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Vol29,No22013 MELANESIANJOURNAL OF THEOLOGY Towardsa TheologicalPerspectiveontheMysteryof SufferingintheMidstofProsperity Theology WithinthePentecostaland EvangelicalChurches inPapuaNewGuinea,ParticularlyYangoru MaxonMani TheDeathofChristanditsMeaningforMelanesians fromPaul’s LettertotheGalatians: FromFeartoFreedom GeorgeMombi JournaloftheMelanesianAssociationofTheological Schools Allissuesofthe MelanesianJournalofTheology areavailableonline, inPDFformat,freeofcharge, ontheChristian Leaders’ TrainingCollegewebsite– www.cltc.ac.pg – andclickonthe“MelanesianJournalof Theology”panel. Somebackissues are availableinprint. Forthoseunableto accesstheinternet, a printed andstapledcopyofthe MJT PDFfilecanbeprovided,for a nominalfeetocoverprinting and mailingcosts. Pleasecontact CLTCatoneofthe addressesbelow. Copyright©bytheMelanesianAssociationofTheological Schools. ISSN0256-856XVolume29,Number22013. ThisjournalisindexedintheATLA ReligionDatabase ®, a productofthe AmericanTheologicalLibraryAssociation,300 S. WackerDr.,Suite2100, ChicagoIL60606USA.Email: [email protected];http://www.atla.com. Thisjournalis abstractedin Religiousand TheologicalAbstracts , 121 South College Street(POBox215),Myerstown PA17067USA. Email:[email protected];http://www.rtabstracts.org. TheMelanesianJournalof Theology grantspermissionfor any articletobe reproducedforeducationaluse, aslong asthematerialisdistributedfree, andcreditisgiventothe MelanesianJournalof Theology. ADDRESS: MelanesianJournalof Theology POBox382 MtHagenWHP PapuaNewGuinea Email:[email protected] Phone:(675)276-5028 1 MELANESIANJOURNAL OFTHEOLOGY JournaloftheMelanesianAssociationof TheologicalSchools The MelanesianJournalofTheology aimstostimulatethewritingof theologyinMelanesia.Itisanorganfortheregulardiscussionof theologicaltopicsatscholarlylevelbystaffandstudentsofthemember schoolsoftheMelanesianAssociationofTheologicalSchools(MATS), thoughcontributionsfromnon-members andnon-Melanesians arewelcome. The MelanesianJournalofTheology iscommittedtothedialogueof ChristianfaithwithinMelanesiancultures.TheEditorialTeamwill considerforpublicationallmanuscriptsofscholarlystandardonmattersof concerntoMelanesian Christians andofgeneraltheologicalinterest. Theopinionsexpressedinthearticlesarethoseoftheauthorsanddonot necessarilyrepresenttheviewsoftheEditor,AssistantEditor,orthe membercollegesofMATS.Allarticleshavebeeneditedtomeetthe requirementsofthejournal. Thejournalispublishedsemi-annually,normallyinAprilandOctober. ArticlesmaybesubmittedtotheEditor at anytimeforconsideration. Editor:DougHanson ChristianLeaders’Training College Assistant Editor:RobyneHobson ChristianLeaders’Training College Editorial Team:GaudiGabutu MelanesianInstitute JosesImona SonomaAdventist College GraemeHumble PacificAdventistUniversity William Longgar ChristianLeaders’Training College 2 CONTENTS Editorial.............................................................................................. 4 Towardsa TheologicalPerspectiveontheMysteryof Suffering intheMidstofProsperity TheologyWithinthePentecostal and EvangelicalChurchesinPapuaNewGuinea, ParticularlyYangoru MaxonMani.............................................................................. 5 TheDeathofChristanditsMeaningforMelanesiansfromPaul’s LettertotheGalatians:FromFeartoFreedom GeorgeMombi........................................................................... 