Charles Carrin draws out a biblical analogy full of tested and practical wisdom.

Every shepherd needs a sheepdog. Knowing this, God sends them. Some shepherds cannot tell the difference between a sheepdog and a wolf and chase the dogs away. The loss to the shepherd and the flock is tragic. Other shepherds think they are sufficient by themselves and do not need assistants. This attitude is equally disastrous. Every shepherd needs a dog. Moses needed helpers and God sent them. One of his greatest was “Caleb”—whose name in Hebrew significantly means “sheepdog”.

Image: Andy Fitzsimon, Australia / Wikimedia Commons

In 1978 I returned to South Florida to begin a new work in an old congregation. I was freshly anointed with the Holy Spirit and alive with eagerness. For two years the church grew phenomenally. In a short time the congregation doubled, then doubled again, finances flourished, people were happy, and the Holy Spirit began moving in power. Word quickly spread that a church in Delray Beach, Florida, had come alive. Homes were rescued, addicts delivered, and lives changed. New believers were sometimes taken to the ocean after the service and baptized in the dark. A young couple, Wendel and Jan Hollingsworth joined our staff and ushered us into genuine worship and praise. In that state, we attracted sheepdogs and wolves.

During that depressing time I returned to my seat in the school cafeteria one Sunday morning, sat down next to a visitor—a gentleman I had never met—and immediately heard the Holy Spirit say, “The young man beside you is one I have sent to be your helper.” I turned and looked. He was in deep worship and I did not interrupt. After the service I introduced myself and learned his name was Herb Young. In time, Herb became my assistant and proved to be a treasure of wisdom and endless motivation. He quickly took the lead as minister of music, served in every capacity from church janitor to counselor, errand-boy to personal friend. If a task needed to be done Herb was there to do it.

What are the marks of biblical and Spirit-filled preaching?

Frederic L. Godet summarizes the Pentecostal preacher’s purpose: “The preacher’s task in this work lies, not in wishing to act in the place and stead of the Spirit with the resources of his own eloquence and genius, but in opening up the way for Him by simple testimony rendered to Christ.”¹ While preachers should strive to do their best for Christ, they should at the same time allow the Word and Spirit to do their unique work in the hearts of people. But how do preachers open up the way for this work? I will address this issue by answering two other questions: What are the biblical premises for Pentecostal preaching? And what are the biblical principles for Pentecostal preaching? One paradigm for Pentecostal preaching answering these key questions comes from the Bible as a whole and from 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 which specifically focuses on Christ and reliance upon the Holy Spirit for lasting results.

Steve D. Eutsler

First, I will briefly examine some general biblical premises for Pentecostal preaching. Then I will focus more at length on some specific biblical principles for Pentecostal preaching drawn from 1 Corinthians 2:1-16.

Some General Biblical Premises For Pentecostal Preaching

As Fred B. Craddock says, “The pulpit has a memory, participating in a tradition reaching back across the centuries.”² Its earliest remembrances stretch back to the Old Testament and continue through the New Testament in the gospels, Acts, and epistles.

Paul was actually in sync with the whole revelation of Scripture when he declared his intention to preach only “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” in 1 Cor. 2:2.³ This focus proves true even of the Old Testament. Graeme Goldsworthy explains, “That the whole Bible testifies to Christ is what we mean when we say that Christ is in all the Scriptures. It is because of this that the preacher must ask the question of every sermon, ‘Did the sermon show how the text testifies to Christ?’”⁴ Christ constitutes the ultimate sacrifice of the Pentateuch. He provides mediation for the saints in the Psalms. And the Lord Jesus serves as the subject of prophecy in the Prophets (cf. Luke 24:44). Naturally, any Pentecostal preacher would want to bring out this Christo-centric focus in light of the declaration of Paul’s theme for preaching. Much more will be said about this emphasis on Christ in the second half of this paper.

Of course, the priests and prophets were expositors of God’s Word. The case of Ezra the priest and scribe expounding the Word in Nehemiah 8:1-12 serves as a classic example of biblical exposition. Likewise, all the writings of the prophets are in essence sermons preached to Israel and some of the surrounding nations.

