|
Pentecostals and Social Justice
An excerpt from Yong's book
"The discussion of black-white pentecostal
relations sets the social-justice question firmly on the churches
ecumenical agenda. The questions here are pointed: How can the
church provide a unified witness to the gospel when it is itself
fragmented between the haves and the have-nots? How can the message
of the church be good news to the poor when they are being exploited
by the rich? How can the call for church united be authentic given
the socioeconomic disparities currently in place? ...
"The church's social witness remains its most
powerful means of proclaiming the full gospel, since the gospel is
not just talk but action. Empowered by the Spirit, such witness
overcomes the structures and carriers of evil, heals the divisions
between human beings, and actualizes the united and catholicity of
the church as far as possible in awaiting the eschatological
kingdom. These are the normative marks of the Spirit's presence and
activity in the ecumenical tradition of pentecostalism. ...
Material salvation refers to the embodied nature
of human beings. This includes healing - of mind, soul, body;
mental, emotional, and physical - ministered by Jesus and made
possible by the power of the Spirit. Material salvation is directed
primarily to the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed, perhaps
because they experience their diseased and deprived conditions in
palpable ways. (Lk 1:52-3; Mt 5:3, 6; Lk 6:20-1, 24-5) ... Social
salvation is an extension of , and yet complementary to, ecclesial
salvation. ... It also refers to the redemption of the socioeconomic
and political structures - including fallen and destructive public
structures ...
Cosmic salvations refers not only to the
interconnectedness of human beings and their environment (cf. Acts
2:19-20) but also to the redemption of all creation (perhaps not
excluding the fallen principalities, spiritual authorities, and
powers; cf. Eph 6:12). In fact, Paul explicitly connects the cosmic
salvation of all creation and the human redemption of the body with
the work and groanings of the Spirit of God (Rom 8:19-23)"
The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh by
Amos Yong (professor of theology, Regent University), Baker, 2005, p
187, 190, 93, 95.
|
CSCO, P.O. Box 60123, Dayton, OH 45406; email: