01 April 2012

Resensi Buku-161: ISSUES FACING CHRISTIANS TODAY (Rev. John R. W. Stott, D.D., C.B.E.)

In this postmodern era, as Christians, we face many issues around us, such as: euthanasia, abortion, war, biotechnology, human rights, business, ethnic diversity, divorce, etc. What should Christians respond to those issues?

Find the answer in the book:
ISSUES FACING CHRISTIANS TODAY
(4th edition)
by: Rev. John R. W. Stott, D.D., C.B.E.
fully revised and updated by: Prof. Roy McCloughry
with a new chapter (New Biotechnology) by: Prof. John Wyatt

In first 3 chapters in his book, Issues Facing Christians Today, Rev. Dr. John R. W. Stott explains about Christian involvement, thinking, and witness in this world. Should Christians involve in this changing world? Is it necessary? If it’s necessary, how can Christians create presupposition facing those issues in this world? In this chapter, he explains 4 Christian perspective toward those issues: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. After that, how can Christians be witness to influence the world?

After those first 3 chapters, Rev. Stott explains other kinds of issues: global issues (e.g. war and peace, caring for creation, poverty, and human rights), social issues (e.g. work, business, ethnic diversity, and simplicity, generosity, and contentment), personal issues (e.g. relationship between man, woman, and God, marriage, divorce, aborsion and euthanasia, new biotechnology, and same-sex relationship). In those issues, he explains each issues detail and he provides Christian perspective toward each issue. In the conclusion, Dr. Stott challenges us to be salt and light of the world by leading this changing world to the unchanging the Word of God with the heart of servant, discipline, love, etc. I recommend this good book for Christians, so that we can integrate our faith with our social life in this world.





Biography of the authors:
Rev. John Robert Walmsley Stott, CBE, D.D. who was born in London on April 27, 1921 is a British Christian leader and Anglican clergyman who is noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement. He is famous as one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. He was born to Sir Arnold and Emily Stott. Sir Arnold Stott was a leading physician at Harley Street and an agnostic, while his wife was a Lutheran church-goer who attended the nearby Anglican church, All Souls, Langham Place. He was sent to boarding school at eight years old - initially prep school at Oakley Hall. In 1935, he went on to Rugby School. Stott studied modern languages at Trinity College, Cambridge where he graduated with a double first in French and Theology. At university, he was active in the Cambridge inter-collegiate Christian Union (CICCU), where the executive committee that ran it considered him too invaluable a person to be asked to commit his time by joining the executive committee. After this, he transferred to Ridley Hall Theological College (also of the University of Cambridge) so he could become ordained as an Anglican clergyman. Stott was ordained in 1945 and went on to become a curate at the Church of All Souls, Langham Place (1945-1950) then rector (1950-75). This was the church in which he had grown up, and in which he has spent almost all of his life, aside from a few years spent in Cambridge. He founded the [Langham Partnership International] (known as [John Stott Ministries] in the U.S.) in 1974 and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity in 1982 of which he is now the honorary president. Stott was appointed a Chaplain to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1959-1991) and an Extra Chaplain in 1991. He received a CBE in the new years honours list, 2006. He has written 50 books, such as Basic Christianity, The Cross of Christ, etc.

Roy McCloughry, B.Sc., M.Sc. is chairman of Third Way magazine, a vice president of the Shaftesbury Society, a member of Tear Fund’s Theological Commission, and Tutor in Ethics and Social Theology at St. John’s College, Nottingham. He received Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Economics from Queen Mary College, University of London. He has written a number of books including Living in the Presence of the Future.

Prof. John Wyatt is Professor of Ethics and Perinatology at University College London and chairman of the Ethics Study Group of the Christian Medical Fellowship, U.K. He is lead for the Clinical Ethics network at UCLH, a member of the ethics committees of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and a board member of Biocentre. He has a clinical background as an academic neonatologist working on the mechanisms, consequences and prevention of brain injury in critically ill newborn infants. His work is now concentrated on ethical issues raised by advances in reproductive and medical technology at the beginning of life, research ethics and governance and the philosophical basis of medical practice.