Pentecostal preachers have long been noted for their ability and tendency to tell stories while they preach. They see this as following the precedent of that Master of preaching, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In parable after parable, Christ likens the kingdom of God to something familiar to His listeners in order to aid their understanding (cf. Mark 4:10-12.). Concerning this premise, two extremes must be avoided. First, Pentecostal preachers must not rely solely upon illustrative material. Jesus also preached the kerygma—the announcement of the gospel—and taught the didache—the application of the gospel (cf. Matt. 5-7; John 3-4). Second, Pentecostal preachers must not depend exclusively on biblical exposition. Balanced Pentecostal preaching makes ample use of both illustrations and exposition. Exposition has been compared to the foundation and walls of a building and illustrations to the windows that let the light in. One without the other is poor form and impractical. Jesus was the Master of both illustration and exposition, although many modern scholars emphasize primarily His unique contribution to preaching with the parables. Jesus was Master of the metaphor such as “I am the good Shepherd” (John 10:11, etc.). In light of this paradigm for ministers, Pentecostal preachers should make use of whatever rhetorical devices available to them like illustrations to improve their communication of the gospel to those who find it difficult to hear.

Two principles concerning preaching stand out in the Book of Acts. First, preachers must preach the Word, not their own ideas or opinions (cf. 2 Tim. 4:12). Preaching Christ revealed must be centered in the text.

Second, preachers must preach as ambassadors of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20). Ministers are representatives of the Lord. They must stay true to His orders and represent the heavenly homeland accurately in word and work.

Wherever the apostles preached the gospel, they stayed true to the original message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (i.e., the kerygma), regardless of the consequences, fair or foul (Acts 2:14-39; 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 7:2-53; 10:34-43; 13:16-41; 17:22-31; 22:2-21; 26:1-23, etc.).⁵ This model furnishes another reason why sermons should always be based upon Scripture. Use of the Bible helps insure the proper testimony of Christ and the powerful anointing of the Spirit. In this way, ministers are less likely to misrepresent their Lord.

Dieter Ising, Johann Christoph Blumhardt, Life and Work: A New Biography (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009), 491 pages, ISBN 9781606085394.

Ising’s scholarship makes the ministries, German-language correspondences, and theological contributions of Johann Christoph Blumhardt accessible to the non-academic English reader. In regard to twenty-first century pastoral ministry, Blumhardt’s nineteenth century experiences become a welcome companion, because he demonstrated genuine pastoral concern for the mentally, physically, or spiritually ill people who come to him for relief. In like manner, Ising’s laborious attention for detail, his academic tenacity for accuracy, and his engaging storytelling skill makes Blumhardt’s biography come alive; it is a readable account. As a historian and biographer, I tip my hat to Ising for his ability to blend exhaustive (and exhausting—as evidenced in the footnotes) research without losing the attention of his uninitiated readers.

Johann Christoph Blumhardt (1805–1880)

Ising gently probes and massages the controversy of Blumhardt as theologian; he writes neither hagiography nor pejorative critique, leaving the reader to conclude what they will from the evenhanded evidence he has presented. For the pastoral reader, the book offers pragmatic experiences and anecdotes from Blumhardt’s familiarity with supernatural and spiritual encounters. For the sociologist, the book offers a people’s history of nineteenth century German culture. For any lover of history, the book opens and closes an intriguing look into a chapter of European history.

Reviewed by John R. Miller

Preview Johann Christoph Blumhardt, Life and Work: books.google.com/books?id=dxJMAwAAQBAJ

Heidi A. Campbell and Heather Looy, eds., A Science and Religion Primer (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 230 pages, ISBN 9780801031502.

Read the title carefully! This book is a “primer.” In the publishing world, that means “a short introduction to a subject.” In this case, the book introduces the reader to the dialogue between science and religion. The book does not defend either position nor attempt to convince you to join any particular side. Instead, this primer is simultaneously an introduction, an encyclopedia, an annotated bibliography, and a survey on the intersection of the two seemingly antithetical disciplines. In this context, the book is not alone. Many other excellent guides to the science and religion dialogue exist that are far more in-depth (e.g. the Science and Religion Encyclopedia or The Oxford Handbook on Science and Religion) or even available online (e.g. the websites of the Metanexus Institute or the Counterbalance Network). But the former are very expensive and the latter only accessible with a computer; most of them require extensive preliminary knowledge of the subject matter. This is the point where A Science and Religion Primer stands out as an affordable and practical resource for anyone interested in the topic and as a handy companion to those who need guidance while reading other texts in the vast arena of the subject.

