This book is the latest release in Paul Hattaway’s “China Chronicles” series. Each book is published not only in English but also in Chinese, the author’s intent in writing them is “primarily to bless and encourage the persecuted church in China” (page xii). Thousands of copies of these books are distributed for free in the house church networks in China (xii). Those of us in the West reap the benefit of being able to read this important Chinese Christian history.

As the title indicates, this present volume focuses on the province of Fujian. Fujian Province is located along the southeastern coast of China (pages v, 1). As of 2020 it had a population of 41,540,086 (page vi). Fujian has over 2,200 islands and has the greatest forests of any Chinese province, 63% of the land is forests (page 2).

While different ethnic groups live in the province the majority of the population are Han Chinese, making up 98.3% of the population (page vi). The people in Fujian speak a number of different Chinese dialects and languages that are very different from Mandarin, which is the national language (page vii). Some people from Fujian Province have moved to other Asian countries including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines (page vii). The residents of Fujian are more religious than the people of many provinces in China (page 9), they honor a number of different deities (page 10).

Chuxi Tulou cluster in Fujian Province.
Image: via WikiMedia Commons.

The gospel was introduced in Fujian Province over 1,000 years ago by the Nestorians (page 11). The Catholic Church established itself in the province in the 1300s and about 500 years later Evangelicals came into Fujian (page 11). The gospel message had to overcome significant challenges, securing a foothold in the province in the 19^th century (page 11). However, the province was home to two well-known Christian ministers: John Sung and Watchman Nee (page 11). Although from the 1980s until the present day the province has not had the powerful revival accounts of other parts of China, it does have some notable statistics. There are about 5.8 million Christians (Catholics and Evangelicals) in the province (page 12). This is 14.7 % of the people who live there, this places it 5^th among all the Chinese provinces (page 12). The church in Fujian has had to deal with a lack of Bibles and the challenge of cults (page 12).

The book is comprised of chapters devoted to different decades, key events, and important individuals (pages ix, x). Catholics and Evangelicals are included in the book. Like the other books in the “China Chronicles” series, this present volume also contains pictures throughout the text and appendixes at the end of the book. The appendixes include important facts and figures about the people of Fujian, what may be of particular interest to readers is the attention given to the Christian population in the province.

Misty Morning in Xiamen, China
Image: Jay Huang

In the book the author writes about various missionaries who labored in Fujian. As we begin to consider some of them, I will start by mentioning two men and two women who are among the lesser-known missionaries. These missionaries are: John Wolfe, Amy Oxley-Wilkinson, Margaret Barber, and Leland Wang. There are also others that I did not mention who are included in the book. Those that I did mention each have a chapter devoted to them.

John Wolfe was an Irishman who served in Fujian for 53 years (pages 67-68). He was highly respected by the Chinese believers who referred to him as “The Fujian Moses,” because of their respect for him and his long beard (page 68). In time three of Wolfe’s daughters served in Fujian as missionaries (pages 68-69).

Amy Oxley-Wilkinson, came from a well-to-do family, she left that to serve the physical and spiritual needs of the Chinese, and she had a particular burden for blind children (pages 127, 129). She received the highest honor a foreigner could then receive in China, The Order of the Golden Grain, awarded by the Republic of China’s president (page 132).

Margaret Barber was born in England (page 146), a good part of her ministry was hidden because she gave herself to intercession, but she was highly regarded by some of the most well-known Christian leaders of the time (pages 145-146). She began her ministry as an Anglican missionary but later became an independent missionary (pages 146, 148). She had an impact on a well-known Christian leader mentioned in the book, that person was Watchman Nee (page 152).

Leland Wang was a Chinese national who emerged as a leader in the church in Fujian Province (page 155). He evangelized on the streets and founded the “Chinese Foreign Missionary Union” (page 158). He preached in a number of places around the world and established churches in: “the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East” (page 158).

Two names that many western readers may know that are mentioned in Fujian: The Blessed Province are John Sung and Watchman Nee. They each have two chapters devoted to them in the book (page 11).

