Who are they - charismatics? Charismatics. Charismatic movement. Charismatics, where did they come from? Evangelical Christian Charismatic Church
Former Charisma editor J. Lee Grady in his article offers to consider 9 charismatic habits that they need to get rid of.
He writes: "Over the course of four decades, the charismatics have introduced some traditions that not only make all charismatic churches a laughingstock, but also prevent people from heeding the Word of God. I think our spiritual immaturity has allowed us to behave in this way."
One can not agree with everything that the enlightened charismatic leader writes, but it is still useful to read his understanding of the situation in charismatic churches. After all, he sees the situation from the inside. It turns out that a lot of what is happening there is really imitation and a fake under the alleged action of the Holy Spirit. As a Baptist, perhaps I should not have repeated the publication of this material. It is commendable that charismatics criticize themselves. But the fact is that there are people among the Baptists who sympathize with some of the phenomena listed below. Let them read and understand that the charismatics themselves want to get rid of this.So, nine habits that charismatics need to get rid of:
1. Don't push people.
Sometimes when the Holy Spirit touches us, we can feel our body weaken and we just can't stand. But it happens that we do not get weak from the Holy Spirit, but from the fact that the preacher hits us or pushes us. In doing so, he shows that he hopes for his strength, as if he is trying to demonstrate it, passing it off as a “strike” of the Holy Spirit.
2. Fall out of courtesy.
Some people fall to the floor while praying because they believe there is spiritual power in it. But Scripture doesn't say that you have to fall in order to receive God's anointing or healing. All this you receive by faith.
3. Never-ending song.
From the fact that we repeat the refrain or verse of a song for 159 times, God will not listen more closely to our prayers. It doesn't change anything, He hears us the first time.
4. Amateur flags.
In the 80s, flags and banners appeared in churches, which undoubtedly attracted attention during worship. But where did the idea come from that we should wave them in worship in front of our brothers and sisters?
5. Don't procrastinate your church offerings.
6. Finish your sermon on time.
I don't mind a long sermon, or the fact that sometimes you can preach a little longer than the allotted time. And don't say in front of an audience that you're done when you know you have 30 more minutes to continue preaching.
7. Dirty dancing in the church
I don't see a problem to dance in church, to glorify God in this way. But, I am against when we allow many non-professional, but amateur dance groups, to dance in front of a church audience in tight-fitting costumes.
8. Too loud
When the early church prayed, the building shook. Today, our buildings are shaking from the volume of our sound systems. Sometimes you have to put earplugs during worship. “Charismatic” doesn’t mean loud, our spirituality is not measured in decibels.”
9. Launch of Glossolalia
Speaking in tongues is one of the most wonderful gifts God has given to Christians. But, some believe that the repetition of certain phrases or words can help them manifest this gift. Stop manipulating the Holy Spirit.
Pentecostals- Evangelical Christians (in Russia - Evangelical Christians - HVE), followers of Pentecostalism, one of the directions of Protestantism. Pentecostals emphasize the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, understanding it as a special spiritual experience at the moment of which the power of the Holy Spirit descends on the reborn believer. Pentecostals consider this experience identical to that experienced by the apostles on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ. And since this day is called the day of Pentecost, hence the name "Pentecost".
Pentecostals are convinced that the power that the believer receives as a result of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is outwardly manifested by speaking in other tongues (cf. Acts Ap. 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:6). The specific understanding of the phenomenon of "speaking in other tongues" (glossolalia) is distinctive feature Pentecostals.
The main differences between charismatic theology and traditional Pentecostal theology lie in the plane of giving emphasis during the meetings of the community to actions aimed at the possible manifestations of the action of God in each parishioner. In traditional Pentecostal churches, there are no and impossible practices that are acceptable in charismatic ones:
"holy laughter"
"falling under the influence of the Holy Spirit"
"dancing in the spirit"
Charismatics in general, they pursue the policy of the "modern" church, which is often categorically condemned by Pentecostals. The essential difference concerns the very form of worship. Charismatic meetings are very emotional, bright, similar to modern shows, often very rhythmic music is used, which is popular among young people (disco, rock, etc.). While Pentecostal services are much calmer.
Piety is understood differently by charismatics and Pentecostals(relation to material resources, appearance and Christian behavior, family structure). Some aspects of charismatic theology (such as the "prosperity gospel") are completely unacceptable from the point of view of conservative Pentecostals.
It is difficult to single out all the features of the doctrine of the Charismatic movement in view of the fact that it is divided into many currents. However, the vast majority of organizations of the charismatic movement agree with the statements Apostles' Creed. Most are Trinitarians. The main difference of the charismatic trend is the belief in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which God can manifest himself in any believer:
“To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; faith to another, by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; miracles to another, prophecy to another, discernment of spirits to another, different languages, a different interpretation of tongues.
(1 Corinthians 12:8)"
They also share most of the tenets of Protestantism - about "justification by faith" and "only Scripture"(lat. Sola Scriptura).
Religious scholars assess the differences between Pentecostals and charismatics in different ways. Some religious scholars tend to believe that these are fundamentally different trends in Christianity, while others attribute these movements to one whole.
In fairness, I would like to add on my own behalf that the "boom" of the charismatic movement, especially in the 90s, has long declined .. Now many charismatic churches are approaching Pentecostal in the form of worship and doctrine and are becoming something "average" ..) So, for example, the church "New Life", which I attend, is officially considered Pentecostal, but, in fact, is somewhere in between .. (We have neither "holy laughter" nor "falls in spirit" , no "dancing in the spirit", but there is no too "severe" piety either - ordinary clothes, being rich is not a sin, rock is also allowed in glorification, etc.)
From the time of the founding of the Church on earth by Christ the Savior, Who is Himself the Foundation, many different heresies have appeared before and are arising in our days, opposed to the truth of God, and therefore to Christ Himself.
But everything new is the well-forgotten old, as Ecclesiastes says about this: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1: 9). In this sense, the charismatic sect "New Generation" and its delusions in matters of ecclesiology, Christology, its teaching about the gifts of the Holy Spirit are far from new. In the writings of the Fathers of the Church - Saints Irenaeus of Lyons, Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great and others - we find answers to the heretical delusions of that time, which are close, and sometimes exactly coincide with the spirit of the delusions of modern charismatics in general and in particular with what the sect teaches " New generation".
The Fathers of the Church, refuting this or that error, took the letters, treatises, documents of heretics as the basis and in their writings showed what their error consists of and how the Church understands this or that doctrinal question. In this work we will also follow the methodology of the fathers and teachers of the Church.
Consider the internal documents of the charismatic sect "New Generation". Documents of the internal use of the charismatic sect were taken for analytical research not by chance, since they serve methodological guide training of the leaders of the sect and on their basis all heretical delusions are built, subsequently transmitted to the rank and file members of the "New Generation". It is from these manual documents that the religious and ideological system of the entire movement, which they call the "church", is subsequently formed.
The study of internal documents of the New Generation sect makes it possible to see the whole inconsistency of its teaching, its pseudo-dogmatic aspects, which is the purpose of our work.
We will consider the false teaching about the Church, spiritual gifts, Tradition, and give a refutation and an indication of errors, remembering the words of the Apostle James: “Brethren! if any of you deviate from the truth, and whoever turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from his false path will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins ”(James 5: 19-20). The analytical study is structured as follows: one or another text of the manual is considered, a comprehensive answer is given to it, while not only pointing out the misconception, but also analyzing what it is. This will help teachers of sect studies, missionaries, catechists, as well as a person who has fallen into a sect and wants to join the Russian Orthodox Church, to understand the false teachings of the New Generation sect. This is the practical significance of this study.
History of occurrence sect "New generation"
The Pentecostal sect and its heretical teaching, which we observe on present stage emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. But, according to researchers, it "has its forerunners in the 19th century." And considering the emergence of charismaticism historically, we will meet elements of false charisma in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit already in the Ancient Church - in such a movement as Montanism.
Initially, a group of Pentecostal sects was called "Movement of the Second Descent of the Holy Spirit, like the Day of Pentecost". One of its founders is the Methodist minister Charles Parham, thanks to whom the exact date of the founding of the Pentecostal movement is known: 7 pm on the eve of 1901. Charles Parham, comparing the ministry of the apostles with that of modern preachers, asked, "Why don't modern preachers have the same gifts?" In his answer, he concluded that "the Christians of the first century had some 'secret of power' which they have now lost." Gradually around this preacher gathered a group of "seekers of apostolic Christianity." Even a small school was founded, consisting of 30 teachers and a few students who decided that this secret lay in "speaking in tongues", which, as they thought, always accompanied the "reception of the Holy Spirit" in the Acts of the Apostles. Having come to this conclusion, Parham's followers began to pray fervently for "giving them the gifts of the Holy Spirit" until "they themselves receive the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit'" . And so, on New Year's Eve 1901, one of the students, Agnes I. Ozmen, suggested that the experiment lacked the laying on of hands. After Parham's "laying on of hands" and prayer, she spoke in "an unknown tongue." Then, within three days, several more people received the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” in the same way. It should be noted that Parham himself did not come up with anything original. He "borrowed" many of his teachings from the so-called Fire-Baptized Holiness Association, of which he was a member from 1899 to 1900.
