Errors Of The Pentecostal Church (updated)*

For today's article I will be going over some of the doctrinal errors of the Charismatic/Pentecostal church in the hopes of helping those of this particular denomination to better understand the scriptures.

First off let me just state that I do not believe just because your a member of or go to a charismatic or Pentecostal church that your lost. I also used to go to a Pentecostal apostolic church when I first became a christian around the age of nineteen. There are however a few doctrinal issues that I disagree on and that is why I'm creating this post.

Now this article isn't designed to address the issue of whether or not the spiritual gifts have ceased as of the moment I am undecided on the issue. There are however four heretical doctrines that I desire to address today and they are speaking in tongues (which makes  up the bulk of this article), oneness Pentecostals, the teaching that the holy Spirit comes sometime after salvation, and holy laughter/shakes, etc.

Speaking In Tongues

A popular teaching of the Pentecostal church is that you have to speak in tongues in order to indicate that you have the Holy Ghost Baptism. This is equivalent to saying unless you speak in tongues your are not saved thus adding an extra-biblical prerequisite to being saved (Mat 23:13), this section is created in order to refute that idea.

Okay so let's talk about tongues for a bit. It's important to note that tongues in the bible are actual languages that people spoke just like we have languages today like spanish, french, english, etc (Act 2:5-11).

  

A clear proof from scripture that not all christian's speak in tongues is found in 1st Corinthians 12. The bible teaches that the Spirit gives out several kinds of gifts such as the word of wisdom or understanding, the gift of healing, or the working of miracles, etc (1Co 12:7-10,  1Cor 12:28 -30). The point is the body of Christ which is composed of true Christians has different parts, not all christian's are eyes or feet, or noses (1 Cor 12:12-27). 

The extra emphasis on speaking in tongues i think is unwarranted given that there are only three instances (unless I'm mistaken) of people speaking in tongues in the whole book of acts. There are however many times where people get saved in this book but it doesn't say they spoke in tongues.

Examples include those saved under Peter's preaching (Act 2:40-42), the approximately 5 thousand that believed in Act 4:4, The eunuch (Act 8:35-39), the Grecians that were preached to at Antioch (Act 11:20-21), Lydia (Act 16:13-15), the Greeks and chief women (Act 17:4), the honorable Greek women (Act 17:12),  Dionysius and Damaris as well as others (Act 17:34), Crispus and his house and the Corinthians (Act 18:8).

Let's pretend for a minute what Pentecostals are doing today is genuine tongues. We still see them violating scripture today because of all the accounts of them doing it at the same time and without an interpreter (1Cor 14:27-28). Although I'm not saying that's what they are doing because we see accounts of them speaking few words in tongues with a long interpretation, or speaking in a relatively simple vocabulary tongue and a complex interpretation; this I personally believe hints at fraud, consider 1Cor 14:16.

Another un-scriptural belief that charismatics hold is that tongues are a sign that you have received the Holy Spirit baptism, have faith or God's favor, but scripture is clear that tongues are a sign to the unbelievers not to the believers (1Cor 14:20-22). Besides Paul elevated Prophesying above tongue speaking (1Cor 14:5).

It has been stated by some that tongues are or were a sign to unbelieving Israel and that every time tongues were spoken in Acts Jews were present (Isa 28:11-12, Act 2:6-11, Act 10:46, Act 19:6).

Then we come to the tongues charismatics refer to as a "private prayer language". This is were they claim to pray to God in a language they don't understand and by doing this they receive edification which can include healing, guidance, or encouragement in tough times. The passage they refer to to support this doctrine is 1Cor 14:4 and 1Cor 14:14. There are several reasons as to why I don't think this is scriptural and they are as follows.

For one why isn't this type of thing mentioned anywhere else in scripture? Why is it only found here? Two the bible doesn't show any difference between the tongues of Acts 2 which were known languages from the tongues we see in 1 Corinthians 12 &14. Third the purpose of gifts are to build up the church and help others and not to selfishly help oneself (1 Pet 4:10).

Fourth if the tongue speaker is edifying himself (1Cor 14:3-4), this isn't possible unless he knows what he is saying (1Cor 12:16-17). Fifth this "private prayer language" simply cannot be necessary for all believers since not all speak in tongues (1Cor 12:29-30). 1 Cor 14:5 doesn't say all did speak in tongues or that all could do it. Paul uses similar language in 1 Cor 7:7, do we suggest that Paul demands everyone to stay single like he did?

Fifth couldn't the tongues of angels mentioned by Paul in 1 Cor 13:1 be the private prayer language Pentecostals use? I don't think so for a least three reasons, first we have multiple accounts from scripture of angels talking to men in a language they can understand. Second this is the only place in scripture that I'm aware of that even mentions tongues of angels, why doesn't the bible talk about angelic tongues anywhere else? Third nowhere else in scripture will you see that speaking in tongues includes angelic tongues. I think Paul what just speaking hypothetically in order to stress his point here. 

