \

Was Peter-Petros the only Rockman in the Apostolic Church? He was one of the leaders with James the Just and later the firebrand Paul of Tarsus. Which is the authentic description of the confession at Caesarea Philippi Mark 8:27—30, or Matthew 16:13—27”. Who has the power of the keys? Who has the power of binding and loosening sins? God is the final judge of men, He forgives sins when we repent and are willing to amend our ways, remembering the Cross of Jesus the Christ. But in Luke 4:17—19 Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1—2 that he was ennointed by the Spirit of God to proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. He was accused of forgiving sins, by his enemies, though Jesus always pointed beyond himself to God. The words of Jesus in Mt. 16:19, 18:18, John 20:23 authorized Peter and two disciples to bind and loose sins. But the keys of heaven and hell are safely placed into the hands of Jesus, the Christ as Lord of the resurrection in Rev. 1:18, 3:7. For us reformed Christians the Word of God has the power of the keys. Calvin quotes the above passages in Mt. 16:19, John 20:23 and adds Rom. 1:16,7. Cor. 10:4—6. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation for each believer. In the order of the Lord’s Supper the Reformed Church in Hungary Agenda so crisply prescribes for the pastor, minister to say: “I proclaim to you the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, which God gives us freely out of His grace (after repentance and due confession) for the sake of His Son “Jesus Christ our Lord.” The Biblical mandate is even clearer in the Book of Worship. (E. P. R. Church, p. 67.) “Hearken now unto the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the Gospel to all that repent and believe: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

The Word of God has the power of keys and we ordained ministers, pastors, priests only proclaim the Word for binding or loosening sins, God is the final Judge.

Rev. Julius Paal

them. There are always a need and possibility to know more, do more, and love more. I alone is just one person; we together are many, but God and us are unconquerable multitude.

Conclusion: As a “homework” please learn by heart, understand its fullest meaning, and practice every day the great commandment as Christ presented it: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37—40. If you are very diligent and faithful you can top it off with the golden rule: “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12.

cocu

Consensus

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PRINCETON, N.J. — A road map for journeying toward visible unity among 23 million U.S. Christians now is ready for wide circulation by the Consultation on Church Union here.

Entitled “The COCU Consensus:’ In Quest of A Church of Christ Uniting”, the document is the culmination of two decades of effort to develop a theological basis on which the churches participating in the Consultation can continue moving toward visible unity.

The “Consensus” statement, running to approximately 28,000 words, covers everything from the reasons for seeking union, through the faith, worship, sacraments, membership, mission and ministry of the church. Work toward the consensus began in 1962 when COCU was launched.

Delegates to the 16th Plenary meeting of the Consultation in Baltimore late in 1984 adopted the statement enthusiastically. Some church leaders characterized it as “the most thrilling move toward Christian unity” in decades.”

“We are not asking whether the document is an adequate statement of any of the traditions involved in the Consultation,” said Dr. Gerald F. Moede, General Secretary of COCU. “Rather, we are asking whether there can be found in it an expression of the Apostolic faith, order, worship and witness of the Church.

The theology statement, and the supporting statements on church order and worship to be published later, are the result of a phase in the Consultation’s life that began in 1973 after a detailed plan of union developed in 1970 had been shelved as unacceptable to the member churches.

Members of the Consultation on Church Union are the African Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, International Council of Community Churches, Presbyterian Church (U.S. A.), United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church.

Rev. Alexander Jalso

Brief meditation