DHK,
I woke up and read this at 2:30 A.M. I will go strait to the point in answer to your questions.
You said, 'Then perhaps others should take that suggestion as well. Do the walls of a church building give one licence to act as if they are "mad"?
1 Corinthians 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
And they do, don't they???'
Yes, this is what Paul was correcting in verse 23. Paul preferred to preach so the sinners would be converted to Christ 24-25.
The two churches that I attended did not do this as you claim. I am sure there are places where they do not follow Biblical teaching, as you say.
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You said, 'Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The Father's testimony of Christ was that He was well pleased.'
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You are saying this. 'The Charismatic's testimony is that they are well pleased in their ability to: speak in tongues, ability to roll down the aisles, to laugh with "holy laughter," their ability to heal all that come to them except those that don't have the faith, their ability to pick up snakes, their ability to bounce up and down, etc. etc. Their testimony is not in pleasing Christ, but rather being pleased in their experiences upon which they dwell.'
This is a lot of untruths just to try to discount the true people of God who have the 'gift of tongues' and note who were given it by the Holy Spirit, and not by some other spirit as you arrogantly and unjustly proclaim.
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You said, 'Perhaps, but where was all the "holy laughter" and speaking in tongues, etc., of those Charismatics standing around him?'
Try to think before you write. Jesus was at the very beginning of His ministry not at the conclusion of it. THINK! Was the Holy Spirit given to the apostles and seekers then? No. The disciples received the Spirit of God on the evening of His resurrection. The laity received the Spirit 50 days after Jesus ascended into Heaven. How would you have expected them to 'speak in tongues' before the advent of the ministry of the Holy Spirit? They had Jesus on earth and there was no need for tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Scholars think before they write!
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You said, ' . . . but where were the holy rollers? Why not any record of people rolling into the Jordan and speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, falling over backwards. In fact, why didn't Jesus or his disciples practice that? I guess they weren't spiritual enough were they??'
Especially you first phrase about 'holy rollers' is what Christians sometimes hear from unsaved people. Christians do not elevate and dramatize the error of other Christians. Women are sometimes characterized as 'drama queens;' I did not know there were those of the opposite gender who did the same thing.
We try to place the things of God in the best light, to the glory of God, and not dismantel the Kingdom of God by our careless montra. Again, you have been answered Biblically. The Spirit was not given unto 50 days after Jesus'ascension;Pentecost means 50th.
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You said, 'But why not? I thought you believed in the gifts of the Spirit. Didn't Jesus have any? What about his disciples? Or weren't they for that day and age? Maybe if they weren't for that day and age, they are not for this day and age either.'
Correct me if I am wrong. Did you one time tell us that you taught theology somewhere? You should have known these answers about four years after you were saved. Where have you been!
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You said, 'You mean God sovereignly gives the gifts of the Spirit, which he did. But why didn't he give the gifts of "laughing, and rolling down the aisles into the Jordan, and being slain in the spirit, etc. Why don't we find the apostles practicing these so-called gifts?'
Put this in your spiritual notebook or permanently in your mind. The Spirit was outpoured on the Day of Pentecost. When? After Jesus was on His throne in Heaven after His ascension.
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You said, 'These are not hate words. These are serious things for you to consider. Consider why they are not mentioned in the Bible? Why they are not practiced in the Bible, Why they are, in fact, anti-Biblical? Perhaps they are initiated by another spirit, and not the Holy Spirit. Consider the source.'
I never heard one Christian 'laugh in the Spirit' as you allege. This is slander of Christians--toward all of us. Did not King David dance before the Lord? Would you have tried to make him sit quietly in the pew holding down his joy in the Lord? I have seen Christians so happy in the Lord that they danced before Him in church, but I am sure it was not in your denomination. Does not the Scripture say, 'Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty?'
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You said, 'The Catholic Church is akin to a cult that doesn't preach the gospel. I was raised in it. Unfortunately there are many Charismatic churches that are no better as far as cultish is concerned.
Many of them have all the marks of a cult.
The Roman Catholics have another authority--Tradition.
The Charismatics have another authority--experiential revelation.
Catholics (as all cults) take some teachings to an extreme (Mariolotry)
Charismatics take some teachings to an extreme--baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues.
Both do not have the Bible as their final authority.
Both have a "different way" of salvation (salvation of works--RC vs. salvation of experience where in many cases tongues becomes essential.)
Your lie about Pentecostals believing in 'experiental revelation' is a lie out of Hell. All of their 'gift of interpretation' always agree with the Biblical teaching and edify the congregants. Just because some 'nut' taught you false ideas to turn you away from your brethren, is no excuse to continue to lie to the truth.
I did not need to go through eight years of formal theological study to have some confused Christian have to tell me that R.C.'s place tradition above Biblical teaching.
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You said, 'And the answer to that question is: Yes, He is limited.
He is limited by His nature. He cannot do anything contrary to His nature.'
No you are wrong. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit does everything They want to do otherwise He is not God. Simple, Theology 10l for learners.
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You said, 'For example he cannot lie, though many who speak in tongues lie.'
Basic Theology 101. We all understand that God cannot do anything against His own holy and just nature.
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You said, 'Thus if the Bible teaches that tongues have ceased the Holy Spirit would never do that which is contrary and operate against it. That which is seen as speaking in tongues is of some other spirit, not the Holy Spirit. God doesn't act against His Word. Yes, God is limited.'
'Those who 'speak in tongues' do not lie and are genuine people for the most part, while some are misguided. I am more than sure there are several in your church who have things wrong in their personal theology. That is why we have pastors/Elders to straighten them out. You only presuppose that the gifts have ceased in the first century or perhaps around 70 A.D., because some nut told you it was because the Jews refused Christ and you believed their non-sense. Study, my friend!
The two prophets will be 'prophecying' during the Great Tribulation as duly noted at a future time in Revelation 11:3 which only proves that the 'gifts of the Spirit' rightly used are for this continium of this Age of Grace.
In Biblical college I had to rethink some of the things I had been taught by well meaning pastors. It is called growing up in Christ and maturing in the faith so you and I do not spread error about our precious Lord and Savior. Try to be open to truth rather than 'ram roding' through the N.T. about what you are not mature enough to understand. And this is saying it with all Christian kindness.
As Tam has told you, you are on very dangerous ground attributing the things of the Holy Spirit to something other than the true God. Oh, an thanks for making me aware that the Holy Spirit cannot lie. That sure was a new one for me to learn.
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Berrian, Th.D.