“Progress in holiness can best be measured not by the length of time we spend in prayer, not by the number of times we go to church, not by the amount of money we contribute to God’s work, not by the range and depth of our knowledge of the Bible, but rather by the quality of our personal relationships.”

—Stephen F. Winward

“When we major in minors and blow insignificant trifles out of proportion, we imitate the Pharisees. When we make dancing and movies the test of spirituality, we are guilty of substituting a cheap morality for a genuine one. We do these things to obscure the deeper issues of righteousness. Anyone can avoid dancing or going to movies. These require no great effort or moral courage. What is difficult is to control the tongue, to act with integrity, to show forth the fruit of the Spirit.”

—R. C. Sproul

“Our moral compass is not broken. The needle continues to point in the same direction. But ‘south’ has been mislabeled as ‘north.’ And for a generation, these reversed compasses have been handed to kids by parents, teachers, government officials, various advocacy groups and —yes —even some clergy. ‘Broken moral compass’ is a convenient but inaccurate description of the problem. Our moral compass has been altered, inverted and in fact sabotaged by those who are unwilling or unable to follow a legitimate compass, but who conceal their accountability by inducing the rest of us to go along with them. There is still time to repair our moral compass. All that’s needed is to compare our compass with a genuine one and re-label the directions. The real difficulty comes in following the corrected compass. The genuine path isn’t always easy. Often it leads uphill and over difficult terrain. But it is always straight, and eventually it will get us home again.”

—David C. Stolinsky

“Hypocrisy is the respect that vice pays to virtue.”

—La Rochefoucauld

“We felt frustrated toward the end of our journey because there are several villages that we were not allowed to enter because they are controlled by the rebels. However, we do not want to give up the area. We will continue to ask God to open the doors of these villages for us so that we can freely bring in the gospel of salvation to the people there and even to the rebels.”

—A Filipino missionary [from Christian Aid Mission]

The restoration of the power of the Holy Spirit has come to fruition in the 21^st century. The charismatic renewal has touched nearly every segment of the Church around the world. It is exciting to be part of a spiritual movement that has affected literally hundreds of millions of people. Yet this restoration of Pentecostal power did not come about without a countless number of willing servants—pastors, evangelists, theologians and writers—who sacrificed much to proclaim the Word of God in its charismatic fullness. Many of their stories have been told; many have not. Pentecostal pioneers such as William Seymour, John G. Lake & Smith Wigglesworth have been celebrated in books, journal articles and publications. Pre-Pentecostal voices such as A. B. Simpson, R. A. Torrey, A. J. Gordon, Andrew Murray and others have been documented and many of their writings are still in circulation. But there is one story that still remains in the shadows. It is the story of Edward Irving. He lived a life of controversy and spiritual awakening. He was a pastor, leader, theologian and author. The noted British poet, Samuel Coleridge said of Irving, “I hold that Edward Irving possesses more of the spirit and purpose of the first Reformers, that he has more of the Head and Heart, the Life, the Unction, and the genial power of Martin Luther, than any man now alive…”¹ Edward Irving was a reformer. He called the Church to reclaim apostolic charismatic power, the power of the Holy Spirit.

Early Years

Edward Irving (1792-1834), circa 1823.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

Edward Irving was born on August 4, 1792 in Annan, Scotland, the second son of Gavin and Mary Irving. Edward was baptized at the Annan Parish Church, a local Presbyterian congregation. As a child he attended a school led by Adam Hope, who often led Irving and others to the nearby village of Ecclefechan on Sunday morning. They attended a Seceder Church, which met in a thatched meeting-house with no roof.² At age ten or eleven, Irving walked with Hope and other men to the church and was intrigued by their conversations about philosophy and theology. As a child, Irving sensed a call to serve the Lord in full time ministry.

At age thirteen, Irving entered the University at Edinburgh to undertake a course of study in liberal arts. After four years of sacrifice, dedication and tireless study, Irving graduated with a Master of Arts degree at the age of seventeen. Within the next year, Irving received a teaching position in Haddington, which gave him financial support to pursue a part-time course of study in Divinity at the University in Edinburgh. By age twenty, Irving was promoted to schoolmaster of a new school in Kirkcaldy. Irving was extremely popular among the students there.³ Irving continued his theological studies and completed his Divinity degree in six years. His degree was accompanied by a license to preach. This was not ordination from the Church of Scotland, but a license that allowed him to speak from the pulpit when invited by a minister. Irving continually developed his preaching style during this time, which consisted of polished oratory and sophisticated sounding phrases. He preached with quite a flamboyant style that somewhat annoyed the people of Kirkcaldy and excited others.

