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Pentecostal Theology, Volume 24, No. 2, Fall 2002
S SP
Dialogue
The Pentecostal Discovery of the New Testament
Theme of God’ s Power and Its Relevance
to the African Context
1
P. J. Grä be
2
In memory of Dr. F. P. Mö ller: “ . . . he was cruciŽ ed in weakness,
yet he lives by God’ s power”
Introduction
The Pentecostal movement is known for its focus on the power of God at work in the world and in the lives of believers. God’ s presence is thus understood as something that is tangibly felt and may be expected to involve a transformative effect on the lives of those touched by it. Pentecostals have been convinced that this focus on the power of God uncovers a neglected theme in the Scriptures and is relevant for mis- sionary contexts. It is the conviction of this essay that this biblical focus on the power of God is one of the reasons why Pentecostalism has been such a potent movement in a variety of cultural contexts. This assump- tion is especially true in the African context in which “ Pentecostal-like” worship and practices are widespread. The African settings seem to involve worldviews that remain especially open to experiencing God’ s power in very concrete and tangible ways. In what follows, I investigate the bib- lical basis
3
for this Pentecostal focus on the power of God and point out
1
Paper presented at the third Annual Meeting of the Asian Pentecostal Society & the tenth International Theological Conference on the Holy Spirit: A Theological Sympo- sium on Non-Western Pentecostalism, Bethesda Christian University, Anaheim, California, May 22001.
The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the Research Institute for Theology and 3Religion, University of South Africa, in doing this research.
For a detailed investigation of the power of God in the New Testament, the reader
© 2002 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden
pp. 225– 242
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Pentecostal Theology, Volume 24, No. 2, Fall 2002
that it comprises both the miraculous dimension, as well as the perspec- tive of power in the midst of weakness. This message is very relevant in the context of African religiosity.
God’ s Power in Luke
Introduction
In this brief overview of the power of God in the broader New Testament context the Gospel of Luke has been selected to serve as an example from the synoptic tradition, as the concept of dynamis occurs most in this Gospel. Among the Gospels Luke especially deals theologically with the fact that history went on and that Christ did not immediately return. Through the Spirit the risen Christ is present in the community and the disciples are being thrust into mission. The Spirit is the catalyst, the guid- ing and driving force of mission. At every point the church’ s mission is both inspired and conŽ rmed by manifestations of the Spirit.
4
Dynamis occurs in the following sections of Luke’ s Gospel: the infancy prologue (1:35), right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (4:14), his preaching in Capernaum (4:36), the healing (and forgiveness) of a paralyzed man (5:17), the section dealing with the disciples and people coming to hear and be healed (6:19), the healing of the woman with the ow of blood (8:46), the empowerment and sending of the Twelve (9:1), the return of the seventy-two (10:19-20), the section toward the close of the Gospel, dealing with the coming of the Son of Man (21:27), Jesus before Pilate and Herod (22:69), as well as the Ž nal section which deals with the empowerment of the disciples to become trustworthy wit- nesses (24:49).
5
The dimension of power, therefore, occurs (1) at the beginning of Luke’ s narrative about Jesus (already at the inception and right at the beginning of his ministry), (2) in connection with his healing ministry and ministry of exorcism, (3) relating to the empowerment of his disci- ples, (4) at the conclusion of the Gospel in an eschatological context, and (5) in connection with his instruction to the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the “ power from on high.”
is referred to Petrus J. Grä be, The Power of God in Paul’ s Letters (Tü bingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2000), 4 especially pp. 1-2, 223-34 and also 266-68.
D. J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll, NY: 5Orbis [American Society of Missiology Series 16], 1991), 113.
J. Kremer, Lukasevangelium (Wü rzburg: Echter Verlag [NEB. NT 3], 1988), 20. Cf. also J. Nolland, “ Grace as Power,” NT 28 (1986): 26-31.
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The Pentecostal Discovery of the New Testament Theme of God’ s Power
The Dimension of Power in the Jesus Narrative
The importance of the dimension of power (interpreted in terms of the Holy Spirit) in the Jesus narrative is evident from the fact that it appears on the scene even before the birth of Jesus. The role of the Spirit in Jesus’ origin is linked to an Old Testament statement of God’ s activ- ity (Isa. 32:15). The role of the Spirit in this verse (as well as in Acts 1:8) alludes to the eschatological coming of the Spirit, causing the wilderness to become a fruitful Ž eld. Although Luke often links the terms “ Spirit” and “ power” closely,
6
he never identiŽ es them quite as in Luke 1:35: “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
It is noteworthy that the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee is described with the phrase “ in the power of the Holy Spirit” (4:14). Luke’ s statement that Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit serves as a general description, illuminating the whole of Luke’ s account of Jesus’ ministry. His entire redemptive ministry (both of preaching and of working liberating miracles) is empowered by the Spirit.
