March, 2009

Biblical Truth / Charismatic Issues — No Comments
17
Mar 09

God Spoke To Me…

Those four words cause me to cringe whenever I hear them — and I hear them often. Think for a moment about what those words are really saying. They say that God said to me what I’m about to say to you, and as such, they carry the same weight as the words He spoke in Scripture. But wait, it’s not the same these people contend. However, it is the same. When God speaks, He speaks — and it is authoritative and final. That is ultimately the problem with “God spoke to me.”

I admit that in ignorance, I have used those words before, and I am ashamed to have taken the name of my All-Sovereign God in vain. God does speak to me — everyday in fact, through His written and canonized word. No worries if it is maybe the pizza, rain outside or my own flesh marring the message, for it is already written and ready for me to read.

John Piper wrote on this issue:

It is a great wonder that God still speaks today through the Bible with greater force and greater glory and greater assurance and greater sweetness and greater hope and greater guidance and greater transforming power and greater Christ-exalting truth than can be heard through any voice in any human soul on the planet from outside the Bible.

The great need of our time is for people to experience the living reality of God by hearing his word personally and transformingly in Scripture. Something is incredibly wrong when the words we hear outside Scripture are more powerful and more affecting to us than the inspired word of God. Let us cry with the psalmist, “Incline my heart to your word” (Psalm 119:36). “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). Grant that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know our hope and our inheritance and the love of Christ that passes knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:18; 3:19).

I only wish I could get this message across to my brethren who sincerely believe that God is still “speaking” to them. He has already said everything He needs to say to us. To assume anything more is needed or given is bordering on unorthodoxy.

Charismatic Issues — No Comments
16
Mar 09

Todd Bentley Back in Business

Being out of the limelight for the better part of a year was enough for Revivalist Todd Bentley of the Lakeland Outpouring. Now, freshly divorced and remarried to his adulterous partner, Bentley has settled down in my stomping grounds of South Carolina, in a little town called Fort Mill. Here is an excerpt:

Todd Bentley was used to spark the Lakeland Outpouring, which raised the faith level of much of the body of Christ. Testimonies of healings and miracles from it are now virtually all over the world. When Todd’s marriage failed, he abruptly stopped all ministry and virtually disappeared for almost nine months. In the meantime, his divorce was finalized and he has recently remarried.

Todd has taken full responsibility for the failure of his marriage. He and Jessa also admit that their relationship was premature and should not have happened the way it did. Both are adamant that it was not the cause for the failure of his first marriage, nor did they begin their relationship until Todd was convinced that his marriage was over. They have both expressed that it was wrong and premature. They do not want to try and cover this up even though they know many will never accept them for it. Even so, they are married now and are resolved to make the most of their marriage, their lives, and to continue to serve the Lord in the best way that they can.

He has entered a “restoration and healing process” under Rick Joyner, Jack Deere and Bill Johnson. Joyner’s Morningstar Ministries is based out of Fort Mill (at the old Jim Bakker/PTL/Heritage, USA headquarters) and is one of the dominant leaders in the “prophectic” movement or whatever they are calling it now.

Of course, at the end of the announcement is a plea for donations to help rebuild Fresh Fire USA (Bentley’s previous ministry organization).

Make checks out to Fresh Fire USA, or if you would like to donate by credit card to help in rebuilding Fresh Fire USA, call 1-800-542-0278, and tell the operator that you want to make a donation to Fresh Fire USA.

Wow. I guess it will never change. Read the full statement here.

Biblical Truth / Charismatic Issues — No Comments
16
Mar 09

Dialogue Between A Cessationist and A Continuationist

This is the first in a series of posts based on many email messages between my Pastor (a cessationist) and myself (a continuationist) concerning spiritual gifts, the historic context of their place in the NT and their place in a 21st century church.

I have reduced the content of the emails to just the questions and answers we posed each other. Comments in Blue are his original questions to me. Comments in black are my responses. Comments in Red are his follow up questions.

