Transcript Perspectives of Pentecostalism

Upper Room
Experience
Metro Tabernacle
Presenter: Yee Tham Wan
6th July, 2008
PENTECOSTALISM TODAY



Years ago: “the last vomit of Satan”
Recently: “3rd Force of Christianity”
NOW:
• Our experience at the Azusa Street
Centenary
• Est. 600 million PentecostalCharismatics; 1 in every 10 persons on
earth today!!

But, who are the Pentecostals??
Diversity in Modern
“Pentecostalism”

Historical Diversity
• Classical Pentecostals (North American)
• Charismatics & “Renewal” Movements
• Post-denominational (“Apostolic) Groups

Theological Diversity
• Subsequence/Actualization Theologies
• “Four-fold”/”Five-fold”
• Keswickian & Baptistic / Wesleyan & Holiness

Geographical/Cultural Diversity
•
•
•
•
•
Latino Pentecostals
African Indigenous Churches
Chinese House Churches
Other Indigenous Movements
Korean Pentecostals
Defining Pentecostalism









Historically Defined: as a historical
movement
Theologically Defined: as a belief structure
Hermeneutically Defined: as a Biblical norm
Eccelesiastically Defined: as a Christian
Church/Sect/Denomination
Culturally Defined: as a worldview
Liturgically Defined: as a worship form
Vocationally Defined: as a prophetic voice
GLOSSOLALIA: the distinctive issue
An Integrative Approach: “world view” &
“spirituality
Elements of History



IDEAS
INDIVIDUALS
INSTITUTIONS
Philosophies of Church History:
Suggestions from Bill Menzies:
4 ways to relate present church with the apostolic church




Roman Catholic View
Reformed View
Restorationist View
Pentecostal View
Roman Catholic View

Continuity and Development
TODAY’S
CHURCH
APOSTOLIC
CHURCH
Church Age is the Millenium
Reformed View

Discontinuity and Degeneration
APOSTOLIC
CHURCH
TODAY’S
CHURCH
Partial Recovery (16th C Reformation)
Restorationist View

E.g. Churches of Christ & Mormons
APOSTOLIC
CHURCH
TODAY’S
CHURCH
Apostasy
Restoration
Pentecostal View

Continuity despite Degeneration
APOSTOLIC
CHURCH
Continuity
TODAY’S
CHURCH
Revivals
Full
Recovery
Degeneration
Overview of Church History







30-95 Apostolic Age
95-590 Ancient Church (The Fathers)
590-1500 Medieval Age
1500-1650 Reformation Era
1650-1800 Enlightenment
1800-1990 Modern Church
1990- “Post-Modern” Period
Some Pentecostal Antecedents







Montanism – 2nd C
Albigensians (Southern France)
Waldensians (Northern Italy)
English Quakers
Irvingites (Catholic Apostolic Church)
Fundamentalism
Holiness & “Higher Life” Movements
There were at least 20 “Pentecostal-type” revivals between the
periods of the NT church and the modern church. But, all of
them died down after a while . . .
How/Why Revivals Die Out





Natural Cycle (Institutionalisation)
Heresy & Fanaticism (Humanisation)
Put out by Establishment
Self-fulfilling prophecies through
isolation
???? Why has the Modern
Pentecostal-Charismatic
Movement lasted so long ???
Recent Antecedents to the Modern
Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement







(Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy)
Welsh Revival
Korean (Pyongyang) Revival
Indian (Panditha Ramabai) Revival
Methodism and Holiness Movement
Keswick Convention and “Higher Life”
Movement
Irvingites (1830)
The Modern Pentecostal Movement






