In this work, Amy Peeler presents a robust reading of the New Testament incarnation narratives, arguing for a view of God that transcends gender. She energetically exposes the presuppositions undergirding the traditional claim that God is male. Peeler draws from her well-rounded experience as an associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and associate rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, Illinois.

Peeler’s argument proceeds in three steps—elaborating on the meaning of sex, gender, and roles. First, she draws from Israelite history and New Testament writings to tackle the claim that God is male. Through an analysis of the purity laws of Judaism and the Gospels’ portrait of Mary’s pregnancy and birthing of Jesus, she uncovers the shortcomings of traditional assumptions. The work proceeds by reaching beyond the ordinary conception that God is masculine because of attributes such as sovereignty and divine initiative. Peeler challenges the usual trope of the oppressed feminine woman, underscoring how Mary represents strength. The third move of the argument addresses the controversial subject of gender “roles.” Peeler builds her position around the doctrine of the virginal conception, implying that the nature of the dogma makes Jesus’ maleness one of a kind.

Peeler’s argument against the alleged maleness of God engages Hebrew and NT scripture interpretations. She concedes that the OT scriptures characteristically represent God as male but maintains that they never depict God as a “sexual” male deity. She argues that the frequent Hebrew scripture allusions to God as Israel’s Father or King remain purely figurative, “contained within the ideas of founding or care, never procreation” (p. 13). Although NT depictions are more direct—God causes the birth of a baby—Peeler emphasizes that God’s maleness remains one of analogy. God is like a father. He is not a “sexual” male that impregnated a human woman (p. 19). Peeler’s most impactful argument is a pneumatological one, drawing on the linguistic representation of the Holy Spirit. In the OT, the Spirit is referred to using the feminine Hebrew ruakh. In the NT, the Spirit is neither masculine nor feminine, but referred to using the neuter Greek pneuma. In Trinitarian perspective, the agent of birth in the Gospels is the Holy Spirit who is responsible for Mary’s pregnancy (Matt. 1:18, 20) and the one whose power overshadows her making the child the holy babe of God (Luke 1:35).

Reviewed by Paul J. Palma

Publisher’s page: https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802879097/women-and-the-gender-of-god/

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, Matthew Bates makes it clear this is not the case: “While the revelation of the divinity of the Spirit (as part of the Christian doctrine of God) has an origin in time, nevertheless the Spirit’s divinity is not constrained by time or by our process of discovery” (xi). So, the book is not about the Spirit becoming God, as though there “was a time when he was not” God, but about how the Spirit came to be understood as being God.

The author, Kyle Hughes, apart from being an ordained deacon in the Anglican Church in North America, is also chair of the history department at Whitfield Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He brings both a doctrinal lens and a historian’s perspective to this topic.

Chapter one, “The Problem of the Holy Spirit,” starts off by tackling some of the difficulties raised by the ways the Spirit is portrayed in Scripture. While the Father and Son are consistently portrayed in personal terms, phrases that depict the Spirit being “poured out” on people, or “filling” them, seem to suggest an inanimate substance rather than a personal being (3). Hughes then outlines how this historical study will not simply summarize the dogmatic teachings of various church fathers, but dive into how the early church’s methods of biblical interpretation that informed their declarations about the Godhead. Hughes proposes that the development of pneumatology in the first few centuries of the Christian era was based first on ideas being grounded in Scripture, while also including the church’s lived experiences of the Holy Spirit in light of Scripture.

Chapter three deals with “The Spirit and Christian Identity.” In discussing how the increasingly Gentile church came to see itself as no longer simply a messianic Jewish sect, Hughes looks at the Epistle of Barnabas and the writings of Justin Martyr. Barnabas argues that not only did the Spirit inspire the writers of the Ole Testament to look forward to Christ, but the Spirit himself looked forward to Christ, which is a personal activity rather than that of an impersonal force (42). Hughes points out that Justin wrote about the ongoing presence of the charisms in the second century, in the lives of both male and female believers, which means that the Montanists and other charismatic groups in the early church were not as innovative as some versions of history would assume (48-49). Justin also argued that just as the central Old Testament figures had gifts of the Spirit, the presence of these gifts among Christians showed that God’s Spirit was now upon them and had departed from the Jewish people as a group, indicating that the Christians had properly recognized the arrival of the Messiah.

