The Divided Church: Pentecostals, Non-Pentecostals and the Truth They Both Resist

By Mark Jones

Will both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal Christians be willing to let certain beliefs be shaken concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Will they consider any clearly scriptural teaching that threatens certain long-standing denominational viewpoints?

Will they dare to be challenged to open their hearts and teaching to the scriptures?

Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal Christians have been reaching out to build the Body of Christ since the first century. Today, however, the differing viewpoints concerning the power of the Holy Spirit have left Christians few options but to choose between one of two sides as they find their place in the Body of Christ.
The Bible shows us a different picture! It reveals that current-day Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal Christians both have room to grow in their teachings concerning this great New Testament miracle called the baptism in the Holy Spirit! As Christians from both sides of this exciting subject come to terms with the biblical truth, an exciting and powerful Church will be seen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781546209454

Mark Jones

Mark Jones (PhD, Leiden Universiteit) serves as the pastor of Faith Vancouver Presbyterian Church (PCA) in British Columbia, Canada. He has authored many books, including Living for God and God Is, and speaks all over the world on Christology and the Christian life. Mark and his wife, Barbara, have four children.

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© 2017 Mark Jones. All rights reserved.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/02/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0946-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0945-4 (e)

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

1     Time for Some Scriptural Clarity

2     The Polarized Church

3     Context! Context! Context!

4     Ignoring the Apparent

5     The Day of Pentecost and the Last Days

6     The Public Declaration

7     It’s in the Biblical Record

8     Results, Signs, and Evidences of the Power

9     Two Types of Believers?

10   1 Corinthians 12 Is Speaking in Tongues a Prerequisite?

11   Where Do These Ideas Come From Anyway?

12   Speaking in Other Tongues

13   Doctrines of Experience

14   Not Willing for Any to Perish

15   Will People Be Honest about All This?

An Overview

Appendix A

Appendix B

Acknowledgements

T hanks to the Lord for giving me the understanding and the courage to share the words of this book. Thanks to my wife, Cheryl, for her many hours as my sounding board and her great patience with my endeavors. Thanks to my children, who are each setting an example for the Lord in their service of Him. Thanks to my parents for their many hours of counsel over the years.

Foreword

M ark Jones has been a close friend of mine for nearly thirty years. He has always struck me as one of the most sincere and humble Christians I have ever met. I have had the honor of sharing ministry with him in various venues throughout the years and have seen the heart of the Lord through him for many different types of people. Having heard the proclamation and respect for the Scriptures in him and seen the flow of the Holy Spirit through him, I believe he is well qualified to write this book.

One of the things desperately needed in the church world today is balance or, as I like to say, the fullness of the Word and the Spirit. Jesus prayed that His church would be one. And yet, at least as a Pentecostal, it seems to me that so often, when we speak inadvertently seem to not even consider the non-Pentecostal part of the Church.

There are so many valuable members of the body of Christ that get sidelined in their usefulness for the Kingdom based on their not speaking in tongues. And while I highly cherish this wonderful gift and expression of the Holy Spirit, practice it regularly, and encourage every believer to ask, receive, expect this wonderful gift, I do not believe it should be a means for division in the Church.

I encourage you to read this book with an open spirit to hear the heart of the Lord for unity in His body and for the evangelization of this world that Jesus died for, expecting the empowering of the Holy Spirit to help us see His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!

—Russ Kline

Shatter the Darkness Ministries International

Introduction

E xperiencing the power of the Holy Spirit is one of the great blessings of salvation that Christians can enjoy. It is exciting to witness the dynamic ways that God wants to work in His people. I have been blessed to experience His power and dynamic miracles firsthand as I have ministered in churches and worked with other Christian leaders in numerous settings. I look forward to what the Lord wants to do in and through the lives of people. I believe in the Holy Spirit’s power, and I look for miracles and expect them to occur at any time as we serve the Lord. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that are recorded in the Bible are to be a very integral part in the lives of Christians today. Whether it is prophecy, speaking in other tongues, healings, other various miracles, teaching, faith, or any of a number of other spiritual gifts, the Bible teaches that we should be available for the Holy Spirit to empower us through these gifts to further the message of salvation through Jesus. As the Holy Spirit gives these gifts, we can expect to see them regularly in our lives.

With that said, this book is written out of a deep concern for the body of Christ. Somehow, as we have advanced the kingdom of God and as we have invested our lives to serve Him, we have also allowed ourselves to become complacent with some of the common teachings about the event that the Bible calls the baptism in the Holy Spirit. These doctrines of contentment are far-reaching, even though the Scriptures speak often about this great miracle and its impact upon the world. Many Christians who have faithfully determined to follow the Lord according to the New Testament pattern for the church have at the same time somehow overlooked what the New Testament teaches us concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the evidences that follow it. On one side of this teaching are the many denominations that teach that this miracle is for the church today. On the other side, we have those denominations that teach that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a dynamic miracle that takes place after a person is saved. With each of these understandings of this great subject, we can find that many of the ideas and doctrinal viewpoints have been developed from assumptions and scriptural viewpoints that have missed the context of various passages. This book focuses on the solid context of numerous passages of Scripture that speak about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Hopefully, it will allow Christians from both ends of the spectrum to come to terms with some of their accepted beliefs and to see the true scriptural teaching concerning this great miracle for the Church today.

1

Time for Some Scriptural Clarity

C hristian leaders do many exciting things to advance the kingdom of God. In order, however, for the Christian community to grow to the extent that God intends, we must gain the most beneficial understanding of the scriptural teaching concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a topic that no Christian should overlook.

