The Charismatic Movement and Spiritual Gifts
Publish date:
Apr 8, 2009
Summary:
The Holy Spirit gives gifts and abilities to His people. Do the signs and wonders we see in the charismatic movement bear the mark of the Holy Spirit, or do they originate somewhere else?
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The Roots of Pentecostalism
The modern Pentecostal movement grew out of the Holiness movement of the late nineteenth century. A pinnacle of this movement was the Kentucky revival in 1801, a camp meeting characterized by falling, jerking, rolling, running, whining, whooping, laughter, and barking exercises.
It is interesting to note that the same manifestations are also experienced in the pagan religious rituals and ancestral worship. In pagan African rituals, the beating of the drums induce a type of hypnotic trance enabling a “god” to take control of a person, and this event is accompanied by the uttering of ecstatic languages. In some rituals, hallucinogens are taken to assist individuals to reach the state of altered consciousness required to induce the manifestations.
The power of God is a theme that is also central to the charismatic revival. In their writings and reports charismatics often refer to themselves as “People of Power.”
The Bible warns us about false manifestations of the Spirit at the end of time. In that case, our only safe course is to study the Scriptures to discern between the true gifts of the Spirit and the false.
The Gifts
The gifts of the Spirit, especially the gift of speaking in tongues, play an important part in charismatic worship. In fact, this gift of tongues is often regarded as a special manifestation of the working of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and is earnestly sought. Speaking in tongues can be accompanied by other manifestations, such as being “slain in the Spirit,” and healing experiences.
Thousands of believers and unbelievers are attracted to healing ceremonies and can experience this power even if they have had no prior religious experience. Lives are often changed by these experiences, and alcoholics and drug addicts can walk away as transformed people. This leads to more and more conversions and accounts for the rapid growth of the movement. Read about other examples of signs and wonders around the globe
However, what are the Biblical criteria for the workings of the Spirit and how do these compare to what is happening in the charismatic movement? Ahead to The Spirit in Scripture
Read about the use of speaking in tongues throughout history
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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