7
Jesus’ whole ministry is grounded in his baptism (3:21-22). Since this event he is “ full of the Spirit.” With dynamis in verse 14 Luke empha- sises the pneumatic (charismatic) activity of Jesus. On the one hand his teaching (v. 15) has authority (v. 32); on the other hand the pneumato- logical miracles (cf. Mark 6:2), the healings, and especially the exorcisms prove that his ministry is “ with authority and power.”8
“ Power” in 5:17, 6:19, and 8:46 refers to Jesus’ healing power. The reference to power in 5:17 links back to 4:14 and prepares for the refer- ences to tangible power proceeding from Jesus in 6:19 and 8:46. Luke is continuing to clarify what it means that Jesus, through the descent of the Spirit, has become the repository of the power of God (3:22; 4:1; 14:18- 19; 6:19; 8:46).
9
Luke 8:46 portrays God’ s transcendent power to be
6
7
Cf., e.g., Luke 4:14, Acts 1:8, 10:38 (cf. also 1:17: “ spirit and power of Elijah” ).
M. Turner, Power from on High: The Spirit in Israel’ s Restoration and Witness in Luke-Acts (ShefŽ eld: ShefŽ eld Academic Press [JPT Supplement Series 9], 1996), 211. In the light of verses 14b and 23 H. Schü rmann (“ Der ‘ Bericht vom Anfang’ : Ein Rekon- struktionsversuch auf Grund vom Lk. 4, 14-16,” SE 2 [1964]: 242-58, cf. 248) emphasizes that the phrase “ in the power of the Holy Spirit” refers to the dynameis (miracles) in Jesus’ ministry8 .
Cf. H. Schü rmann, Das Lukasevangelium (Freiburg: Herder [HThK], 1969), 222. J. B. Shelton ( Mighty in Word and Deed: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts [Pea- body, MA: Hendrickson, 1991], 75) points out that although the two meanings sometimes overlap (e.g., Luke 4:36, 9:1, 10:19, 21:27), Luke usually maintains the traditional dis- tinction 9 between dynamis as effective power and exousia as ofŽ cial authority.
Cf. J. Nolland, Luke (Dallas: Word [Word Biblical Commentary 35], 1993), 234.
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present in a way that goes beyond Jesus’ own action. Jesus not only opened the way to God’ s transcendence, but the divine power of God became active through him in a way that even transcended his own activity.
10 Spiritual power is seen in a quasi-substantial manner, but is never iso- lated from religious categories of a relational and ethical kind.
11
This divine pneumatic power is not only an essential element of Jesus’ ministry, but is also of vital importance to the ministry of the disciples. Nolland aptly gives the pericope 9:1-6 (in which Jesus sends out the Twelve) the title: “ Sharing in Jesus’ Ministry.” Luke adds “ power and” to Mark’ s “ authority,” which may be an anticipation of post resurrection empowering (cf. Acts 1:8).
12
The Twelve are empowered by Jesus’ own power. The dimension of power is so important that it is mentioned not only at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (4:14), but also at the beginning of that of his disciples.
13
Luke 10:17-20 reports how the seventy-two were excited as they explored the reality of the power and authority entrusted to them by Jesus. Although Jesus acknowledges and interprets this experience, he bids them to focus rather on the place secured for them in heaven.
14
The statement about the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy follows directly from Jesus’ exclamation about the fall of Satan (v. 18). Allusions to Deuteronomy 8:15 and Psalms 91:13 are probable in this text. Similarities with Revelation 9:3-4 (within the context of Jesus’ remark about Satan in v. 18) point to the probabil- ity that the text is here using imagery of the end-time con ict between good and evil.
15
In Luke 21:27 and 22:69 the notion of power ( dynamis) is connected with Jesus’ sayings about the Son of Man. In 21:25-28 the eschato- logical discourse of the Lukan Jesus takes on another dimension. The Ž rst part of the discourse was a prophetic utterance with overtones of prophecy fulŽ lled. In this passage Jesus utters prophetic utterances about the future, with overtones of prophecy yet to be fulŽ lled. He returns to the topic of the coming of the Son of Man (cf. 17:22-37).
16
The coming
10
11
Schü rmann, Das Lukasevangelium , 492.
12
Nolland, Luke, 420.
13
Ibid., 426.
14
Cf. Schü rmann, Das Lukasevangelium , 499.
15
Cf. Nolland, Luke, 566.
F. Bovon, Das Evangelium nach Lukas (Zü rich: Benziger; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener 16 [EKK III], 1996), 57.
J. A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke (New York: Doubleday [AncB 28], 1985), 1348.
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of the Son of Man is described in the language of Daniel 7:13-14, as well as in terms of Old Testament theophany accounts: with power and glory (cf. Exod 16:7).
17
Luke 22:69 states Jesus’ answer to Pilate, that “ from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” Dynamis is an indirect way of referring to God. In Mark 14:62 dynamis is used in a personiŽ ed way to refer to God himself, whereas in Luke 22:69 dynamis is coupled with a direct mention of God.
18
Within the context of Luke 24:44-49 the Spirit is anticipated speciŽ cally as empowerment for the witnessing task that lies ahead. This prospect of empowerment has its counterpart in the power of the Spirit that under- girded Jesus’ own ministry (cf. 4:14; 5:17).
