Last post was a brief look at the day-to-day life-size value of becoming familiar with the various theological controversies that have arisen throughout the church’s 2,000 year history. In looking into any given controversy, it’s valuable to see not just where the positions or arguments are now, but where they started.
Although the validity of the arguments used to defend or refute a position within a debate are obviously of greatest importance, learning the history of the origin of the debate can provide valuable insight as too which side should perhaps be lent a cautious measure of acceptance, and which side should be regarded with a certain level of skepticism. This certainly seems to be the case with the debate over the use, nature, and purpose of the New Testament “sign” gifts. As mentioned in the previous post, John MacArthur’s book Strange Fire opened my eyes to this fact. Near the beginning of the book, MacArthur documents the origins of the Pentecostal movement. It’s incredibly interesting reading, and considering how many millions of professing Christians are part of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement today, I think every Christian with the opportunity would be wise to take the time to educate themselves as to its beginnings. In passing some of that history along here, I’ll try to stick to what I believe are the most relevant pieces of information.
Some Wesleyan-background Bible school students (doesn’t take long for the red flags to start going up, does it?) had gathered for a prayer service on New Year’s Eve, 1900-1901. They had been studying the book of Acts and were hoping on this night to experience “Spirit baptism” and the supposedly coinciding “tongues”speaking. Although accounts apparently vary, it seems that after being prayed over by their teacher/minister, Charles Fox Parham, one young lady began speaking and writing what was believed to be the Chinese language.
I say “believed” because shortly thereafter her speaking and writing in Chinese was proven to be, um, not. Others soon claimed to also speak in assorted previously unlearned foreign languages, and not once were they proven to be legit. In reality they were found to be “speaking” in what was no known form of communication at all. This minor detail failed to deter Mr. Parham, who went on to announce that God was using him and his students to usher in a new Pentecost; he called it the “Apostolic Faith Movement.” He further confidently predicted that his students would from henceforth be able to travel to foreign lands and would have the “gift of tongues” supernaturally bestowed upon them when conversing with the locals, thus enabling them to take the gospel straight from his school to the mission field without all the hassle and lost time spent learning new languages. Off the zealous missionaries went; however, to their dismay, everywhere they went the natives failed to comprehend their message. It’s not that the native peoples rejected their preaching; it was that the natives couldn’t understand anything they were saying. Back they came, dejected and disillusioned. (If you’re wondering if I’m making this up, I’m flattered, but no. My imagination isn’t that good.) Following the failure of these embarrassing missionary experiments, Pentecostals were forced to rethink their take on this modern-day “gift of tongues.” Although it was now abundantly apparent that these “languages” were no known form of human communication, the majority of “tongues speakers” were not willing to let go of their claim that these experiences were divine in origin. It was then that they turned to the now widely accepted idea of “tongues” actually being “the tongues of angels” or “languages of heaven” rather than authentic foreign languages (or incoherent babbling, if I may contribute a suggestion).
The theological views of the Pentecostal Movement’s “founder” serve as more sizeable nails in this charismatic coffin. Parham held firmly to annihilationism (the belief that unsaved souls are at some point after death taken out of existence rather than sent to an eternal hell); strangely enough, he also believed (perhaps at a different point in his life?) that “the unsanctified and many heathens” would at some point receive “everlasting human life,” while in the same statement he acknowledged that Christian orthodoxy has always held that the same group will be cast into hell; and, as still goes hand in hand with standard charismatic teaching, he taught that true sanctification would equal physical health and subsequently that to seek medical attention for an illness was an act of faithlessness. The list of Parham’s unbiblical doctrines is longer than this, but I think we get the picture. In addition, it appears that Parham’s personal life became an ever-deepening cycle of failure (both moral and ministry-related) followed by cover-up until he eventually faded into relative obscurity (and for the sake of the Christian church, not a moment too soon). Lest you should think he was just a bad apple among the growing group of Pentecostal leaders, sorry to disappoint, but that doesn’t seem to be the case either. Parham himself disapproved of some of the excesses of similar charismatic “revivals” led by others that he came in contact with over the years. Considering his own penchant for making extravagant claims and attracting attention to himself (seeking donations to finance a trip to the Holy Land by claiming that he would locate both Noah’s ark and the ark of the covenant while there, for example), I think that says something!