John Sung was the son of a Methodist preacher and participated with his father in ministry (page 167). The 1909 Putian (Hinghwa) Revival had a big impact on him (page 167). His ministry was relatively brief. Hattaway, citing a quote of Paul Kauffman, calls our attention to the fact that Sung’s public ministry was only 15 years long (page 166), yet his impact was significant. He ministered not only in Fujian Province but in many other Chinese provinces as well (page 167).

Fujian: The Blessed Province, like the other books in the “China Chronicles” series, is rich in information. It demonstrates to us that God’s work is carried forward by well-known Christians and little-known Christians. As each one faithfully does their part this contributes to the overall growth of the gospel. The lives of the Chinese believers offer us both inspiration and challenge. And they show us what God can do with yielded and obedient servants.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

From the Asia Harvest website: https://www.asiaharvest.org/bookstore/Fujian-The-Blessed-Province-The-China-Chronicles-N%C2%BA9-p752236177

Further Reading

Li Shiguang, “Marking Rev. John Sung’s 120th Birthday, Pastor Edwin Su Wenfeng Urges Chinese Christians to Carry on the Fire of Revival” China Christian Daily (November 9, 2021).

“1909 Hinghwa Revival” Romans1015.com

Robert Banks’ ministry experience includes being a professor and an author, he has also lectured at seminaries in various Asian countries (biographical information on the back cover). This book is Volume 3 in the APTS Press Occasional Papers Series (page v). The text is an expanded development of the lectures that the author gave when he presented the William Menzies Annual Lectures at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in 2021 (page vii). In writing this current volume Banks drew from some of his earlier writings and research (page vii-viii).

As the title of the book indicates its focus is the apostle Paul, in particular, the versatility of the apostle is noted. After the front matter, which includes the Publisher’s Preface, Acknowledgements, a brief entry titled “Paul’s Versatility” by James Stalker D. D., and an Introduction (“Specialist or Generalist?”), the book is composed of 3 parts and a conclusion. Part 1 (pages 5-37) focuses on Paul as an “Artisan Missioner,” Part 2 (pages 39-72) looks at Paul as a “Community Developer.” Part 3 (pages 73-102) is given to a consideration of Paul as a “Pastoral Educator.” Each of these parts is composed of two chapters, the book closes with the Conclusion (pages 103-108).

Part 1, “Artisan Missioner,” consists of Chapters 1 and 2. In these chapters Banks gives attention to what Paul is perhaps best known for: his missionary activities. In Chapter 1, “Cross-Cultural Innovator,” the author writes about the apostle’s efforts to take the gospel to others, to those who had not previously heard, including the Gentiles (pages 11, 7-9). As he pursued this ministry Paul traveled long distances (pages 8-9). Banks points out that Paul’s life and experiences uniquely qualified him for working with different kinds of people (pages 12-13). While he engaged in his Christian ministry, he was not a full-time missionary in our contemporary understanding of the term (page 10). The apostle was not content to just evangelize, Banks notes that he also labored to establish communities of faith, churches (page 9). He gives some attention to Paul’s evangelistic strategy (pages 15-17). The key text for this is Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (page 15). It is clear from this passage that the apostle could be versatile, or flexible, as he sought to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Chapter 1 also includes brief sections on Paul’s pastoral approach (pages 17-18) and personal practice (pages 18-19).

In Chapter 2, “Flexible Response Planner,” the author gives attention to some of the guidance that the apostle received and how he responded to it. He notes that while the Holy Spirit was involved, some of Paul’s movements seem to have been influenced by circumstances and personal relationships (pages 24-27). In this regard too we see that Paul could be flexible.

Chapter 4, “Distinctive Lifestyle Exemplar,” gives attention to Paul’s dual citizenship, his citizenship on earth and in heaven (pages 55-58). It also takes a look at the apostle’s approach to making decisions about how believers should conduct themselves in this world when confronted with various issues (pages 60-62). Banks, referencing Longenecker, notes that Paul considered some issues “vital” in which case all believers should take one course of action, while others were less critical and offered some measure of freedom so that a believer could take one course of action or another (page 61).