The fifth chapter, “The Spirit and the Divine Economy,” examines Iranaeus’ presentation of the Spirit as the one who gives life, prepares believers for eternal life, reveals God across all of Scripture, and realizes the risen Christ’s presence in redeemed individuals (80-81). The work of Tertullian is further examined as well, discussing how his battle against modalistic monarchianism led to the development of trinitarian language, with Tertullian showing how that activities of the Father, Son, and Spirit are carried out by three divine Persons, and not simply one God playing three roles (85). The author also points out that Tertullian’s particular language sets up a problem for later trinitarian theologians, that of subordinationism (87). Novatian’s contribution of the eternal distinction of the Son from the Father is discussed (92), as is Origen’s articulation of the eternal existence of the Spirit with the Father and the Son (95).

I found this book to be very helpful in understanding the development over time of the doctrines we learn today in basic Christian discipleship classes and courses of systematic theology. The church’s teaching on the divine personhood of the Spirit—and thereby of the Trinity—did not descend fully-formed from heaven on golden tablets but was hammered out over the centuries through theological reflection on Scripture in the midst of the Spirit’s working among believers. I highly recommend Hughes’ volume to students of historical theology, as well as to anyone who desires to know more about “how we got here.”

Reviewed by Brian Roden

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781532693748/how-the-spirit-became-god/

Image: Ivars Utinans

Bruce arrived in Motiloni territory several years later after fording jungle rivers alone, fighting snakes and poisonous insects, and crossing the towering Andes on foot. His welcome by the tribe was their shooting him with an arrow, imprisoning, and nearly starving him to death. In pain and isolated with the most backward people on earth, Bruce had long hours to reconsider what he had done. He had to deal with the memory of his parents ridiculing his stupid “call of God”, accusing him of being a fool, and of wasting his youth on religious fanaticism. Now alone and sick, the question pounded his heart: “Why had not God rescued him or forewarned him of these troubles before he left home? Why! Why!” Just when his ministry was beginning to take root, Bruce was captured by Communist guerillas and kept nearly a year with his hands tied behind his back tied to a jungle tree.

Before God finished Bruce Olson’s preparation, he was well-prepared for the work ahead: Here are some of Bruce’s accomplishments with the Motiloni: The Tribe has been converted to Christ, has made peace with their bitterest enemies, and have evangelized 18 other tribes. Today, there are more than 28 Medical Stations and 50 Motilone-Bari Health Centers in the jungle staffed with native doctors. They have established 45 Bilingual Schools, publish a newspaper in their own tongue, operate 42 Agricultural Centers, and have more than 250 Motilone graduate-missionaries actively preaching the gospel in 22 different Latin American tongues. The Tribe now has a representative in Columbia’s National State Assembly and another is the Director of the Office Of Indian Affairs for the National Government in Northeast Columbia. In 1999, when Colombian earthquakes left 180,000 homeless, a Motilone Medical Team of native physicians and nurses gave assistance to more than 5,000 victims. This “fanatical” young man whose parent’s accused him of being a fool, has been given Honorary Doctorate Degrees and addressed the United Nations.

Chas Carrin

From Charles Carrin Ministries monthly newsletter, Gentle Conquest (January 2020). Used with permission. http://www.charlescarrinministries.com/gentleconquest

In our urban-dominated landscape, hunting, particularly sport hunting, has increasingly been viewed as a remnant of a barbaric era that is no longer needed and should be abolished. Clearly there is a cultural divide between hunters and anti-hunters. Hill and White sought to deepen their understanding of this intellectual and ideological divide and investigated how Christians have understood and understand their faith in regards to sport hunting. As Hill clearly says, “… this collection of essays was to provide a window into the different perspectives held historically by Christians in relation to sport hunting and to hear new voices on the debate. … The secondary goal was to encourage its readers to thoughtfully consider the various perspectives, many times not set in clear apposition, and the merits (and weaknesses) of each” (p.411). In brief, the book clearly accomplishes its goals.

