http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635201558,00.html

Those attending the centennial celebration, including a who’s who of Pentecostal preachers, hope to address those concerns and plan their ministry for the next 100 years.

This would be a good time to pray about this event. But it doesn’t give the date when it it happening.

{pr} And you

I hope they have the secret of longevity.

Just had a quick read of the article. It is quite divisively written and it seems to imply Seymour’s theology was ‘salvation by tounges’ when from what I understand he faithfully preached the gospel of Jesus Christ: salvation by faith in Christ alone.

Seymour did believe though in a ‘second blessing’ evidenced by speaking in tongues which isn’t in agreement with evangelical thinking on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but is this a serious enough disagreement for us to forfeit our unity as Christians over? Maybe refer to another post :-)

I believe we should be very careful about weighing up media, because the devil can divide us through it.

Richard,

Whilst I share your sentiments about being discerning when it comes to what the media says about Christians.

Respectfull, I think that Charismatic theology is divisive. It is so because of the very characteristics and doctrines that distinguishes its position from Evangelical Christianity.

Its’ two-tiered appoach to Christians places a unhelpful dichotomy between Christians, where Biblically none exists.

Charismatic theology says that there are 3 types of people
1. Spirit- Filled Christian (Christians who been baptised by the HS with evidence of the gift of languages)

2. Non-Spirit Filled Christians (Christians who have not been baptised by the HS and subsequently do not speak in languages)

3. Non- Christians.

It therefore says that Christians are dividing into the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. This is not consistent with the NT. There are two types of people:
1. Spirit-filled Christians
2. Non Christians

The righteous/the wicked
The Sheep/The goats

All Christians are Baptised with the Holy Spirit and this happens at the moment that they believe. Charismatics disagree and with dodgy hermeneutics torture the books of Acts to justify their position.

This is why in ministry I do not do joint things with Charismatics. This issue becomes problematic in that they will see me as being part of their mission field. And I also think that unwittingly they are nullifying the gospel by saying that there is ‘something more’.

I have encountered many Charismatics who have said to me:

Oh yes Joshua. It is great that you are a Christian, but...you need to get baptised with the Holy Spirit.

When my wife and I were first married, our next door neighbours (who were Charismatics) invited us to a Bible Study. It was not very good. When we expressed our objection to the tongue speaking (there was no intpretation) and to the teaching that we were not Spirit-filled. We were told that unless we did not stop expressing our concerns we ‘could no longer have fellowship with them”. That was very hard to take.

Charismatic theology is devisive by definition.

Josh