Some of this has been part of the Baptist church I now attend, and I find it a little concerning. Thanks for your comments. This was concerning because a simple reading of Scripture shows that only God curses with justice and power, and that His curse is the punishment for sin. For non-dry, AND theologically rich preaching, try podcasting R. I would really love to talk to someone on this topic. May I have your email address if you do not mind so we can talk. I am 22, from Zimbabwe, Africa.
I am on: amiswitch gmail. Hello, and thanks for reading and reaching out. I try to encourage all our readers to use the comments section to add to or question the content of this post.
It behooves us to look at WHY Pncsts practice what they do as they do. Interesting that Jews demanded signs back in the day. We still do, in the flesh. The Living Word, is no longer enough. We want signs and wonders. Mike Horton is great on this, the sufficiency of hearing and believing, and the power of God to save through the Word. Though far be it for Presbyterians to get as crazy as the Pents. Great comment. My Bible was telling me true worship was obedience to God, not waving my arms.
Many alarms were going off in me spiritually. I prayed for guidance and where to go. So I had a great conversation with my eye doctors receptionist and where she attended. Teaching is biblically sound, mix of old and new hymns which i had wanted….
The other people there seem much more mature in tbeir walk and more sincere. Hi Lon, we share the same last name. I recently left the Pentecostal church. It first started with a study into Reformed Theology, where I began to see the Doctrines of Grace very clearly in scripture. Even though I am now more reformed in my views, I am still studying the continuation of the sign Gifts in the church. Is there anything you may have to offer that would be of benefit?
I appreciate your time. Great surname, brother! After I gave up on Pentecostalism, I was left with a gaping hole in my theology regarding the continuation or cessation of the sign gifts.
I left that hole open for many years, trying to keep an open mind, and avoid a knee-jerk jump to the cessationist side. I read J. The sign gifts and other supernatural phenomena described in the NT bear no resemblance to the practices I observed and practiced in 20 years as a modern pentecostal.
Further the nonsense promoted by many charismatic leaders is even further removed from the Christianity of Peter, Paul, John, etc. My opinion. I could be wrong. I encourage you to reach your own conclusions. Is it still plausible that the sign gifts continue? Of course. All I can say is that I have seen no evidence of continuation.
I can say that the regular means of grace hearing the gospel through preaching, personal study, prayer, communion have been far more useful to my spiritual growth than the ecstatic, crisis emphasis we often see in pentecostalism.
My background was charismatic — a milder version of pentecostalism in the denominational churches. I became a cessationist when I realised that the spritual gifts are fake — as you say above, psychology is the explanation.
I think it has really shaken up all the churches and encouraged them to become more creative in their approach, getting them out of a cultural timewarp, promoting every-member ministry and a joyful living faith. I left because there are more biblically faithful bodies. But there is much that we can give thanks for and praise God together with them. My walk is not perfect by any means, and I routinely fall on my face.
But I do believe that God has led me out of error, much like He has Lon. It is done out of love and humility.
Hey John, Grace and peace to you. No matter how you try to speak your conviction with humility, someone will always judge you negatively. I hope your experience in this brings you more joy and confidence in the gospel. Thank you for this. In reading your post, I have found extremely close similarities to my life as well. I would like to briefly share.
I grew up in a pentecostal church from birth until I was 16 or so. Many years after going through life the hard way I returned to a pentecostal church where the associate pastors were my old pastors growing up.
After about years of reading the Bible faithfully and learning the scriptures for myself, I started questioning the leadership of the church in my mind. I started questioning doctrine. My wife and I ran a ministry solely for alcohol and drug addiction. He thought the other person teaching did a better job. After 3 years of leading that ministry my wife and I were heartbroken. I questioned their doctrine and they could not give me any suggestive answers except that if I questioned the pentecostal doctrine then I lacked faith.
The functionality of the church was to listen to the pastor and not question him. Therefore, they had and still have mindless followers who do not read the Word of God for themselves to see what God has to say. Over the course of the last year I started listening to a Calvinist preacher online. Everytime I would questioning something, it seemed that the Calvinist preacher would hit the part right in the sermon and explain it.
These little confirmations came out of the blue. I started seeing where the pentecostal flaws were. The Lord opened my eyes. More recently my 18 year old daughter went on a prison ministry trip with that church. When they arrived back here, she would not come home. Then finally she decided to move out. The leaders of the pentecostal church were encouraging her to be rebellious and defiant. They were coddling her and would not even talk to my wife or I. We had a meeting with the associate pastors who I have known my whole life.
I discussed the leadership and quoted the book of 1 Timothy on Pauls letter to Timothy on how leaders are doubly accountable and the qualifications of leaders.
I explained that we got the cold shoulder when we would see the church people in town. They would turn the other way. I asked why we are treated that way and they said it was because they thought I was talking bad about that church.
I was sharply yelled at and rebuked by the associate pastor for this. This subject is closed! It seems as if they see their beliefs are wrong as well as their choice in leaders. I was told that if I say what I am discerning and its not uplifting then I am cursing the person.
My family has almost been destroyed because of pentecostalism. The article we all read explains most everything incorrect about pentecostalism and sums it up. If anyone has any questions about what I have learned or anything else that might be going through the same thing, feel free to contact me. I would say what you shared may indicate a church that is near to cult status. Very few churches go this far, and those that do are usual of the independent type and may or may not be Pentecostal.
Where did these pastors get their theological education if at all? The pastor got a bachelors from Northwest University in Washington. They replied back and said the pastor did not seem educated and it appeared that he dictated rather than taught.
My personal opinion is that I heard way too much law with no grace. Then he left people hanging on that. Instead its a dose of law with nothing else. I got burned out on that. Anyways, sorry about the soapbox comments. The church has tried to build a new church building where the parsonage used to be. They bulldozed the parsonage so the pastor could buy a quarter million dollar home. The second most expensive home within miles of him. I advised them before trying to build that they should make sure that they have the funds to do this for it would be wise.
They claimed they are building in faith. I hope I answered your question. I apologize for the rambling of the other things. I just discovered your post today. I could basically substitute my name on your post. Right down to the age I came to Christ 16 in My early Christian years was under a female pastor, which brought its own challenges as I was in search for male role models..
I too, was a pastor for a few years. I got frustrated with the whole thing and with my own shortcomings as a minister. But I started listening to radio ministers like R. Sproul, D. I began to really search the Scriptures and read all kinds of books. I started to understand grace and faith and realized that all the theatrics and manifestations were not all genuine. I found a healthy, well balanced church and went there for 8 years.
I went to seminary and got an advanced degree in theology. Other Christians as well as non-Christians oftentimes find us weird, and sometimes a bit dangerous. A lot of those perceptions are based on myths and misconceptions. Here are nine common beliefs about Pentecostals and Charismatics that are totally wrong.
Almost all Christians in both of these countries are charismatic, and many refer to miracles as the reason they came to Christ. In the early days of the movement, there were some Pentecostals who argued that we should only rely on divine healing, and that using science-based medicine is a sign of doubt. But those quickly died off, for obvious reasons.
We try to highlight three surprising facts: most early Pentecostals were pacifists , most Pentecostals and charismatics around the world today care deeply about social justice , and early Anabaptism — a Christian movement emphasizing peace and justice — was very charismatic.
So there you have it! The growth, popularity, and influence of the movement are not decisive, however, as regards the fundamental, and necessary, question, 'What spirit is the spirit of the Pentecostal movement? For, first, Scripture forecasts great apostasy in the last days, apostasy accompanied by 'all power and signs and lying wonders' II Thess.
Second, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament Scripture holds up the despised 'remnant,' the 'little flock,' as the true people and church of God Is. Third, Scripture requires us to examine, or test, the spirits, whether they are of God Deut. Deuteronomy 13 warned Israel that the false prophet might produce a 'sign or a wonder' on behalf of his religious movement vv. This is what we are doing in this booklet: testing the spirit of Pentecostalism in obedience to the command of Scripture.
