Tony Payne in the story of the charismatic movement

Not the American darts player, but the Australian author, Publishing Director at Matthias Media and editor of The Briefing, Tony Payne is well known for his clear, evangelical and extremely well-thought-out theological communication that is both insightful and practical on modern issues for Christians in our contemporary culture.

But increasingly he is also known for his story of beginnings and transition through the charismatic movement. In 2010 in an article published by The Briefing, A continuing story: 19th-century Methodists, charismatics and me, he describes his Christian beginnings and how he was first drawn by the 'charismatic' to seek the experience of miraculous, supernatural and dynamic Christian living:

"I had a powerful intuition that I was part of something radical and real—a movement that was recovering the power and reality of New Testament Christianity by restoring to it the spiritual gifts, experiential richness and miraculous flavour that had somehow become lost or forgotten."

Now years later, Payne reflects upon these early years and notices the similarity between his journey and the original factors that led to the rise of Pentecostalism. At the beginning of the nineteenth-century, the spread of Methodism to America inspired the Holiness Movement, after first originating in the eighteenth-century from John Wesley's new experiential spirituality which promoted the power of freedom from sin and the personal change that Christians could experience through the work of the Holy Spirit. Wesley's new emphasis inspired the English movement that would eventually grow, spread wings and develop into the American Holiness movement. And by the second half of the nineteenth-century, it would be teaching a second post-conversion experience of Spirit baptism and the availability of 'faith healing'. 

As the 'spiritual ancestors' of the charismatic movement, the Holiness preachers first inspired the birth of the Pentecostal movement at the turn of the twentieth century, which grew into a worldwide movement in only three years when in 1906 a reoccurrence of tongues-speaking gained world-wide attention. This revival of tongues was perceived within the movement as an End-time restoration of the gift of languages (tongues) for multi-cultural evangelism, along with the other sign gifts such as miracles and healing, and as an essential evidence to identify those elite Christians who had been uniquely empowered by the Spirit for this task of final harvest of the unconverted world. 

But in searching out and reflecting upon his own past, Payne notices the similarity in what fueled his own early quest and those factors which were driving nineteenth-century Methodism:

"It was a basic spiritual impatience. 19th-century American Methodism saw itself caught between two glorious realities. Behind them were the glories of the New Testament, with the power of Christ in his person and work, his miracles of healing, and the tantalizing references to charismata in 1 Corinthians 12-14. In front of them were the glories of the age to come, where there would be no sin, no disease, no death and no decay—a new world where Christians would finally be made perfect like their Lord, and where they would enjoy uninterrupted, face-to-face fellowship with God.

But they saw themselves stuck between these two, like a traveller who has left one brilliant city and is journeying towards an even more dazzling one, but who finds the road between them difficult and tiring, and the scenery unexciting. Their answer was to assert that the journey should not be so difficult—that there should be a shorter way. They wanted to say that miraculous powers of the New Testament age should be fully present in our lives, and that victory over sin and disease would not simply occur in the next age, but should also be our experience now."

Payne sees in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements a chronic spiritual 'impatience' (what theologians might describe as over-realised eschatology) -- an impulse to under-emphasise the distinct delay that has been imposed by Christ's ascension between this age, the 'last days', and the next age to come where after Christ's second coming there certainly will be divine health, perfect sinlessness, victory, peace and complete prosperity. 

"My problem was that I didn't want to wait with patience. I wanted the power and the gifts and the glory, and I wanted it now. I wanted to share in the miracles and victory of Christ, not his suffering.

I was a continuationist who had fixed on the wrong point of continuity—because it is not the miraculous powers and wonders of Christ and the apostles that continue in our lives, but the afflictions and sufferings they endured for doing his Father's will. Our imitation of Christ, Paul and the apostolic churches is in laying down our lives in sacrifice for the sake of others and their salvation (1 Cor 10:33-11:1).

As I should have known, and have now discovered, this is the more excellent way."

In this article Tony Payne is not only personally reflective and critical, he is well researched and considered. Referencing among other things Donald Dayton's Theological Roots of Pentecostalism, he shows that he has properly read and understood the historical development of the charismatic movement and the importance of this for understanding and accurately evaluating the Pentecostal emphasis against the backdrop of our common Biblical data.

But in identifying what had driven his quest for the miraculous along with the early charismatics, Payne is also honest in his assessment of how serious this departure really is in terms of the New Testament's teaching. He sees it as a failure to follow Christ's pattern of cross-shaped living, who like him must suffer before entering his glory. While we wait for Christ to bring the New Creation, our walk is actually shaped and characterised by waiting. We must patiently endure, patiently suffer, patiently struggle; all the time while we yearn for what we cannot yet have: the glory, complete freedom and victory and full possession of our final inheritance -- a redeemed universe encompassing body, mind, spirit, and world.

Read more...

View full article here.

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Tony Payne, The Briefing, Issue  #379, April 2010, A continuing story: 19th-century Methodists, charismatics and me.

The dawning of Pentecostalism: Five factors that made the Pentecostal movement

By Fiona Lockett

This article explains the rise of the Pentecostal movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Five factors lead to the rise of Pentecostalism, the most important of which was the Holiness movement, which was itself a significant part of the American religious landscape. Other influential factors were the state of the established churches, the pluralism of society in general, the past experience of revivalism and the presence of black churches and spirituality.

Factor One: The Holiness heritage

New and old theology

Much of the success of the Pentecostal movement was due to its similarity in doctrine to the Holiness movement.

The Holiness movement was born out of Wesleyan Methodist theology and was prevalent in American religious life towards the end of the 19th century. MacRobert argues that it was based on “a simplistic understanding of Wesley's teaching” because it interpreted his doctrine of sanctification as taking place at 'crisis moments', that is, specific points in time. This doctrine had been changing in emphasis in the years leading up to the rise of the Pentecostal movement. It began to be spoken of as 'baptism with the Holy Ghost', rather than 'sanctification' and was seen more as 'an enduement of power from on high', rather than simply an 'inner cleansing'.

There were also differing opinions within the Holiness movement as to the number of crisis moments. Some people believed there were two (first, conversion and baptism and later, Spirit baptism and sanctification) and others believed there were three (baptism, sanctification and later still, Spirit baptism). The theology of the 'third blessing' was “an important bridge to Pentecostalism in that attention was given to the unique empowering action of the Holy Spirit separate from the cleansing work of the Spirit in sanctification”.

(For more explanation of Wesleyan Methodist theology, see Where Pentecostalism came from (Part 1) - The theology of John Wesley)

Charles Parham, the man who founded Pentecostal theology, was originally a Methodist supply pastor and in the last decade of the 19th century was involved in “radical holiness circles”. Pentecostal theology began in December 1900 when Parham asked the students at his Kansas Bible School to investigate the “Bible evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost”. His interest in this question was the result of his background in the Holiness movement. To his “astonishment”, the students found that the “indisputable proof on each occasion was, that they spake with other tongues” (based on Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6 and 1 Cor 14:1-33).

This lead Parham to believe that Spirit baptism was exclusively proven by speaking in tongues. “[F]rom the beginning [this] clearly distinguished the Holiness Movement from the early Pentecostal movement”. Anderson suggests that “'[e]xcept for speaking in tongues, in the early days there was little to distinguish the Pentecostal believer from his holiness brethren'”.

A new movement

Parham was the man who created Pentecostal doctrine, but another man popularised it. William J. Seymour was a black Holiness preacher, brought up in black folk Christianity. At the end of 1905 he heard about Parham's new Bible School in Houston, Texas. He enrolled and became a convert to Parham's Pentecostal message. However, he adopted a different emphasis to that of Parham. His focus was less on missionary activity and more on the harmony that would result once the gospel was heard. He regarded speaking in tongues as the Spirit “breaking through the barriers . . . reconciling all people with one another.”

After graduating, Seymour preached the new Pentecostal teaching at his first (Holiness) church in Los Angeles - and was expelled. He continued to teach from a friend's house and on the 9th of April 1906 tongue speaking began. Numbers grew so large that Seymour and his followers had to begin meeting in an abandoned church building at 312 Azusa St. “[W]ithin a month Sunday attendance had risen to 750 or 800 with a further four or five hundred, for whom there was no room, crowding outside.”

