jepta 2001 21 - European Pentecostal Theological Association

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The Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association, Vol. XXI, 2001 Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dia1ogue:Some Pentecostal Assumptions: Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. ASSUMPTION 4 Any model of the church that, by definition, separates some people who claim that they are Christians from other people who claim that they are Christians is not an adequate model of the Church. Each of us is called to live a life worthy of our calling, marked by lowliness, meekness, patience, and forbearance in love, with a commitment to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:l-6). The question that needs to be asked is, "Is the institution known as the Roman Catholic Church part of the Church" To this question might be added another. What does it take to become a Christian If you ask this question, the first response that Pentecostals generally give is an appeal to John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." If you ask our pastors and most of our parishioners, "Are you sure that is what it takes to become a Christian' they will give you a clear and unequivocal response. "Yes!" The questions, then, must be asked, "Is that all it takes to become a Christian" What is the place of repentance in becoming a Christian What role, if any, does baptism play' What does it mean when we say, "whosoever believeth in Him" Does that really mean anyone "What is the nature of belief in Him Does one need to have a detailed Christology, Theology, or doctrine of the Trinity in order to express salvific belief Is belief the same as "faith," or more pointedly, does it mean the same thing as when we address ourselves to the Reformation statement concerning "justification by faith'And, 'Who is the 'Him' to which John 3:16 refers" We might even press the question a bit further and ask whether the way we live when we claim the designation "Christian" for ourselves has any bearing upon whether we are, in fact, Christians. That is, are we really saved if we do not "lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called Should we be asking questions regarding how we engage in Christian ethics before we are satisfied that one has become a Christian If we listen carefully at most of our own altar calls, Pentecostal altar calls, we will find that none of these questions are being asked. We simply give the invitation. "If you want to become a Christian, come forward, acknowledge your need, and accept Jesus." It is that simple! ' Cf. Acts 2:38. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 1 suggest this text simply to demonstrate the roles that repentance and baptism appear to play in the thinking of the Apostles. The role of Baptism among Pentecostals has been analyzed in Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. and Jerry L. Sandidge, "The Ecclesiology of Koinonia and Baptism: A Pentecostal Perspective," Journal of Ecumenical Studies 27:3 (summer, 1990), 504-534. When we turn our attention to Roman Catholics, then, we need to ask the question of whether or not they are Christian, and if so, whether or not they are part of the Church. How are we to make these judgments Do they need to come to our altars in order for us to be satisfied with their confession Do they need to leave the Roman Catholic Church for us to be satisfied with their confession If they have not gone to the altar in the same way that we have, but they have been baptized, catechized, confirmed, they confess the creed, they participate in the Eucharist, and they say they are Christian, are we satisfied with their confession What must their confession look like Are we under any form of mandate to "maintain the unity. of the Spirit in the bond of peace" with these Roman Catholics Or do they need to be "charismatic" Catholics since we know that those who have been baptized in the Spirit must have also been "born again" and maybe even "sanctified" What is at stake here, and on what basis do we make the decisions that we make Why is it easy for us to accept a confessing Roman Catholic as a Christian, but it is not easy for us to accept the Roman Catholic Church as a genuine part of the Christian Church Why is it relatively easy for us to accept our Pentecostal denominations as genuine parts of the Christian Church when we know that there are people who frequent our churches who are not Christian, who are nominal Christians, or who are backslidden These questions lead us to others. Should we turn first to those who have had a bad experience at the hands of Roman Catholics or the Roman Catholic Church, who have been deprived of their livelihoods, stripped of their Bibles, been imprisoned, have been persecuted, even lost their lives at the hands of Roman Catholics in order to decide whether we should talk with the Roman Catholic Church Is this the appropriate place to begin and end any conversation regarding Roman Catholics Or do we turn to others for the answers to our questions Do we turn to those who understand the Roman Catholic Church and who have had only positive relations with it Is this the appropriate place to begin and end any conversation regarding Roman Catholics Is one group more privileged than the other, and if it were, why would this be the case It would be unfair if I did not note that there are many Roman Catholics who look at Pentecostals as interlopers and proselytizers in their lands. Please, try to place yourself in their shoes. They have been present in places for 500 years or longer. They believe they have been charged with the spiritual care of the flocks in that region. Then along comes a Pentecostal who believes only the worst about them. This Pentecostal enters their "turf' without any invitation and begins to "evangelize" and "proselytize". [I want you to understand that I make a big distinction between these two terms]. This activity has an affect on long established churches. When the priest or bishop takes steps to stop the intrusion because no prior conversation has taken place, the "intruder" claims persecution. But where did the judgments begin, and how would we respond differently
The Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association, Vol. XXI, 2001 In such cases, it becomes easy to understand why a Pentecostal presence is not always welcome and these Roman Catholics treat them as members of some "sect" with all the negative connotations that term carries. Other Roman Catholics, especially those who have entered into Charismatic Renewal have many good things to say on behalf of Pentecostals. Whose voice is the more valuable and why is that the case Most systems of justice demand not that the persecuted become the judge, for that would result in vigilante justice, but they require that a third party, a neutral party, be asked to step in to ensure a fair hearing. Most systems ofjustice require that testimony be given both by the party that claims to be persecuted and the party that has allegedly engaged in persecution. Might it not be possible to hear testimony from both parties, allow them each to define themselves, and then arrive at a decision It is a position somewhat like this that the lntemational Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue has taken. The Roman Catholic Church claims not only that it is a Christian Church, but also that the Church subsists (subsistit) in the Catholic Church.' 1 recognize that this language is difficult for us as Pentecostals to accept, but it is a major shift from the pre-Vatican I1 position in which the Roman Catholic Church tended to view itself as being the Church.' This shifi has made possible the far-reaching recognition in Lumen Gentium 15. The Church knows that she is joined in may ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but who do not however profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter. For there are many who hold sacred scripture in honor as a rule of faith and of life, who have a sincere religious zeal, who lovingly believe in God the Father Almighty and in Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour, who are sealed by baptism which unites them to Christ, and who indeed recognize and receive other sacraments in their own Churches or ecclesiastical communities .These Christians are indeed in some real way joined to us in the Holy Spirit for, by his gifts and graces, his sanctifying power is also active in them and he has strengthened some of them even to the shedding of their blood. And so the Spirit stirs up desires and actions in all of Christ's ' Lumen Gentium [Dogmatic Constitution on the Church] f 8 reads, "The Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him. Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines." ' See the encyclical of Pius XI, Moratalium Animos. Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dia1ogue:Some Pentecostal Assumptions: Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. disciples in order that all may be peaceably united as Christ ordained, in one flock under one shepherd. Clearly, most Pentecostals do not place the same value on baptism that the Roman Catholic Church does,' but what is important to note is the willingness of Rome to recognize the legitimacy of our claim to be Christian, and their openness to recognize that there already exists a spiritual reality that joins us even as it notes the impulse for greater cooperation that is stirred up by the Holy Spirit. Besides, it is no different from some of the exclusive claims that certain Pentecostals in the United States have made.' ASSUMPTION 5 The Roman Catholic Church is a Christian Church and, therefore, its members should be treated as Christian brothers and sisters just as we would treat our own. On what basis can 1 make such a claim I make it on the basis that the Roman Catholic Church confesses that Jesus is Savior and Lord. It does so each time it gathers in community when it confesses its belief in the content or reality represented in the words of the historic Creeds.' But what does that mean Many ' Cf. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. and Jeny L. Sandidge, "The Ecclesiology of Koinonia and Baptism: A Pentecostal Perspective," Journal of Ecumenical Studies 273 (summer, 1990), 504-534. ' A. J. Tomlinson, General Overseer of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), and later the founder of the Church of God of Prophecy, for instance, held to an exclusivist position on the issue of ecclesiology. Cf. A. J. Tomlinson, Z%e Lost Great Conflict (Cleveland, TN: Press of Walter E. Rodgers, 1913), 144-172; Lillie Duggar, A. J. Tomlinson: Former General Overseer of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN: White Wing Publishing House, 1964), 725-73 1. ' 1 think here particularly of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, though the Apostles' Creed and other ecumenical creeds would work equally well. "We believe in one God, the Father, All-sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things, visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all the ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father. Through whom all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens; and was made flesh of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate: and suffered and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; -and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And cometh again with glory to judge living and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the Life-giver, that proceedeth from the Father. Who, with Father and Son is worshipped together and glorified together, who spake through the prophets: In one, holy catholic &d Apostolic Church: We acknowledge one baptism unto remission of sins. We look for a resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come." Translation from Henry Bettenson, Ed., Documents of the Christian Church (London, England: Oxford University Press, 1943, 1963, rpt. 1967), 26. 17
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