Is 'n kerkorde nie kragtens sy aard strydig met die werking van die Heilige Gees nie? Translated title: Is a church order, according to it's nature, not contrary to the work of the Holy Spirit?

Abstract

Die vraag is of 'n kerkorde as anti-geestelik gesien moet word. Lei 'n kerkorde, teen die werk van die Heilige Gees in, tot verstarring van die kerk? Deur hierdie vraag is die kontroversie tussen die geestelike lewe van die kerk en die institusionele ordening daarvan as 'n aktualiteit in die hedendaagse kerklike lewe aan die orde gestel. Die verwerping van die institusionele karakter van die kerk het 'n lang geskiedenis. Om die ware aard en die Skriftuurlike funksionering van 'n kerkorde te begryp, moet perspektief verkry word op die nuwe orde wat deur Christus gegee is deur sy Heilige Gees. Die nuwe orde moet gesien word as die lewenswyse wat deur Christus vir God se volk daargestel is op grond van die versoening. In hierdie konteks moet 'n kerkorde geag word as die beweging van die gelowige na die Woord, wat deur die Gees plaasvind, by wyse van bepaalde middele. In hierdie sin kan die kerkorde selfs beskou word as 'n modus quo waardeur Christus die kerk by wyse van sy Gees regeer en waardeur Hy die nuwe orde onderhou wat Hy vir God se kinders daargestel het. So gesien, is die kerkorde nie 'n mensgemaakte las vir die kerk nie, verder is dit ook nie 'n anti-geestelike instrument waardeur die kerk in 'n bestaan van doodse formalisme gedompel word nie. Inteendeel, 'n Skrif-gefundeerde kerkorde is 'n waardevolle instrument waardeur die regering van Christus, deur die Heilige Gees, in die kerk sigbaarbehoort te word. 'n Skrifgefundeerde kerkorde is in wese 'n korreksie op die skeiding tussen die Heilige Gees en die Woord van God. Daarom moet 'n Skrifgefundeerde kerkorde in ooreenstemming met die nuwe lewensorde in Christus as onontbeerlik vir kerkwees in hierdie wêreld geag word.

Translated abstract

The question is whether a church order should be seen as anti-Spiritual. Does a church order, in contrary to the work of the Holy Spirit, lead to rigidity of the church? By this question the controversy of the spiritual life of the church versus the institutional ordination of it has been raised as a real actuality in modern church life. The rejection of the institutional character of the church has a long history. To understand the true nature and the true Scriptural functioning of a church order one needs to get perspective on the new order which was given by Christ by means of his Holy Spirit. The new order must be seen as the way of life that was created by Christ on the profound ground of the expiation. In this context a church order must be understood as existing in the movement from the believer to the Word which occurs in the leading of the Spirit through ordained means. Seen in this sense, a church order must be regarded as a modus quo by which the church is governed by Christ by means of his Spirit, in order to maintain the new order which He created for his children. Seen as such, a church order is not a man created dispensable burden for the church of Christ, furthermore it is not an anti-Spiritual instrument by which the church is plunged into a dreary existence of cold formalism. To the contrary, a true Scriptural church order must be appreciated as a valuable instrument through which the governing labour of Christ, by means of his Holy Spirit, in the church should become visible. A Scriptural church order is in essence a correction on the separation of the Holy Spirit from the Word of God. Therefore a Scriptural church order should be considered as indispensable in this world for church being, according to the new order of life in Christ.