Bartlemann, who was present in those early days, recalls that there was speaking and singing in tongues and “fall[ing] all over the house, like the slain in battle, or rush[ing] for the altar en masse, to seek God. The scene often resembled a forest of fallen trees. Such a scene cannot be imitated.” People came “hungry for God” and “were humbled”. Bartlemann declares that, “Divine love was wonderfully manifest in the meetings” and, “The whole place was steeped in prayer”. He says that “God's presence became more and more wonderful”.

These descriptions show that experience was the 'heartbeat' of the movement. “All was spontaneous, ordered of the Spirit. We wanted to hear from God, through whoever he might speak.”

It was not difficult for Holiness people to convert to the new Pentecostalism. The offer of proof of Holy Spirit baptism was very attractive to people already convinced of its legitimacy. The southern Holiness churches in particular were open to increasingly radical teaching, and, as such, were “predisposed to accept the even more radical doctrines of the Pentecostal movement”. Furthermore, “the attaching of tongues to the Holy Ghost baptism had a strong basis in the New Testament, a fact that easily convinced many holiness people, practically all of whom interpreted the Bible literally.”

The Pentecostalism initiated by Seymour was also successful because it continued the tradition of other aspects of the Holiness churches - healings and interracial, emotional meetings.

In addition to finding Pentecostal doctrine and practice understandable and attractive, circumstances at the time meant that it was relatively easy for Holiness people to change 'religion'. The necessity of 'coming out' of the established denominational churches in the late 1800s to join the Holiness churches established the groundwork for later joining the Pentecostal movement.

Rejection and separation

Not all Holiness people were happy about the new Pentecostalism however. “Almost immediately after the birth of Pentecostalism, the branch of Christianity which gave birth to the movement was disowning the offspring - the parent regarded the child as an ugly mutant.”

Alma White, leader of the Pillar of Fire church, which, in 1906, “saw one of its congregations in Los Angeles taken over by Pentecostal enthusiasts”, regarded tongue speaking as demonic. Bresee, head of the ironically named Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, also based in Los Angeles and the largest of the holiness denominations, opposed the Azusa St revival because it “constituted a direct threat to his own congregation”. Dr G. Campbell Morgan, “one of the most respected preachers of the twentieth century”, called the Pentecostal movement 'the last vomit of Satan'”. The famous holiness preacher W.B. Godbey was “repelled by the noise and disorganization”, when he visited Azusa St in 1909, calling the Azusa people “Satan's preachers” and “magicians”. “[H]e used his considerable influence in persuading a large portion of the holiness movement to reject the Pentecostal message.” Finally, in 1910 Beverly Carradine, “well know for many decades in the holiness movement” had a similar reaction, calling the Pentecostals, speakers of 'gibberish' and “[w]ielding great influence on the other holiness denominations, Carradine helped stem the Pentecostal tide which threatened to engulf the entire holiness movement.”

The early opposition to and rejection of Pentecostalism by prominent Holiness leaders caused the new movement to separate out from Holiness circles from its very beginning, thus facilitating the development of Pentecostalism into a distinct movement in its own right.

Although the Holiness movement was the first and major component of American religious life out of which Pentecostalism rose, other factors also contributed to the establishment of the Pentecostal movement.

Factor Two: The state of the established churches

The second factor contributing to the rise of Pentecostalism was the state of the established churches at that time. These churches were liberal, greedy, lukewarm, “academic and static in their preaching and liturgy”. They were being undermined by critical readings of the Bible, the theory of evolution, the social gospel, and comparative religious studies which relativised Christianity.

It was partly in reaction to this state of affairs that the Holiness churches were born, and the Pentecostal movement shared their motivation. Seymour wrote, “We are not fighting against people or churches, but we are seeking to replace dead forms and dogmas with a living, practical Christianity.” There was a “yearning simply to know the divine mind and will as directly and as purely as possible, without the distorting refractions of human volition, traditions, or speculations.”

“Many [Pentecostals] suspected intellectualism to be an enemy of spirituality.” Their literal interpretation of the Bible, in regard to speaking in tongues for example, was in part a reaction to biblical criticism. “What was needed was not a new argument for heads but a new experience for hearts.”

Factor Three: The pluralism of society

Ironically, the very things that the Pentecostal movement was reacting to, were the things that facilitated its rise.

Society had become more diverse as the result of mass immigration, industrialisation and urbanisation. As many as 40 million immigrants came to the United States between 1800 and 1920, and from 1870 to 1930, the number of people living in cities with populations of 2500 or more went from 10 to 69 million. “Growing commercial pressure, greater access to higher education, and more opportunities for contact with representatives of different religions and ethnic groups all worked to undermine the Protestant character of the national religion. Space in the cities for other kinds of Christianity and for simple inattention to the faith stimulated an evermore obvious religious pluralism.”

This new pluralism of thought that lead to liberalism (such as the critique of traditional Christian thinking, and narrowing and relativising of Christian applicablity) also created a climate where new attempts to sure up the Christian faith were possible. It was this climate that permitted the rise of the new Pentecostal movement.

Factor Four: The past experience of revivalism

The fourth factor in American religious life which lead to the rise of the Pentecostal movement was the experience of revival. Revival happened in the northern states in 1858 and briefly in the south in 1865-67. The Welsh Revival, which was read about with great excitement in America, happened in 1904. Following this revival, Holiness minister Frank Bartleman urged people to pray for a new revival in America. He anticipated one last world-wide revival before Jesus' return. Other Holiness preachers were also calling for revival.

It was no surprise that these people “were ready to accept the events of 1906 in Los Angeles as the answer to their prayers”. Their support of the new movement is evidenced by the fact that, “the Pentecostal movement first sprouted in the geographical regions that were most familiar with revivalist Christianity”.

The past experience of revival also meant that the new Pentecostalism was attractive to these people because the two movements shared teaching and practice. In fact, Revivalism's belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ was partly responsible for Parham's desire for tongue speaking. He expected missionaries to receive this gift to enable them to “preach in the language of the natives” so that this gospel would be “proclaimed to all people before the end comes.”

Pentecostalism also shared Revivalism's belief in healing, and the experiential aspect of spirituality had been promoted by Revivalist preachers who wanted to see heartfelt conversion experiences (in order that the individual would be transformed and society would be bettered). Revivalist Christianity has been described as “lively, emotional, fervid”. The new Pentecostal movement shared all these factors.

Factor Five: Black churches and spirituality

The fifth aspect of American religious life to influence the rise of Pentecostalism was the presence of Black churches. There were many Black churches in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1906, they accounted for 17 per cent of the nation's churches.

The Holiness doctrines had been particularly successful in these churches. Church life was heavily influenced by African culture and spirituality. Teaching was “handed down orally by means of stories, myths and songs”. Spirit possession was also part of African spirituality, preparation for which involved singing, drumming and dancing. There was “no division between the spiritual and the earthly reality”. African spirituality also saw a very close relationship between the present and future (the future being “so close that it has almost arrived”), which married well with the Pentecostal belief in Jesus' imminent return. This style of church life carried over into the new Pentecostal movement.

Five factors that made Pentecostalism

At least five factors contributed to the rise of the Pentecostal movement. The first and most significant factor was the preexisting Holiness movement, which gave almost all of its doctrine as well as its style of church meeting to the new Pentecostalism. The second factor was the sorry state of the established churches. Pentecostalism offered a more heartfelt and faithful alternative. The third factor was the pluralism of society at large, which facilitated the introduction of a new religious movement. The fourth factor was the past experience of revival. The events at Azusa Street were seen as a new and grand manifestation of revival and the new Pentecostalism shared much of Revivalism's thinking and style. And finally, the fifth factor was the influence that the substantial number of black churches had on the doctrine and experience of Pentecostal church life. These five factors together contributed to the phenomenally successful beginning of the Pentecostal movement.