Part 3 looks at Paul as a “Pastoral Educator.” This section is also made up of two chapters, Chapters 5 and 6. Chapter 5 focuses on the apostle as a “Life-Shaped Theologian” (pages 75-89). This chapter basically explores the question of whether theology shapes experience or experience shapes theology (page 75). In the course of the chapter Banks points out that Paul’s experiences had a significant impact on his beliefs.

Chapter 6 gives attention to Paul as a “Learning-Oriented Teacher.” Banks notes that Paul saw a number of different venues as places for teaching and learning, he writes “For Paul, teaching and learning takes place in lecture halls and house churches, in city centers and on road trips, in workplaces and local homes” (page 92). He further notes that this learning can take place in a variety of ways, these include: stories and ideas, conversations and instruction, experience and knowledge, emotions and thoughts, imagination and information, and practice and reflection (pages 92-101).

I think there are two things that are of special note in this book. First, the author’s description of a first-century Christian worship service (page 41). In reading this the contemporary believer can easily see that there is a marked difference between what many of us experience as church today and what the apostolic churches experienced. Second, I found interesting what the author brought out about the complexities of Paul and how he navigated his Christian life and ministry. Paul was both principled and flexible and knew which matters were negotiable and which were not. He was a master at contextualization. The book truly lives up to its title, it is about The Versatility of Paul. I think that serious readers of Scripture will find much to ponder in this volume.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

USA Publisher page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666773774/versatility-of-paul/

For a sample chapter, go to: https://www.aptspress.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Free-Sample-The-Versatality-of-Paul-2.pdf

This book is volume 4 of Paul Hattaway’s series called the China Chronicles. This collection of books is devoted to providing an extensive account of the history and progress of Christianity in China. In recounting this history among the Tibetan people the author tells his readers about key events and individuals. One message that comes through very clearly is that trying to reach Tibetans with the gospel is not an easy task. It is a rough mission field. There are a number of reasons for this. First, the land is large. In addition, the terrain is rough and the weather can be quite severe. On top of all these things the dark spiritual forces at work in this area are very powerful. The demonic activities described in this book greatly exceed those that we might typically hear about in the West. But as the book demonstrates, even this darkness cannot stop the gospel from advancing. In the pages of this volume you will encounter some Christian people that “the world was not worthy of” (Heb. 11:38 NIV). Their commitment and steadfastness to the cause of Christ is truly amazing.

The Tibet Autonomous Region in China.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

The Tibet Autonomous Region consists of 474,300 square miles (page 1). If the Tibetan areas located in other Chinese provinces are added in, the figure increases to about 750,000 square miles. The population in the Tibetan Autonomous Region in 2020 is 3,370,598 (page viii). However, on average, the population density in this area is only seven per square mile (page viii). Though different elevations can be found in this region the altitude average is 14,800 feet (page 1).

The Nestorians, who have been in China since AD 635, were likely the first Christians to share the gospel there. However, a citation from a book by Martin Palmer dates the Christian presence there even earlier (page 22). In later history both Catholic and Protestant missionaries worked in Tibet. Early Catholic missionaries to Tibet include: Antonio de Andrade (pages 25-36) and Odoric of Pordenone (pages 37-38). Years later other Catholic missionaries served in Tibet, among them were Ippolito Desideri (page 40-41), Evariste Regis Huc, and Joseph Gabet (pages 43-44). For about 600 years, Catholics were the only missionaries in Tibet preaching Christ (page 47).

The first Evangelical missionaries came to Tibet in 1877 (page 47). Once this happened those who entered the area came from a number of different organizations including: the Moravians, the China Inland Mission, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and the Assemblies of God. This list is not complete but it gives you some idea of the variety of groups that ministered there. James Cameron, an Englishman, was the first Evangelical to serve in Tibet (page 48). After him others followed these included: George Parker (pages 52-54), Cecil and Eleanor Polhill (pages 62-64), Annie Taylor (pages 65-74), William Christie (pages 90-108), Albert Shelton (pages 118-129),Victor Plymire (pages 164-185), and Frank and Annie Learner (pages 194-203). One well-known name that can be found in the book is Sundar Singh, who was an evangelist from India (142-150). Pentecostals may be surprised to learn that both Lester Sumrall and Howard Carter ministered in Tibet in the 1930s (page 186-188).