Before delving into the text, readers should know that I was a contributor to this volume. My article, “Dominion Over Animals: Taking the Scriptural Witness and Worldview Seriously” (pp.33-348) summarizes my dissertation published in Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations, Wipf and Stock, 2009. My engagement with the specific contributions made by my fellow contributors to this volume occurred only after the book was published.

The editors did a superb job providing readers with an overall perspective on the topic. Their writing not only helped prepare readers to grasp the major themes and controversies, but their summaries of the articles enhanced reader pre-understanding and thus apprehension of the material. Heuristically, the book (both sections 1 and 2) stand as a model for educational best practice. I would note, however, that Hill’s contention that Christianity was a syncretistic religion (p.23) reflects a modernistic comparative religions bias and not the testimony handed down by Christ’s apostles.

The articles are organized into two major sections. Section One takes a descriptive approach to the debate over recreational hunting. Articles focus on historical attitudes and perspectives held by Christians over the centuries, starting with the biblical text and culminating with interviews of contemporary Christian hunters. The articles show how Christians argued both for and against sport hunting. Articles often described prevalent views by the way “Nimrod” of Genesis was portrayed in the literature. Interestingly, when hunting was in vogue, Nimrod was portrayed as a neutral or valuable character. When hunting was not in vogue, Nimrod became a term of derision and symbol of moral turpitude.

The second article entitled, “A Dying Legacy?: A Century of Hunting in the Stories of Texas Families”, Hill provides a sort of meta-analysis of the interviews contained in the following chapter. He keenly identifies key themes, concepts and sociological factors that impact one’s adoption (or lack) of hunting. If one wishes to have a quick, but not simplistic, look at the cultural-historical issues embedded in the hunting experience, this article is must reading. Though it focuses on the American, albeit Texas, experience, I suspect that the categories and insights will be useful elsewhere in the United States if not the world. The third article is actually a collection of interviews. These interviews are valuable for providing a more granular look at the motivations behind the desire to hunt as told by various hunters who claim a Christian heritage.

Section Two contains articles addressing the ethical or prescriptive views on hunting. Authors from both sides of the debate use a variety of rationales to support their position for or against the morality of hunting. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the emphasis focused on the justification (or lack thereof) for the killing of animals for “fun”.

Two articles that attempted to use Christian theology to condemn hunting (Killing and the Kingdom: A Case against Sport Hunting” by Shawn Graves and “Muscular Christianity and Sport Hunting: Missing the Target?” by John B. White were quite disappointing. Both ostensibly tried to use Christian teaching to condemn hunting but neither dealt with the concrete realities and teaching of the Biblical text. Their arguments reminded me of Supreme Court justices that attempt to argue that capital punishment violates the U.S. Constitution’s cruel and unusual punishments clause even though the authors of the Constitution clearly supported the death penalty. Any rational reading of the constitution clearly reveals that the authors were only referring to cruel execution methods such as Drawing and Quartering, etc., not to a condemnation of execution in general. Grave’s approach tended to avoid Scripture entirely choosing instead to rely on the vague notion of not causing harm. White’s article, on the other hand, argued that God’s intention was for humans to not kill animals. It never occurred to these scholars to even consider the ontological status of animals. If they did, the anti-hunting authors would perhaps understand that harm to an animal is categorically different (morally speaking) than harm to a person. (I suspect they would both grant that fact but apparently, they did not consider the full impact of that view). If God grants humans permission to kill His property, who are we to say that somehow violates God’s will? Neither of them considered how Christ was quite comfortable killing animals, sometimes for no apparent reason other than to demonstrate he could (e.g., miracle of the fishes). Dismissing this by saying that Jesus was God (though true) does not resolve the problem because Jesus was also the perfect human who provided an example of a sinless life before God.