The chapters that follow will test Pentecostalism's spirit regarding specific, important doctrines and practices of the movement. This opening chapter tests Pentecostalism's spirit in connection with the distinctive nature of the movement and with regard to its history. Pentecostalism, or the charismatic renewal, is the recent movement in Christian churches that teaches a second, definite, and keenly experienced work of God in Christians after regeneration, or conversion, that is known as the Baptism in, or with, the Holy Spirit hereafter, BHS.
This event has as its purpose to give the Christian a wonderful experience of God and power for ministry, especially witnessing to others. The evidence, or sign, of this baptism is speaking in tongues, understood by Pentecostals, not as the ability to speak in foreign languages without formal, academic study, but as the ability to speak unknown, heavenly languages. This is how authoritative Pentecostals define their movement.
The Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements describes the Pentecostal movement this way: 'Pentecostals subscribe to a work of grace subsequent to conversion in which Spirit baptism is evidenced by glossolalia that is, speaking in tongues ' p.
In further explanation of the fundamental Pentecostal teaching of a BHS, first, Pentecostals hold that in this act of God one receives the Holy Spirit Himself, so that he is filled with the Spirit.
The Spirit Himself indwells the man or woman who is baptized. One is baptized, not by the Spirit but with the Spirit. Second, the BHS is distinct from, and later than, the first saving work of God in a sinner, namely, regeneration, or conversion. It is basic to Pentecostal teaching that there are two distinct works of grace in one's life and experience. The first work is performed by the Holy Spirit and gives one Jesus Christ and His salvation, especially the forgiveness of sins.
The second work of grace, upon which Pentecostalism puts the emphasis, is performed by Jesus Christ and gives one the Holy Spirit. Because the first work—the work of salvation—is signified by the sacrament of baptism with water, Pentecostalism teaches two baptisms.
This at once raises the question, 'What about Paul's teaching in Ephesians that in the church there is 'one baptism'?
Pentecostalism, on the other hand, has a church is which some have only the first baptism, while others have also the second baptism, which is supposed to bestow on them more wonderful experience and much greater power.
In addition, Pentecostalism as an ecumenical movement makes the second baptism the ground of the unity of the church, whereas Paul made the baptism with water the basis of the unity of the church.
God wants all to have it. It is available to all, but we must seek it and fulfill certain conditions in order to obtain it. Only the teaching of a first and second baptism is the 'full gospel. Often, there are physical effects and manifestations, such as a feeling of tingling all over the body, or falling down 'slain in the Spirit,' or laughing uncontrollably the 'holy laughter' of the Toronto blessing , or making noises like an animal. Fourth, the purpose of the BHS in modern Pentecostalism is three-fold: more wonderful experience of much closer union with God, more desire and ability to praise God, and power for witnessing.
Emphasis falls on the feeling of union with God. Not an unlettered 'holy roller,' but Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, 'It is the most wonderful and glorious experience a man can ever have in this life. The only thing beyond the experience of the baptism with the Spirit is heaven itself' Joy Unspeakable, p. The BHS does not increase one's holiness, or strengthen one's faith, or give one growth in doctrine, or deepen one's knowledge of his misery, redemption, and gratitude.
Fifth, the invariable and necessary evidence, or sign, is tongues: the utterances of peculiar sounds and noises, which are said to be unknown, heavenly languages. In view of Pentecostalism's claim that the BHS is for all Christians and in view of the fact that tongues are the necessary evidence of the BHS, all Christians can and should speak in tongues.
But the apostle asks in I Corinthians 'Do all speak with tongues? The BHS is one fundamental Pentecostal doctrine and practice. Another teaching that obviously is essential to Pentecostalism is that all the gifts of the Spirit that were present in apostolic times are present in the church still today. Pentecostalism rejects the classic Christian and Protestant position that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were for the time of the apostles only and that they ceased after the death of the apostles.
Warfield argued this position convincingly in his book, Miracles: Yesterday and Today, True and False. Plainly, there were in the apostolic churches the gifts of tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles of healing, casting out of devils, and the like.
I Corinthians establishes the presence of the extraordinary gifts in the church at Corinth beyond any doubt. Pentecostalism argues that since the special gifts were present in the church then, they must also be present today. This argument is an implication of the still more basic Pentecostal belief, namely, that there can and must be a repetition for churches and Christians today of that which happened on the Day of Pentecost according to Acts 2.