Zhejiang: The Jerusalem of China is the third book in Paul Hattaway’s ambitious project known as the China Chronicles. Each volume in the series presents the Christian history of one the provinces in China. The author’s desire is to preserve a record of God’s work in China for subsequent generations of believers (page xii). In this book, as in previous volumes in the series, the author provides the reader with a lot of detailed information.

Zhejiang is a small province, however it has a sizeable population, the 2010 census lists its population at 54.4 million people, that figure was expected to grow beyond 62 million by the year 2020 (page 1). Its area is slightly over 39,000 square miles (page 1), and it has been referred to as a land of both great beauty and great variety (page 1). For a time it was an area that had many different languages (page 2). Wu is currently the most common language used in Zhejiang, though Mandarin is closing in on it for prominence (page 3). The majority of people in the province, 98.8 percent, are Han Chinese (page 8).

Zhejiang Province within China.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

In AD 635, a Nestorian Christian named, Alopen, brought the gospel to China (page 9). This fact shows us that Christianity has had a presence in China for a very long time. The report of a massacre that took place in Ganpu in AD 878 indicates that there were Christians in Zhejiang at that time, they were specifically mentioned in the report (page 10). When Marco Polo visited Zhejiang in the 1280s he noted that the Nestorian Church was the only church there (page 11), the Catholic Church established their work in the province in the 1600s (page 12). The first Evangelical missionary entered the province in 1843, his name was D. J. MacGowan, from the American Baptist Missionary Union. (page 12). The next year, Divie McCartee, a Presbyterian missionary arrived, as did Ann Aldersey, who was “the first female Evangelical missionary to live in China” (pages 12-13). In those early days there were a number of languages spoken in Zhejiang, because of this, missionaries had to learn the languages of the towns they lived in (page 14).

In addition to these groundbreakers many others labored in the province, both foreign missionaries and native Chinese. Foreign missionaries included: William Russell from Ireland (pages 15-17), Walter Lowrie, an American, who became the first Evangelical to be killed in China (pages 17-19), William Aitchison (page 20-22), Griffith and Margaret John (pages 25-26), and George and Grace Stott (pages 38-42). James Meadows served in Zhejiang for over fifty years (page 93). The well-known missionary, Hudson Taylor and his wife, Maria, and later his second wife, Jennie also ministered in Zhejiang (pages 26-34). In addition to these there were also a number of single women who served in Zhejiang, these included: Josephine Desmond (pages 77-78), Edith Sherwood (pages 79-80), and Etta Manchester (pages 78-80). All of these women were martyred on the mission field (pages 78 and 80). Other foreign missionaries are also mentioned in the book. In addition to the foreign missionaries a number of Chinese also participated in gospel ministry in the province these included: Y. T. Zia (pages 44-47), Mrs. Liu (pages 54-56), Wang Laijun (pages 86-88), Ren Chengyuan (pages 96-98), Dora Yu Cidu (pages 98-101) and Miao Zizhong (164-173). Another well-known preacher who ministered in Zhejiang was John Sung (pages 107-110).

Today the province of Zhejiang has the largest percentage of Christians in China (page 22, 227). Interestingly enough, the majority of these believers are men (page 227). This notable achievement has not come easily. Persecution has come along with the growth. Some of the believers in Zhejiang have paid the ultimate price, but even those who were not killed, at times, endured long and cruel torture. Another notable dynamic of Christianity in this province has been the evidence of the supernatural, which has occurred at different points in its history. An evangelist in the 1800s named Xiang prayed for the sick and saw them healed (page 48). Manifestations of the supernatural, such as deliverance, took place though local Christians (page 108). Healings also took place through the ministry of John Sung (page 110) in the 1900s. In the 1960s and 1970s the Christians in Zhejiang were used of the Lord in supernatural ways, this contributed to the spreading of the gospel (pages 139-140). Healings also took place in the 1980s and 1990s (pages 158-161, 179). Suffering and signs of supernatural power are two things that marked the followers of Jesus in the New Testament and they have characterized the experience of the believers in Zhejiang too.

