Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HOP Vol XX Special Number

1968 No 2- 55 w

(07677)

A/ Out Prophetic Office in the Life of the State

The question as to the political responsibility, of Christians is repeatedly addressed to the churches living in socialist states, and the essence of these criticisms is that the ethical conduct of Christian^ as citizens, organically entails the obligation to criticize the state and society. We agree. But we must realize that. criticism, especially in the time of the Cold War, has actually appeared as a serious political, demonstration in the motivation of which the purely Evangelical motives are hard to tell from the purely political motives, phiefly as far as their effect and, most of all,as far as the interpretations put on them are concerned#

Our churches have always affirmed their prophetic responsibility and their readiness to criticize our society® On the other hand, we have regarded this responsibility and this office as the task of witnessing, as an Evangelical, Gospel-like opportunity and obligation in the life of the State and society#

B/ Our Priestly Ministry in the Life of the State is the ministry of intercession with the responsibility of Christian love# The ministry of prayer, both in the field of individual piety and in the fellowship of the congregation,is of very great significance, V/e believe that the prayers of Christians, invisibly, incomprehensibly and mysteriously withal really and effectively penetrate and became built into the life of the societies and states so that it will be assured to üs that- we "may lead a quiet and peaceable life". The ministry of intercession is the most intimate manifqstation of the Chris tians’ true patriotism,

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C/ Our kingly office in the life of the .State is service# It is in the form of the diakonia that the Christian Church discharges her royal function entrusted to her by virtue of her sírning in Christ’s anointment as King, The most faithful, dedicated and honest fulfilment of her task, also in the new society in the process of industrializat ion, is the indispensable condition of her responsible cooperation# The Christian’s honest work in the fields and in the workshops, in the society of peasants and workers, in intellectual professions and also on posts in the state apparatus,in the highest positions as well as those considered the most humble states of life in communal ard social life; is service, responsible sharing in the life of the serving church, inasmuch as we, when we obey, partake of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in which we experience His presence through his Holy Word §nd the Holy Spirit, as the presence cf the One that serves,

If the Ohurch, as the fellowship of those .having the Evangelical freedom and being aware of their Evangelical responsibility, refuses to be an end in itself and resists the temptation to become a church that tries to rule over men; if she really walks in the path of service; then, also in our country, she will make the experience, in a grot ing measure, of what