Just as there were two distinct saving events for the apostles, conversion to Christ prior to Pentecost and the BHS on the Day of Pentecost, exactly so must our experience be today. Pentecost must be repeated over and over for churches. Each believer must have his own 'personal Pentecost. The biblical basis for these two main teachings of Pentecostalism with their corresponding practices is the book of Acts and I Corinthians If these passages are not the exclusive biblical text for Pentecostalism, they are certainly the predominant and decisive text.
One other passage is of great importance: Joel Joel was quoted by Peter in Acts 2 to explain the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost: 'And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh,' etc. In verse 23, a few verses before the passage that Peter quoted, the prophet said, '[The Lord your God] hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month.
Pentecostalism explains this by appealing to Joel Pentecost was the 'former rain,' and the present-day Pentecostal, or charismatic, movement is the 'latter rain,' just before the end of the world. This raises the question: 'What is the history of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement?
The history of the Pentecostal movement is history that many of us have lived through and been eyewitnesses of. When I was a college student in the late s, one Sunday evening several friends and I paid a visit to a Pentecostal church in the area of Franklin and Eastern in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The church was an exclusively black congregation meeting in a ramshackle storefront building. Today, the same worship-shouting, arm-waving, falling to the ground, dancing in the aisles, speaking in tongues—that fascinated us as college students goes on in the mainly white, well-educated, sophisticated Assembly of God Church in its multi-million dollar building on 44th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was pastor of a Protestant Reformed congregation in Loveland, Colorado during most of the s and the first half of the s in the midst of Protestant churches that exploded with the charismatic movement.
I had to struggle to understand and judge the movement, whether it was friend, foe, or neutral to the Reformed faith. Later, in the second half of the s in South Holland, Illinois, I witnessed in the village the dramatic playing out of a valiant effort to combine the Reformed faith and the charismatic movement. Circumstances dictated that the Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland take a stand on the question, whether the Reformed faith and the charismatic movement are compatible and whether a Reformed Church may accept charismatic members.
The valiant effort in South Holland to combine the Reformed faith and the charismatic movement was a failure. The gifted Reformed minister began by insisting that he would complement Reformed orthodoxy with charismatic fervor. He ended by offering his 'dusty books of Reformed doctrine for sale cheap' and by trying to raise the dead.
The history of Pentecostalism is astounding. Whether one is for the movement or against it, he must be amazed at the fact that a movement that began only years ago among a handful of lower-class people I intend no disrespect; I am deeply conscious that God always delights in the base and no-account has engulfed Christendom, has become the 'third force,' and has captivated Roman Catholic cardinals and evangelicals such as Packer and Lloyd-Jones. The history of Pentecostalism is not only interesting and informative.
It is also decisive for determining whether the movement is of God. This is not sufficiently reckoned with in analyzing the movement. The history of Pentecostalism—the history! This, it must be remembered, is our concern in this booklet in obedience to the command of the apostle, 'Try the spirits, whether they are of God. To paraphrase the German philosopher, the history of Pentecostalism is the judgment of Pentecostalism. My account of the history is not controversial. It is based on the accounts given by Pentecostal scholars themselves, including the Dictionary of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Donald W.
Dayton, Vinson Synan, and others. Conception is first. Late on the last day of , or early in the morning of the first day of , the itinerant preacher Charles Fox Parham laid hands on Agnes Ozman, so that she would receive the BHS as a second work of grace.
Agnes received the baptism and spoke in tongues as evidence of it. This is known in Pentecostal circles as the 'second Pentecost. Birth followed six years later in revival meetings in a dilapidated building on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. The preacher who brought Pentecostalism to the birth—Pentecostalism's obstetrician—was the Rev. He laid his hands on the people in his little group, and they received the BHS and spoke in tongues.
Seymour was an amusing fellow. The revivals went on night after night for several years. Seymour would mostly sit behind the pulpit with his head in an empty shoebox as the lively meeting raged in the room before him.
