In my last post titled “Absence of Faith” I discussed faith from the standpoint of a simple definition, passages that offer a deeper meaning, and how we go about obtaining it. Much of it was pretty rudimentary for many people. In this post, I would like to consider Faith from the standpoint of quantity, if you will. To be filled with Faith, understanding that we can be filled with faith and wrong in our beliefs or we can be filled with faith and right in our beliefs.
Not a subject most, I assume, are interested in entertaining. To each his own, right? Live and let live, right? Well, sure, but holding such an opinion is the very thing most of my writing intends to question. The status quo, I contend, is the problem in so many ways when it comes to what I’ve argued is the lack of unity in the church, the body of Christ. And of course, it’s not just disunity, it’s also the false teachers, the false Christs, the bad doctrine out there that muddies the water, so to speak, which stands in the way of making progress both individually and collectively to overcome the things that prevent our unity.
The purpose here is to give real life examples to illustrate the difference between someone abundant in faith who is abundantly wrong and someone abundant in faith and living according to God’s will for the world today. As usual, bold statements, but please indulge me here as I attempt to bring some edification to those who might be on the fence, so to speak, about who’s right and who’s wrong….
Consider the Pentecostals: Christianity.com provides the following general beliefs of this denomination:
- Most groups of the religion believe in salvation, baptism through the Holy Spirit, healing through Jesus and the belief that Jesus is returning.
- Pentecostals believe in speaking in tongues and divine gifts.
- The majority believe the bible is meant to be interpreted literally.
I think most would agree that the scriptural basis for the Pentecostal denomination centers around Acts chapter 2.
Act 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
It says what is says: “filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues…” It makes sense that the typical Pentecostal believes in this passage, which is to say they abound in faith concerning speaking in tongues as a manifestation of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
Now, before I get too deep into this subject, I’ll say again as I’ve said repeatedly, we are all free to believe what we want to believe about the word of God and none of what I’m about to say is intended to impinge upon that freedom.
Of course, there’s also the Mark 16 passage where Jesus tells the apostles, eleven at the time, to go unto the world and preach the gospel unto every creature.
Mark 16:17-18
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Again, it says what it says. You got all these signs; casting out of devils, speaking in tongues, serpents and deadly things will not hurt them, and laying on of hands to heal the sick. If you take these passages “literally”, which is to say, word for word, a person would be on solid ground putting their faith in the Pentecostal denomination. Without any context, it seems to make sense that these passages support the doctrine taught by the Pentecostals that these things are happening today and are to be seen as evidence of how God is working in the world today. Like I said, without any context…
“But wait Mr. Juniper, can’t you just let well enough alone and let the Pentecostals believe what they want to believe about the bible?”
Well, that is the question isn’t it? The path of least resistance certainly supports the idea to “live and let live”. And some would even suggest that “allowing” everyone to find their own way is what grace and love are all about. You know, “everyone is on their own path”, that kind of stuff. An article at Christianity.com discussing the origins of the United Methodist church credits John Wesley with the phrase: “Agree to disagree”. From the article:
“Numerous times, Wesley engaged in heated theological disputes with another renowned preacher named George Whitefield. Though they both debated intensely, Wesley reflected on their contrast in beliefs in a memorial sermon for Whitefield by saying: “There are many doctrines of a less essential nature. … In these, we may think and let think; we may ‘agree to disagree. [Italics added]’ But, meantime, let us hold fast the essentials. …” This appears to be the first documented use of the phrase. It was an indication of Wesley’s manner of sticking to his convictions while remaining in connection with those with whom he disagreed.”
But, are they notions contrived by men to avoid conflict? And more importantly, are they consistent with what God would have us do, or not? Let me tell you what I think these things in practice mean… It means a Christian fellowship void of admonishment and rebuke leading to the division that exists in Christianity today. That’s why I can’t let well enough alone. That’s why I purpose to tackle these subjects, (1) because I find it necessary to shine light on what is bad doctrine being taught by the Pentecostals and so many other denominations, and (2) because I believe it is what God would have us do.
Ephesians 4:3-6
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.