19
The empowering of the disciples at the time of Pentecost had been preŽ gured in the “ power” given in 9:1. The disciples had already partic- ipated in the ministry of Jesus in an anticipatory manner (cf. 9:1-6; 10:1- 20). In future they would carry his ministry forward when he would sit exalted at the right hand of God. Although the giving of the Spirit needed to wait for Jesus’ exaltation, the anticipation of this promise of power was prominent already in the time of his ministry: Jesus was con- ceived through the power of the Spirit (cf. 1:35); he has been empowered by the Spirit for ministry (4:14; 5:17). In turn Jesus has given power to his disciples, who have been sent out to speak and act in his name (cf. 9:1-6; 10:1-20).
20
Power effecting miracles was the essential core activ- ity of the ministry of both Jesus and his disciples: power to displace the physical and spiritual ruin of the demonic kingdom by the wholeness of the kingdom of God.
21
17
Kremer, Lukasevangelium , 206. It is noteworthy that in Daniel 7:14 (LXX) the son of man was given exousia and glory ( doxa); cf. L. T. Johnson, The Gospel of Luke (Collegeville, 18 MN: The Liturgical Press [Sacra Pagina 3], 1991), 328.
Cf. Nolland, Luke, 1110; for the Old Testament and early Jewish background to this phrase, 19 cf. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke , 1467.
20
Nolland, Luke, 1220.
21
Ibid., 1220-1221.
Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles (ShefŽ eld: ShefŽ eld Academic Press [JPT Supplement Series 3], 1993), 116.
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The Power of the Spirit in Acts
“ Power” as Essential to the Early Message about Jesus
Peter’ s speech to Cornelius in Caesarea (Acts 10:34-43) is unique among the speeches in Acts as it contains the only extended summary of the ministry of Jesus. At the heart of Peter’ s speech lies pre-Lukan mate- rial. The use of the Old Testament in this passage also points to a very early period.
22
The message that “ God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power,” which enabled him to “ go around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil” belongs to the heart of the early Christian kerygma.23 In afŽ rming that “ God anointed Jesus with the Spirit,” the wording of Isaiah 61:1 is used to interpret what happened to Jesus at the Jordan (Luke 4:18).
24
Luke describes Jesus’ acts of beneŽ cence in terms of healing, of the overthrow of the devil, and of the presence of God himself. Jesus’ work constitutes God’ s decisive attack upon the power of evil (cf. Mark 3:23-27 and parallels).
25
In Acts, as in Luke’ s Gospel, the Spirit and power are very closely related to each other. The Spirit is, in the Ž rst place, the source of miraculous power.
26
The activity of Jesus, performing miracles, signs, and wonders, was the proof that God was with him, because only God is able to do such things as these. Jesus’ ministry represents God’ s involvement with God’ s people.
27
22
G. Stanton, Jesus of Nazareth in New Testament Preaching (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press [SNTS Monograph Series 27], 1974), 80, 81, 84-85; cf. also J. D. G. Dunn, The Acts of the Apostles (Peterborough, England: Epworth [Epworth Commentaries], 1996), 143; C. H. Dodd, The Apostolic Preaching and Its Developments (London: 23 Hodder & Stoughton, 1936), 37.
G. F. Hawthorne ( The Presence and the Power: The SigniŽ cance of the Holy Spirit in the Life and Ministry of Jesus [Dallas: Word Publishing, 1991], 132) points to the anal- ogy of the anointing of Old Testament kings in order that they might be enabled to fulŽ ll their 24divine mission.
I. H. Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press [TNTC], 1980), 25 192.
C. K. Barrett, The Acts of the Apostles (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark [CECNT], 1994), 524-2526 .
J. B. Shelton ( Mighty in Word and Deed: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991], 75) afŽ rms that of the twenty-Ž ve times Luke uses the word 27 dynamis in Luke-Acts, eighteen speciŽ cally refer to miracles, especially healings.
Cf. J. Jervell, Die Apostelgeschichte (Gö ttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht [KEK], 1998), 311.
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Power to Be Jesus’ Witnesses
Acts 1:8: This verse receives special emphasis as the last words of Jesus before his departure and is closely parallel to his last recorded words in the Gospel (Luke 24:46-49), spoken just before he left the disciples. For their worldwide task the disciples are promised the power of the Spirit (Luke 24:49). This promise was primarily fulŽ lled at Pentecost and sec- ondarily on many other occasions.
28
Acts 1:8 looks forward to Acts 2 and receives a measure of interpre- tation from that chapter when the apostles (represented by Peter) act as witnesses after having received power through the gift of the Spirit. The connection with the preceding verse 6 is also important. A certain mea- sure of contrast may be intended: not the kingdom for Israel, but the power of the Holy Spirit for the church. In these verses the fundamentally impor- tant question is raised of the relation between the gift of the Spirit and the end. The Spirit is an anticipation of the end-time in the present.
29
The disciples are not to know the times and the dates of God’ s history of sal- vation. They will, however, receive power for their task of witnessing through which salvation will be brought to all peoples (Luke 24:47).
30
The power ( dynamis) promised in Acts 1:8 is the power the apostles needed to fulŽ ll their mission: to speak, to bear oral testimony, and to perform miracles, the power to act with authority in general.