Matthew 3:11 records what John the Baptist said about the Holy Spirit: "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (italics added, nasb).

Even among seasoned Christians, this extremely important topic of the Scriptures is often misunderstood. Does every Christian need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? Just what does it mean to be filled? What classifies a person as a Pentecostal or charismatic Christian, or a non-Pentecostal or non-charismatic one? Does it even really matter? What evidence is seen when a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit? Among Pentecostals, the most commonly accepted evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues, which will be defined in detail later. Where does speaking in other tongues, according to the Scriptures, fit into all of this? Can a person be filled with the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues? What is the purpose for the baptism in the Holy Spirit? Is it something we should expect and look for today?

These are questions that Christians often search for the answers to because they affect our everyday walk with the Lord. Each one has a very clear answer when we take the time to see just what the Bible teaches us concerning the Holy Spirit. This book does not describe any one, denominational view, as it is not intended to support any denominational doctrine. Everything taught in it is supported by Scripture. There are no assumptions or overlooked passages that might teach things contrary to what I have stated here. It is intended to define, support, and further the Lord’s teachings to us concerning the dynamic impact of His Holy Spirit.

Since this book will challenge the classic views of many, every reader is encouraged to take the time to read and study each chapter. The Bible is the guide, so everyone is encouraged to open it with a heart ready to receive God’s truth. While challenging the traditional beliefs of many, this book is not intended to tear down, divide, or discourage. It is designed to build up, unify, and encourage all believers. It must be made clear here that, although I am showing some of the mishandled teachings concerning the moving of God’s Spirit, I am not indicting the churches and leaders who have found themselves doing this as being enemies of the Church or anything of the sort. I do want to point out, however, that Christians in such churches, as exciting as their ministries have become, are missing an important and exciting truth for their lives.

I have been part of the ministerial staff of several churches, and I am committed to the fact that it is more important to share the truth and protect the true doctrine of the Scriptures than to defend denominational ideas and church organizations where they are missing the truth. Our focus and goal should always be to bring glory and honor to Jesus and to commit to the truth regardless of the cost.

After spending years in personal experience and scriptural study, it has become clear to me that even many of those teachers who are most zealous for God’s power have somehow overlooked the plain truth of the Scriptures. The common teachings are good to a point, and they often contain powerful elements of the workings of the Holy Spirit. There are some foundational misunderstandings, however, that have left out some of the most vital aspects of what this power is all about. What has proven to open the door for the most skewed teachings is what to do with God’s purpose for this dynamic miracle. Misunderstanding God’s purpose for such an empowering and exciting spiritual experience has allowed for much error on the subject. Although some teachings might contain a portion of truth, they fail to fully focus on the heart of the purpose for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Encouragement and hope are what I intend for readers to gain from this book. I believe that there are many great men and women of God in various denominations who are doing amazing things for the Lord. I also believe, however, that it is time for all of us to ensure that we are not missing the meaning of this very important subject. It is my prayer that we do not hinder our ability to completely fulfill the Great Commission the Lord gave us:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:19–20)

I have attempted to present this book with the same love, concern, and Godly encouragement that we see in the Scriptures. I am extremely grateful to the many Christians of different denominations who have helped me over the years. In 1981, during a period of several months, I was led to become a Christian by people from at least three different denominations. I am very thankful that the Lord in His mercy has allowed me to be saved from my sins through the precious blood of Jesus. I realize that without His sacrifice, I would have no hope of being saved. I serve Him because I love Him, and I am saved because of His grace. Many Christians and church leaders have offered me great fellowship and helpful discipleship through the years. I realize that various Christians from different denominational backgrounds may disagree with what I teach in this book. I truly hope, however, that anyone who does so uses a careful study of the Scriptures to be the standard by which they make their conclusions and establish their beliefs.

Although the areas where certain teachings differ from the Word of God might appear insignificant at first sight, the ramifications of the apparent slight errors are much larger than many realize. It may seem hard to believe, but if Christians simply take the time to look at certain passages of Scripture and read them in their context, they will discover that there are common but error-filled teachings about certain aspects of the empowering of the Holy Spirit that many Christians follow without questioning. This can happen because such teachings are based on singled-out verses and partial passages of Scripture that have been taken out of context. I have often wondered why many leaders teach some of the things they do when they seem to so clearly overlook the Scriptures that contradict their doctrines. Entire denominations have even established such teachings. It often seems that the leaders are simply defending the denominational viewpoints rather than supporting the Scriptures that contradict such viewpoints.

Now let’s turn once again to the two sides of this subject. Most Christian denominations find themselves on either one of the two sides. One side encourages believers to seek out the baptism in the Holy Spirit. People of this viewpoint often include teachings that have become very commonplace but are simply not fully supported by the Scriptures. The other side is usually pretty much silent on the teachings. People of this viewpoint do not normally teach Christians to actively look to experience the dynamic and spontaneous spiritual power in their lives or churches. Although they sometimes speak of the Holy Spirit and even of being filled with the Spirit, they do not look for the Holy Spirit to truly move in dynamic power through various spiritual gifts. I have even heard pastors who openly admit that their teaching might not be found in the Bible or that it might be a little different than what the Bible teaches, but they go ahead and teach it as scriptural truth. It is hard to believe, but I have heard this done on numerous occasions! They somehow seem to believe that their personal viewpoints, even though they are not supported by the Scriptures,