Artikel deur Chris Hand:

Weergawe van SKLAS-OVS

1. The God of Alpha is not the God of the Bible.

Alpha quotes from the Bible a lot. It cannot be faulted on that. But for all this it does not present us with the God who has revealed Himself in the Bible. There is much we could say about the God of the Scriptures. He is the Creator of the universe and the one who upholds it and maintains it. He is a great King and Sovereign over all He has made. We are challenged to ponder:

" To whom then will you liken me. Or to whom shall I be equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of his might and the strength of his power; Not one is missing." (Isaiah 40:25-26)

He is high and holy. He dwells in heaven and is all-glorious. Nothing impure can live in His presence. For those that fall short of His glory and perfection, there is judgement that follows (Romans 6:23)

Now of course much more could be said. But you will have to search hard and long in Alpha to find a God that resembles the One just described. Nothing about Him as Creator, nothing about Him as a great King. He is assumed rather than described. The Bible tells us "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). But we would not be any wiser of this from going on the Alpha Course. It simply fails to tell us anything we need to know about God.

3.1   Die leer aangaande God

Alpha haal die Bybel veelvuldig aan. Dit moet waardeer word. Tog kom God soos Hy Hom in sy Woord geopenbaar, nie in duidelike reliëf nie. Ons sit hier met 'n onvolledige Godsbeeld. Wat elke christen nodig het, is 'n deeglike besef van die grootheid, krag en majesteit van God. Daar is veel meer wat oor die God van die Skrifte gesê meet word.  Hy is die Skepper en Onderhouer van die heelal.  Hy is soewerein in die mees absolute sin van die woord.  'n Mens soek tevergeefs in die kursus na 'n Godsbeskouing soos wat ons dit byvoorbeeld in Jes 40:25-26 en Rom 6:23 terugvind. Niks word oor die ontsagwekkende Skepper-wees van God en sy heerskappy oor alles gesê nie. Klaarblyklik word Hy hoogstens veronderstel, maar geniet nie die nodige aandag nie.

 In die kursus word God se heiligheid bykans verswelg deur ons wonderlike verhouding tot Hom. Die eintlike kwessie is hoe ons voor Hom lewe. Die vraag wat horn by herhaling aan jou voordoen, is: Waar is die ontsagwekkende God en die enorme kloof tussen Hom en 'n sondaar, soos ons dit in byvoorbeeld Jesaja 6 aantref? God is in die hemel en die mens op die aarde! (Pred 5.1). Wat dus hier wesenlik is vir ons verstaan van die God van die Woord, word nie behandel nie.

Artikel deur Chris Hand:

Weergawe van SKLAS-OVS

2. The plight of man in Alpha is not as serious as in the Bible.

Man's state until he is reconciled to God is not a happy one... Man without God is subject to the wrath of God. We are not slightly displeasing to Him. It is not that we have occasional faults and foibles that surface. It is what we are by nature.

The apostle Paul explains that we are "by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). This is very strong language and leaves us in no doubt. We have offended against God and broken His holy law. We are sinners in His sight and deserve condemnation. It is as straightforward as that.

By contrast, Alpha does not use strong terms and leaves us rather unclear about where we stand. As one follows its argument, sin is more to be seen in the way we have messed up our lives (Gumbel 1994: 44,47). It is an inward-looking description of man's state that majors on his feelings of fearfulness (Gumbel 1994:22). It is a picture of man predominated by his feelings of sadness and unhappiness (Gumbel 1994:12-22). sup1/sup.

Now of course these things are all true. This is what life is like for sinners. It is a miserable life for them. Yet this is to major on the consequences of sin rather than sin itself. These are the miseries that follow inevitably because we are sinners. The problem, however, is more serious than simply sin's consequences. Alpha fails to tell us that ultimately we have offended God and courted His displeasure. We have sinned against God and are justly under His judgement. We are people "...having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). For all the gravity of sin, Alpha never allows us to feel too bad about ourselves. It never permits us to see ourselves in God's sight. That is a big omission.

3.2 Die bedorwenheid van die mens

Die totale bedorwenheid van die mens word nie in die kursus verreken nie. Die pynlike verhaal van die sondeval is allesbehalwe 'n gelukkige een. Ons is van nature kinders van die toorn, in die mees radikale sin van die woord! Ons is van nature ongehoorsaam aan God en oortree sy wet. Ons is sondaars voor God en verdien straf. Die gevaar wat die kursus hier loop, is dat die soenverdienste van Christus nie in sy volle omvang verstaan en waardeer word nie.