More on this topic

Why Pentecostalism began

(PART 3) Where Pentecostalism came from - The Holiness movement

(PART 2) Where Pentecostalism came from - The legacy of Edward Irving

(PART 1) Where Pentecostalism came from - The theology of John Wesley

Why Pentecostalism was successful

How early Pentecostals saw themselves

Bibliography

Anderson, D.D., Vision of the Disinherited 28 cited in Archer, K.J., A Pentecostal Hermeneutic for the Twenty-First Century (London/New York: T & T Clark International, 2004)

Archer, K.J., A Pentecostal Hermeneutic for the Twenty-First Century (London/New York: T & T Clark International, 2004)

Bartlemann, F., Azusa Street (Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1925), chapter 3 (abridged). Cited in W.K. Kay, A.E. Dyer, Pentecostal and Charistmatic Studies: A Reader (London: SCM Press, 2004)

Davis, R., Locusts and Wild Honey: The Charistmatic Renewal and the Ecumenical Movement (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1978)

Dieter, M.E., The Holiness Revival in the Nineteenth Century (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1980), 183. cited in Hudson, 'Strange Words', 55.

Ewart, F.J., The Phenomenon of Penecost (Hazlewood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 1947, rev. edn, 1975) 39. cited in Archer, A Pentecostal Hermeneutic, 22.

Hathaway, M.R., 'The Elim Pentecostal Church: Origins, Development and Distinctives,' in K. Warrington (ed.), Pentecostal Perspectives (Cumbria, UK: Paternoster Press, 1998)

Hoekema, A.A.,What About Tongue Speaking? (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1966)

Hollenweger, W.J., The Pentecostals: The Charismatic Movement in the Churches (Minnesota: SCM Press Ltd., 1972)

Hollenweger, W.J., Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide (Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1997)

Hudson, N., 'Strange Words and Their Impact on Early Pentecostals: A Historical Perspective,' in M.J. Cartledge (ed.), Speaking in Tongues: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives (Milton Keynes, UK/Waynesboro, GA, USA: Paternoster Press, 2006)

Ma, W., 'Biblical Studies in the Pentecostal Tradition: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,' in M.W. Dempster, B.D. Klaus, D. Peterson (eds.), The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel (Regnum Books International, 1999)

Macchia, F.D., 'The Kingdom and the Power: Spirit Baptism in Pentecostal and Ecumenical Perspective,' in M. Welker (ed.), The Work of the Spirit: Pneumatology and Pentecostalism (Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006)

MacRobert, I., 'The Black Roots of Pentecostalism,' in A.B. Jan, Jongeneel, a.o. (eds.), Pentecost, Mission and Ecumenism: Essays on Intercultural Theology (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1992)

Noll, M.A., The Old Religion in a New World: The History of North American Christianity (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002)

Parham, C.F., 'The Latter Rain,' Apostolic Faith (1950-51), 3, 15 (abridged). cited in W.K. Kay, A.E. Dyer, Pentecostal and Charistmatic Studies: A Reader (London: SCM Press, 2004)

Suurmond, J-J., Word and Spirit at Play: Towards a Charismatic Theology (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1994)

Synan, V., The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century (Cambridge, UK: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997)

Synan, V., The Century of the Holy Spirit: One Hundred Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901 - 2001 (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001)

Wacker, G., 'Early Pentecostals and the Study of Popular Religious Movements in Modern America,' in M. Welker (ed.), The Work of the Spirit: Pneumatology and Pentecostalism (Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006)

Yong, A., Discerning the Spirit(s): A Pentecostal-Charismatic Contribution to Christian Theology of Religions (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000) talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Where Australian Pentecostalism came from

Pentecostalism in Australia grew significantly in the 1970 and 1980s to become one of the fastest growing religious groups in the country (and the fastest growing Christian movement). Where did the Pentecostalism in Australia come from? As the only major religious group not brought to Australia by immigrants, Australian Pentecostalism developed from groups that originated here as a result of the influence of Pentecostalism overseas in the first decade of the twentieth-century. [1]

The first Pentecostal church that began in Melbourne in 1909, just three years after the birth of Pentecostalism in 1906 at the Asuza Street Mission in Los Angeles, California, became a major way in which the teaching of Pentecostalism spread throughout Australia in the next few decades. In most states of Australia the formation of small Pentecostal groups was a direct result of the work of this church (the Good News Hall) under Janet Lancaster and Frederick Van Eyk (who later renamed the work 'the Apostolic Faith Mission').

Janet Lancaster was a methodist from Melbourne, Victoria. She was convinced by an English pamphlet, entitled "Back to Pentecost," to seek baptism in the Holy Spirit as her own experience similar to the first Pentecost, as described in Acts 2. She had also become convinced that the Bible promised healing through faith while studying the topic of divine healing.

Then in 1908 after an experience that included tongues-speaking she began to share her new beliefs with others. Those who joined her began meeting together and in 1909 the group bought a building they named the "Good News Hall."

Describing their activity as the "Pentecostal Mission," meetings regularly included tongues-speaking, prophecy, "tarrying" for the gift of the Holy Spirit, laying on hands and anointing the sick, and "dancing in the Spirit." Many miracles were claimed to have occurred. Members also made attempts at casting out demons and claimed to having seen visions.

Janet Lancaster led the work until her death twenty-five years later. Her own teaching led the church to develop a number of unique beliefs: Lancaster and the Good News Hall denied the trinity, teaching that Jesus was inferior to the godhead which consisted only of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. It also taught that only death awaited the wicked who had no soul that could be sent to hell or heaven.

In 1910 Janet Lancaster began a periodical, entitled "Good News," which became a free monthly magazine that was circulated around Australia to as many as 3000 readers per month. It contained sermon material from the Good News Hall and also many re-printed articles from overseas Pentecostal newspapers and magazines. The Good News Hall also printed and circulated many thousands of tracts containing their teaching. In this way Janet Lancaster and the Good News Hall became a major way in which Pentecostal teaching spread thoughout Australia.

Material from overseas Pentecostal churches, in the form of newspaper and magazine articles, was used considerably in the Good News Hall. Eventually Pentecostal teachers from overseas were also invited to visit to Australia. Among them was Smith Wigglesworth, who visited Autralia from England in 1921-22. He stressed healing and had a significant influence in many States, most of all South Australia, where he left behind the first Pentecostal group in that State. In this way the influence of overseas Pentecostal movements had a large effect on the formation of Pentecostalism in Australia.

In 1926 Janet Lancaster also brought out Frederick Van Eyk, a Pentecostal evangelist from South Africa, who helped the Good News Hall to become an Australian wide movement. He changed its name to the 'Apostolic Faith Mission' and appointed himself as the evangelist of the new movement. He travelled widely, holding meetings in various parts around Australia and planting churches. He experienced particular success in Queensland, but also helped spread the movement to most other Australian states.

In Queensland Van Eyk planted a whole group of churches. In South Australia Lancaster herself visisted the first Pentecostal group formed in Adelaide in 1921 to encourage its growth. In New South Wales William Jeffrey, who had been influenced by the Good News Hall and corresponded with Lancaster, built in 1919 the first Pentecostal building in Parkes for a group he pastored. In Western Australia in 1926 Van Eyk organised a small group and left behind a church that later divided into a group that became the Apostolic Church in Perth, a second that named themselves the Elim Foursquare Church and another that became the beginnings of the Assemblies of God in Perth. In this way the Good News Hall under Janet Lancaster and the Apostolic Faith Mission under Frederick Van Eyk became the pioneering origin of the Pentecostal movement in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia.

The Good News Hall dwindled rapidly after the death of Janet Lancaster in 1934. The Apostolic Faith Mission had been discredited by a number of problems, not least the questional behaviour of Frederick Van Eyk with a woman in Toowoomba after his wife and children had returned to South Africa. The teaching of Lancaster on the Trinity and the judgement of the wicked was also recognised by many to be heretical. The church eventually disappeared. Other Pentecostal groups, that had developed independently from the Good News Hall as early as 1911, became movements that eventually bypassed the Apostolic Faith Mission. They too also dwindled in time and were replaced by new groups. But each group had an impact upon the others with the continual influence of Pentecostalism abroad, right up to the present day.

Pentecostalism in Australia has evolved from these original Australian Pentecostal groups that developed here as a direct result of the influence of the worldwide movement of Pentecostalism that began in Asuza Street, Los Angeles, in 1906.