31
For Luke a very close relation exists between the oral witness and accompanying miracles. Miracles are part and parcel of the entire mission of witness. By the divine power the gospel is preached, the church is established, opposing powers-whether human or demonic-are conquered, and signs of healings are performed.
32
Acts 4:33: The apostles, especially called to be witnesses of the res- urrection of Jesus (cf. 1:22; 3:15; 4:2), continued their witness “ with great power,” despite the religious authorities’ prohibition of their preaching.
33 This “ great power” refers to their boldness (4:31) as well as to the mir- acles (cf. 2:43; 5:12) they performed in the name of Jesus through the
28
29
Marshall, Acts of the Apostles , 61.
30
Barrett, Acts of the Apostles , 78.
R. Pesch, Die Apostelgeschichte (Zü rich: Benziger; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener [EKK 31 V/1], 1986), 69.
32
Barrett, Acts of the Apostles , 79; cf. also Turner, Power from on High , 402.
G. W. H. Lampe, “ Miracles in the Acts of the Apostles,” C. F. D. Moule, ed., Miracles: Cambridge 33 Studies in their Philosophy and History (London: A. R. Mowbray, 1965), 171.
Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles , 108.
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power of the Spirit that they had received (cf. Luke 24:48-49; Acts 1:8).
34
Luke relates dynamis in this verse to charis. God’ s favor rests upon them all— “ all” referring, within the context of verse 33 to the apostles in the Ž rst place, but within the context of verses 32 and 34 to all the fol- lowers of Christ.
35
Acts 6:8: Whereas it was stated in 4:33 that the apostles testiŽ ed with great power and much grace was with them all, Stephen is portrayed in 6:8 as “ full of God’ s grace and power.” “ Grace,” worked by the Spirit of God, is a general term— the favor of God expressed in an abundance of gifts. “ Power” is, as afŽ rmed by 1:8, the result of the work of the Holy Spirit and corresponds to “ faith” in verse 5. Luke associates both these terms with miracles that are immediately mentioned: “ Stephen did great wonders and miraculous signs.” Instead of the “ great power . . . and much grace” of 4:33, we Ž nd here the “ (great) wonders and miraculous signs.” As the Twelve had done (cf. 2:43; 4:30; 5:12), Stephen also worked mirac- ulous signs and wonders.
36
Power That Effects Miracles
Acts 3:12: After the healing of the crippled beggar, the question about the power to do these miracles arose twice. Because the people did not recognize that God was personally at work they marvelled at what they had seen and gazed at Peter and John as if they were themselves respon- sible for what had happened (3:12). Luke emphasized that the powers the apostles possessed, they had as a gift from God.
37
The people should not stare at the apostles, because they did not perform this miracle by their own power and piety.
38
Acts 4:7: The Sanhedrin asked Peter and John: “ By what power (dynamis) or what name did you do this?” Dynamis is the more general term, denoting supernatural force capable of overcoming disease. The term onoma links this force with a particular person, whose name is invoked in order to set the required power in motion. Peter, “ Ž lled with the Holy Spirit,” gives the answer to this question in verse 10 (cf. also 3:6): “ It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”39 Something of the
34
35
Pesch, Die Apostelgeschichte , 182-83.
36
Cf. Barrett, Acts of the Apostles , 254.
37
Ibid., 322; cf. also Marshall, Acts of the Apostles , 129. 38
Barrett, Acts of the Apostles , 192.
39
Cf. Jervell, Die Apostelgeschichte , 164.
Cf. Barrett, Acts of the Apostles , 226.
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ancient idea of the power vested in a name is re ected here. The name represents the person and carries his authority.
40
In 2:22, 8:13, and 19:11 dynameis means “ miracles.” Acts 2:22 states that through the dynameis, God showed that Jesus was (or was to be) God’ s special agent: God performed the signs through Jesus for their beneŽ t.
41
The term dynameis in 8:13 refers to the miracles performed by Philip, and in 19:11 to the miracles performed by Paul.
Conclusion
Dynamis in Acts portrays the power of the Holy Spirit enabling the disciples of Jesus to fulŽ ll their worldwide mission (also mentioning the fact that Jesus himself was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power). The power of the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak the word of God boldly, as well as to perform miracles, wonders and signs.
42
The source of the power by which the apostles were able to carry out their astound- ing work of communication of the gospel and healing was a paramount question (cf. the way the high-priestly group interrogated the apostles, 4:1-7). Peter, Ž lled with the Spirit, declared that it was “ by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” that the crippled beggar was healed. The ensu- ing prayer of the believers indicates how important the bold preaching of the word, as well as the accompanying healings and miraculous signs and wonders were to them (cf. 4:29-30). Concrete healings and discernible actions, such as the shaking of the place where they were assembled (4:31), demonstrated to them the continuing presence and power of the Spirit among them.
43
The Pauline Perspective
How does Paul’ s understanding of power Ž t within this broader New Testament context? The essential dimensions of “ power” in Luke and Acts— namely, the power enabling ministry, both with regard to effective witness and accompanying signs and miracles— are not foreign to Paul
40
41
Acts of the Apostles , 41.
42
Cf. Barrett, Acts of the Apostles , 141.
