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 about it) “Well, yes, aren’t you? I know if the early church needed it, I sure do.” Or, you may decide to calmly and lovingly offer a defense for what you believe about praying in the Spirit and tongues with interpretation. But what about the out-of-the-blue statement, “All you [insert your “label” here] ever talk about is tongues”? Your mouth drops and you say, “Wait, didn’t you just bring it up?”
If the early church needed it, I sure do.
Any regular reader of this journal knows we talk about a great deal more than just glossolalia. I am glad that Pentecostals, charismatics, and those that are open but cautious regarding the gifts of the Spirit can agree on so many things. In our unity on essentials, we have diverse beliefs about many other subjects. May you find something in this issue that challenges and instructs you and which God may use to deepen you.
Raul L. Mock is one of the founders and directors of the Pneuma Foundation and editor of The Pneuma Review. Raul has been part of an Evangelical publishing ministry since 1996, working with Information Services and Supply Chain Management for more than two decades. He and his wife, Erin, live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. LinkedIn
Craig Keener, “Interview with Donna Covington about racism and the murder of her son” YouTube.com (July 2, 2020). Craig Keener introduces the link to this interview by saying, “Donna Covington is Asbury’s vice president of formation and served as a top executive in a major corporation. Shortly after his graduation from college, her son, with…
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…
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…
Suggestions for Further Reading Tim Keel, “An Efficient Gospel?: The modern world was inclined toward reduction, efficiency, and things you can count” Leadership Journal (Winter 2008). http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/001/3.19.html Earl G. Creps, “Moving Target: Reframing Discipleship for Postmoderns” Enrichment (Winter 2008), pages 68-73. http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200801/200801_068_MovTarget.cfm TS says, “Christianity Today has a number 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,…
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…
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