Dr Joseph Dimitrov: A Spirit-Driven Ecclesiological Tenacity

Описание: This recording is an academic presentation from the Europe-Asia Pentecostal Summit 2025, held in Singapore at City Harvest Church.

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Scholar:
Dr Joseph Dimitrov (President, Continental Theological Seminary)

Paper Title:
A Spirit-Driven Ecclesiological Tenacity: Tested and Proven Response to Hostility and Afflictions

Paper Précis:
The Church is the spiritual community of the seeing ones. It has been called “out of darkness into his (God’s) wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2:9). This community consists of “children of the light and children of the day” who “do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5) but have the obligation to “live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). The one who provides this environment of light, enabling the church to see, is the person and work of the Holy Spirit. In contrast with the previous state of blindness, the Spirit guides, speaks, teaches all things, reminds what was said, and reveals what is yet to come (John 14, 15, 16). Therefore, the scriptural contrast between darkness and light is not simply implying the transition from the state of unbelief to the state of belief. Instead, this enlarged perspective rather reveals the effect of a Spirit-led sight empowerment. This ability to walk with insight and discernment could be defined as pneumatological quality. Scripturally and in practice, we find this truth especially important for times when this “light-and-day” defined community goes through adversity and persecution. Ecclesiological seeing is possible through a pneumatological mindset. From its conception until modern times, this mindset has helped the church not only to survive afflictions but thrive spiritually. This is how the three painful effects of persecution—“the split consciousness,” “the split faithfulness,” and “the split leadership”—have been and will be overcome.

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