Evidence for the operation of the gifts of the Spirit throughout the Church Age.

In the early history of the church, the gift of tongues was very closely associated with prophesy. The second century author Irenaeus, for example, in quoting Act 10:46, substituted the word “prophecy” where the Biblical passage specifies tongues.¹  This association of tongues with prophesy is also evident in the book of  Acts. When the apostle Paul was at Ephesus he found some disciples who said that they had been baptized into John’s baptism. He baptized them in the name of Jesus, and when he laid his hands on them, we are told in Acts 19:6 that they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

This early association of tongues with prophesy should be borne in mind, since there is always the possibility that various early accounts of the manifestation of spiritual gifts refer to both when only one is mentioned, or even to one when the other is mentioned, as in the case of Irenaeus.

The miraculous gifts in general tend to be associated with one another, and accounts of tongues and prophesy are often included in accounts of healings, miracles, revelations, and visions.

The Epistle of Barnabas

Wherefore God dwelleth truly in our habitation within us. How? The word of His faith, the calling of His promise, the wisdom of the ordinances, the commandments of the teaching, He Himself prophesying in us, He Himself dwelling in us, opening for us who had been in bondage unto death the door of the temple, which is the mouth, and giving us repentance leadeth us to the incorruptible temple.⁴

Justin Martyr

After the time of the Apostolic Fathers, one of the earliest Christian writers was Justin Martyr, the apologist of the early second century. His Dialogue With Trypho is a narrative of Justin’s conversation with a learned Jewish man, Trypho, and some of his friends. In Chapters 81 and 82 of this work, he cites the passage in Isaiah 11 which refers to gifts conferred by the Spirit of the Lord, and he says:

Pastor, scholar, businessman Larry Taylor shows that there is no need to fear theology and answers that there is a great need for a Biblical theology today.

Pascal, never known for his affection for the rationalism of his day, once said that faith “is captured by the heart.”¹ He was referring to his belief that God must be experienced in ways the human mind cannot fully comprehend. Recently, a minister was heard encouraging his congregation to “let God speak your heart not to your head,” as if to echo Pascal. As catchy as these words seemed, I could not help noting how they expressed but little appreciation for the mind, even the mind transformed by God. Instead of denouncing any particular philosophy or theological system, the minister seemed to imply that the mind is an enemy. It seems that the value of the reasoning process has been widely discounted within full-gospel ranks, and that theology has been overtly condemned as a hindrance to fidelity to God.

We may laud Pascal’s condemnation of “modern rationalism,” the exaltation of abstract reasoning as the source of truth. Reasoning however, is crucial to the formulation of sound Biblical ideas. The questions addressed in this article is: Do full-gospel ministers need to do theology which, by definition, requires intellectual inquiry into, and reasonable explication of, their beliefs? Our proposed solution may be found in the following propositions: (1) that full-gospel ministers have had misconceptions about the meaning and function of theology; and (2) that theology has a practical role in communication the teachings of Scripture to the church.

I. A Lesson From History

Anyone acquainted with the efforts of men like Augustine, John Wesley, Martin Luther, or Charles G. Finney knows that these were champions of the faith. They were also men of expert learning, skilled at wielding the sword of truth against the attack of agnostic or heretical contemporaries. These men never questioned the relationship between their faith and their capacity to reason, because they believed God embraces both. They were abreast of their times, educated and, most importantly, devout students of the Word. At critical junctures in church history, they successfully guided it along a steady course.

On the other hand, other successful spiritual leaders were not known for being theologically lettered. Billy Sunday, for instance, and in the early years of the Pentecostal movement Charles Parham and William Seymour experienced tremendous evangelistic success with little emphasis upon the value of education or theology. Yet, in the founding years of the Pentecostal revival, a “full-gospel theology” was already emerging which would ultimately become a dividing factor, spawning the first Pentecostal denominations.² Paradoxically, it was theology which divided the movement but it was also theology which facilitated the effective organization of these factions, leading to further church growth in this country.