One factor that has contributed to the strength of the Zhejiang church has been the emphasis that was placed on self-support. Missionaries told the believers in this province that they needed to support their own ministry work and not depend on foreign assistance (pages 36, 116).

Zhejiang: The Jerusalem of China is yet another volume that demonstrates what can happen when the faithfulness of God and the faithfulness of men and women meet. The Lord has brought about a significant work in this province, even in the midst of opposition and adversity. May those of us who live outside of China be both challenged and inspired by our brothers and sisters in Christ who have lived, and do live, with a firm commitment to follow the Lord.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Preview: https://books.google.com/books/about/Zhejiang.html?id=slivDwAAQBAJ

Asia Harvest page: https://asiaharvest.org/zhejiang-the-jerusalem-of-china/

Further Reading

For more on Alopen and the spread of the story of Jesus into China, see historian Woodrow Walton’s article, “The Resurgence of the Gospel, Part One: The Medieval Prologue and the Remapping of the World”

Paul Hattaway has a great deal of knowledge about the church in China; this knowledge comes not only from his research but also from his direct involvement with the church there. He has written extensively about China and the Chinese church. Some of his books about China include: The Heavenly Man, Operation China, and China’s Christian Martyrs. This present volume, Guizhou: The Precious Province, is volume two of what is perhaps his most ambitious project, The China Chronicles. This is a series of books devoted to exploring the history and spread of Christianity in each of the Chinese provinces. It is estimated that when this project is complete it will consist of about 22 volumes.

The province of Guizhou is located in the southern part of China. It is made up of very challenging terrain, 87 percent of the territory is mountains (page 5). It has a population of 35 million people, people from over 80 ethnic groups (page 2). Hattaway says that about half of the villages in the province do not have electricity and there are some areas of Guizhou that have not been explored (page 5). It is one of the poorest parts of China (page 6). Between 60 and 70 percent of the people in rural areas are illiterate (page 6).

In this book, the author gives a brief history of Christianity in the province. He writes about the beginnings of the Christian faith there and provides information about its development in subsequent years. He describes the people groups, the missionaries, and the challenges. Pictures are included throughout the text. As the information in the previous paragraph suggests bringing the gospel into this area would be challenging. And it was. There were geographic challenges as missionaries had to navigate some very difficult terrain. Living challenges, including poverty, weather, and health. And then there was the added challenge of ministering to people many of whom could not read. Some of the people groups who live in Guizhou include the Miao, the Hmu, the Nosu, the Bouyei, and the Dong.

Guizhou Province within China.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

This book is markedly different from the first book in this series, Shandong: The Revival Province, in one respect. In that book, the reader can find mention of many well-known missionaries, people such as Jonathan Goforth, Lottie Moon, and Eric Liddell. In Guizhou: The Precious Province, I did not find the names of missionaries that I recognized. Though they are unknown to me they are known to God. Some of the missionaries whose stories are told in this book include: James Broumton, Charles Judd, Jane Kidd, James Adam, Samuel Clarke, and Samuel Pollard. In addition the stories of national workers such as Wu Guosheng, Liu Wenyuan, Wang Bin, Pan Xiushan, and Jiang Zongxiu are also told. One interesting note regarding foreign missionaries in this province is that they came almost exclusively from the China Inland Mission (pages 61,102).

References to the supernatural are found in a number of places in this book. For example, in the decade of the 1910s, one missionary who did not have much of a belief in the demonic, conceded that some of the spirit-priests in this area had access to supernatural power because they could put white hot chains on their necks without being hurt (pages 84-85). In the decade of the 2000s there is a reference to signs and wonders taking place, this includes deliverance (page 189). Guizhou: The Precious Province records both the victories and the defeats that the church has suffered in this area. One of the challenges the missionaries encountered was the lack of a written language. They had to overcome this obstacle in order to make translations of the Scriptures for the people. The harsh realities of being a believer are not left out. Persecutions, imprisonments, and executions are mentioned. One of the words that I particularly noticed in my reading was the word “torture.”

