Kerkreg? Die plek van Kerkreg en Kerkregering

Church polity? The position of church polity and church governmentIt is generally accepted that John Calvin can be referred to as the founder of the presbyterial-synodal form of church government which is found in the Reformed Churches. It would therefore be appropriate to focus on his views and to indicate to what extent he influenced the notion that Jesus Christ is Head of the Church and Lord of the world. If it can once again be concluded that there is a close relation between Church, Confession and Church Ordinance, then it is quite evident that Church polity occupies a fundamental place in the Reformed Churches which must be treated with greater concern

Die uitspraak ‘… en saam laat sit in die hemel’ (Ef 2:6) as voorbeeld van ’n eskatologiese hoogtepunt in die brief aan die Efesiërs

The sentence ‘to rule with him in the heavenly world’ (Eph 2:6) as example of an eschatological highlight in the letter to the Ephesians: The viewpoint in this article is that the above-mentioned statement in the letter to the Ephesians can be seen as an eschatological sentence of extraordinary value. In view of different eschatological viewpoints from the past, it can be stated that this sentence is an example of eschatology not only for the future, but also for the present. It is understandable that there is a close link between eschatology and mission. The meaning of theosis (deification), a concept from the Eastern churches’ theological debate, underlines the need for a present eschatological consciousness that has significance for the future of church and faith. Believers can in this way escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may become partakers of the divine nature

Die relevansie van kerkreg met besondere verwysing na die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika

This article believes church polity is critically important, especially in recent times where an appeal is quite easily made to the courts of the political dispensation. The article believes the scriptural viewpoint that Jesus Christ is head of the church plays a substantial role in the modern-day church, which should be kept in mind regardless. Reference is made to court cases in the past and the conclusion is that church polity is relevant because it is a scriptural necessity

Dr Oepke Noordmans (1871–1956): His contribution to ecclesiology and canon law

Noordmans was a minister of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and made a substantial contribution to the theological debate in and outside his church. His work reflects his wide theological interest in various disciplines like dogmatics and canon law, but also in philosophy, phenomenology and as ‘homme de lettres’. His contribution to canon law is of exceptional interest with specific reference to his Christological ecclesiology and his conviction that proper knowledge of the church according to Scripture is a precondition for church ordinance. He also played a substantial role in the process of his church to decide on a new church order

Die kerkregtelike debat tydens die 73 Algemene Kerkvergadering van die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika

The ecclesiastical debate at the 73 General Church Assembly of the Dutch Reformed Church of Africa. Reformed churches emerged from the Reformation which commenced in the 16th century because of the input of well-known reformers such as Martin Luther (1483–1546) and John Calvin (1509–1564). Reformed churches are founded on a certain system of church polity known as presbyterial-synodal. This church orderly viewpoint amounts to the fact that it is a church where Jesus Christ is the sole ruler of the church, transforming all meetings of offices of the church to operate on the same horizontal level with Jesus Christ as the only and sufficient authority in the church. This means that such a church is trying to be church of the Word and should take good care to maintain this critical principal position during meetings, as will eventually be reflected in synodal decisions taken. Contribution: This article takes a critical look at points of discussion submitted to the meeting, especially those with church orderly implications. Critically spoken, it means that decisions tabled at such meetings should be in the prolongment of the churches’ decision to be church of the Word, and therefore presbyterial-synodal. It is therefore also a contribution to church polity as such

The Spitzer Spectroscopic Survey of S-type Stars

S-type AGB stars are thought to be in the transitional phase between M-type and C-type AGB stars. Because of their peculiar chemical composition, one may expect a strong influence of the stellar C/O ratio on the molecular chemistry and the mineralogy of the circumstellar dust. In this paper, we present a large sample of 87 intrinsic galactic S-type AGB stars, observed at infrared wavelengths with the Spitzer Space Telescope, and supplemented with ground-based optical data. On the one hand, we derive the stellar parameters from the optical spectroscopy and photometry, using a grid of model atmospheres. On the other, we decompose the infrared spectra to quantify the flux-contributions from the different dust species. Finally, we compare the independently determined stellar parameters and dust properties. For the stars without significant dust emission, we detect a strict relation between the presence of SiS absorption in the Spitzer spectra and the C/O ratio of the stellar atmosphere. These absorption bands can thus be used as an additional diagnostic for the C/O ratio. For stars with significant dust emission, we define three groups, based on the relative contribution of certain dust species to the infrared flux. We find a strong link between group-membership and C/O ratio. We show that these groups can be explained by assuming that the dust-condensation can be cut short before silicates are produced, while the remaining free atoms and molecules can then form the observed magnesium sulfides or the carriers of the unidentified 13 and 20 micron features. Finally, we present the detection of emission features attributed to molecules and dust characteristic to C-type stars, such as molecular SiS, hydrocarbons and magnesium sulfide grains. We show that we often detect magnesium sulfides together with molecular SiS and we propose that it is formed by a reaction of SiS molecules with Mg.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Efesiërs 1:14 en 1:22, 23 as ’n skriftuurlike maksimum-minimum vir die ekklesiologie

Ephesians 1:14 and 1:22, 23 as a scriptural maximum-minimum for ecclesiology. Against the background of a membership decline in mainstream churches in South Africa and abroad, and conscious of the theological debate in which a missional ecclesiology is presented as at least part of the modern-day solution to the problem, this article points in the direction of a Christological ecclesiology as an important ecclesiological point of departure. The article gives an exegetical outline of Ephesians 1:14 and 1:22, 23 as a critical maximum-minimum for a Christological ecclesiology and as a means of making missional ecclesiology more acceptable