In parallel, other currents of Pentecostals also appeared. In 1886 N.S. Religom founded the United Holy Church of America for the black population of the United States. In 1880, in Anderson, Indiana, D.S. Varner founded the Church of God. In addition to these, other communities appeared. Therefore, there is no consensus among researchers of Pentecostalism about the time of the emergence of the sect, but most agree that the sect was organized at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries simultaneously in different cities of the United States, and later appeared in Europe and Russia.
Aleksey Ledyaev, founder and senior pastor of the New Generation sect, was born in 1959 into a Baptist family in Alma-Ata. Later, in the 1980s, he moved to Riga, where he joined the local Evangelical Christian Baptist Church. A few years later he experienced the “baptism with the holy spirit” (in the understanding characteristic of Pentecostals). After that, he joined the Pentecostal church, which he headed later - after its pastor Nikolai Shevchuk emigrated to Sweden. He began to gradually introduce elements of charismatic worship into the Pentecostal church (clapping hands, dancing, loud prayers), which caused discontent among conservative Pentecostal ministers. By decision of the council of bishops, Alexey Ledyaev was removed from the ministry and soon founded a new church with those who joined him (autumn 1989).
His teaching is close to the Faith Movement teaching, since in the early years he was greatly influenced by pastor Ulf Ekman (Uppsala, Sweden) and the Word of Life church community founded by the latter. Gradually, the "New Generation" distanced itself from other charismatic movements and proclaimed the individuality of theology, after which ROSKhVE officially announced the severance of ties and relations with this preacher and the churches he founded.
False concept of grace
The Church has already been created by the Lord and, according to His word, is irresistible. So why create it again now?
The Bible School of the New Generation Church, in an internal manual entitled The Gifts and Ministry of the Holy Spirit, advises its pastors, leaders, and followers to start building a church. So, in section 1.1. the following is said: "It is His unexpected intervention that confirms the right to build the church according to His will." The following is a text from the Gospel, in which the Lord Jesus Christ says: “I will create My Church” - for some reason the Gospel text is interrupted at this point, and the author of the manual decides to finish it himself, at his own discretion: “It is with the gifts that He builds it.” But in the Gospel the Savior says: “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Pulling text out of context is not accidental. After all, if the Church, according to the teachings of the Apostle Paul, is the "Body of Christ", and according to the word of Christ - it is invincible, even if hell itself enters into it, then the question arises by itself: why build when it has already been built? Why create when already created? And, according to the definition of the Creator, it cannot be destroyed, but, on the contrary, is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3: 15). The Savior always and everywhere taught about one Church, one “sheepfold” (John 10:1), about “one flock” (John 10:7–17), about “one vine"(John 15:1-6). “One Lord, one faith, one baptism,” writes the Apostle Paul (Eph. 4:5).
The unexpected intervention of the Holy Spirit, according to the author of the manual, gives the right to build a church. Strange discussion. If we turn to the Holy Scriptures, we see just the opposite. God does not interfere in a person's life, but gradually prepares him for a meeting with Himself. Even when corruption reached its peak in the history of mankind, for example, during the life of the antediluvian people, Noah builds an ark (a symbol of the Church), preparing mankind for 120 years with a sermon about perdition and the possibility of salvation. The Old Testament Law, whose purpose is to be “a schoolmaster to Christ” (Gal. 3:24), has been preparing people for thousands of years to receive the Messiah. And Christ Himself came into the world as a Child. All this can hardly be called a "surprise invasion." Even when Christ spoke of the end of this world, He still pointed to the signs of His Coming. The Savior does not interfere and does not violate the free will of man, which He endowed him with at creation. Christ promises to send into the world the “Comforter Spirit” (John 14:26), who will not break in, but “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and I will dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). He does not break on the door, but knocks, humbly waiting for the doors that He created to be opened to Him.
Further, the author of the manual writes: "The characteristic of the action of the gifts of the DS is unpredictability." It is hardly possible to agree with this statement. The Lord Jesus Christ, after His glorious Resurrection, appeared to the apostles for 40 days, instructing them and preparing them to receive the Holy Spirit. And he did not say: “Wait for unpredictability - and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”, but on the contrary: “And having gathered them, He commanded them: do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, about which you heard from Me, for John baptized with water but you, a few days after this, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). Where is the unpredictability in these words? Rather, the inattention of the student of the texts of the Bible leads to such sudden conclusions. Such haste can cost eternity. The Savior taught: "Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life" (John 5:39). And the author of the manual himself further calls for this: “it is necessary to fill yourself with the word of God ... read the Bible.” If so, then it is incomprehensible how one can fail to see obvious texts, especially those that relate to the founding of the Church and its organization. We will return to the question of the Church and the cause of blindness in the study of the Bible.
It turns out that the “gift of the Spirit” is the ability to manipulate people. Then is it from God?