Cf. Menzies’ informative diagram illustrating the relation between the Spirit, dynamis, prophetic speech and exorcisms and miracles of healing: R. P. Menzies, Empowered for Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (ShefŽ eld: ShefŽ eld Academic Press [JPT Monograph Series], 43 1991), 115.
H. C. Kee, Good News to the Ends of the Earth: The Theology of Acts (London: S. C. M. Press; Philadelphia: Trinity, 1990), 36-37.
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and are afŽ rmed by him. In the light of Paul’ s many tribulations and suf- ferings for the sake of the gospel, the concept of power in his letters is however deepened in a way that goes beyond the rest of the New Testament.
For the concept of God’ s power Paul exclusively uses the Greek word dynamis. It is noteworthy that kratos appears within the broader Corpus Paulinum only three times: Ephesians 1:19; 6:10, and Colossians 1:11. In Ephesians 1:19 and Colossians 1:11 kratos is used synonymously with dynamis, while in 6:10 it is (together with ischus) linked with the verb endunamo¬. Ischus occurs only three times in the Corpus Paulinum: syn- onymously with kratos and dynamis in Ephesians 1:19, as already men- tioned in Ephesians 6:10 and in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, referring to the glory of the Lord’ s might ( ischus). In Paul’ s letters dynamis (“ power” ) and exou- sia (“ authority” ) also function quite differently. While dynamis refers to the divine power of the cruciŽ ed and exalted Lord, the Pauline use of exousia does not have a christological dimension (cf., however, 2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10).
44
Dynamis describes the effect of Paul’ s divine message on this world. This power is associated with the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, because it is God’ s power in this world. Where Paul’ s message of the cross intersects this world, the message of “ power” Ž nds its place.
45
The Spirit is God’ s empowering presence
46
in this world.
Paul understands the gospel as God’ s power, manifested through the resurrection of Christ and now evidenced through the presence of the Spirit. This includes miracles in the assembly (Gal. 3:5), to which Paul appeals in a matter-of-fact way as proof that salvation in Christ is based on faith and not on observance of the law. This power of God also includes the effective proclamation of Christ accompanied by the Spirit’ s manifest power in bringing about conversions (1 Thess. 1:5-6; 1 Cor. 2:4-5), despite the obvious weakness of the messenger himself (1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 12:7-10).
The gospel is God’ s power, and yet Paul emphasizes the closest cor- relation between the power (of the Spirit) and present weaknesses. As a passage such as 2 Corinthians 12:9 indicates, the Spirit is seen as the
44
K. Scholtissek, Die Vollmacht Jesu: Traditions- und redaktionsgeschichtliche Analysen zu einem Leitmotiv markinischer Christologie (Mü nster: Aschendorff [NTA NF 25], 1992), 67-71.45
G. Hotze, Paradoxien bei Paulus: Untersuchungen zu einer elementaren Denkform in seiner 46 Theologie (Mü nster: Aschendorff [NTA NF 33], 1997), 342.
G. D. Fee, God’ s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994).
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source of empowering in the midst of af iction and weaknesses. “ Knowing Christ” means to know both the power of his resurrection and the fel- lowship of sharing in his sufferings (Phil. 3:9-10). Though the content of Philippians 3:7-11 differs considerably, both the linguistic echoes and the general “ form” of the narrative seem intentionally designed to recall the Christ narrative in 2:6-11. As he appealed to the Philippians to do, Paul himself exempliŽ es Christ’ s mindset, embracing suffering and death.
47
Paul interprets the concept of God’ s power in the light of the primary metaphor of Christ’ s cruciŽ xion (in weakness) and his resurrection (in power). Present suffering is a mark of discipleship, but the same power that raised the CruciŽ ed One from the dead is also already at work in our mortal bodies. In 2 Corinthians 4:10-11 Paul afŽ rms that the apostles are “ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in [their] bodies. For while [they] live [they] are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in [their] mortal esh.” Romans 8:17 afŽ rms that the Christians are God’ s children and fellow heirs with Christ, “ provided [they] suffer with him in order that [they] may also be gloriŽ ed with him.” In Romans 6:3-4 burial with Christ by baptism into death is mentioned, and in 6:6 being cruciŽ ed with him. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul points out that all have died, since one has died for all. He therefore sees his suf- fering in connection with the death of Christ. To be united with Christ implies the necessity to suffer as Christ did. Through his trials Paul really participates in the suffering of Christ. He expresses the hope to “ know him and the power of his resurrection” ; he hopes to share in his suffer- ings, “ becoming like him in his death, that if possible [he] may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10-11).
48
It is clear that Paul’ s pro- found christological conviction offers him the ultimate explanation for his suffering and the power to overcome.
Paul’ s account of his near-death experience in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 is to be taken seriously as the record of a critical episode in his life. The way in which he came to terms with it, and was therefore able to Ž nd positive value in suffering, is an important key to the interpretation of 2 Corinthians 4-5, Romans 6:1-11, and Philippians 3:10.
49
Paul does not regard suffering as evil in itself, irrational or challenging to faith: his
47
G. D. Fee, Paul’ s Letter to the Philippians (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans [NICNT], 1995), 48 314-15.
