Charismatic Chaos? Or Quenching the Spirit?

(2 Tim 3:5 NIV) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

(1 Cor 14:39 NIV) Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

(1 Th 5:19-21 NIV) Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good.

In general, the reformed church is committed to the doctrine of cessation, that is, that the spiritual gifts died with the apostles along with the completion of the Canon of scripture. The reformed church is in the tradition of the reformers and the puritans; these represent one of the most godly people in church history. Many went to their death because of their belief in the truth of scripture. The battle cry of the reformation was: Sola Scriptura The Scripture Alone is the Standard; Soli Deo Gloria! For the Glory of God Alone; Solo Christo! By Christ's Work Alone are We Saved; Sola Gratia: Salvation by Grace Alone; Sola Fide: Justification by Faith Alone.

A look at some of the current doctrinal deviations and man-centredness of some charismatic leaders shows just how far we have fallen from the purity of the puritans; a cursory examination of scripture shows the error of their ways. One problem is that so few of us know our bibles that we are easily carried away by false doctrine. There are also some abuses of the gifts, just as there were in Paul's's time and he wrote 1 Corinthians to deal with these abuses. However, just because there are doctrinal errors and abuses of the gifts of the spirit does not mean that the gifts have ceased. God has given us great gifts, such as our sexuality and spiritual gifts, which can be abused, and which Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians. I know various godly people who exercise the gifts of the spirit, if these gift have ceased, are they then demonized? Before we answer - yes; we need to be very sure that we are not calling the work of the Holy Spirit the work of Satan; just as the Pharisees did (Mat 12:24-32).

If the spiritual gifts have ceased then we must cross out the following passages from our bible: 1 Cor 12:8-11; part of 12:28-30; part of 1 Cor 13:1-2; 1 Cor 14:1-6; 14:13-15; 14:22-25 and 14:27-32. See Experiential Calvinism and the Charismatic Gifts

Many years ago, I heard someone say that "with only the Spirit" you blow up, and "with only the Word" you dry up; but with the "Spirit and the Word" you can conquer the world for Christ. I think that there is a lot of truth in that.

In March 2000 I visited a Bible School that I support in India. We visited the very poor rural tribal villages where much of the evangelism is done. I met with the local believers who live in mud houses with no electricity. On my return journey I asked the pastor a rather obvious question, these people are simple people what is to stop them believing another gospel. The pastor replied by saying that the evangelism is accompanied by healings so that they know it is the truth.

Let me look at miracles from a different angle, from the book of Revelation. This book depicts the spiritual struggle between the church and the powers of darkness. In Rev 13:11 we find the beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He looks harmless enough, like a lamb but is a false Christ or a counterfeit. He speaks like a dragon, in other words he speaks lies. Later in Rev 16:3 and 19:20 he is called the false prophet. In 13:13 we find that he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.

Now in Revelation the false prophet is to be contrasted with the true prophets of God the two witnesses in chapter 11. We should remember that in Revelation numbers have symbolic meaning, in this case two meaning witness - the disciples went out in two's, two witnesses are required to establish the truth of testimony. Thus the two witnesses are to be contrasted with the false prophet who has two horns. Both the false prophet and the two witnesses do miracles, the two witnesses have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want (11:6).

The two witnesses symbolize the spirit filled church in her witness to the world. In 11:4 we are told that they are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. We already know from Rev 1:20 that lampstands represent churches and the two olive trees show that she is filled with the spirit. It is an allusion to Zec 4:2-6 which finishes with the words "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty". In Acts 1:8 Jesus says to the disciples "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Just as in 11:3 the two witnesses are given power to prophesy, their power is described in verses 5 and 6. Their power lies in the word of God (fire from their mouths cf. Jer 5:14) and prayer because have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain just like Elijah who was a man of prayer (James 5:17). The point of what I have been saying is that both the church and the false prophet can do miracles.

In the Great Commission which occurs in each of the gospels as well as in Acts we find that the Holy Spirit or his gifts is always mentioned at the same time (Mat 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:45-49, John 20:20-23, Acts 1:5-8). There are other places in scripture where witnessing is accompanied by the Holy Spirit, see Mat 10:18-20, Mark 13:9-11, Luke 24:48-49, Acts 2:32-33, 5:32 Rev 11:3-4, 22:17

The Evangelicals who deny that the gifts of the Spirit are for today are living in a false world, like Ostriches with their heads in the sand. The testimony of millions who know the power and gifts of the Spirit will testify against this, are they all deceived? Are they demonic? To say that a person, who clearly praises the Lord, and who uses the spiritual gifts is demonic is coming very close to the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Remember if there is a counterfeit there has to be the real thing too.

