Magyar Egyház, 1969 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1969-08-01 / 8-9. szám

12

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

Barnabas K. Röczey:

WORK IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

Throughout the Bible there are many references to work. The Word of God teaches that every Christian has a calling from God, in which calling he is to work with all his mind and strength.

Work is a moral duty. Paul stressed the duty of work. “Whatever your task, work heartily. . .” When he wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica, he exhorted them “to work with their hands... if anyone will not work, let him not eat” (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:10). Paul knew that God gave our first parents work to do in the Garden of Eden. When work is done in the spirit of duty it contributes not only to the social good, but also produces personal economic gain.

Our daily work is to glorify God. Paul makes this very plain when he says: “Do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Jesus displayed the purpose of work when he said: “I must be about my Father’s business.” His work not only glorified his Father but also had as its object the welfare of others. Our Christian work must be performed as unto the Lord who gives us strength and health to please him in all our undertaking. Therefore, we must work heartily and joyfully in the station in which God has placed us.

In our work we are to serve God. No matter what our task is we are to do it to the Lord and not to men. Since we serve God our labor must be done honestly and diligently. Such, for instance, is the main point in the parable of the talents (Mt. 25:15). If we are servants, we are to be faithful and obedient, doing all tilings as in God’s sight (Eph. 6:5ff).

Thus all honest work is honorable and to he performed as a divinely appointed task. Therefore, we encourage all Christians to be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord!”

Presbyterian man on the moon. — Dr. Edwin Aldrin, Jr., Col. USAF, one of the two astronauts who set foot on moon on July 21, is an elder and trustee of Webster Presbyterian Church, Texas.

Growing irreligion among Spanish youth. — Spain, the “most catholic country in Europe”, has no clearly defined political and religio-christian future, according to the Spanish Protestant theologian, Dr. Gutierrez Marin of Barcelona. It is especially among young people that Professor Marin sees a growing estrangement from the church, coupled with latent atheism and an exaggerated confessionalism, both on Roman Catholic and on Protestant side. Another report from Spain states, however, that this year the United Theological Seminary at Madrid has 15 students, more than at any time in its history. (RPPS)

Andrew Harsányi

A Brief Survey of the Office of Bishop in the Reformed Church in Hungary

(Continued from previous issue)

The seventeenth century brought some changes in this trend. Pastors in the course of their studies abroad learned about the operation of “presbyteriums.” The emphasis on purely defined doctrine began to give way, although only sporadically, to practical considerations. Good example for this is the attempt of a pastor of Debrecen (and later of Nagyvárad), E. Szilvásujfalusi Anderko, who, after obtaining an opinion from David Paraeus (Heidelberg), wanted to abolish the office of bishop, which he called a “Roman Catholic office.” The autocratic rule of the bishop, Hodászi, undoubtedly played a significant role in his stand. Anyway, although three seniorates supported him, his move was rejected by the Synod of Nagyvárad in 1610, and he was suspended from office. So was also János Tolnai Dali, who was the promoter of puritanism in Hungary. Besides a plea for the spiritual deepening of life in the church and for the introduction of presbyteria (local church councils), he also demanded the abolition of the office of bishop—without success: the Synod of Szatmár, 1646, condemned and suspended him. The cpiscopal-senioral system of church government continued. At the same time, synods found it necessary to stress the responsibility of bishops to synods. The Synod of Pápa, in 1630, declared that bishops were also subject to church discipline exercised by the synod and that all clergy, including bishops, should he examined by the synods as to their personal life and conduct.

Nevertheless, lay participation in church government progressed, although unofficially (that is, not actually included in the articles of the synods). Landowners and city councilmen more frequently voted in synods, some local presbyteria were organized. Again, the political situation contributed to this: in areas where the Reformed people were in the minority, the protection of powerful laymen (nobles, landowners) were needed and sought after.

This need became more and more pressing during the eighteenth century. Roman Catholic bishops and other Roman Catholic high clergy (abbots, etc.) had their political status as members of the diet, but Protestant church leaders did not. Thus the political protection gradually and automatically became the duty of Reformed noblemen (and magnates). And when Charles III decreed that the diet could not discuss religious questions any more, the Reformed (and, of course, the Lutheran) Church was in need of some sort of political protection more than ever. When one of the prominent noblemen, Paul Ráday, was called