Now to the context of the Acts 2 and Mark 16 passage above. It’s actually pretty simple to understand, but very difficult to see if you abound in faith with regard to Pentecostal doctrine. As I’ve demonstrated and argued before, incorrect doctrine most often stems from people mishandling the word of God because they either don’t know or refuse to accept the cuts made by God in his bible. In this case, the day of Pentecost was an event foretold by the prophet Joel, which is to say this event represented the fulfillment of his prophesy and it was to the nation of Israel. It was not to all nations. In the simplest terms, this is how the Pentecostal denomination misses the mark, as it were, because they try to appropriate something contained in the bible that was not, and is not to the Gentile nations.
Moreover, if you look closely at the Mark 16 passage, Jesus tells the disciples “signs will follow them”. That’s another point of context that must be understood about the day of Pentecost and the signs and wonders that were witnessed by the Jews who had gathered on that day. Consider these two passages from I Corinthians concerning signs and there purpose.
I Corinthians 1:22
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
I Corinthians 14:22
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying [serveth] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
The point is, the day of Pentecost was to the unbelieving Jews who had the blood of the crucified lord on their hands. Moreover, the prophetic fulfillment of that day was to bring the Jews to repentance. I mean, the order of events, as it were, was as follows:
Luke 3:16
John answered, saying unto [them] all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Acts 1:1-5
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Acts 2:1-6
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Considering these passages chronologically from the time John came from the wilderness preaching one mightier than him baptizing with the holy ghost and with fire in Luke 3, to Jesus essentially restating what’s about to happen in Acts 1, and then the account of the day of Pentecost as foretold by Joel, in Acts 2, shows a continuum of events. Rightly dividing the word of truth should lead us to see them connected and to leave them connected to ensure we understand the events as God has explained them. Doing anything different leads to confusion, to bad doctrine, and to abundance of faith in something other than the truth.
Let’s go a little deeper and consider something else spoken of in Acts 2.
Acts 2:38-47
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as every man had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
If you ignore the context of Acts chapter 2, which is clearly a pinnacle point in the history of the nation of Israel and is well before Paul being appointed to the apostleship of the gentiles, a “literal interpretation” might lead one to believe that this is “proof” that Jesus is a socialist. After all, it says what it says; they had all things common, sold their possessions, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Here’s the thing though, the only way a person, and for that matter, a whole denomination can come to the conclusion that Jesus is a socialist is by ignoring everything before and after the fulfillment of the day of Pentecost.
Moreover, if your socio-economic opinion is in support of socialism, communism, or anti-capitalism and upon reading the Acts 2, 38-47 passage above you cite it as “proof” that your opinion is “right”, your abundance of faith is abundantly wrong. And here’s the proof: as I said above, the only way someone can believe in the Pentecostal doctrine about speaking in tongues and healing, and also believe Acts 2 as the foundation of a socialist socio-economic system is to ignore everything before and after that informs us otherwise.
You have to ignore that the Old Testament and the Gospels speak to the history of the relationship between God almighty and his peculiar people, the nation of Israel. You have to ignore that during his earthly ministry, Jesus came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. You have to ignore that after being seen of the eleven apostles for forty days he told them that not many days hence that they would be filled with the Holy Ghost; told them, not the rest of the world. And more importantly, you have to ignore the biblical clock, if you will, that put everything written in the word of God in terms of time and circumstance.
You can ignore all of that and read any part of the bible that “speaks” to you and set out to build your faith, your doctrine, your church order, your form, your evangelism, your missionary work, and you can abound in faith while doing so. And it is possible that you can be abundantly wrong through it all. On top of all of that, you will find people who will follow you… 33,000+ denominations…
If you take anything away from this post, I pray it is this: if you are motivated in the least to start reading the bible anew, for yourself, apart from all other voices but God’s, pay strict attention to every reference to time; whether it be something that happened in the morning, then something that happened at eventide. If you open your mind to that most important aspect of understanding the word of God, you will put yourself on the path to knowledge and understanding of the bible that leads to an Abundance of Faith rooted in sound doctrine God has offered to the world through the scriptures as inspired by Him. Nothing more, nothing less…
II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
II Timothy 3:16
All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