79 3 MelanesianJournalofTheology 29-2 (2013) EDITORIAL ThechurchinMelanesiamirrorssomechallengesthattheglobalchurch faces,butitalsoencounterschallengesuniquetoMelanesia.Thechallenges addressedbythetwoarticlesinthisjournalareperhapsthemostimportant issuesfacingthechurchinMelanesiantoday:prosperitytheologyand spiritualforces. Prosperitytheologyisaglobalphenomenon,butonethathastakendeep rootsinMelanesia.MaxonMani,writingasaMelanesian,whogrewupin theYangoruareaofPapuaNewGuinea,seekstofindtheappropriate theologicalrelationshipbetweenprosperityandsufferingforhispeople. RecognisingthatprosperitytheologyeasilytakesrootinMelanesiaculture, becauseofitstraditionalbeliefs,heraisesthequestionastotheroleof sufferingwithinscripture,and,consequently,theroleshoulditshouldplay inthetheologyofprosperityamongtheYangoruan.Hechallengesbelievers totake a hardlook atthetheologybywhichtheylive. GeorgeMombi’sarticleemphasisesthedistinctivenessofthechurchin Melanesiafromtheglobalchurch,but,atthesametime,showing commonalitywiththoseplacesintheworldwhere“namelessforces”,such asancestors,spirits,andsorceryarestillconsideredtoinfluencelife. Identifyingthesenamelessforceswith (stoicheia)inGalatians,he showsthatthebondage,Paulwasaddressing,alsofacesMelanesian believerstoday,butitisabondagethatwasovercomebytheworkofChrist onthecross.ByapplyingPaul’steachingtoMelanesians,George challengesbelieverstotransformtheirworldviewintoonebasedonfreedom in Christ, andnotonbondagetospiritualforces. Thesearenotthefirstarticleswehavepublishedonthesetopics,norwill theybelast.And,noteveryonewillagreewiththeconclusionsreachedby theseauthors.However,wehopethat,asyougrapplewiththeissues,the thoughtsoftheauthorswillhelpyougrowinyourunderstandingofwhat God’sWordsaystoyourlife andyourculture. DougHanson. 4 MelanesianJournalofTheology 29-2 (2013) TOWARDS ATHEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING IN THE MIDST OF PROSPERITY THEOLOGY WITHIN THE PENTECOSTALAND EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN PAPUANEW GUINEA, PARTICULARLYYANGORU MaxonMani MaxonManigraduatedfromthe Christian Leaders’ Training Collegein 2012withaMasterof Theologydegree.Maxonnowlecturesfull-timeat CLTC.Hecanbereachedviaemailat [email protected]. PREFACE Prosperitytheologyisinfluentialinthemissionalfronttoday.Ithasan enormousimpactonthereligious,economic,andpoliticallifeofthepeople. Thisstreamoftheologywasdevelopedinthe20thcentury,butits philosophyisasoldaslifeitself.Asitcrossesculturalboundaries,ittakes onandaccommodatestherecipientculturalstimulusaboutourlifehereand now,in a pragmaticway.Mostofitsteachingsaresimplisticandone-sided, andnormallymayresultinextremism.Itisateachingthatsaysasuffering- freelifecanbeexperiencedhereandnow.Ontheotherhand,wehavealso identifiedthatamajorityoffaithfulChristiansacrosstheglobeare experiencingnumeroussufferings,becauseoftheirfaithinChrist.These two-facetedtheologicalproblemsarepromotingthecurrenttheological meleebetweenCharismatic/PentecostalandtheEvangelicalfactionsofthe church. However,inourdiscussionpertainingtothesetheologicaldivisions,and theirtheologicalpresuppositions,wehavetriedtolistentobothsidesofthe debate.Therefore,wehavesurveyedtheimpactofprosperitytheologyin PapuaNewGuinea,particularlyinYangoru;whattheBiblesaysabout 5 MelanesianJournalofTheology 29-2 (2013) prosperity,thetheologyofsuffering, and a questfortheologicalbalance,and itsimplications.Wehave,therefore,concludedthat,fromabiblical perspective,prosperityandsufferingbelongtogether.Theyshouldbe understoodfromabiblicalcovenantalperspective.TheOTcovenantswere relational, arelationshipofreciprocity,butsupersededinthecomingof Christ.Thus,life,incommunionwithChrist,isafulllife.Eitherin prosperityorsuffering,allshouldlivebyfaith,forGod’sglory.Therefore, Christianfaithisrelational,andprosperityandsufferingbothbelongtothis relationship.ItisafaiththatisfoundedonGod’swordalone,itcannotbe shakenbyexternalcircumstances,itisimmoveable,evenwhenexternal supportandevidences,likeprosperity,areremoved,anditstandswhenall