"CHRISTO-CENTRIC PNEUMATOLOGY"

- David Thangsan

Introduction

In Christian circle ¡°Pneumatology¡± is normally understood as the subject referred to the ¡°doctrine of the Holy Spirit,¡± even though the usage itself does not necessarily mean to be a teaching on a particular ¡°Pneuma,¡± namely the Holy Spirit.^[1] Much dialogue has been made on this subject throughout Church history since from the time of the Apostles.^[2] The great controversy over Montanism is a clear mark of the emerging interest of Christians in the study of Pneumatology.^[3] Unfortunately, however, the official record of the Church during middle Ages largely neglected this deep human interest, until the Great Reformers called back the Church to the pure biblical teaching. Accordingly, students of Church history can see that there were growing renewal movements flooded over the Church one after another following the Reformation, that reintroduce the importance of the study of Pneumatology. We can undoubtedly say that 20th Century Pentecostal movement also is one of them that awakened the Church with a new interest in the study of Pneumatology.^[4]

Pneumatology and Christian Spirituality

Weldon Viertel defines spiritual or spirituality as follow:

"Spiritual means to proceed from or be under the influence of the Holy Spirit¡¦ Our spirituality is our state or quality of relationship with God."^[5]

Growing Interest of Spirituality In Modern Soceity

After the immense influence of Newtonian natural law, postmodern world steadily turns to another extreme side, known as supernaturalism, futurism, and probably even superstitious-ism with the close of twentieth century; and the said naturalistic science is overthrown by a new Quantum theory that claims the probability of the things that Newtonianism denied to accept. Postmodern society apparently turns around from materialism to the neglected spiritism. Our young groups are caught after futuristic movies, extreme mystical softwares (TV game-programs); and the forgotten magical fictions are popularized for public entertainments. At least, there are three factors that drive our post-modern world to this new stage. They are the end of cold war, the spirit of Post Modernism, and the growing hungriness for new spirituality.

Religious analysts claim the growing interest of spirituality since from the end of cold war. Of course, as the downfall of Communism is the great mark for post cold-war-period, it is also a mark for the end of modern materialism and the rise of post-modern spirituality. Since there are no more power-competition on materialistic value, people have nothing to do except to go further for non material, supernaturalism. Since the promise of materialistic paradise of Communism is not reached, people have nothing to do except to turn toward non-material spirituality.

Further, in response to people¡¯s interest on the one hand, some major religions introduce their own spiritual practices not as a religious practice but as a simple spiritual exercise probably to gain moreof people¡¯s attention on another hand. For instance, the world¡¯s biggest Buddhist temple in Los Angeles is simply known as a meditation-center (not as religious temple) among American youngsters and really gains people¡¯s interest; and it is also said that the originally-Hinduistic yoga practice finds favor in Western world now-a-day for personal spiritual piety. The most of all, ancient spiritual practices come alive again in this later age. In fact, Christian needs to define and also defend its Pneumatology.^[9]

What is Christian Pneumatology?

What is Christian spirituality that we should pursue? What is Pentecostal pneumatology that we should discuss about? What is the mark of genuine spiritual experience by which we can distinguish Christian pneumatology from modern spiritualities? It is hard and difficult to make a thin line between spiritualities since every spiritual experience has each own spiritual source, which is beyond our physical realm. Since they totally belong to spiritual world, it is impossible to distinguish with a natural sense. They may have similar physical expressions, similar emotional values, and similar tangible experiences. Thus, we cannot give clear judgment upon what happened outwardly, but the only standard-ruler that we have is the ¡°principle¡± through which a certain experience comes and goes. That principle could not be other than ¡°Christ-centeredness¡± of the said spirituality. Whether it centers (focuses) on the person, Jesus Christ, or not is the only norm we have to distinguish our end-time-spiritualities. So, why, Christ-centeredness?
1. Jesus Christ: the only and unique Physical Expression of the Things of God by which all things should be measured in this physical realm. Jesus Christ once claimed that he is the ultimate truth and light through whom all things should be canonized. John also made same remark that every spirituality should be measured by whether it confessed Jesus Christ or not (cf. 1 John 4:2). There¡¯s a remark, ¡°The more we walk in the Spirit, the more we love Jesus Christ¡±!!
2. The Holy Spirit as the Only Representative of Jesus Christ. The main purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost is to take the place of Jesus in the Church-life, not as a different comforter, but as another comforter of the same kind.^[10] Actually, in fact, there¡¯s no differences between the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, but rather the Holy Spirit has come to represent the presence of the resurrected Jesus Christ (cf. Matthew 20:28). In another words, the operation of spiritual gifts is the evidence of the spiritual presence of Jesus Christ in the ministry of the Church. Therefore, Christian spirituality has its own starting point and its own ending goal that is Jesus Christ himself.
3. The main interest of the Holy Spirit¡¯s ministry is Spiritual Edification of the saints toward Christ-likeness. Paul set spiritual fruit mentioned in his epistle to Galatians, which he undoubtedly derived from the life of Jesus Christ, as perfect Christian lifestyle (5:22-25 cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:5-11). ¡°Fruit¡± is something that is a product. Since this perfect lifestyle is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is not the one that we strived for but the product that the Holy Spirit produced in us as we yield ourselves to him. Basing the fact, we can claim that ¡°the more we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the more we are transformed in Christ-likeness."

Conclusion

The Christian Pneumatology that we, therefore, should continually claim and practise is the Christ-centered Pneumatology. Christ-centeredness is the only rule by which we measure everything. This is actually not a new norm but the principle that the Apostles set forth in their epistles. On the reverse, the physical phenomena also are not the norm at the same time. Whatever the physical phenomena may be, whether Christ centered or not should ever be the first question that we should raise to our end-time-spirituality.