먼저 개혁전통에 대해서 정의하고, 그 정의에 기초하여 보다
간편한 논의를 위해서, 16세기의 개혁파 종교개혁자들(쯔빙글리, 부처,
깔뱅)의 개혁전통과 18-20세기의 개혁파 정통주의자들(헤페, 바빙크,
루이스 베르꼬프)의 개혁전통을‘고전 개혁전통’으로 명명하고, 20세기
의 개혁파 신정통주의(바르트, 브룬너)의 개혁교회 전통과 21세기의 개
혁교회 전통(핸드리꾸스 베르꼬프, 베르까우어, 몰트만, 토랜스, 밀리오
리)을 묶어서‘현대 개혁전통’으로 명명하고, 고전 개혁전통에서‘개혁
파 정통주의’를,‘현대 개혁전통’에서 헨드리쿠스 베르꼬프(Hendrikus
Berkhof)의‘디아코니아’만을 다룰 것이다.
This thesis treats of the ‘diakonia’ of Reformed Tradition focused
on the Reformed Orthodox and H. Berkhof. According to the
Reformed Orthodox, besides the ‘presbuteroi’ the ‘diakonoi’
(deacons) are mentioned in the New Testament, Phil.1:1; I Tim. 3:8,
10, 12. According to the prevailing opinion Acts 6:1-6 contains the
record of the institution of the diaconate. Some modern scholars
doubt this. But in all probability Acts 6 does refor to the institution of
the diaconate.
The Dutch Reformed dogmatician, Hendrikus Berkhof(1904-
1995), arrives at nine elements that are essential to the church as
transmission institute, seven of which are themselves transmission
instruments, while the last two are intended to facilitate the work of
the instruments of transmission, and for that reason closely and
necessary linked to them. He thus come to a total of nine institutional
elements: instruction, baptism, sermon, discussion, Lord’s Supper,
diaconate, worship service, office, and church order. Salvation is
total. It is the answer to man’s double estrangement: from God and
from himself; that is, it is the answer to man’s guilt and to his need.
Now that in Christ God’s kingship has come near and we are made to
share in it by the Spirit, this should also become clear in what
happens to the concrete forms of need and guilt of man’s existence in
the world. Otherwise the comprehensive purpose of God’s salvation
has still not really become clear. This form of mediating salvation we
call ‘diaconate.’ According to H. Berkhof, the diaconate is thus by no
means an appendix among the media that pass on God’s salvation.
The witness without the backing of the diaconate remains empty, just
as the diaconate without the witness is left without a voice.