A recent Christian History post triggered deeper conviction about the more visible displays of the Spirit in our churches. With all the current emphasis on being a “NT Church” (an overblown and theologically problematic phrase), where are the displays of the Spirit, i.e. healings, resurrections, God-honoring prophecy? Chris Armstrong notes that: “When we teach about the early church, we frequently omit the story of spiritual gifts.” Perhaps this is one reason we do not see the visible displays as much? To be sure, the invisible work of the Spirit, manifested in faith and works, is present and a priority; however, the following statements by the Early Church Fathers cause me to pause and reflect:
1st century
Writers of the Didache and the Shepherd of Hermas [two inspirational books used widely in the early church] witness so much charismatic activity they find it necessary to distinguish between true and false prophets. At about the same time, the writer of Pseudo-Barnabas suggests prophetic ministry is normative in the church.
2nd century
[Christian apologist] Justin Martyr argues that God has withdrawn the Spirit of prophecy and miracles from the Jews and has transferred it to the church as proof of her continued divine favor.
Irenaeus of Lyon describes the gifts of prophecy, discernment of spirits, and exorcism in his Gallic church, and even mentions that individuals have been raised from the dead. He warns against certain false Gnostics who fabricate spiritual gifts to win favor with the naïve.
3rd century
Origen of Alexandria says healings, exorcisms, and validating signs and wonders continue to be experienced in the church. Just as miracles and wonders added to the credibility of 1st-century apostles, so they continue to draw unbelievers into the Christian fold.”
4th century
Augustine [of Hippo], in The City of God, reports contemporary divine healings and other miracles. These he links directly to the conversion of pagans.
It wasn’t just the New Testament church that experienced these things; it was the post-apostolic church. Moreover, genuine displays of the Spirit’s power abound in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. One could argue this is because they are power-encounter cultures, but that would be a hyper-rationalization, something that has contributed to the dearth of genuine Spirit displays in North America.
What do you think? Are we doing something wrong? Are we “not teaching the charismatic portions of the Early Church experience? What would happen if we did?
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January 17, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Todd Engstrom
A few reactionary thoughts:
1.) I agree there is an under-emphasis of teaching on the power of the Holy Spirit in the American church in general, which contributes to the problem.
2.) I would not dismiss the power-encounter culture argument as a hyper rationalization.
When you look at the predominant captivity in our context, consumerism/materialism or loving the world, it is a form of idolatry in a passive object that flows out of our lustful appetites. Worship in the cultures that you mention centers around the idolatry of a supernatural being and are predominantly animistic and spiritual in nature. The difference in the two leads to the perceived difference in demonstrations of the Spirit’s power. The power of the Spirit is demonstrated in our context mainly through personal liberation from consumption, where as the power of the Spirit is predominantly demonstrated in confrontational supernatural events in others.
We have, as an American church, excluded the spiritual middle as Hiebert says, which leads to the twofold nature of the issue. Spiritual power is both de-emphasized in teaching, but rarely “needed” because that is not what captivates us. Our culture has so settled for and been captivated by the lowliest of gods that we are in no need of this spiritual middle.
I believe that power encounters will become more common in the American church as it does two things: engages the increasingly pluralistic spirituality that surrounds it, and engages more globally to see the work of God in the places you mention. The answer is not simply to teach more on the subject (you need look no further than the sham displays of spiritual power at “revivals” in America today for demonstrations of misapplied teaching), but in contextually appropriate demonstrations and stories of those spiritual encounters.
January 17, 2009 at 4:07 pm
The Holy Spirit and the American Church « Ethereal Thought Train
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January 17, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Jonathan Dodson
Todd,
Good thoughts. Thanks for advancing the conversation.
I am familiar with Hiebert’s arguments regarding the flaw of the excluded middle and find them to have merit; however, he does not dismiss the role of dramatic displays of spiritual power. Rather, he calls us to Christ-centered power by banking on the victory of the cross over Satan for shalom restoration. He notes that we must not divorce power from truth, and as you have pointed out, the truth need to be applied to consumerism (one issue among many). I do agree with your comments on this.
We have talked about cultural exorcisms, one form of combining power with truth. On our Sunday gatherings, people have expressed concern that their will be some angry outbursts because we are confronting “the powers” from the pulpit. Mark Driscoll experiences this quite often and appears to be encountering powers with truth. Do you envision more or less than this?
In addition to cultural exorcisms, shouldn’t the Holy Spirit be breaking in on people in such profound ways that there is deep, tearful repentance and joy? How do you see “power encounters becoming more common in the American church”?