In the following sections of the manual (2, 3, 4) it is said in theses, the meaning of which is rather chaotic and contradictory. For example, in the section titled “It is the gifts of the Holy Spirit that determine (qualify) our calling and exact coordinates in the Body of Christ,” the following is written: “Your gift, that is, what you can do well ...”. We can agree with this. But further: "... he will elevate you above others." And this is the form in which this elevation is supposed to be realized: “A dentist can tell a person: “Open your mouth,” and he will obey.” This leads to the conclusion: is this a gift to manipulate people? If so, is it from God? And this thesis ends in complete contradiction to what was said above with a quote from the Apostle Paul: "Honor one another above yourself" (Philippians 2:3). How is it possible: towering over others, at the same time forcing everyone to open their mouths, at the same time respecting others above themselves? I would like to ask the author if he himself read what he wrote?
Further, the author of the manual returns to the question of the Church. "The Church, - in his opinion, - is a unique combination of active various gifts of God, and not an accumulation of people." To give such a definition of the Church, one must possess some kind of, apparently, "extraordinary gift." Perhaps it is on such principles and concepts that the construction of “ new church". But that Church, the beginning of which was laid by Christ and the foundation of which He Himself is, consisted precisely of the apostles and the people. They are gathered by Christ Himself, enlightened by His light in Baptism and sealed by the Holy Spirit. “All the believers were together… For a whole year they gathered in church and taught a considerable number of people, and the disciples in Antioch for the first time began to be called Christians” (Acts 2:44; 11:26). The church consists of believing people - Christians, and not of "active unique combinations." The author of the manual may have overdone it in reading a famous work or watching a film about the “great strategist” - the main character in the novel “12 Chairs” by I. Ilf and E. Petrov. It’s good that he didn’t get to the Grand Inquisitor. Although this spirit is already wafting, which follows from the following thesis: “Thanks to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will take this land for God”; "...Give me a point of support, and I will turn the whole world upside down".
In this hierarchy of “wisdom,” politics and money come first. Something to think about
I wonder how this capture and flip will look like? Maybe, as in Kyiv, where supporters of the charismatic movement took to the streets under the flags of " orange revolution"? Who knows. However, in the “Natural Platform for Manifesting the Gift of the Word of Wisdom” section, it says: “Wisdom is a creative creative force in politics, in business, in the church, in the family ... We will take this earth for God.” In this hierarchy of “wisdom,” politics and money come first. There is something to think about. And “to take the land for God”… But it already belongs to Him – by the right of the Creator: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).
And with the reading of 1 Kings. 17 - again difficulties. The prophet Elijah is credited with saying something he did not say: “The widow of Zarephath was in debt. The Prophet asked: “What do you have?” That is, you need a fulcrum. “Oil in a jar,” answered the widow. “Then let’s start with this,” said the prophet. The author refers to the book by K. Hagin, who wrote about the natural platform for supernatural gifts. Why, creating a platform for gifts, distort and distort the texts of Scripture? Talk about big truths, starting with small lies? Natural fulcrum - oil in a jug! With such a liberal, to put it mildly, approach to the texts of Divine Revelation, how could one not slip on this “natural fulcrum” and not be shipwrecked in faith!
When it comes to faith, the author of the manual quotes many texts of the Bible and comments on them not so arbitrary. But how to understand the expression: “The gift of faith is when God raises the level of your faith to the level of His Faith”? What level does God have, and what kind of faith does God need?! He - God - is self-sufficient and does not need any movement and ascent. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). What assurance does God need, and what does He not see? What a strange faith. God is omnipresent, omniscient and omniscient. Man needs faith. “Faith unites a person with God, overcoming the division that was caused by sin. After the fall, a person has to be guided in his life “by faith, and not by and day” (2 Cor. 5:7), since “in and vision” for the sinner turns out to be darkened - “now we see, as it were, through a dim glass, guessingly” (1 Cor. 13: 12) ” .
Contemplation "face to face" (1 Cor. 12:13) in this life is not available in the fullness in which it will be revealed to believers in the eschatological perspective.
If someone says that God believes in man, then let him confirm his words with Holy Scripture. There are no such words in the Bible: "Man, I believe in you." So who does God believe in, and where is this level, to which it is advised to rise? If God has His own level of faith, then He hasn't achieved something yet or doesn't know something about Himself. Ridiculous delusion! So close to humanism - the religion of man-god, when God is reduced to the level of man by attributing human qualities to him, and then completely denied. Yes, “the great mystery of piety: God appeared in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16), but He was like us “in everything except sin” (Heb. 4:15), and faith was given as a gift to overcome sin, but there was no sin in Him. What level of faith does God have? And what sin must He overcome with His faith?