Bagian 16: Karunia Menasihati (Rm. 12:8)

MENGENAL KARUNIA-KARUNIA ROH KUDUS

Bagian 16: Karunia Menasihati (Rm. 12:8)

oleh: Denny Teguh Sutandio

Setelah mengajar, maka Paulus menyebut karunia yang lain yaitu menasihati. Kata Yunani yang dipakai adalah παρακαλν (parakalōn) yang merupakan kata kerja participle, present, aktif, nominatif, maskulin, tunggal dari kata παρακαλω (parakaleō) yang berarti request, urge; comfort[1] (meminta/memohon, mendesak/mendorong; menghibur/membantu). Kata ini atau bentuk kata bendanya yaitu παράκλησις (paraklēsis) merupakan istilah yang paling penting untuk berbicara dan mempengaruhi di dalam Perjanjian Baru.[2] Kata παρακαλν (parakalōn) sendiri selain di Roma 12:8, dipakai 8x di dalam Perjanjian Baru, yaitu di: Matius 8:5[3]; Markus 1:40[4]; Lukas 3:18[5]; Kisah Para Rasul 16:9[6]; 2 Korintus 1:4[7]; 7:6[8]; 1 Petrus 5:12[9]; dan Yudas 1:3[10]. Perbedaan terjemahan dari kata ini disesuaikan dengan konteksnya, sehingga ketika kata ini muncul di Roma 12:8 dengan konteks berbagai macam karunia di dalam satu tubuh Kristus (Rm. 12:3-5), maka tentu saja terjemahannya bukan karunia memohon, tetapi lebih tepat karunia menasihati atau mendorong/memberikan dorongan. ESV, NASB, dan RSV menerjemahkannya, “exhorts” (menasihati/mendorong), KJV menerjemahkannya, “exhorteth”, ALT, EMTV, LITV, dan YLT menerjemahkannya, “exhorting”, NIV dan ISV menerjemahkannya, “encouraging”.

Di dalam Perjanjian Lama, kata ini diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Ibrani sebagai: nam dapat dijumpai di dalam Ayub 29:25.[11]

Lalu, apa artinya karunia menasihati/memberi dorongan ini? Bukankah karunia ini mirip dengan karunia mengajar di ayat 7? Secara tujuan utama, karunia ini mungkin sama yaitu untuk mendidik jemaat untuk memuliakan Allah (perhatikan konteks Rm. 12), namun dari tujuan langsungnya, karunia mengajar berfungsi untuk memberi instruksi, informasi, dan menjelaskan iman Kristen kepada jemaat, sedangkan karunia karunia menasihati bertujuan secara praktis untuk mendorong jemaat yang telah diajar tersebut untuk taat kepada Kristus dan Alkitab.[12] Misalnya, orang yang diberi karunia mengajar melakukan tugasnya yaitu mengajar jemaat dengan prinsip-prinsip iman Kristen, contoh: Allah itu adalah Allah yang berdaulat yang menciptakan, menebus, dan menyempurnakan umat-Nya, lalu orang yang diberi karunia menasihati/memberi dorongan melakukan tugasnya yaitu mendorong jemaat yang telah diajar dengan prinsip-prinsip tersebut untuk mempraktikkannya dengan setia dan taat kepada Allah dan firman-Nya. Di sini, kita melihat adanya kemiripan antara karunia menasihati ini dengan jabatan gembala-pengajar seperti yang telah diuraikan di bagian sebelumnya (Bagian 15: Karunia Mengajar).



[1] Horst Balz dan Gerhard Schneider, ed., Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament Vol. 3, hlm. 23.

[2] Ibid.

[3] LAI: “memohon”.

[4] LAI: “memohon”.

[5] LAI: “nasihat”.

[6] LAI: “berseru”.

[7] LAI: “menghibur”.

[8] LAI: “menghiburkan”.

[9] LAI: “menasihati”.

[10] LAI: “menasihati”.

[11] LAI: “menghibur”. ESV, NIV, RSV, dan YLT: “comfort”.

[12] C. E. B. Cranfield, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, hlm. 623.