49
Quotations from the RSV.
Harvey, Renewal Through Suffering: A Study of 2 Corinthians (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark [Studies of the New Testament and its World], 1996), 112-21.
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experience of suffering brings the sufferer closer to Christ, causes an inner renewal, and spills over into beneŽ t for others.
50
In re ecting on Paul’ s understanding of power, the Spirit may never be ignored. The reality of the Spirit means the presence of divine power, power to over ow with hope (Rom. 15:13). This power is sometimes attested by signs and wonders— at other times, however, by joy in great af iction (cf. 1 Thess. 1:6). The tensions present in the Pauline under- standing of power are put into proper perspective in the light of his mes- sage about the Spirit. The Spirit is both the fulŽ llment of the eschatological promises of God and the down payment on our certain future— the evi- dence of the one, the guarantee of the other.
51
In his understanding of God’ s power in the light of Christ’ s cruciŽ xion and resurrection and yet in the Ž nal analysis as a pneumatological con- cept, the basically trinitarian thrust of Paul’ s theology becomes evident.
The Reception of the New Testament Message about the
Power of God within Pentecostalism
The experience of God’ s power is of pivotal importance within the Pentecostal tradition.
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The Pentecostal reality is, in the words of J. Rodman Williams, “ none other than the coming of the Holy Spirit to anoint the people of God with power for extraordinary praise, speech that breaks open the hardest of hearts, the performing of signs and wonders, and a boldness of witness and action that can transform the world.”53 The fol-
50
A. E. Harvey ( Renewal Through Suffering , 129) points out that this understanding of suffering is without precedent in any Jewish or pagan sources known to us, and is hard to parallel 51 in the revered writings of any other major religion.
52
Fee, God’ s Empowering Presence , 826.
The value of hymns for establishing the heart of Pentecostal theology is widely recognised. On the very Ž rst page of his book ( Theological Roots of Pentecostalism [Metuchen, NJ; London: The Scarecrow Press (Studies in Evangelicalism 5), 1987]) Donald W. Dayton prints Tillman’ s hymn, Old-time Power :
They were in an upper chamber, They were all with one accord,
When the Holy Ghost descended, As was promised by our Lord.
Yes, this power from heaven descended . . .
Yes, this “ old-time” pow’ r was given To our fathers who were true;
This is promised to believers, And we all may have it, too.
Chorus
O Lord, send the pow’ r just now. O Lord, send the pow’ r just now.
53O Lord, send the pow’ r just now, And baptise ev’ ry one.J. Rodman Williams,
The Pentecostal Reality (PlainŽ eld, NJ: Logos International, 1972), 6.
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lowing quotations illustrate the importance of the experience of God’ s power in the Pentecostal tradition.
William Menzies afŽ rms:
The Pentecostal movement is that group of sects within the Christian Church which is characterized by the belief that the occurrence mentioned in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost not only signaled the birth of the church, but described an experience available to believers in all ages. The experience of an endowment with power , called the “ baptism in the Holy Spirit,” is believed to be evidenced by the sign of “ speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.”54
In 1902 Charles Parham wrote:
Christ did not leave his believing children without signs of distinction to follow them that the world might know who were Christians and who were not. Neither did he send forth his servants to preach vague speculative the- ories of a world to come, but with mighty power for the relief of suffering humanity, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, casting out devils, speaking with new tongues, conŽ rming the word of inward beneŽ t— wrought in Jesus Christ— by these outward visible signs.
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Andrew Murray, whose writings have been in uential within South African Pentecostal circles, stated: “ Wherever the Spirit acts with power, there He works divine healing. . . . If divine healing is seen but rarely in our day, we can attribute it to no other cause but that the Spirit does not act with power.”56
In explaining the title of his book on the history of the Pentecostal Holiness Church ( The Old-Time Power ), Vinson Synan afŽ rms that this title came after much searching as the phrase that best represents the major concern of the movement in the long sweep of history: “ The power of Pentecost is the ‘ old-time power’ about which the church has preached from the beginning and which it has labored to preserve.”57
Contrary to classical Protestantism, which argues that the charismata and “ supernatural gifts of the Spirit” ceased with the close of the apostolic
54
This deŽ nition is proposed by Menzies in Anointed to Serve (SpringŽ eld, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1971) 9: quoted by Dayton ( Theological Roots of Pentecostalism , 24). This statement captures the key claim of Pentecostalism and indicates why it carries the 55name that it does.
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, 4th ed. (Joplin, Mo: Joplin Printing, [1902] 1944), 44-45; 56 quoted by Donald W. Dayton, Theological Roots of Pentecostalism , 25.
Divine Healing (New York: Christian Alliance Publishing, 1900), 26; quoted by Dayton, 57 Theological Roots of Pentecostalism , 25.
Vinson Synan, The Old-Time Power (Franklin Springs, GA: Advocate Press, 1973), 7-8, 18.
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era, Pentecostals believe that the Pentecostal “ endowment with power” is available to all generations. The power of the Spirit will manifest itself in our own day in miracles of divine healing, especially in the lives of those who truly experienced the Pentecostal baptism.
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Miracles of divine healing are celebrated as part of God’ s salvation and as evidence of the presence of divine power in the church.