The independent bodies continued to develop their “revival doctrines,” teachings on the tabernacle, and the “mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit.” In this important aspect, all full-gospel bodies, whether denominations or independent churches, have clearly adopted particular “theologies.” For whenever there are explicit teachings on the nature of Jesus Christ, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or the church and its government, theology is present!

Have you got Jesus All Wrong?

As a writer, I have the wonderful privilege of researching and meditating on one topic for months at a time. My latest project allowed me to focus on the grandest subject of all: Jesus. Growing up in the church, I learned his name as soon as I learned the names of my family members. But now, as an adult, what did I truly think about him? Which childhood impressions had been confirmed and which ones overturned?

As I reflect on what I learned in the process of writing The Jesus I Never Knew, I have come up with a “top ten” list. Please forgive me if the form seems irreverent. David Letterman style, it begins with number 10 and works upward.

Jesus was a Jew

I knew that, of course. But the more I studied Jesus, the more I realized that his humanity had receded far away. Every week in church I would repeat the creed, which, significantly, hustles through Jesus’ life. “… Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,” it says. Did anything happen in the interval between birth and death?

Somehow, everything Jesus said and did in 33 years on earth gets swept aside in the rush to interpret his life correctly. For me, as for many others raised in the Christian tradition, the man who walked the dusty roads of Palestine has been all but lost. I knew Christ—“Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made”—but not Jesus, or Rabbi Jeshua bar-Joseph, the Jew from Nazareth.

A remarkable change has taken place in recent years, I learned during my library research: interest in Jesus is resurging among the Jews. In 1925, the Hebrew scholar Joseph Klausner could find only three full-length treatments of Jesus’ life by contemporary Jewish scholars. Now there are hundreds, including some of the most illuminating studies available. Modern Israeli schoolchildren learn that Jesus was a great teacher, who was subsequently “co-opted” by the Gentiles.

Jesus’ true-blue Jewishness leaps out from Matthew’s very first sentence, which introduces him as “the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Roughly, that might parallel an American politician being introduced as “the son of Abraham Lincoln, the son of George Washington.” Jesus grew up in a era of Jewish pride, when families were adopting names that harked back to the times of the patriarchs and the Exodus from Egypt (not unlike ethnic Americans who choose African names for their children). Circumcised as a baby, Jesus attended religious festivals in Jerusalem as a young man, and as an adult he worshiped in the synagogue and the temple. Even his controversies with other Jews, such as the Pharisees, underscored the fact that they expected him to share their values and act more like them.

Growing up, I did not know a single Jew. I do now. I know something of their culture: the close ties that keep sacred holidays alive even for families who no longer believe in their meaning; the passionate arguments that at first unsettled me but soon attracted me as a style of personal engagement; the respect, even reverence, for legalism amid a society that mainly values autonomy; the ability to link arms and dance and sing and laugh even when the world offers scant reason for celebration.

This was the culture Jesus grew up in, a Jewish culture. Yes, he changed it, but always from his starting point as a Jew. Now when I find myself wondering what Jesus was like as a teenager, I think of Jewish boys I know growing up in Chicago. When the thought jars me, I remember that in his own day Jesus got the opposite reaction. A Jewish teenager, surely—but the Son of God?

Pastor Michael Peters looks at the Baptism with the Spirit in light of the whole salvation experience.

Editorial Introduction

This article is a chapter from Michael Peter’s book In Defense of Charismatics. In Defense was written as a response to John MacArthur’s book Charismatic Chaos and as a defense of charismatic beliefs and teachings. Peters wrote in the introduction to his book:

There is a lot of good among charismatic Christians that is worth defending. But, whenever God uses human instruments there are failings; therefore some criticism is justified. My purpose is not to defend every charge against individuals, but to defend charismatic teaching.

Because the emphasis is upon defending charismatic teaching, any number of noncharismatic authors could have been quoted. However, MacArthur’s book includes all the significant doctrinal differences, therefore his is the primary author quoted. The reader should not assume that MacArthur has a vendetta against charismatics or that charismatics do against him.