The sacrifices and investments that foreign missionaries and national workers have made for Guizhou have borne fruit. There are now 2.7 million people there who call themselves Christians (page 16). That is good news, but as the author points out, there are still many millions who have not become believers in Jesus.

As was the case in the first volume in this series, near the end of this book there are charts. These charts provide information about population totals, religious beliefs, and languages spoken in the various areas in the province. If you are interested in Christian history, Christianity in the Global South, or more specifically Christianity in China, this book will be a welcome addition to your library. Its contents will inform, inspire, and perhaps, challenge its readers.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Publisher’s page: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/guizhou-791

Preview: https://books.google.com/books/about/Guizhou.html?id=05xjDwAAQBAJ

Read John Lathrop’s review of Shandong: The Revival Province, Volume 1 of The China Chronicles.

Paul Hattaway is the founder and director of Asia Harvest, a ministry that seeks to equip the Asian church to reach its unreached people groups. He has done missionary work in China for thirty years. In addition to his missionary work he is a prolific author. He has written many books, most of which focus on Christianity in China. Shandong: The Revival Province is the first volume of The China Chronicles. This is a series of books that Hattaway is publishing that examines in detail the history of Christianity in the various provinces of China. Once it is complete this series will consist of about 22 books.

Many believers around the world are aware that Christianity has experienced tremendous growth in China. The church has, and is, growing by leaps and bounds in spite of experiencing significant persecution. Current estimates are that there are over 100 million Christians in China (page xiii). The author says that no one can take credit for this revival, it is the work of Jesus Christ (page xv).

This first book in The China Chronicles examines the foundations and growth of Christianity in the province of Shandong. The 2010 census indicates that at that time 95.8 million people lived there, the province covers over 60,000 square miles (page 1). The area is a little larger than the state of Georgia but has about 10 times as many people (page 1). Today approximately 5 million people in the Shandong province identify themselves as Christians (page 9). This is about 40 times more than there were in 1949 when Communism began (page 9). As you read this book, you will see that the revival truly is a group effort that has caused many to come to Christ. The Lord used many of His servants to bring about this growth, some of them were native Chinese and some were missionaries from other countries.

Those who are familiar with missions history will recognize the names of some of the missionaries who labored in this province:  Jonathan Goforth, Lottie Moon, Marie Monsen, and Eric Liddell (the Olympic runner whose life was featured in the film Chariots of Fire). It is interesting to note that these missionaries came from different denominational backgrounds. Goforth and Liddell were Presbyterians, Moon was a Southern Baptist, and Monsen was a Lutheran. Other lesser-known missionaries also made significant contributions to the gospel cause. These include Griffith John and Hunter Corbett. Corbett served in China for 57 years (page 19). Timothy Richard was another, his application to be a missionary was rejected by a major missionary organization, however, he did become a missionary and at the end of his career, he was regarded as one of greatest missionaries to China (pages 28-30). Lesser-known national workers, such as Wang Baogui, also played an important role in the spread of the gospel; he had a burden for the lost and reached out to areas in Shandong that had not been evangelized (pages 23-24). Another influential Chinese leader was Ding Limei who was involved in evangelism and theological education (pages 97-100). Some of the more well-known Chinese preachers who ministered in Shandong were Andrew Gih, Watchman Nee, and John Sung (pages 139-144). The reader will also be introduced to a significant church movement known as the Jesus Family (pages 158-172).

PneumaReview.com had the opportunity to speak with two scholars about this move of God, each of them giving an interview. The first of these interviews is with Dr. Paul Palma. He has written a significant book called Italian American Pentecostalism and the Struggle for Religious Identity, published in August 2019. In this book, he has written about the Italian Pentecostal Movement in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The second interview is with Dr. Michael Brown. It may be a surprise to some but an Italian Pentecostal Church played an important role in his spiritual journey. We trust that you will find these interviews informative and inspiring.

Pneuma Review: When and where did the modern-day Italian Pentecostal Movement start?