Regrettably, Christian anti-hunters continue to commit two key mistakes that I have repeatedly pointed out over the years. First, they have either an inability or unwillingness to read literature that disagrees with their perspective. Not every scholarly article is found in top tier (often liberal) journals. Second, they are unwilling to consider the whole testimony of Scripture. Instead, Christian anti-hunters find a generic passage, such as “reconciling all things” and then use that generic principle to truck in every idea that fits their narrative even when specific passages counter those ideas. By rejecting or perhaps ignoring the principle of the general rule is constrained by the specific, they allow themselves to fly off into fanciful arguments without sufficient grounding in the Word of God.

Overall, this book provides an important contribution to the topic of sport hunting that is scholarly, yet accessible to college-level readers.

Reviewed by Stephen M. Vantassel

Publisher’s page: https://www.mupress.org/God-Nimrod-and-the-World-Exploring-Christian-Perspectives-on-Sport-Hunting-P952.aspx

Pneuma Review speaks with Dean Merrill about his book, 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know (Chosen, 2021).

PneumaReview.com: Please tell us about your own involvement in the Pentecostal Movement.

Dean Merrill: My parents—good Midwestern Quakers—were drawn toward a fuller experience of the Holy Spirit about the time I was born. My personal infilling came while I was still a boy, a year after my conversion. Sensing a call to ministry, I trained at a Pentecostal school (Chicago Bible College) and was ordained thereafter by Philadelphia Church, Chicago. My convictions have remained the same throughout my life, even though much of my editing and publishing work has been in generically evangelical circles.

PneumaReview.com: Where did the idea for this book come from?

Dean Merrill: Actually, it was the idea of the publisher (Chosen Books, part of the Baker Publishing Group). They had published two similar volumes: 50 People Every Christian Should Know (2009) and 50 Women Every Christian Should Know (2014). They approached me to keep the series going.

PneumaReview.com: Were there specific criteria that were used to determine which Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders would be included in this volume?

PneumaReview.com: In the book you mention that you and at least one other family member received ministry from a couple of the people whose stories are in the book. Please tell our readers a little bit about those encounters.

Dean Merrill: I was about ten years old when, at an Oral Roberts campaign in Des Moines, Iowa, my father guided me into the healing line to receive prayer for my enlarged adenoids. It was the last night of the campaign, so Roberts was moving us through quickly, trying to touch everyone who hadn’t been able to come up previously. He laid his hand on my head and prayed a short prayer. My problem went away thereafter, never requiring surgery.

PneumaReview.com: As you have studied the lives of the leaders who are included in the book, what would you say are some of the key factors that caused them to be so effective?

Dean Merrill:

• They were incredibly bold, courageous, “gutsy.” Think about Maria Woodworth-Etter facing down a half-drunken mob intent on burning down her tent. Or David Wilkerson reaching out to hostile New York City gangbangers.
• They paid very public, no-apologies attention to the ministry of healing. They were confident that the God who saves us is the God who heals as well.
• If they felt God had told them to do something or had promised to provide, they didn’t flinch. No second-guessing.
• They had a laser focus on Spirit empowerment, not just human flash and flair.
• They prayed like crazy, all the time.

Is there one person in the book that you found to be particularly interesting?

Dean Merrill: Oh, my—that’s like asking a parent which child is their favorite. I’m intrigued with them all!

PneumaReview.com: How can the stories in this book challenge Pentecostals and Charismatics today?

Dean Merrill: They show us that Book-of-Acts Christianity is not just a historical relic. They tell us that it’s not all that important whether we keep our membership in what I call “the evangelical club.” In the book I quote Donald Gee (the British writer/editor), who wrote back in the 1950s, “Revivals are never launched without someone going to an extreme…. There has to be an extremism to move things…. Miracles of healing occur when faith refuses to be logical, and blinds itself to arguments, based on plenty of contrary experience.”

PneumaReview.com: How can the accounts in this book encourage Pentecostals and Charismatics today?

Dean Merrill: They assure us that the wind of the Spirit still blows in our time, if we will only take notice. The Holy Spirit has not gone off, like a grizzly bear, into a long hibernation. He is alive and active wherever given a welcome. Those who listen to him can do remarkable things for God’s cause.