The Topeka, Kansas Revival – The Foundation
for Modern Pentecostal Awareness (1901)
The Azusa Street, L.A. Revival – The Spread of
Pentecostalism (1906)
Charismatic Renewal Movement (1960)
Catholic Charismatic Movement (1967)
Recent Pockets of Pentecostal/Charismatic
Revivals; e.g. Toronto, Pensacola, etc.
Globalization of the Modern
Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement
Pre-Pentecostals
Panditha Ramabai of
India. A Pentecostal
outpouring took
place in the girls’
home she led.
Evan Roberts,
leader of the
Welsh Revival
Edward Irving, founder
of the “Irvingites”
Contemporary scholars are now
more inclined to see the possibility of
a global Pentecostalism.
Topeka Picture Gallery
Charles Fox Parham gave
doctrinal foundation for
Pentecostalism
Alexander Dowie,
founder of Zion
Healing City, had
been one of those
who influenced
Charles Parham.
Agnes Ozman is
remembered as the
first person in
modern recorded
history to speak in
tongues.
Azusa Picture Gallery
William Seymour,
leader of the Azusa
Revival
Azusa was a revival that
crossed the “color line.”
Terminology









Orthodox (Eastern Church)
Catholic (Western Church)
Protestants
Fundamentals
Modernists/Liberals
Evangelicals
Pentecostals
Charismatics
Pentecostal-Charismatic Movement
Figures of Speech to Describe
Pentecostal History

“Roots” (e.g. Hollenweger, Synan)
• Wesleyan/Holiness & Keswickian/Baptistic
• Roman Catholic
• Black African

“Waves” (e.g. Wagner, Barrat, Pawson)
•
•
•
•

1st wave: Classical Pentecostals (1900)
2nd wave: Charismatic Renewal (1960)
3rd wave: Evangelicals (1980)
4th wave: Independent mega-churches??
“Streams” (e.g. Hocken)
• To culminate with entry of Messianic
Christianity
Hollenweger’s Roots
Early AG History





1914-1927 Formative Stage
1927-1941 Simplistic Growth
1941-1953 Analytical Development
1953-1970’s Established Mainstream
1970’s-present . . .
DISTINCTIVES OF
PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGY

“Cardinal” Doctrines
• Four-fold
• Five-fold

Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
• Separability
• Subsequence
• Evidential Tongues
Azusa Street: “Five-Fold”
First Work – Justification is that act of God’s free
grace by which we receive remission of sins . . .
Second Work – Sanctification is the second work of
grace and the last work (emphasis mine) of grace.
Sanctification is that act of God’s free grace by
which He makes us holy . . . Too many have
confused the grace of Sanctification with the
enduement of Power, or the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost; . . . The Holy Spirit Baptism is a gift of
power upon the sanctified life . . . Healing – We
must believe that God is able to heal.
MEDIATING
“Normal”
“Possible”
“Impossible”
e.g. C&MA
“Seek not,
forbid not”
Most evangelicals
e.g. Billy Graham
NEGATIVE
Reformed
Augustine
Calvin
B. B. Warfield
Lutheran
Stolee (still remembers the
extremes of left wing of
Reformation e.g. Munster)
Dispensationalists
Logical conclusion
“Normative”
POSITIVE
Actualization:
1. Sacramental(RCC)
2. Evangelicals (accommodate conversioninitiation)
e.g. Arnold Bittlinger (RCC) and Michael
Harper (Anglican)
Classical Pentecostals &
Charismatics
Episcopalian – Dennis Bennet
Presbyterian – Rodman
Williams
Baptist – Howard Ervin
PENTECOSTAL/CHARISMATIC POSITIONS
TRADITIONAL “BIBLICAL” EXPLANATION FOR
THE PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE


Need to demonstrate three things:
subsequence, separability and evidential
tongues
Based on the 5 recorded Pentecostal
outpourings in Acts:
•
•
•
•
•
Acts
Acts
Acts
Acts
Acts
2 – Day of Pentecost
8 – Samaritan Revival
9 – Paul’s Baptism
10 – Cornelius’ Household
19 – Ephesian Elders
Pertinent Questions to ask






What happened?
When and where did it happen?
Who were those involved?
How did it happen?
Why did it happen?
SO WHAT??
Some Notable Features

Holy Spirit
• Mentioned in all episodes

Received by believers/disciples
• From all representative groups



Impressive physical evidence
Prayer and Laying on of hands
Welcomed by the Apostles
• No mention of any opposition to the
practice/experience
Example of a Classical Pentecostal
Doctrinal Statement