More on this topic

Baptism in the Spirit: What Pentecostals believe

How Pentecostalism developed over time

Baptism in the Spirit: The basis of Pentecostalism

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[1] Hughes, Philip J. The Pentecostals in Australia. Religious Community Profiles: Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

How Pentecostalism developed

Pentecostalism was shaped to a significant degree by the events surrounding the years of its development. When and how did the development of Pentecostalism take place? What changes occurred after the beginning of Pentecostalism in 1906-9 that transformed this movement? What influenced the way that Pentecostalism took shape in the course of time?

Major controversies faced Pentecostalism during its first few decades in particular. Controveries created divisions, which in turn created new movements within the movement as a whole. But they also had the added effect of cementing the overall shape that this movement developed through to the present time.

The first issue to divide Pentecostals centred around the nature of tongues. During the late part of 1906 controvery arose over the accounts of tongues-speaking found in the book of Acts as compared to that found in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. Some believed that the tongues spoken of in the narrative literature of Acts had a different function to the tongues described in 1 Corinthians 14 – the former providing evidence of Spirit baptism, the latter functioning for the individual's prayer life and for the congregations edification (if interpreted.) Others however believed that the tongues-speaking in the book of Acts and the gift of tongues in the book of Corinthians were the same in nature. Among these was Charles Parham who continued to believe in the preaching function of tongues.

Before the revival of tongues-speaking that occurred at the turn of the nineteenth-century in conjunction with the beginning of Pentecostalism, Christians who later joined the Pentecostal movement had been expecting the gift of languages to be given to equip the Church to evangelise the unreached millions in their mother-tongues, before the End. However after 1906 an increasing number of Pentecostals recognised that in most of the occurances they had witnessed, tongues-speaking was not actually identifiable in its nature. Christians seemed to be speaking as if praying with unknown utterances (as opposed to preaching in identifiable though foreign languages.) More and more Pentecostals from this time on concluded that the function of tongues was to enable an individual to “pray in the Spirit.”

The second issue to divide Pentecostals was the number (and nature) of subsequent works of the Spirit to conversion. Were there three works of grace (being conversion, sanctification and Spirit-baptism) or only two (being only conversion and Spirit baptism.) And what were the functions of each work of the Spirit? Did conversion also involve the Spirit's work of sanctification as well as regeneration? Was Spirit-baptism a separate experience involving empowerment and the gifts of the Spirit only? Or did Spirit-baptism also involve sanctification? The resolution of this issue caused the rapid proliferation of Pentecostal denominations within the years that followed as divisions brought new groups, new groups created new movements and new movements developed into separate denominations.

The third controversy that shaped Pentecostalism arose over the practice of water baptism. A preacher by the name of R. E. McAlister believed that he had discovered a new pattern in the book of Acts that shed light on the restoration of the full gospel to the Church. He noticed that the Apostles baptised individuals in the name of the Lord Jesus only and did not use the Trinitarian formula found in Matthew 28:19. Those who followed his strong Christological emphasis were rebaptised with him into the name of Jesus only and a new movement within the movement began. They began emphasising the “Oneness” of the Godhead in contrast to the Trinitarian teaching on three Persons. This movement is today known as Oneness Pentecostalism (or is referred to as Oneness theology.)

Each of these three controversies accelerated the formation of different Pentecostal denominations. The Assemblies of God is an example: The General Council of the Assemblies of God came into being in April 1914 in an effort to preserve a doctrinal consensus of opinion that existed among its participants on matters such as the Trinity, “Diving Healing” and “Baptism in the Spirit.” Although the Oneness issue threatened to split the General Council, the theological boundaries that were formulated created a doctrinal unity within their churches that ensured the stability of the denomination.

“With the condemnation of the Oneness issue, the fathers and mothers of the Assemblies of God assumed that the restoration of the apostolic faith had been protected from error.” [1]

From this time onward the official teaching of the Assemblies of God denomination was that Spirit baptism is the second (not the third) and only subsequent work of the Spirit after conversion, that it functions for the empowerment of believers, and that sanctification is an outworking of the Spirit's reception in salvation from the moment of conversion onwards.

By way of summary then, the early decades of the twentieth-century were defining years for Pentecostalism. Dividing controversies arose over the nature of tongues, the nature and number of subsequent works of the Spirit, and the practice of water baptism. The resolution of these issues accelerated the formation of different Pentecostal denominations, each of which took different doctrinal stances.

More on this topic

Where Australian Pentecostalism came from

Why Pentecostalism was successful

Baptism in the Spirit: What Pentecostals believe

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[1] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 20.

talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Why Pentecostalism was successful

Only three years after the revival of tongues-speaking that began in 1906 at Azusa Street, Pentecostalism had become a world-wide movement. Why did Pentecostalism grow so rapidly?

The origin of Pentecostalism must be understood against the backdrop of a revival of tongues-speaking that occured in 1901 in Topeka, after which Charles Parham formulated a new doctrine of Spirit-baptism. He taught that baptism in the Spirit is a third work of grace, separate to conversion and sanctification, with the initial evidence of tongues-speaking.

The Topeka Revival sowed the seed of Pentecostalism. [1] Charles Parham had grown up in Methodist and Holiness circles. Following the lead of many others in this movement he strongly emphasised the gifts of the Spirit, including healing.

Parham had been influenced significantly by Benjamin Irwin and Frank Sandford. Following Stanford, Parham understood tongues to have a preaching function. Consequently he and his followers were among those hoping to receive the power of the Spirit to rapidly evangelise the world at the turn of the nineteenth century by speaking in other languages.

Like Irwin he understood baptism in the Spirit to be a third work of grace empowering the believer and gifting them for evangelism. He taught that those who had been converted and had gone forward to entire sanctification (Wesley's Christian perfection) should expect a baptism of “the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Parham was part of a Bible study group which was made up of some of his students and several Baptist ministers. After studying of the Book of Acts, Parham came to his conclusion that tongues was the “initial evidence” of Spirit baptism based on the narrative literature of Acts and the longer ending of Mark. Tongues in Acts seem to have the function of providing evidence of Spirit baptism. Following the pattern of other “restorationists,” he elevated this factor in the history of the Church to doctrinal standing.

Convinced by their study, and after much prayer, Parham and his students and fellow ministers reported their own practice of tongues-speaking, although only sporadic instances had occurred. After their experience with tongues, Parham formulated the doctrine of “initial evidence” (that tongues-speaking is the initial evidence of Spirit baptism). He is the one who pioneered this doctrine of tongues as a special sign of Spirit baptism. Because he was the first to insist on tongues as the necessary evidence of this subsequent work of Spirit baptism he is the origin of this basic distinctive in Pentecostalism today.

Following Benjamin Irwin however, Parham still taught that Spirit baptism was a third work of grace (conversion and sanctification being the first and second respectively).

Although under Charles Parham only sporadic instances of tongues-speaking occurred, what had begun in Topeka was the seed that directly resulted in the amazing growth of Pentecostalism out of the Azusa Street meetings under William Seymour. [2]

The Azusa Street Revival of 1906-1909 was the beginning of Pentecostalism. Before William Seymour went to Los Angeles he had been influenced by Parham in Topeka. He was a former student of Parham at his Bible school and as a result Seymour inherited Parham's unique doctrine of Spirit baptism with tongues speaking at the “initial evidence,” and used the platform at Azusa Street to teach this. Seymour also borrowed heavily from John Wesley’s Doctrines and Discipline. [5]

Parham's legacy and the events surrounding him in Topeka also contributed to the Azusa Street revival by fueling the escatological expectancy of a “latter rain” outpouring of the Spirit. The widespread burden for evangelism, coupled with this theological backbone, inspired a global outreach that has accompanied the Pentecostal movement since its beginning.

When tongues-speaking re-occurred at the Azusa Street meetings Seymour announced in excitement in his newspaper (the Apostolic Faith) that the “latter rain” of Joel 2:23 had come. News quickly spread overseas through the newspaper and by secular media like the Los Angeles Times and then even more so by visitors from around America and overseas who travelled back from the Azusa Street meetings.