The meetings were wild: tongues, rolling on the floor, falling and lying prostrate, crying, laughing, convulsing, and even levitation. Vinson Synan, himself a Pentecostal and a historian of the movement, gives this description of the meetings on Azusa Street, and of the peculiar behavior of Rev.
A visitor to Azusa Street during the three years that the revival continued would have met scenes that beggared description. Men and women would shout, weep, dance, fall into trances, speak and sing in tongues, and interpret the messages into English. In true Quaker fashion, anyone who felt 'moved by the Spirit' would preach or sing. There was no robed choir, no hymnals, no order of services, but there was an abundance of religious enthusiasm.
In the middle of it all was 'Elder' Seymour, who rarely preached and much of the time kept his head covered in an empty shoe box behind the pulpit At times he would be seen walking through the crowds with five- and ten-dollar bills sticking out of his hip pockets which people had crammed there unnoticed by him.
At other times he would 'preach' by hurling defiance at anyone who did not accept his views or by encouraging seekers at the woodplank altars to 'let the tongues come forth. The relation between the conception of the Pentecostal movement in Kansas in and the birth of the movement in Los Angeles in is that Seymour had learned the BHS from Parham at a meeting in Texas.
Soon, people were flocking to Azusa Street from all over Los Angeles, from all over California, from all over the United States, and from all over the world, to get the BHS and bring it home. The direct result was the formation of the Assemblies of God Pentecostal Churches in and the worldwide spread of Pentecostalism.
From to about , Pentecostal teaching and practices were confined to Pentecostal churches. The established churches looked down on these Pentecostal churches as 'holy rollers.
The s saw the spread of Pentecostal doctrine and practices into all the established denominations: Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and even the Roman Catholic Church.
This is the charismatic movement, or charismatic renewal, in distinction from Pentecostalism. The charismatic movement is simply Pentecostalism in the previously non-Pentecostal churches. The name 'charismatic,' which the established Protestant and Roman Catholic churches prefer, suggests that in these churches the special gifts, the 'charismata,' are emphasized more than other aspects of the old Pentecostalism.
Pentecostalism in the established churches is also known as 'neo-Pentecostalism. Largely responsible for the penetration of Pentecostalism into all the churches were a man and an organization. One effective method of FGBMFI to spread the message of Pentecostalism and gain converts to the movement has been their breakfast meetings. Professional people and leaders in various churches are invited to a breakfast at which a charismatic pitches the message of the charismatic movement. Pentecostalism became respectable.
It crossed all doctrinal and ecclesiastical boundaries and divides. All the churches accepted Pentecostalism and approved the Pentecostal spirit as the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This phase of the charismatic movement claims to possess the power to perform mighty miracles, which promote 'church growth. Wimber's church and movement are not an unseemly aberration. They are part and parcel of the Pentecostal movement as the movement develops the extraordinary gifts.
Pentecostals call this development 'the third wave' of Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism derives directly from the theology of the 18th century English preacher John Wesley, particularly from Wesley's teaching of a 'second blessing' in the life and experience of the Christian. According to Wesley, there is a second work of grace in the Christian after conversion that brings one to a higher level of salvation: the level of 'sinless perfection.
The second blessing is more important than the first, which 'merely' gives the forgiveness of sins. Wesley taught that this second blessing, which he also referred to as 'entire sanctification,' must be sought by every Christian.
If the Spirit is to grant this glorious experience, the Christian must fulfill certain conditions. Wesley's teaching of the second blessing resulted in the 'Holiness Movement' in the s both in North America and in England. Revival meetings were held at which the Spirit would grant this second blessing of perfect holiness and a higher Christian life. One of the leading evangelists preaching up this supposedly more wonderful work of the Spirit was Charles Finney.
At these revivals, the reception of the second blessing was accompanied by all the strange phenomena that later attended Pentecostalism's BHS. All that Pentecostalism did was to call Wesley's second blessing the BHS and to insist that the one necessary evidence is tongues, with one notable exception. When Pentecostalism baptized Wesley's second blessing, that is, took it over as the BMS, it changed Wesley's second blessing in one, fundamental respect.
