Pentecostalism - under construction (10/9/6)
Pentecostalism as we know it today sprang from the 1906-1909 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California led by African-American preacher William Joseph Seymour. The revival drew many from the Holiness Movement, Baptists, Mennonites, Quakers, and Presbytarians as well as people from various other denominations. It promoted race unity, helping the needy, and encouraged women to take part in leadership. The revival's 5 point doctrine was salvation, sanctification for every saved person, a belief that salvation and Holy Spirit baptism are not the same experience, divine healing, and soon return of Christ. The revival acted as a springboard for the growing Pentecostal Movement. The Azusa Street Revival is also called The First Wave.
The Second Wave began in the 1960s. It is called the Charismatic Movement. This movement embraces all that the first wave teaches but rejects some aspects it considers to be legalism. It also seems to attempt to be more related to mainstream culture than its first wave father. The Word of Faith Movement is an outgrowth of this wave. Word of Faith teaches a variety of New Age like philosophies: positive confession, quoting scripture to get what you want, repetatively stating what you want to obtain it, that Christians are given special rights higher than the unsaved, that humankind is little gods, lack of health is due to lack of faith, faith is viewed as a magical power, and that God will heal and bless us dependent on our levels of faith.
The Third Wave began in the 1980s and generally claims no direct connection with other Pentecostals and Charismatics. This movement generally teaches that salvation and Holy Spirit baptism are the same experience. They also teach that the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit should not be avoided but allowed. It focuses alot on modern prophecy and healing and also teaches that their are modern day prophets and apostles.
Ministers like John MacArthur teach that there is no difference between any of the three waves or between any groups containing Pentecostal tendencies and that the movements are false or cults. This is a popular teaching among Cessationists.
Pentecostal type practices and beliefs didn't begin with the 3 waves. The beliefs can be read about concerning people and groups since the first century.
The Pentecostal Movement is a legitimate Christian movement. I would consider myself to be part of the first wave but I get along with the third wave. I personally have issues with the second wave. I don't prefer it.
Negatives:
divided into trinitarians and oneness modalists
like most other denominations, it's difficult to have unity among its churches and denominations
some are divided over Calvinism and Arminianism
tends to be dominated by the second wave and its word of faith teachings
can be anatagonist
people many times think they are all snake handlers
Positives:
scripture alone is the final earthly authority on all matters of doctrine and life that it addresses
Jesus is fully God and fully man
literal virgin birth, death, resurrection, and ascension
Christ's substitutionary atonement
modern miracles
very much hated by Satanists and most occultists
tends to quickly expose the corruptions of sins
an empowered movement
the 9 gifts of the Spirit are allowed
most always fights racism
usually allows females to take part in ministry
is Christianity's fasting growing movement worldwide
Note: In the section below, I did internet searches to verify information from different webpages and books. I verified the information by typing in the author's name, original book name, and words from the quotes. I have verified where the quotes are after reading them at earlychristianwritings.com, ccel.org, or newadvent.org, and copied and then pasted.
I just discovered this source: http://www.bible.ca/tongues-history.htm
I'll verify the info before placing excerpts here.
Pentecostal like tendencies through history:
150 - Justin Martyr refers to tongues-speaking as practiced in his day in his Dialogue with Trypho, "If you want proof that the Spirit of God who was with your people and left you to come to us, come into our assemblies and there you will see Him cast out demons, heal the sick and hear Him speak in tongues and prophesy."
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, chapter 82 and 88, "For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time… Now it is possible to see amongst us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God."
Justin Martyr in his Second Apology, Chapter 6, "For numberless demoniacs throughout the whole world, and in your city, many of our Christian men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing devils out of the men..."
200 - Irenaeus was disciple of Polycarp. Polycarp was disciple of St. John.
Irenaeus in Against Heresis, Book 2, chapter 22, paragraph 4, "Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ..."
Irenaeus in Against Heresis, Book 5, chapter 6, paragraph 1, "In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God, whom also the apostle terms "spiritual," they being spiritual because they partake of the Spirit, and not because their flesh has been stripped off and taken away, and because they have become purely spiritual."
200 - Tertullian was the first Christian to use the word "trinity."
Tertullian in Against Marcion, volume 3, "Let Marcion then exhibit, as gifts of his god, some prophets such as have not soken by human sense, but with the Spirit of God, such as have predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the heart; let him produce a psalm, a vision, a prayer - only let it be by the spirit, in an ecstasy, that is, in a rapture, whenever an interpretation of tongues has occurred to him. Now all these signs are forthcoming from my side without any difficulty."
250 - Novatian was a rival for the office of the bishop at Rome. He opposed sin in the church and was excommunicated for it. His doctrine was identical to the Donatists (an ancient Baptist group).
Novatian (Novatus) On The Trinity, "This is he [the Holy Spirit] who places prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, offers discrimmination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts there are of charismata, and in all, perfected and completed."
270 - Origen in Letter Against Celsus, Book 3, "Some give evidence of their having received through this faith a marvelous power by the cures which they perform, invoking no other name over those who need their help than that of the God of all things, and of Jesus, along with a mention of his history. For by these means we too have seen many persons freed from grievous calamities, and from distractions of mind, and madness, and countless other ills, which could not be cured by men nor devils."
330 - Eusebius
350 - Ambrose, in his work "Of the Holy Spirit," mentions the "gift of tongues" as being given in his day by "the Father."
365 - Hilary of Poitiers, took part in the opposition of Arianism.
390 - St. Ambrose
390 - Augustine of Hippo, in an exposition on Psalm 32, discusses a phenomenon contemporary to his time of those who "sing in jubilation", singing the praises of God not in their own language, but in a manner that "may not be confined by the limits of syllables."
1901 - Bethel Bible School in Topeka, Kansas had a revival where there was speaking in tongues and teaching that salvation and Holy Spirit baptism are not synonymous events.
above historical quotes from wikipedia. gonna look at the actual books to verify then copy and paste directly. 11,000 Pentecostal denominations have formed since then.
1960 - Rector Dennis Bennett of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Huys California led his congregation into the belief that salvation and Holy Spirit baptism are not the same event. The 9 gifts soon followed. This event marked the start of the Charismatic Movement. 3,000 Charismatic denominations have formed since then.
1980 - A Charisma Magazine gallup poll indicated that 19% of the U.S. population considered themselves Pentecostal or Charismatic, 22% of all Protestants claimed to be Pentecostal or Charismatic, and 18% of Roman Catholics considered themselves to be Pentecostal or Charismatic.
I remember reading references among the writings by and about John and Charles Wesley pertaining to Pentecostal type occurrences during their meetings.
I've noticed that Christians with Pentecostal tendencies through history have also practiced Belivers Baptism putting them on the same paths as the Baptists through history. I realize that this statement will be considered erroneous or heresy by some.
This research page is far from complete. I'll add more as I find the information.
Jeremy Brown 2006