Pentecostal-Beliefs and Study Charismatic movement, Pentecostals (and the
like) Plus Beliefs-
All or Almost all Pentecostal Beliefs are in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia List
list below. For each different divisional belief – Over 500 Open
PentecostalPlusBeliefs.htm
The Pentecostal movement within Evangelical Christianity places special emphasis on the direct
personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as shown in
the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost.
Pentecostalism is similar to the Charismatic movement, but developed earlier and separated from the
mainstream church. Charismatic Christians, at least in the early days of the
movement, tended to remain in their respective denominations. Pentecostal Beliefs
Start
There
are three basic streams of Pentecostal churches. The majority believe that one must be
saved by believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins and to be made
acceptable to God. Pentecostals also typically believe, like most other evangelicals, that the Bible has definitive authority
in matters of faith. To this first group,
speaking in tongues is the sign of the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit, but not necessary for salvation. The other two groups fall under an
"Acts
Because many
Pentecostal denominations are descended from Methodism and the
Methodist Holiness Movement,
Pentecostal soteriology is generally Arminian rather than Calvinist,
believing that the ability to believe in Jesus is a power of the human free will.
This is in fact
one of the distinctions that separates Pentecostal traditions from those of the
Second Wave Charismatic and Evangelical churches, which
tend toward a Calvinistic
soteriology. One of the main points of
division is the definition of eternal security, which is thoroughly Calvinist
in the later Evangelical denominations and follows the Arminian tract in Pentecostal churches
and denominations. This is most clearly illustrated by the belief held in
Pentecostal groups that crediting the charismatic gifts and expressions to
demonic or carnal motives and spirits qualifies as an unpardonable sin (Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost,
Matt. 12:32). 12:32
"Whoever * speaks a word against the Son of Man,
it shall be forgiven
him; but whoever *
speaks against the Holy
Spirit, it shall not be forgiven
him, either in this age
or in the age to come.
In Charismatic and Evangelical churches, this view is marginalized or
replaced with the belief that refusing to convert to Christianity before death
is the only unpardonable sin.
Pentecostals believe in water
baptism as an outward sign of conversion and that the baptism in the Holy Ghost
is a distinct spiritual experience that all who have belief in Jesus should
receive. Most classical Pentecostals believe that the baptism in the Holy Ghost
is always accompanied initially by the outward evidence of speaking in tongues. It is considered a liberalizing
tendency to teach contrary to this historic position. This is another major
difference between Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians, who believe that a
Christian baptized in the Holy Ghost may exhibit certain supernatural signs,
including speaking in tongues, "being slain in the spirit" (where
people fall to the ground as if asleep or in convulsions), prophecy (i.e., a
vision or a word of God, spoken or felt in the spirit), miraculous healings,
miraculous signs, etc.
One of the defining marks in
some Pentecostal groups is emotionalism in worship and prayer. They are known
for raising their hands while singing and praying. They tend to be very vocal
and expressive in their prayers, with cries of "Yes, Lord!," "Thank you, Jesus!",
"Hallelujah!" and other spontaneous expressions of praise. There are
other more conservative branches of Pentecostal groups, where the worship is
enthusiastic, but not as emotional.
Some large Pentecostal
denominations reject any connection between personal salvation or conversion
and the baptism in the Holy Ghost and teach that it is not necessary for
salvation, but a gift from God available to all Christians regardless of
denominational affiliation. This doctrine was a development of the teachings of
Stephen Galbraith regarding what he called the Third
Moment of Grace and as such is linked to soteriology.
However, some Pentecostal denominations regard such scriptures as Rom. 8:9,
John 3:5, and Acts 2:37-39 as pointing to the necessity of Holy Ghost baptism
to salvation. Many early Pentecostals believed that the revival of the gifts of the Spirit were a sign from God of the latter rain, a period of restoration before the end
of the age and the coming millenial
reign of Christ.