This "Statement of Fundamental Truths" contains
the 16 doctrines of the Assemblies of God. These
are non-negotiable tenets of faith that all
Assemblies of God churches adhere to. Four of
these, Salvation, the Baptism in the Holy
Spirit, Divine Healing, and the Second
Coming of Christ are considered Cardinal
Doctrines which are essential to the church's
core mission of reaching the world for Christ.
Assemblies of God
Statement of Fundamental Truths
16 Fundamental Truths
1. The Scriptures Inspired
2. The One True God
3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Fall of Man
5. The Salvation of Man
6. The Ordinances of the Church
7. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy
Ghost – Speaking in tongues
9. Sanctification
10.The Church and Its Mission
11.The Ministry
12.Divine Healing
13.The Blessed Hope
14.The Millennial Reign of Christ
15.The Final Judgment
16.The New Heavens and the New Earth
Pentecostal “Distinctive”
Word and Witness listed in the August 1912 issue eight benefits
of tongues, indicating the high premium early Pentecostals place
on the instrumentality of tongues in their spirituality:








Tongues are a sign of faith
Tongues are a sign “that the gift of the Holy Spirit has
been poured out upon the speaker”
Tongues “bears witness to Jesus that he is at the right
hand of God the Father.
Tongues “is a benefit to the believer in talking to God”
Tongues “is good . . . because the speaker ‘edifieth
himself’”
Tongues will edify the church if it is accompanied by
interpretation
Tongues help our spirit worship and pray to God
Tongues “are one of God’s signs whereby he miraculously
speaks to unbelievers.”
Same Word & Witness article . . .

“Yet, we never sought tongues nor
fought tongues, and never tell others
to seek tongues, as some falsely
claim we do. Seek Jesus Christ to
baptize you with the Spirit, and
the result will be that you will be
‘filled with the Holy Ghost and begin
to speak with tongues,’ for God is no
respecter of persons.’”
“Spirituality” vs. “Being Spiritual”


“Spirituality” is relatively a new term to
many Pentecostal believers who have all
the while been more preoccupied with the
whole concept of “being spiritual.”
“Being spiritual” involves actions like
fasting, praying, speaking in tongues,
operating the gifts of the spirit, raising
hands while singing or praying and
emotional attitudes like joy, sorrow,
confidence, being comforted etc.
Definitions of Spirituality



Spittler: “a cluster of acts and sentiments that
are informed by the beliefs and values that
characterize a specific religious community.”
Albrecht: “the lived experience which actualizes a
fundamental dimension of the human being, the
spiritual dimension, that is the whole of one’s
spiritual or religious experience, one’s beliefs,
convictions, and patterns of thought, one’s
emotions and behavior in respect to what is
ultimate, or God.”
Robeck: “the giving of ourselves to God through
both our beliefs and emotional attitudes, which
ultimately influences our actions and values.”
WHY DO WE BEHAVE AS SUCH?





The utmost importance of individual
experience
The importance of the spoken (orality)
The high esteem placed on spontaneity
An other-worldly tendency in which the
eternal, the “up there” in heaven is more
real than the present
The authority of the Bible as the basis of
what we should experience.
Russell Spittler: “Spirituality, Pentecostal &
Charismatic”
Richard Foster’s
Celebration of Discipline
Three spiritual disciplines:
 1) the inward disciplines including
meditation, prayer, fasting and study (pp.
13-66);
 2) the outward disciplines including
simplicity, solitude, submission and service
(pp. 69-122); and
 3) the corporate disciplines include
confession, worship, guidance and
celebration (pp. 125-171)
“Crisis” & “Ascetic” Spirituality
“Pentecostal”
Crisis spirituality
 focus on crisis
experiences
Gal 3:2-3, 5
e.g. Revivals, Baptism in
the Holy Spirit
“Evangelical”
Ascetic spirituality
 focus on
regimented
disciplines
1Cor 9:24-27
e.g. Quiet Time, Fasting
We need to have both . . .