Church characteristics

Holiness,

At Bible College this year we actually had a look at the "Holiness Movement" within churches over history.

The Salvation Army, Christian Missionary Alliance and Methodist movements were all known as Holiness Churches.

I think that we could do with a few more sermons on Holiness in the church today, maybe we need another "Holiness Movement"!

 

Personally think that it is quite difficult to use the term, or the concept of “Charismatic" to attempt to describe what is put forth as “historic Christianity”. To suggest that this is a foundational element to “well rounded spirituality” makes the prima facie assertion that such has been a consistent part of “historic Christianity”. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. While there have been fringe groups at various points in church history that have held to a “non-cessationist” view, this view has by no means been accepted as foundational to “well rounded spirituality.”

The Charismatic “revival” of the early 20th century and the more recent “third wave” reintroduce elements that have been absent from church history, by and large, for over 1900 years! IMHO it is impossible to maintain that such elements can in any way be an essential element of “well rounded” faith. Other basis elements to our faith may have been much less prevalent during the “dark ages” or RCC domination, but can clearly be traced as foundational in many groups. Don’t worry, I am not going “landmark” with this.

That being said, let me focus on the specific wording of the “Charismatic” statement in OP.

“non-cessationist, believing and exercising as the Spirit directs the various spiritual gifts contained within the Pauline corpus of the NT and elsewhere in Scripture; exuberance in worship; enjoying God presence in your life; NOT adding to the revelation/ canon of Scripture; NOT Word of Faith.”

Generally, IMHO, the cessationist position does not reject the belief or exercise of most of the various spiritual gifts contained within the Pauline corpus of the NT or elsewhere in Scripture. The cessationist position does indeed deny that ALL of the spiritual gifts are active today.

Specifically, the revelatory sign gifts of “prophecy” (giving new extra-Biblical truth by direct revelation from God), “tongues”, and “knowledge” (parallel to Word of Faith) CEASED with the completion (not collection) of the NT Canon. Biblically and historically, this was what happened.

Specifically the term “cessationist”, as I understand it, also denies the continuance of the demonstrative sign gifts intended to validate and authenticate the revelation that was being given by the Lord Jesus and His apostles. The “powers, signs, and wonders” (dunamis, semeion, tera) likewise ceased with the completion of the NT Canon, or perhaps earlier (2Cor 12:7-10; 1Tim 5:23; 2Tim 4:20; Philp 2:25-27).

It has been the consistent position and practice for 1900 years of historic faith that both the revelatory and demonstrative sign gifts did indeed cease. One hundred years of “modern charismatic experience” is by no means sufficient to reintroduce these elements as suddenly once again foundational to “well rounded Christianity”!

Neither is the slightly longer history or CMA, Methodist, or other so-called “holiness” movements to be understood as supportive of what happened at Azuza (sp?) street or in the more recent third wave. To the best of my knowledge and recollection, none of these movements held to any kind of a consistent position that the revelatory and demonstrative sign gifts were once again in full operation for the church. Their “holiness” movement is not equal to, nor is the modern “holiness” movement a direct outgrowth of CMA, Methodism, etc. To use these as an attempt to loan validity to what has happened and is happening in the last 100 years is historic wishful thinking. But, on the other hand, secular humanists are historical revisionists when it fits their agenda, why shouldn’t Christians do their own rewriting?

Many if not all, cessationists would fully agree with the full exercise of the non-revelatory and non-demonstrative gifts of the Spirit. Many would have no problem with “exuberance in worship” and “enjoying God’s presence in your life” so long as it did not become experience driven or dominated and so long as it did not promote confusion in the assembly (1Cor 14:33).

The BIGGEST PROBLEM that I have with “non-cessationists”, meaning second or third wave charismatics, is that they IGNORE the clear prohibitions Paul gives regarding the exercise of tongues in the assembly.

1Cor 14:
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak;
(To list the ones that are pretty clear and not as open to dispute)

I do not know much about the “Renovare” movement. But I STRONGLY dispute the validity of the charismatic influence in today’s church. Their position on this one issue based on the use of the words “charismatic” and “non-cessationist”, as presented in the OP, would be sufficient for me to issue a strong warning against participation in or support of these conferences.

 

Get out the Anglican Prayer Book and you will find a number of prayers for healing!