Spirit Baptism of Rev. David Yonggi Cho: Target of the Pneumatological Controversy in 1970-80’s Korean Christianity 영산 조용기 목사의 성령세례 교리: 1970-80년대 한국교회 성령론 논쟁의 표적
Spirit Baptism of Rev. David Yonggi Cho: Target of the Pneumatological Controversy in 1970-80’s Korean Christianity 영산 조용기 목사의 성령세례 교리: 1970-80년대 한국교회 성령론 논쟁의 표적
It will be very important to find out the characteristics of the Pneumatological controversy as we study the history of Pneumatology in Korean Christianity. The writer is going to present three essential points concerning the controversy: it took place mainly in 1970-80’s, was pushed chiefly by Chongsin Seminary and Korea Seminary of Presbyterian Church, and their final target was the Pentecostal Pneumatology which Rev. David Yonggi Cho and his church, the Full Gospel Church emphasized. Five questionaries have been made for this study, and the writer will answer to each of them clearly.
1. Why had Rev. Cho to be regarded as the target of the Pneumatological controversy in 1970-80’s Korean Christianity? All the denominations of Korean Christianity had been significantly influenced by the rapid growth of the Full Gospel Church, and some of them were even greatly shocked or terrified because of its fiery evangelism that could raise the denominational migration moving from their own church to the Full Gospel.
Many of Reformed and Wesleyan theologians started to write pa pers for the reaction against the such Pentecostal Pneumatology. One of the representative scholars who guided the Reformed Pneumatology in those days was Prof. Hyung-Ryong Park at Chongsin Seminary of Presbyterian Church. Since Prof. Park opened the gate of Pneumatological controversy in early 1970’s, there had made a season for Pnematological controversy until the late 1980’s.
2. Why did not the controversy of Spirit Baptism happen before 1970’s? There had not been any Pneumatological controversies before 1970’s that could make the churches focus on. The reason is that many believers in those times freely followed after the doctrine of Pneumatology of the 19th century Revival movement in UK and the United States.
Evidences are very apparent when we open and read the books or reports of the Presbyterian or Methodist missionaries to Korea who ministered during the revival season. Most of them highly stressed the importance of the Spirit Baptism. They had conviction that the Spirit Baptism is not the Regeneration. And they usually distinguish the experience of Spirit Baptism from that of Regeneration as they taught.
3. How can we measure the Pneumatological controversy in 1970-80’s Korean Christianity which aimed at Rev. David Yonggi Cho? While the first beginning of attack from each other took place in 1960’s, and even more serious in 1970-80’s. Unfortunately, there seemed no capable theologians around Rev. Cho who could defend its theology from the opponent’s charges. Meanwhile, Prof. Youngbae Cha and Youngbok Ahn who were standing in the line of Reformed Spiritual Movement began to act against the Reformed Pneumatology, yet eventually they failed to resist Prof. Park. As for Rev. Cho, the only thing he could do was trying to strengthen the church even under the such opposition.
4. What kind of conviction does Rev. Cho has recently when he deal with the Pneumatology? The writer analyzed his writings and sermons and made the conclusion as followings: First, Rev. Cho has never refused the traditional Pentecostal Pneumatology as one of the representative persons of Pentecostalism. Second, the Existent Spirituality is along with the Pentecostal Pneumatology in him. They neither apart from each other, nor one belongs to the other. Third, Rev. Cho’s major concern has been gradually moved from the concern of early Pentecostal Pneumatology to that of Existent Spirituality.
5. What issues could be raised from this study for the denominations of Assemblies of God in Korea? (1) Speaking in Other Tongues: The members of Assemblies of God should consider carefully whether they boldly maintain the doctrine of Tongues as the accurate sign of Spirit Baptism. (2) the Position of Rev. Cho’s Existent Spirituality: What is the relationship between the traditional faith of Assemblies of God and Rev. Cho’s Existent Spirituality? (3) Tradition of Spirit Baptism: The denominations of Assemblies of God shall discuss the theology of Spirit Baptism more.
When they do this, they will need to gain wisdom and insight from the historical instruction of the prior controversy. Now is the time for the heirs of the Pentecostal Pneumatology to study and work together for sharing more harmonized powerful application of Spirit Baptism.
