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Discovering the Reality of God in Word and Spirit: an interview with R. T. Kendall

 

PneumaReview.com: Please point out a few practical steps church leaders can take in order to address this deficiency?

A close relationship with the Holy Spirit and a solid knowledge of the Bible will spare you of serious error.

R. T. Kendall: Backsliding begins in the knees. A solid relationship with God is the first step. John 7:17 – knowing the will of the Father – is the best beginning. People today don’t know their Bibles, neither do they read them. We have Bibles but don’t read them. In Luther’s day they did not have Bibles, but when they got them they devoured them and loved good preaching. Some pastors only turn to the Bible when they need a sermon. Every pastor and every church member needs a Bible reading plan – one that takes you through the entire Bible in a year. My own was introduced to me by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones –the one designed by Robert Murray M’Cheyne. John Wesley prayed two hours a day. Martin Luther prayed two hours a day. The average church leader today prays four minutes a day. A close relationship with the Holy Spirit and a solid knowledge of the Bible will spare you of serious error.

 

PneumaReview.com: Why do some Charismatics not place much value on Bible study?

People want and need good teaching, but it is hard to find.

R. T. Kendall: It is because they have not been taught. Leadership from the pulpit can make a huge difference. People need leadership. We are living in a day when there is a dearth of strong theological leadership. People want and need good teaching, but it is hard to find.

 

PneumaReview.com: What counsel would you give to a Charismatic who does not engage in serious Bible study?

R. T. Kendall: I would urge him or her to begin now to have a Bible reading plan that takes them through the Bible in a year. If they cannot find a church that does not emphasize this, find a Bible study on line that is sound, solid, scriptural and Spirit honoring.

 

PneumaReview.com: The gifts and power of the Spirit are mentioned in the Bible yet some Evangelicals are not open to them. Why is that? 

R. T. Kendall: The fear of man is a snare. The teaching of cessationsism (the notion that the gifts of the Spirit ceased in the early church) is a comfortable and convenient way to avoid teaching them, not to mention seeking them. Earnestly desire the greater gifts, said Paul. But am I to believe that does not apply to me? Whatever is a new Christian to think when he or she has been converted and told to read the Bible – and then to learn that a great part of it is irrelevant today? Take a scissors and cut out what is not relevant today and you have a Bible in shreds. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; so too is the Holy Spirit the same yesterday and today and forever!

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Category: Biblical Studies, Winter 2020

About the Author: R.T. Kendall was the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London for 25 years. Educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Oxford University, Kendall is the author of more than 60 books, including Total Forgiveness: Achieving God's Greatest Challenge (Charisma House, 2010), Understanding Theology: The Means of Developing A Healthy Church in the Twenty-first Century in 3 volumes (Christian Focus), Calvin and English Calvinism to 1649 (Paternoster, 1997), and Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit's Work in Our Lives (Charisma House, 2014).

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