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The promise of “ power from on high” (Acts 1:8), associated with the baptism of the Spirit is a reality to be experienced today.
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As Hollenweger
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correctly observes, all Pente- costals agree:
The pow’ r that fell at Pentecost, when in the upper room, Upon the watching, waiting ones, the Holy Ghost had come, Remaineth evermore the same;
Unchanging still, O praise His name.
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In the light of what has just been said, it is clear that the Lukan con- cept of power emphasizing the importance of supernatural manifestations of power found a clear resonance in Pentecostal theology and spiritual- ity. Empowerment is for the sake of mission: Pentecostal power is for a Pentecostal task.
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I have pointed out above that the essential dimensions of “ power” in Luke and Acts are afŽ rmed by Paul (cf., e.g., 2 Cor. 12:12). By re ect- ing on the cross and resurrection of Jesus as ground metaphor for the understanding of God’ s power in the life of believers (cf. 2 Cor. 13:4), the concept of power is, however, deepened by Paul. The question now
58
59
Dayton, Theological Roots of Pentecostalism , 25.
Ibid., 115. The well-known South African Pentecostal leader Nicholas Bhengu remarked: “ If I was not convinced that the missionary command had to be carried out in all its parts, both teaching and healing, I would not have begun to preach” (Walter J. Hollenweger, 60 The Pentecostals [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1972], 129).
Cf. the Declaration of Faith of the Apostolic Faith Movement: “ The Baptism with the Holy Ghost is a gift of power on the sanctiŽ ed life.” The declaration of faith of the Assemblies of God observes that with the baptism in the Holy Ghost and Ž re comes the endowment 61 of power for life and service. (Hollenweger, The Pentecostals , 513, 515).
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Hollenweger, The Pentecostals , 330.
C. H. Morris, Redemption Hymnal , 1958, no. 219 . In his article “ The Role of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit in the Mystical Tradition” (Ž led in the David du Plessis archive, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA), Vinson Synan points out that both the Pentecostal and the mystical traditions emphasize the following categories of spirituality:
1. The Category of Presence 2. The Category of Prayer 3. The Category of Praise and 4. The 63 Category of Power.
W. J. De Kock, “ Pentecostal Power for a Pentecostal Task: Empowerment through Engagement in South African Context,” JPT 16 (2000): 105.
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arises whether the Pauline dimension also found a reception among Pentecostals.
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In answering this question I found Steven Land’ s analysis of the inter- relatedness of the three Pentecostal affections very helpful.
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He points out that through the literature of the early revival there is the explicit cor- relation of righteousness, holiness, and power of God and the righteous- ness, love, and power of the believer.
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To believe in the kingdom of heaven was to long for a kingdom of light and righteousness, holiness and love, power and demonstration of the Spirit who would Ž ll all things. The three affections, related to the traditional theological virtues of faith, love and hope, respectively are:
1. Gratitude (praise, thanksgiving). 2. Compassion (love, longing). 3. Courage (power, conŽ dence, hope).
Gratitude: Gratitude is the initial and continually relevant Christian affection, as all blessings ow from the gracious action of God. Pentecostals emphasize the fact that God has not only acted generally in history, but has done so in their history. Following Paul’ s example, Calvary is indeed the ground metaphor for understanding the whole of their religious expe- rience: everything good ows from Calvary into their lives through the continuous gracious actions of God. Gratitude is evoked through remem- bering what God has done in Christ. In Pentecostal services the accla- mation, “ Thank you, Lord” and “ Praise the Lord” is, therefore, heard over and over again. The conviction is shared that God dwells in the praises of God’ s people, and through songs, testimonies, preaching and prayer women and men are shaped into grateful persons.
Compassion: Land points out that if gratitude is the foundation of the Pentecostal affective structure, the interior of the building is compas- sionate, longing love.
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As Pentecostals emerged from the nineteenth-cen- tury holiness movement, they have a concern for holiness as perfect love or wholehearted devotion to God. The valued purity of heart is given
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Or do “ we discover that the Pentecostals and their predecessors based their views almost exclusively on the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles?” Hollenweger, (The Pentecostals , 336) asserts is the case with the Pentecostal understanding of the bap- tism 65in the Holy Spirit.
Steven J. Land, Pentecostal Spirituality: A Passion for the Kingdom (ShefŽ eld: E. ShefŽ eld Academic Press Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series 1], 1993), 125-61.66
67
Ibid., 129.
Ibid., 143.
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when believers “ are willing to let Him have His way to the fullest extent of the word.” Then they will be “ clay in the Potter’ s hands . . . and ‘ self’ will be removed.”68 This emptying is necessary if one is to be Ž lled with God’ s Spirit. When the Ž lling occurs, the Ž rst thing that can be told is that “ the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.”69 One must stay in the cross and die daily if power is to rest upon one’ s life and witness.
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Courage: The faithfulness of the grateful and the zeal of the compas- sionate are, in the words of Land,
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deepened and strengthened by the courage associated with Spirit baptism: in Spirit baptism one received the power of God to be a courageous witness in word and demonstration of the Spirit. This third Pentecostal affection (which is actually the topic of this article), can only be understood within the context of the Ž rst two affections. In their suffering for the gospel, Pentecostals have deeply understood the meaning of the cross as prerequisite for the resurrec- tion: God’ s power within the weakness and brokenness of their own earthly existence.
