Theological Development

1
Theological Development

• In the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements

2
Theological Sources

• Arminian, Wesleyan, Holiness theology, leading to
  a desire for an experiential religion.
• Proto-Fundamentalist thought on healing (e.g., A.
  J. Gordon, A. B. Simpson Fourfold Gospel).
• Reaction against liberalism, primarily at the
  level of culture and passion.
• Edward Irvings Catholic Apostolic Church and
  John Dowies Christian CAC.

3
Early Pentecostal ThemesThree-Stage Soteriology

• Saved by grace.
• Emptied or sanctified (yieldedness).
• Filled with the Spirit (the initial sign is
  speaking in tongues).
• NB the second stage was rejected by finished
  work Pentecostalism in the A of G and the
  Foursquare churches.

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Early Pentecostal ThemesThe Foursquare Gospel

1. Jesus saves (John 316).
2. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (Acts 24).
3. Jesus heals bodily (James 515).
4. Jesus is coming again to receive those who are
   saved (1 Thessalonians 416-17).

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Example A of G on Spirit Baptism (part 1)

• All believers are entitled to and should ardently
  expect and earnestly seek the promise of the
  Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire,
  according to the command of our Lord Jesus
  Christ. This was the normal experience of all in
  the early Christian Church. With it comes the
  enduement of power for life and service, the
  bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the
  work of the ministry.

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Example A of G on Spirit Baptism (part 2)

• This experience is distinct from and subsequent
  to the experience of the new birth.
• With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such
  experiences as
• an overflowing fullness of the Spirit,
• a deepened reverence for God,
• an intensified consecration to God and dedication
  to His work,
• and a more active love for Christ, for His Word
  and for the lost,

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Example A of G on Tongues

• The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is
  witnessed by the initial physical sign of
  speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God
  gives them utterance.
• The speaking in tongues in this instance is the
  same in essence as the gift of tongues, but is
  different in purpose and use.

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Example A of G on Healing

• Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel.
  Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the
  atonement, and is the privilege of all believers.

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Other Pentecostal Practices

• Prophecy (pronouncement of a message from God).
• Words of Wisdom (supernatural guidance for
  decisions).
• Words of Knowledge (reception of factual
  information from the Spirit).
• Interpretation of Tongues.
• Jericho March (congregational prayer walk).

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Peculiarities of Old Pentecostalism

• Cultural and denominational withdrawal.
• Doctrinal imprecision. Much of the Pentecostal
  movement is anti-Trinitarian.
• Emphasis upon emotion.
• Female leadership (Maria Woodworth-Etter, Aimee
  Semple McPherson).

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Differences in the Charismatic Movement (Second
Wave)

• Culturally and denominationally engaged.
• Tongues is not necessarily the invariable sign of
  Spirit baptism some rethinking of Spirit
  baptism.
• Stronger emphasis upon some practices, such as
  being slain in the Spirit and dancing in the
  Spirit.

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Similarities in the Charismatic Movement

• Female leadership (Kathryn Kuhlman).
• Emphasis upon emotion.
• Doctrinal imprecision (e.g., the Catholic
  charismatic movement).
• Most practices (less Jericho March)
• Healing in the atonement (usually).

13
Prosperity (Health and Wealth) Theology

• Broader than the Charismatic movement (i.e., Rev.
  Ike).
• Gods will is to bless His people and He has made
  provision to do so.
• Positive confession the believer can name it
  and claim it. Believers can speak wealth into
  existence.
• Often, some token of initial faith (i.e., a
  donation) is encouraged or required.

14
Word of Faith Movement

• Includes a form of prosperity theology.
• Comes from the teachings of E. W. Kenyon.
• Early promoter was Kenneth Hagin, Sr.
• Resulted in a shift away from healing
  evangelists as leaders of the Charismatic
  movement.
• Experienced explosive growth during 1980s.
• Powerful influence worldwide.

15
Word of Faith Theology

• Healing is included in Christs atonement.
• The Blood covenant makes us Gods family and
  guarantees protection from violence, sickness,
  and poverty. Positive confession.
• Believers become little gods because they are
  born of God.
• Jesus died spiritually for sins in hell, then was
  born again.

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Prosperity and Word of Faith Preachers

• Kenneth Hagin, Sr.
• Hobart Freeman
• Jim Bakker (early)
• Robert Tilton
• Kenneth Copeland
• Benny Hinn
• Creflo Dollar

• I. V. Hilliard
• Frederick K. C. Price
• Keith Butler
• Clinton Utterbach
• Bill Winston
• T. D. Jakes
• Joel Osteen

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The Third Wave

• C. Peter Wagner, Fuller Seminary prof.
• John Wimber, founder of Vineyard Fellowship.
• Gordon Fee, retired NT prof.
• Jack Deere, former Dallas Seminary prof.
• Charles Kraft, Fuller Seminary prof.
• Wayne Grudem, Phoenix Seminary prof.
• John Piper, former Minneapolis pastor.

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Theological CruxInaugurated Eschatology

• The Kingdom has been inaugurated and Christians
  have access to Kingdom authority.
• Kingdom authority is manifested through power
  encounters in which the Kingdom of God confronts
  the kingdom of this world.
• Physical healing and exorcism are direct
  manifestations of Kingdom authority.

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Other Features, Variously Held

• Ongoing prophetic revelation. There is
  controversy over what this means and how
  authoritative it is.
• The Fivefold Ministry, including apostles. This,
  too, engenders controversy.
• Resurrections as power encounters (applications
  of Kingdom authority). This is the most
  controversial.

20
Spiritual Warfare (Wagner)

• Ground-level spiritual warfare exorcisms and
  deliverances.
• Occult-level spiritual warfare opposition to
  Satanism, Freemasonry, witchcraft.
• Strategic-level spiritual warfare confrontation
  and removal of territorial spirits.

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Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare

• Territorial spirits rule cities, nations,
  cultures, and generations (Dan. 1013)
• Satanic forces can be disarmed, and the Christian
  is in the offensive position (Eph. 612).
• Satan is a strong man, but the Church is the
  stronger man, and it has authority to bind Satan
  and render him powerless (L. 1121-22).

22
SLSW Methodology

• Experimentation is necessary. Interviewing
  demons is useful.
• Spiritual mapping research territory to discover
  the inroads of Satan.
• Warfare prayer is communication with the
  commander involves confession of structural
  evils.
• Souls will be won and society will improve.

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What Is the Appeal?

• The attraction of the hidden, paranormal, or
  paranormal.
• The desire for status, both within the movement
  and by doing the remarkable.
• The yearning for experiential religion.
• Many are from formal but dead churches.
• Many are from doctrinaire Fundamentalist
  environments.

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What Is the Solution?

• Theological opposition, to be sure.
• Careful cultivation of the affections, a matter
  that is almost entirely overlooked in
  Fundamentalism today.
• Cultural awareness some understanding of how
  cultures and their expressions communicate truth
  and falsehood.
• Willingness to subordinate political agendas to
  spiritual wellbeing.

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The Solution, Part Deux

• Commitment by pastors and other Christian leaders
  themselves to spiritual discipline and the
  modeling of an ordered devotional life before
  Gods people.
• A shift in the focus of Christian leadership from
  institutions in which the daily lives of the
  leaders are not open and obvious to Gods people,
  toward pastors whose lives are open to
  examination.