These excerpts were taken from the updated and expanded book Charismatic Confusion, written by Ernest D. Pickering and updated by Myron J. Houghton. The excerpts include preface information by Houghton and excerpts of chapters by both authors to help give you an overall idea of the book’s contents. For ordering information, see the bottom of page 8.
Charismatic Confusion NOTE: The King James Version of the Bible is quoted in these excerpts.
Charismatic Confusion in the 21st Century reface to the Updated Edition P Myron J. Houghton . . . Rather than interrupting the flow of Dr. Pickering’s work with my thoughts, I have chosen to provide this introductory update to the current charismatic scene and then provide some current data for each of the areas of confusion in Dr. Pickering’s original work. In this update I intend to . . . sharpen the distinction between classical Pentecostalism (known as the “first wave” of the twentieth century renewal of the gifts) and the charismatic movement (known as the “second wave”). . . . Second, I will describe the “third wave,” a movement that promotes and emphasizes “signs and wonders” but which did not exist at the time Dr. Pickering wrote his booklet. . . . Finally, I will supplement each of the four major sections of Dr. Pickering’s work with updated material.
The First Wave: Classical Pentecostalism Myron J. Houghton This movement began in the early 1900s among Wesleyan (or Holiness) people who believed God wanted to perform two works of grace in the life of a person: salvation in which one’s sins were pardoned and a later work called sanctification in which the root of sin was replaced by intense love for God. For Wesleyans who had embraced Pentecostalism, speaking in tongues became the inevitable evidence of a third work of grace: the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Generally when Holiness people began to speak in tongues, their denominations expelled them, and so they formed new organizations. . . . Soon people from non-Wesleyan churches were speaking in tongues. They rejected the idea that believers could have the root of sin removed in an experience called sanctification. Instead they saw speaking in tongues as an evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit for power in growth and service. These people were known as “finished work” Pentecostals. The Assemblies of God denomination promotes this belief. Another major theological division among early Pentecostals concerned the baptismal formula: Should one be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or in the name of Jesus Christ? Among those who argued for the latter formula were some who denied the triune nature of the Godhead, teaching instead the idea
that there is only one Person in the Godhead. They believe Jesus is the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Many of these people began to teach that water baptism in the name of Jesus, along with speaking in tongues, was necessary for the forgiveness of sins. The United Pentecostal Church advocates this view. Classical Pentecostals taught that all of the gifts had been restored, and this included healing. They believed that Christ’s death not only purchased forgiveness of sins but also healing for the body, and that believers have a right to claim both benefits. . . .
Exegetical Confusion Ernest D. Pickering . . . Much of the confusion of the charismatic movement stems from a failure to understand properly certain key passages, phrases, and words of the Bible. The Meaning of Glossa Glossa is the word in the New Testament for “tongue.” The unfortunate insertion of an English word not found in the origi nal Biblical text has contributed to the misunderstanding of the usage of the word “tongue.” A sample of this is found in 1 Corin thians 14:2 where the translation states, “for he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God.” The fact that the word “unknown” is there (even though some charismatics understand it is not valid) nevertheless lends credence in the popular mind to the concept that what is described is some mysterious, heavenly, or unintelligible utterance. Actually, the word glossa refers to a spoken language, not communication foreign to common human experience. (It, of course, sometimes refers also to that portion of the human anatomy with which we speak.) The first mention in the New Testament of a “gift of tongues” is found in Acts 2:1–13. The waiting believers “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (v. 4). What were these tongues with which they spoke? It is plainly stated in the following passage that “every man heard them speak in his own language” (v. 6). They asked, “How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” (v. 8). It is clear from this passage that the gift bestowed on the Day of Pentecost was the supernatural and instantaneous ability to preach the gospel of Christ in a language naturally foreign to the user. . . .
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MARCH 2007