It would not be too much to say that most Christians do believe the occurrences of miracle through faith. So it is the present reality of the Korean Church that many pastors and laymen are praying or doing equivalent activities all over the country even at the moment in hoping for the miraculous hand of God. Such phenomena are understandable since the Scripture itself is testifying the way from faith to miracles. Does the scriptural witnesses, then, mean that human faith necessarily produces miracles? If so, what presuppositions or conditions would there be and what are the problems and answers? A representatively surprising fact, insofar as miracle experiences through faith, is found in a coexistence of the two different groups of Christian even within the Church which is called as the faith community; one group has blind faith in miracle faith or who emphasizes upon miracles out of literal acceptance of the scriptural witnesses, and the other group in a cynical posture simply dismisses miracle believing faith as a kind of ‘prosperity faith’ which can only be held by the ‘low level’ Christians. What have the miracles and wonders in the Bible to do with our reality today, and is a way from faith to miracle always open? The aim of the thesis is to suggest a more broad-deep views and biblical and persuasive answer to the Church through a prehension of Karl Barth and Cho, Yonggi’s presuppositions, main concern, standpoint of interpretation, merits and demerits, limits with respect to the issue. Our clear biblical and theological suggestions to the issue of faith and miracle not only shall render the Gospel of yesterday the Gospel for today too, but it shall also render the Church not as the ‘only their league’ but shall render her to realize actual power of true salvation as a sound and reasonable faith community in the world.
The development of the thesis will be taking the following ways: comparative analyses, discussions, views of Barth and Youngsan, and some comprehensive remarks in a tentative conclusion.
Why comparative research on Barth and Youngsan? While Barth is a dogmatician who would no doubt be regarded as the “Church Father” of the world Christianity in the 20th century, Youngsan is well known as the world’s biggest Church minister and preacher. In some theological point of views, both obviously have homogeneity and heterogeneity. While the homogeneity lies on their being the Christian Church minister and preacher, the heterogeneity lies on their main concern and the nature of activities. Barth was concerned with the dogmatic establishment based upon the Bible that is theological principle, whereas Youngsan’s primary concern was in preaching the Word that is a pastoral and practical application. At a glance, considered their heterogeneity, we-especially for those who are too much proud of their theological ivory tower-may think theological comparison of the two are inappropriate. Comparing the heterogeneity and homogeneity, however, of the two rather makes not only a comparative studies more meaningful because the difference itself offers readers a broader spectrum of perception of the same issue, further comparative studies is proper and therefore should be encouraged when we consider the
The purpose of this paper is to make clear the salient characteristics of R. A. Torrey III’s pneumatology, and to find out its possible contributions to the understanding of the works of the Holy Spirit. In short, his understanding of the works of the Holy Spirit is characterized by fellowship (κοινωνία) as the core of the works of the Holy Spirit. John Zizioulas, an eastern orthodox scholar, is in agreement with him. The fellowship includes not only vertical, but also horizontal relationship; it includes physical (economical) as well as spiritual fellowship. He is unique in arguing that there are two kinds fullness of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament and Luke in particular. One is the inner work of the Holy Spirit, i.e. rebirth, sanctification, and the fruits by the Holy Spirit. The other is the work of the Holy Spirit upon the body of the believers, that is the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Torrey finds that Luke uses different words to designate each of the works of the Holy Spirit. The root πλη-as in ἐπλήσθησαν is used with regard to the outward work of the Holy Spirit; the root πληρ-as in πληρόω is used with regard to the inner work of the Holy Spirit. If Torrey is right-I believe he is, the debate whether fullness of the Holy Spirit designates inner or outer work of the Holy Spirit is meaningless. Luke recognizes both and each is distinguished by the other by the distinct vocabulary. This study may have some contributions in that it shows the characteristics of Torrey’s pneumatology and its significance.
