Magyar Egyház, 1958 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1958-06-01 / 6-7. szám
8 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ who follow the Book. And the churches know what discipline is. The other denominations that are too sophisticated to be old fashioned about religion are barely holding their own in the face of America’s growing population. If your church is still “old fashioned” don’t be sorry about it. Back up your minister and Board in keeping the body of Christ, for that’s how the Bible speaks of the Church, spotless and without blemish. Remember that the great good news of God’s salvation is terribly old fashioned for many in our age, yet it is still the eternally new message of the incarnate Christ to you who believe. Don’t be ashamed to be “old fashioned” when it comes to your religious life. There’s power in the Gospel which can be used for the benefit of your fellowship, but don’t water it down in order to please folk who want the easy way out of responsibility. The Church cries desperately for men and women who are ready and able to witness to God’s love, not in words that necessarily please, but in deeds that tell of God’s power. Remember, the Cross is terribly old fashioned, but it is the way of salvation. And the Church that conforms to the easy conscience of the community becomes the slave of insipidity. “We’re so old fashioned here.” We still believe that Church is important, that Christ’s words are eternally true, and that membership means total commitment to Christ and His Body, the Church. US PROTESTANTS ASK FOR BASIC CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION LAWS (New York)—Refugee resettlement leaders of eight Protestant denominations in the United States have urged Congress to consider a fourpoint plan calling for basic changes in US immigration law. The statement asked the lawmakers to admit 3,000 of the 19,000 Hungarians still in Austria, and end the parolee status of the 32,000 now in the United States; bring the basis of the quota system up-to-date; give priority to close relatives of US citizens or residents, to skilled workers and to escapees and refugees; give more support to the UN’s refugee programme and to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to spearhead an international effort to solve the world refugee problem. HUNGARIAN REFORMED REPRESENTATIVE AT THE UNITING PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY The Rev. Stephen Szőke, General Secretary of our Church, attended the great opening session of the General Assembly of the newly formed United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, on May 28, in Pittsburgh, Pa. This new 3 million denomination is the result of the merger of the Presbyterian Church, USA, and the United Presbyterian Church of N.A. Our Church, being a member of the National Council of Churches and of the World Presbyterian Alliance, has as a sister denomination received an invitation to send a fraternal delegate to the uniting General Assembly. PREACHING By preaching we understand the proclamation of the content of the whole Bible, in spoken words. That speech in the pulpit which does not convey anything from the Bible to the congregation cannot be called preaching regardless of how beautiful, informative or heart-moving speech it may be. In preaching God tells us the same truths that are in the Bible but through the preacher, who expresses the truths of the Bible in his own words and explains them in order to make them more understandable to the congregation. In the Bible we have “the letter of God” to us; in preaching, however, God personally talks to us as his children. Apostle Paul regarded his preaching to the Thessalonian Christians as the very own talk of God to that congregation. Therefore he wrote: “You received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God.” (1 Thess. 2:13.) For what purpose did God order preaching? First of all, God ordered preaching to awaken faith in a human heart. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”, says the Apostle. It is true that the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts but it is clear now that the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts by having the Word of God, the content of the Bible, preached to us. This happened in Jerusalem on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit awakened the faith of more than 3,000 persons through the preaching of the apostles. Even today a man becomes a believing Christian and a faithful church member by hearing the Word of God. The Holy Spirit, through his secret operaion in the human heart, creates faith in that man who hears the Word of God. Of course, God ordered preaching not only to awaken our faith but to strengthen and preserve our faith by it. In preaching God reminds us constantly of His holy laws, His merciful love and His promises. Therefore, it is our duty not only to hear the Word of God but to live by those truths which God reveals to us in preaching. “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22.) Since preaching is an instrument for the Holy Spirit to create faith in a human heart, it is necessary to preach the Word of God not only before a church congregation but to all men all over the earth. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation,” commands Jesus. (Mark 16:15.) The Christian Church has only one effective weapon to make people true believers and faithful church members, and this is preaching of the Word of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. Understanding the sacredness and blessings of preaching, indeed it is a grave sin when someone is not willing to listen to the Word of God. Spiritual emptiness and “worldly mindedness” characterize those who plug their ears before the message of their heavenly Father. Whose duty is it to preach? Although it is true that all Christians are dutybound to proclaim the truths of the Bible with words and a decent everyday Christian life, yet is clear from the Bible that God always had his special servants, the ministers, to preach His Word. In a later article we will write about the ministers. STEPHEN KOVÁCS
