I became a christian during a tumultous period in the history of my country, South Africa. Not only was my country in the throes of political tumult, I too was undergoing a personal one - adolescence! During this period, I hungered for truth and right living. The Scriptures fascinated me. And remembering what I had read in my second year primary schooling (by the way I finished reading the Bible in one year when I was only seven!) and was taught later in religious education, I really wanted to experience the power of the New Testament church. I then threw myself into studying Scriptures to see if I could glean something that would transform my life.
I came across a few passages in different books of the New Testament which I underlined. These passages spoke about christian living. I still remember how I told one of my younger brothers how I was about to change my life. Well, that was not to be. With each passing year of great yearning for truth and right-living I became more hopeless. My dabbling in Watch Towerism left me with an even more awareness and strong sense of personal guilt should I not live according to Scriptures. Consequently, I could not live my sinful live pleasurably because of that. In a true sense of seeking salvation, I then delved into metaphysical literature with no success.
The coming and pitching of a small tent near my home by a small band of pentecostal preachers proved providential indeed. Even though I had an aversion to church (for I had seen and known a lot of church people whose lives were no different than mine and was disgusted!), and had not been in a church for a good 10 or so years, knew no hymn save a line or two I used to hear my elder brother sing (he belonged to a gospel music choir), I ended up attending their services. Frankly, when I started attending, I only went after preaching and for the nice vibey music they played. I was soon to develop an interest in a girl who was with this group of preachers. Well, ultimately I surrendered to the message they were preaching and became a christian. By the way, I never saw that girl again. I still do not know whether she was real or was an angel (kidding! But the thought did cross my mind).
My conversion transformed my world and life immensely. I could swear (if it were not forbidden) that the sun shone differently and the grass looked rich green the next morning. A weight lifted from off my shoulders. I felt genuinely happy and free to be myself. Whereas before that day I had become suicidal because of the hopelessness of my life, I found myself approaching each day with such great anticipation. I searched for my Bible from where it had been lying for years without disturbance. I vigorously studied it underlining and cross-referencing as I went along. Because my previous search for truth had taken me to reading and looking for answers in books, I had developed even more 'penetrating' questions regarding almost anything I could think of. So as I studied the Bible again, now as a convert, I soon developed beyond the scope of my immediate leader's ability or willingness to answer my questions. I decided to study extra-biblical literature. I studied any theological work and works by critics of Christianity I could lay my hands on in the two libraries in my town. I subscribed to overseas revivalist newsletters, searched for christian radio and listened to stations as different and far as Transworld broadcasting from Manzini- Swaziland, Radio Pulpit, Pretoria- South Africa, Radio Christian Voice, Lusaka- Zambia and World Catholic Radio from the USA. What all these did was to propel me forward and deeper in the quest to understand the faith and live it.
Well, it has been years now since those days. I am still on the quest for truth and right-living. That quest has taken me through a three year theological seminary training and studying countless books (my counting ability is horrible). With this background now out of the way I can get to the bussiness of generating a debate and discussion on some points of pentecostal doctrine and practice. My interest in this subject developed out of my continued search for truth and right-living, listening to some Pentecostal-charismatic preachers whose doctrines I find to be objectionable, and the awareness of a phenomenon in the US of America where some of the people who leave the Pentecostal-charismatic movement group themselves into Ex-Pentecostal Support Groups seeking to help new defectors and the families of those still in Pentecostal Churches. Because the bible plays such a primary and significant role among pentecostals, the next post shall therefore look at the influence of the bible in doctrine formation and practice information of the pentecostals who nurtured me.
No comments:
Post a Comment