For some reason, the author of the manual does not like the word "religion". Monotony is religiosity. It is possible that ignorance of the meaning of the word "religion" leads to this conclusion. In the life of a Christian, such a constant religious "monotony" would be more often. Religion is a word of Latin origin: religio - and means: “conscientiousness, piety”, “connect, bind”. If you connect your life with God, then such monotony is happiness. It leads to a variety of religious experience. In the Bible, it is called walking before God and imitating the life of the righteous, transforming it into the image of the Second Adam, instilling boldness in faith to exclaim with the Apostle Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). If religiosity in this sense is monotony, then the search for diversity outside of religion is, in fact, a willingness to vacillate between faith and unbelief, righteousness and sin, light and darkness. A Christian does not look for various experiences outside of religion, outside of God. And everything that receives valuable, receives from Him with gratitude. According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, even the coming future is not repetition, monotony, but, on the contrary, infinite diversity in God and with God. Anyone who in religion, in connection with God, did not find the good that he was looking for, in fact, renounced God, for he considers something outside of God to be good for himself. The believer accepts everything that he has (both spiritual and material) as from the hands of God and thanks for everything, seeing in this His providence.
In the very first section of the manual, which can be called an introduction, because the main part is devoted to the topic “Gifts and Ministry of the Holy Spirit” corresponding to the title, it says: “Fruits are primary, gifts are secondary.” And again: “When I know that I will be rewarded for my work, I have an incentive to work. When there is no incentive, then it will be like in religion or like in Soviet times.”
It's all mixed up here. First the gift, then the fruits. God gives the gift of life to man, the gift of faith, knowledge, wisdom... Spirit is primary, form is secondary. Now, the fruits are the fruits of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let us remember the parable about the talents, about how Christ, warning about false prophets, said: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matt. 7:16) – what kind of spirit they are. A gift is known by its fruits: whether it is from God or not. The fruit is an action that is embodied as a result of what kind of spirit a person has acquired.
This is the psychology of a mercenary. And the mercenary always rises above the Lord with a claim: “God owes me!”
And about the incentive to work for gifts, for a reward, we can say that such a state in the Gospel is called "mercenary work", and being a hired hand is worse than being a slave and a friend. With a mercenary, God always walks in debtors; a person with such a psychology rises above God with a claim: "After all, He owes me." The words of the Gospel are forgotten, where it is said that “we are worthless servants, because we have done what we had to do” (Luke 17:10).
All attempts to create some other church is nothing but a utopian idea that contradicts the words of God-inspired Scripture: “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
It cannot be said unequivocally that everything in the manual is bad. There are also right advice, and accurate biblical quotations, but when they break away from the Church, the understanding of the Holy Scripture and, accordingly, its interpretation become arbitrary, which leads to errors.
One can completely agree with the author that "any of our ... interference in God's plans ends in ugliness." Yes, attempts to understand the Bible outside of the Church are misleading. Outside of Church Tradition, a correct understanding and perception of Holy Scripture is impossible. Vladimir Lossky, speaking of Tradition, argued: “If Scripture and everything that can be said by written or other symbols, are various ways express the Truth, then Sacred Tradition is the only way to perceive the Truth: “no one can call (know) Jesus the Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12: 3) ... So, we can give an exact definition of Tradition, saying that it is the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church, a life that imparts to every believer the ability to hear, accept, and know the Truth in its inherent Light, and not in the natural light of the human mind.
Misconceptions about healing and miracles
The next section of the manual is about the gift of healing. It states, "Healing is an integral part of evangelism." After reading this section, we can conclude that after the death of Christ on the Cross, a person’s illness is just a misunderstanding. "Healing is part of our preaching." Everyone should heal - this is like a "proof" of the brothers. Therefore, every Christian can and even must boldly ask God for healing by laying hands on the sick. The custom of laying hands on a person's head with a prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit is presented here as a normative one. "The laying on of hands is not a matter of our heroism, but a matter of love." Blessings with the laying on of hands Orthodox tradition carried out only by bishops and priests. Here, as we see, the laying on of hands is not only recommended, but strongly required of every follower of this neo-Pentecostal movement. And the right of such an unauthorized decision is given to them by their own invented idea of a universal priesthood.
According to the author of the manual, “the gift of miracle-working is necessary”, “the gift of miracle-working expands the range of ministry”, it is recommended to constantly look for miracles, think about them, admire them. "We must talk about the miracles of God, admire them so that they become part of our consciousness." "A miracle is a catalyst for faith."
It is very dangerous to assert one's faith on the fact of a miracle. After all, miracles are false. Not everything from heaven is from God
Hence the following is obvious: if there is no miracle, faith will be lost. A person who builds his faith on the desire to see and feel miracles and signs will be disappointed if he does not receive another miracle, because then despondency and “shipwreck in faith” will follow (1 Tim. 1: 19).