While the majority of Holiness leaders rejected this revival and the doctrine of Parham and Seymour, the young leaders from more radical Holiness groups came to investigate the phenomenon on display there. [3] The Azusa Street meetings were characterised by spontaneous prayer and preaching and the active participation of women. In addition, an unparalleled inter-racial makeup of the services also highlighted the revival, accompanied by a message of reconciliation. In particular, however, visitors witnessed what they saw to be evidence of a special post-conversion baptismal experience of the Holy Spirit. Those that were convinced carried home with them this new teaching, and Pentecostalism began as a wold-wide movement.

“Pentecostalism made its greatest inroads where Holiness movements were already prospering, and it attracted far more non-Methodists than had the earlier forms of perfectionism. Besides the emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Pentecostalism recognized divine healing and demanded highly puritanical standards of personal conduct. Like the Holiness groups the Pentecostals were theological conservatives, and they comprised an important addition to the Arminian wing of Protestant conservatism in the period when the fundamentalist movement was gathering steam.” [4]

To summarise, the rapid beginning of Pentecostalism can be understood against the backdrop of a revival of tongues-speaking in Topeka, 1901, after which Charles Parham formulated the doctrine of “initial evidence:” that tongues-speaking is the initial evidence of Spirit baptism, which he understood to be a separate work of the Spirit to conversion and sanctification. Then when the re-occurrence of tongues speaking at the Azusa Street meetings from 1906-1909 gained a worldwide audience, William Seymour, a former student of Parham, used the revival as a platform to teach this new doctrine of Spirit baptism. Visitors witnessed this first-hand and then carried the new teaching abroad.

But what of the early decades of the twentieth-century after the birth of Pentecostalism? What controvercies arose in the infancy of this movement? And what place did they have in defining the Pentecostalism of today? In the next article we'll be talking about how Pentecostalism was shaped in its early years.

More on this topic

How Pentecostalism developed over time

Why Pentecostalism was successful

Where Australian Pentecostalism came from

- -

[1] Vinson Synan (Ph. D., University of Georgia), “Pentecostalism,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 900.

[2] Grant. R. Osborne (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen), “Tongues, Speaking in,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 1208.

[3] Mark A. Noll (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University), “Azusa Street Revival,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 125.

[4] Richard. V. Pierard (Ph.D., University of Iowa), “Holiness Movement, American”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 565. [5] The Oxford companion to Christian thought / edited by Adrian Hastings ... [et al.], Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2000, Pentecostalism.

talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

How early Pentecostals saw themselves

The key to understanding the teachings of the modern Pentecostal movement is understanding their origin. The first Pentecostals, who embraced this movement at that time in history when it began, had a determining influence on the Pentecostalism of today. We need to understand how early Pentecostals themselves interpreted the historical events surrounding their origin. How did they view Pentecostalism?

"When tongues-speaking occurred in Topeka in 1901, the only significant addition to the foregoing was to insist that tongues-speaking was the biblical evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit baptism. All the other teachings and practices of Pentecostalism were adapted from the Holiness milieu in which it was born, including its style of worship, its hymnody, and its basic theology." (McGee, 1995) [1]

talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. Firstly, the original Pentecostals knew that their doctrine of tongues-speaking was unique.

Pentecostalism began with the belief that the gift of tongues was the evidence of baptism in the Spirit. Although Pentecostalism came from within the Holiness movement it emerged as a new and distinct movement because of this unique role given to the practice of tongues. Although the Holiness movement did teach that Spirit-baptism was a second experience to empower Christians, it did not stress charismatic phenomena such as speaking in tongues. [2] The priority of the gift of tongues was inherited by early Pentecostals from Charles Parham who was the first to insisted that speaking in tongues was the evidence of Spirit baptism (that he believed to be the third work of grace.) [3]

Secondly, early Petecostals believed that the Spirit's work in those who had spoken in tongues was unique.

This is the reason why the practice of tongues-speaking was elevated in importance. It was Charles Parham again who was the first to articulate this so specifically. Charles Parham's saw an elite band of Spirit-baptised evangelists as fulfilling the Great Commission before the End. Gary B. McGee (as Professor of Church History, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary) describes Parham's view of the recipients of baptism in the Spirit:

"Sanctified and prepared now as an elite band of end-time missionaries, they alone [will] be taken by Christ at the (pre-Tribulation) rapture of the Church after they had completed their role in fulfilling the Great Commission. Other Christians [will] face the ordeal of survival during the seven years of tribulation to follow." [4]

McGee comments, "Despite the eventual relegation of this teaching to the fringes of the Pentecostal movement, it did raise an issue that still lingers: the uniqueness of the Spirit's work in those who have spoken in tongues as compared with those who have not." [4] It is a consequence of the Pentecostal belief (that Spirit-baptism is a unique work of the Spirit in some Christians) that the practice of tongues-speaking is a doctrinal priority in this movement. Tongues-speaking distinguishes between those who have had Spirit-baptism and those who have not. In other words, speaking in tongues funtions to divide the Church into two groups: those who are Christians only and those who are Spirit-empowered Christians.

Thirdly, early Pentecostals believed that with the beginning of their movement came the restoration of the Apostolic faith.

In 1922 Daniel W. Kerr (who has been called “the most influential theological voice in the early years of the Assemblies of God” [5]) wrote an article entitled “The Basis for Our Distinctive Testimony,” in which he remarked:

"During the past few years God has enabled us to discover and recover this wonderful truth concerning Baptism in the Spirit as it was given at the beginning. Thus we have all that the others got [i.e., Luther, Wesley, Blumhardt, Trudel, and A. B. Simpson], and we got this too. We see all that they see, but they don't see what we see." [5]

McGee himself believes in regard to the 1901 revival at Topeka, that "the 'apostolic faith' of the New Testament Church had at last been fully restored." [6] This point is further proven by the fact that Bennett Freeman Lawrence -- who wrote the first history of the Pentecostal movement -- named his book, "The Apostolic Faith Restored" (1916). [7]

Conclusion

The first Pentecostal thinkers themselves understood their doctrine of tongues-speaking to be unique in church history, and interpreted the events surrounding the beginning of the twentieth-century as the end-time restoration of the “Apostolic faith” in preparation for Christ's return. The practice of tongues speaking was specifically given doctrinal priority because it distinguishes between those who have received the unique work of Spirit-baptism from those Christians who have not.

But how did Pentecostalism grow so rapidly? How is it that by 1909, after only three years, Pentecostalism had become a world-wide movement? In the next article we'll be talking about why Pentecostalism was so successful.

More on this topic

Why Pentecostalism was successful

Why Pentecostalism began

How Pentecostalism developed over time

- -

[1] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 15-16.

[2] Vinson Synan (Ph. D., University of Georgia), “Pentecostalism”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 900.

[3] Ibid., p. 15-16 (emphasis his).

[4] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 17.

[5] Ibid., p. 16.

[6] Ibid., p. 16 (emphasis his).

[7] Ibid., p. 16 (emphasis his).

Why Pentecostalism began

Pentecostalism began as a worldwide movement when a revival of tongues speaking at the beginning of the 20th century attracted international attention. Speaking about the origin of Pentecostalism, Vinson Synan (Ph. D., University of Georgia) says, “The Topeka and Los Angeles events took place in a turn-of-the century religious environment that encouraged the appearance of such a Pentecostal movement.” [1] The question is, what was the religious environment that encouraged the appearance of Pentecostalism? What prepared the world for Pentecostalism, historically? In other words, why did Pentecostalism begin?

Firstly, people were seeking the "gift of languages". [2] Among those committed to world evangelisation serious concerns arose over how the unreached millions were going to hear the gospel before the end. Several factors generated these concerns: The missions movement had spent considerable time and energy but the numbers of conversions of native peoples was alarmingly small; the premillennialists' gloomy assessment of the immediate future caused Christians in this movement to expect the condition of humankind to get worse before the imminent return of the Lord; and then when the arms race of the 1890s occurred and the end of the century was approaching, the Christian expectation of the end of the world was considerably heightened.