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The African Context
In his study of the Holy Spirit and African power concepts Anderson afŽ rms that all African behavior is centered on the purpose to acquire life, strength, or vital force, to live strongly , in order to make life stronger, or to assure that force shall remain perpetually in one’ s posterity.
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Confronted by the surrounding universe with its often threatening phenomena and forces, the African person longs to be in control of what so often seems an uncontrollable situation. Especially when one is faced with sickness, death, poverty, misfortune, sorcery, oppression, injustice, witchcraft, evil spirits, famine, oods, and so on, there is a longing for a source of power outside oneself that will enable one to cope. Opoku Onyinah74 afŽ rms that the reasons for the growth of Christianity in Africa
68
69
Ibid., 144, n. 5 quotes here from The Apostolic Faith 1.3 (1906), 2.
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The Apostolic Faith 1.3 (1906), 2.
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Quoted by Land, Pentecostal Spirituality , 145.
72
Land, Pentecostal Spirituality , 155.
De Kock, “ Pentecostal Power for a Pentecostal Task,” 114-16 points out that the tes- timonies of early Pentecostals in South Africa reveal an attraction to the powerless in soci- ety. From this observation a very signiŽ cant lesson for the church can be learned: God gives 73power only to people who need and want it.
Allen Anderson, Moya: The Holy Spirit in an African Context (Pretoria, South Africa: 74 University of South Africa Press [Manualia Didactica 13], 1991), 58.
Opaku Onyinah, Deliverance as a Way of Confronting Witchcraft in Modern Africa:
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signiŽ cantly include the way the Africans have attempted to deal with their threatening fears.
75
The traditional African perception is that the universe and all it con- tains is permeated with “ power” that may be appropriated by a person in varying degrees, and may be applied with both good and evil conse- quences. One’ s very existence is inextricably tied up with one’ s power: to live is to have power; to be sick or to die is to have less of it.
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Anderson points out that African theism posits a supreme being who is at times good and at times seemingly in league with evil, a God who is both far and near, to be feared because of its power and in many instances to be avoided.
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Because of this unpredictability people feel lost in a dan- gerous universe. For help, therefore, they turn to the wisdom of the elders, deposited in the ancestors and sometimes interpreted by the diviners. The ancestors are interested in the survival of their relatives, for their own survival is tied up with that of their kin. For the living, however, the ancestors present a dilemma; they do not always act in accordance with what is really desired. They are also not omnipotent, and cannot always provide one with the protection one needs from the malignant forces work- ing against people. A sense of helplessness and weakness is, therefore, continually present, with a great need for more power to cope. When the ancestors seem inadequate or overbearing, people turn to the diviners or to traditional “ medicines,” which enable them to obtain the coveted power.
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The Pentecostal message of God’ s life-giving power, which delivers from evil and allows one to feel safe in a hostile world, is relevant to the existential world of Africa.
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The message of African Christianity must provide for the existential this-worldly needs, and not only for the life to come; it must counter the dominant fear that many people in Africa feel:
Ghana as a Case History , paper delivered at the third Annual Meeting of the Asian Pentecostal Society & the tenth International Conference on the Holy Spirit (Bethesda Christian 75 University, Anaheim, CA, 2001), 1.
In 1999 Onyinah conducted in Ghana a survey of 1201 participants. On the ques- tion whether witchcraft is real, an overwhelming 91.7 percent said “ yes,” 7.7 percent said “ no,” and 0.7 percent were not sure (Onyinah, Deliverance as a Way of Confronting Witchcraft 76 in Modern Africa , 8).
77
Anderson, Moya, 63-64.
78
Ibid., 67.
Kalu, “ Church Presence in Africa,” in K. Appiah-Kubi and S. Torres, African Theology 79 en route (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1979, 13-22; referred to by Anderson, Moya, 68).
Yusufu Turaki ( Christianity and African Gods: A Method in Theology [Potchefstroom: Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 1999], 281) speaks of the “ power conscious worldview” in Africa.
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“ Christianity, and particularly pneumatology, must respond fully to the ‘ culturally-based religious aspirations’ of the African.”80
Within the African context the emphasis on the miraculous power of God (the Spirit), delivering from evil and healing the sick is important. As Paul pointed out, a theology (pneumatology) of power is intrinsically bound to the cross. This message should also be proclaimed by the Pentecostal church in Africa. Anderson points out that a criticism that is often justiŽ ably leveled at Pentecostals is that they have sometimes expounded a theology of success and power at the expense of a theology of the cross.
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People are not only convinced by the triumphs of Christianity, but also by its trials. The Holy Spirit is also a gentle dove, a Spirit of humility, patience, meekness, love, joy, and peace. A pneumatology in the light of Jesus’ cruciŽ xion and resurrection not only provides power when there is a lack of it, but is also able to sustain us through life’ s tragedies and failures.
80
81
Anderson, Moya, 68.
Ibid., 72-73.
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