Key Words
대천덕, 성령론, 성령충만, 코이노니아, 영산, 특징, R. A. Torrey III, Pneumatology, Fullness of the Holy Spirit, Fellowship, Youngsan, Characteristics
The Relationship between the Spirit and the Torah: Function of the Spirit in Relation to the Torah-Obedience 영과 토라의 관계: 토라 중재자를 통한 율법 순종에 있어서 영의 기능
This essay examines the function of the Spirit for the Torahobedience. According to Deuteronomy 31:9 the Torah-responsbility is transferred to the Priest and the elders, who takes responsbility for the Torah-obedience of the people with the death of Moses. The qualification for the task of Torah-teaching is determined based on two documents, namely Isaiah 61 (59:21) and Num 11. According to Deuteronomy 31.9 Moses is depicted as unsurpassable, because he is portrayed as the subject of lexemes □□□ (write) and □□□ (give) while Yahweh is in other place of their subject (Ex 24:12b, 31:18; Dt 5:22b).
The anointed in Isaiah 61 is to be understood as high priest, because there is no king in the postexilic period. The Torah-teaching by the inspirational high-priest as a necessary intermediator between Torah and Israelite is the theme of Isaiah 61, and in Num 11 the role of the 70 elders who have been qualified by the spirit that is on Mose.
The investigation of the Text has shown that both traditions have in common, because the Spirit as a guarantee of Torah-obedience is their connection point. Furthermore, the Torah-obedience is not individualized, but is done by teaching the person who is outpoured with the spirit. In this respect, the function of both the Torah-intermediators as well as the Spirit is stressed. If these spiritual intermediators have taught the people to obedience to the Torah, which was written by Moses, they are presented as the successor of Moses.
In this conception, the wish of Mose written in Numbers 11:29, “I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets,” reacts critically to the privileged, either an individual or a group. The hope of a Torahobedience which no longer requires an intermediator, makes a possible correlation to the book of Jeremiah visible, because the concept of the spirit is negatively portrayed in the book of Jeremiah.
Faith and theology, and faith and practice should be integrated. When either is more favored than the other or one negates the other, the result can be unwholesome churches. One of the reasons of the recent decay of Korean churches is such a loss of balance and theological reductionism. Nowadays the theory of churches not based on the gospel nor the ability of the Holy Spirit is on everyone’s lips, and there are some spirituality movements for extreme prayers or the Holy Spirit movements with weak gospel foundation. These missional church activities excluding the firm base of the gospel and the ability of the Holy Spirit only lead to undermining the very foundation of the Kingdom of God. In the same line, extreme Spirit movements without evangelism and missional fruits have the risk of destroying the holistic personality of Christians as the light and the salt of the society. Therefore, the understanding of the integrity of the Holy Spirit movement that David Yonggi Cho has led has some significance to showcase a model for renovation of today’s Korean churches.
The present study proposes to elucidate: firstly, that David Yonggi Cho’s Holy Spirit movement is drastically based on the gospel truth; secondly, that it focuses on salvation, sanctification and gift ministry through the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit; and lastly that his Spirit movement is holistically balanced with evangelism and missional practice. The most important feature in David Yonggi Cho’s Spiritual ministry is the fact that it is based on the gospel. David Yonggi Cho’s emphasis on the gospel falls on the salvation through the belief in the redemptional death of Jesus Christ and resurrection, as the apostle Paul emphasized (1 Cor. 15:1-3). His view of salvation through Christ’s redemption and his gospel truth are clearly seen in his sermons, “Seven Great Bases of Full-Gospel Church,” his “Fivefold Gospel” and “Three-fold Blessing,” etc.
David Yonggi Cho’s complete dependence on the Holy Spirit is the very driving force of his marvelous church growth and as such, it is a model for today’s Korean church ministers. Also, not falling in the mysticism pursuing the Spiritual gifts, his movement bore fruit by expanding itself to the holistic ministry, integrating evangelism, mission, and social service. He pursued the mission for immigrants, cross-cultural families, various relief ministries of domestic and overseas area, and the foundation of the press, thereby proclaiming and expanding the salvation and justice of the Kingdom of God. His movement with the gospel-based Spiritual ministry, the pursuing of the Spirit-filled life through powerful prayer movement, and his holistic approach has become a great significance to today’s ministers who are in deep depression.