People during the earthly life of Christ often demanded signs and wonders from Him. The Savior lamented: "You will not believe unless you see signs and wonders" (John 4:48). The consciousness of people was so accustomed to the search for miracles and the mind became clouded to such an extent that they only had to enjoy the delight of another miracle. They told the Savior hanging on the Cross: “Let him now come down from the cross, so that we can see and believe” (Mark 15:32).
Christ did not work a miracle for the sake of a miracle. And the apostles did not chase after them. So, the apostle Paul in the First Epistle to the Corinthians writes: “For the Jews also demand miracles, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:22-23). It is very dangerous to assert one's faith on the fact of a miracle. After all, miracles are false. Not everything from heaven is from God. Both our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles warned about false prophets and false signs: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
(To be continued.)
Charismatic movements(English Charismatic movement from Greek. χάρισμα "gift<благодати>; gift") - a movement within Christianity that appeared in the twentieth century mainly among Protestant communities, but also became widespread among Catholics, declaring that in its activities in accordance with Scripture (1 Cor.) the gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifested - healing, prophecy, discernment of spirits , wonderworking, other languages. In many ways, teaching and liturgical practice intersect with Pentecostalism, but there are certain ones.
Description
The term " charismatic movement describes an ongoing international and interdenominational Christian movement in which individual, historical Christian communities are adopting Pentecostal-like beliefs and practices, namely "baptism in the Holy Spirit".
Initially, the goal of the charismatic movement was not to found new charismatic communities, but to spread the charismatic experience in all already existing Christian churches of various denominations. Later, this process changed, and the charismatic movement in most cases began to spread through the founding of new independent communities.
Charismatic churches assert their adherence to the Apostolic and Niceno-Tsaregrad Creed (see Peculiarities of Religion).
In Russia, the "charismatics" themselves usually call themselves Christians of the Evangelical faith (Pentecostals). In some regions, in order not to confuse Pentecostals (PCE) and "charismatics", the latter refer to themselves as Evangelical Christians (CHEV).
currents
The charismatic movement is a collection of religious unions and independent religious organizations that have basically the same theology and form of worship.
Representatives of the Faith Movement charismatic movement (leaders: Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Jerry Sawell, Jesse Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, Kate Butler, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer); Catholic Charismatic Movement; movement, South Korean Yeouido Full Gospel Church (Assemblies of God); "Movement renewal" ("Toronto" blessing). There are also many other representatives of the charismatic movement.
Features of religion
It is difficult to single out all the features of the doctrine of the Charismatic movement in view of the fact that it is divided into many currents. However, the vast majority of organizations in the charismatic movement agree with the statements of the Apostles' Creed. Most are Trinitarians.
The main difference of the charismatic trend is the belief in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which God can manifest himself in any believer:
To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; faith to another, by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; miracles to another, prophecy to another, discernment of spirits to another, tongues to another, interpretation of tongues to another.
They also share most of the tenets of Protestantism - about "justification by faith" and "only Scripture" (lat. Sola Scriptura).
glossolalia
The practice of glossolalia is common to both the Charismatic movement and Pentecostals. Its essence lies in the conviction that every believer who has experienced the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" can receive a supernatural gift from God to speak (or pray) in human (such as, for example, English, German, Italian, etc.), and also in angelic languages. Baptism with the Holy Spirit, according to charismatics, Pentecostals and other members of the Pentecostal movement, is accompanied by the sign of speaking in other tongues. This is based, for example, on these passages from the Bible:
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; will speak with new tongues
So tongues are a sign...
This belief is built on some places from the New Testament, namely from the book of Acts and the 1st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. So, for example, in the 2nd chapter of Acts, it is described how the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost:
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance
The term "charismatic" was coined by American Lutheran minister Harald Bredesen in 1962 to describe what was going on in Protestant denominations.
Further spread of the charismatic movement:
- 1961 - Lutheran pastor Larry Christenson experienced a moment of charisma in his congregation in San Pedro.
- 1962 - Anglican Michael Harper from London experienced a similar charismatic experience and founded the Fountain of Faith community, which played a significant role in spreading the charismatic movement in England. In 1964, David de Plessis accepted an invitation from the Vatican to participate in the Second Vatican Council.
- 1965 - An ecumenical meeting on the charismatic building of the church was held in Germany.
- 1966 - The charismatic movement was also born among the Catholic Church in a group of Catholic students from Dukven University.
- 1967 - the charismatic movement was brought to the Catholic University of Notre Dame in Southband (Indiana), from there the movement spread very quickly throughout all the states and Canada.
- 1969 - The first meeting of members of the movement of charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church was held, and in 1970 the Second meeting was held, in - the Third meeting.