Paul Palma: In assessing the origins of any religious movement, I think it is helpful to distinguish between a movement and specific phenomena. Pentecostal phenomena—“baptism in the Spirit,” speaking in tongues, healing, etc.—have been present among Italian peoples for centuries. Such phenomena, typically occurring in isolated contexts, were reported in parts of Italy in the late nineteenth century as well as at the Azusa Street Revival in 1906. A movement, on the other hand, brings cohesion to such phenomena for ongoing edification within a congregational setting. Defined in this latter sense, the origins of Italian Pentecostalism trace to Chicago. There is wide consensus, among North American, Italian, as well as South American scholarship, that the Italian Pentecostal Movement first took shape among an independent holiness congregation of Italian immigrants in inner-city Chicago in 1907.

Some members of this Chicago Italian congregation experienced the baptism in the Spirit at William H. Durham’s North Avenue Mission, the center of a revival considered in many respects to be the Midwest transplant of Azusa Street. From Durham’s church, the revival made its way to their Italian mission on West Grand Avenue, only blocks away. In the weeks and months that followed, numerous Italians were converted and reportedly baptized in the Spirit. The congregation later adopted the name the Assemblea Cristiana (Christian Assembly), becoming the first Italian Pentecostal church on record.

Pneuma Review: Which denominations today can trace their roots back to the Italian Pentecost in Chicago?

Paul Palma: There are numerous denominations today that trace their roots to Chicago’s Assemblea Cristiana. These are centered chiefly in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Italy. The flagship denomination of the Italian Pentecostal Movement was the Christian Church of North America (CCNA), today known as the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, established in 1927. The Italian Pentecostal Church of Canada (now the Canadian Assemblies of God) developed from the CCNA, although incorporated as a separate religious body in 1959. The Assemblea di Dio in Italia (Assemblies of God in Italy, ADI), the largest Protestant denomination in Italy, was also founded with the help of Italian Pentecostal pioneers from the CCNA. Numerous other denominations in Italy trace their roots to the classical Pentecostalism of the Assemblea Cristiana, among them being the Chiesa Cristiana Pentecostale Italiana (Italian Pentecostal Christian Church), Chiesa Apostolica in Italia (Apostolic Church in Italy), Chiese Elim in Italia (Italian Elim Churches), Chiesa di Dio (Church of God), Congregazioni Cristiane Pentecostali (Pentecostal Christian Congregation), and the Chiese Evangeliche della Valle del Sele (Sele Valley Evangelical Churches).

Paul King, who is a Bible teacher, evangelist, educator, historian, pastor, and cancer survivor, has distinguished qualifications to talk about what God has done and what God is doing. In this interview with PneumaReview.com, we speak with him about his own story and his recent book, Is It of God? that addresses crucial questions about biblical discernment.

PneumaReview.com: Please tell our readers how you came into the Charismatic Renewal.

Paul King: I grew up in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, which believed in the filling of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit on paper, but little in practice because of fear of Pentecostal excesses. I was baptized in the Spirit in my first year of college, out of the ongoing overflow of the Asbury College revival in February 1970. I was attending Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and had returned from a beach evangelism team to Florida, feeling very frustrated that I had no power to witness. A student ministry team from the Asbury Revival came to Beaver Falls in April 1970, sharing their testimonies of the great outpouring of the Spirit upon the students. They had something I didn’t have and I began seeking. A few weeks later, I wandered into an Assemblies of God church and the pastor laid hands on me and prayed for me. I did not speak in tongues, but I went out from there with a power I never had before, and I began doing street witnessing with great power and effects, and kids were getting saved.

Even though my Pentecostal friends said I didn’t get it, I did realize that although I didn’t speak in tongues, Jesus said the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit was power to be a witness (Acts 1:8). My ministry was so powerful and effective that Young Life asked me to join their staff. I prayed for the Lord to give me His better gifts, not tongues. I began to get words of prophecy and supernatural words of knowledge even though I had not spoken in tongues. But the Lord convicted me, saying, “If you are not willing to receive what you consider the least of my gifts, what makes you think you should receive any of my gifts?” I was so humbled and convicted, I repented, and began praying, “Lord, I want what you want. If you want me to speak in tongues, I want to speak in tongues. If you don’t want me to speak in tongues, I don’t want to speak in tongues. I was praying this 10 months after I was baptized in the Spirit while driving to my uncle’s home to paint his house. Strange words came to my mind and I spoke them out. I prayed, “Lord, if this is genuine, give me an interpretation.” Immediately to my mind came the words, “The arm of the Lord is extended to you,” and I knew it was real. I had no emotion like I did when I was baptized in the Spirit, just a calm peace (Good thing while I was driving!)