Reverend Jashil Choi’s Leadership of Educational Ministry: An Analysis Based on the Curriculum of Educational Ministry by Maria Harris 최자실 목사의 교육목회 리더십: 마리아 해리스의 교육목회 커리큘럼에 기초한 분석
Reverend Jashil Choi’s Leadership of Educational Ministry: An Analysis Based on the Curriculum of Educational Ministry by Maria Harris 최자실 목사의 교육목회 리더십: 마리아 해리스의 교육목회 커리큘럼에 기초한 분석
Maria Harris suggested koinonia, leiturgia, didache, kerygma, and diakonia as five classical forms of the early church’s educational ministry and emphasized that they have functioned as educational, ministerial curricula. Five curricula contributed to establish a church and connected one another to fulfill the purpose of preaching the gospel. Reverend Jashil Choi, who is a mother-in-law of Reverend Yonggi Cho and co-founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church, claimed that the gospel message of Jesus was based on close relationship with God and has accomplished the ministry of proclaiming the Word of God, healing the sick and casting out demons, practicing Christian love, and discipleship training. Choi pointed out that the basis of educational ministry is the gospel message and intimate relationship with God enables Christians to connect the teachings of the Bible and its application to life. She evoked the role of women’s leadership of educational ministry in the modern era, which emphasizes the diversification of functions and specialization in ministry.
Key Words
최자실 목사, 교육목회, 여성 리더십, 마리아 해리스, 교육목회 커리큐럼, Reverend Jashil Choi, Educational Ministry, Women’s Leadership, Maria Harris, Educational- Ministerial Curriculum
Luke and Paul’s Understanding of the Spirit’s Role in the Formation of the Church 누가와 바울이 본 성령과 교회의 탄생
In this article, I would like to explore Luke and Paul’s understanding of the Spirit’s role in the formation of the church. It is beyond doubt that Luke presents the descent of the Spirit at the Pentecost as Jesus’ fulfillment of clothing of his disciples with God’s power. However, as the result of Peter’s Spirit-driven preaching three thousand people convert in one day and gather together to form the church in Jerusalem. Furthermore, the Pentecostal Spirit continues to inspire the disciples to proclaim Jesus’ Gospel in Samaria and the Gentile world. While they preach, the Holy Spirit repeats the Pentecostal events among the Gentiles and forms the churches in the Gentile world as he did in Jerusalem. For Luke, the Holy Spirit appears to be the founder of the churches. Paul obviously agrees with Luke that the Holy Spirit is the founder of the churches, since he presents the Gentile believers’ experience of the Spirit as the believers’ common experience. However, Paul, presupposing that it is the Holy Spirit who forms the Gentile churches through his preaching, focuses on how the Holy Spirit makes the churches grow. In the end, we find that Luke and Paul present us with a complimentary picture of the Spirit’s role in the formation of the church.
Key Words
오순절, 교회의 탄생, 교회의 성장, 성령, 누가, 바울, the Pentecost, the Birth of the Church, the Growth of the Church, the Holy Spirit, Luke, Paul
A History and an Evaluation of Pentecostal Biblical Hermeneutics 오순절 성경 해석의 역사와 평가
Since the birth of modern Pentecostal movement, Pentecostal hermeneutics for Pentecostal theology, by and large, has formed three types. One is pre-modern type, one is modern, and the other is post-modern. The pre-modern hermeneutics of early Pentecostals rejected Higher /Historical Criticism, and read the Bible pre-critically through the Continuation of all spiritual Gifts. Pre-critical Bible reading of early Pentecostals made the pre-written experiences correspond with the written experiences in the Bible as facts, and modern readers be reexperienced the written experiences. That is to say, the pre-critical reading was a proper interpretation for making the pre-written experiences agree with the written experiences, and modern readers be reexperienced the written experiences.
But, so called modern Pentecostal scholars, both author centered modern interpreters and reader centered post-modern interpreters, have a common feature that they are reading the Bible through Higher/ Historical Criticism which presupposes the agnostic enlightenment/ Kantian view of reason and excludes the supernatural in-breaking into history. Namely, they are laying an obstacle, higher/historical criticism between the Bible and modern readers. As a result, the writ- ten experiences is deprived of the historicity, and they become different from pre-written experiences. And because of the outcome, the basis of Pentecostalism, modern readers should re-experience the experiences written in the Bible, especially the Baptism in the Spirit with speaking in tongues, is being destroyed. Therefore, both modern and post-modern hermeneutics are not proper interpretation ways for Pentecostal movement and theology.
