So I have struggled somewhat to get a clearer picture of what any of us mean by the term “Pentecostal.” If we insist on a very broad definition, are we not re-articulating a theology of the third article that others long before us, including the Reformers, recognized despite not giving it the priority that we would wish they had? Put another way, what would really be new about connecting pneumatology to culture, science, poiltics, religion, etc. that others before us did not understand except that they might call it “grace”?! HELP thou my unbelief, Dr. V!!!

Thank you for your very interesting posts. I especially enjoyed your use of a “letter” – very Lewis-like.

I want to add a few observations to this discussion.

God obviously doesn’t want us to relinquish our minds, for we are commanded to love Him with all our “heart, soul, mind, and strength”. Our knowledge of God, however, comes primarily from revelation through the Holy Spirit. The Biblical pattern is that revelation comes to those who aren’t “wise in their own eyes”, but to the meek, humble, and child-like. I believe that the outpouring of the Spirit in the last 100 years underscores this.

However, it doesn’t stop there. The Biblical pattern is also that after revelation there is a period where the mind engages to try to understand what the revelation means. For example, in the Old Testament, God revealed himself to Abraham, a humble friend of God. But it was Moses, who was educated in the teachings of the Egyptians that God used to write the Law. In the New Testament, Jesus was revealed as Messiah to uneducated fishermen, but it was Paul, who had an equivalent of a PhD, that God used to make sense of it all. This pattern is true even in my own life. The Holy Spirit grabbed hold of my heart without use of argument or reason – He just took over. It’s taken the rest of my life to this day to work out with my intellect what it all means. I think this pattern agrees with your presentation of the history of the Pentecostal movement.

Unfortunately, what God didn’t intend to happen, happened. People are creatures of the extreme. This happened during the Reformation. Luther’s desire to reform the church had an unintended consequence of the church splintering. Likewise, the outpouring of the Spirit had an unintended consequence of anti-intellectualism.

Related to this, as you rightly point out, is the lack of a sense of history. Although, I think this is true for most Protestants (granted Protestant’s sense of history is at least 500 years back, whereas P/C is only about 100 years), and not only Pentecostals/Charismatics. This attitude is not healthy because it severs a true movement of God from its historical context. As a result, it’s hanging in mid-air with nothing to support it. God intended renewal, not re-invention of the wheel. This has many negative consequences, one of which is a divorce from traditional, orthodox understanding of Scripture.

With all that said, God continues to confound the wise. My family is attending a church called Catch the Fire, which is part of the Toronto Airport Fellowship Church – the Toronto Blessing. We also enjoy listening to Sid Roth, Bill Johnson, and Rolland & Heidi Baker. Quite frankly, I hear testimonies of miracles that happen that leaves me scratching my head asking, “Where is this in Scripture?” How can reason account for gold dust, gold teeth, legs growing, Glory clouds, supernatural transport, etc, etc? We can’t, and that’s what makes God, God. All we can do is trust Him. Gladly though, He’s not asking us to turn-off our brains. Personally, I’m discovering that it takes the power of God to navigate through the rough waters where Faith and Reason converge to make sure that I don’t drown in unbelief.

Thanks again for you posts. Because of people like you, the Pentecostal/Charismatic-wing of the church is getting some needed support. And thanks to schools like Regent, the term Pentecostal Theologian is losing its status as an oxymoron.

I look forward to your upcoming letter. Of this letter I would ask if you are grouping such scholars as Rodman Williams, Charles Holman, etc. in the 1990’s grouping as scholars who were essentially Biblicists who happened to believe in spirit baptism. I recall reading one such scholar (I believe it was John Ruthven) who stated that his generation had to be educated in cessationistic evangelical institutions which tried to get them to not believe what the bible clearly said about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. While this type of education was certainly restrictive, it did give the scholars a solid biblical base from which to build. It appears to me that the next generation of scholars to which you refer, those who have emerged in the 21st century who you feel are doing more constructive things for this enterprise are often engaged in attempts to blend Pentecostalism with the secular philosophies of our era. If I am mistaken on my characterizations please give me a more accurate assessment.

Your brother in Christ,

Chris