ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

Verlossing: Van Pelagius tot Joseph Smith

 

Salvation: From Pelagius to Joseph Smith

 

 

H.F. van Wyk

Gereformeerde Kerk Bloemhof/Christiana, BLOEMHOF. E-pos: hennie@ssplus.co.za

 

 

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OPSOMMING

Elke Christelike kerk glo dat sy n ware kerk is en verkondig dat die mens verlos kan word om ewig te leef. Hierdie verlossingsboodskap is gewoonlik gewortel in die Bybel as openbaringsbron van God. Die Mormone beweer dat Joseph Smith, stigter en eerste president van die Kerk van Jesus Christus van die Heiliges van die Laaste Dae, n goddelike opdrag ontvang het om die kerk te herstel na die kerk soos wat Jesus Christus dit tydens sy lewe op aarde gestig het. In die studie van die Mormoonse verlossingsleer is dit duidelik dat die kerk nie werklik vervals is en herstellend herstig is nie, maar dat die verlossingsleer dogma-histories 'n duidelike lyn van dwaling en weerlegging volg. Die kern van die verlossingsleer van die Mormone is dat die mens die vrye wil het om sy eie verlossing te kies. Hulle is nie die eerstes wat hierdie boodskap verkondig nie. In hierdie artikel word aangetoon hoedat Pelagius reeds die vrye wil van die mens verkondig het. Tydens die Reformasie het die Anabaptiste dieselfde boodskap verkondig en hulle het aanvanklik naas die reformatore bestaan. Gaandeweg het hulle deel van veral die Nederlandse kerke geword, totdat die sinode van Dordrecht hierdie dwaling uitgewys en nie net verwerp het nie, maar ook geantwoord het. Hiermee is die dogma van die vrye wil nie besweer nie, maar dit word weer 150 jaar later deur John Wesley verkondig. Hierdie is ook die boodskap van Wesley en Whitefield tydens hulle evangelisasieveldtogte in die Verenigde state van Amerika aan die begin van die negentiende eeu. Dit is in hierdie tyd dat Joseph Smith se soeke van die regte kerk plaasgevind het en hy die Mormoonse kerk gestig het. Alhoewel daar baie verskil is met die Metodiste Kerk, die kerk waarin hy opgegroei het, is die verlossingsboodskap in wese dieselfde: die mens het die vrye wil om sy saligheid te soek en te verkry.

Kernbegrippe: Anabaptiste, kerk, kulte, Mormone, Remonstrante, verlossing, vrye wil

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ABSTRACT

Every Christian church believes that she is a true church and proclaims that man can be saved and has eternal life. This dogma of salvation is usually based on the Bible as the Word of God. Mormons claim that Joseph Smith, founder and first president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, received a divine message to restore the church that Jesus had started. In studying the plan of salvation the Mormons proclaim it is quite clear that that way of salvation was not restored in their church, but that it followed a pattern of false doctrine that was revealed time and again in history. The core of their preaching of salvation is that man has the free will to choose his own salvation. Mormons are not the first to preach this message. This article will show that Pelagius oistykated the free will of man. In the Reformation the Anabaptists preached the same message, being a third movement next to the reformed and Roman Catholic believes. The Anabaptists became part of the churches of the Netherlands and at the Synod of Dordt the theology of the free will was rejected and answered. The dogma of the free will of man did not end at this Synod: 150 years later John Wesley preached the same message of salvation during his and Whitefield's campaigns at the dawn of the nineteenth century in the USA. During this time Joseph Smith started to seek the true church and founded the Mormon Church. Although his theology differs quite strongly from the Methodist Church in which he grew up, the core of the way of salvation is the same: man has free will in choosing his salvation.

Key concepts: Anabaptist, church cult, free will, Mormon, Remonstrant, salvation

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