Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-01-27T14:20:20Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertação - Diego Angeline Rocha - 2014.pdf: 1435480 bytes, checksum: c67ab31715e8d9f8dba209b4857be938 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2015-01-28T12:07:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertação - Diego Angeline Rocha - 2014.pdf: 1435480 bytes, checksum: c67ab31715e8d9f8dba209b4857be938 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-01-28T12:07:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Dissertação - Diego Angeline Rocha - 2014.pdf: 1435480 bytes, checksum: c67ab31715e8d9f8dba209b4857be938 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-10-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This dissertation research object of religious narratives of the faithful of the World Church of the Power of God, published in the World Journal of Faith and the Revival Magazine Urgent. Are sixteen year history, from its founding to the present day, 1998 to 2014 The confessional narratives found in periodicals expressing the belief of the faithful. All persons who attend this church are seeking immediate solutions to their problems. The main motivations of people to attend the meetings are: Lack of money and physical / emotional illnesses. The main focus of the investigation turns to the presentation and analysis of these narratives of religious believers. This provides the explanation of certain practices and beliefs. Attitudes found are explained by faith. In this perspective, religious faith gives guidance to the practices of people who, in turn, are desperate. / Esta dissertação tem como objeto de investigação das narrativas religiosas dos fiéis da Igreja Mundial do Poder de Deus, publicadas no Jornal Fé Mundial e na Revista Avivamento Urgente. São dezesseis anos de história, desde a fundação, até os dias atuais, 1998 a 2014. As narrativas confessionais encontradas nos periódicos expressam a crença dos fiéis. Todas as pessoas que frequentam tal igreja estão em busca de soluções imediatas para seus problemas. As principais motivações das pessoas para frequentarem as reuniões são: Falta de dinheiro e doenças físicas/emocionais. O foco principal da investigação volta-se para a apresentação e análises das narrativas religiosas destes fiéis. Isto proporciona a explicação de determinadas práticas e crenças. As atitudes encontradas são explicadas pela fé. Nesta perspectiva, a fé traz orientações religiosas para as práticas das pessoas, que, por sua vez, encontram-se desesperadas.

The present thesis, Paul's Apostolic Existence. How to understand apostle Paul when he writes about apostle Paul, investigates the issue of why Paul writes so frequently in his epistles about himself and his life. The search starts in 2 Cor 12:1-10 where Paul mentions Christ's answer to his prayer for recovery from sickness: "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weak- ness." This statement becomes the central point of the investigations. Their core part is exegesis of the relevant passages, mostly from Paul's letters to Corinth. The context is broadened by selected texts from the letters to the Philippians and to the Romans. In these texts, the apostle explains to the read- ers his own existence mainly by pointing out his weakness and suffering. The present thesis argues that Paul's motives for writing these texts should be looked for in his theology. He considers his recurring experience of God's power in weakness as instrumental in his mission to preach the gospel. The argument is supported by possibly precise description of the relation between Paul's apostolic existence and his preaching. This will show what benefit these texts can and should bring to their readers.

An underlying theme of creation can be found in the text of Colossians 1:13-20. Certain words and expressions in the passage can be directly linked with the first act of creation. These words and expressions can corporately be described as "creation language". From this it follows that "creation language" is the way in which the work and Person of Jesus Christ is described in relation to the Old Testament (Genesis) creation accounts. In Collossians 1:13-20 we find a focus on the Creator. The message of redemption is cast within the framework of the continuing creation activities of God. It is an actual fact that God (the Father and Creator) takes initiative in the redemptive process. It is He who redeems believers by transferring them from the hostility of the darkness to a new Lordship. The Son - being the image of the invisible God - is the Instrument of redemption. It is the Creator though that is the "acting Person" behind the redemptive process. The power of the Creator is a strong underlying motive in Colossians 1:13-20. His power is shown in the act of the first creation and reiterated in the resurrection of the Son. The focus is on God's - and his alone - power to create life out of death. Something comparable to the creation of "life out of nothing" during the first creation. Being the Image of the invisible (Creator) God, the Son is the perfect Representative of the powerful God. He represents God's presence, but more specifically his power. Christ's Lordship over everthing in the creation is therefore repeatedly mentioned in Colossians 1:13-20. By describing the church as the body of Christ, believers are reminded that they are drawn into the powerful presence of their Creator's power. They are reminded of the impact of their redemption by referring to the process by which they were redeemed and their identity under the headship of Christ. On an ethical level they are urged to live accordingly - to be transformed to the likeness of their Creator. The content of Colossians 1:13-20 represents a confession from antiquity about the nucleus of the ancient believers' faith. Along with this it creates a "stencil of interpretation" for the message of the whole letter. The fact that the passage is written in "creation language" reminds us of the importance of this motive for New Testament studies in general. In conclusion, it can be noted that the writer of Colossians 1:13-20 employs "creation language" as a vehicle to describe the work and Person of Jesus Christ while focusing on the active involvement of the Creator. In a unique and uncomplicated manner it is shown that the redemptive work of Christ is to be understood within the framework of the active creation process of the Creator as it is described in the Old Testament creation reports. / Dissertation (PhD (New Testament Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted