Ever been distracted? Have you ever been working on something that you needed to finish and . . . out of no where, something else comes up and your attention is drawn away from what was necessary to something else. Certainly, for this our daily dilemma.

I have found myself thinking about this lately as it relates to the church and its mission. Perhaps this is just an outgrowth of contemplations in my own devotional life, finding myself in that tension of dissatisfaction and knowing there must be more of God. As I have thought of “new” things to try to deepen or enliven my time with the Lord everyday, I have found that getting back to simple devotion, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, is the only place I find true rest. This has caused me to think of the body of Christ and how it has historically been in a place of distraction, with notable individuals as exceptions.

What the body of Christ needs today is nothing new. It is not a new philosophy of ministry, nor the latest manifestation of the Spirit. What the Church really needs is not a new method of evangelism or new programs for teaching and building up young believers. Those things all may have their place, but they are certainly not what the Called-Out Ones need the most. What the Church needs is a greater understanding of the Person of Jesus the Messiah.

We the Church need to become refocused on God the Father’s unique revelation of Himself in God the Son. We must deepen our awareness of the indwelling presence of the Christ, both corporately and as individuals. We need to develop a fuller understanding of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Since theology is the study or knowledge of God, it must be true that any theology that does not lead us to God is bad theology. True theology is study that leads us to the Living and Eternal Word. A Biblical theology, then, is theological study that brings us into a closer relationship with Almighty God.

The first chapter of 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 the great privilege of the Pneuma Review to republish it here.

Bow-tied waiters glide across the plush red carpet. Sharply dressed gentlemen and elegantly appareled ladies devour crispy bacon, spicy sausage, and fluffy scrambled eggs. The smiling couple beside you probably has a college degree or two. Perhaps they are doctors, dentists, or lawyers. After the meal and some sprightly and cordial conversation among guests, the master of ceremonies steps behind the podium and introduces the morning’s speaker: a prominent businessman, a well-known politician, a college professor, he might be any of these.

This is a typical breakfast meeting of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, the Pentecostal thrust to the affluent. Pentecostalism’s story is truly one of rags to riches, of ostracism to respectability. The storefront church with its shoebox pulpit is now the largest church on Main Street.

From its unlikely beginnings in 1906, who would have foretold the prominence that the Pentecostal movement would obtain, both socially and theologically?

There are Pentecostals alive today who remember vicious verbal (as well as physical) attacks upon the infant Pentecostal movement. According to Frank Ewart, Dr. G. Cambell Morgan called the movement “the last vomit of Satan” (quoted in R.M. Anderson, p. 142). Harry A. Ironside said he “could count scores of persons who had gone into utter infidelity because of it …. Many more… lapsed into insanity…. In the last few years hundreds of holiness meetings all over the world have been literally turned into pandemonium’s where exhibitions worthy of a madhouse or of a collection of howling dervishes are held night after night. No wonder a heavy toll of lunacy and infidelity is the frequent result” (Synan, Aspects, pp. 105-106). The movement “was wicked and adulterous,” according to Dr. Dixon. And R.A. Torrey claimed Pentecostalism was founded by a Sodomite (quoted in R.M. Anderson, p. 142). The distinctive practice of speaking with other tongues reminded Sir Robert Anderson of Isaiah’s wizards that chirp and mutter (p.24).

But even those who find little or no good in today’s charismatic renewal have never denied that something is going on. A doctor devotes a book to explaining the phenomenon of tongues (glossolalia) psychologically. In a larger volume a linguist concludes that it is a learned response. That something happens has never been denied, but the anti-Pentecostal evaluation and interpretations of that something has radically changed.

Respected church leader and critic of the charismatic renewal John R. W. Stott writes, “There can be no doubt that God has used this movement to bring blessing to large numbers of people” (p.7). Merrill Unger wrote three books refuting charismatic practice and doctrine. In one of those books he stated that “the charismatic revival … represents a sincere quest for God’s spiritual best in the believer’s life” (New, p. 2). Joseph Dillow testifies, “I know many men whom I admire highly who speak in tongues. Furthermore, I’m not aware of anything but good that has come from it in some of their lives” (pp. 163-64).

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 to his subject by discussing some of the basic concepts of cessationism and makes reference to both sides of the miraculous gifts debate.

Derickson states that the debate about the cessation or continuance of the miraculous gifts is not about whether God can or does heal today, but whether or not God does so through human agents.

Definitions

Derickson understands that charismatics believe that miracles “performed by miracle workers” (p. 301) can and should be experienced today. He does not intend to deal in this article with every area of what he calls the “modern faith healing debate,” but, “Rather, it examines only one aspect of the debate, namely, the New Testament evidences concerning the status of ‘miracle workers’ as the Apostolic Age drew to a close” (p.301, footnote). However, the conclusion he draws at the end of his article is, “… it is wrong for proponents of faith healing to claim that God must work the same today as He did at the beginning of the church” (p. 315).

The thesis of this article cannot contribute greatly to the theological debate about contemporary spiritual gifts because of the difficulty that arises from Derickson’s definition of a “miracle worker.” Derickson’s definition of a supernatural miracle would be acceptable to the majority, if not all evangelicals. His suggested definition for miracles “worked” by human agents is what charismatics would have difficulty with. “The miracles discussed in this article are those that involve a human agent through whom they are worked. The following is a suggested definition: ‘Miracles by miracle workers are those acts of God which He chooses to perform through the agency of either an apostle or gifted person with the authority and ability to exercise miraculous power at will.’ Only those performing supernatural acts at will are considered miracle workers” (p. 302). On a positive note, this definition may help refine the cessationist position on “miracle workers” and therefore bring to greater contrast the differing views that exist in the “modern faith healing debate.” The greater the contrast, the less likely this theological debate will be trivialized into a useless squabble. The fact of the matter is that whether the church today should go to God with an expectation of the miraculous is a big issue—one that says much about the future of the church worldwide.

The question that is begging from Derickson’s definition of a miracle worker is whether or not anyone has ever worked miracles at will. One of the few points of general agreement among the diversity of the charismatic movement is their belief that there are anointings or giftings for the working of miracles, God working through a human agent. Charismatics and Pentecostals do not believe, however, that such healers and miracle workers are able to do these things at will. Most charismatics believe quite strongly that it is God who heals, even though it is often through a human agent.

Miracles: Performed At Will?

There are some passages in the Old and New Testaments that might seem to indicate miracles and healings were done by the will of the human instrument being used by God. Many examples also exist that indicate quite the opposite. There are many examples of healings and miracles which were “performed” through the agency of an anointed individual that had nothing to do with that individual’s personal volition. Consider some of the following miracles that happened apart from the will of man, yet men were the point of contact for the supernatural to take place.

David Daniels, Henry Winters Luce Professor of World Christianity at McCormick Theological Seminary, speaking at the Society for Pentecostal Studies convention on March 6, 2014.

David D. Daniels provides an insightful look at the uniquely interracial roots of early Pentecostals and some of the problems they encountered. He begins with a brief look at each of the three main renewal movements within the black church in America: the black Holiness movement, the black Restorationist movement, and the healing movement. All three of these movements had a goal of seeing blacks and whites worship together. By the early 1900’s these three groups had joined with parallel movements in the white renewal groups to set the stage for the Azusa Street Revival with it’s mix of interracial worshippers. The fact that Pentecostalism was seen as having two founders, one black (William Seymour) and one white (Charles Parham) was not lost on the early observers of the movement, including the press. Spurred on by these early successes many of the largest black Pentecostal fellowships began including white members and churches in their fellowships and vice versa. Unfortunately, according to Daniels, the power of the Jim Crow laws and racism of the day had started to erode what had been accomplished at Azusa and before. With the result that some black congregations started withdrawing from these new multiracial denominations as early as 1908 (due to the fact that some would not allow for black leadership in the denomination). As time progressed more white and black fellowships began to withdraw and form their own denominations until what remained was just a shadow of what had taken place only a decade earlier in the revival meetings. Daniels notes that by and large the two groups remained separated until the late sixties when some Pentecostal denominations began a new course of racial reconciliation and healing.

This article by David D. Daniels appeared in issue 58 of Christian History. The entire issue was titled, “The Rise of Pentecostalism,” and it included a number of articles on all aspects of the early Pentecostal movement. This excellent non-technical introduction to Pentecostal history had articles ranging from “The Pentecostal Tradition” by Stanley M. Burgess to articles about the ministry of Aimee Semple McPherson and other women. Several articles and departments looked at the controversial doctrines that aroused heated discussion earlier in this century, including pacifism and oneness. There were also interviews with Pentecostal historians and perspectives on why being a Pentecostal is more than just speaking in tongues. This particular issue would make an excellent addition to any church library or pastor’s study.

Reviewed by Joseph Joslin

Read “They Had a Dream” online at: www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1998/issue58/58h019.html [available March 17, 2014]

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

Cover from the 2006 reprint.

John Bevere, Breaking Intimidation (Creation House, 1995), 205 pages, ISBN 9781591858812.

Like their worldly counterparts, Christian bookstores today seem to be laden with self-help or, if you will, “spiritual” pop psychology books. Breaking Intimidation is no such book.

Author John Bevere confronts head on a spiritual problem most of us encounter at one time or another: Intimidation. He relates how a people-pleasing, conflict-avoiding, back-peddling response to difficult circumstances often causes a direction other than God’s will, thereby short-circuiting God’s purposes in the sphere of personal and corporate spiritual life. What is refreshing in the author’s approach is how he cleanly identifies the problem: the fear of men rather than fearing God.

While not theological by definition, the author’s premise does an adequate job with a pragmatic yet Scriptural theme in identifying two fundamental truths of a vital and functional faith. Those truths that Bevere identifies are knowing who God is and knowing who we are in Christ. The author’s use of numerous Biblical witnesses to drive home his points challenges the reader to a personal examination as well as prescribing an application for change. The reviewer had an opportunity to read the book at a time when intimidation was presenting specific challenges to his own life and ministry and the message proved helpful.

Encouraging also is the author’s willingness to poke at some charismatic sacred cows in the unearthing of how intimidation manifests. Bevere has produced a readable yet informative book. Breaking Intimidation can be recommended as profitable time invested.

Reviewed by Ron Messelink

Sample chapters available: www.charismahouse.com/sample-chapters/19040-breaking-intimidation-by-john-bevere

Messianic Foundations
Artwork by Steve Grier © 1997 RBC Ministries. Used by permission.

This being the first installment on Messianic Foundations, it seemed prudent to first ask the question, “Why?” Why study the Scriptures from a Messianic perspective, or more appropriately, from a Messianic Jewish perspective?

A lengthy dissertation could ensue on the theological reasons and potential benefits to be derived. But rather than get bogged down in those details, let’s keep it simple. The Bible is not nearly as complex as man often makes it out to be. Instead, let’s take a look at the euphemism, “To know where you’re going, you must first know where you’ve been.” Hindsight it is said, is always 20/20, but this is true only if you stop long enough to take an introspective look into the past. It is by design of the Almighty that the word “remember,” appears 31 times in the first five books of the Bible. Twenty-one other times we are commanded to “make a memorial.” Without constant repetition and review of biblical principles and history, we forget.

Galatians 3:29 states that believers who are not Jewish-born are adopted children of Abraham, “heirs according to promise.” Obviously, the lion’s share of that inheritance is our justification through faith in Jesus. Yet an inheritance often encompasses so much more—the passing on of a legacy. Unfortunately, ask many Christians today what the full blessing of the legacy of Abraham is, and you would probably witness a set of shrugged shoulders.

In many ways, we have become like the prodigal son. We have left our Abrahamic legacy to pursue other matters, but with unrelenting hope, our Father vigilantly watches the horizon waiting for our return to His inheritance. Not in some legalistic fashion, to take up the yoke of a works-oriented faith, but rather to understand the fullness of what has been preserved for us, and to reclaim it as our birthright.

God does nothing in a vacuum. Everything came out of something. This is true throughout the Word of God, from Genesis through Revelation. In the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the waters and light was created. Every step of creation grew out of the one before it. Even man, created out of the dust of the earth, had a pre-existent form or quality. Likewise Eve, was formed—not out of thin air—but out of Adam. There is always some element in place that God works through, whether creating the earth or feeding the multitudes with fishes and loaves. It is likewise true in our Spiritual life. We had a being before coming to Christ, and now we are a new creation—formed out of the old one.

Richard M. Riss presents evidence for the operation of the gifts of the Spirit throughout the Church Age.

Origen

In any case, Origen, Clement’s successor as head of the catechetical school in Alexandria, makes explicit references to miraculous gifts in operation in his day, at the beginning of the third century. He wrote, “there are still preserved among Christians traces of that Holy Spirit which appeared in the form of a dove. They expel evil spirits, and perform many cures, and foresee certain events, according to the will of the Logos.”²⁴ Elsewhere, he wrote:

Moreover, the Holy Spirit gave signs of His presence at the beginning of Christ’s ministry, and after His Ascension He gave still more: but since that time these signs have diminished, although there are still traces of His presence in a few who have had their souls purified by by the gospel, and their actions regulated by its influence.²⁵

A much more extensive treatment of the gifts of the Spirit appears in Origen’s De Principiis, book II, chapter VII, which is entitled, “On The Holy Spirit”. The third portion of this part of Origen’s work appears to be a very loose paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 12: 8-11, where he writes:

For on some is bestowed by the Spirit the word of wisdom, on others the word of knowledge, on others faith; and so to each individual of those who are capable of receiving Him, is the Spirit Himself made to be that quality, or understood to be that which is needed by the individual who has deserved to participate.²⁶

The following paragraph (section 4) of the same chapter provides unquestionable evidence that he is speaking of the spiritual gifts with reference to the time in which he was living, for he writes:

We must therefore know that the Paraclete is the holy Spirit, who teaches truths which cannot be uttered in words, and which are, so to speak, unutterable, and “which it is not lawful for a man to utter,” i.e., which cannot be indicated by human language…..For if any one has deserved to participate in the Holy Spirit by the knowledge of His ineffable mysteries, he undoubtedly obtains comfort and joy of heart. For since he comes by the teaching of the Spirit to the knowledge of the reasons of all things which happens—how or why they occur—his soul can in no respect be troubled, or admit any feeling of sorrow; nor is he alarmed by anything, since, clinging to the Word of God and His wisdom, he through the Holy Spirit calls Jesus Lord.²⁷

There can be no question that Origen is speaking of revelatory spiritual gifts, for he writes very explicitly in this passage of revelation by God’s Spirit. His reference to unutterable truths which cannot be indicated by human language seems to suggest the possibility of a heavenly language in which such things can be uttered through the gift of tongues. Such an interpretation would certainly be consistent with the continual association of the gift of tongues with other prophetic gifts throughout the Patristic era.

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). Quenching the Spirit was written to confront that attitude and show how it has led to the suppression of charismata throughout the history of the Church. Let me begin by saying that De Arteaga has produced an extremely well written work. That he has done a tremendous amount of research into church history is obvious to anyone reading this book. A very helpful feature in this work is a glossary of terms in the back. Some of his terms are either obscure or of his own making, thus the glossary is indispensable. Much inflammatory rhetoric has been written on the subject of the gifts. This reviewer believes that De Arteaga has avoided such an approach and written in an honorable manner. May more books be written as this one, promoting a cool headed discussion of differences, rather than character assassination and misrepresentation.

Overview

This book consists mainly of two parts. The first, and longest (224 pp.), is a history of attitudes towards charismata in the church. He states, “This book performs the unpleasant task of documenting resistance to the Holy Spirit” (p.15). This is admittedly over-simplifying the historical part of the book, which also contains an interesting chapter on quantum physics (really) and its application to doctrine. The second section of the book is an assessment of the reproofs and attacks brought on the modern charismatic movement.

As the title implies, De Arteaga has taken upon himself to refute the practice of quenching the spirit. Two terms, mentioned early in the book, are woven throughout: Pharisaism and consensus orthodoxy. De Arteaga’s definition of pharisaism is stated in the first sentence of this review. He defines consensus orthodoxy as the theological interpretation accepted by the majority of religious people during a given time period (p.333). Thus, with few exceptions, those dogmatically defending the consensus orthodoxy, even in the face of Scripture, are the Pharisees.

The first chapter lays out the many characteristics of the Pharisee. He begins by explaining that they were heretics (p. 16). One point he emphasizes is that they held their tradition, the Talmud, equal with Scripture, the Torah (p. 18). Because of this switch from a living God to a dead tradition, the emphasis of belief went from the heart to the head (p. 19). They set up fencing (p. 20) to keep from falling into sin. They judged others by their theology, or where they were born (pp. 21-22). In short they put doctrine over faith (p. 22) so that if anything crossed their doctrine, even the Son of God, they were opposed.

De Arteaga then begins to explain how Pharisees have been with us since the times of Christ. Chapters two and three deal with the Great Awakening, and how the opposition was pharisaical. The contrast between Jonathan Edwards, the revival’s main theologian and defender, and Charles Chauncy, its main critic and detractor, is the centerpiece of these two chapters. The next fifteen chapters deal with the historical opposition to the gifts, from early catholic monks avoiding the gifts as a fence against pride, to some dispensationalists relegating the gifts to another age. It is very informative and, being history, very interesting. Especially eye-opening is his link between cessationist doctrine and the Godless Enlightenment (ch.7). The remaining non-historical chapters, nineteen through twenty-four, deal with the modern reproof and criticism of the Charismatic movement, beginning with Charles Farah Jr., whom he is in favor of, all the way to John MacArthur Jr., with whom he strongly disagrees.

Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
—Psalm 119: 18

I. Introduction

In every generation there remains a perennial concern for all conscientious pastors, teachers and Christian workers. The question arises how can we, who have been entrusted with the ministry of expounding God’s word make it clear and relevant while at the same time maintaining fidelity to the author’s original intent? Furthermore how can we, coming from the framework of a Pentecostal or Charismatic tradition, integrate our distinctives in the exegetical process? More specifically with our emphasis on the Holy Spirit, what can He be expected or not expected to do in the preparation of our messages?

To date, the task of this integration process has not always produced legitimate results. Many theological aberrations abound in our circles, which cause a great deal of heartache and confusion among our people. The suggestions that follow are an attempt to help full-gospel ministers proclaim the Word of God with greater clarity and possibly curb careless abuses from our pulpits and lecterns.

The general thesis of this article is: In order to be relevant and responsible we need to subscribe to a legitimate hermeneutic: One that maintains the integrity of the author’s meaning via grammatico-historical exegesis, while at the same time, one that elicits a real, personal and “experiential” (or “existential” some may prefer) response on the part of the reader or hearer via the illumination of the Holy Spirit. With this in mind let us explore how the Holy Spirit interacts within the matrix of the text and reader and faith and reason.

II. Interpreting I Corinthians 2:14

Basic to any discussion of the Holy Spirit’s role in illuminating the Biblical text is one’s view of inspiration. What is the nature of God’s revelation to man? Is it verbal prepositional truth embodied in the Biblical record or is it an experiential encounter with God independent of the author’s intended meaning? Does one discover God’s meaning via the grammatico-historical method or by direct illumination by the Spirit? Has God superintended the writings of Scripture to the extent that the “author’s view” is God’s view? What is the nature of Scripture itself? One’s view of the Holy Spirit’s role in the interpretive process will be greatly determined by how one answers these questions.¹

The Praying in the Spirit Series by Robert W. Graves continues with Some Marvelous Effects of Praying in the Spirit.

The Kingdom and the Spirit by Gene L. Green takes a look at the dynamic of the Spirit-empowered kingdom of God.

The third installment of an historical study of tongues and miracles in the church continues with Tongues and Other Miraculous Gifts in the Second Through Nineteenth Centuries, Part 3: From the 5th to the 13th Centuries. By Richard M. Riss.