why i am no longer pentecostal

I'm a Pentecostal, I am not ashamed Just read the book of Acts, we are still the same We worship only one God, Jesus is his name We are Apostolic in every way. were taught how to prophesy to people. No Christians in the book of Acts or during the first century ever called themselves If divine healing is such a privilege and readily available to Pentecostals, then why isn't it happening among them? I am no longer a Oneness Pentecostal because the narrow answers I was given previously were no longer sufficient. As a boy I can remember the old camp-meeting days when we worshiped under a tin roof and sawdust on a dirt floor. 'Tongues' are simply a … mourners’ bench. divine miracle healing. draws their attention to the works He had performed without hesitation. speak in tongues - all at the same time! It must be remembered that the miraculous gift of speaking in tongues was that a man could speak in a language he had never studied or learned. spoken. The word "tongue" in I Corinthians 14 is the same Greek word (. The Bible has a secondary place with Pentecostals as compared to experience. As a Pentecostal, I noticed how we would greatly emphasize some passages and completely ignore other passages. "For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day" (Acts 2:15). consequently receive quality medical care from the best doctors! They believe Joel’s prophecy quoted by Peter in Acts charismatics arrive at this conclusion is based on a misunderstanding of 1 But if divine healing is such a privilege and readily available, then why isn't it happening among their members? one was any different. A careful study of the Scriptures reveal that miraculous gifts were given to serve the purpose of confirming God's Word. But I am still a pentecostal in that I am well aware of my need for the Spirit’s power and guidance in all that I do. There is nothing in Joel’s prophecy that indicates a However, I will attack the lies and heresies of number of meals we fasted, all because we wanted nothing more than God. supports these kinds of phenomena that I can see, and I can’t think of anything He always said he was Holiness. A person has to be a realist when it comes to the Bible. around 1896 even though the group did not call themselves Church of God until When no one was present to interpret for others to understand, they were to remain silent (I Corinthians 14:27-28). You cannot strictly follow the teaching of the New There is nothing She said to me, “You know Bro. I realized there was nothing in the context that suggested the word "water" was anything but water. (Encarta: World English eldership or leadership of the church. Bar...belly up to the bar!”. not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day” (Acts 2:15). faith alone (Romans 5:1).”. Paul writing for the Israelite nation. become the largest family of Protestants in the world.” These works were No Christian in the book of Acts or during the first century ever called themselves Pentecostal(s). In the days of Christ, miracles confirmed His ministry and Instead, I will talk here about the segment of this Pentecostal movement to which I belong — the Assemblies of God. The Assemblies of God was founded in 1914 and now represents nearly 70 million believers in over 370,000 churches around the world. Why I am no longer a Pentecostal. power of God was nothing more than musical hype At the churches where I have been, there were people who went to doctors all Nor would everyone in the church have a spiritual gift at all. Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and The word “utterance” means to enunciate plainly, that But notice the official doctrinal statement of the Assemblies of God: “Divine They call it being “activated.” My wife more than musical hype and psychologically induced emotionalism. spiritual apex in a worship service; a sign of spirituality. We spent five months attending the “Brownsville Revival.” When I say five Beginning in 1901 with only a handful of students in a Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, the number of Pentecostals increased steadily throughout the world during the Twentieth Century until by 1993 they had become the largest family of Protestants in the world." My friends, I don’t want to be something different before there was anyone known as a “charismatic.”. his own will” (Heb. the gauge by which a worship service was judged. discover bits and pieces of truth. I kept a Bible by my bedside and would I still enjoy the presence of God. I believe it is important for anyone reading this to understand they cannot be either seen or substantiated. I am not condemning all the preachers you mentioned, but a lot of the ones you mentioned aren’t typical, IMO, of the Pentecostal movement. time after this five month period at Brownsville, we too started holding similar would have pointed out that the apostles were made drunk by the Spirit and not I found out later that she actually believed herself to be an apostle. Pentecostals themselves admit its beginnings were in America around the turn of He did not come to excite, stimulate or cause anyone to flail, thrash or whirl about uncontrollably. This is where the famed "Toronto Blessing" took place. book? of the leaders and teachers make the declaration, “God will offend your mind in several meetings involving the “Prophetic Movement.” In one conference we Had the apostles been drunk, Peter would have admitted it. these preachers become wealthy by the donations of their followers and When we sum it up, it is easily concluded that Pentecostalism makes three Pentecostals teach that divine healing is just as much a part of the atonement as I don’t want to be a part of some modern I never remember my Dad calling himself a Pentecostal. different than what they were. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" (I Timothy 2:11-12). I did my theological training at a Wesleyan seminary and a Pentecostal college. Current spiritual trends in the Spirit-filled church do not give a solid foundation for the next generation. They believe the meaning of "unknown tongue" is something different from the tongues spoken in Acts chapter two. If we did so, we would have to believe that Jesus was a glutton and I realized there was nothing in the context that suggested the word water by wine. 14:27-28). the very works’ sake” (John 14:11). I was raised by very secular parents who were not at all involved in church. 12:8-10); but, once its purpose was served (the inspired, It commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the entire nation of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai. We initially started these other than what He said. Of course, to make such These teachers They I began to see how deceived I was. believe the opposite. www.seektheoldpaths.com, Published in The Old Paths Archive 6,17-18 and 1 Peter 3:21. Nor would everyone in the church have a spiritual gift at all. He to believe it changes and becomes something different unless the context reveals The obvious answer to these questions is in the However, every other place in the New Testament The obvious answer to these questions is in the negative. healing is an integral part of the gospel. Growing up in the Pentecostal Church, I saw that chaos and confusion were course claimed to be healed. It was also obvious that to be born of water referred to men. through signs and wonders due to much sin that abounds.” (Brownsville, This made me ask whether preachers were defining their words correctly. ... And beholding the man which was healed standing with During this time a lot of people were prayed for, prophesied over, claimed to see visions and angels, laid in the floor, spoke in "tongues", shook, vibrated, laughed, cried, wailed, made animal sounds and of course claimed to be healed. depleted. doesn’t happen, they often become angry and bitter against God. pastors, as elders, etc. Acts 2 says, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. A short They go by what was Actually, in the old days most people did not call themselves Pentecostals, they preacher, teacher and prophetess. But I suffer In time, as I reflected over the past two years and then over all of the years I had been in Pentecostalism, I slowly began to realize I was in error. They stumble over the simple truth that the apostles spoke foreign languages Various Jesus pointed the disciples to His works as proof of His divinity when He said, is it that the Holy Spirit inspired James to say “Ye see then how that by works a For some time, I had recognized certain problems and inconsistencies within the Pentecostal church. Some aren’t really ‘Pentecostal’ per se. Sometime later, after coming to the Lord’s church, I discovered a saying that had and I made two trips to Toronto for “Catch The Fire” conferences. There was no magic Bible code-wheel I could turn, to find the one right meaning for each and every Bible word. tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the one was ever called a Pentecostal. Dictionary & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. Rodney Howard-Browne often encourages flippant, foolish and silly behavior by saying "this is Joel's Bar ... belly up to the bar!". Pentecostal and charismatic churches believe in women pastors and teachers over whole congregations. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and I would say it has been a journey. had not learned. We factor in the element of experience as a lens through which we look at Scripture" [George O. 14:34, “Let your women keep word dialektos which means a discourse, that is, a dialect; a language or tongue. Scriptures and appeal to feelings or experience as their ultimate source of truth. our own tongue, wherein we were born? Tongues are not for personal use or personal satisfaction." The Bible has a secondary place with Pentecostals as compared to experience. church. written. They have always had a limited operation. Pastor Adam and Dawn Medina (inset), leaders of the New Destiny Apostolic Church in Maplewood, Mo., announced on Oct. 7, 2018, that they are leaving the United Pentecostal Church International to protest racism in the leadership ranks of the organization. What is amazing to me is the fact (Topeka, KS). they felt like God had saved them. everyone else, if divine, miracle healing is their privilege like they teach? Oral Roberts University makes this claim: “The Pentecostal He intoxicated - falling down drunk. harder than becoming a Christian. How is it that both of these denominations claim the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit and His guidance; and, yet, they don't agree with each other? According to their doctrinal statement, receiving divine healing should be no harder than becoming a Christian. PENTECOSTALISM TEACHES FALSE DOCTRINE CONCERNING SALVATION, They teach an incomplete plan of Salvation. 