MacArthur has provided a service to the body of Christ by expressing his concerns and beliefs. It affords the opportunity to respond. Some would rather keep such doctrinal differences concealed. But Paul taught that we are to speak truth in love so that we can grow up in Christ (Eph. 4:15). If we cannot openly address differences we are destined to immaturity.

My hope and prayer is that upon reading this book, charismatics will become deepened in their convictions, and that noncharismatics will grow in their appreciation of charismatics by understanding that we too only want scriptural Christianity.

Introduction

What distinguishes charismatics from noncharismatics? The Baptism with the Holy Spirit which is a baptism of power (Acts 1:5-8) is what distinguishes charismatics from noncharismatics. Charismatics affirm it is possible to be a Christian without being baptized with the Holy Spirit. “It is possible for us to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ without having received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit,”¹ wrote Martin-Lloyd Jones. Noncharismatics affirm that at conversion every Christian is baptized with the Holy Spirit. “Spirit baptism is actually an integral part of every Christian’s salvation experience,”² wrote John MacArthur. That is the difference.

The differences between these two views raises the question: Is the Baptism with the Spirit distinct from salvation? The answer to that question is discovered by looking at the New Testament accounts of salvation experiences as seen in the book of Acts. Let us examine the accounts that make direct or indirect reference to salvation and the Baptism with the Spirit and then compare these passages with the teaching of the epistles and historic Christianity.

The editors, staff, and directors of the Pneuma Foundation would like to express our gratitude to a number of individuals who have made this journal possible.

Special thanks to Christian Life College in Mount Prospect, Illinois (Chicago area) for their generous permission to reprint articles that originally appeared in their journal Basileia. Their assistance in helping to locate the authors of these articles is also noteworthy.

Special thanks also goes to all those who have given specific permissions to use their articles or volumes including Pastor Jeffrey McGregor of Resurrection Life Assembly, Seattle for his book Speaking in Other Tongues: A Scholarly Defense (also look for the condensed version of this massive work, Tongues: The Answer to the Debate); Pastor Michael Peters of Christ the King Covenant Church, Webster Groves, Missouri, for his book In Defense of Charismatics; Author Robert Graves for his book Praying In the Spirit; and those whose articles will be appearing in this and future issues: Professor Larry Taylor, Professor William Pankey, Author Phillip Yancey, and Professor Richard Riss.

Thanks to the many individuals who have offered encouragement, vision, and advice in seeing this dream of “Biblical teaching from a Pentecostal/charismatic perspective” begin to come to life. To name just a few: Timothy Beals, Roger C. Mock, Pastor Ron and Joy Messelink, David Driggs, Kevin Williams, Pastor Daryl Merrill, Robert DeVries, Wayne Wachsmuth, and Martin Emerson.

Have more effective Prison Ministry follow-up by utilizing this Institute devoted to training inmates in God’s Word.

Ask anyone who has been involved in prison ministry what the biggest difficulty is and they will tell you: Follow-up. Nothing is a greater obstacle to effective ministry to the incarcerated than the inability to establish relationships with them. With constant changes, especially in local jails, the same prisoner will likely not be in same place for the second visit or next month’s chapel.

If you have struggled against this very deterrent in prison ministry, or are interested in developing a ministry into the jails and prisons, you need to know about a ministry resource that is available to you. You need to know about Crossroad Bible Institute.

Crossroad Bible Institute exists to provide a step by step, high quality Christian education for people who are in prison. CBI has been ministering to inmates for 15 years and currently has over 7,000 students all across the country and in over a dozen foreign nations.

There are many correspondence schools available to inmates, but Crossroad Bible Institute is unique in many ways. First of all, unlike most correspondence schools, CBI is non-denominational. Although the founder and writing/teaching staff come from a predominately Reformed tradition, they are careful to not emphasize their doctrinal distinctives. To say it plainly, they know that many of their students are not from a Reformed background and that most of them are new believers. There material, for this reason, concentrates on the basics of the Christian life.

