| December 30, 2013 |
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One may surprise to read Jesus Christ having said that he brought not peace but sword, a symbol of war and division. The intention is to make clear of his agenda as irresistible. Therefore, when there’s any attempt to resist, a bitter sword of division would take place to reinforce the desired end—transformation or change. In that sense, the two extreme sides of each, peace and sword (i.e., sweet and sour, smooth and gentle) someway represent the nature of God’s work instead. Following this analogy, some phenomenal expressions of certain revival are also just the representation of the single attitude of the Spirit, who messaged such a timely call to the church in God’s aggressive love. To our human tendency, some might prefer one way over another. However, the Spirit of God would work in His own better way and has the right to make His midnight call in a way that we didn’t expect. Therefore, this is the reminding words of Jesus to be always ready and alert that the groom might come in an unexpected situation (cf., Matthew 25:3; Luke 21:28, 36). This same principle can be applied to our case too.
While not arguing for or against such posting of position paper as it is a denominational need, however, this is the request of this article to pastors and leaders to have a little more patience in dealing with current end-time revivals until the final result of such could be clearly counted on. At the same time, this is a humble advice to those who are struggling with the said phenomenal problems of revival to observe not only the single side of the coin but the other side also. Let us tentatively ask such questions as what in the other, hidden side of such revivals really is and what in-depth theological basis beneath it has adopted, rather than how it looks like to our glance on the surface. For the Spirit of God defines himself in the forms of still water sometime and also wild fire the other time, peaceful voice sometime and rushing wind the other time, soft and gentle to someone like hungry Elijah in the cave but strong and rough to Saul on the road to Damascus.
Therefore, let us say that genuine revival may come in several ways and may be reflected through several expressions—such as in a soft or strong movement, through sweet or even bitter experiences of life, and many other hundred ways.[11] However, on the one hand, as the overall pastoral principle, we know that we are not merely to entertain the sounding of the said revivals but to watch and celebrate the change that every genuine revival always brought to renew the life of the saints—i.e., our love for God, our devotion to His service, our commitment to mission, and such.
* This article is intended to follow, “Christocentric Pneumatology” that is a
theological response to current revival movements and spiritualities, formerly published by the author in
Pulpit Huh, a journal of the Bethel Bible College, in 2004. A socio-community response to current revivals also is forthcoming.
[1] To name certain denomination does not have any other intention except to address current issue. With this in mind, the Assemblies of God is pointed out since it is the biggest denomination within the group and in thinking of that it represents the whole movement to a very reasonable extent.
[2] All the statements in the position paper were said adopted by the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God on August 11, 2000, under the title of “Endtime Revival-Spirit-Led and Spirit-Controlled: A Response Paper to Resolution 16.”
[3] For instance, there was a book produced by some Pentecostal/Charismatic scholars in criticizing the so-called Toronto Blessing. While not advocating the Blessing since there may be some theological faults as cited out, however, the criticism in the book was also likely done unfair by mostly observing the surface phenomena as if the criteria for criticism. For more, Lloyd Pietersen, ed.,
The Mark of the Spirit? A Charismatic Critique of the Toronto Blessing (Carlisle, Cumbria, UK: Paternoster Press, 1998).
[4] In simple words, Systematic Theology is a study of basic Christian doctrines. Mostly, the whole course of study was normally categorized into ten, so is also known as Ten Doctrines by some.
[5] Imagine! When I received my first pastorate, I was only twenty (still milky and smelly).
[6] Vreeland also once criticized some critics of the Word of Faith movement, one kind of independent Charismatic groups that mostly received strong criticism even from their Pentecostal/Charismatic peers. See, Derek E. Vreeland, “Reconstructing Word of Faith Theology: A Defense, Analysis and Refinement of the Theology of the Word of Faith Movement,” Theology Interest Group, the 30th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
[7] Refer to the article, “Montanism,” in Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee, eds.,
Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1998).
[8] For instance, in case of St. Francis of Assisi, one author commented that he even became object of derision within his own group and even among his earlier disciples at first, cf., Dallas Willard,
Living in the Vision of God (Washington, DC: Tell The Word, The Festival Center, 2003), 6.
[9] With the same attitude, the compilers of the said position paper also argues against some critics of end-time revivals, who contended that some specific phenomenal expressions (or physical responses) only are legitimate, and that the paper also seemed willing to allow God’s sovereign will to choose any means or even new method/form (phenomena) to perform miracles at any time, cf., General Presbytery, “Endtime Revival-Spirit-Led and Spirit-Controlled: A Response Paper to Resolution 16,” a Position Paper, the Assemblies of God of America, August 11, 2002: 5.
[10] “Hypostatic union” is a Christological terminology that denotes two natures brought together into one single person without any confusion or without absorption to each, cf., Council of Chalcedon, AD. 451.
Tags: renewal movements, revival, Thang San Mung
Category: Church History
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