PR

Publisher’s page: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/50-pentecostal-and-charismatic-leaders-every-christian-should-know/404900

John Lathrop wrote to many Pentecostal/charismatic Bible teachers to ask them if they have found that God is speaking to people more frequently or vividly through dreams during this time of isolation. Here are some of the responses that he received, may they become prompts to you for prayer.

Carolyn Tennant

A former student (graduate) of IBRP (Instituto Biblico Rio de la Plata) in Buenos Aires, Argentina recently woke up with a vivid dream of the holy city drawing near to the earth.  Some people were already in it, but it would soon be populated with more.

Interestingly enough, that night I was reading (as I was progressing through Revelation) from the church at Pergamum in Rev. 3 and found this very thing referenced there.  It was very impacting to me.

Addendum: Many IBRP students and faculty are reporting having dreams and visions during the pandemic.

J.D. King

Yes, John, I’ve been hearing a number of interesting reports. There are some individuals in my church that are seeing different things. Many of them are discussing notions of intense spiritual warfare. Even some kids seem to be having profound encounters. These sensations are extremely vast on one hand, but also understated.

Let me clarify that these are not weird or irrational people. So, I am listening attentively to their thoughts.

Most specifically, I’ve been hearing things from my daughter. She is nineteen-years-old and currently suffering from auto-immune disease. She has had several visions/dreams. The reoccurring vision is something along lines of a dark and sinister aura trying to advance toward the earth to crush and counteract that which is virtuous and good. She suggested that this evil force is desperate—reaching, grasping—but much of what it’s struggling to clutch, it cannot actually reach. She’s seeing something of the Spirit of God pushing back against this treachery and stopping it. Her takeaway is that Satan wants to obstruct and destroy—and is making an extraordinary effort. But God is on the threshold of bringing life and glory. She feels that God is about to release a remarkable move of the Spirit in the United States. From the darkness comes the glorious dawn.

It seems that one’s theology colors their prophetic experiences. Those with a more pessimistic outlook, see darker pictures and themes, but the more hopeful see ultimate victory. Obviously, the prophetic, and all non-scriptural impressions, must be diligently scrutinized and interpreted (1 Thes. 5:19-21). Christians are inadvertently filtering events through pre-existing worldviews and theological constructs. There should be humility in all of this.

I will conclude by saying this, perhaps both warnings and hope are messages from God. Both give relevant guidance to believers who are in a place of deep intercession and need.

Carolyn Tennant

Craig Keener

A dream that has become a prayer point:

Early in the process of COVID spreading I dreamed that it was caused by the devil tweaking an existing virus to weaponize it against humanity, and that some scientists were on the forefront of finding a solution against it, God being with them.

But I think you had asked if there were more prophetic dreams after COVID than before, so I didn’t mention that. I’ve been having prophetic dreams for a few years now.

Loren Sandford shared his April 15, 2020 newsletter, that has much to say about dreams.

“What has Happened… and What is Coming?”

More from Loren Sandford at PneumaReview.com: http://pneumareview.com/author/rlorensandford/

Craig Keener

Craig Keener shared an email newsletter from Will and Dehavilland Ford titled, “Update On Our 7 year Old’s Covid 19 Dreams For 7 Nights In A Row! Here’s What God Revealed To Us.”

Here is one place that article was reprinted: https://soundofheavenblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/update-on-our-7-year-olds-covid-19-dreams-for-7-nights-in-a-row-heres-what-god-revealed-to-us-will-ford-dallas-tx/

Spiritual explosion in the Middle East

Included here is the April 21, 2020 Press Release from Christian broadcaster SAT-7, “COVID-19 Lockdown Ignites ‘Spiritual Explosion’ as Middle East Clamors for ‘Real Hope’: Christian broadcaster SAT-7 reports surge in viewer numbers, social media interest, as coronavirus shutdown ‘opens hearts’ of millions ‘stuck at home.’” Although this report does not mention dreams, there are many sources that describe how God is using dreams to awaken hearts to the reality of the love, power, and forgiveness found only in Jesus.

Amid strict coronavirus lockdowns, millions of people across the Middle East and North Africa—“clamoring” for a spiritual and practical lifeline—are finding help right in their own homes through “living television.”