CBI does not charge the student anything, but is supported by churches, businesses, private individuals, and a host of creative fund-raising programs. They even operate a new and used book store to help pay for the cost of materials and postage.

CBI works effectively because the instructors for this institute are trained volunteers who are eager to help these students. CBI trains each instructor to correct the correspondence lessons received from the prisoner-students. All of the work is done in the privacy of the instructor’s home and the for the sake of the security of the instructors, all contact with the student passes through CBI.

If you already have an established prison ministry, CBI can be of great help in connecting prisoner-students with your church’s own instructors. The time commitment for instructors, who might not otherwise even participate in prison ministry, is relatively light. For a rewarding 2 hour investment every 3-4 weeks, instructors have a tremendous impact on the life of a prisoner.

Speaking of my own experience as an instructor, the mentor/student relationship built through this correspondence school is strong. Students who graduate are wholeheartedly praised, CBI doing much to make the student know that they have accomplished something. Instructors are encouraged to write letters to their students, giving students an opportunity to open up themselves as little or as much as they desire.

Contact this ministry yourself to better learn how you can make use of this resource in your church’s prison ministry. Perhaps there are even some in your church ready to become instructors for such a ministry. The staff at CBI is always delighted to assign new students to people whom the student has already worked with. This is, after all, how the ministry began and flourished.

Crossroad Bible Institute  (updated October 2013)

P.O. Box 900 Grand Rapids Michigan 49509-0900

Telephone: 1-800-668-2450

http://cbi.fm

Pneuma Review editor Raul Mock with CBI President David Schuringa after his message for chapel at RBC Ministries (publishers of the daily devotional Our Daily Bread) on May 28, 2014.

“20 of the Most Significant events in the history of 20th Century Pentecost” Pentecostal Evangel (May 31, 1998).

The Pentecost Sunday (1998) edition of the Pentecostal Evangel (Assemblies of God weekly publication) is indeed a special edition.  Laid out in a concise and easy-to-read chronological format, this Evangel can be read in order or by the subjects that interest you the most, as all of the articles are self-contained.  Some of the topics covered are: the beginnings and spread of the modern Pentecostal movement, key people and places in Pentecostal history, and different movements and theologies within Pentecost (including a frank look at some of the more controversial doctrines). The articles are written by many of the most respected Pentecostal scholars of our day including, Gary B. McGee, William W. Menzies, and Del Tarr. The articles are:

• 1901: The Holy Spirit falls at Topeka    by Gary B. McGee
• 1905-1908: The Azusa Street Revival    by Ken Horn
• 1906-1907: Pentecost Goes to Europe    by Edward Gitre
• 1906-1910: Pentecost Goes to Canada    by Ronald Kydd
• 1907- Present: The Church of God in Christ    by Elijah H. Hankerson III
• 1910-1916: The Finished Work    by Glenn Gohr
• 1914: The Birth of the Assemblies of God    by William W. Menzies
• 1913-1916: The Oneness Controversy    by Robert Berg
• 1913-1939: Early Pentecostal Missions    by Joyce Wells Booze
• 1917-1939: Early Hispanic Pentecostalism    by Efraim Espinoza
• 1919-1945: Russian Pentecostalism    by Gary B. McGee
• 1910- Present: Pentecost in Brazil    by Everett A. Wilson
• 1939- Present: Pentecostals Come Together    by Wayne Warner
• 1948-1951: The Latter Rain    by Edgar R. Lee
• 1915-1959: The Healing Movement    by Wayne Warner
• 1901-1976: Women in the Pentecostal Movement    by Joyce Lee
• 1951- Present: Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International    by Hal Donaldson
• 1959- Present: The Charismatics     by Vinson Synan
• 1956- Present: Pentecost in South Korea    by Karen Hurston
• 1994: The Miracle of Memphis    by Del Tarr

Reviewed by Joseph Joslin

Read the full Pentecostal Evangel issue at the Flowers Pentecostal Heritage Center: http://www.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1997-1999/05-31-1998.pdf

Joe Joslin and Raul Mock at a PneumaReview.com editorial committee meeting on March 11, 2014.