elsefails(Job13:15).Thus,thekeytosuchstrongfaithandintimacywith God,andahealthierrelationshipwithoneanother,dependsonourclose fellowshipwithGodin alloflife. INTRODUCTION ThousandsofChristiansacrosstheglobearebeingmadehomeless,stripped oftheirdignity,aresuffering,andexperiencingpersecutionanddeathfor theirfaith.Whyistheresufferingfor afaiththatpromisedfreedomforthe prisoners,eyesightfortheblind, releasingoftheoppressed,goodnewstothe poor,andtheyearoftheLord’sfavour(Luke4:18-19)?Iftheseverses implylifeinitsfullness,whyistheresuffering?Whatisthebiblical perspectiveonChristiansuffering?Ontheotherhand,manypastorsin PapuaNewGuinea(PNG),particularlyinYangoru,arepreaching prosperitytheology.ThisisatheologythatsaysthemoreyougivetoGod, themoreyouwill receivefromGod;yousowmaterialpossessionsoncertain Christianleaders,ortheorganisationstheylead,andyouwillreaparich harvestofblessings;or,ifyoubecomeamemberofacertainChristian organisation,andfollowitsspiritualprinciples,youwillbeblessed, spirituallyandmaterially;orthemorespiritualyoubecome,themore materialandspiritualblessingsyouwillreceivefromGod.DoesGod alwaysbringphysicalandmaterialblessingstothefaithful?Isprosperity theologytrulyscriptural?Isprosperityameasuringrodformeasuringone’s spirituality?Isittheplumblinebywhichwemeasurewhoisandwhoisnot aChristian?Isthereanyrelationshipbetweenprosperitytheologyandthe 6 MelanesianJournalofTheology 29-2 (2013) theologyofsuffering?Wheredowedrawthelinebetweenprosperity theology andthetheologyofsuffering? 1 Againstthisbackdrop,thisthesisexaminessomeoftheissuesassociated withprosperitytheologyinPNG,particularlyChristiandiscipleshipin Yangorutoday.Thus,thispaperarguesthatprosperitytheology,divorced fromsuffering,isanthropocentric,andreflectsYangoruanpragmatism.It challengesEvangelicaltheologiansnotonlytocritiquetheteachingof prosperitytheologians,buttoexploretheworldviewsthatmaybe influencingthisstrandofteaching–tobiblicallyevaluatetheseworldviews, andtoconstructamore-theologically-balancedEvangelicaltheologyof prosperityandsufferingasaproposedguidetoChristiansfortheirdaily lives. Therefore,inordertoexplore,evaluate,anddevelopabalancedtheologyof suffering andprosperity,theissuewillbe addressedinthefollowingmanner. Thefirstsection,onthe“ImpactofProsperityTheology”,willexplorethe impactofprosperitytheologyinPNG,particularlyYangoru.Thesecond section,onthe“BibleandProsperityTheology”,willelaborateontheBible andprosperitytheology. PartAofthissectionwillwrestlewiththequestion “Isprosperitytheologybiblical?”,whilepartBwillpointtowardsabiblical theologyofprosperity.Then,inpartC,wewillmakeanevaluation.In sectionthree,onthe“BiblicalTheologyofSuffering”,wewilllookatthe cross-shapedcharacterofGod,thecross-shapedcharacterofGod’schurch, andthecross-shapedcharacterofChristiandiscipleship.Sectionfour,on the“QuestforTheologicalBalance”,isanattempttodevelopabalanced theologicalviewofsuffering andprosperity.And,inthefinalsection,onthe “Implications”,wewilllook atthetheologicalandmissiologicalimplications thatmay ariseinourtheologisingofthisissue. METHODOLOGY Theschemasthatwillbeanalysedinthisstudywillincludeculture, theology,andbiblicalparadigms.Theseschemaswillbeapplied,to approachtheissue,enablingustoexploretheuniquesocial,economic,and 1 BongRinRo,“IntheMidstofSuffering,isProsperityTheologyScriptural?”,in EvangelicalReviewofTheology 20-1 (1996),pp.3-4. 