Ministry in Glasgow

In 1819, Irving received the call to serve as the assistant of Dr. Thomas Chalmers at St. John’s Church in Glasgow. As an assistant to Chalmers, Irving was responsible for visiting the poor and sharing the preaching duties. The two men preached in completely different styles. Each appealed to different groups in the church. Some detested Irving’s flamboyant preaching to the degree that if they would find that he was preaching on a Sunday morning, they would walk out. Often Irving passed scores of people walking out of the church, while he was walking in to preach.⁴ He faithfully administered his duties, but never felt fully satisfied. In 1822, Irving was invited to fill the pulpit at The Caledonian Chapel in London for a few Sundays. The church officials were looking for a pastor and after hearing Irving preach, they unanimously called him to serve as their full time minister. He accepted. After receiving ordination from the Church of Scotland at his home church in Annan, he took on the pastorate of The Caledonian Chapel in London in July of 1822 at the age of thirty.

The first chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Preface

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Introduction

Chapter One: Background

It is important at the outset to reflect upon the background for the gift of the Holy Spirit. For what took place in first-generation Christianity, as recorded in the book of Acts, happened against the background of certain objective factors preparing the way for the giving of the Holy Spirit

A. The Divine Promise Most immediately apparent is the fact that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a direct fulfillment of the promise of God. It is grounded in God’s intention and purpose and therefore has behind it the divine integrity. As a promise of God, like all divine promises, it is dependable and sure.

We may begin by noting on the Day of Pentecost that Peter, speaking for the disciples in Jerusalem who have just received the gift of the Holy Spirit, says: “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh …'” (Acts 2:16-17). In other words, the gift of the Spirit that has been received is in fulfillment of God’s promise through the Old Testament prophet. Similar Old Testament promises are found elsewhere: “Thus says the Lord …I will pour my Spirit upon your descendants and my blessing on your offspring” (Isaiah 44:2-3): “I will not hide my face any more from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God” (Ezekial 39:29). Though Isaiah and Ezekial speak specifically of Israel, and Joel universally (“all flesh”), the divine promise contained in all three books may be viewed as being initially fulfilled in Acts, since the Spirit was first poured out upon Israel (Acts 2, and thereafter upon the Gentiles (Acts 10 and elsewhere), thus “all flesh.”

Next, moving closer to the actual giving of the Spirit as recorded in Acts, we find more immediate references to the divine promise as “the promise of the Father.” First, there are the final words of Jesus: “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you” (Luke 24:49). Next we read: “And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me'” (Acts 1:4). Then we have the words of Peter: “And having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he [Jesus] has poured out this which you see and hear” (Acts 2:33). Thus it is the promise of God the Father which stands as immediate background for the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

The introduction from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Preface

Introduction

An exploration of “the gift of the Holy Spirit” in first-generation Christianity means turning basically to the New Testament record. Non-canonical writings, such as those of the Apostolic Fathers, are of some help, but we are on sure ground only when we listen to the New Testament witness. For it is here that primitive experience of this gift is set forth with authority and challenge.

If it is true that the experience of the gift of the Holy Spirit belonged to the first Christian generation, then whatever the exact nature of that gift, it will directly or indirectly inform the New Testament throughout. However, our focus will be largely on the portion of the New Testament, namely the book of Acts, that specifically records the giving and receiving of the Holy Spirit. Other New Testament materials of course have relevance—the Gospels pointing forward to the gift and the Epistles representing persons and communities who have already received the gift—but it is only the book of Acts that records the actual experience.

In turning most often to Acts we shall find ourselves considering several accounts of the giving and receiving of the Holy Spirit. These will include accounts of the disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-21), the people in Samaria (8:5-24), Saul in Damascus (9:1-19), the Gentiles in Caesarea (10:1-48) and the disciples in Ephesus (19:1-6).¹ There will be reference also to other incidents that may less directly refer to the gift of the Holy Spirit.

As was suggested in the preface, we shall be dealing with first generation Christianity and the gift of the Holy Spirit from a perspective of vital existential concern. It will be our purpose to learn all we can about the New Testament witness as it relates to contemporary experience.

