Die kerk in die Nuwe Testament

Abstract

The church in the New Testament The article explores the documents of the New Testament in search of the concept church' and finds that, in a nutshell, the answers are as follows: the Spirit-controlled, charismatic togetherness of people 'in Christ' (Paul); cross-bearing followers of Jesus (Mk); the people of God on their way through history (Lk-Ac); the faithful locked in battle with Satanic powers, but with the expectation of occupying the heavenly Jerusalem (Rv); the community with which Christ became solidary, and which is heading for its heavenly place of rest (Reb); the poor but pious community, putting their faith into practice (Ja); the body of Christ in which his universal reign can be experienced (Col); the sphere in which salvation is realized (Eph); disciples following Jesus as God-with us, experiencing the rift between synagogue and church (Mt); friends and confidants of Christ, living at loggerheads with the synagogue (In); the household of God, governed by householders (Pastorals); and the socia-ly ostracized elect of God whose way of life should be a demonstration of their otherness as Christians (1 Pt).

Kerkbegrip en kerkorde

“…Diversiteit in veral die Nuwe-Testament oor die kerk beteken dat verskillende fasette en beelde van kerk-wees gevind word. Die feit word deur Kärkkäinen (2002;vgl Minear 1960) en Pelser (1995) aangedui en deur Käsemann (1968:262) se uitspraak "Das Neue Testament schenkt uns keine ecclesiologia perennis, bietet uns jedoch ekklesiologische Grundtypen" bevestig. McGrath (2007:408) wys daarop dat die merktekens van die kerk soos aangedui in die Apostolicum, naamlik een heilig, katoliek en apostolies van belang geag word vir die ekklesiologiese debat sedert die vierde eeu.…”

Kerkvorming en -ontwikkeling in die Nuwe-Testamentiese tydvak

“…Ek gaan net in breë trekke die redelik identifiseerbare en prominentste "kenmerke" probeer aandui. In "n vorige artikel (Pelser 1995;kyk ook Roloff 1993) het ek reeds een en ander probeer sê oor hoe die verskillende outeurs van die Nuwe Testament, of dan die geloofsgemeenskappe wat daarin verteenwoordig is, oor die kerk gedink het en die bedoeling is nie om dit, behalwe waar nodig, hier te herhaal nie.…”

Missional ecclesiology as basis for a new church order: A case study

“…(p. 449) At more or less the same time, G.M.M. Pelser, professor of New Testament Studies (UP) started an extensive research programme on the different ecclesiologies to be found in the New Testament (Pelser 1995). His research clearly indicated the diversity of ecclesiologies distinguishable in the New Testament.…”