In this 1995 book by B. J. Oropeza, a Pentecostal/charismatic examines the holy laughter phenomenon. This well-documented and well-researched book attempts to present the background and beginnings of the holy laughter movement and well as guidelines for discerning true renewal.

In the introduction, Oropeza says there are no easy answers to the many questions the holy laughter movement has raised. Chapter 2 is a brief history of the movement and profiles of the major players. “Uncovering the Teachings of Rodney Howard-Browne,” Chapter 3, appears to be relatively fair, but this author has no personal contact with Rodney Howard-Browne (and it appears that Oropeza has not either save his extensive research). Oropeza concludes that Browne is a “simple Pentecostal Preacher” who is not a part of the Word of Faith movement, but needs to clarify and/or practice more of what he preaches.

Chapter 4 attempts to cover the teachings of the Vineyard prior to 1995 and its association with the prophetic and eschatological aspects of the Kansas City Prophets, the Third Wave, the Kingdom Now and Latter Rain movements. Most Pentecostals will likely take exception to Oropeza’s eschatology in regards to what is the “Last Days Revival.” Many charismatics will also be uncomfortable with what appears to be a sweeping guilt by association Oropeza establishes between these separate movements and the holy laughter movement. If using similar phrases or Scriptures connects otherwise theologically divergent movements, all charismatics would be similarly indicted with all of charisma’s abuses.

Chapter 5 is a closer examination of the laughing, weeping, shaking, and animal noises which have been associated with the holy laughter renewal. Then Chapter 6 attempts to evaluate these phenomena in light of Scripture. Of special interest will be Oropeza’s evaluation of being “slain in the Spirit” and his refutation of being “drunk in the Spirit.” This excellent chapter is concluded by saying, “If we are to critique the Holy Laughter phenomena correctly, we must do so without assuming that it is wrong because it violates our own personal sense of propriety. Moreover, it is not enough to say there is no biblical evidence for it. We must show why it is contrary to Scripture, or why it undermines the Christian faith, or why it offends the biblical sense of propriety in worship” (p. 130).

In Chapter 7, Oropeza takes a look at the cultural backdrop of the church at Corinth to whom Paul wrote so much about the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit. In light of the pagan, hedonistic society of Corinth and Paul’s corrective against these elements moving into the church, Oropeza draws conclusions for today based on Paul’s intent. He writes, “Paul never doubts that the Holy Spirit is in fact touching the lives of the Corinthians, despite their disorder. Although other cults spoke in tongues and prophesied, Paul never questions that, despite the disorder, the Corinthians are still speaking in tongues and prophesying by the Spirit of God. . . . When God wants to touch lives, disorder is not going to stop him” (p. 143).

Chapters 8 and 9 are a brief chronicle of Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Century revivals and the spiritual phenomena attached to them. Oropeza examines some of the connections contemporary renewal leaders have claimed exist between these past movements and the holy laughter movement.

Welcome to the premiere issue of the Pneuma Review, the quarterly journal of the Pneuma Foundation. Allow me to introduce you to this journal and organization.

Pneuma. Spirit. The Pneuma Foundation exists to provide resources for Spirit-empowered ministry. Those of us who make up the Pneuma Foundation, the founders, writers, and members, believe there is a need in the body of Christ today for Biblically-sound teaching that comes from a Pentecostal/charismatic perspective.

The Foundation publishes a member newsletter and this journal, the Pneuma Review.  The writers and editors of the Foundation are currently working on presenting a large selection of teaching booklets to be distributed through church bookstores on subjects of interest to Pentecostals and charismatics. These booklets are called Today’s Biblical Issues.

Another way the Foundation brings resources to the Christian community is by way of the Pneuma Biblical Resources Catalog. The catalog offers a wide variety of reference works and specializes in hard-to-find books of specific interest to Pentecostals and charismatics.