PR

Notes

1. In two of these accounts the language employed does not include “the gift of the Holy Spirit,” “receiving the Holy Spirit,” etc. However, it is obvious that the whole story of Acts 2:1-21 is that of the gift of the Spirit being received. This is presupposed later in Acts 2 when Peter speaks of the gift of the Spirit also being promised to his audience (vv. 38-39), and is specifically referred to in Acts 10 when Peter speaks of the Gentiles at Caesarea as “people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (v. 47). In the case of Saul of Tarsus, though gift language is not employed, he is said to experience being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (9:17). We shall later note how this is one of the general expressions that relate to the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Background (Chapter 1)

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today by J. Rodman Williams, was published in 1980 by Logos International. Used by permission of the author. Reprinted in Pneuma Review with minor updates from the author.

The preface from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time.

Author’s Preface

One of the most extraordinary Christian facts of our time is the claim of many people to be freshly experiencing “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” They speak of “receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit” or simply “receiving the Holy Spirit,”¹  and declare variously that this has been a unique experience of the presence and power of God in their lives.

Because I believe this claim is valid, and also that it represents a rediscovery of a basic dimension of Christian faith, I have written this book. A number of years ago I ran across a statement in The Beginnings of Christianity by Jackson and Lake, to the effect that in “the study of the beginnings of Christian thought…the starting-point for investigation is the experience called ‘the gift of the Holy Spirit'; for this is the most important constant factor throughout the first Christian generation.”²  If this statement is true—and I believe it essentially is—there could scarcely be a better or more important time in the history of the Church to make such an investigation. Also if the contemporary claim to the experience of “the gift of the Sprit” is valid—and I believe it largely is—then what is happening among many people in this late Christian generation is extremely significant: it is verily the renewal of a most important aspect of first-generation Christianity.

What this book accordingly intends to do is to investigate the significance of the gift of the Holy Spirit in its earliest Christian form and to pursue this investigation in the context of contemporary Christian experience.³  Thus what is written in the pages to follow will by no means be simply a dispassionate academic exercise in “Christian origins,” but a deeply concerned exploration of a vital aspect of original Christianity reappearing in our time.

It is just possible that fresh study and experience in the area of the gift of the Holy Spirit can make for profound renewal of Christian faith in our day.

PR

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Introduction

Notes
1. Some use terminology such as experiencing the “release of the Spirit,” “renewal of the Spirit” or the “renewal of the gift of the Spirit.”

2. Op. Cit., Part 1, The Acts of the Apostles, ed. by F.J. Foakes-Jackson and Kirsopp Lake (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1920), 322.

3. The contemporary Christian experience referred to is that represented in the present day “charismatic renewal.” This renewal, an outgrowth of “classical Pentecostalism” (a term frequently used to refer to the Pentecostal movement beginning in the early twentieth century), began to occur in mainline churches in the 1960s and is now found among Protestants of many denominations, Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox. Earlier, it was known as Neo-Pentecostalism, but within recent years has come increasingly to be called the “charismatic renewal,” or even “the renewal.” The main point for those participating is that it is a renewal in the Holy Spirit.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today: Introduction

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today by J. Rodman Williams, was published in 1980 by Logos International. Used by permission of the author. Reprinted in Pneuma Review with minor updates from the author.

After the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), there does not appear to be any break in the chronology of Matthew’s narrative. It seems that Yeshua¹ (Jesus) continues teaching on this mountain in Galilee (see Matt. 7:28-29). There is however, a break in the context. If the assertions made in the last edition of the Pneuma Review were correct, the Beatitudes were more than a mere list of encouraging words. They were—for the student of the Hebrew Bible—a message from Yeshua proclaiming, “I am the long awaited Messiah.”

In the last Pneuma Review, we discussed why the Messiah would speak His message so covertly. First, He did so to avoid outright dismissal as a fraud (there were many documented false Messiahs at that point in history). Secondly, to avoid the Temple and Roman courts through self-incrimination. And third, to show the Jewish public that during this first visit, the Messiah was not the conquering “King David” they were anticipating. He was not going to throw off the yoke of Roman oppression. No, the yoke He would overcome was sin and death, conquering one heart and bringing one repentant soul at a time to the Father.

So then, if the Beatitudes covertly identify this man, this Nazarite, as the Messiah, why the sudden break in context? Why does he go about talking about Himself, and then direct his comments toward His disciples and the masses around Him?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty [again]? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

In a sense, it may be similar to one of John F. Kennedy’s phrases, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” Yeshua has said, and if they had ears they heard, that He was the Messiah. This came with fantastic expectations. Rome would be conquered. Israel would be the seat of government for the world. The Jewish people would be the head and not the tail. And on and on.