Widespread interest in the gifts of the Spirit convinced some that God was going to restore the gift of tongues (identifiable human languages) to the Church to equip them to preach the gospel in other countries, in preparation for the end. In 1895 the widely read Holiness author W. B. Godbey predicted: “[The “Gift of Language” is] destined to play a conspicuous part in the evangelization of the heathen world, amid the glorious prophetical fulfilment of the latter days. All missionaries in heathen lands should seek and expect this Gift to enable them to preach fluently in the vernacular tongue, at the same time not depreciating their own efforts.” [3]

Frank W. Sandford was another teacher who advocated the missionary use of tongues-speaking. He spread this teaching in his publication “Tongues of Fire” through which he endevoured to rapidly evangelise the world. He and others were praying and expected to receive the gift of “power and eloquence” for evangelism. This desire for the gift of languages set the stage for the revival of tongues speaking that occurred in the early 1900s.

Secondly, people were seeking a restoration of the "full" gospel. The Holiness movement sought to restore what it understood to be New Testament Christianity to the Church in the last days in preparation for Christ's return. This led to the movement reforming existing theology to develop what it saw to be the “full" gospel. Reflecting this desire, A. B. Simpson blended together four themes of Christ as Savior, Baptizer, Healer, and Coming King. In time this was described as the “full gospel” or “fourfold gospel.” [4] This change of theology set the stage for Pentecostalism.

"By the turn of the century, the Holiness movement had become preoccupied with the “Pentecostal reformation of Weslyan doctrine” and the four themes of the full gospel. In fact, when the Pentecostal movement began a few years later, only the priority given to the gift of tongues distinguished it theologically from Holiness beliefs." [5]

Thirdly, people were seeing spiritual experiences as “crisis” events. The Holiness movement taught that Christian spirituality involved seeking distinct experiences that occured as instant events. This in turn set the stage for the Pentecostal doctrine of Spirit baptism as a separate experience to conversion.

"Not only did such Holiness teachers emphasize conscious religious experiences, they tended to encourage persons to seek for them as “crisis” experiences that could be received in an instant of time through prayer and faith. By 1890 the Holiness movement began to think of religious experiences more in terms of crisis than in gradual categories. Thus the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church taught instant conversion through the new birth, instant sanctification as a second blessing, instant baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, instant divine healing through prayer, and the instant premillennial second coming of Christ." [6]

Fourthly, there was a need for "evidence" of the second work. Benjamin Hardin Irwin was a radical Weslyan Holiness preacher who taught a third work of grace for power in Christian service. In 1895 he began teaching that the second work of grace initiated sanctification and the third brought baptism in the Spirit. This “third blessing” was called “the fire.” Irwin named his group the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church, beginning another movement that started new groups across America and Canada. This created the problem of needing evidence to distinguishing between those who had received the third blessing from those who had the second only. This problem was part of the reason why the mainstream Holiness Movement rejected his as the “third blessing heresy.”

This controversy laid an important foundation for Pentecostalism because it crystallised the movement's commitment to a two-stage work of the Spirit (which would be simpler to identify). It also highlighted the need to clarify what is the nature of the second work of grace (which would be empowerment, not sanctification). In addition, the Irwin heresy (as it was called) revealed the need for an evidence for the second work of grace. This again set the stage for Pentecostalism which provided that evidence. Irwin later joined the Pentecostal Movement.

To summarise, the historical situation at the turn of the nineteenth-century that encouraged the appearance of Pentecostalism was a widespread desire for the gift of languages for world evangelisation, the desire for a restoration of the “full gospel” involving Spirit-baptism as a post-conversion experience and the miraculous gifts such as healing, the emphasis on spiritual experiences as “crisis” events, and the theological necessity of an evidence to distinguish those having received subsequent works of the Spirit from those who had not.

But in order to understand the origin of Pentecostalism completely we also need to understand how early Pentecostal thinkers themselves interpreted the historical events surrounding their beginnings. Did they themselves understand their doctrine of tongues-speaking to be unique in church history? Did they interpret the events surrounding the beginning of the twentieth-century as the end-time restoration of the “Apostolic faith” in preparation for Christ's return? In the next article, we'll talk about how early Pentecostals viewed Pentecostalism.

More on this topic

How early Pentecostals saw themselves

(PART 3) Where Pentecostalism came from - The Holiness movement

Why Pentecostalism was successful

- -

[1] Vinson Synan (Ph. D., University of Georgia), “Pentecostalism”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 899.

[2] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 14-15.

[3] Ibid., p. 15.

[4] Ibid., p. 14-15.

[5] Ibid., p. 15-16.

[6] Vinson Synan (Ph. D., University of Georgia), “Pentecostalism,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 900.

talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Where Pentecostalism came from (PART 3)

The Holiness movement

“Pentecostalism is an offshoot of the Holiness movement.”[1] The Holiness movement originated in America in the 1840-50s when Methodism's “second blessing” emphasis spread to America. The movement began with the motive of preserving and spreading Wesley's doctrine of entire sanctification and Christian perfection.

American Holiness preachers began emphasising two “crises” in the process of salvation. The first experience of conversion brought justification, where one was freed from the condemnation of sin. The second experience of “full” salvation brought “entire” sanctification, where one was freed from the flaw in moral nature that caused sin. [2] However the movement eventually reformed Wesleyan theology on the “second blessing.”

Firstly, Wesley's notion of a second blessing developed into the notion of a second experience of Spirit baptism. Phoebe Palmer and John Inskip were leaders in the movement who taught that the second work of grace (sanctification) took place throught a second blessing of Spirit baptism. Though the focus remained to be the sanctified life, new scriptural imagery was employed such as the “outpouring of the Spirit,” “baptism in the Spirit,” and the “tongue of fire.” Although the Holiness movement's teachers did not stress charismatic phenomena (speaking in tongues was not mentioned, for example), they did emphasize a conscious experience of baptism in the Spirit.

Many arose at this time within and without the Methodist circuit teaching about the nature of the second work of grace, and there came a slow shift to “instant empowerment.” Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) [3] is an example. He came from within Presbyteriansim, but was influenced greatly by Nathaniel W. Taylor's form of Arminianism (New Haven Theology) and Wesley's belief in “entire sanctification.” Finney developed a theology (Oberlin Theology) that showed remarkable parallels to Methodism. He emphasised a second and more mature stage in the Christian life. In his words, a “higher and more stable form of Christian life was attainable, and was the priviledge of all Christians.” [4] Sometimes referred to as “the baptism of the Holy Spirit,” Finney taught that Spirit baptism was the second work of grace that provided divine empowerment to achieve Christian perfection. [5] He stressed the need for perfect commitment rather than perfect sinlessness. He taught that Christians were taught to “tarry” (Luke 24:49, KJV) for the promised baptism in the Spirit which would break the power of sin in their lives and usher them into the Spirit-filled life. Also, according to Joel 2:28, this gift of the Spirit would enable prophecy for the last days. Finney's teaching contributed to the Holiness Movement and therefore indirectly to Pentecostalism.

The Keswick movement provides another example of where the shift in emphasis to Spirit empowerment in the second blessing became apparent during this time. The Keswick movement began in Great Britain in 1874 (at the annual “Convention for the Promotion of Practical Holiness”). It had its origins in the evangelistic campaign of Dwight L. Moody in 1873-4 who emphasized the need for the Spirit's empowerment for Christian service and entertained the idea of Spirit baptism as a second blessing of the Spirit's power. The convention also began under the influence of American writers such as Asa Mahan, who promoted Charles Finney's theological distinctives about the Spirit and Revival (Oberlin Theology). [6] English speakers at this convention (who were more in tune with Finney and Moody's shift on Wesleyan theology) began emphasizing the “deeper life” rather than holiness because they believed sin could not be eradicated, but rather counteracted by victorious living through the Spirit. They also taught a distinct Spirit experience subsequent to conversion. This helped change the interpretation of Spirit baptism from sinless perfection to an ongoing victorious Christian life. They spoke of the “fullness of the Spirit” as the “higher” or “deeper” life. They also spoke of four doctrines of the movement after A. B. Simpson formalized and stressed his four basic doctrines: salvation, baptism in the Spirit, divine healing, and the second coming of Christ. [7]

During this period many publications were produced to teach seekers how to receive an “enduement of power” through an experience of the Holy Spirit subsequent to conversion. Many testimonies were given to emotional experiences that accompanied the “second blessing,” some shouting for joy, others weeping with surpassing peace.

