Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)
1968-06-01 / 2. szám
HOP Vol XX Specie.! Number 1968 No 2 23 (07865) live by the Word of God and by God'’s grace revealed therein, end that only the Word of God can enable her to walk in the light which also illumines her environmento Hence the work of theological re-appraisal has been concentrated upon the problem of preaching-, on the instruction of the congregations-,^9) it is the problem as to how the church can understand God's living Word in the manner of find-ing the way of obedience,the way or1 specific ministrations, that is, the way cf finding answers to the problems of social ethics emerging within the church aid around the church's life0 It has also been a consequence of the prophetic message that the Hungarian Evangelical churches have boon led to understand, with a growing clarity , tie meaning of the church's existence aid. the content cf her mission, that is,the vision of the serving church and the perspective of the church's social ministry;, The re-thinking of theology has been a concomitant phenomenon cf the church's serving life , but the event of primary importance was not the beginning of a now theology but the start of the church on the road of social service .in cur now society* The Word of God lias taught us that we cannot live selfishly and the church cannot limit her efforts to the task cf her own edification? sfc xí sfr d) The Chur oh. of the Narrow Way When the church., walking in the narrow way, has refused, to knew cf anything but of Christ crucified and risen and of the service which; following Christ, she has to discharge in the interest of the people, aid when she lias given up her earthly values, thus living by faith end emptying herself and ranking herself pocr. then she has not only experienced God^s grace upholding and preserving her else :.a an outwardly improved condition, but she has also inadé the experience that Cod., while sustaining the church, has also enriched the life of the pecple^Yoreover} new opportunities of aervi.ee have opened up for the church« At this point, too, wo must tell that a great deal of suspicion cud misunderstanding has attended the witness cf fete church in international church life, but we have also received a great deal cf sympathy, understanding arid brotherly counselso Let us now sm up in a few theses the problems cf social ethics which have played their part in the theological reorientation of the Hungarian llvangelic: 1 churches; a) The Church, is not of. this world,for her origin Í3 in God *3 election in Jesus Christ>Jtut oho is in ■■ raa worjE reryför Sms wvtlj. t>ecaus«B Goa dc. •• tihe'cí her t b' seirve /while ‘ f cllov.ang' jelTiCB^CErrsb*^ in this world andFor^ms world» This insignt means that the service cf the Church is closely linkel with the life of the world as the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ, is the Lord of the world also and even the Redeemer of the worlds God's grace in Jesus Christ encompasses the whole wer Id 0 Wherever in the world man^man*s life,peace and future are concerned - and arc there cay problems in the world which would, not concern men aid his destiny? - there Jesus Christ and with Him, as her Head, the Church is also concerned« That is why the Church is interested in every problem cf the .international life and that explains her responsibility and service towards the solution of these proble.rr.se