Om dit enigsins te verswak, tas die Woord van God in sy hart aan. Alpha wek die gevaarlike indruk as sou sonde hoogstens te make het met die gemors wat 'n mens van sy eie lewe maak. Dit is 'n blote gevoel van angs. Dit is 'n gevoel van droefheid en ongelukkigheid. Ons stel Hom maar net teleur.

Laasgenoemde is tot op 'n sekere hoogte natuurlik alles waar. So lyk die lewe van sondaars. Dit is weliswaar van die nare konsekwensies daarvan, maar nie die sonde self nie!  Die saak is veel belangriker as die gevolge daarvan. Sonde is ten diepste opstand teen God en om God van sy eer te beroof. Ons sondig teen God en staan gevolglik regverdiglik onder sy oordeel, sonder hoop en sonder God in die wêreld (Ef 2.12). Alpha laat ons nooit toe om sleg te voel oor onsself nie. Dit help ons nie om onsself te sien soos God ons sien en in berou ons toevlug te neem na die enigste Een wat ons van hierdie ongerymde pynlike werklikheid kan verlos nie. Die indruk wat die kursus by ons oor sonde wek, dek nie die volle lading nie.

Artikel deur Chris Hand:

Weergawe van SKLAS-OVS

3. The Jesus Christ of Alpha is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible.

This may surprise us. Alpha appears to have quite a lot to say about the Lord Jesus. It tells us what He did, what He said, the claims He made about Himself and establishes beyond doubt that the resurrection actually took place.

But despite having part of the course entitled 'Why did Jesus die?', it is unable in the final analysis to answer this question. This is a core issue.

Christ died because God's holy justice required it. Our lives were forfeit. We had sinned and were helpless. Christ had to die in the place of sinners who truly deserved to bear the penalty for their sin. Christ's death propitiated or appeased the wrath of God (Romans 3:25,1 John 2:2). Alpha has not described God to us and therefore has no meaningful place for God's wrath. Christ's death ends up having to satisfy some abstract principle of justice that has somehow become detached from God Himself.

Alpha's own illustrations and attempts to explain get us no closer to the heart of the matter (Gumbel 1994:19-20;47-48). Christ's death upon the cross becomes an act of love but without any real connection with the reality of judgement and God's wrath. All we are left with is the impression that Christ has sacrificed Himself to rescue us from the consequences of sin because that was required by some impersonal and rather arbitrary justice system. It is all rather mysterious. This is not the Christ of Scripture.

3.3 Die Christus van die Woord

Die kursus gaan wel op die Persoon en werk van Jesus Christus in. Dit vertel aan ons wat Hy gedoen het, wat Hy gesê het, Sy aansprake aangaande Homself en stel dit bo alle twyfel dat Hy uit die dood opgestaan het.

Die kardinale vraag in die kursus: "Waarom het Jesus gesterf?", word egter nie bevredigend beantwoord nie. Hier raak dit die evangelie in sy hart.

Christus het tog gesterf omdat God se strawwende geregtigheid dit vereis. God is 'n barmhartige, maar ook 'n regverdige God. Ons het gesondig en só die ewige lewe verbeur. Ons is totaal bedorwe. Ons verdien die ewige straf van God. Christus se dood voldoen aan dié straf (Rom 3:25; 1 Joh 2.2). Alpha beskryf God nie só aan ons nie en ruim geen betekenisvolle plek vir die oordeel (straf) van God in nie.

Gumbel se illustrasies bring ons nie by die kern van die saak uit nie. Christus word gereduseer tot die daad van liefde, maar sender om enige werklike verband te Iê met die werklikheid van die oordeel van God waaraan voldoen moet word. Aan God se barmhartigheid word tot op 'n sekere hoogte reg geskied, maar nie aan sy regverdigheid nie. Al indruk wat by die kursusgangers gelaat word, is dat Christus Homself geoffer bet om ons van die gevolge van sonde te verlos omdat die een of ander onpersoonlike en willekeurige juridiese sisteem dit vereis. Dit is nié die Christus van die Skrifte nie.

Artikel deur Chris Hand:

Weergawe van SKLAS-OVS

4. The love of God in Alpha is not the love of the God of the Bible.

The Bible is clear that 'God is love' (1 John 4:8). Alpha tells us this too. There is a difference, however. In Alpha God is love and little else. There is not much else that He can be as the course has missed all the aspects of His great character that refer to His holiness and glory. We are left with love.