CORONAVIRUS IGNITES ‘SPIRITUAL EXPLOSION’ IN MIDDLE EAST: Christian satellite television broadcaster SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) reports a dramatic surge in viewer numbers and social media interest, as the coronavirus lockdown ‘opens the hearts’ of millions of people stuck at home in the Middle East and North Africa. The ministry continues to broadcast across the region 24/7 in local languages.

In the region where Christianity began but is now a minority faith, Christian satellite television broadcaster SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) has seen viewer numbers surge and social media interest skyrocket since the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

“There’s an explosion of spiritual hunger across the Middle East and North Africa right now as people stuck at home seek real hope and real answers,” said Dr. Rex Rogers, president of SAT-7 USA. SAT-7 continues to broadcast shows 24/7 that present Christians as ‘living epistles’ who speak to people where they are in life.

“Millions of people in countries like Iran, Iraq and Turkey are clamoring to see and hear in their own language what it’s like to be a follower of Jesus in a time of crisis,” Rogers said.

In coronavirus hotspot Turkey, where 99 percent of the population is non-Christian, more viewers have contacted the SAT-7 TÜRK channel daily in the past few weeks than any day in the previous five years since broadcasts began.

In Iran, another virus hotspot, viewers’ calls and messages to the live, Farsi-language Signal show—beamed into millions of homes across the nation—jumped to seven times the usual number last month, as Iranians rattled by the pandemic turned to the show’s hosts for reassurance and practical advice.

One viewer shared how God was looking after her family, even though “we don’t even have any loose change.” She told other Signal viewers: “We’re living in faith, and we’re praying for everyone else.”

Across the Middle East and North Africa, SAT-7 KIDS Facebook audience has soared more than 500 percent as children stream videos offering encouragement and hope based on Bible passages.

Total Lockdown, Open Hearts

“Coronavirus has locked people inside their homes, but it’s opening hearts to God,” said Rogers. “Lockdown and social isolation do not stop our unique satellite and online Christian programs from reaching millions of adults and children where they live.”

A total of 30 million viewers are tuning into SAT-7’s uplifting Christian live shows and recorded broadcasts that take a holistic view of life, addressing spiritual, emotional, physical, and social concerns. Hosted by Christian presenters, shows tackle the topics that most deeply affect everyday life in the volatile region, and invite viewers to join in the discussion.

“When people have hope, they find the strength to carry on,” said Lebanon-born SAT-7 CEO Rita El-Mounayer, based at the ministry headquarters in Cyprus. “Our broadcasts and social media channels are needed more now than ever.”

The ministry reports 160,000 people watched “God, Fear, and the Coronavirus,” one of SAT-7’s mental health programs, featuring church leader and psychiatrist Dr. Maher Samuel.

An online video—featuring the popular presenter of the ministry’s Family of Jesus children’s show—reached more than 425,000 people and was shared 2,700 times. Meanwhile, the ministry’s SAT-7 Academy—a social development and education channel—doubled its audience on social media.

Image: Joshua Newton

Paul King

Another of our prayer intercessors shared with me another dream she received. It does not appear to apply to our own church fellowship, but it appears to me to apply to the Church, the Body of Christ as a whole. Even with the Coronavirus, although we have seen some great inter-cooperation between churches and pastors, the Church as a whole is still not united. The moved table is significant. It reminds me of the saying and book, Who Moved My Cheese? Everyone has their set way of doing things, and when things get moved or changed, people in the church can’t handle it. I am no Joseph, so I don’t have the whole picture, but this little bit may shed some light. Here is her dream:

Last night, I had a dream that seemed significant enough to share, based on your request:

There was a large gathering at a house, or maybe an apartment. There were a lot of little details, such as the wooden floor, tall windows, upper level, etc. that I’m not sure mean anything, but the actions did.

The people there were gathering together for a meal. All of them seemed to be extended family, though I recognized no one. There was a definite sense of it being a religious celebration, but no one was celebrating; they were too busy bickering with one another. There was obvious jealousy, apathy, and drudgery among the people regarding the event.

