Eoghan
Puritan Board Senior
Where O where do you start with a charismatic?
I detect several threads maybe more in their thinking.
1. They seem to have no concept of what it means when I say that the canon of scripture is closed. This is perhaps because they have little experience of an expository ministry (them and a lot of others). This results in a predisposition to fresh revelation. This in turn requires some sort of clearing house for prophecies which sets you up nicely for modern day apostles.
2. There appears to be a misunderstanding of the "will of God". In the NT this can be designated as either His Sovereign Will or His Moral Will. This somehow is missed and or misread to mean specific will. Hence most charismatics are constantly seeking His "specific will". This may in part be a misunderstanding of Sovereign Will which we know in broad brushstrokes. Charismatics however seem to want the detail such as which job to take, which house to buy etc...
3. Signs and wonders - obviously this is a significant element of the charismatic movement but perhaps it's weakest. I have observed that a lot of "healing" is emotional healing and that the healing of cancer or AIDS is left out for the most part. It also seems to be a hedge against disasters. I have grown weary of the number of occasions that I have been told how a petrol tank was topped up miraculously or food provided or multiplied. It also lends itself to a lack of preparation - i.e. making sure you have enough petrol money!
4. Health and Wealth - whilst not specifically unique to charismatics the health bit certainly fits. This seems to view the Christian faith as a way of guaranteeing success. It is part of a mentality I would sum up as "What can Jesus do for me?"
5. Ego centric? - I find this one a bit difficult to nail down but it seems to consist of ME doing things, ME winning victories over Satan, ME being a blessing to others. Sadly it sees prayer walking and spiritual readings at psychic fairs as major blows for the kingdom. This is in contrast to scripture that characterizes us as resisting (James) or withstanding (Ephesians). The real attack on Satan was done on calvary, we only "attack" him in as much as we plunder individuals from his kingdom. Even this is a task we delegated. The rest is standing firm on the ground Christ has won for us.
The longer I am a Christian and the more deeply I study the Word the more difficult I find it to witness to those who do not share my presuppositions. I just cannot talk meaningfully with Charismatics. I know that one approach is to show the false premises they are building on but they have so many false premises!
So which of the five is "the root" of the charismatic/ later day rains outlook?
I detect several threads maybe more in their thinking.
1. They seem to have no concept of what it means when I say that the canon of scripture is closed. This is perhaps because they have little experience of an expository ministry (them and a lot of others). This results in a predisposition to fresh revelation. This in turn requires some sort of clearing house for prophecies which sets you up nicely for modern day apostles.
2. There appears to be a misunderstanding of the "will of God". In the NT this can be designated as either His Sovereign Will or His Moral Will. This somehow is missed and or misread to mean specific will. Hence most charismatics are constantly seeking His "specific will". This may in part be a misunderstanding of Sovereign Will which we know in broad brushstrokes. Charismatics however seem to want the detail such as which job to take, which house to buy etc...
3. Signs and wonders - obviously this is a significant element of the charismatic movement but perhaps it's weakest. I have observed that a lot of "healing" is emotional healing and that the healing of cancer or AIDS is left out for the most part. It also seems to be a hedge against disasters. I have grown weary of the number of occasions that I have been told how a petrol tank was topped up miraculously or food provided or multiplied. It also lends itself to a lack of preparation - i.e. making sure you have enough petrol money!
4. Health and Wealth - whilst not specifically unique to charismatics the health bit certainly fits. This seems to view the Christian faith as a way of guaranteeing success. It is part of a mentality I would sum up as "What can Jesus do for me?"
5. Ego centric? - I find this one a bit difficult to nail down but it seems to consist of ME doing things, ME winning victories over Satan, ME being a blessing to others. Sadly it sees prayer walking and spiritual readings at psychic fairs as major blows for the kingdom. This is in contrast to scripture that characterizes us as resisting (James) or withstanding (Ephesians). The real attack on Satan was done on calvary, we only "attack" him in as much as we plunder individuals from his kingdom. Even this is a task we delegated. The rest is standing firm on the ground Christ has won for us.
The longer I am a Christian and the more deeply I study the Word the more difficult I find it to witness to those who do not share my presuppositions. I just cannot talk meaningfully with Charismatics. I know that one approach is to show the false premises they are building on but they have so many false premises!
So which of the five is "the root" of the charismatic/ later day rains outlook?
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