Traditional Protestants believe that one is baptized with or in the Holy Ghost upon
regeneration, the work of the Holy Ghost that enables faith and belief in the
unbelieving heart. Pentecostals would not deny that regeneration is an activity
of the Holy Ghost or that it results in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the
believer. Instead they distinguish this indwelling from a subsequent, more
intense relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Protestants most often reject
such concepts as a "second grace", while not rejecting the idea of
periodic or even weekly renewal through repentance and the ordinances of the church. Classical Pentecostals, unlike their
Charismatic or evangelical counterparts, hold a peculiar form of sacerdotalism. For this reason many will not use the
term Sacrament, preferring the term sacerdotal function or ordinance.
This belief invests the efficacy of the ordinance in the obedience and participation of the believer and the
witness of the celebrant and the congregation. This view stems from a highly
developed concept of the priesthood of the individual believer. The activity of
the ordinance takes on a sacerdotal rather than sacremental role in that it is a sacrificial act
offered by the believer on his or her own behalf, rather than a ritual which
has an inherent power of its own.
Theology
Theologically,
most Pentecostal denominations are aligned with Evangelicalism in that they emphasize the reliability
of the Bible and the need for the transformation of an individual's life with
faith in Jesus. Pentecostals also adhere to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy. Pentecostals differ from fundamentalists by placing less emphasis on personal
spiritual experience and more emphasis on the Holy Ghost's work within a person
than other Protestants.
Dr. Jackie David Johns, in his work on Pentecostal formational
leadership, states that the Scriptures hold a special place in the Pentecostal
world view because the Holy Ghost is always active in the Bible. For him, to
encounter the Scriptures is to encounter God. For the Pentecostal, the
Scriptures are a primary reference point for communion with God and a template
for reading the world. This template is often referred to as "Types and
Shadows", which is a reference to the Midrashic view of prophecy.
One of the most prominent distinguishing
characteristics of Pentecostalism from Evangelicalism is its emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. Most Pentecostals believe that everyone
who is genuinely saved has the Holy Ghost with them. But unlike most other
Christians they believe that there is a second work of the Holy Ghost called
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in which the Holy Ghost dwells more fully in them, and which
opens a believer up to a closer fellowship with God and empowers them for
Christian service. Some Pentecostals have modified the view teaching that
Spirit baptism is not considered a second chronological work of grace, but a second
aspect of the Holy Ghost's ministry. His first ministry is to save and sanctify
us by working in us; His second ministry is to empower us for service by
working through us. Other Pentecostals believe that Holy Ghost baptism is the
actual event of the Holy Ghost taking up residence in the believer's heart
rather than a "fuller dwelling" or "second filling". Most
Pentecostals cite speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, as the normative proof, and evidence of
the Holy Ghost baptism. Some Pentecostals have adopted a more liberal view
claiming that there are other evidences of Holy Ghost baptism. The doctrine of
tongues as the initial evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost is uniquely Pentecostal and is one of the few differences from
Charismatic theology which generally claims diverse evidences.
Some liberal Pentecostal
ministers and members say that a believer might be able to speak in tongues,
but for various personal reasons (such as a lack of understanding, lack of
knowledge on the subject, fear of speaking in tongues, ...)
might not. In these cases however, a demonstrated tendency toward a
supernatural power, love and the gifts of the Spirit, as well as other signs
(increase in the evangelistic capacity, overcoming of personal issues that was
impossible before, ...), would indicate that the believer has been baptized in
the Spirit. This would be the only case where a believer would be filled with
the Holy Ghost, but not exhibit the so-called "initial physical
evidence" of speaking in tongues. This, however, would be a minority
perspective.