January 17, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Mike Edwards
I think we will often not find or experience what we do not really desire. Paul said to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, ESPECIALLY that we might prophecy. Many Christians not only don’t earnestly desire the gifts of the Spirit, they don’t even marginally desire them; many others fear or run away from them.
That’s not to say that every exercise of spiritual giftedness is guaranteed NOT to be abused (after all, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was an addressing of such abuse) but definitely shouldn’t be ignored.
Without sounding too extreme in that direction, we must remember that we cannot manufacture Spiritual activity or the miraculous. We must desire God to be at work in such ways, to seek it, and to surrender to it when the Spirit is at work upon His people.
January 18, 2009 at 12:08 am
J. R. Miller
I have spent a lot of years in the Charismatic / Pentecostal world and there is a huge emphasis in these churches on healing and miracles. In my experience, these churches experience very few miracles in any degree close what we see in the selected texts from the NT.
If it is not common enough in the church today, I don’t think one can say it is because of a lack of emphasis on sign giftings.
January 19, 2009 at 5:39 am
andrew
i see some signs. but where is the persecution in the west?
January 19, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Jonathan Dodson
Could the persecution be more subtle than physical?
January 19, 2009 at 3:21 pm
toodus
Jonathan,
I would say I envision more of the power encounters from the pulpit, but also think they may not necessarily be solely of the “visible” type. I would say that your last two statements combined would be what I envision…a greater proliferation of Driscoll-esque encounters with cultural idols as preachers utilize thier pulpit for Gospel proclamation, and an even great outpouring of brokenness and repentance leading to joy in the same situation. As the Gospel is proclaimed, it reveals rebellion, and the responses of those whom are called are repentance and joy, whereas the responses of those who are not are anger and frustration.
I would also hope that individuals and small communities would begin to experience this power as they pursue God together in their communities. I would hope for both an Acts-like apostolic outpouring of the Spirit’s power, as well as a more subtle recovery of the power of the Spirit in individuals lives.
January 19, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Jonathan Dodson
Awesome. Let’s keep laboring and praying for it!
How are you equipping small communities to do this?
January 19, 2009 at 3:48 pm
toodus
I’m not sure yet…your post just put it in front of me. The first step for me in college ministry is building the foundation of the Gospel and its power…I think we realize last semester that we departed from teaching the basics (be in the Word, pray like crazy, and share your faith often), so we are repenting and working on those three things. My hope is that as people do those three things, the Spirit will work in power in their lives…
January 22, 2009 at 2:22 am
learning
Yes I think we are doing something wrong or have gone wrong somewhere along the line. But Im not sure if one can say that all churches have it wrong. But when you walk into most churches there is a sense of deadness. Some churches emphasize the bible and having bible knowledge and correct doctrine but are lifeless. It’s like we can be the church without God’s presence and do things as we come together without God. We depend on our own knowledge and our own charisma and talents.
I’m also not sure how open most evangelicals are to experiencing the Spirit (ephesians 5:18). Some circles have said that being filled with the Spirit is not somekind of experience, that it isn’t experiential. I think that is wrong. Why is it that believers outside of the west are open to the Spirit and open to seeking after the Spirit’s presence or filling in their lives while we in the west are pretty much closed to it, at least in conservative evangelical circles? For instance in the Korean church one is taught to go to a mountain either by oneself or with a small group with the purpose of either hearing from God or experiencing the Spirit and drawing closer to God in intimacy. I wouldn’t be surprised if this same kind of seeking the filling of the Spirit was found in other cultures as well. I serve in a small ministry in which the leadership is predominately african american except myself. I have noticed they too emphasize not only abiding in and reading God’s word but also seeking the Spirit’s power and presence. As one of the leaders recently told me……” Without the Spirit you’ll just be a religious person “.
But there are groups that are getting it right such as Sovereign Grace Ministry in regards to the Spirit and the Christian life in that the indwelling of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit are two theologically distinct experiences. The indwelling of the Spirit happens at conversion whether one desires it or not while the filling of the Spirit happens multiple times in a believers life and is an experience to be sought after again and again or continually throughout the believer’s life.
I just think conservative evangelicalism has gone wrong when it comes to the Spirit and the christian life. We’ve turned the christian life into an edurance test to see who can be disciplined enough or focused enough to make it to the finish line instead of the christian life being a vibrant and real relationship with the living and ressurected Jesus.
July 10, 2009 at 2:21 pm
The Holy Spirit and the American Church « Ethereal Thought Train
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