One man tried to lead the group, and I sensed his faith was genuine. However, he also showed little humility or compassion. He was more concerned with how he was being unnecessarily persecuted by another man (a brother?) mocking him.

Another seemingly important detail (though I don’t know why) is the table was moved from the room where it usually sat, into an adjacent room very similar in size and structure.

My one memorable role was when a “cousin?” asked where she was supposed to sit, because there was no table. I joked about sitting on cushions like Jesus’ disciples. She was not amused. I then pointed her to the other room where everyone was sitting down and the one faithful man had begun to pray. Although he was sincere, his prayer was weak and he was clearly distracted by the others’ indignation.

The room was crowded with people, but no one was there with the right heart, including me. I was a confused outsider who was somehow supposed to be a part of all this.

My sense upon waking was this was a picture of church disunity, apathy, and disregard for the LORD’s worthiness of celebration. It was disheartening, but also confusing, as those I’m surrounded by don’t seem to fit this model at all.

What about you? What have you experienced in this season? What is the Holy Spirit saying to those that have ears to hear?

Dr. R. T. Kendall has been preaching for over sixty years. He has also personally experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. For twenty-five years he served as the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London. He is the author of many books and now ministers internationally. He is a strong advocate for bringing together in the church the exposition of the Word and the power of the Spirit.
An updated version of his book, Word and Spirit: Truth, Power, and the Next Great Move of God was released in October 2019.

PneumaReview.com: In Word & Spirit you have written about a great divorce in the church. Please tell our readers what you mean by that.

R. T. Kendall: I call it a silent divorce because nobody knows precisely when it occurred nor has it been officially announced – except that I have been saying it for nearly thirty years. That said, it is obvious that the evangelical wing of the church has been divided into two emphases – those who stress the Word – sound doctrine, historical Protestant theology and expository preaching, and those whose emphasis has been the gifts of the Spirit, signs and wonders and the need to be as the church was in the book of Acts. Both are exactly right. But it seems that nearly wherever I go in the world it is either one or the other. In the book of Acts they had both. But to find a church where both are truly carried out is exceedingly rare.

PneumaReview.com: What are some of the key factors that have contributed to this divorce?

R. T. Kendall: I don’t know for sure, but possibly because those who have assumed that signs and wonders ceased way back in the early church have espoused cessationism and have turned it into a dogma. If you believe in the gifts of the Spirit you are not very welcome in some churches. They are suspicious of those who uphold the possibility of signs and wonders today. I will say that this is not everywhere. In England the Charismatic Movement is mainstream; in America it is often regarded as the lunatic fringe. Cessationism has helped polarize these two movements. There should not be a divide, but there is. The word churches think they believe in the Holy Spirit because they are Trinitarian. The truth is, they believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Bible. Many are fearful of the Holy Spirit. At the same time many (thankfully not all) have little or no deep theology. For example, a robust view of the sovereignty of God is largely absent.

PneumaReview.com: You have said that there is a lot of biblical illiteracy in the church, even among Evangelical and Charismatic Christians. What are some of the main reasons for this?

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 speaking in tongues as gibberish?

Sam Storms: If a person believes that all tongues speech both in Scripture and today is a known human language spoken somewhere in the world but previously not known by the speaker, then yes, it will come across to them as “gibberish.” It may also sound that way simply because the hearer is not familiar with the linguistic form of the tongues speech. Quite honestly, Mandarin and Swahili both sound like gibberish to me. If I had not been told they were legitimate human languages, I would probably conclude that they were non-sense utterances.

I suspect that some consider tongues speech to be “gibberish” because they fail to recognize that, although unintelligible apart from interpretation, all legitimate tongues speech today carries and expresses genuine, cognitive information. Paul makes this clear in 1 Cor. 14:2, 16, and elsewhere. It may not sound as such, but that doesn’t mean it is lacking sense or fails to communicate meaningful content in some form or other. It may also be that they think it to be “gibberish” because of a long-standing prejudice against contemporary expressions of tongues. Since most evangelicals are persuaded that in order to be of any benefit to anyone all utterances must be intelligible, they will understandably form negative opinions of “speech” patterns that they cannot decipher.