This journal, then, is for the purpose of encouraging Christian leaders in the study of Biblical doctrine. One area of especial need is teaching about the gifts of the Spirit, their proper use, theological foundation, and defense.

Ready to use. The journal has an equipper’s focus, making the teaching practical and usable to the pastors and leaders that are equipping the saints today for the work of the ministry.

Some of the regular subject articles and columns that will be featured are:

The Person and Work of Jesus

Theology Today

The Ministry and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Resource Ministries and resources for ministry

Mars Hill: Apologetics—Defense of the faith in a Godless society

The Forum: Letters from our members & readers, Theological dialogue, News and updates

Messianic Studies

Book and Periodical Reviews Response. The editors and writers of the Review want to hear from our readers. The Forum will give our readers a voice, giving an opportunity for affirmation and critique. In the future, there will be discussions about controversial subjects (such as women in ministry, divorced leadership, and end times) where not just differing viewpoints will be mentioned, but representatives from differing views will be able to present their view and answer opposing views. This dialogue will bring greater understanding and promote real unity when we realize what is truly important to the Spirit’s economy.

Speaking of response, consider taking a moment and writing the editors a note. Do you agree there is a need in the body of Christ for Biblically sound teaching from a Pentecostal/charismatic perspective? What subjects would be helpful to you for us to concentrate on?

Perhaps you would be interested in submitting a work you have written. Take a look at the basic guidelines on page 2. Articles that are in agreement with the principles and purpose of this journal are welcomed.

To put it all together, the vision and focus of this journal are summed up with what is said on the cover. The Pneuma Review is: The Journal of Ministry Resources and Theology for Pentecostal and Charismatic Ministries and Leaders.

Raul Mock, Executive Editor

Read the Special Thanks published in our premiere issue.

Wonsuk Ma

The purpose of Wonsuk Ma’s article is to open further theological dialogue between classical Pentecostals (the “First Wave”) and the Third Wave movement. He does this by first giving a brief overview of the origins of the Third Wave and a definition of the movement according to its best-known proponent, C. Peter Wagner, “… a further evolution of the two earlier movements which emphasized the Holy Spirit and the contemporary manifestations of the Spirit” (page 189).

The specific focus of this article is upon the “lower-level” power encounter, or deliverance ministry for individuals, as this concept is developed and employed by missionary anthropologist Charles Kraft. He reproduces notes from a deliverance session he participated in while a doctoral student at Fuller Seminary, where Kraft is a professor in the School of Mission. From this he looks at the similarities and some of the differences between Pentecostal and Third Wave assumptions about the supernatural. He does this by comparing his own Asian, classical Pentecostalism to the theories and practices of Charles Kraft.

In the opinion of this writer, Ma’s article stuck to his intention, being “designed to challenge the Pentecostal movement to reflect upon its own current direction, and only incidentally to critique the Third Wave” (p. 193).

Wonsuk Ma discusses what Pentecostals can learn from Charles Kraft in regards to pastoral concern, deliverance ministry, and theological challenges. He then looks at some of the criticisms that have been leveled at the Third Wave. He presents the criticisms and then evaluates them from a Pentecostal perspective, showing at each point that which Pentecostals should be reminded of or challenged by.

Although this article may not be a good introduction to the Third Wave (and certainly it was not intended to be), it is an introduction to the challenge of having greater dialogue between the three waves of charismatics. Wonsuk Ma’s heart is obviously to see increased dialogue develop between Pentecostals, charismatics, and the Third Wave. “Pentecostals and Charismatic scholars, with a common experience of the Holy Spirit, have constantly enriched each other’s theological understanding. … For the same reason of sharing common ground, the Third Wave should be invited to join constructive dialogue with the First and Second Waves. The common ground for this dialogue will again be the belief and experience in the supernatural work of God” (p. 205).

Ma closes by contending that God is speaking to the Pentecostal movement through the rise of the Third Wave. If God is speaking, let us then be certain to hear His voice.

Reviewed by Raul Mock