The God of the Bible is love but it is love that is seen in His willingness to save sinners. We are told, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Why did the Lord come? To save sinners. What moved God to do this? His love. This is what makes His love so special and wonderful. It is that such a holy and glorious God should save sinners. This is clear from Romans 5:8 as well, But God demonstrates his own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God's love is evident in that He acted to save sinners. Here we see the glory of Christ's love. But without the context of God's holiness and absolute perfection, the meaning of that love is lost to us. Instead God merely becomes an emotional being of unconditional love divorced from any true understanding of His true nature and being. Alpha's God will give us an emotional high and make us feel special. The God of the Bible will give us eternal life. There is a big difference between the two.

3.4  Die liefde van God

Die kursus maak veel van die liefde van God. Die Bybel is duidelik hieroor: "God is liefde" (1 Joh 4.8). Alpha leer dit ook. Tog is daar 'n verskil. In Alpha is God liefde en niks meer nie. God kan niks anders as dit wees nie. Aspekte van die wese van God, soos Sy heiligheid en heerlikheid, ontbreek. Al wat die kursusgangers oorhou, is sy liefde.

Die Skrif getuig daarvan dat God liefde is. "God is liefde" is dus 'n synsuitspraak. So is God! Maar'n liefde soos dit konkreet gestalte vind in sy bereidheid om sondaars te red (Joh 3.16). Aan die kruis het God sy hart uitgepraat, sy liefde gedefinieer: Só lief het Ek julle!

Waarom het die Here gekom? Om sondaars te red. Wat het God beweeg om dit te doen? Sy liefde. Dit is wat sy liefde so besonder en wonderbaar maak. Dit is die besef dat so 'n ontsagwekkend heilige en heerlike God sondaars red (Rom 5.8).  God se liefde is duidelik in die daadwerklike verlossing van sondaars. Hierin word die heerlikheid van Christus se liefde gesien. Maar sonder die verband wat met God se heiligheid en absolute volmaakte soewereiniteit gelê behoort te word, gaan die liefde van God vir ons verlore. Dan word dit geromantiseer, omdat in die plek hiervan God die gestalte aanneem van 'n emosionele wese van onvoorwaardelike liefde, gestroop van enige begrip van sy ware wese.  Die Godsbeeld wat die kursus voor ons afteken, wil ons op 'n emosionele hoogte bring en ons spesiaal laat voel. Die God van die Bybel ontsien geen moeite om aan ons die ewige lewe te gee nie. Tussen die twee is daar'n hemelsbreê verskil.

Artikel deur Chris Hand:

Weergawe van SKLAS-OVS

5. The Holy Spirit of Alpha is not the Holy Spirit of the Bible.

There is more space in Alpha devoted to the Holy Spirit than to the Lord Jesus. This is surprising given what Scripture says about the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-14). Why does Alpha do this? It is because Alpha's 'Holy Spirit' is the agent for giving to people an 'experience' that is going to make God real to them.

The main focus for this is the 'Holy Spirit Weekend-Away'. People doing Alpha are told to expect all manner of things might happen to them. We are told, Sometimes, when people are filled, they shake like a leaf in the wind. Others find themselves breathing deeply as if almost physically breathing in the Spirit. (Gumbel 1994:136). It is not restricted to this, however.

Physical heat sometimes accompanies the filling of the Spirit and people experience it in their hands or some other part of their bodies. One person described a feeling of 'glowing all over'. Another said she experienced 'liquid heat'. Still another described 'burning in my arms when I was not hot'. (Gumbel 1994:136)

This is all very interesting but it has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit as known through the pages of Scripture. Nowhere are any phenomena such as these attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Alpha's 'Spirit' appears to work in ways that lie outside the confines of Scripture.

Whoever it is that people are 'introduced' to at the Alpha Weekend, it is not the Holy Spirit. But whoever the mysterious guest is, he is equally at home among the ecstatic gatherings of New Age enthusiasts and non-Christian religions alike.

3.5  Die Gees van die Woord

Hieraan word loshande die meeste ruimte afgestaan, veel meer as aan Jesus Christus. Dit is opvallend. Die duidelike indruk wat 'n mens kry, is dat die hele kursus hom haas om by die werk van die Heilige Gees te kom. En dit terwyl dit die Gees van Christus is. Veral verbasend as gelet word op wat die Woord van God oor die Heilige Gees sê (Joh 16.13-14). Die Gees se eintlike werk is om Christus en sy weldade 'n werklikheid in ons lewe te kom maak. Dit is opvallend: Alpha se "Heilige Gees" is die agent wat aan die mens 'n "ervaring" gee. Die Gees gaan later(!) God 'n emosionele werklikheid vir die kursusgangers maak…(Paragraaf uit ander bron ingevoeg plus aanhaling uit Questions of Life )….