Yeshua’s statements help put things into perspective. He was the Messiah, but the kingdom of God depended on people. So far, Israel’s salt had lost its taste and its light had grown dim. It was not preeminent among the kingdoms of the earth—it was a laughing stock. Why? Because the people had lost their flavor. If they were going to realize the manifestation of the kingdom of God, they would have to regain their flavor and regain their light.

___

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches [them,] he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20).

This is often a troubling passage for many New Testament believers. We have heard through much of our lives that the Law—the Torah—has been abrogated by Christ and we are under no obligation to keep its lists of sundry rules.

A timely reminder of the empowerment of the Spirit in our daily lives.

Not long ago a young woman I’ll call Karen asked if she could talk with me about her plans for the future. I had known Karen for several years but I hadn’t seen her in a long, long time. She said she had to make some decisions about a career path she was considering and just wanted to bounce some ideas off of me. As we sat down together, I said, “So, Karen, it’s been a while since we’ve talked. How’ve you been?” Smiling broadly, she replied, “I’m doing great, Brian.”

In that instant the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “No she’s not. She’s not doing great.” Almost before I knew what was happening, I said gently, “Karen, that’s not true. You’re not doing great.” As her smile quickly faded and a frown appeared in its place, I was thinking, “Well, this is a great way to get the conversation off to a booming start. What if I’m wrong? What if she really is doing great? I’ve pretty much just called her a liar. No wonder she’s frowning at me.”

But the Holy Spirit prompted me to say even more gently, “Your heart is broken.”

Suddenly, Karen began to weep. She sobbed, her shoulders heaving from some internal agony. As I reached for the box of Kleenex, she continued to cry, one hand on her eyes to hide her embarrassment and one hand on her mouth to stifle her moaning.

When the sobbing stopped and she could speak again, she said, “My fiancé broke up with me yesterday. And this morning, the doctor told me I have cancer.”

She spent the next few minutes crying and pouring out her heart. I listened and responded, sharing with her the love and hope that only Jesus can provide.

I walked away from that experience completely amazed. I was amazed at the goodness of God, at His powerful demonstration of His compassion and concern, at His willingness to speak into the life of this hurting young person. I was also amazed that God had used me: I didn’t know anything of Karen’s circumstances and I couldn’t have known that she was so wounded that day. Her smile seemed so genuine. Even while God was speaking to me I was thinking, “This is crazy. What if I’m wrong? What if I offend her?”

But God was speaking and she needed to hear it. She needed to know that God knew what was happening in her life and that He cared, that she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t offended at all. Amazing. But the most amazing part of the story was where it happened: in my office on the campus of a secular university.

The Angelus Temple, Church of the Four Square Gospel, built by Aimee Semple McPherson and dedicated January 1, 1923. The temple is opposite Echo Park, near downtown Los Angeles, California.
Image: 2005 photograph / Wikimedia Commons.

The Foursquare denomination held its 2002 annual convention and 75th Anniversary in Denver. Some 2000 pastors and their mates gathered for four days of fellowship, business and inspiration. With a few exceptions, my wife and I have attended these Foursquare conventions for 20 years.

This year, there was some pre-convention tension in some conversations and in several letters to our President that had been circulated to many attendees. The concern was the recent appointment of 27-year-old Matthew Barnett as the senior pastor of Angelus Temple.

Angelus Temple is close to the heart of Los Angeles. It is across the street from Echo Park, which features a lovely lake just off the Hollywood Freeway. The first service at the Temple was held on January 1, 1923, and included unveiling a plaque that dedicated the Temple to the cause of Interdenominational Worldwide Evangelism.

Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare, built this now venerable old sanctuary. Church lore describes 5300 seats that were filled over and over all week long for the first ten years of the Temple’s life. The Temple reached out to help the community while daughter churches sprung up throughout southern California and beyond. During the Great Depression, 1,500,000 people were fed each year through the ministries of the Temple. The Temple impacted ten percent of the population of LA in its early years. Next door a Bible College was built and thrived, peaking in 1929 at 1,000 students. Men and women were there prepared to take the Foursquare Gospel to all corners of the globe.

As the years rolled by, Angelus Temple’s congregation changed from one born out of a miracle revival to an older, well-entrenched group of people who had grown up under Sister’s leadership. Aimee died in 1944, and her son Rolf assumed the leadership of the denomination and the pastorate at the Temple. Rolf McPherson, or “Doc” as he is known in Foursquare circles, later appointed others to pastor the Temple while he concentrated on establishing and building the denomination.