Now, at the risk of being repetitive but in order to be clear, this is not to say that the circumstances surrounding the origin of a debate should be our primary grounds for determining which side is correct. A quick glance at history is all it takes to show that even people who hold to blatantly erroneous beliefs in some areas of doctrine can find themselves on the right side of a debate from time to time (on a related note, look into the stories behind some of our most popular and beloved hymns, I’m sorry to say–great songs were not necessarily written by godly authors). But can any orthodox believer honestly find it even conceivable that a new Spirit-infused era for the church would be ushered in under such circumstances, and by men who a) hold to gospel-changing heretical doctrines, and b) whose personal lives are marked by consistently ungodly conduct? I can’t see it, myself. Furthermore, it’s vitally important to note (as MacArthur does in his book) that the “original” Pentecostals were, based on their correct understanding of the history recorded for us in Acts, looking for the gift of authentic unlearned languages being supernaturally bestowed upon them; but that never happened. After they were forced to admit that they weren’t speaking real human languages, rather than reinterpreting their experiences based on the teaching of Scripture, they made the dangerous mistake of reinterpreting the Scriptures in light of their experiences.
Having glanced at the Charismatic Movement’s origins, if we turn our attention to the Movement today, what do we see? Has it changed for the better, leaving its cringe-inducing history behind? Sadly, for the most part, no. Although, to be fair, there are several well-respected, true-gospel preaching teachers who hold to the continuationist position (D.A. Carson, Wayne Grudem, and John Piper to name a few), they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. There are more “prosperity gospel” preaching, faith-healer Benny Hinn types within the Charismatic Movement today than you can shake a golden, diamond-studded stick at. However, judging a position by its most embarrassing adherents is a shady tactic, and I won’t resort to it here. Setting the extreme (I would say “ridiculous,” except there’s nothing amusing about blaspheming God Almighty) ranting-and-raving examples aside, it seems the spiritually poisonous practice of interpreting Scripture through the subjective lens of experience continues to carry the day, Movement-wide.
This is not to say Charismatics are consciously redefining Scripture to accommodate their beliefs, but it is happening nonetheless. We see it in the redefining of the gift of tongues to mean anything other than the God-given ability to speak in an unlearned, authentic human language (as recorded in the New Testament); the redefining of the gift of prophecy to mean anything other than a 100% reliable, accurately fulfilled, God-given revelation (which hasn’t occurred since the close of the biblical canon); or the redefining of the office of apostle to include anyone other than those who have personally seen and been commissioned by the resurrected Jesus Christ, and who have performed miraculous signs as proof of their divine appointment to that apostolic office (no qualified contestants for that one since the death of the apostle John in the first century).
The widespread effect of the movement, even among non-charismatic Christians, can be easily seen. When a believer claims anything to the effect of God revealing His will to them audibly, or through visions, dreams, or with any supernatural, extra-biblical revelation, it doesn’t generally even turn a head in the church today. Books such as Jesus Calling and Heaven is for Real would never have been accepted as anything other than spiritual cyanide in past centuries, but they’re “Christian” bestsellers today. As a church, we’ve lifted our experiences to being nearly, if not wholly, on par with biblical revelation, and we’ve lost a great deal of our ability to “test the spirits” as a result. We’ve thrown out Sola Scriptura, and we’re paying for it.
I wonder how many people who belong to the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement today are aware of the history of their branch of Christendom? Not enough, I’m sure. A comprehensive understanding of church history, including the origins of its various theological debates, often takes more time and study than we’re willing to give. Although I know I’m just beginning to get into church history in my own reading, I can already tell that it’s been worth it for me and my family; and I intend, if the Lord is willing, to only go deeper.
I sincerely hope Strange Fire is recognized as the classic treatise on the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement that it is. If you’re Pentecostal/Charismatic, you need to read it. If you’re like I was a few years ago and you don’t really know what to think about the “sign gifts” debate, you need to read it. If you want to honor the Lord in a church largely filled with confusion regarding the work of the Holy Spirit today, you really ought to read it. If you want to be encouraged by a pastor and teacher the Holy Spirit is using today to bring His church back to Sola Scriptura, I believe you’ll find that encouragement in Strange Fire.
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