Hikmat Dalam Misi Israel Menurut Ulangan 4: 5-8

The wisdom of Israel is linked to its mission. Another unique thing is that wisdom which is usually associated with divine power, intellect, spirituality, practical skills, and the meaning of life apparently is also associated with missions for all nations. Israel as God's chosen nation with a royal priesthood carries out a noble task to fulfill His promise to Abraham that his descendants will be a blessing to all tribes. In carrying out these responsibilities, Israel needed wisdom. Through exegesis studies of Deuteronomy 4: 5-8 and supported by literature studies, it can be found that the wisdom of Israel was implemented in obedience to the law of God. From this obedience, the nations will see the quality of their lives, hear their preaching about the LORD and His decrees, and recognize that Israel is a special nation until finally they are expected to give praise to God and even follow Him. This review also reveals the fact that the mission carried out by Israel is either centripetal or centrifugal. The results of this study can also be applied in the missionary task of believers today.

Pendekatan Interpretasi Teologis Kitab Suci dan Prasuposisi-Prasuposisi Teologis di Baliknya

Cukup banyak tokoh dan tulisan yang berupaya memperkenalkan, mendiskusikan, dan menunjukkan cara kerja pendekatan Interpretasi Teologis Kitab Suci atau yang lebih dikenal sebagai Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS), tetapi tidak banyak yang sebenarnya menbedah pemikiran-pemikiran teologis-filosofis di baliknya. Tulisan ini akan memperkenalkan natur, esensi, dan karakteristik khas pendekatan TIS melalui beberapa konviksi pembentuk yang melatarbelakanginya, yang dapat diibaratkan sebagai “DNA” bagi pendekatan TIS dan sekaligus membedakannya dari pendekatan-pendekatan tafsir lainnya. Pendekatan TIS agaknya paling baik dipahami sebagai pembacaan yang dilakukan di dalam dua konteks, yaitu konteks teologis dan ekklesial. Dalam konteks teologis, pendekatan TIS percaya bahwa Kitab Suci sebagai tulisan yang bersifat sakral, Kitab Suci adalah medium komunikasi Ilahi kepada umat di sepanjang sejarah bahkan hingga hari ini, Kitab Suci memiliki kesatuan dalam seluruh bagiannya dengan Yesus Kristus sebagai pusat dan pengikat, dan Kitab Suci paling baik dibaca dengan kesadaran akan lensa teologis pembacanya. Dalam konteks ekklesial, pendekatan TIS menekankan keimaman rajani seluruh anggota tubuh Kristus sebagai pembaca teks, keniscayaan komunitas di dalam pembacaan, dan fungsi normatif teks yang bertujuan menghasilkan transformasi dalam kehidupan umat. There are plenty figures and writings that attempt to introduce, discuss, and show the workings of Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS) as an approach in reading the Holy Scripture; however, not many that actually dissect the theological-philosophical thoughts laid behind it. This paper will discuss the nature, essence, and characteristics of the TIS approach through some of the forming convictions behind it, which can be said as "DNA" for the TIS approach and at the same time, differentiates it from other interpretive approaches. The TIS approach seems best understood as a reading that happened in two contexts, namely theological and ecclesial contexts. In a theological context, the TIS approach believes that the Scripture is a sacred writing, the Scripture is a medium of divine communication to people throughout history even today, the Scripture has a unity in all its parts with Jesus Christ as the center and binding, and the Scripture is best read with an awareness of theological lenses of the reader. In an ecclesial context, the TIS approach emphasizes the royal priesthood of all members of the body of Christ as readers of the text, the necessity of the community of believers in reading, and the normative function of the text aimed at producing transformation in the lives of the people of God.

Kingship in a Portentous Age

Chapter 4 reveals the deep Vedic-astrological roots of mainstream Hindu sources (purāṇas) on the royal office (rājadharma). Connecting to recent post-Dumontian ethnographies on kingship and Indian society, which describe the transfer of sin and the promotion of auspiciousness, it elaborates a ritual-astrological theory of kingship premised on the removal of inauspiciousness from the royal body. This theory is elaborated through an analysis of two major royal rituals in the purāṇas, namely, the monumental Great Gifts (mahādāna) and the Royal Inauguration (rājyābhiṣeka). In contrast to prevailing, theopolitical interpretations of these rituals, an astrological reading highlights the king’s responsibility to rectify his person through iterative gifting and aspersion. Purāṇic texts, therefore, fulfill the earlier designs of Atharvans and astrologers on the function of the royal priesthood and thus the tempo of state ceremonial.

Martin Luther on the Church and Its Ministry

Any study of Luther’s ecclesiology faces apparent consistencies or contradictions in Luther’s view of the church, which have been variously explained by scholars in terms of a development in Luther’s thought or as reflecting different genres in which he wrote. An understanding that begins with the Word of God, and the church as the creature of the Word, offers a helpful starting point. Luther’s view of the church and its ministry are both grounded in the Word of God, the promise of the gospel. The church exists wherever the Word of God is proclaimed, and the church is a spiritual community oriented to and shaped by this Word in its life by the power of the Holy Spirit. The distinctions in Luther’s ecclesiology, such as visible versus invisible, are hermeneutical rather than ontological. Luther’s later ecclesiological writings also reflect his Spirit and letter hermeneutic, even as he engages new battle fronts, so that the gospel remains at the center of the church’s proclamation and life. For God’s Word to continue to be preached, God has instituted the office of ministry to which specific persons are called, who are entrusted with this great treasure. Luther’s view of the office of ministry should be interpreted in light of, but not as opposed to, his view of the royal priesthood, which he develops as an ecclesiological concept. Bishops are a specific instance of the public office of ministry, at the heart of which is the preaching of the gospel and overseeing its right preaching for the sake of God’s people.