Heidi A. Campbell is assistant professor of communication at Texas A&M University.

The main part of the book consists of an alphabetical listing of entries that discuss a variety of concepts related to the science and religion dialogue from historical, philosophical, scientific, and theological perspectives, including key figures and important events. Each entry is divided into three parts: a definition of the concept, a summary of the key points and significant issues, and a section with resources. Here, the reader finds information from Altruism to the Verification Principle, on significant figures like Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein, on concepts like evolution and miracles, or on fields like natural philosophy and quantum mechanics.

The essays and encyclopedic entries are well-written and clear. Although kept intentionally short, the introductions are informative and highlight a number of important issues in the dialogue of science and religion in a balanced view that favors neither side. The heart of the text is undoubtedly the encyclopedic section, covering more than three quarters of the book. The entries are short and to the point, and the annotated bibliography at the conclusion of each entry offers a highly valuable entry-point for further reading. However, the introduction fails to state the actual motivation for selecting the entries contained in the collection. In a relatively short collection, such as this one, it is not surprising that many topics were not included. The more important question is what fields of interest were left out. From a Pentecostal perspective, the essays and entries show a remarkable lack of emphasis on the blossoming field of pneumatology. The notion of Spirit/spirit and spirituality is almost completely absent from both sections of the book. Entries that could have included particular references to pneumatology, such as “emergence,” “divine action,” or “panentheism,” either fail to make any reference to Spirit/spirit or are not included at all in the collection. In light of the remarkably well-rounded bibliographies included in the book, it is a particularly surprising fact that none of those texts seem to have directed the writers to this significant issue in the science and religion dialogue.

Enrichment Spring 2009.

Jennifer Cisney, “Healing From the Pain of Sexual Assault” Enrichment (Spring 2009), pages 108-112.

Jennifer Cisney, a counselor, executive board member of the American Association of Certified Christian Sexual Addition Specialists, member of the the American Association of Christian Counselors since 1994 and survivor of sexual assault, recognizes “the progress the church has made in dealing with emotional pain and struggles in Christians.” The author, however, questions why she “can count on one hand the number of workshops that have addressed [the] critically important issue” of the “devastating and traumatic event” of rape and “why . . . society and the church are so reluctant to address it.”

Jennifer Cisney

The author, in addition to integrating issues related to rape in contemporary context with instances of rape in certain scriptural passages (i.e., 2 Sam. 13:19), addresses several of the misconceptions concerning sexual assault: (1) the belief that rape is not a widespread problem; (2) the misunderstanding that rape always involves sexual attack by a stranger, rather than by a date, acquaintance or other known person; (3) the error in believing that if serious physical injury does not result, the victim will be free of long-term effects of the attack, and other misconceptions. She is careful to cite important current statistics from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. For example: (1) One in 6 women is sexually assaulted in her lifetime; (2) someone in the US is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes; (3) victims of sexual assault are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression; 6 times more likely to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol; 26 times more likely to abuse drugs and 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), 173 pages, ISBN 9780801013133.

Chances are you have heard of Phyllis Tickle. As the founder of the religion department of Publishers Weekly, the author of at least two dozen books, and a popular speaker on religion in America, Tickle’s latest work has been widely anticipated. The Great Emergence takes on the broad task of chronicling church history, arguing that Christianity changes just about every five hundred years. She outlines the stages of development leading up to the present transformation and then sets her sights on the future of the church. Her main concern is not with the so-called “Great Emergence” but rather with Christianity in North America and the implication of the insight that twenty-first-century Christians in North America are facing the church’s most recent giant rummage sale. The results of this event are three-fold: first, a new, and more vital form of Christianity emerges; second, the dominant organizational framework of Christianity is reconstituted into a more pure form; and third, the Christian faith spreads dramatically as a result of the transformation. This description essentially summarizes the argument of the book.