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Do you believe the Holy Spirit still imparts the gift of healings through individuals to this day and it was not just a 1st century gift confirming the gospel message prior to canonization?

– To answer this question honestly and accurately, it would be necessary to know what the 1st century gift of healing looked like and how it operated. The Apostles were agents of instantaneous and verifiable healings. If that is what the NT gift of healing looked like and what Paul is talking about in 1 Cor. 12, then it would seem that it is no longer in operation. However, I do not necessarily believe that the purpose of the healing gift was confirmation of the gospel until the completion of the canon. It falls within the list that Paul cites as for the service and edification of the body of Christ. As the body of Christ is still in existence, then it stands to reason that these gifts, including healings, would continue to serve the body (the Church is arguably in greater need of the legitimate operation of the gifts of the Spirit now than when it was young).

Later in 1st Cor. 12 and in Eph. 4, one of the spiritual gifts listed was apostleship, which was for the benefit of the church, yet you don’t believe that gift continues do you?

There are two ways to interpret this verse: 1) it is only referring to the first Apostles (with a capital A) and is no longer a ministry function today; 2) it is referring to the first Apostles and in a broader perspective, the apostles or “commissioned ones” that would come later and throughout church history. My best understanding of the term in this sense is that “apostles” today most closely fits with missionaries or those who make great sacrifice to start new works. The word apostolos cannot really be made to fit only the first Apostles — at least not in my best understanding of the word.

Either way, there are no modern-day Apostles with the same apostolic authority that the original ones had. The Apostles had access to special revelation/inspiration that was unique for the purpose God was using them — to write His message to us. We do not have that today — whether or not some could technically be called “apostles” in the broad sense of the term.

Even so, in the Ephesians passage, if apostleship in the broad sense of the term has ceased, when did we attain the unity of the faith, knowledge of the Son of God, etc. that this passage indicates these gifts serve to assist? This sounds terribly familiar to Paul’s language of “when that which is perfect/complete has come…” in 1 Corinthians 13. Again, if one sees the “perfect” and “unity of the faith” as the completed canon, then all of these would have ceased early on — including prophets, pastors-teachers and so on, but I do not understand the “perfect” and “unity of the faith” as the completed canon, so I can allow for all of these gifts to continue.

Again, for the sake of clarity, there are no modern-day Apostles with apostolic authority, but as I stated earlier, the use of apostolos can easily apply to missionaries and the such.

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Charismatic Issues / Commentary — No Comments
9
Mar 09

Concerning Spiritual Gifts, Part 2.

Continuing his exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 this Sunday, our Pastor defined the first listing of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Saving healing, miracles and tongues for next week, he described the first gifts with logical and clear explanations. As someone who has studied the gifts of the Holy Spirit for years, he offered even some clarity and insight for me.

Spending a great deal of time in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, I am fully acquainted with the gifts’ definitions/description from that perspective. It was refreshing to hear the gifts explained from a non-Pentecostal view. In reality, there should be no Pentecostal or non-Pentecostal view as we strive to just get what the Bible says about these gifts — no more, no less. The goal is to understand the gifts from the Biblical viewpoint, not one colored by this perspective or that.

It is a difficult terrain to navigate and it can be done, but we still see through a glass darkly.

Charismatic Issues / Commentary — No Comments
3
Mar 09

Concerning Spiritual Gifts…

So our Pastor started the long arduous process of expositing 1 Corinthians 12-14 this Sunday. I do not envy him. Though I’m pretty sure he is a cessationist, he started the series well. Spiritual gifts is a subject that can cause all kinds of confusion and controversy.

My main concern throughout this process is that he maintain a balanced presentation — allowing for the introduction of views different than his own. This is hard to do. It is also extremely important to maintain that there is a difference between a continuationist and a word-faith charismatic. I am anxious to see if he can do this.