Pentecostalism denied that this second blessing, now known as the BHS, consisted of holiness, indeed perfect holiness. Pentecostalism teaches that the BHS has nothing to do with holiness at all. The BHS has instead to do with mystical experience and with power and gifts for ministry. Wesley would have been appalled at this hijacking of his second blessing. This history, which is Pentecostalism's own account of its history, conclusively proves that Pentecostalism is not of God, proves that the spirit of Pentecostalism is not the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Wesley taught that God loves all alike, that Christ died for all alike, and that the Spirit wants to save all alike, but that salvation depends upon the sinner's choosing to be saved by his own free will. In his passionate commitment to this gospel, Wesley hated the truth of salvation by God's free, particular, sovereign mercy. Wesley is guilty of the worst blasphemies against the gospel of grace that have ever been uttered. His doctrine of the second blessing, which in Pentecostalism has become the BHS, was in perfect harmony with his basic gospel of free will.
Whether one received the second blessing depended upon a person's own will and effort. The theology of Charles Finney, who as a leading preacher of the 'holiness movement' was the link between Wesley and Pentecostalism, was the same as that of Wesley.
Finney was originally a Presbyterian. But he detested Calvinism. Deliberately and aggressively, he went up and down the land preaching salvation—and the second blessing of perfect holiness—by the free will of sovereign man. Pentecostalism is the natural outgrowth of that gospel. It is the fruit on Wesley's tree of salvation by man's will.
In every respect, Pentecostalism is a message and movement of free will. The first baptism in Pentecostal-charismatic teaching—the saving of a man from sin, his conversion—is due to one's accepting Jesus by free will.
The second baptism—the BHS—likewise is dependent upon a man's will and work, for he cooperates with the Spirit by fulfilling the necessary conditions. That Pentecostalism is Arminian through-and-through is the open, clear, unashamed testimony of the Pentecostals themselves. Don Basham has written:. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He works in our lives only to the extent that we are willing. He prompts and leads and woos and persuades but He does not force.
To become a Christian a person must will or want or accept Christ, and he can. To be filled with the Holy Spirit a Christian must will or want to receive, and he can. Vinson Synan, one of the most respected and influential Pentecostal teachers and leaders, summed up Pentecostalism this way:. Although the Pentecostal movement began in the United States The basic premises of the movement's theology were constructed by John Wesley in the 18th century.
As a product of Methodism, the holiness-pentecostal movement traces its lineage through the Wesleys to Anglicanism and from thence to Roman Catholicism. This theological heritage places the Pentecostals outside the Calvinistic, reformed tradition The basic pentecostal theological position might be described as Arminian, perfectionistic, premillennial, and charismatic The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement in the United States , p. This is why Pentecostalism is acceptable to the Roman Catholic Church.
The gospel—the message of salvation—of Pentecostalism is Arminianism, and Arminianism is semi-Pelagianism, which is the gospel—the message of salvation—that Rome proclaims. But the gospel of free will is a false gospel. It is another gospel that is no gospel. Scripture declares it so in Romans Salvation 'is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Ephesians clearly proclaims the gospel of grace: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
For Jesus Christ will not give His Spirit as a fruit of the lie of the false gospel. The Spirit Himself will never work a grand, glorious work of salvation in history as Pentecostalism claims that it is by means of a false gospel.
The Spirit will not honor a movement that hates the gospel of God's grace and glory and that promotes a gospel exalting man, by gracing that movement with His presence and power.
Can the Spirit who inspired Romans work a work in the world that stems from, and proclaims, a gospel of salvation by man's own will? Can the evil tree of a false gospel bear the good fruit of a genuine movement of the Spirit of Christ? It is not necessary to debate whether the extraordinary gifts ceased with the apostles or continue to the present. It is not necessary to carry out a careful exegesis of I Corinthians This is not to say that these things should not be done, or that they are unimportant.
I have myself explained why there were two distinct works of grace in those who lived through Pentecost and demonstrated that the extraordinary gifts have ceased in my booklet, 'Try the Spirits: A Reformed Look at Pentecostalism' South Holland, IL: The Evangelism Committee, repr. But one thing is necessary, and every believer can do this necessary thing: knowing the gospel of the Bible, compare Pentecostalism's gospel with the gospel of Scripture.