Finally when the bible gives instructions on prayer, it assumes that prayer is understood on the part of the believer and that they are communicating to God in terms which can be understood (Mat 6:5-13, Rom 15:30-32, Eph 6:18-20, Col 4:2-3, Heb 13:18-19). Jesus discouraged vain repetitious prayer (Mat 6:7).

Oneness Pentecostals 

Adherents to this offshoot of Pentecostalism believe God is not triune but switches roles. That is, sometimes he's the Father, other times he's the Son, and sometimes he's the Spirit but he's not three distinct persons. I have a link at the bottom of the page that deals with this particular issue in detail but for now let me just make a few points.

All three members of the Godhead are present at Jesus' baptism

(Mat 3:16 -17). Jesus is at the right hand of the Father (Col 3:1),  

the Son is subject to the Father (1Co 15:28), and the indication of two wills in Luk 22:42. All these passages refute the idea of modalism, that is the idea that God is only one person. 

Charismatic Gifts 

The next part of this post is about some of the unusual behaviors that is seen in some charismatic/Pentecostal circles. I'm speaking of holy laughter, the shakes/jerks, being slain in the spirit and barking.

The first point that I want to make is that you won't find this type of behavior being the result of the holy Spirit anywhere in scripture. I mean how does this behavior edify the body of Christ, the truth is it doesn't.

Secondly, scripture teaches that God isn't the author of confusion and that all things be done decently (1Cor 14:33 & 40). It seems to me quite confusing when one claiming to be exhibiting signs of the holy Spirit to be acting like the boy in Mar 9:20, blasphemous even.

Third scripture teaches us to not act unseemly, to be sober, and that we are given a sound mind (1Co 13:5, 1Pet 5:8, 2Ti 1:7).   

How are these qualities exhibited when one is clucking like a chicken, or convulsing on the floor.

(Update: i have changed my position about being slain  the spirit, somewhat. It's was arrogant of me  to say what God can and cannot do, after considering it  more and after a friends personal testimony, i  believe some instances of what could be considered or percieved as being slain in the spirit might be of God). Sometimes its best to say i dont know rather than presume the correct answer, as i do in this case.

A Second Filling Of The Holy Ghost

The last section that I will cover today is the teaching that you get the Holy Ghost sometime after receiving Salvation. There are a few things that come to mind that seems at least to me to make this proposition implausible. First it is the Holy Spirit baptism that puts one into the body of Christ (1Cor 12:12-13, Joh 3:5-8). The Holy Spirit has a part to play in the believers salvation (Tit 3:5), so how can one be saved without having it? You need the Spirit of Christ or else you are not his (Rom 8:9).

While Pentecostals primarily focus on tongue speaking as evidence of the Spirit's filling here is a list of things that we can deduce from scripture that results from being Spirit-filled. They were bold when speaking God's word or witnessing of Christ (Act 4:8-12, Act 4:31-33), have a desire to minister to the saints (Act 6:3-5), they followed Christ's teaching to love their enemies (Act 7:55-60), are soul-winners (Act 11:24), stood against wicked men (Act 13:8-10), had joy (Act 13:52), Spirit led (Rom 8:1-14), Singing spiritual songs (Eph 5:18-19), withstanding the devil and a potent prayer life (Eph 6:11-20).

There is also a particular church called "Fire baptized Holiness Church of God of the America's". The reason I bring this particular church up is because the scripture is quite clear that being Fire baptized means damned (Mat 3:11-12, Luk 3:16 -17). They also teach that you have to speak in tongues as a sign you have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (1Co 12:29-30, Rom 12:4-5).

*It seems that I may have been mistaken in regards to the Fire baptized holiness church of God". Yes i still believe that Fire baptized can mean damned; However It could also be referring to the fiery trial/refiners fire that God brings his children through in order to bring them closer to him.

See Psa 66:10, Isa 4:4, Isa 48:10, Zec 13:8-9, Mal 3:3, Mat 3:10-11, Luk 3:16, 1 Cor 3:13, Tit 2:14, 1 Pet 1:7, 1 Pet 4:12

In conclusion we see that there are some un-biblical doctrines and practices in Charismatic circles. The last thing that I desire the reader to get out of this is that this isn't an attack on the members of the Pentecostal church personally but simply on the teachings they uphold.

Thanks for Reading and Please Share!!!!

References and Relevant Links:

https://www.wayoflife.org/database/pentecostaltongues.html

 www.spiritualabuse.org/upcbeliefs.html

http://www.fbhchurch.org/belive.html

https://youmustbebornfromabove.blogspot.com/2018/11/problems-with-hypothesis-of-modalism.html#more