Dit is natuurlik nie hiertoe beperk nie. Physical heat sometimes accompanies the filling of the Spirit and people experience it in their hands or some other part of their bodies. One person described a feeling of 'glowing all over: Another said she experienced 'liquid heat: Still another described 'burning in my arms when I was not hot.'

Geweldig interessant, maar dit het hoegenaamd niks te make met die Heilige Gees soos ons Hom in die Skrif leer ken nie. Nêrens word enige van hierdie verskynsels as 'n manifestasie van die Heilige Gees aangetref nie, op geen enkele bladsy van die Woord van God nie! Alpha se "Gees", in lyn met vele van die sogenaamde 'profete van die eindtyd', werk klaarblyklik op maniere wat buite die grense van die Woord val.

Wie dit ook al mag wees aan wie die kursusgangers tydens die Alpha-Naweek 'voorgestel' word, is dit sonder twyfel nie die Heilige Gees nie, nié die Gees van Christus nie, nié die Gees van die Woord nie. Wie hierdie misterieuse onsigbare gas ook al mag wees, hy is te vergelyk met die ekstatiese samekomste wat die vermeende "eindtyd profete" propageer. Soortgelyke manifestasies kom ook in nie-Christelike godsdienste voor, deur massa-suggestie wat veral met behuip van meesleurende musiek bereik kan word. Ons het hier klaarblyklik met geesdrywery te make ( Duits: Schwärmerei).

Artikel deur Chris Hand:

Weergawe van SKLAS-OVS

6. Conversions in Alpha are not like conversions in the Bible.

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter's hearers were '...cut to the heart...'(Acts 2:37). The Philippian jailer asked urgently 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' (Acts 16:30). They understood that they were sinners. They realised that they needed mercy. It was clear to them as it was to the believers in Thessalonica that the gospel was '...in truth, the word of God...' (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Conversions in Alpha come differently from this. More often than not it is an emotional experience about the love of God but without any understanding of holiness or the need to be saved from our sins. There is no recognition of the need to repent and to turn to God as a matter of life and death. People feel forgiven but do not seem to have realised the depth of their sinfulness or repented of their sin. People feel cleansed without having consciously put their faith in Christ. Often this happens when people are in some ecstatic state. Alpha may regard this as conversion but it is not what we find in the Bible…

[There is conversion here, but it is conversion to a Christian lifestyle rather than a conversion to Christ. This is repeated time and time again] - Fitton

For all its efforts, Alpha does not help us to know God. It does not describe the true and living God for us…

3.6  Bekerings in Alpha

Op die dag van die uitstorting van die Heilige Gees was Petrus se toehoorders "diep in die hart getref' (Hand 2.37). Die tronkbewaarder van Fillippi het dringend gevra: "Menere, wat moet ek doen om gered te word?" (Hand 16.30). Hulle het besef dat hulle sondaars is. Hulle het besef dat hulle slegs deur die genadige ingrype van God gered kan word. Net die woorde en dade van God kan 'n mens red (1 Tes 2.13).

Die aard van die bekerings wat Alpha boekstaaf, verskil hiervan.  Meermale is dit niks meer nie as 'n emosionele ervaring van die lietde van God sonder enige begrip van heiligheid en die noodsaaklikheid om van jou sonde verlos te word. Daar is geen erkenning van die noodsaaklikheid om om te draai, na God toe te draai as 'n saak van lewe en dood, nie. Mense voel vergewe, maar sonder om die diepte van hulle sondigheid te besef en weg te draai van 'n lewe in sonde. Dit gebeur dikwels wanneer mense die een of ander ekstatiese belewenis gehad het.

Dit word toenemend duidelik dat dit hier meer gaan oor 'n bekering tot 'n christelike lewenstyl as 'n bekering tot Christus.

Alpha mag dit as bekering beskou, maar dit is nie hoe God Hom in sy Woord hieroor aan ons openbaar nie. Wat hier jammerlik uit die oog verloor word, is dat iets lewensbelangriks 'n christelike lewenswyse voorafgaan: 'n hartgrondige ingrype deur God in jou lewe.