Wanting What the Lord Wants, an Interview with Paul King
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!)
I got connected with a charismatic Christian and Missionary Alliance Church north of Pittsburgh (rare in those days, not as rare today) and became Associate/Youth Pastor and worship leader. The pastor was involved with the New Wine ministries (which later became known as the discipleship/shepherding movement). Frederick Price came to our church, when he was speaking at the 1972 Pittsburgh Charismatic Conference at Duquesne University, home of the Catholic Charismatic movement. At the time, he was a C&MA pastor, and eventually became the first and leading African-American Word of Faith preacher. I had the opportunity to sit under many early charismatic leaders at that conference and other events—Bob Mumford (one of my favorites), Derek Prince, Don Basham, Corrie Ten Boom, Larry Christiansen (Lutheran), Jamie Buckingham (who founded Charisma Magazine), Mel Tari (from the Indonesian revival), and many more.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to be involved with many charismatic and Pentecostal churches and movements and conferences around the country. I transferred to Oral Roberts University in 1973. I had already known of Kathryn Kuhlman in high school with her meetings at First Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh and the church she pastored in Youngstown, Ohio. I was trained under her as an usher in her ORU crusade to watch for healings taking place. Oral Roberts trained us students in what today is known as soaking prayer. At his healing conferences, Oral would line us up on either side of the line of people waiting to be prayed for by him. Some people were healed before they ever reached Oral.
I was in meetings with Tommy Tyson and Francis McNutt, with John Wimber and James Robison. Once I sat on the platform in Kansas City next to Derek Prince. I knew Mike Bickle in St. Louis in 1980 and Kansas City in the mid-80’s, before the Kansas City Prophets movement and founding of the International House of Prayer (IHOP). Jim Goll prophesied over me in the mid-80’s, before he became known for his prophetic giftings. I served on the faculty of Oral Roberts University for 16 years as Director of their Bible Institute training program and professor. Mrs. Yonggi Cho was one of my students in the ORU doctoral program, as was Dennis Lindsey, President of Christ for the Nations Institute.
Through the years, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly—I’ve done the good, the bad, and the ugly too. I was involved in the shepherding movement for a few years and saw the good and the bad, not so much of the ugly that some have talked of. I had a negative view of the Toronto blessing movement, but knew some people whose lives had genuinely been touched. I had opportunity once to talk with Rodney Howard-Browne for 20 minutes. In more recent years I have been involved with Randy Clark’s ministry, serving as a professor in his schools.
PneumaReview.com: Your new book, Is It Of God? is about spiritual discernment. What are some of the criteria that Christians should use to discern if a teaching, practice, or manifestation is from God?
Read John Lathrop’s review.
Paul King: I provide 8 principles in the book using the acronym DISCERNS
- Discover Biblical Precedent.
- Investigate for Scriptural Harmony (if not clearly found in Scripture)
- Scrutinize for Sound Doctrine.
- Confirm with Experience.
- Examine the Fruit.
- Receive Supernatural Discernment.
- Note Examples and Lessons from the Past (throughout church history)
- Sift and Weigh for Divine Equilibrium. (Balance and purity)
PneumaReview.com: There are Christians who think that if something is mentioned in the Bible, and they observe the same thing taking place today, then it is obviously from God. They also say that if they observe something happening that they cannot find in the Bible, then it is clearly not from God. How would you respond to a person who holds this viewpoint?
Paul King: Some things in Scripture are rare and either not repeatable or seldom repeated. We cannot build a doctrine or practice on a single Scripture or event, like Mormons do with baptizing the dead. Scripture itself says we need further confirmation. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (2 Cor 13:1).
PneumaReview.com: You have a chapter in your book called “If God Is Not the Author of Confusion, Why is Revival So Messy?” Why is revival so messy?
Paul King: First, the Holy Spirit is like wind. Wind messes up my hair, my clothes, scatters my papers. The Holy Spirit is an agent of change messing up the status quo, the usual, our ways of thinking and doing.
Secondly, what the Holy Spirit does looks weird to outsiders. If someone is shouting while jumping up and down, but you do not see they are watching a football game, you might think they are a lunatic. To the outsiders at Pentecost, the people looked drunk.
Third, the flesh enters in revival and makes a mess.
Fourth, the devil tries to muck everything up and discredit revival with excess and counterfeits.
I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in revivals through the years. I believe in and encourage the real, and caution about excess and error. We can quench the Spirit through fear and doubt on one hand, and by allowing too much excess and flesh on the other hand.
PneumaReview.com: When it comes to spiritual discernment, manifestations such as shaking and falling under the power are probably the most difficult to determine the source. Why is that?
Paul King: As with all gifts and manifestations of the Spirit, such manifestations can genuinely be of God, but they can also be of emotion and the flesh, and some are demonic. Paul also says some things can start in the Spirit and end up in the flesh (Gal. 3:1-5). I have seen all of these through the years. And they have been present in all of these forms in most revivals through the centuries. Jonathan Edwards gave wise discerning counsel in saying that such manifestations are neither proof in themselves that something is of God or is not of God. The long-term fruit is key.
PneumaReview.com: How can believers grow in spiritual discernment?
PneumaReview.com: Is It Of God? is labeled as Volume 1. When is Volume 2 coming out, and what are some of the topics that you will cover in that volume?
Paul King: Volume 2 will come out after I finish writing it. The publishers say no later than by September of next year [2020], hopefully sooner.
Volume 2 will also address discernment of such phenomena and practices as gemstones and gold dust, gold fillings and feathers, soaking up grave anointings; various issues in spiritual warfare; and more! Enough for everyone to find something to disagree with me on!
PneumaReview.com: Please tell our readers where they can purchase your book.
Paul King: At my website www.paulkingministries.com. In September after the official release date, it will be available on Amazon and in e-book format.
PR
Further Reading:
Read John Lathrop’s review of Paul L. King, Is It Of God? A Biblical Guidebook For Spiritual Discernment, Volume 1 (Newberry, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2019).
More from Paul King.