If the gospel of Scripture is the message that man must save himself by his free will, Pentecostalism may possibly be a genuine movement of the Spirit.
If the gospel of Scripture, however, is the message of sovereign grace—Calvinism—Pentecostalism is a spurious religious movement. Since the gospel is, in fact, the good news of grace, Pentecostalism is exposed as part of the great apostasy at the end of history that unites all the false churches and leads to Antichrist II Thess.
The Spirit of Christ, who gives Himself to His own, through the gospel of God's grace, does not demand faith of us as a condition for salvation. Rather, He gives us faith as a free gift on the basis of the death of Christ that earned faith for us. That faith, the apostle says in Ephesians , is 'not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. This saving work of Christ by His Spirit is the biblical baptism with the Holy Spirit, which all believers have and the sign of which is baptism with water.
Is tongues-speaking supposed to be the evidence of Spirit baptism? Faith and its confession that Jesus is Lord is the real evidence of salvation and Spirit-baptism I Cor. Faith is the real communion with and experience of God Eph.
Is Pentecostalism's BHS desired as the power for witnessing? Faith is the real power that loosens our tongue, to confess and witness Rom. Is Pentecostalism's BHS boasted of as the ability to do wonderful deeds, for example, laughing for hours, barking like a dog, or falling on the floor? Laying hold as it does on the risen Christ, faith is the real power to perform truly wonderful works: repenting of sin, enjoying peace with God through pardon, lighting sin in one's own life and in the world, obeying the Lord, bearing one's burdens patiently, enduring trials, and overcoming the world Heb.
Let the Pentecostal repent of his confession of a false gospel and, by God's grace, believe the true gospel. In this way, he will enjoy peace with God and possess power to carry out his Christian calling.
Let those who are tempted by the charismatic movement test Pentecostalism's message, its gospel, by the standard of Scripture's teaching, not primarily on gifts and experiences, but on the gospel. And let us who do believe the gospel, and thus believe in Jesus Christ, be assured that by faith in Jesus Christ, by faith alone in Jesus Christ, 'we are complete in him,' for 'in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily' Col. I was deeply involved in the sermon I was preaching.
It seemed as if the congregation was too. What happened next came without any warning. I was cut off mid sentence by what sounded like the howl of a dog that was being choked to death. I stopped and looked toward the back corner of the church, from which the strange noise was coming. My family, which was sitting in the front row, had come close to jumping off the bench. No one else in the congregation seemed too disturbed by the sound.
They were used to it. But this was the first time I was introduced to the gifts of the Spirit in that small, back-hill church of Jamaica. It happened once or twice more during the service, each time interrupting my preaching. Among Pentecostals almost nothing is worse than pointing out serious problems within the movement, among its leaders, in the pews.
Ever since then, there has been a tendency among Pentecostals to regard the movement as above criticism. Yes, there are and have been excellent Pentecostal scholars, but most of them have been driven by Pentecostal leaders out of the movement. Most of them eventually go into exile and teach at non-Pentecostal colleges, universities, and seminaries. Eventually most of them fall off their pedestals, but that might have been prevented had they never been put up on them in the first place.
For most of its history the Pentecostal movement in the U. Racial equality was not a major focus of Pentecostalism and, in general, Pentecostals have been complacent about segregation—even among themselves. Through my uncle who served as a Pentecostal leader for many years, and through my own studies of the movement, and through extremely well-connected Pentecostal scholars and leaders I have known personally, I am aware of very well-known Pentecostal pastors, television evangelists, itinerant evangelists, denominational executives, who have lived and continue to live scandalous lives without being publicly called out about it—by Pentecostal leaders who are, I think, afraid of losing followers who are taken in by these men and a few women.
In any case, know that there is no guarantee that your question or comment will be posted by the moderator or answered by the writer. Keep any comment including questions to minimal length; do not post essays, sermons or testimonies here.
Do not post links to internet sites here. Get newsletters and updates Close. Also, send me the Evangelical Newsletter and special offers.
0コメント