Tickle’s argument is not unusual. Major shifts and periodic events have been the subject of other writers. Consider, for example, the widely popular work of Thomas Kuhn on the nature of scientific revolutions, or the work of Philip Jenkins on the next Christendom. The Great Emergence lacks much of the depth of these and other works. Tickle offers no detailed dialogue with any historical period or theological argument, no footnotes, no bibliography, and shows little desire to justify her observations. The chief reason may be that she does not have to do so: the argument is correct. Tickle is right: The church is facing its own coming to be in yet another shape and form.

Tickle’s book is short and to the point. Highly readable, as all of her work, The Great Emergence can easily hold your interest throughout any of the seven chapters. The book consists of three major parts: (1) a description of the nature of the great emergence, (2) a historical account of its origins, and (3), a prospectus of the future of the great emergence. However, it seems that despite the descriptive nature of most of the chapters, the heart and soul of the book is not in the content but in the idea it seeks to present: a shift in the patterns that define the profile of the church. Essentially surrounded by four primary forces, conservatives, liturgicals, social justice Christians, and renewalists, the center of Christianity is constantly shifting, and the contours of a new emerging center are already forming. Tickle suggests that the most significant alteration to be expected is the emergence of Christianity as a movement that places all authority in the existing center in order to accommodate the massive changes in the church and in culture.

Greg Heisler, Spirit-Led Preaching: the Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery (Nashville: B & H Academic, 2007), 156 pages, ISBN 9780805443882.

Every Pentecostal minister should read this book. We Pentecostals agree strongly with Heisler when he says that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is very important in preaching. He strikes a significant note by emphasizing this in comparison to recent homiletical books that emphasize methodology, exegesis, post-modern preaching and delivery of the sermon—but not anointing.

Heisler connects the anointing with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which he understands to take place at conversion. He sees this enablement to include being a person of prayer, trying to hear the Spirit’s voice, living a holy life, boldness in preaching, freedom, vitality, power, a force outside oneself taking over one’s preaching, and being free to stop or start preaching a sermon at any point of delivery. This book may even help you to affirm your own position on the anointing: is it a conversion or a post-conversion experience with the evidence of speaking in tongues? Although written from a Baptist position, there are many things in this book we Pentecostals can learn about the empowering work of the Spirit.

Dry intellectual preaching does not work. But how does a preacher receive God’s power? This book answers such concerns shared by many evangelicals, as did Aruto Azuria in his book Spirit Empowered Preaching (Ross-Shire, Great Britain: Mentor, 1998). This quest to understand the anointing of the Holy Spirit by evangelicals reminds me of the holiness movement of the 1800s that stressed sanctification as a second work of grace, and in their search, led some to the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a post-conversion experience (with evidence of speaking in tongues). Will this search for the anointing of the Holy Spirit help some reach a similar fulfillment? May we all seek God for more of his enablement.

William Tabbernee, Prophets and Gravestones: An Imaginative History of Montanists and Other Early Christians (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2009), 385 pages, ISBN 9781565639379.

The Montanists were an important early Christian movement that began in Asia Minor during the late second century. They were essentially a charismatic upstart group, headquartered in the towns of Pepuza and Tymion, and disliked by the bishops for their perceived resistance to the bishops’ authority. Montanism is a movement that Pentecostals should know something about. Although they were widely condemned by a number of church fathers, virtually all their modern students, beginning with John Wesley, have found nothing heretical within their belief system.

As the world’s leading authority on Montanism, William Tabbernee is just the person to write a popular level introduction to the Montanists’ textual and archaeological remains. Prophets and Gravestones, however, is no normal introduction. As the subtitle suggests, this is an “imaginative history”. It is written in narrative form as a series of very short stories. This is Tabbernee’s way of fleshing out to the remains of this movement. Each narrative vignette is based upon a specific inscription or patristic detail. In effect, Tabbernee tries to imagine what went through a Montanist’s mind in the face of some personal crisis.

I can recommend this book only to those inclined toward an “imaginative history”. The study of Montanism is important, but most readers (and all serious students) should discover the facts about Montanism through some other source.

Reviewed by John C. Poirier

Preview this book online at: books.google.com/books?id=cDuQwlKJqdUC

Publisher’s page: bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/prophets-and-gravestones/334550

Keith Warrington, Healing & Suffering: Biblical and Pastoral Reflections (Carlisle, UK/Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster, 2005), 219 pages, ISBN 9781842273418.

Keith Warrington, Director of Postgraduate Studies and Senior Lecturer in New Testament at Regents Theological College, Nantwich, has written on healing before, notably in Jesus the Healer: Paradigm or Unique Phenomenon (Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 2000). Some of the same concerns resurface in Healing & Suffering. For example, do the Gospels and the Acts provide definitive models for healing ministries today, or are they only testimonies to the centrality of Jesus’ messianic identity and ministry for Christianity of all eras? However, its most emphatic focus seems to be on exploring a balanced perspective on the apparently oppositional realities of divine healing and human suffering. As such, this text has a decidedly pastoral emphasis, although assuredly based in and shaped by substantive theological, and especially biblical, inquiry. It is also refreshingly rich in personal testimonies, not only, as has been common in Pentecostalism, of extraordinary healings, although these are included as well, but also in incidents with other outcome occurrences—such as, for instance, how God can and does bring joyous and victorious peace even when dramatic physical healing doesn’t happen as has perhaps been expected. In Healing & Suffering Warrington addresses one of the most pressing issues for contemporary Pentecostals and Charismatics as well as possibly for many other Christians. Pastors and scholars alike will doubtless benefit from reading it. Further, anyone struggling with understanding physical suffering in light of their belief in divine healing may discover coveted direction herein.

Keith Warrington

Healing & Suffering is well laid out. It has an extensive Table of Contents, effectively functioning as an outline for the entire work, and also an extensive Scripture index. Although, it has no Author or Subject indexes, the unusually full TOC helps make up for it. The Selected Reading section is rather short too, but probably enough to point interested readers in the right direction. Warrington writes in an interesting and accessible style, so this makes for pleasant reading. Footnotes are sparse but probably indicative of the more pastoral orientation overall than one of academic research. The “Reflections” in the subtitle should be taken seriously, for that appears to be primarily the intent and object of this work. Indeed, much of the general direction of this work seems to arise out of Warrington’s reflections during his own pastoral experiences in the context of biblical exposition.

Blaine Allen, When People Throw Stones: A Leader’s Guide to Fielding Personal Criticism (Kregel, 2005), 176 pages, ISBN 978-0825420146.

Blaine Allen’s book, When People Throw Stones, is important and necessary. The ugly truth is that Christian service has downsides. All too often, the chief downside is criticism.

The book is organized in ten chapters; “When You Can’t Take Any More,” “When You’ve Done Your Best,” “When God Doesn’t Defend,” “When Your Critic Speaks The Truth,” “When To Blow It Off,” “When To Take A Stand,” “When Survival Techniques Make It Easier,” “When Primed To Fire,” “When An Explosion Seems Inevitable,” and “When You Don’t Want To Forgive.”Each chapter speaks to a different aspect of criticism against Christian servants.

Pastor Blaine is careful to point out that not all critical comments are negative. Sometimes, a vital truth is painful to hear. You should assume the credence and credibility of some criticizers. Chapter 4, When Your Critic Speaks The Truth, speaks to this very circumstance.

Pastor Blaine carefully explains that truthfulness, empathy, and accuracy are some of the traits of good critics. With Scripture backing each point, the author draws a detailed picture of the men and women who should have your ear. Even when they do a poor job of delivering the message, even if they popped the bubble of your self-esteem, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful”(Proverbs 27:6 KJV).

Even anointed, faithful servants of the Most High can be in the wrong. Or need a nudge in a better direction. “If there’s life after a word-walloping, you must embrace valid criticism.” Prayerfully, that will include embracing the Gospel brother or sister who brought the message.

The author directs God’s servants to face the Judge. Not a mere earthly court, but the Throne of heaven. If God approves of your service, why pay attention to any one else? In this way, Blaine teaches God’s servants to have confidence in themselves and in the God who empowers them. If a miracle working Apostle received criticism, you can expect to receive some yourself.