7 MelanesianJournalofTheology 29-2 (2013) religiousspheresofthepeople.Thismeanswewillstudytheissuesintheir naturalsettings,andmakesenseofthephenomena,intermsofthemeanings peoplebringtothem.Then,wewillcriticallycontextualisethecultural aspects,synthesisetheologicalandbiblicalteaching,andseekabalanced viewoftheissue.Basically,itwillbeahistoricalandnarrativetheological method,from a Yangoruanperspective. LIMITATIONS Thistheologicalissueisofhistoricalandglobalchurchconcern.Ithas becomeatugofwarbetweenCharismatic,Pentecostal,andEvangelical factionsofthechurch.Ithasbecomeproblematicforthechurchacrossthe wholeworld,includingPNG.Itsimpactonchurchesordenominationsis phenomenal.2 However,duetothelineofargumentselectedforthis discussion,theauthorwishestoadvisethatthispaperwillbeculture-and place-specificinitsthoughtandframe.Therefore,thisdiscussionwillbe specificto PNG, and,inparticular,totheYangorupeople. DuetothelimitationsofthewrittendocumentationofYangoruanmythical andancestralheritage,mostofthecontributionsinthefirstsection,onthe “ImpactofProsperityTheology”,willcomefromtheauthor. 3 Interviews willnotbedone,becauseofdistance,andtheunavailabilityoffunds,but relatedmaterialsfromotherpartsofPNG,and,especiallyEastSepik Province,willbeselectedjustforthefirstsection.Moreover,thekeyword inthedevelopmentofthispaperis “life”.Life,therefore,is,inprinciple,the fundamentalbasisuponwhichallhumanontologies,epistemologies,and methodologiesarecarvedout,toexplainorprotectindividualsandsocieties 2 Somekeyarticlesandbooksdealingwiththisproblematicissuecanbesourcedfrom EvangelicalReviewofTheology 20-1(1996);RobertM.BowmanJr, TheWordFaith Controversy,GrandRapidsMI:BakerBooks,2001;CraigL.Blomberg, NeitherPoverty norRiches ,LeicesterUK:IVP,1999;andJohnF.MacArthurJr, CharismaticChaos , GrandRapidsMI:Zondervan,1992. 3 TheauthorofthispaperadvisesreadersofthisdocumentthatmostoftheYangoruan storiesandmythologyhavebeenimpartedtotheauthorbytribalspecialists,inpreparation fortheauthor’striballeadershipinthefuture.Therefore,theauthorhasthisprivilegeto usethisknowledgeasatoolforrevisitingtheculturalbeliefsystems,inorderto reinterpret themfromabiblicalperspective, inanendeavour todocontextual theology. 8 MelanesianJournalofTheology 29-2 (2013) fromharmordanger.Thusthepresuppositionsattachedtotheconceptsof suffering andprosperityshowthesignificanceoflife. 4 THEIMPACT OFPROSPERITYTHEOLOGYASIT AFFECTSTHE NATION, PARTICULARLYTHE YANGORUANPEOPLE Thecultureofanyhumansocietyisahistorically-andtraditionally- fashionedshell,hardenedbytimeandexperience.Itbecomesashieldof survival,andanavigatingcompass,inaworldofchaos.Itisdesignedto protectlifefromtheonslaughtoftheravenousworldthatmayendangerit. 5 Thus,anynewsocio-political,orsocio-economic,orsocio-religiousvalues willbe animposition.AsNarokobiobserved: TheunderlyingnobilityofMelanesiansocieties,andtheirvalues,are yettobeunderstood.Almosteverymodernofficial,whether governmentorreligious,worksontheassumptionthatMelanesians havenothingtoteachthem.Theresultisthateveryefforttodevelop, everyefforttoeducate,everyefforttoChristianise,everyeffortto democratise,is anexternalimposition. 6 Thisexplicitlymeansthat,nomatterwhatonemaybethinking,everynew formofreligiousorseculardevelopmentisanimposition:churchministries, churchrites,educationsystems,politicalsystems,judiciarysystems,and economicsystems,andsoon. 7 Manyofthesesystemshaveattackedthe solidMelanesianshell, andmade aninroadintotheintegrationofvalues. Butisthisintegrationhealthyforthecountry,orforthechurchinPNG? Thisissubjecttoinvestigation.Forinstance,oneprominentimpositionhas beentheWesternliberalpoliticalculture,enforcedbythecolonisers,with littleornoregardforthetraditionalstructures,whichembodyideas,beliefs, andvalues.Afteryearsofindependence,wearewatchingtheresurgenceof 4 MaxonMani,“QuestforSalvationinPapuaNewGuinea:TheYangoruanPerspective”, inMelanesianJournalofTheology 26-2 (2010),pp.69-70. 5 Ibid.,p.69. 6 BernardNarokobi, LifeandLeadershipinMelanesia ,SuvaFiji:UniversityofSouth Pacific,1983,p.60. 7 Ibid. 9
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