- 1974 - an international conference on the topic "Holy Spirit" was held in Jerusalem. Participation was primarily from members of Pentecostal churches and charismatic church groups.
- 1973 - the First International Congress of the Catholic Charismatic Movement was held, 1975 - the Second International Congress, 1978 - the Third International Congress.
- 1981 - an event called "Olympia-81" was held at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. It was initiated by F. Spitzer, who received a vision of a crowded stadium.
Today, the largest charismatic communities in Europe are found in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Italy. In Latin America, in Brazil there are five charismatic denominations, each of which includes more than 2 million people, in Mexico, the five million organization "LIGHT OF THE WORLD" is the largest Hispanic society in the world. In Africa, the charismatic movement is most prevalent south of the Sahara, in what is known as Sub-Saharan Africa. The charismatic movement is also widespread in the US.
In Russia
The first communities of the charismatic movement began to appear in parallel with the beginning of perestroika in the Soviet Union. Ulf Ekman (Word of Life from Uppsala, Sweden) and his assistant Carl-Gustav Severin played a huge role in this.
To date, many independent communities of the charismatic movement have formed in Russia, some of them are members of various charismatic associations, while maintaining their autonomy, while others remain outside of them.
Modernity
At the moment the situation is quite complicated. Despite the strictly conservative views of a number of leaders in the regions, the presence of churches with "new forms of ministry" throughout Russia was not unusual for the Russian Church of the Pentecostal Church, although since the early 1990s. this all-Russian union was considered traditionally Pentecostal. Contradictions among charismatics and Pentecostals arise mainly because of differing views on the issues of missionary work and holding ministries. Thus, charismatics recognize and use new forms in worship and in missionary work, while conservatives reject the ideas of new theological doctrines (where, for example, the emphasis is on prosperity and health), as well as forms of service that are too emotional, in their opinion. Representatives of the conservative Pentecostal movement clearly distinguish between Pentecostals and charismatics. Bishop of the Nizhny Novgorod KhVEP association Dulesin sees the difference between these two currents not in the external style of service, but in a different approach to teaching. Dulesin considers charismatics to be representatives of the liberal development of the Christian church, and he sees Pentecostals as fundamentalists who do not depart from the purity of doctrine. Charismatics, in his opinion, are most concerned about the rights of the individual citizen, about "... how to adapt to worldly life ...", and also allow the emergence of new teachings, such as the teaching of wealth and health.
Differences Between Pentecostals and Charismatics
The main differences between charismatic theology and traditional Pentecostal theology are the understanding of the causes of " born again", which, in the traditional sense, occurs through enlightenment, awareness and complete conversion (repentance), and not through sensual decision making (superficial repentance under the influence of surging feelings). Also, the difference lies in giving emphasis during community meetings to actions aimed at the possible manifestations of the action of God in each parishioner, while, as a rule, the difference lies in the size of the audience, which is smaller for traditional Pentecostals. According to the doctrines of the Pentecostal churches, practices that are permissible in charismatic groups are impossible in traditional communities:
Charismatics, in general, advocate external innovations in the course of worship in the church, giving it a “modern” look and sound, which is often categorically condemned by Pentecostals. The essential difference concerns the very form of worship. Charismatic meetings, as a rule, are rather brightly emotionally colored, during the liturgical part, rhythmic music, popular among young people (disco, rock, etc.), is often used, while Pentecostal services are much calmer. Also, questions of piety are understood differently (attitude to material means, appearance and behavior of a Christian, family relationships and subordination). Some aspects of charismatic theology (such as the "prosperity gospel") are completely unacceptable from the point of view of conservative Pentecostals.
Religious scholars assess the differences between Pentecostals and charismatics in different ways. Some religious scholars tend to believe that these are fundamentally different trends in Christianity, while others attribute these movements to one whole.
Current position in society
Today, charismatic churches are trying to play a fairly active role in modern society trying to influence him.
Charity is traditionally widespread, all possible participation in social projects is taken at the location of a particular charismatic community. There is a network of Pentecostal-charismatic organizations in various localities that help drug addicts and alcoholics get rid of their addiction for free. At the same time, the activities of such organizations are monitored by law enforcement agencies, which often causes bewilderment of patients and their relatives. As one of the project participants noted,
“... When my 17-year-old daughter was picked up drunk on the streets, and then I was fined 500 rubles for this, no one in the police and prosecutor's office was worried about this. And now, when there is hope that my now adult child will not die somewhere under the fence, they demand an explanation from me ... "
Charismatic movement(English) Charismatic movement- from Greek. χαρισμα ; gift (grace), gift; also called Neo-Pentecostalism listen)) is a movement within Christianity, mainly among Protestant communities, but also spread among Catholics and slightly among Orthodox. In many ways, doctrine and liturgical practice overlap with Pentecostalism, but there are also significant differences. There is also a term in Russian neo-Pentecostals, which is usually applied to the charismatic movement by representatives of sectology, who, for the most part, are representatives Orthodox Church. Charismatics themselves are negative about the use of this term in relation to their communities. In foreign religious studies, this term is not used.