Jesus himself faced the same problem, his accusers are the religious elite, the Pharisees, who accused him of driving out demons by the power of Satan:

(Mat 12:22-32 NIV) Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. {23} All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" {24} But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." {25} Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. {26} If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? {27} And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. {28} But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. {29} "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. {30} "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. {31} And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. {32} Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus healed a demon possessed man, and the Pharisees heard this and said that Jesus was using the power of Satan. Jesus responded by saying that 'if Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself'. Jesus then goes on to speak about the blasphemy against the Spirit.

Now Mark 16:20 says that 'the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it'. I would suggest that the Lord does the same today. If we suggest that Satan counterfeits the miracles that accompany the preaching of the gospel today, then he is divided against himself, and we are surely close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit, because we attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan.

Even Jesus could not do many mighty works in his hometown because of their unbelief. (Mat 13:58 KJV). Why should Jesus do mighty works now if we believe that they died with the apostles? How slow and unbelieving we are, even the heathen are more believing than some Christians, and God heals them (even if they don't repent). A short while back an Indian evangelist came to my town in the UK and preached the gospel, and gave specific words of knowledge about illnesses afflicting people, he spoke about the illness and indicated where the person was seated. The, mainly Indian, people responded and God healed them. I hardly think that Satan would want to authenticate the word of God, even Satan is not that silly.

A while ago a person asked for photographic evidence of a miracle, this is the sort of question I expect from the scoffers and mockers. Maybe your God is dead, my God heals and saves as he wills, according to his good pleasure.

The bible says 'do not forbid speaking in tongues' (1 Cor 14:39). Jesus said 'I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father' (John 14:12) do we believe this? Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. Raising the hands in worship is biblical (Neh 8:6, Ps 28:2, 63:4, 134:2, 141:2, 1 Tim 2:8). The problem is that if the Holy Spirit fell upon many of our evangelical churches today His fire would soon be stamped on by the leadership because it is unbiblical or because the pastor could lose control. The third person of the Trinity is a person.

The tragedy is that if we are to win the world to Christ we need not only sound doctrine but also the power of the Holy Spirit.

Go here for a short primer on reformed theology.

Lloyd-Jones has done more than any other man in this century, I think, to restore the historic meaning of the word revival.

A revival is a miracle ... something that can only be explained as the direct ... intervention of God ... Men can produce evangelistic campaigns, but they cannot and never have produced a revival

But for Lloyd-Jones it was a great tragedy that the whole deeper understanding of revival, as a sovereign outpouring of the Holy Spirit, had been lost by the time he took up the subject in 1959 at the 100th anniversary of the Welsh Revival. "During the last seventy, to eighty years," he said, "this whole notion of a visitation, a baptism of God's Spirit upon the Church, has gone"

He gave several reasons why. But he says that the most important theological reason for the prevailing indifference to revival was the view that the Holy Spirit was given once for all on the Day of Pentecost, so that He cannot be poured out again, and prayer for revival is therefore wrong and needless. This is where Lloyd-Jones begins to part ways with some standard evangelical interpretations of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He emphatically rejected the common view that equates the spiritual baptism of Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12:13. He describes the view he rejects like this:

Yes, [Acts 2] was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But we all get that now, and it is unconscious, we are not aware of it, it happens to us the moment we believe and we are regenerated. It is just that act of God which incorporates us into the Body of Christ. That is the baptism of the Spirit. So it is no use your praying for for some other baptism of the Spirit, or asking God to pour out His Spirit upon the church ... It is not surprising that, as that kind of preaching has gained currency, people have stopped praying for revival"

A Passion for Christ-Exalting Power Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Need for Revival and Baptism with the Holy Spirit - John Piper

The Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Did They Cease When the Apostles Died? - the testimony of a former cessationist in the Plymouth Brethren who eventually experienced the gifts of the Spirit and can still write good theology.

Miracles vs. Satanic Signs.

First of all, let us distinguish a divine miracle from a satanic sign. Granting the possibility of evil spiritual powers in the universe working in opposition to God, then whatever intervention they may be able to make in the natural world would be in accord with their purposes. Hence, satanic signs would, by their very nature, have the following characteristics:
(1) They would not be associated with truth about God but with error; they would not be used to confirm truth but to confirm error.
(2) Satanic signs would not bring about moral good but evil; they would not stimulate conduct in accord with God's will but in opposition to it.
(3) Finally, satanic signs would not help fulfill God's purposes but would work to destroy them; they would not glorify God but would magnify evil men or the evil spirits behind them.