The Pentecostal/charismatic (P/C) pastor and teacher comes to the proclamation of Scripture with two critical issues in mind: the need to speak in such a way that he or she becomes transparent and God is seen in transforming power; and the opposite need to speak in such a way that the preacher’s own passion does not subtly misshape the message of Scripture. In other words, the need is to let the Spirit and only the Spirit speak to God’s own people.

Gordon Fee, longtime Pentecostal scholar and educator, sets out to aid the pastor/teacher in this crucial job by offering a collection of essays titled, Listening to the Spirit in the Text (LTST). Written over a period of 15 years, they demonstrate Fee’s passionate belief that “the ultimate aim of all true exegesis is spirituality, in one form or another” (p.5). This is balm to the weary P/C pastor’s heart. Fee defines what it means to be spiritual by saying that “True spirituality, therefore, is nothing more nor less than life by the Spirit.” (p.6) Therefore the aim of unpacking Scripture is,

to produce in our lives and the lives of others true Spirituality, in which God’s people live in fellowship with the eternal and living God, and thus in keeping with God’s own purposes. (p.6)

Fee asserts that proper exegesis cannot be done unless we understand and experience who God is in Christ Jesus just as the inspired penmen did. Having this understanding and experience is made possible only by the grace of God, mediated through the person of the Holy Spirit. Fee urges that for true exegesis, we must do more than merely recognize the spirituality of the Biblical authors. Participating in that spirituality, through study of the text, is what Fee longs for his readers to be doing.

Some of the essays deal with how one goes about properly interpreting the text, while the others demonstrate it in Fee’s own words. This is especially true in regards to the issues of women in ministry, spiritual gifts in the church, and the need for the laity to reclaim their role as the usual ministry within and without Christ’s body. Because LTST is a collection of essays demonstrating a consistent hermeneutic style, Fee can speak to the broad range of issues that plague the P/C movement from a firm biblical basis. The chapter on the Christian and wealth is particularly helpful for those grappling with the health and prosperity currents in the movement. Fee’s essay on the ministry of the laity constitutes a powerful antidote to the authoritarian streak of pastoral leadership that occasionally cripples local churches.

Throughout the collection, Fee’s leitmotif remains steady. True spirituality produces true exegesis resulting in true disciples. As Fee observes in the opening chapter, “true exegesis attempts to engage in the author’s Spirituality, not just in his or her words.” The Biblical authors invited us not to merely hear nice words about Christ, but to believe in and experience the reality of who God is in Christ. Those who would break the bread of life for others must invite others to do this as well if they “are to hear the text on Paul’s terms and not simply our own” (p.11).

From Pneuma Review Spring 2002.

John Rea, Charisma’s Bible Handbook on the Holy Spirit (Creation House, 1998), 346 pages, ISBN 9780884195665.

For the pastor and Bible student that have been looking for a handbook on the Holy Spirit from a Pentecostal/charismatic perspective here is an all-in-one reference not to be missed.

Dr. Rea introduces this handbook by discussing how to read and study the Bible. He then concisely presents the deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit; a truth we need to be continually reminded of. For the majority of the work he looks at every major reference to the Spirit in Scripture. He does this by examining seven distinct categories from four biblical eras. ‘The Spirit of God in Creation and the Patriarchal Age,’ ‘the Era of Charismatic Leadership in Israel,’ and the ‘Era of Prophetic Announcement’ cover the Hebrew Scriptures. He expands the ‘Age of the Holy Spirit’ from Messiah’s birth to today into the biblical categories of the Gospels (Preparation), Acts (Outpouring), Epistles (Explanation) and Revelation (Consummation).

Nearly 100 pages are spent on the work and person of the Spirit in the Old Testament. This feature sets this book apart from other studies of the Holy Spirit that often neglect the Hebrew Scriptures. 24 pages are spent on the Gospels, 14 on Acts, over 40 on the Epistles, and several pages conclude the study with the book of Revelation. Beyond the easy to refer to passage-by-passage study, the book includes an extensive Scripture index, charts of key words and other valuable reference pages.

Although Dr. Rea’s approach seems to reflect a classical Pentecostal perspective, this book has been published under the name of the most recognized independent charismatic magazine, Charisma. Everyone in the Pentecostal/charismatic movement should be grateful for this Bible handbook which is centered on the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Readers will find this reference to have good poise and good scholarship, yet concise enough for even the beginning Bible student.

For these reasons, this handbook should be found in every Pentecostal/charismatic leader’s library. The Pentecostal/charismatic movement needs more reference works of this quality.

Reviewed by James M. Dettmann

Raul Mock and Jim Dettmann at an editor meeting in May, 2005.