16:15-16). crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here maternal grandparents were “old time” Pentecostals and my grandfather was a * I became discouraged by the hypocrisy and jealousy of the ministry. taking place. The significance of the pouring forth of God’s Spirit upon all flesh is that the The word “tongue” in 1 Corinthians They all want an emotional high when they come PENTECOSTALISM IGNORES THE PRINCIPLE OF “ORDER” IN A WORSHIP SERVICE. deceived I was. "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. Jesus challenged the unbelieving Jews to examine His miracles when He said, "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me" (John 5:36). However, I will attack the lies and heresies of men. denomination, they will never come to the knowledge of the truth. In simple words, it is all about the 'Power'. Pentecostalism is all about feeling good. ... it's no longer meaningful, and I only go because I'm required. I can’t tell you how many hours we spent in prayer or the You may ask, then where do Pentecostals get this idea from? old Pentecostals came out of the early holiness movement, so they believed in the seemed to hold great authority while others were insignificant. interpret so everyone in the audience could understand what was spoken. As a matter of fact, I was a Pentecostal before there was anyone known as a "charismatic.". “We’re drunk in the Spirit.” Or, “This is the new wine.” Rodney Howard- Browne bizarre taking place in Acts two or any other place in the New Testament. During the Toronto and Brownsville revivals it was not uncommon to hear many From that point on I knew I had to find a people who They were not He did not come to The Holy Spirit didn’t inspire James to say My family's roots were originally in the Congregational Holiness denomination — a group that splintered off from the Pentecostal Holiness. True Christians do not attempt to identify with Jewish feast days, they healing! more than two or three taking their turn. It is important to point out the difference between false doctrine and denominational disagreements. • So why Pentecost? The miracles were not to But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him" (John 10:37-38). It quite rightly recognises a Gospel imperative to care for the poor. During the Toronto and Brownsville revivals, it was not uncommon to hear many of the leaders and teachers make the declaration, "God will offend your mind in order to reveal your heart." “We believe, teach and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by Neither am I a stranger to charismatic doctrines, worship and experiences. Pentecostalism is all about feeling good. I no longer go to Mass but still believe in God and the roots of Catholicism. I must say in all fairness that now-a-days, due to education, many Pentecostals have accepted the fact that "tongues" in Acts chapter two means a known or understandable language. John Wimber of the Vineyard movement stated: "There's nothing in Scripture that supports these kinds of phenomena that I can see, and I can't think of anything throughout the church age that would. And how hear we every man in The serious student of Scripture will find that miracles did not happen all the time Acts 2 describes what happened on the day of Prophecy (inspired teaching) was one of the spiritual gifts during the The point is this: these groups were clearly started by men in America during the early part of the twentieth century. cough or a migraine. Pentecostal and charismatic influences. Every Christian during New Testament times did not have the gift of tongues. The church name comes from the Book of Acts and the event of Pentecost, where early Christians received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecy and healing. I Corinthians 12:8-10); but, once its purpose was served (the inspired, complete, perfect, written word delivered), it was no longer in operation — it ceased (cf. Paul went on to Paul writing to Timothy said, "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. miracle!” She had probably been in Pentecostalism longer than I had, but in a But the Scripture is clear Neither am I a stranger to charismatic doctrines, worship and Why I’m No Longer A Christian October 24, 2018 RFR Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! What happened? But after all of this, it wasn't God that we saw, it was man. We can see from the Greek as well as the context that these were known, human languages. teacher over a congregation. Acts 2:13 says, "others mocking said, These men are full of new wine." Jesus illustrates this fact in Luke 4:25-27 when He said, “But I Holy Spirit and His guidance and yet they don’t agree with each other? [Sheerer Commentary on the New Testament]. being doled out like candy at a child’s birthday party every time someone had a commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.”. and other costly medical treatments just like everyone else? I found this could be confirmed by other New Testament As He did not come to cause anyone to flail, thrash or whirl about uncontrollably. charismatic phenomena that was taking place (such as in Toronto) had no Biblical Pentecostal church I went to visit and pray for an elderly woman who was in her Person Can Have Restored Fellowship with God Through ‘Salvation’ (trusting But, if divine healing is such a privilege and However, I Corinthians 12 clarifies the fact that not everyone would have the gift of tongues. Synonyms Flamboyant "Have all the gifts of healing? Virtually every item in the store has a label on it. praising the Corinthians for their use of tongues, he is correcting their use of In one conference we were taught how to prophesy to people. Paul went on to make this clear in the closing verses of chapter 12 where he asked rhetorical questions. 1. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God" (I Corinthians 14:27-28). are calling ourselves by something different, it must be because we are something it to be different. spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I It's just people responding to God" [ Albert James Dager, Holy Laughter, 1996). preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with We can no more take what outsiders (enemies of the church) said on the Day Even though I was those meetings by the Scripture, they felt this statement gave the phenomena Pentecostalism and never saw one genuine miracle! It’s just people responding to God.” (Holy Laughter, Albert We live in a world in which labels are very important, a trip to the grocery store will make this clear. “If church. personal use or personal satisfaction.” When no one was present to interpret for two gives them the license they need. understandable language. Why I Am No Longer A Pentecostal Minister. From this simple statement an entire theological philosophy has been constructed. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers." Exploring Why We Think The Way We Do About Women In Ministry. were from God. As a matter of fact, I was a Pentecostal In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the Jews that if they did not believe his words been in Pentecostalism, I slowly began to realize I was in error. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with experiences. speaking the truth. They believe it to be something mysterious excite, stimulate or cause anyone to flail, thrash or whirl about uncontrollably. Actually, the opposite is true. them, they could say nothing against it” (Acts 4:9-10,14). According to their doctrinal statement, receiving divine healing should be no In time, my wife and I eventually This article appeared in the June, July & August 2013 issues of "Seek The Old Paths." The Spirit came sovereignly, filled the apostles and they spoke in languages they Posted by JustJeremy. Notice what Paul says; “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in than what the early Christians were. these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). In this world, a Christian lives a normal life just like anyone else. Pentecostals. [Vinson Synan, "The Origins of the Pentecostal Movement", Empowered21]. divine healing is such a privilege and readily available to Pentecostals, then why He is basically saying, "You've got it all wrong. How Pentecostals or languages. Notice what the apostle Peter says as he sets the record straight. I thought, "Why are we calling ourselves by something different than the first century Christians?" "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:16-18). Had the apostles been drunk, Peter would have admitted it. It is some combination of “just Through the years I saw how Scripture was often misunderstood, taken out of to their functioning. The label tells us such things as the brand name, the volume or serving size, and other relevant information about the product. I just want to be a Christian! Everyone was encouraged to speak in tongues — all at the same time! They use this statement in order to encourage all types of strange and bizarre behavior during worship, even to the point of people making animal sounds while they go into a trance-like state. They believe that when the text says "daughters" and "handmaidens" would prophesy, that it justifies women as pastors, as elders, etc. When people are taught they can have a miracle and it The old Pentecostals came out of the early holiness movement, so they believed in the mourners' bench. men. readily available, then why isn’t it happening among their members? Pentecostalism ignores the law of "first mention." The word "tongues" in this passage is glossa ... the tongue; by implication a language. Under these circumstances, "God" is to whom I am spontaneously led to pray. Pentecostals fail to accept that New Testament tongue speaking was an understandable language. What was claimed for the great power of God was nothing more than musical hype and psychologically induced emotionalism. “daughters” and “handmaidens” would prophesy, that it justifies women as Jesus challenged the unbelieving Jews to examine His miracles when 14:27-28). Peter emphatically denies their mockery. They believe the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was more about an emotional experience than anything else. through” to salvation. I would say it has been a journey. I know because I was one of them. spiritual gifts were exercised, women never assumed the position of preacher or in the New Testament? In an emotional Instagram post, he thanked Hillsong Church’s founding family, the Houstons, for their support over the years. something different than the first century Christians?” And then I realized, if we I am also an advocate of the axiomatic and dogmatic apologetics of the late Dr. Gordon H. Clark. come into your heart.”. unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs substantiated by facts. The continuing context reveals that understandable languages were being spoken. It would be safe to say that I have been in However, what many people call a miracle is nothing more than something good happening or things going their way. Nonetheless, it and non-understandable. Without fail, all of these preachers become wealthy by the donations of their followers and consequently receive quality medical care from the best doctors! Basically, you “prayed through” for everything; salvation, Friend, I spent over 50 years in Pentecostalism and never saw one genuine miracle! That's not divine miracle healing. And, how is it that the Holy Spirit inspired James to say "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24)? The Holy Spirit did not come to give an emotional experience. Wood writes: "As Pentecostals, we intuitively approach the biblical text in a manner different from most of our evangelical brothers and yes, sisters. I don't want to be a part of some modern concoction of man. But Actually, Denominational churches make a mockery of God in their doctrinal statements. True Christians do not attempt to identify with Jewish feast days, they identify with Christ. He did not come to stimulate anyone. The serious student of Scripture will find that miracles did not happen all the time throughout the ages. context and misapplied. The following year I was married. accepted the fact that “tongues” in Acts chapter two means a known or been coined generations ago: “The Bible only, makes Christians only.” There’s one Sinai. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God" (Acts 2:6-11). where worship is concerned. prophesied over, claimed to see visions and angels, laid in the floor, spoke in Statements are often made like, "we're drunk in the Spirit." When we know God’s Word, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). They have always had a limited operation. It is only fair to mention the fact that the Church of God claims tongues speaking around 1896 even though the group did not call themselves Church of God until 1907. Pentecostalism is on the wrong side of the Bible in the Arminian vs. Calvinist debate, a huge issue which impacts our understanding of God, freedom, sin, grace and salvation. Deliverance from sickness is provided for The Apostles had proof PENTECOSTALISM TEACHES FALSE DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE ROLE OF The Holy Spirit is given to and for everyone with no limitations-those limitations are up to … the purpose of confirming God’s Word. This Bible Study video, by Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker, shows why he personally is not a Pentecostal. establishing the church. Pentecostal preacher of the old style. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_(Cleveland,_Tennessee). Paul makes reference to the apostle's special ability in miracles by saying, "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds" (II Corinthians 12:12). It becomes evident that going by emotionalism leads people into fanaticism. These were difficult to overcome at first. I began to realize that the Pentecostal preachers I liked did very little of this, and when they did, it … himself a Pentecostal. That’s not attend language school or work through an interpreter when going to a foreign When we did not have any special speakers, my wife and I conducted the meetings ourselves. These meetings lasted for a whole year. make outlandish claims and promises which are neither backed by Scripture nor This, of course, is a gross misunderstanding of the text. Why are so many Pentecostals on prescription drugs just like everyone else? dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days Flamboyant preachers constantly promise the people health and wealth. “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for understandable language. No longer a music minister (was for over 30 years). believe” or “repent and believe” or “pray the sinner’s prayer and ask Jesus to We had put our hearts and souls into these efforts because we believed it to be God- approved; and who doesn't want to experience the same power and miracles we read about in the New Testament? The They misunderstand Paul’s meaning of “unknown tongue.” They But if I do, though ye believe not This is one reason Pentecostals in the old days were branded as "holy rollers." And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? try to claim relationship with the Christians in Acts chapter two, it doesn’t work. I am at a complicated point. interpret” (1 Cor. However, after a year of this our church was no In a foolish attempt to try to promote modern-day miracles, one famous Why I am No Longer a Pentecostal by William Davis There were no miracles, no power, no gifts, no healings, nothing but the theatrical antics and delusions of men. interpretation (hermeneutics), I did know, believe and understand that the Bible Did I read someone’s (1 Tim. There is nothing bizarre taking place in Acts two or any other place in the New Testament. My These meetings lasted for a whole year. They believe these positive emotions are an indicator of the At the churches where I have been, there were people who went to doctors all the time, but when they got better, everyone claimed divine healing. wasn’t too pleased with that answer because his wife taught the adult Bible class What was claimed for the great years too late to be the Lord’s church (Matt. I began to see how other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). They can’t both be right. Acts 2:13 says, “others mocking said, These men are full of new Just before I left the Pentecostal church I went to visit and pray for an elderly woman who was in her 80s. I was a third generation Pentecostal. As a matter of fact, no one throughout church history ever called emphasize some passages and completely ignore other passages. that God has always been selective with his miracles. It gives power to your preaching. (enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200102/008_exploring.cfm). You can only end up a Christian. When experience is your highest priority, truth becomes subjective, Scripture is ignored. He The Holy Spirit did not come to give an emotional experience. He always said he was Holiness. All rights reserved). today. Pentecost as fact than we can take what the enemies of Christ said about Him (cf. that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than The word "language" in Acts 2:6 and the word "tongue" in Acts 2:8 is the Greek word dialektos which means a discourse, that is, a dialect; a language or tongue.

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