Pentecostals believe it is
essential to repent for the remission of sins and believe on Jesus Christ as
Savior in order to obtain salvation. Many believe that the baptism of the Holy
Ghost is an additional gift that is bestowed on believers, generally subsequent
to an intermediary step termed sanctification. Sanctification refers to a work of grace wherein the
effects of past sins are ameliorated and the natural tendency toward a sinful
nature is likewise set aside through the working of the Holy Ghost. Other
Pentecostals believe that Holy Ghost Baptism is a necessary step in God's plan
of salvation citing Peter's answer to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost. The
crowd asked Peter what they must do to be saved, and Peter told them to repent,
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and that
they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37-8).2:37 2:1-47 - Study
Chapter
Pentecostals vary in their beliefs
of the types of speaking in tongues (1 Cor.
Critics charge that Pentecostal
doctrine does not mesh well with what they believe to be Paul's criticism of the early Corinthian
church for their obsession with speaking in tongues. They argue that Paul
stated that speaking the language is only one of the gifts of the Spirit and is
not gifted to all (1 Cor.
Dr. Dale A. Robbins writes in regard to charismatic beliefs that church
history argues against the idea that charismatic gifts went away shortly
after the apostolic age. Dr. Robbins quotes the early church
father Irenaeus
(ca. 130-202) as
writing, "...we hear many of the brethren in the church who have prophetic
gifts, and who speak in tongues through the Spirit, and who also bring to light
the secret things of men for their benefit [word of knowledge]...". Dr.
Robbins also cites Irenaeus writing, "When God saw it necessary
and the church prayed and fasted much, they did miraculous things, even of
bringing back the spirit to a dead man." According to Dr. Robbins, Tertullian (ca. 155–230) reported similar
incidents, as did Origen
(ca. 182 - 251), Eusebius (ca. 275 – 339), Firmilian (ca. 232-269), and Chrysostom (ca. 347 - 407)
(Sbt --Note 
Open --the 6 man quoted
above and see if you can find any of the Wikipedia
Articles to match Dr. Dale A. Robbins open Understanding
Spiritual Gifts Claims
and Compare UntitledGiftOfTongues.htm
From
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/5068/charismata/rogers.htm
Concerning the Gift
of Healing --Open and Study Miracles.htm. )
Some of Pentecostal denominations
hold to a Unitarian theology. The world's largest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, holds to the belief in Trinitarian theology in accordance with mainstream
Protestantism as does the Elim Pentecostal Church,
Church of God, the
Church of God in Christ, The Apostolic Church, and the Foursquare Church. Some Pentecostal churches, however, hold
to Oneness theology, which decries the traditional doctrine
of the Trinity as biblically inaccurate and likely
stemming from pagan influences. Oneness doctrine holds that God is absolutely
and indivisibly one and that Jesus was the one God manifested in the flesh,(Timothy
Most Pentecostal churches hold
that preaching the Gospel to unbelievers as extremely important. "The Great
Commission" to spread the "Good News of the
History
The Pentecostal
movement was also prominent in the Holiness movement,
which was the first to
begin making numerous references to the term "Pentecostal", such as
in 1867 when the movement established The National Camp Meeting Association for
the Promotion of Christian Holiness with a notice that said: [We are
summoning,] irrespective of denominational tie...those who feel themselves
comparatively isolated in their profession of holiness…that all would realize
together a Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost....
Although the 1896
Shearer Schoolhouse Revival in Cherokee County, North Carolina may rightfully be regarded as the
literal beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement, the remoteness of this
region very likely played a role in this event remaining localized for so long.
Around 1901, however, Pentecostalism was to stand on a larger stage, as that
was when Agnes Ozman received the gift of tongues (glossolalia) during a prayer meeting at Charles Fox Parham's Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas in 1901. Parham, a minister of Methodist background, formulated the doctrine that tongues was the
"Bible evidence" of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Further, Pentecostals point to the
"upper room" experience of the gathered disciples of Jesus as described in Acts 2:12:1 and Peter's instructions in Acts 2:38 as 2:38
justification for their practices.
Parham left
This racial separation was
deeply influenced by the social, national and political structures of the time.
The Supreme Court, in the landmark decision, Plessy vs
Although many instances of glossolalia occurred prior to 1906, The Azusa Street
Revival led by William J. Seymour is the watershed of the Pentecostal movement
in the