In Russia, representatives of the charismatic movement usually call themselves Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals), which, in turn, is opposed by representatives of classical Pentecostals. In some regions, in order not to confuse Pentecostals and charismatics, charismatics call themselves Christians of the Evangelical Faith (CHEV).
currents
The charismatic movement is not one denomination or one unified creed. It is divided into several areas, which often have more differences in theology, while the form of worship is practically the same.
Major movements include (on a global scale): Faith Movement (leaders: Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Jerry Sawell, Jesse Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, Keith Butler); Catholic Charismatic Movement; movement "Vineyard"; Renewal movement ("Toronto" blessing) and independent charismatic Churches. The list is not limited to this, in fact there are many more.
Features of religion
It is difficult to single out all the features of the doctrine of the Charismatic movement in view of the fact that it is divided into many currents. However, the vast majority of Charismatic Churches agree with the statements of the Apostles' Creed. Most are Trinitarians.
They also share most of the Protestant tenets of "justification by faith" and "Scripture alone."
glossolalia
The practice of glossolalia is common to the Charismatic movement, as it is to Pentecostals. Its essence lies in the conviction of charismatics that every believer who has experienced the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" can receive a supernatural gift from God to speak (or pray) in languages that he never understood, or those that he understood. For example, in English, German, Italian and others. And also in angelic languages. Baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to charismatics, Pentecostals, and other members of the Pentecostal movement, is accompanied by the sign of speaking in other tongues. This is based, for example, on these passages in the Bible:
This belief is built on some places from the New Testament, namely from the book of Acts and the 1st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians. So, for example, in the 2nd chapter of Acts, it is described how the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost:
The Future of Pentecostal Theology (Some Versions of Development)
According to the versions of many theologians, the development of modern Pentecostalism is likely to come to these options:
- emphasis on the personal development of the believer
- emphasis on charismatic gifts
- emphasis on the features of the Faith Movement
Main Differences Between Pentecostals and Charismatics
The main differences between charismatic theology and traditional Pentecostal theology lie in the plane of giving emphasis during community meetings to actions aimed at the possible manifestations of the action of God in each parishioner.
Current position in society
Today, charismatic churches play a rather active role in modern society, seeking to exert a healing influence on it.
Charity is traditionally widespread, all possible participation in social projects is taken at the location of a particular charismatic community. In different settlements there is a network of Pentecostal-charismatic organizations that help drug addicts and alcoholics get rid of their addiction for free. At the same time, the activities of such organizations are monitored by law enforcement agencies, which often causes bewilderment of patients and their relatives. As one of the interviewed (by whom?) participants of such a project noted,
“... When my 17-year-old daughter was picked up drunk on the streets, and then I was fined 500 rubles for this, no one in the police and prosecutor's office was worried about this. And now, when there is hope that my now adult child will not die somewhere under the fence, they demand an explanation from me ... ”(source?)
So, one of these rehabilitation centers is rehabilitation center"New Life", Kingisepp, Leningrad Region. The example of this center shows that, unlike commercial centers, Christian rehabilitation centers help anyone who applies. People from the center in Kingisepp have created 17 new centers around the country. In total, about 300 such centers have been organized by evangelical Christians in Russia. Also, for example, according to an article on the Russian Archipelago website, the local Loza Church of Nizhny Novgorod, which belongs to the charismatic "branch" of Pentecostalism, provides assistance to orphanages, boarding schools, helps the hematology fund, and holds children's camps for everyone. Periodically, Pentecostals encounter resistance in their social activities from state and municipal officials and Orthodox Christians, but they overcome all obstacles. "with 'charismatic' aggressiveness and uncompromisingness" .
Notes
see also
Articles
External links
- "Charisma" is all about the charismatic movement. An ever-growing collection of materials on the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. Spirituality, the practice of the charismatic movement. Pentecostals. charismatic leaders. Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Glossolalia. Movement of Renewal in the Holy Spirit. Alpha course. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants about charismatics. Articles, multimedia materials, forum, humor.
- Christian Charismatic Church "Higher Calling" Russia, Ussuriysk
- Dignities and clothes of Orthodox priests and monasticism
- Healers and fortune tellers - why do people go to them?
- During confession. Preparation for confession. List of sins for confession. How to dress for confession
- Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos Praise of the Mother of God with an akathist what they pray for