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 faculty of Oral Roberts University, he has also served as a Faculty Mentor at United Theological Seminary for the Randy Clark Scholars in their Doctor of Ministry Program. In addition to teaching, Dr. King has authored a number of books and has served in pastoral ministry. He has been involved in ministry for almost 50 years and is an ordained minister with the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination.

Is It Of God? is devoted to the subject of spiritual discernment. More specifically, the author writes to help believers determine if certain teachings, practices, or manifestations are from God. This current volume is the first of two volumes; the second will be released at a later date. The main body of the book consists of 20 chapters and 3 appendixes. In the course of his writing King cites some well-known Christians from the past, the list includes, A. W. Tozer, A. B. Simpson, and Jonathan Edwards. There is a lot of material in this book, some of which is quite detailed. The text contains some Hebrew and Greek but these are not major features of the book, the material in the text is very accessible and the size of the print is comfortable.

These are some of the topics that Dr. King covers in this book: why we need discernment, the biblical foundations of discernment, the biblical principles of discernment, cessationism, and continuationism. He discusses why revival is so messy (a mixture of divine, human, and at times, demonic elements). In the course of discussing revivals he compares some of the characteristics of the revivals in Brownsville, Toronto, and Lakeland against certain discernment criteria. He also addresses the question “If It Is Miraculous, Is It Always From God?” (Chapter 13).

Jesus the Lord according to Paul the Apostle will both educate and resonate well with its intended audience. One who has heard Gordon Fee preach can hear him preaching in this book, passionately communicating the fruits of his exegesis in language that can profit nonscholars as well as academicians. As I noted in my comments to the publisher, the book is “intertextually rich and theologically provocative,” inviting readers “to rethink traditional academic constructions of Paul’s theology in light of the primary data provided more conspicuously by Paul’s own letters.” While not ignorant of wider scholarly opinions, in this book Fee plunges the reader into more immediate contact with Paul’s own words.

Fee’s extensive Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study (Hendrickson, 2007; Baker, 2013), which treats all the present work’s questions in far greater detail, is not on a level accessible to the average reader (sort of like my four-volume Acts commentary). By contrast, Jesus the Lord offers a more accessible introduction, in the way that his Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God (1996) complemented Fee’s larger academic tome on Pauline pneumatology, God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul (1994).

Jesus the Lord according to Paul the Apostle is certainly accessible. The foreword also is a touching tribute from Fee’s daughter Cherith Fee Nordling, a theologian in her own right.

As an exegete who has written commentaries on 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, the Thessalonian correspondence and the Pastorals, Fee systematizes some elements of Pauline Christology only after inductive study of the biblical text. Granted, he displays unabashed theological commitments, but they are commitments ably articulated and defended, reflecting carefully considered convictions. For example, although he sees Jesus as divine, he rejects application of the title “God” to Jesus in Rom 9:5 (124n1).

Some of the convictions that he articulates are less widely shared than others. As defended in his Pastorals commentary, Fee accepts a thirteen-letter Pauline canon (albeit with a different amanuensis and thus different vocabulary in the Pastorals; cf. Jesus the Lord, 125n1). Nevertheless, Fee establishes his central case for divine Christology more than adequately from the undisputed letters. (Given their distinctive content, the Pastorals do not figure as heavily in this work as do the earlier letters in any case.) For those of us who do accept the more disputed letters as Pauline at any level, however, Fee’s treatment of ideas there, alongside those in the undisputed epistles, may prove very enlightening for interpretation.

Although a more popular work includes much less documentation than the academic work on which it is based, it can sometimes also provide a more mature synthesis of the issues, highlighting the issues that further reflection deems most central. In Jesus the Lord, Fee develops the central elements of his case clearly.