Pneuma Review: According to the Bible, are tongues always known languages? 

Sam Storms: No. They certainly were known languages, spoken somewhere in the world, in Acts 2. But there is no reason to conclude that all other instances of tongues speech must adhere to the pattern described in Acts 2. In neither of the other two occurrences in Acts of tongues speech, Acts 10 and 19, were people of different linguistic backgrounds present to hear them. In other words, if all tongues are known human languages designed by God to evangelize people of a different linguistic experience (and this is what many, if not most, evangelicals believe), why were there only believers present in Acts 10 and 19 when people spoke in tongues?

Eugene Bach is a leader with the Back to Jerusalem ministry (www.backtojerusalem.com). He has written a number of books about Christianity in nations that are hostile to the gospel; he has written about Christianity in China, Iran, and North Korea. This current volume deals with the experiences of a Tibetan Buddhist monk who left Buddhism to follow Jesus Christ.

Most of the text of this book deals with the experiences Tenzin had while he was in the Buddhist faith. As you read you will become acquainted with Buddhist teachings and practices, many of which are explained in the book. Tenzin was raised in a Buddhist family; when he was a teenager he was sent off to live in a Buddhist monastery. This was considered an honor and was to set him off on the path toward “enlightenment.” During his time in the monastery, he learned the disciplined life of a monk; their schedules were very regimented. In addition he also learned the tenets and practices of his faith and how to debate (which was a major facet of their training). While he was there he also became aware of some of the dark things that could take place in the Buddhist faith. In the first monastery he lived at he heard loud cries at night. He learned that these cries came from a younger monk who was being sexually abused by an older monk.

During the course of his studies, Tenzin moved to a number of different monasteries. In one place he found that the Buddhists hated the Chinese, in another he found that they hated the Muslims. He came to the conclusion that Buddhism was a very hateful religion. He also became aware that some of the top religious leaders, including the Dalai Lama, all of whom are supposed to be celibate, had secret families. He saw some of the inconsistencies and hypocrisy in the Buddhist faith. He also came to realize that some of his fellow seekers on the path to enlightenment seemed to be no more enlightened than he was.

In India, Tenzin tried to connect with one of his relatives who was also a monk (or so he thought). He learned that his cousin had actually moved to the United States a year earlier through the help of a Christian man and his church. His cousin had also become a Christian and was happier than he had even been. In the course of his journey, Tenzin found out from another monk that Jesus was dangerous for Buddhists; Jesus could undo all that Buddhists sought to attain. This monk told Tenzin to put away everything he had learned about Jesus. At one particular point in his studies Tenzin heard the Dalai Lama speak. In his teaching this man seemed to express respect for the other religions of the world. However, Tenzin noticed that he did not make any reference to Jesus or His followers.

Leaving Buddha is an interesting story of how God is at work in the world today, specifically in the lives of people from other world religions (yes, they can be reached). The book demonstrates how Tenzin’s emptiness, questions, and doubts brought him to Jesus. If you are interested in missions this book will be a welcome addition to your library. As Paul wrote to the church in Colossae “the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world” (Col 1:6 NIV); this is true even in the Buddhist world.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Read Excerpts from Leaving Buddha:

In this excerpt from Leaving Buddha, Eugene Bach introduces us to the amazing story of Tenzin Lahkpa, a Buddhist monk who had a powerful encounter with Jesus the Messiah.

In this excerpt from Leaving Buddha, Tenzin Lahkpa, formerly a Buddhist monk, recalls his first introduction to Jesus the Messiah.

Convergence 2019: The God Who Heals

When: Thursday, September 26 through Saturday, September 28, 2019.

Where: The Criterion OKC, 500 E Sheridan Ave., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA.

Speakers include PneumaReview.com authors Sam Storms and Michael Brown.

More Information and Registration.

The mission of Convergence: “Through Convergence we aim to instruct and encourage individual believers and local churches to eagerly embrace the functional authority of the written text of Scripture and to experience the full range of miraculous spiritual gifts, all to the glory of God in Christ” (from their website).