I meet Christians who excel in their love for God but in the area of discernment and detecting Satan’s devices they remain easy prey to powers of darkness. Though these are sincere believers they are virtually defenseless in protecting themselves from deception and deceit. This cannot be the will of God. Spiritual Gifts, including the…
Julie C. Ma, The Holy Spirit, Women, and Mission (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2026), 160 pages, ISBN 9798385239184. In The Holy Spirit, Women, and Mission, Julie C. Ma explores the often-overlooked contributions of Spirit-empowered women whose ministries have significantly advanced the mission of the church. Drawing upon biblical reflection, historical examples, and contemporary case studies,…
How long did God expect prophecy to function in the church? The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church? (Part 1) from the Spring 2001 issue. The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church? (Part 2) from the Summer 2001 issue. The Duration of Prophecy:…
Wolfgang Vondey, The Scandal of Pentecost: A Theology of the Public Church (New York: T&T Clark, 2024), 269 pages, ISBN 9780567712646. Here is a book that lingers in the mind like an unresolved chord. In the cacophony of modern theology, where the church often whispers from the shadows of institutional safety, Wolfgang Vondey’s The Scandal…
“After the Holy Spirit is come upon you…” Acts 1:8 You’ve seen it before … an old house that goes through an extreme makeover—It’s like a brand new home! The attraction is the compelling contrast between life before and life after. Consider, then, the contrast between the Christian life before and the Christian life after the Holy Spirit comes upon you! …
Every chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Spring 2002: Author’s Preface Spring 2002: Introduction Spring 2002: Chapter One: Background Summer 2002: Chapter Two: Dimensions Fall 2002: Chapter Three: Response Winter 2003: Chapter Four: Purpose, Part 1 Spring 2003: Chapter Four: Purpose, Part…
Ready to be the Voice of God, with Tania Harris Interview with Rev. Dr. Tania Harris about her new book, God Dreams: How to Hear God’s Voice in Dreams and Vision PneumaReview.com: You have recently published a new book about dreams and visions. Please name some New Testament believers who experienced dreams and visions….
Bruce Yocum, Prophecy: Exercising the Prophetic Gifts of the Spirit in the Church Today (Word of Life, 1976), 150 pages, ISBN 9780892830299. I cannot recall exactly how I learned of this book that was published almost fifty years ago. The book is out of print and only available from used book dealers [Editor’s note: The…
Bill Hull, Straight Talk on Spiritual Power: Experiencing the Fullness of God in the Church (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), 255 pages, ISBN 9781441243720. Although the accuracy of teaching is preeminent when judging the quality of a book, credit must be given for its tone when appropriate. From page one of Hull’s work, the reader…
Ricky Roberts, Just When Did Spiritual Gifts Cease? (Florida: Creation House, 2003), 112 pages, ISBN 9781591852353. The basis of this short book is that the spiritual gifts have never ceased. Roberts divides his argument into scriptural and historical evidence. Roberts builds a case that the spiritual gifts were not intended to be temporary, (tied to…
Robert W. Graves, ed., The Kingdom Case against Cessationism: Embracing the Power of the Kingdom (Canton, GA: The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, 2022) 240 pages. The editor, Robert W. Graves is a Pentecostal scholar and president of The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship. This non-profit encourages Pentecostal/Charismatic authors, with awards for excellent new works. Mr. Graves…
Stephen D. Barkley, Pentecostal Prophets: Experience in Old Testament Perspective (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2023) 157 pages, ISBN 9781666768022. Stephen D. Barkley, director of pastoral leadership and campus pastor at Master’s College and Seminary in Ontario, Canada, offers an intriguing study on contemporary prophetic practice in the Pentecostal/Charismatic context. Barkley, being a Pentecostal scholar…
Arto Hämäläinen, The DNA of Spirit-Empowered Christians and Churches (Halle, Belgium: PeaceLiterature, 2023), 147 pages, ISBN 9798393077945. If you read the biographical information about Dr. Hämäläinen on the back cover of the book you will see that he is very involved in both Pentecostalism and missions. Here are just two of the ministries that he has…
An excerpt from Michael L. Brown’s latest book: Seize the Moment: How to Fuel the Fires of Revival. Revival is God’s work. It comes from the heavenly throne, not from human effort, and it comes with intensity. That is the very essence of revival: it is sovereign (in that we cannot schedule it or…
I recently presented on the topic of “The Dynamic Intensity of the Spirit.” It was part of a Horizon College & Seminary faculty panel on the topic of “Revival and Awakenings.” In my presentation, I explained that even though God is omnipresent and God does not change, the presence of God in the Holy Spirit can become…
Kyle R. Hughes, How the Spirit Became God: The Mosaic of Early Christian Pneumatology (Cascade, 2020), 176 pages, ISBN 9781532693748. The title of this book may be initially off-putting to some, as though the author is proposing a view of the Holy Spirit akin to what is known as “adoptionist Christology.” But in the foreword,…
Vital Aspects of the Holy Spirit The doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been present from the time of the primitive church and on into the 20th century. However, generally speaking, what has been lacking is His concrete influence in the same way that was evident in the early days of Pentecost, in the primitive…
Tania Harris, The Church Who Hears God’s Voice: Equipping Everyone to Recognise and Respond to the Spirit (Paternoster, 2022), 320 pages, ISBN 9781788932462. This book is a revision of Tania Harris’s dissertation in practical theology written under Jon Newton at Alphacrucis University College. It is based on her doctoral research, but it is also informed…
Chad Owen Brand, ed., Perspectives on Spirit Baptism: Five Views (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2004), 338 pages. Perspectives on Spirit Baptism is a collection of five scholarly essays that define Spirit Baptism from five traditions: Reformed (Walter C. Kaiser), Pentecostal (Stanley M. Horton), Charismatic (Larry Hart), Wesleyan (H. Ray Dunning), and Catholic (Ralph…
During the month of May or June (depending on the calendar), Christians throughout the world celebrate “Pentecost Sunday” – a time of rejoicing and reflection on the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who had assembled to receive power from on high. We must remember and celebrate the significance of this great event….
Worldwide, more than 7,000 languages are spoken in 195 different countries (Genesis 11:7). Wonderfully, the Bible—or portions of it—has been translated into more than 3,000 of these tongues; in some form. Christians are found in most of the nationalities. They dress differently, speak a myriad of languages, and worship in their own cultural ways. Even…
The Praying in the Spirit Series. Robert W. Graves wrote Praying in the Spirit (Chosen Books) in 1987, when it received great reviews from a number of Pentecostal/charismatic scholars and leaders including John Sherrill, Dr. Vinson Synan, Dr. Gordon Fee, Dr. William Menzies, Dr. Howard Ervin, Dr. Walter Martin, and Dr. Stanley Horton. It is…
Pastor Winfield Bevins introduces us to God the Holy Spirit and shows from the Bible how He helps us.
Andrew Wilson, Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 140 pages, ISBN 9780310534675. Andrew Wilson has written a highly readable, engaging volume seeking the integration of the streams that are regularly treated as contrastive: sacrament and Spirit. It is not that these are actually contrastive, but too many folks…
This guest article by chaplain, editor, author, and speaker James Linzey presents biblical answers about why followers of Jesus should pray in tongues. See the note from the Editor below for more about the perspective of this article. Why speak with tongues? There are many reasons for speaking in a spiritual language. Primarily, though,…
Scot McKnight, Open to the Spirit: God in Us, God with Us, God Transforming Us (New York: Waterbrook, 2018), ISBN 9781601426345. New Testament scholar Scot McKnight is not your typical seminary professor with a doctorate from the University of Nottingham. Whereas many scholars focus on writing for the academy, or on technical commentaries for seminary-educated…
J.P. Moreland, A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles: Instruction and Inspiration for Living Supernaturally in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2021), 274 pages, ISBN 9780310124191. Why is a firm conviction in the ongoing reality, power, and love of God necessary for biblical Christianity? In this book, J. P. Moreland successfully presents principles, arguments, and…
Eddie L. Hyatt, Prophets and Prophecy: Timely Insights from the Bible, History, and My Experience (Grapevine, TX: Hyatt Press, 2021), 126 pages, ISBN 9781888435634. Dr. Eddie Hyatt is a veteran in the Pentecostal Movement. He has written previously about the subject of spiritual gifts in his book 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. In Prophets and…
A guest article by Tracy Close, introducing you to the gifts of the Holy Spirit spoken of in the Bible. Charismata is the plural form of the Greek word charis, meaning grace. Charismata are the visible effects of grace in word or deed, known more commonly to us as spiritual gifts. Much has been written…
Robert Kimball Shinkoskey, Do My Prophets No Harm: Revelation and Religious Liberty in the Bible (Eugene, Oregon: Resource Publications, 2011), 206 pages, ISBN 9781608998456. Robert Shinkoskey has two main proposals in Do My Prophets No Harm. The first proposal is that the Ten Commandments provide ancient Israel’s constitutional government. In theory, the Ten Commandments are…
One of the tragic losses in modern Christianity is the near-elimination of the Holy Spirit from the life and activity of many believers. Religion that is learned and formalized can function without the Holy Spirit; true spirituality cannot. A prominent church leader once said of his denomination that “If the Holy Spirit were to disappear…
We celebrate Pentecost Sunday when Jesus poured out his Spirit on his disciples and the Church began. Recent articles and reviews about the contemporary ministry of the Holy Spirit Spirit-Empowered Christianity What does Spirit-empowered Christianity look like around the world? Pneuma Review speaks with Todd M. Johnson and Gina A. Zurlo, directors of the…
In this guest article, Pastor R. Loren Sandford calls for a reformation of the prophetic movement after the many failed prophecies of 2020 including predictions about COVID-19 and the re-election of President Trump. Never in my life have I felt such a sense of disarray in the body of Christ, and most especially around prophetic…
What does Spirit-empowered Christianity look like around the world? Pneuma Review speaks with Todd M. Johnson and Gina A. Zurlo, directors of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity and editors of the third edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia. PneumaReview.com: What is Spirit-Empowered Christianity and how is it defined? Todd M. Johnson…
Have you had difficulty receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, or is it difficult for you to help others receive it? With Scriptural teaching, it is very simple to understand and receive. I would like to share one example of how easy this can be. In January 1991, I attended the National Reserve Officers…
Jack S. Deere, Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit: Discovering How God Speaks and Heals Today (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2020), 320 pages, ISBN 9780310108115. Most of Jack Deere’s books have dealt with the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, this present volume is no exception. Some of the material…
Frank D. Macchia, Jesus the Spirit Baptizer: Christology in the Light of Pentecost (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018), 383 pages, ISBN 9780802873897. Pentecostals are well acquainted with the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the argument that it is Jesus who baptizes the church at Pentecost. But if Jesus is the Spirit baptizer, what does this…
Tony Richie, Essentials of Pentecostal Theology: An Eternal and Unchanging Lord Powerfully Present and Active by the Holy Spirit (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2020), 250 pages, ISBN 9781532638817. Dr. Tony Richie is a third generation Pentecostal (page 9) and an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). He serves as senior pastor of…
Pneuma Review had the privilege of speaking with two brave women that God used to share the story of Jesus with thousands in their homeland of Iran. Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh introduce themselves: We were born into Muslim families in Iran. As young adults we became Christians and met each other while studying…
If you walk into many Christian churches and ask about suffering, sickness, and healing, it is likely that you’ll be told that suffering is part of God’s divine plan of redemption. You might even be told that suffering comes from God. Now, we know that God is all good. God is good and good is…
Joseph S. Girdler and Carolyn Tennant, Keys To The Apostolic And Prophetic: Embracing the Authentic Avoiding the Bizarre (Crestwood, KY: Meadow Stream Publishing, 2019), 228 pages, ISBN 9781733795241. The authors of this book are both ordained ministers with the Assemblies of God. Joseph Girdler has served in pastoral ministry and is currently the Superintendent of…
Speaking with us about his book, The Language of Heaven, pastor-scholar Sam Storms discusses the gift of tongues and the blessing it is to individuals and the local church. Pneuma Review: At this point in church history speaking in tongues is still a controversial subject. What would you say to someone who refers to…
Sam Storms, The Language of Heaven: Crucial Questions About Speaking in Tongues (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2019), 272 pages, ISBN 9781629996073. Sam Storms has served the Lord in a number of different capacities. He is a pastor and has served as an associate professor of theology at a major Christian college. These experiences show that…
Having recently read and reviewed Angels of Light by Eddie Hyatt, Pastor Larry Russi asks questions to clarify and go even more in-depth. Larry Russi: Thank you Dr. Hyatt for agreeing to do this interview. I was greatly blessed by your book. Larry Russi: What were the main factors that prompted you to write…
Paul L. King, Is It Of God? A Biblical Guidebook For Spiritual Discernment Volume 1 (Newberry, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2019), 384 pages, ISBN 9781610364065. Dr. Paul King is a man with significant academic credentials. He holds two doctorates, one from Oral Roberts University and one from the University of South Africa. He has served on the…
Pneuma Review: Please tell our readers about your Pentecostal roots. Andrew Gabriel: I grew up worshipping in primarily Pentecostal churches, although we did, at times, attend some other denominational churches. After graduating from high school, I studied at a Pentecostal Bible college, and eventually I was ordained in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, as I…
A brief look at the controversial gift of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, by Pastor John Lathrop. The twentieth century has witnessed the rapid growth of two remarkable religious movements, the Pentecostal Movement and the Charismatic Movement. The Pentecostal Movement, which appeared first, attracted widespread attention in the early 1900’s. This was…
“After the Holy Spirit is come upon you…” Acts 1:8 June 9, 2019 is Pentecost Sunday. Celebrate the birth of the Church, when Jesus poured out his Spirit on all of his followers. Here are some articles published recently by PneumaReview.com about what God is doing in the world and about the empowering presence…
In this excerpt from his book, Jesus in Iran, Eugene Bach shares how God is using dreams and visions to draw Muslims into a relationship with Jesus the Messiah. I would like to state that I am not much into visions and dreams. In Christian circles, I am in the minority. After serving for more…
Bible teacher Verna Linzey introduces listeners to the reality of the Holy Spirit today. This teaching series on “The Baptism with the Holy Spirit” explores the biblical and theological foundations of the experience known as the baptism with the Holy Spirit or the reception of the Holy Spirit as confirmed by speaking in tongues. In…
Many Christians believe the myth that ‘Spirit-filled’ or even ‘spiritual’ must indicate something or someone a little strange. Depending on how much exposure people have had to the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, they might associate the words ‘Spirit-filled’ with people who claim to be inspired by the Spirit to bark like dogs, scream, or roll around on…
Andrew K. Gabriel, Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit (Nashville, TN: Emanate Books, 2019), 179 pages, ISBN 9780785223610. Andrew Gabriel is an ordained minister; he holds credentials with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. He has a doctoral degree from McMaster Divinity College and is associate professor of theology at…
Relating to the Holy Spirit If we grieve the Holy Spirit He may become silent, imperceptible to us, and we will find ourselves seemingly abandoned to a frustrated and unspiritual state. It was in the apparent fear of this condition that David cried out, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me!” The scores of apathetic…
Rescuing Our Pentecostal Heritage Randy Clark, Stories of Divine Healing: Supernatural Testimonies that Ignite Faith for Your Healing (NMG/Destiny Image, 2018), 288 pages. While attending the Society For Pentecostal Studies meeting in Cleveland, Tennessee in early 2018, I had a troubling conversation about the viability of divine healing. A young academic told me he accepted…
New book introduces readers to the coming of the Holy Spirit seen throughout Scripture. Spirit Baptism in the Old and New Testaments (Not Just Acts) is an e-book recently written by Dr. Andrew Gabriel for a general Christian audience. Gabriel is a Canadian Pentecostal theologian and the author of three books and numerous articles and…
God wants to unleash the life-changing, bondage-breaking power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pastor Chas Carrin points out what the Apostle Paul had to say about this and encourages every Jesus follower to pursue spiritual gifts. The Apostle Paul encountered Jesus on the Damascus Road and was born again; three days later in…
One of the things I love about studying the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is that it helps me learn how to discern where the Spirit is at work in the world around me. And from my study I have come to conclude that the Spirit is at work in my brain while I’m sleeping….
Do you want God to use you? God has put every believer on a journey to become more like Jesus, to walk in the power of the Spirit to proclaim his kingdom. In this excerpt from his book, Say What? A Biblical and Historical Journey on the Connection between the Holy Spirit, Prophecy, and Tongues,…
Dean Merrill, Miracle Invasion: Amazing true stories of the Holy Spirit’s gifts at work today (Savage, MN: Broadstreet Publishing Group, 2018), 208 pages, ISBN 9781424556083. Dean Merrill is a veteran writer. He has written books of his own, has collaborated with others to help them tell their stories, and contributed to various publications. In this his…
What did God have in mind for you when he gave the gift of tongues to the church? What can you do to prepare yourself to receive this blessing? An excerpt from Larry Christenson’s classic work, Answering Your Questions About Speaking in Tongues. What happens afterward in the lives of the people who pray…
Evangelicals cannot make up their mind about miracles. They typically affirm the “supernatural in theory but deny it in practice.”[1] Although charismata’s scriptural precedent is acknowledged, many are persuaded that it “is not the essence of religion.”[2] Billy Graham, Evangelicalism’s chief architect, declared, “As we approach the end of the age … I believe we…
Pneuma Review speaks with Dr. Michael L. Brown about his story, Playing With Holy Fire, and encouraging the biblical use of spiritual gifts. PneumaReview.com: Briefly describe your own personal history in the Pentecostal/Charismatic church. Michael Brown: The Lord saved me in an Italian Pentecostal church in Queens, New York in 1971. That was my first…
“After the Holy Spirit is come upon you…” Acts 1:8 May 20, 2018 is Pentecost Sunday. You’ve seen it before, an old house that goes through an extreme makeover—it is like a brand new home! The attraction is the compelling contrast between life before and life after. Consider, then, the contrast between the Christian life…
PneumaReview.com speaks with Dean Merrill, the author or co-author of almost 50 books, about his latest book that investigates amazing and true stories of the work of the Holy Spirit today. PneumaReview.com: Please tell our readers about any ways in which the Pentecostal or Charismatic movements have touched your life. Dean Merrill: My parents,…
Jeff Oliver, author of the three-volume Pentecost to the Present: The Holy Spirit’s Enduring Work in the Church, brings a challenge to church leaders: desire and operate in the gifts of the Spirit. The greatest problem facing the church today may not be a new one, but an old one. Jesus said, “No one pours…
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Prov. 16:32, MEV). Self-control, temperance, moderation, and self-restraint are all terms used to define the last of the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. The word used in the Bible for self-control…
“Now I, Paul, who am lowly in presence among you but bold toward you while absent, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1, MEV). Gentleness, one part of the fruit of the Spirit, needs a place in our everyday lives. Often translated humility or meekness, the word gentleness…
Michael L. Brown, Playing With Holy Fire: A Wake-Up Call To the Pentecostal-Charismatic Church (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2018), 224 pages, ISBN 9781629994987. Dr. Michael Brown has Pentecostal roots that run deep. His early days as a Christian were spent in an Italian Pentecostal Church in New York, years later he was one of the…
“These will wage war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are with Him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14, MEV). Martin Luther defined faith as “a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure that one would…
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. And an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matt. 12:35, MEV). This statement from Jesus shows the three stages of goodness: first, the man is essentially good; second, he has good stored up in…
“Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Eph. 4:32, MEV) The kindness that comes as a fruit of the Spirit is revealed in the life of Jesus in His darkest hour of trial. When Judas and the soldiers came to the garden to take Jesus, Peter used his sword to wound the ear of…
“Keep in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation” (2 Peter 3:15, MEV). The word patience, as it is used in the New Testament, really has no equivalent in the English language. Patience is the powerful capacity of selfless love to suffer long under adversity. It is the ability to bear with…
“For He is our peace, who has made both groups one and has broken down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:14). The word peace as used in the gospels and in Ephesians means to bind together those things that were separated. Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20),…
“I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11, MEV). Loveless Christians are joyless Christians. But when self is drowned in the love of Christ, the result will be unspeakable joy. Faith in Christ implants joy in the believer’s heart….
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, MEV). Love is the first and greatest of the fruit of the…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-25, MEV). The fruit of the Spirit identifies the Spirit-filled believer. Just as speaking with other tongues confirms the baptism in the Holy…
The history of the Day of Pentecost dates back to 1500 BC when God gave Moses the Law on Mount Sinai. Fire appeared to symbolize God’s presence. On the Day of Pentecost in Acts, God made His presence known through the fire and gave us the Holy Spirit. The difference between Sinai and Acts was…
Sarah Bowling, In Step with the Spirit: Infusing Your Life with God’s Presence and Power (Chosen Books, 2017), 240 pages, ISBN 9780800798451. Sarah Bowling is the daughter of the Rev. Wallace and Marilyn Hickey. She joins her mother as a co-host and Bible teacher on their worldwide daily television program, “Today with Marilyn and Sarah”….
Verna M. Linzey, The Baptism With the Holy Spirit: The Reception of the Holy Spirit as Confirmed by Speaking in Tongues (Longwood, FL: Xulon Press), 180 pages, paperback. A New Handbook on the Pentecostal Experience Verna Linzey’s new book, according to scholar James D. G. Dunn, is a “restatement of classic Pentecostal convictions on baptism…
God is speaking today and Pastor Loren Sandford urges all of us to pursue biblical discernment. With so many questionable prophetic words circulating these days, concerning both the wider world and personal prophecies, wouldn’t it be a good thing for the body of Christ to sharpen its discernment? I fear that to fail to do this…
Robert W. Graves, Praying in the Spirit (Tulsa, OK, Empowered Life, 2017), 280 pages, ISBN 9781680310870. Praying in the Spirit was first released in 1987. Now, thirty years later, it has been re-released in an updated and expanded edition. Robert Graves is eminently qualified to write about this subject because of his longstanding connections to…
PneumaReview.com: Why did you choose to write a book on theology? Charles Carrin: I had a specific God-instruction to write a “charismatic catechism” for the benefit of Spirit-filled believers who had no such resource. I began working and the book assumed the nature of a theological-treatise. There are 300 questions and answers on a progression…
Steve Bremner, Nine Lies People Believe about Speaking in Tongues (Destiny Image, 2016), 217 pages. Steve Bremner is a missionary to Peru. He co-hosts and produces the “Fire on Your Head” podcast and contributes to Fire Press, which is an online Christian magazine he founded in 2008. This book addresses questions on the baptism and…
Sam Storms, Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), 272 pages, ISBN 9780310533849 In Practicing the Power Sam Storms addresses issues related to the exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church. The subject of spiritual gifts is not a new…
Scott Camp, A Primer on Power: Discovering the Dynamic Ministry of the Holy Spirit (Franklin Publishing, 2016). It is with thanks to Scott Camp for the chance to review his book, A Primer on Power: Discovering the Dynamic Ministry of the Holy Spirit (Franklin Publishing, 2016). Scott Camp is a full-time traveling evangelist who also…
J. Lee Grady, “The Holy Spirit Wants to Fill You Again,” Fire In My Bones (February 22, 2017). This is a brief, but important article. Lee Grady, one of the most mature and experienced Charismatic leaders of the present generation, urges us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and proceed with boldness to do…
Anthony C. Thiselton, A Shorter Guide to the Holy Spirit: Bible, Doctrine, Experience (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016). Anthony Thiselton’s Shorter Guide is a “shorter guide” in that it was written at the request of his publisher to provide a shorter treatment (228 pages) of his more substantial 2013 work, The Holy…
J. Lee Grady, Set My Heart on Fire: Ignite Your Confidence, Boldness, and Passion for God (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2016), 240 pages, ISBN 9781629986104. Lee Grady is well known in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. For a number of years he served as the editor of Charisma magazine, a publication devoted to the Spirit-filled…
Randy Clark, The Essential Guide to the Power of the Holy Spirit: God’s Miraculous Gifts at Work Today (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2015), 221 pages. Randy Clark is the president and founder of the Global Awakening ministry school and adjunct professor at United Theological Seminary and Regent University Divinity School. He has traveled and ministered…
This guest article is chapter four, “The Holy Spirit,” from Dean Schendel’s book, Oneness: A Call to Honor God in the Marriage Relationship. Be Filled In Ephesians, Paul instructed believers to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every…
Denzil R. Miller, Maintaining the Spirit-Empowered Life: How to Walk Daily in the Spirit’s Power (Springfield, Missouri: AIA Publications, 2015). In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist refers to Jesus, saying, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy…
Part 2 of an excerpt from Peter Ostrander’s book, New Testament Healing. Read Part 1 in the Winter 2016 issue: “The Holy Spirit and the Ministries of Jesus.” The Holy Spirit and the Ministry of the Disciples I am personally interested in finding out whether healings that are carried out by believers follow a pattern…
This past Pentecost Sunday I was invited to preach at my old parish, Light of Christ Church, a charismatic Anglican church in Marietta, Georgia. I was utterly delighted, and determined that I would not only preach Pentecost, but encourage Pentecost. The four suggested readings were all on the Holy Spirit, except for the suggested Psalm….
Evangelist David Hernandez reflects on the Spirit’s ministry of healing and the classic work by Francis MacNutt. Recently, I was at a crusade in a certain country where we saw many extraordinary things take place. Through the sound system in those nights, the gospel was preached to thousands. Then we began to pray for the…
Part 1 of an excerpt from Peter Ostrander’s book, New Testament Healing. The Holy Spirit and the Ministries of Jesus When Jesus spoke and acted with authority and with God’s power to heal the sick and disabled, he set people free from demonic oppression, then rebuked and stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee….
Bible teacher Eddie Hyatt briefly looks at the unhealthy emphasis some place on supernatural signs and wonders. He challenges us to “Follow Jesus and let the signs follow you.” If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the…
What Spirit-filled pastors and leaders need to know about prophecy in the church. For several years I regularly attended a local Pentecostal church. The pastor believed in all of the gifts of the Spirit and often prayed in tongues during the music ministry. However, on the rare occasions that anyone in the congregation prayed aloud…
Kenneth Cain Kinghorn, The New Testament Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Lexington: Emeth Press, 2005), 120 pages, ISBN 9780975543566. Kenneth C. Kinghorn, professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Asbury Seminary, herein offers a practical work for Christians. This book is not technical, nor necessarily academic in its orientation (though it is, of course,…
Introduction Twentieth century Pentecostalism reawakened the world to miracles. The growth of this movement activated individuals in established religion to wrestle with a major player on the world scene of Christianity. Even so, as Pentecostalism expands, the cessationist view resuscitates a theological position that corresponds with the European intellectual development of the late seventeenth and…
Jack Levison, Fresh Air: the Holy Spirit for an Inspired Life (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press: 2012), 217 pages, 9781612610689. Jack Levison, in his work Fresh Air: the Holy Spirit for an Inspired Life, aims to clear a foggy, often caricatured view of the Holy Spirit in today’s church. Does one feel a move of the…
Pavel Hejzlar, Two Paradigms for Divine Healing: Fred F. Bosworth, Kenneth E. Hagin, Agnes Sanford, and Francis Macnutt In Dialogue (Brill, 2010), 289 pages, ISBN 9789004178328. This work provides an analysis of the healing theologies by four major players in the 20th century. F. F. Bosworth and Kenneth Hagin are put forward as leading influences…
Roger Olson, “Embarrassed by the Supernatural?” (April 29, 2015). Roger Olson’s challenge to Western Christianity about the power of God is a bold and biblical one. Questioning the status quo of our current version of traditional Christianity, he rightly believes that it has, “absorbed the worldview of modernity by relegating the supernatural, miracles, scientifically unexplainable…
Celebrate the beginning of the Church and the empowerment of God’s people this Pentecost Sunday by reading one of these articles from PneumaReview.com. Craig S. Keener talks about the origin and meaning of Pentecost in the book of Acts by highlighting these seven points: the Promise of Pentecost, the Preparation for Pentecost, the Proofs…
Jordan Seng, Miracle Work: A Down-To-Earth Guide To Supernatural Ministry (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013), 224 pages, ISBN 9780830837649. Jordan Seng is the pastor of Bluewater Mission in Honolulu, Hawaii. In this book he addresses the subject of supernatural ministry. However, the book is not primarily a theological text in defense of the present-day miraculous…
Randy Clark, Power to Heal: Keys to Activating God’s Healing Power in Your Life (Shippensberg: Destiny Image, 2015), 248 pages. The Rev. Dr. Randy Clark, one of the most important and influential figures of the present Pentecostal/charismatic movement, has just published his latest book, Power to Heal. It is a significant work as it encapsulates…
Introduction I am personally fully persuaded that the Pentecostal/Charismatic movements have been raised up by God in manifestation of the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, I have noticed two reflex reactions that often occur when the subject of miracles is raised. Either a defensive stance or a…
Craig S. Keener, author of Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, shares stories of people who experienced miraculous healing. This is part 2 of a special lecture series on apologetics given at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in the Summer of 2014.
Craig S. Keener, author of Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, discusses the different views skeptics hold about miracles while providing statistical information about what Americans think about miracles. This is part 1 of a special lecture series on apologetics given at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in the Summer of 2014,…
In this third session of three, Professor Craig S. Keener opens by asking, have you ever wondered what is God’s will? This lecture looks at Romans 12 and the renewing of the mind. These lectures were given as part of the 8th annual Stanley M. Horton Pentecostal Heritage Lectureship Series, held on February 3-5, 2015…
In this second session of three, Professor Craig S. Keener lectures based on 5 chapters of his future book on the Mind of the Spirit. This lecture treats the theme of the mind in Romans 1 (the fallen mind), 6:11 (the mind of faith), 7:7-25 (the mind under the law), and 8:5-7 (the mind of…
In this first session of three, Professor Craig S. Keener speaks on the meaning of the mind of Christ in the context of 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and implications for bringing together sound scholarship and deep spirituality. These lectures were given as part of the 8th annual Stanley M. Horton Pentecostal Heritage Lectureship Series,…
Strangers to Fire represents a phalanx of biblical responses by a variety of authors to the cessationism first developed by the serpent in the Garden: “Did God really say?” That was a challenge to the idea of revelation from God, a notion more fully developed by the cessationist scribes who opposed Jesus. Jesus said to…
If you focus on being supernatural you’ll end up in shipwreck, but if you focus on being intimate with the Father you’ll end up being supernatural.
Jonathan Downie, a regular contributor to PneumaReview.com, wrote to the editors about the ongoing coverage we have featured here of John MacArthur’s 2013 book, Strange Fire. Please read his concern and our response below it. I am growing concerned about how much coverage the Strange Fire book is getting in the Pneuma Review….
Robert W. Graves, ed., Strangers To Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scripture (Woodstock, GA: The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, 2014), 604 pages, ISBN 9780996044509 A quick overview reveals that Strangers to Fire is an anthology of 35 essays edited by Robert W. Graves, President of The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship. These essays are written by 26…
Robert W. Graves, ed., Strangers To Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scripture (Woodstock, GA: The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, 2014), 604 pages, ISBN 9780996044509 If you are a person who stays current with regard to books related to the work of the Holy Spirit, the first part of the title of this book may sound familiar to…
Rob Wilkerson responds to the article, “The Elephant in the Strange Fire” by Cameron Buettel, published on November 3, 2014 on John MacArthur’s Grace to You ministry website. Frankly, I’m a nobody in the kingdom. I’ve never published any books, though I’d certainly like to one day. I’ve never led a church…
Editor Introduction: For many Pentecostals and charismatics, John MacArthur’s 2013 book, Strange Fire, represents the same tired arguments used for years by those who believe God is done giving gifts to his church. PneumaReview.com asked The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship President, Robert Graves, about their response, their first published book, Strangers to Fire: When Tradition…
R. T. Kendall, Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives (Lake Mary: Charisma House, 2014), 256 pages, ISBN 9781621366041. In his prologue, R.T. Kendall sums up the purpose for Holy Fire: to end the “silent divorce…between the Word and the Spirit.” He laments that in any divorce, children…
Craig S. Keener responds to a critic’s comment posted on his statement about the relationship between anti-supernaturalism and cessationism. I find here, as in the book to which I originally responded, some strange lumping together of all charismatics’ beliefs to the detriment of any particular charismatic. What prompted me to write the…
In this review essay by Rob Wilkerson, he reflects on his background as a disciple of John MacArthur, his becoming a continuationist anyway, and his look at Michael Brown’s book, Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire (Excel Publishers, 2013). I loved pillow fights when I was younger. I haven’t enjoyed one…
John R. Levison, Filled with the Spirit (Eerdmans, 2009), 490 pages, ISBN 9780802863720. As Pentecostals and Charismatics, we are people who have been confronted by an intense experience of the Holy Spirit. This has led us to reappraise the importance we attach to the Holy Spirit within our Systematic Theologies, as well as reviewing our…
Craig S. Keener talks about the origin and meaning of Pentecost in the book of Acts by highlighting these seven points: the Promise of Pentecost, the Preparation for Pentecost, the Proofs of Pentecost, the Peoples of Pentecost, the Prophecy of Pentecost, the Preaching of Pentecost, and the Power of Pentecost. Part of the Seedbed…
R. T. Kendall, Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives (Lake Mary: Charisma House, 2014), 256 pages, ISBN 9781621366041. R.T. Kendall (DPhil, Oxford University) is no stranger to controversy. Raised in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition he converted to Calvinism as an adult. Yet his scholarship has challenged contemporary Calvinist…
There are few Christians in the West who have not heard of the revival that started around 1906 usually referred to as the Azusa Street Revival. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit on evangelical Christians, mostly from the holiness stream literally changed the history of Christianity and the world. People came from all over the…
Carolyn De Arteaga, Watching God Work: The Stuff of Miracles (Alachua: Bridge-Logos, 2014), 192 pages, ISBN 9781610361217. I recently finished reading this delightful book and I must admit the title threw me off just a bit. I picked up this book, I think, expecting something more dramatic and perhaps, even mystical. The term ‘miracles’…
John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2013), 333 pages, ISBN 9781400206414. Strange Fire by John MacArthur is a vicious and callous attack on the worldwide Pentecostal/Charismatic movement, and a great affront to the hundreds of millions of born-again Christians in every nation…
I just re-read the following poignant warning from the late Dr. Donald Bloesch: “Pentecostalism can become a new formalism, that words of prophecy and speaking in tongues can simply be outward acts that assure us of acceptance by our peers and be completely bereft of the sanctifying presence of the Spirit of God” (The…
“Strange Fire”? Not in a Global Pentecostal Context of Ministry An international panel of ministry veterans responds to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire Dony K. Donev with Dennis Balcombe, Hanny Setiawan and Marius Lombaard Almost one year ago, internationally known author John MacArthur began campaigning for his new book Strange Fire. With lots of material written…
Celebrate the Holy Spirit this Pentecost Sunday by reading one of these great articles from the Pneuma Review archives: Ken Archer, “Biblical Imagery: The Metaphorical Symbols of the Holy Spirit” appearing in the Summer 2011 issue. Christian theology should always be concerned to speak about God on the basis of God’s self-communication in Christ Jesus…
Michael L. Brown, Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire (Excel Publishers, Dec 12, 2013), 418 pages. Dr. Michael Brown in his work Authentic Fire confronts the misinformation of Pastor John MacArthur’s outspoken zeal against all things charismatic in his book, Strange Fire. While Dr. Brown admits that on some points Dr….
Del Tarr, The Foolishness of God: A Linguist Looks at the Mystery of Tongues (Springfield, MO: The Access Group, 2010), xvii +447 pages, ISBN 9780984447008. Del Tarr, Professor Emeritus and past President of the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, who holds a PhD in Communications from the University of Minnesota, applies scientific linguistic and…
Michael L. Brown, Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire (Excel Publishers, Dec 12, 2013), 418 pages. Authentic Fire is Dr. Michael Brown’s response to John MacArthur’s book Strange Fire. MacArthur’s Strange Fire launches a scathing attack on the Christian Charismatic Movement and so it comes as no surprise that champions of…
Michael L. Brown, Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire (Excel Publishers, Dec 12, 2013), 418 pages. In my review of John MacArthur’s Strange Fire, I pointed out what I considered to be inexcusable intellectual dishonesty regarding the Charismatic Movement and its contributions to worldwide Christianity. Blanket statements were made with little…
During the month of May or June (depending on the calendar), Christians throughout the world celebrate Pentecost Sunday—a time of rejoicing and reflection on the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who had assembled to receive power from on high. We must remember and celebrate the significance of this great event. This year…
Excerpts from Pouring Holy Water on Strange Fire: A Critique of John MacArthur’s Strange Fire & Charismatic Chaos by Frank Viola. The central focus of this critique is simply to show that both Scripture and church history yield strong evidence that spiritual gifts are still extant in the church today. My primary intention in writing…
On Saturday afternoon, May 3rd, 2014, Dr. Michael Brown, spoke at Christian Assembly in Somerville, Massachusetts. He spoke to pastors and ministry leaders about the charismatic work of the Holy Spirit, drawing heavily from his recent book Authentic Fire. This seminar was sponsored by the New England District (www.ifcane.org) of the International Fellowship of…
Craig S. Keener, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, 2 Volumes (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011), 1172 pages, ISBN 9780801039522. All of Keener’s books that this reviewer has seen and read are lengthy. This reviewer owns Keener’s two volume work on The Gospel of John as well as Miracles, the thick one…
Prophesying in the Father’s Heart An excerpt from a teaching given at the Hearing Heaven conference at Fusion Church, Auckland, New Zealand in August, 2010.
Graham A. Cole, Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 125 pages. Graham A. Cole teaches biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Readers of The Pneuma Review will probably remember his excellent contribution about pneumatology, also from Crossway, entitled He Who Gives Life (2007)….
R. T. Kendall, Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives (Lake Mary: Charisma House, 2014), 256 pages, ISBN 9781621366041. In his nine-page foreword, Jack Hayford rightly titles this “a landmark book.” He also rightly highlights Kendall’s work as irenic (pp. xxi-xxii), offering a notable contrast to some…
Presented by Craig S. Keener in conjunction with Tactical Faith at the 25th annual Biblical Studies Lectures, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University. Beeson Divinity School is an interdenominational, evangelical divinity school on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
Michael L. Brown, Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur’s Strange Fire (Excel Publishers, Dec 12, 2013), 418 pages. Authentic Fire, by Dr. Michael L. Brown, is a masterful answer to the intemperate and angry attack on Charismatic movement and Pentecostalism by John MacArthur in his work, Strange Fire.[1] In the public launch to Strange…
Live debate on Predestination and Election Join us on Friday, January 24, at 4pm-6pm EST for a live debate between Dr. Michael Brown and Dr. James White. They will debate the doctrine of Predestination and ask: Did Christ die for all? The debate will be live-streamed again at 9pm EST. Live debate on Divine Healing Come…
Craig S. Keener discusses his testimony and his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts with Apologetics315 in this 69 minute interview.
John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2013), 333 pages, ISBN 9781400206414. Introduction In this highly polemical book, John MacArthur argues that as an aggressive though “counterfeit” form of Christian spirituality, the global Pentecostal-Charismatic movement is neither founded on nor representative of orthodox Christian…
Excerpts from Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Craig S. Keener as appearing in Pneuma Review Fall 2013 “Are Miracles Possible?” by Craig S. Keener “Miracle Accounts beyond Antiquity” by Craig S. Keener “Miracle Accounts: Multicultural Approach” by Craig S. Keener “Miracle Accounts: Majority World Perspectives” by Craig S. Keener “Miracles and…
An excerpt from Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Craig S. Keener. From Pneuma Review Fall 2013. From the introduction to Part 3, “Miracle Accounts beyond Antiquity” Pages 209-210 The principle of analogy once used to argue against all ancient miracles (either the occurrence of some sorts of extranormal phenomena or their…
by Wayne A. Grudem Should Christians Expect Miracles Today? Objections and Answers from the Bible, Part 1 Should Christians Expect Miracles Today? Objections and Answers from the Bible, Part 2 Should Christians Expect Miracles Today? Objections and Answers from the Bible, Part 3 Should Christians Expect Miracles Today? Objections and Answers from the Bible, Part…
Related articles and videos from Craig S. Keener about his 2-volume Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts
An excerpt from Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Craig S. Keener. From Pneuma Review Fall 2013. From Part 3, “Miracle Accounts beyond Antiquity” Chapter 7, “Majority World Perspectives” Pages 238-241 For these countries alone, and for Pentecostals and charismatics in these countries alone, the estimated total of people claiming to have…
An excerpt from Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Craig S. Keener. From Pneuma Review Fall 2013. From Part 4, “Proposed Explanations” Chapter 15, “More Extranormal Cases” Page 721 Implications of and Prospects for Medical Documentation Gardner insists that modern comparative examples can chasten our excessive tendency to skepticism of all…
An excerpt from Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Craig S. Keener. From Pneuma Review Fall 2013. From Part 3, “Miracle Accounts beyond Antiquity” Chapter 7, “Majority World Perspectives” Pages 214-219 A Multicultural Approach Social scientists have noted that, despite a variety of interpretations, “people from all cultures relate stories of spontaneous,…
From the Fall 2013 issue of Pneuma Review. Amos Yong, Who is the Holy Spirit? A Walk with the Apostles, a Paraclete Guide (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2011), 215 pages, ISBN 9781557256355. Amos Yong has written a fresh and comprehensive guide concerning the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. This work has profound implications…
An excerpt from Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Craig S. Keener. From Pneuma Review Fall 2013. From Part 2, “Are Miracles Possible?” Chapter 5, “Hume and Philosophic Questions” Pages 161-167 The Circularity of Hume’s Approach Houston challenges at length Hume’s belief that the general improbability of events in a particular class…
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
In his latest book, Strange Fire, John MacArthur viciously labels the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement as “a false church as dangerous as any cult or heresy that has ever assaulted Christianity.” As I have read and reread his polemic, one thing that becomes clear is that MacArthur’s entire theological outlook is guided and determined by his commitment…
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Craig S. Keener discusses medical evidence for miracles. Part of the Seedbed series about his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts.
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
by Frank Viola Someone has asked me, “Why waste your time on responding to MacArthur’s writings against the charismatics?” When I was in my 20s, I wrote a critique of John MacArthur’s Charismatic Chaos because a brother in the Lord broke fellowship with me and my friends after reading MacArthur’s book. Jesus said to His…
By Guest Panelist Jonathan Storment. “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.” -C.S. Lewis Maybe you’ve noticed that over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk around charismatic vs. not charismatic protestant Christians. Some people held a…
Why are W. A. Criswell and John MacArthur wrong when they claim that all tongues today are counterfeit?
Is Peter Wagner right in saying the apostles are returning? Is MacArthur right when he claims Paul said he was the last of the apostles? What are the qualifications of true apostleship in the church today?
Craig S. Keener discusses his book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Part of the Seedbed series from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Is it “Strange Fire” or “Holy Fire”? by Charles Carrin You will soon be hearing about two books: Strange Fire by Dr. John MacArthur and Holy Fire by Dr. R.T. Kendall. Dr. Kendall has written only in the emergency to defend Scripture and charismatic Christians from Dr. MacArthur attack. John MacArthur is a man of significant Christian stature. He is the…
John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Thomas Nelson, Nov 12, 2013) 9781400205172. While offering some very needed points, John MacArthur’s Strange Fire unfortunately extrapolates from those points to an entire “movement.” As I note below, I also believe that MacArthur suppresses some biblical truth on the basis…
Do Pentecostal/charismatics treat the Holy Spirit, as MacArthur alleges, like an impersonal force? Do classical Pentecostals insist that all Christians should speak in tongues? More on the topic: John MacArthur’s Strange Fire: Estranged by misinterpretation? John MacArthur’s Strange Fire, Reviewed by R. Loren Sandford Frank Macchia on the Gifts of God to the Church John…
Introduction The thesis of John MacArthur’s new book, Strange Fire is that Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement, are heretical movements that must be rebuked and eliminated from the church. 1 Everything to do with these movements is fraudulent, inauthentic or a misrepresentation of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Strange Fire continues his war on…
John MacArthur’s new book, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Thomas Nelson), is due out on November 12, 2013. Here are some images and quotes from the book as part of our conversation, “Are Pentecostals offering Strange Fire?” When MacArthur, on page 203, says that “we have already seen,…
John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2013), 333 pages, ISBN 9781400206414. As we shall see, John MacArthur’s abhorrence of “further revelation” via prophecy and related spiritual gifts derives, not from scripture, but from the frustration of Calvinists under Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) of watching…
This is a pre-publication review of John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Thomas Nelson, Nov 12, 2013) 9781400205172. As a life-long Pentecostal-Charismatic, I recommend that every Pentecostal-Charismatic leader read Strange Fire by John MacArthur. I say this because we need to see how the bizarre “spiritual” behavior…
This is a pre-publication review of John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship (Thomas Nelson, Nov 12, 2013) 9781400205172. Strange Fire by John MacArthur is basically an attack on anything and everything related to the Charismatic Movement and the various movements descended from it, as if the whole…
Did tongues and the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit cease in the early church? John MacArthur says they did and that practicing them today is false worship—an abomination before God. Pneuma Review invites you to respond to these criticisms and to renew the biblical command to “desire spiritual gifts” (1 Cor 14:1). We’ve…
Pastor, renewal leader, and scholar speaks with The Pneuma Review. Pneuma Review: Tell us about where you come from, what God has done in your life, and what he has called you to be doing. Randy Clark: I was raised in a Christian home as a Baptist, educated at a BaptistUniversity and Seminary, presently completing…
Randy Clark, “The Revivalists: Fanning the Flames of the Holy Spirit,” Charisma (March 2012), pages 34-38. Randy Clark is fairly well known in Charismatic and Pentecostal circles. He first rose to prominence in 1994 because of his involvement in the Toronto Airport Vineyard Revival, also known as “The Toronto Blessing.” Today he continues to minister…
Veteran missionary, Dennis Balcombe, talks to PneumaReview.com about the Acts of the Holy Spirit in modern-day China. Pneuma Review: Please tell our readers how you were called to China. Dennis Balcombe: I was brought up in a traditional Methodist church that only preached the “Social Gospel.” At 16 years old, a friend invited me…
William P. Atkinson, Baptism in the Spirit: Luke-Acts and the Dunn Debate (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2011), 164 pages, ISBN 9781608999712. The publication of James Dunn’s Baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1970 touched a nerve among the then fledgling group of Pentecostal scholars, and has continued to find strong resistance from Pentecostals. Not surprisingly, there…
Gary Tyra, The Holy Spirit in Mission: Prophetic Speech and Action in Christian Witness (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011), 206 pages, ISBN 9780830839490. Tyra, an experienced Assemblies of God pastor and Christian college teacher, has written a biblically based, academically conversant, and culturally informed appeal for Western evangelicals to seek for and exercise a…
An Interview with Craig S. Keener on the Miraculous and his Recent Book, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. The Pneuma Review: As a New Testament scholar you have a great interest in the meaning of the biblical text but you also seem to have a great interest in miracles. Could you tell…
Amos Yong, The Spirit of Creation: Modern Science and Divine Action in the Pentecostal-Charismatic Imagination, Pentecostal Manifestos 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011), 256 pages, ISBN 9780802866127. As one of the most prolific Pentecostal theologians, Amos Yong is no stranger to the science and religion dialogue, although this volume is his first independent monograph dedicated to…
John Lathrop interviews Eddie Hyatt about revival and his book Revival Fire. John Lathrop: The word “revival” means different things to different people. How would you define “revival?” Eddie Hyatt: Revival is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in response to the prayers of God’s people, breathing new life into His people and…
Editorial Introduction Rolland and Heidi Baker founded IRIS Global (then known as IRIS Ministries) in 1980, the year they were married, spending the next twelve years ministering in Asia, first by leading evangelistic dance and drama teams and then transitioning to work one by one with the poor and forgotten. In 1992, they moved to…
Christian theology should always be concerned to speak about God on the basis of God’s self-communication in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God comes to us in Christ Jesus through the power and personal presence of the Holy Spirit. God exists in differentiated personhood. Thus relationality is an essential attribute of God’s very being—a…
Pneuma Review: What was it like growing up in a household where your parents had such a distinctive ministry? Please tell our readers about your own journey and how you came into prophetic ministry. R. Loren Sandford: There were strong positives and strong negatives. It wasn’t just that the ministry was distinctive, but that…
R. Loren Sandford, The Prophetic Church: Wielding the Power to Change the World (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2009), 218 pages, ISBN 9780800794620. Loren Sandford, senior pastor of New Song Fellowship, is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and a widely recognized leader within the charismatic renewal. He has authored several books, and written, produced, and recorded…
Craig S. Keener, “He Still Heals” Charisma (August 2010), pages 52-55. Have you experienced a miraculous healing? This brief article contains reports of significant healings and miracles from around the world, including: the Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Among the miracles mentioned are people being raised from the dead, something Craig…
Kenneth Berding, What Are Spiritual Gifts? Rethinking The Conventional View (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006), 368 pages, ISBN 9780825421242. After reading and re-reading this book (4 times now), I would like to thank Dr. Berding for putting together this in-depth single volume reference of the traditional spiritual gifts. There are 129 pages of appendices and…
J. Lee Grady, The Holy Spirit is Not For Sale: Rekindling the Power of God in an Age of Compromise (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2010), 235 pages, ISBN 9780800794873. The name J. Lee Grady should be familiar to those who have been part of the Pentecostal or charismatic Movements for any length of time. For…
How to make a humble, biblical case for the charismata and allow the Holy Spirit to do the convincing. In one sense, charismatics have finally achieved a certain level of respectability within the Evangelical movement. Today, we have academic societies and publications1 dedicated to the study of charismatic and Pentecostal issues in which even…
Pastor Isgrigg introduces us to Professor Ervin and how he helped shape the landscape of today’s Pentecostal/charismatic movement. Introduction Howard M. Ervin, a Baptist and Pentecostal scholar, paved the way for other scholars to defend the Pentecostal faith in the academic world. During the last half of the twentieth century, charismatics, evangelicals and Pentecostals…
F. LeRon Shults and Andrea Hollingsworth, The Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 150 pages, ISBN 9780802824646. This book makes a significant contribution to the “Eerdmans Guides to Theology” series and helps us understand the place of the Holy Spirit in the faith and practice of the church over the centuries and today. This…
Youngmo Cho, Spirit and Kingdom in the Writings of Luke and Paul: An Attempt to Reconcile these Concepts (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2005), 254 pages, ISBN 9781842273166. Youngmo Cho (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is currently an assistant professor of New Testament studies at Asia LIFE University, in South Korea. He has formerly been a pastor…
Garnet Howard Milne, The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation: The Majority Puritan Viewpoint on Whether Extra-biblical Prophecy is Still Possible (Studies in Christian History and Thought; Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2007), 362 pages, ISBN 9781556358050. This book discusses the circumstances surrounding the Westminster Confession of Faith (the most influential confession in…
James W. Goll and Julia Loren, Shifting Shadows of Supernatural Experiences: A Manual for Experiencing God (Shippensburg: Destiny Image, 2007), 244 pages, ISBN 9780768424973. James W. Goll and Julia Loren did not simply write another book on supernatural experiences. Emerging out of their own lives and academic study, this book has been written for those…
Clive Calver, Descending Like a Dove: The Truth About the Holy Spirit (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2004) 177 pages, ISBN 1591852900. More than 20 years ago, David Wilkerson voiced concern about a “Christless Pentecost.”1 Today, the concern is about a Spiritless Pentecost, a charismatic experience that treats the Holy Spirit as a “silent…
Rick Richardson, Experiencing Healing Prayer: How God Turns Our Hurts into Wholeness (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 249 pages, ISBN 0830832572. Introduction In his new book, Experiencing Healing Prayer, author Rick Richardson contends that true biblical healing is much more than the removal of physical pain or the alleviation of a physical disease. Instead,…
John C. Poirier looks at recent trends regarding those Christians who say the supernatural gifts of the Spirit have ceased, and what their arguments are today. As I write this, cessationism is in the news for an apparent slippage in its subscription base: on June 1, 2007, the Research Division of LifeWay (the…
Walter R. Bodine, “Power Ministry In The Epistles: A Reply to the Evangelical Cessationist Position.”* In his review of four books favorable to the so-called “signs and wonders” movement Tim Stafford voices an objection that is frequently raised. It is the assertion that “… the New Testament epistles show such slight interest in miracles ……
Do you think that the Christian church as a whole is becoming more receptive to prophetic ministry? Yes, I do believe that is happening. I say that for several reasons, four of which I’d like to address here. The first is obvious to me personally—I am speaking in many more denominational settings. Ten…
Graham Cooke, Prophecy & Responsibility: A Journey into Receiving Revelation and the Process of Godly Communication (Brilliant Book House, 2007), 230 pages. Prophecy & Responsibility is the second book in Graham Cooke’s six book Prophetic Equipping Series. The first volume is titled Approaching The Heart Of Prophecy: A Journey Into Encouragement, Blessing And Prophetic…
R. Loren Sandford, Understanding Prophetic People: Blessings and Problems with the Prophetic Gift (Grand Rapids, MI, Chosen Books, 2007), 240 pages. R. Loren Sandford is pastor of New Song Fellowship in Denver, Colorado; he is also the son of John Loren Sandford, co-founder of the Elijah House. Pastor Sandford is himself prophetic and grew up…
Now in his eighties, Dr. Francis MacNutt has been one of the giants of the Christian healing ministry for almost four decades. His books Healing (1974), Deliverance from Evil Spirits (1995), and Overcome by the Spirit (1990) are, I believe, still the best introductions to healing, deliverance, and manifestations of the Spirit. His writings have…
David: What is your first memory of knowing God? Francis: As far back as I can remember I believed in God. I went with my dad to church every Sunday. I was always serious about God and very intent on wanting to do His will. David: How did that evolve into a call to…
Pastor-scholar Tony Richie takes on a cessationist critic of glossolalia. Ronald E. Baxter, Charismatic Gift of Tongues (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1981), 149 pages. I can think of only two reasons why anyone would want to read this book: as an unavoidable assignment for a book review or to shore up shallow prejudice against…
Graham Cooke, Approaching The Heart Of Prophecy: A Journey Into Encouragement, Blessing And Prophetic Gifting (Winston-Salem, NC: Punch Press, 2006), 282 pages, ISBN 9780977080786. Graham Cooke’s new book Approaching The Heart Of Prophecy: A Journey Into Encouragement, Blessing And Prophetic Gifting is volume one of what will be a six book set known as…
Festus Akinnifesi, Divine Healing: A Biblical Solution to Sound Health (Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2005), 344 pages. When it comes to the subject of divine healing, there is too much fear, a lack of knowledge, and a tendency toward extremes, according to Dr. Festus Akinnifesi. But the day is coming, he believes, when the…
R. Loren Sandford, Purifying the Prophetic: Breaking Free from the Spirit of Self-Fulfillment (Grand Rapids: Chosen, 2005), 203 pages. Loren Sandford writes with a twofold purpose: He seeks to confront the culture of self-centered Christianity and to refocus the Charismatic Church on the work and the imitation of Christ. He speaks with a…
Otis L. Fisher, The Role of the Spirit in the World and Life: How God is Immanent in His Creation (Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2004), 159 pages. Otis L. Fisher, associate pastor in Churchville, VA and graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, writing to a broad Christian audience has undertaken a greatly needed task—establishing a…
Ernest B. Gentile, Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy: Prophetic Gifts in Ministry Today (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1999), 432 pages. In the foreword to Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy, C. Peter Wagner says that this book could qualify as a textbook on the subject of prophecy. I wholeheartedly agree. There are a…
Roc Bottomly, The Promised Power: Experiencing The Union Of Word and Spirit (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2005), 205 pages. This book bears wonderful testimony to what God is doing in the world today. The author, Roc Bottomly, graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with a master’s degree in theology. During the course of his pastoral ministry he…
Bible teacher Eddie L. Hyatt asks: What is the place of personal prophecy in the local church and our lives? It seems that almost everyone has an amusing or thought-provoking anecdote about an encounter with personal prophecy. For example, a prophet once exhorted me that I no longer had to be concerned about my…
Robert Heidler, Experiencing the Spirit: Developing a Living Relationship with the Holy Spirit (Ventura, CA: Renew/Gospel Light, 1998), 259 pages. In recent years God has been moving upon evangelical Christians who have been skeptical about contemporary expressions of the gifts of the Spirit, ushering them into charismatic experiences of their own. Robert Heidler is…
Amos Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh: Pentecostalism and the Possibility of Global Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005), 320 pages. The oft overused term “instant classic” is, of course, an oxymoron. To become a true classic takes time; by definition, it cannot be an instant occurrence. Still, in a less straightforward…
Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 296 pages. Frank Macchia, (ThD, University of Basel, Switzerland) represents that interesting paradox once thought of as a possible oxymoron: a true Pentecostal scholar. At least no one who reads his Baptized in the Spirit should any longer doubt the…
Stanford E. Linzey, Jr., The Holy Spirit in the Third Millennium: Handbook on the Holy Spirit: A Guide to the Spirit within. (Fairfax, Virginia: Xulon Press, 2003), 214 pages, ISBN 9781591604372. Linzey aptly subtitled this text as a handbook; it is written for those who desire a straightforward “how to” book. He has divided…
from the editor’s desk Has anyone ever asked you, “Are you one of them tongue-talkers?” After you get your eyes to stop rolling, you have to decide whether or not to do a witty comeback (no, this is not the kind of response I usually choose, but it appeals to my flesh to think…
Pastor Lathrop reminds us that we should pursue the gifts of the Spirit—especially that we might prophesy—in order to build up the church. The subject of spiritual gifts is an on-going controversies in the contemporary church. Sincere, Bible-believing Christians are divided over this very important issue. Some in the church maintain that certain…
Ricky Roberts, The Gift of Tongues Examined (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 2003), 132 pages. Roberts intends with this book to defend the practice of speaking in tongues. This in turn necessitates an exposition of its purpose and nature in the apostolic and post-apostolic church. He usually argues for traditional classical Pentecostal views on…
Francis MacNutt, The Nearly Perfect Crime: How the Church Almost Killed the Ministry of Healing (Chosen, 2005), 256 pages. Francis MacNutt has written an insightful book about how the ministry of healing has been greatly diminished in the Church for centuries (almost 1600 hundred years!). Healing was a major part of the ministry of Jesus…
Introduction Increasing millions of believers worldwide claim that God still works miraculously through His people today.1 They claim that Christians should expect to preach the gospel and minister the gospel’s power with all the gifts of the Spirit, including the miraculous gifts (prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, gifts of healing, working of…
Thank you for joining us to discuss Rick Walston’s book The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Rick Walston, The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Fairfax, VA: Xulon Press, 2003), 235 pages. …
Thank you for joining us to discuss Rick Walston’s book The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Rick Walston, The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Fairfax, VA: Xulon Press, 2003), 235 pages. …
Differing with Walston, classical Pentecostal Robert Graves writes that the doctrine of initial evidence and the subsequence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are taught by scripture. Rick Walston, The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Fairfax, VA: Xulon Press, 2003),…
In this guest editorial, Eddie Hyatt points us to Jesus as antidote to wayward spirituality. While driving to class a few days ago I asked God for a theme for that day. I was teaching from the book of Colossians and had a vague idea where I was going, but desired more clarity about a…
Differing with Walston, classical Pentecostal Robert Graves writes that the doctrine of initial evidence and the subsequence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are taught by scripture. Rick Walston, The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Fairfax, VA: Xulon Press, 2003), 235 pages. The…
Join us for a discussion of Rick Walston’s book The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Rick Walston, The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Fairfax, VA: Xulon Press, 2003), 235 pages. Editor’s Introduction Welcome…
Howard M. Ervin, Healing: Sign of the Kingdom (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002), 116 pages. This is a wonderful little book on the significance of healing in the earthly ministry of Jesus. Howard Ervin rightly notes that the focal point of Jesus’ ministry was the Kingdom of God that is coming and was already…
Max Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts in the New Testament Church and Today, Revised Edition (Hendrickson Publishers/Baker Academic, 1998), 383 pages. The purpose of this work is to explore the significance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. The book consists of two parts. The first part examines…
Gerald Hovenden, Speaking in Tongues: The New Testament Evidence in Context (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 2002), 181 pages. In this book Hovenden provides a well balanced and informed study into a phenomenon that is gaining increasing interest and acceptance within the Christian community. What started has a distinctive among Pentecostals in the early…
Craig S. Keener, Gift & Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001), 224 pages. Craig Keener, a New Testament professor at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has already made a name for himself in the world of biblical studies. The present work on the Holy Spirit will undoubtedly introduce his name also…
In this review essay from the Winter 2005 issue, Pastor Graham Old reviews the book The Healing Promise by cessationist Richard Mayhue. Richard Mayhue, The Healing Promise: Is it always God’s will to heal? (Christian Focus Publications, 2001), 228 pages. Richard Mayhue states that his purpose in writing this book is to “develop a…
The final installment from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Epilogue & Bibliography This book has been written with excitement and hope. If it is true that many people today are freshly experiencing the gift of the Holy Spirit, there is much to be…
The first part of chapter eight from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Eight: Effects, Part 2 Third, still another effect of the gift of the Holy Spirit is that of providing an assurance of God’s act of salvation. The Holy Spirit bears…
French L. Arrington, Encountering the Holy Spirit: Paths of Christian Growth and Service (Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, 2003), 546 pages. One hundred and four years ago (as of the time of this writing), two births took place: the birth of the twentieth century, and the birth of the Pentecostal movement. And in a little…
The first part of chapter eight from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Eight: Effects, Part 1 We come finally to a consideration of the effects or results of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our concern is not so much with long-range…
Pneuma Review: What is the biblical role of the prophet today? Allow me to begin by stating that I define “prophetic” in a simple and broad way. It has generally to do with direct divine communication by the Holy Spirit to and/or through human beings. “Prophetic” then serves as an umbrella term that has…
Graham Cooke, Developing Your Prophetic Gifting (Chosen Books, 2003), 284 pages, ISBN 9780800793265. I operate well in the gift of prophecy and interpreting tongues. I thus enjoy reading the thoughts of others who, too, share this realm. My first experience with prophecy was back in the late 60’s when the Philadelphia Gospel Temple was…
The seventh chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Seven: Context The matter before us next is that of the context in which the Holy Spirit is given. Already we have emphasized that the gift of the Holy Spirit comes to…
The sixth chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Six: Means We turn now to a consideration of the gift of the Holy Spirit in relation to water baptism and the laying on of hands. Our concern at this point is…
Ronald A. N. Kydd, Healing through the Centuries: Models for Understanding (Hendrickson Publishers (Peabody, Massachusetts: 1998), xxxi+235 pages. Although the doctrine of healing has a long history in Pentecostal and charismatic circles, it has rarely been investigated from a sympathetic perspective. Ron Kydd’s work is refreshing, because he explores different healing movements within Christianity…
The fifth chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Five: Reception The Holy Spirit is given to those who believe in Jesus Christ. From all that has been said about the Holy Spirit being the Spirit of the exalted Lord and…
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspective (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 195 pages. When a writer sets out to produce a book on a generalized topic, the attempt can often end in one of two results: either an intimidating 500-page tome is published, or the many sub-topics…
The second part of chapter four from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Four Continued: Purpose, Part 2 Let us now move on to note how the gift of the Holy Spirit enables the performance of mighty works. The witness to Christ…
Mark J. Cartledge, Charismatic Glossolalia: An Empirical-Theological Study (Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2002), 253 + xvi pages. Among the proliferation of books aimed at the study of glossolalia (i.e., speaking in tongues) that have been published in the last few decades, I found this new volume to be an interesting addition. While…
The first part of chapter four from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Four: Purpose The central purpose for the gift of the Holy Spirit is power. The biblical term is dunamis—power, strength, might, force—and as the gift of the Holy Spirit,…
Bradford E. Hinze and D. Lyle Dabney, eds., Advents of the Spirit: An Introduction to the Current Study of Pneumatology, Marquette Studies in Theology 30 (Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 2002), 484 pages, ISBN 9780874626797. There are two main reasons why I want to encourage readers of the Pneuma Review to read this book. The…
The third chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Three: Response The human response to the giving of the Holy Spirit is essentially the praise of God. When human existence—individually and in community—is bathed with the divine presence, there is only…
The second chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Two: Dimensions We come now to a consideration of the actual giving of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit promised by the Father, sent by the Son, becomes an event in time…
The first chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. 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…
The introduction from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. 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,…
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…
Gordon D. Fee, Listening to the Spirit in the Text (Eerdmans, 2000), 180 pages, ISBN 9780802847577. 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;…
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…
A triple review of books by Robert Menzies and his father William, essay by Grant Hochman. Robert P. Menzies, The Development Of Early Christian Pneumatology: with special reference to Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991). Robert P. Menzies, Empowered for Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts. Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series #6 (Sheffield,…
Part 3 and conclusion of Professor Grudem’s exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 13. The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church? The Relationship between the Gift of Prophecy and Scripture In addition to the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, there is one other area of concern to the question of…
Part 2 of Professor Grudem’s exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 13. The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church? Objections to This Interpretation Various objections to this conclusion have been raised, usually by those who hold that the gift of prophecy has ceased in the church and should no longer…
Roger Stronstad, The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke’s Charismatic Theology, Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplemental Series, vol. 16 (Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999). 136 pp. There are at least three reasons why every Pentecostal and charismatic pastor, minister, or leader should read this book. Let me briefly attempt to convince…
The Afterword conclusion to the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves. Most of us are familiar with the wonderful program called “Toys for Tots.” Firemen and other civil servants collect secondhand toys of all kinds; they work to put the sparkle back in the doll’s eye, and then they distribute these refurbished…
Part 1 of Professor Grudem’s exegetical study of 1 Corinthians 13. The Duration of Prophecy: How Long Will Prophecy Be Used in the Church? Introduction Many people reading this study have never seen the gift of prophecy functioning in their local church. In fact, outside of the charismatic movement and certain traditionally Pentecostal denominations, this…
The ninth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Author Robert Graves looks at the Scriptural use of the prayer language in song. Not long ago I had in my office on separate events two ministers from different churches. One was a minister of music, the other a senior pastor. Each one of…
Daniel E. Albrecht, Rites in the Spirit: A Ritual Approach to Pentecostal/Charismatic Spirituality, Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplemental Series 17 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999), 280 pages, ISBN 9781841270173. Pastors and Church leaders in the Pentecostal and charismatic movements should take note of this book written by Albrecht, Professor of Church History and Christian…
Doug Bannister, The Word & Power Church: What Happens When a Church Experiences All God Has to Offer? (Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 208 pages, ISBN 9780310227106. Doug Bannister is one of an increasing number of voices crying out for the Church to awaken to its full potential in the power of the Word and…
The eighth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Author Robert Graves looks at the on-going ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Spirit-filled believer’s life. I know a young man named Bob, a Pentecostal, who has not spoken in tongues since his initial encounter with the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, he is just…
22. Doesn’t the Bible teach that the Holy Spirit will never call attention to Himself, but will always direct our attention to Christ? Then how can it be right to place so much emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit today? This objection is based on trying to force a false alternative, one not…
Praying in Tongues. This is still a hot topic in the church today. Fortunately, they are many among classical Pentecostals and the broad charismatic movement that have realized there is more to the Christian life than “just” tongues. Non-charismatic evangelicals have had the long standing complaint about Pentecostal/charismatics that “tongues” is all they seem to…
Maureen D. Eha, “They Shall Cast Out Demons” Charisma (May 2000, Vol 25, No 10), pages 52-60, 120. Can believers be possessed, or demonized, by evil spirits? According to the article “They Shall Cast Out Demons” by Maureen Eha in the May 2000 issue of Charisma, the answer is yes. The article begins with the…
The seventh chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Author Robert Graves presents a compelling challenge for all Christians to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The charismatic experience of tongues that accompanies the baptism in the Spirit has been forgotten by a large portion of the Church, mainly because the Church has…
15. Why do people speak directly to demons today and command them to leave, rather than just praying and asking God to drive the demon away? Isn’t it safer just to pray to God about this? In a way, this is similar to asking why Christians should share the gospel with another person rather than…
David Pawson, Word and Spirit Together: Uniting Charismatics and Evangelicals (London, Sydney, Auckland: Hodder and Stoughton, 1998), 159 pages. Originally published as The Fourth Wave in 1993, the second edition of this volume features a new title that captures the importance of holding together the mutual emphases of Word and Spirit against the backdrop…
This chart is from part 2 of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Figure 3 Charismata in the Post-Apostolic Church
This chart is from part 2 of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Figure 2 Proposed Dates of Charismata Cessation
This chart is from part 2 of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Figure 1 First Corinthians 13—Consensus on Non-Pentecostal Scholars The following non-Pentecostal/charismatic commentators view “the perfect thing” (verse 10) as yet to come; an asterisk indicates that they take the “now” of verse 13 to mean that faith and…
The second part of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series. Author Robert Graves continues to examine the claim that tongues are not needed today. He argues convincingly that tongues are needed and will continue until the return of Jesus Christ. Completed Scriptures For those dating the cessation of the charismata…
Should we expect the Holy Spirit to work in powerful, miraculous ways in connection with the preaching of the gospel and the life of the Church today? Part 2 of 4.
Part 1 of the sixth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves, That Glorious Day When Tongues are Not Needed: Until Then … (Part 1 of 2)
Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles, Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series 3 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993 and 1997), 271 pages. Those who are involved in friendly debates with cessationists should seriously consider this book as a gift in order to further conversation on the topic….
In the preceding article, we left our friend, George, the novice charismatic whose excited testimony ran into a wall of biblical-sounding arguments from his pastor, a cessationist.1 This article offered a kind of pocket guide of “pro” charismatic arguments which George (or you, gentle reader) can photocopy and send to your cessationist friends for comment….
George could feel his face growing red and hot. He was embarrassed—utterly stymied and tongue-tied. His excited story about his recent filling with the Spirit and his healing was met with a long, Bible-based refutation by his pastor and friend. “George,” he concluded, “the Bible says these experiences of yours cannot be valid. True miracles…
Should we expect the Holy Spirit to work in powerful, miraculous ways in connection with the preaching of the gospel and the life of the Church today? Part 1 of 4.
The fifth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves, Better Than I Was, Not Better Than You Are
Paul Cain and R. T. Kendall, The Word and the Spirit: Reclaiming Your Covenant with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (Eastbourne, E. Sussex: Kingsway Publications, 1996; Orlando, Florida: Creation House, 1998), xviii + 87 pages, ISBN 9780884195443. In 1992, Paul Cain and R.T. Kendall together gave six addresses at the Wembley Conference…
Many questions have been asked about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Is it truly God’s promise to every believer for today? If so, Is there any reason why all Christians should not receive it? What are the practical steps we need to take in order to receive this baptism? Can some things hinder us…
Gary S. Greig and Kevin N. Springer, eds., The Kingdom and the Power: Are Healing and Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today? A Biblical Look at How to Bring the Gospel to the World with Power (Regal Books, 1993), 463 pages. Thirty years ago, when I graduated…
Roger Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke (Hendrickson, 1984), 83 pages. For many years Pentecostals have been known as doers of the Word, but not as theologians who write of it. Roger Stronstad is among a growing body of scholars seeking to change this and provide a solid theological basis, within an evangelical…
The fourth chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves, Just What Is the Nature of the Prayer Language?
In this guest editorial, Pastor Mur shares his memories of being filled with the Holy Spirit and how he was reminded of this blessing of God while reading Robert Graves’ article, “The Focus of the Charismatic Experience” that appeared in Summer 1999. Robert Graves’ excellent article on “The Focus of the Charismatic Experience” (Pneuma…
Wayne Grudem, ed., Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 368 pages, ISBN 9780310201557. Are the supernatural gifts for today? In this book, four different authors from four different viewpoints have sought to answer that question. Could it be better? The four views represented are Pentecostal/charismatic, Third Wave, Open…
The third chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves, Focus of the Charismatic Experience: Tongues, the Holy Spirit, or Christ?
Pastor Michael Peters looks at the Baptism with the Spirit in light of the whole salvation experience.
The central message of the preaching of Jesus was the coming of the kingdom of God. Through the Spirit, what is the King doing?
Zeb Bradford Long and Douglas McMurray, Receiving the Power: Preparing the Way for The Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1996), 251 pages. The authors of the book The Collapse of the Brass Heaven have teamed up again to write about finding power to do what Jesus did. Coming from a Third Wave or…
The second chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves, Some Marvelous Effects of Praying in the Spirit
The first chapter of the Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves, What They’re Saying Now: Some Non-Charismatics Reevaluate Tongues
Gary W. Derickson, “The Cessation of Healing Miracles in Paul’s Ministry”, Bibliotheca Sacra, Issue 155 (July-September 1998), p. 299-315. This article by the Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Western Baptist College attempts to show that Paul’s ability to heal diminished towards the end of his ministry and finally ceased. Professor Derickson gives an introduction…
William De Arteaga, Quenching the Spirit: Discover the REAL Spirit behind the Charismatic Controversy (Orlando: Creation House, 1992, 1996), 358 pages, ISBN 9780884194323. William De Arteaga defines pharisaism as a religious attitude and heresy that so affirms the role of tradition that a new move of the Holy Spirit is often identified as demonic (p.335)….
Pastor Michael D. Peters looks at the Baptism with the Spirit in light of the whole salvation experience.
B. J. Oropeza, A Time to Laugh: The Holy Laughter Phenomenon Examined (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1995), 194 pages with ancient sources index. 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…
Jim Cymbala with Dean Merrill, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), 188 pages, ISBN 9780310211884. Jim Cymbala is the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, New York, NY. Pastored by Cymbala since 1972, the Tabernacle has, as of 1996, began holding four…
Michael L. Brown, Let No One Deceive You: Confronting the Critics of Revival (Shippensburg, PA: Revival Press, 1997), 295 pages. Michael Brown (Ph.D., New York University) is president of the Brownsville School of Ministry, and is regarded as being a leading scholar of the revival movement. In his preface Dr. Brown states that this book “….
