Baptists and Charismatic Movement
We come now to the facet of the charismatic movement that is frequently overlooked. The charismatic movement has a methodology. In other words, there are conditions or steps for coming to speak in tongues. A sample list would include: “separation from sin, repentance and baptism, hearing of faith, obedience, intense desire, asking of God.” (Bruner, A Theology of the Holy Spirit, p. 92) Frost, quoted in previous comments, tells how he encouraged people to begin speaking in tongues: “We encouraged her to move her lips and tongue so as to form syllables, realizing in faith that these would be the promptings of God’s Spirit.” (Aglow with the Spirit, p. 94) DuPlessis notes, “The moment you believe His Word, His promises, you dare to speak, and the Spirit gives utterance.” (p. 72) Again, Frost says, “I suggested he lift his voice and move his lips and tongue in faith realizing that in this way he would be cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s desire to direct his praise.” (p. 91) Many of the glossolalia testimonies describe a discontent in their faith, an intense desire for something deeper, a struggle with the meaning of their existence, and then a pursuit of the gift of tongues. Following this procedure, glossolalia in the modern charismatic movement may be the fruit of_an intense longing and self-suggestion brings fulfillment. What about the Bible? There is no methodology for speaking in tongues in the Bible. In the three passages in Acts 2, 10-11, and 19 there was no seeking. In Acts 2 the apostles were sitting, not seeking, in Acts 10-11 they were surprised it happened, and in Acts 19 the Spirit’s presence is connected with Baptism as in Acts 2:38. What must we conclude? There are no conditions offered in Acts whereby the apostles were to strive, yearn, struggle, act, or move their lips to initiate the Spirit’s presence. The Spirit came as promised, not as won. If there is a methodology for gaining the second blessing as the charismatic see it, then Christian faith becomes corrupted into the Judaizing of Acts 15 and Galatians The Judaizers followed Paul around saying that something more than Christ was needed. Christ was not adequate; one needed to obey the law of Moses also. If there is any truth in Galatians, Colossians, Romans, Hebrews and other books, it is when a person receives Jesus Christ as Saviour he/she receives the Spirit as God’s first and last gift of Himself. There is no means to achieving any other.
|