Christian Apologetics, Norman L Geisler, p 281.

The point I am making is that miracles in this day, occur with the preaching of the gospel to unbelievers (typically in Africa and Asia) and I doubt that Satan would confirm the word of God with signs and wonders, since Satan opposes himself (Mark 3:26 ). Just because you have not observed the gifts of the spirit manifested does not mean that they do not exist. The skeptics argue against miracles using the same argument, but it is a false argument.

Links:

1. The Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Did They Cease When the Apostles Died? - the testimony of a former cessationist in the Plymouth Brethren who eventually experienced the gifts of the Spirit and can still write good theology.
2. Have the Gifts Stopped Being Given?
3. On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Post-Biblical Miracles . Jon Ruthven, PhD, Associate Professor, Systematic and Practical Theology Virginia Beach,
4. The Uneasy Conscience of a Non-Charismatic Evangelical by Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D. Associate Professor of New Testament Studies Dallas Theological Seminary
5. Cessation Rick Dennis
6. Prophecy and Tongues: A Compilation of the Best Cessationist Arguments By Lee Irons
7. Questions Cessationists Should Ask: A Biblical Examination of Cessationism by Charles E. Powell Dallas Theological Seminary
8. Have the Charismatic Gifts Ceased? CARM
9. Who Surprised Whom? The Holy Spirit or Jack Deere? Richard L. Mayhue Senior Vice-President and Dean Professor of Pastoral Ministries
10. Spiritual Gifts and the Bible - BoT
11. Debra Bouey examines unjust accusations against those who stand for biblical truth.
12. Speaking In Tongues - www.apostasynow.com
13. The Cessation of Tongues and Prophecy by Greg Loren Durand
14. The Cessation of Miracles by Benjamin B. Warfield (1851-1921)
15. Challenges of the Charismatic Movement to the Reformed Tradition Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. Part 2

Books: linked to

1. How do Spiritual Gifts Operate? Copyright 1991 by John F. MacArthur, Jr.
2. Charismatic Chaos by John F., Jr. MacArthur
3. Counterfeit Revival : Unmasking the Truth Behind the World Wide Counterfeit Revival by Hank Hanegraaff
4. The Coming Evangelical Crisis : Current Challenges to the Authority of Scripture and the Gospel by R. Kent Hughes (Editor), John, Jr. MacArthur (Editor), R. C. Sproul (Editor), John H. Armstrong (Editor), Michael Horton, Albert, Jr. Mohler
5. The Compromised Church : The Present Evangelical Crisis by John H. Armstrong (Editor
6. No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? by David F. Wells
7. Reformed Theology in America : A History of Its Modern Development by David F. Wells (Editor)
8. Perspectives on Pentecost by Richard B. Gaffin
9. A Different Gospel: Biblical and Historical Insights into the Word of Faith Movement by D. R. McConnell, Hank H. Hanegraaff (Foreword)
10. Counterfeit Miracles by Benjamin B. Warfield
11. The Charismatic Gift of Prophecy by Kenneth L., Jr. Gentry
12. Final Word: A Biblical Response to the Case for Tongues and Prophecy Today by O. Palmer Robertson (Banner of Truth)

1. Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? (Four Views) by Richard B. Gaffin (Contributor), R. L. Saucy, Douglas Oss, Wayne A. Grudem (Editor), Samuel Storms (Contributor
2. Surprised by the Voice of God : How God Speaks Today Through Prophecies, Dreams, and Visions by Jack Deere (a former professor in a conservative evangelical theological college).
3. Surprised by the Power of the Spirit : Discovering How God Speaks and Heals Today by Jack Deere The most balanced book I have read on "charismatic" gifts
4. The Beauty of Spiritual Language by Jack Hayford
5. Quenching the Spirit : Discover the Real Spirit Behind the Charismatic Controversy by William De Arteaga, William Deartaeaga, William Dearteaga
6. Empowered Evangelicals : Bringing Together the Best of the Evangelical and Charismatic Worlds by Rich Nathan, Ken Wilson
7. Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God by Gordon D. Fee
8. The First Epistle to the Corinthians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) by Gordon D. Fee
9. The Word and the Spirit by Paul Cain, R. T. Kendall
10. The Anointing by R. T. Kendall
11. Word and Power Church, The by Doug Banister
12. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today by Wayne A. Grudem