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The imputation of Christ's righteousness to the wicked in the American great awakening and the Korean revivals

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2005 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study considers the doctrine of the forensic imputation of Christ's righteousness
in both the Great Awakening and the Korean revivals through the six revivalists from the
view of the Reformation doctrine oiforensic justification: Jonathan Edwards, Timothy
Dwight, Sun-Ju Kil, Ik-Doo Kim, Yong-Do Lee, and Sung-Bong Lee.
The key question is whether they maintain the Reformation doctrine of the forensic
imputation of Christ's righteousness, affirming the sola fide-sola gratia language of the
Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin. The prime concern facing the six
revivalists is the question of the status of humanity and the necessity of Christ's
righteousness for forensic justification. It is of the utmost importance to see that
justification by faith alone is fully embedded in the understanding of union with Christ.
Jonathan Edwards stood firmly against any attempt to shrink God's free grace down
to the size of human works in justification, following closely the Reformation doctrine of
the forensic imputation of Christ's righteousness. Edwards elucidated Adamic and
Christologicalforensic union in terms of divine constitution. He firmly held that through
union with Christ Christ's alien righteousness is legally transferred or reckoned to the
believers. Timothy Dwight, standing in a quite different tradition, rejected Edwards's notion of justification that justification is an absolute unmerited gift of God, apart from human
works. Dwight affirmed neither prevenient grace nor justification in the Reformation terms
of solajide, sola gratia, sola scriptura, solus Christus, sola Deo Gloria, a iustitia aliena
(an alien righteousness), and a iustitia extra nos (a righteousness apart from us).
By stressing the power of the human will, Sun-Ju Kil clearly thought that justification
is exclusively an act of human beings. Kil's view of the act of faith alone made all the
difference in imputation, connecting the wicked to the righteousness of Christ. Ik-Doo Kim
also departed from the Reformation doctrine ofJorensic justification in failing to present
the implications of Christ's imputed righteousness. Kim's doctrine of the power of prayer
determined his view of justification. Kim's notion of repentance centered on the act of faith
through prayer, which made Luther's solajide a human work or accomplishment in the
imputation of Christ's righteousness. Yong-Do Lee placed his understanding of the
justification of the wicked within the setting of the principle of oneness with Christ, with
which he laid the foundation for the double exchange of life in his theology. Lee did not
recognize a necessary connection between justification and the free grace of the sovereign
God. Although Sung-Bong Lee found considerable depth in the imputation of Christ's
righteousness in comparison with the three Korean revivalists, he failed effectively to distinguish between justification and sanctification. Lee's decisive proposal of union with
Christ cannot be identified as the Reformation doctrine offorensic imputation. This study
suggested that the five revivalists except Jonathan Edwards were unwilling to favor the
Reformation doctrine offorensic justification regarding original sin, alien righteousness,
union with Christ, and the forensic imputation of Christ's righteousness to the wicked. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word die forensiese siening van die leer van die regverdiging tydens
die Amerikaanse Great Awakening en die Koreaanse revivals, in die teologie van Jonathan
Edwards en Timothy Dwight enersyds, en Sun-Jul Kil, Ik-Doo Kim, Young- Do Lee en
Sung-Bong Lee andersyds, ondersoek.
'n Kemkwessie is die vraag of hierdie opwekkingspredikers en teoloe getrou bly aan
die Reformatoriese leer van die toerekening van Christus se geregtigheid soos dit tot
uitdrukking kom in die aksent op solajide - sola gratia by Maartin Luther en Johannes
Calvyn. Sentraal is die vraag na die staat van die mens en die noodsaaklikheid van Christus
se geregtigheid vir forensiese regverdiging. Dit is van die grootste belang om te verstaan
dat regverdiging deur die geloof aileen, onlosmaaklik verbonde is met die verstaan van ons
eenheid met Christus.
In aansluiting by die Reformatoriese leer van die forensiese toerekening van Christus
se geregtigheid, verset Jonathan Edwards hom teen enige poging om deur goeie werke God
se vrye genade te kompromiteer. Edwards verstaan Adamitiese en Christologiese forensiese
eenheid in terme van goddelike konstitusie. Hy hou vas aan die oortuiging dat op grond van
die gelowiges se eenheid met Christus, laasgenoemde se geregtigheid juridies oorgedra en
toegereken word aan eersgenoemde. Timothy Dwight staan binne 'n heeltemal ander
tradisie en verwerp Edward se opvatting van regverdiging as 'n totaal onverdiende gawe
van God onafhanklik van menslike werke. Dwight onderskryf nog die leer van die
voorafgaande genade, nog die Reformatoriese leer van die regverdiging in terme van sola
jide, sola gratia, sola scriptura, solus Christus, soli Deo Gloria. Ook aanvaar hy nie die iustitia aliena (vreemde geregtigheid) en die iustitia extra nos ('n geregtigheid buite ons)
me.
As gevolg van sy aksent op die krag van die menslike wil is dit duidelik dat Sun-Ju-Kil
regverdiging eksklusiefverstaan as 'n menslike daad. Sy siening van die daad van geloof
aIleen maak 'n groot verskil deurdat die goddelose daardeur verbind word met Christus se
geregtigheid. Doo-Kim wyk ook afvan die Reformatoriese leer van forensiese regverdiging
aangesien hy nie daarin slaag om die implikasies van Christus se toegerekende geregtigheid
uit te spel nie. Sy leer van die krag van gebed bepaal sy siening van die regverdiging. Sy
opvatting van berou word gedra deur sy aksent op geloof-deur-gebed waardeur die sola fide
soos geleer deur Luther, verander word in 'n menslike prestasie wat die imputasie van
Christus se geregtigheid tot gevolg het. Yong-Do Lee verstaan die regverdiging van die
goddelose binnne die beginsel van ons eenheid met Christus wat as basis dien vir die
"dubbele ruil" in sy teologie. Hy sien nie 'n noodsaaklike relasie tussen regverdiging en die
soewereine, vrye genade van God nie. Hoewel Sung-Bong Lee in vergelyking met die
ander drie, heelwat diepte vind in die toerekening van Christus se geregtigheid, slaag hy nie
daarin om duidelik te onderskei tussen regverdiging en heiliging nie. Sy deurslaggewende
voorstel ten opsigte van die gelowiges se eenheid met Christus, kan nie vereenselwig word
met die Reformatoriese leer van forensiese imputasie nie.
Die gevolgtrekking van hierdie studie is dat, met die uitsondering van Jonathan
Edwards, hierdie opwekkingspredikers en teoloe onwillig was om die Reformatoriese leer
van die forensiese regverdiging met betrekking tot erfsonde, eenheid met Christus, en die
forensiese toerekening van Christus se geregtigheid aan die sondaars, te onderskryf.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50498
Date04 1900
CreatorsKang, Paul ChulHong
ContributorsTheron, P. F., Davis, D. Clair, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Systematic Theology & Ecclesiology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format390 pages
RightsStellenbosch University

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