The third development within the Holiness movement is with regard to what is now known as “restoration theology.” Many within the Holiness movement began to believe that “Spirit baptism fully restored the spiritual relationship that Adam and Eve had with God in the Garden of Eden.” [8] This is related to the predominant expectation of an imminent premillenial second coming of Christ. Teachers in the movement exphasised a “premillenial rapture” of the Church. This was first promoted by John Nelson Darby, founder of Plymouth Brethern. With this Holiness movement teachers encouraged the expectancy of a restoration of the New Testament church as a sign of the end of the church age.

As professor of Church History at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Gary McGee said about this period, “Nothing but unbelief now could prevent the New Testament Church from being reestablished in holiness and power.” [9]

Fourthly, the Holiness movement brought an emphasis on immediate healing by faith. Most Christians in the Holiness movement in the nineteenth-century assumed that speaking in tongues ended in the Early Church, but other gifts such as healing and miracles were still available to Christians. Ministries that emphasised prayer for the sick gained attention in America. Belief in the miraculous power of God to heal the sick immediately by faith found an easy reception in the Holiness movement where belief in instantaneous sanctification or empowerment already existed. Since Spirit baptism brought a restoration of the relationship intended by God in the Garden of Eden, “the higher life in Christ could also reverse the physical effects of the Fall, enabling believers to take authority over sickness.” [10]

A. B. Simpson and A. J. Gordon were among those who began teaching healing in the atonement. Much of their belief was based upon Isaiah 53:4-5 where they taught that Christ provided healing in the atonement by also becoming not only our “sin-bearer” but also our “sickness-bearer.” In 1864 the doctor R. Charles Cullis built his first “healing home” where the sick would be treated with prayer rather than with medicine. In 1900 the Autralian healer Alexander Dowie built “Zion City” near Chicago to bring “leaves of healing” to the nations.

We've covered a lot of ground in the last three articles (a period of almost two hundred years.) By way of summary Pentecostalism has its roots in the eighteenth-century Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification, which taught that sanctification involves a “second blessing” as an experience of the Spirit distinct from conversion. Then in the nineteenth-century the Irvingites spread a charismatic eschatology which taught that the period prior to the second coming of Christ would see an end-time outpouring of the Spirit, accompanied by a restoration to the Church of the sign gifts such as tongues and healing. Wesleyan doctrine also spread to America in this century where it inspired the Holiness Movement, which reformed Wesleyan theology on the “second blessing” by teaching that Spirit-baptism was a second experience to miraculously empower Christians.

That brings us right to the verge of the twentieth-century and the time in history immediately prior to the birth of Pentecostalism in 1906. So in our next article we'll talk in more detail about this period at the turn of the nineteenth-century and how the historical situation encouraged the appearance of Pentecostalism.

More on this topic

Why Pentecostalism began

(PART 2) Where Pentecostalism came from - The legacy of Edward Irving

(PART 1) Where Pentecostalism came from - The theology of John Wesley

- -

[1] Richard. V. Pierard (Ph.D., University of Iowa), “Holiness Movement, American”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 565.

[2] Ibid., p. 564.

[3] C. T. McIntire (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania), “Finney, Charles Grandison”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 452.

[4] Mark A. Noll (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University), “Oberlin Theology”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 851.

[5] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 12.

[6] Stephen Barabas, “Keswick Convention”, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 654.

[7] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 12.

[8]Ibid., p. 13.

[9] Ibid., p. 13.

[10] Ibid., p. 13.

talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Where Pentecostalism came from (PART 2)

The legacy of Edward Irving

“The major milieu out of which Pentecostalism sprang was the worldwide Holiness movement, which had developed out of nineteenth-century American Methodism.”(Vinson Synan, Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2001) [1].

To be consise, Pentecostalism developed in the early twentieth-century from the Holiness movement, which developed from American Methodism in the nineteenth-century, which developed out of eighteenth-century Weslyan theology. However, the theological roots of Pentecostalism are more complex than American Methodism alone.

In the 1830s until the end of the nineteenth-century a revival of tongues-speaking occurred in England that was the forerunner to twentieth-century Pentecostalism. The revival occurred during the ministry of Edward Irving. Understanding where Pentecostalism came from involves understanding the legacy of Edward Irving and the importance of nineteenth-century premillennialism.[4]

Nineteenth-century Premillennialism (Irving's legacy) [2]

Edward Irving (1792-1834) is considered to be a forerunner of Pentecostalism [3]. He was a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) minister, with a congregation in London. He believed himself to be a prophet of God and sought to reintroduce a charismatic dimension to Protestantism.

Irving developed a charismatic sacramentalism. He believed that much of the power of the Reformation lay in its sacramental theology, and so in response he stressed the presence and power of the Spirit in baptism.

Later he developed a charismatic eschatology. After meeting some of the first Anglican premillennialists [4] he began to believe in a period prior to the Second Coming when a “latter-rain” outpouring of the Holy Spirit would occur. This was grounded in his apocalyptic exposition of biblical prophecy. Irving was the first major populariser of this theology because of his many published works on prophecy and the Albury Park prophecy conferences, which he organised. [5]

It was Irving's apocalyptic interpretation of biblical prophecy that influenced one of the most significant fathers of this movement, John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), to adopt this new understanding. Darby was a leader in the Brethren movement who went on to develop a new system of eschatology called “dispensationalism.” Dispensationalism went against the teaching of all of Church history by teaching that the Second Coming of Christ would occur in two stages, the first being a secret “rapture” of true believers, and the second being the Second Advent. Many from Darby's own group, the Plymouth Brethren, went on to become enthusiastic preachers of dispensational premillennialism. [6]

Next Irving formulated a charismatic Christology, teaching that in the incarnation Jesus received a fallen nature, but the activity of the Spirit in his life kept him from sinning.

It was during this time that Irving began to teach that the “extraordinary” gifts would be given again by the Spirit to the church in the period just prior to the Second Coming of Christ. This conviction led him to wait in expectation for this to occur in his life time.

Then in 1830 Irving learned that speaking in tongues had been reported in Scotland. It was not long after this that Irving himself reported manifestations of tongues-speaking in his Regent Square Church. From then on Irving made tongues-speaking the central focus of his church meetings.

Shortly after this time, in 1833, Irving was disposed by the Church of Scotland General Assembly for his teachings. Almost all of his followers joined the Catholic Apostolic Church and until the end of the century his followers made tongues-speaking characteristic to their church life.

The next post will be the final of this three part series talking about where Pentecostalism came from. We'll talk again about the nineteenth-century, this time focusing on the Holiness movement, the movement that began in America with the motive of preserving and spreading Wesley's (English) doctrine of entire sanctification and Christian perfection.

More on this topic

(PART 3) Where Pentecostalism came from - The Holiness movement

(PART 1) Where Pentecostalism came from - The theology of John Wesley

Why Pentecostalism began

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[1] Vinson Synan (Ph.D., University of Georgia), “Pentecostalism,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 899.

[2] Ian S. Rennie (Ph.D., University of Toronto), “Irving, Edward,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 617-618.

[3] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background”, Logion Press, 1995, p. 10.

[4] The “Millennium” denotes the kingdom of Christ spoken of in Revelation (20:1-10) describing Christ reigning on earth for a thousand year period. This period is inaugurated by the devil being bound and a resurrection of those martyred for Jesus who reign with Christ during the millennium. “Millennialism” is concerned with the nature of the kingdom of Christ. “Premillennialism” views Christ's Second Coming preceding his millennial reign, while “Postmillennialism” views the Millennium starting with his Second Coming. “Amillennialism” views the Millennium as figurative of the present age in which we live now. Each of these views expects the nature of Christ's kingdom to be quite different. Premillennialism views Christ's kingdom coming in a cataclysmic and supernatural way, preceded by miraculous signs, preaching the gospel to all nations, great apostasy, the appearance of the Antichrist and the great tribulation, all before Christ's coming which will result in a period of righteousness when Christ and Christians control the world. Postmillennialism sees Christ's kingdom coming naturally and gradually over a long period of time by means of preaching and conversions, resulting in a new age of peace and prosperity. Amillennialism rejects the notion that Scripture predicts an earthly rule of Christ before the final judgment. They see Christ's kingdom in the present age already, in which his rule is exercised in his Church through his Word and Spirit. They view the present age continuing as it has done since the beginning, right up until the Day of resurrection and judgment at Christ's Second Coming.

[5] Robert G. Clouse (Ph.D., University of Iowa), “Millennium, Views of the,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 770-773.

[6] Darby taught the apostasy of the contemporary church and became the leader of the exclusive group known as the Plymouth Brethren movement when his interest in biblical prophecy led him to develop classical dispensationalism, a philosophy of dividing history into separate eras, each having a unique order to God's redemptive plan. The present age of the Church was to end in failure, like all dispensations, due to sinfulness. Darby went against the teaching of all of Church history by teaching that Christ's Second Advent would occur in two stages, the first being a secret “rapture” of true believers. The rapture would end the “parenthesis” of the Church age which had put a pause on the literal fulfilment of OT prophecy concerning Israel. After the rapture the prophecies of the Book of Revelation would be fulfilled, beginning the Great Tribulation. After this Christ's final Second Coming would inaugerate a literal thousand year reign of Christ on the earth, consummating the Kingdom of God and bringing the resoration of Israel.

Comment: Pentecostalism from Wesley?

I've elsewhere written:

"The revival movement of England in the 1730s spread Wesley's sanctification theology. It opened the way for thinking of a "second blessing" given to Christians where they experience "instant sanctification." It was the seed that later germinated the Pentecostal notion of a second blessing in Spirit baptism. But more on that later."

Some have commented, quoting Wesley, reasoning that he believed that sanctification is a life-long process which won't be complete until we die - unless Christ returns first.

Why my jump to 'instant sanctification'? Where do I get this idea from? Does it really come from Wesley, as I've insisted?

Pentecostals have questioned my intention to show that it was this idea - Wesley's concept of 'instant sanctification - that led to the Pentecostal doctrine of the baptism in the Spirit being at, or subsequent to, conversion. They reason that this doctrine comes directly from the book of Acts, not from some evolution of distorted Wesleyan theology.

So, I'll simply cite some quotes from Wesley. There are many examples of his writings that show that I haven't made a leap in what I said. Below I give an example.

The following quotes come from Entire Sanctification John Wesley's View, By Rev. D. A. Whedon, Chapter IV, entitled 'How to attain it,' in which he quotes Wesley extensively.

Below are a series of Whedon's quotes from John Wesley:

"I have continually testified (for these five and twenty years,) in private and in public, that we are sanctified as well as justified by faith. And, indeed, the one of those great truths does exceedingly illustrate the other. Exactly as we are justified by faith, so are we sanctified by faith. Faith is the condition, and the only condition of sanctification, exactly as it is of justification. No man is sanctified till he believes; every man when he believes is sanctified" -- Vol. i, p. 388.

"But what is that faith whereby we are sanctified? It is a Divine evidence and conviction, first that God hath promised it in the Holy Scripture. Till we are thoroughly satisfied of this there is no moving one step further. secondly, that what God hath promised He is able to perform. Thirdly, that he is able and willing to do it now. To this confidence, that God is both able and willing to sanctify us now, there needs to be added one thing more: a Divine evidence and conviction that He doeth it. In that hour it is done: God says to the inmost soul, 'According to thy faith be it unto thee!' Then the soul is pure from every spot of sin; it is clean 'from all unrighteousness.' "Vol. i, p.390.

"Every one, though born of God in an instant, yea, and sanctified in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows, by slow degrees, both after the former and latter change. But it does not follow from thence, that there must be a considerable tract of time between the one and the other. A year or a month is the same with God as a thousand. It is therefore our duty to pray and look for full salvation every day, every hour, every moment, without waiting till we have either done or suffered more. Why should not this be the accepted time?" -- Vol. vi. p. 764.

Speaking of the large numbers who entered into "the rest of perfect love" about 1760, he [Wesley] says: "Not trusting to the testimony of others, I carefully examined most of these myself; and every one (after the most careful inquiry, I have not found one exception either in Great Britain or Ireland) has declared that his deliverance from sin was instantaneous; that the change was wrought in a moment." -- Vol. ii, p.223.

"Be the change instantaneous or gradual, see that you never rest till it is wrought in your own soul, if you desire to dwell with God in glory." -- Ib "As to the manner, I believe this perfection is always wrought in the soul by a simple act of faith; consequently, in an instant." -- Vol. vi, p. 532, in 1767."

I think this shows that the concept of 'instant' sanctification was present in Wesley's thought, certainly in his latter writings.

Where Pentecostalism came from (PART 1)

The theology of John Wesley

What are the theological roots of Pentecostalism? In other words, where did it come from?

“Any study of Pentecostalism must pay close attention to the happenings of this period [late seventeenth- and eighteenth- century revivalism in Europe and North America] and particularly to the doctrine of Christian perfection taught by John Wesley...”[1]

Understanding where Pentecostalism came from begins by understanding the distinct doctrine of Wesley regarding sanctification. So to begin with we need to talk about the theology of Wesley.

PART 1 - Eighteenth-century Methodism (Weslyan theology)

The preaching of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield and others around the 1730s saw a revival movement spread through Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, and other places, emphasising repentance and purity in the churches and hightening peoples sense of the holiness of God. The movement in England eventually came under the control of John Wesley (1703-1791).

John Wesley was influenced by the Great Awakenings that emphasised sanctification in the Christian life (pietism), by John Calvin's doctrine of justification by “faith alone,” and also by the strong emphasis on holiness in the Catholic Counter-Reformation. He was also inspired by the perfectionist themes of the early saints. He combined some aspects of the Catholic emphasis on perfection with the Protestant emphasis on grace [2], and taught that sanctification involves a second work of grace, distinct from conversion. (The origin of the doctrine of “subsequence.”)

John Wesley saw conversion as an experience with two phases. The first phase is justification, involving the Spirit attributing or imputing to the believer the righteousness of Jesus. The second phase is the new birth, involving the beginning of sanctification, the process of the Spirit imparting righteousness to the believer. Wesley saw justification as being the gateway to sanctification. He understood justification by “faith alone” to mean that justification occurred by faith, in contrast to sanctification which occurred “by the Spirit.” Thus, sanctification became a second work of grace. (“Grace” was almost synonymous with the work of the Spirit). [3]

According to Wesley, justification (imputed righteousness) entitled one to heaven, but sanctification (imparted righteousness) qualified one for heaven. Wesley wanted to remind the church that true salvation is completed by our return to original righteousness; God restoring people in his perfect image in which he originally created man. Sanctification was the Spirit's work in the believer between conversion and death. He believed this involved God returning people to full and perfect obedience in this life through the process of sanctification. God gives his Spirit to those who are justified so that they might overcome sin. This involves them continually yielding to the Spirit's impulses, and it involves the Spirit continually rooting out sinful impulses in their nature.

Wesley insisted that “imputed” righteousness must become “imparted” righteousness. This emphasis on the process of sanctification, known as “fulfilling all righteousness,” (being restored to our original righteousness) became the distinctive of the Wesleyan tradition. [4]

It is here that Wesley had a distinctive teaching about “Christian perfection”. In A Short Account of Christian Perfection (1760) Wesley urged Christians to seek a second work of grace based on his doctrine of “entire sanctification”. This was the beginning of the teaching that sanctification involved a distinct spiritual experience given by God.

Seeing self-love, or pride, as the root of evil, Wesley taught that “perfect love” or “Christian perfection” could replace pride through a moral crisis of faith. By grace, the Christian could experience love filling the heart and excluding sin. He did not see perfection as sinlessness, nor did he understand it to be attained by merit... the believer by faith was brought into an unbroken fellowship with Christ. This was not only an imputed perfection but an actual or imparted relationship of an evangelical perfection of love and intention.[5]

Wesley was not teaching that Christians could attain absolute Christlike sinlessness. He acknowledged that Christians would always suffer from human faults and unintentional transgressions, because he saw sin as involving relationships and intentions, and defined it in terms of the attitude.

Wesley speaks clearly of a process that culminates in a second definite work of grace identified as entire sanctification. Entire sanctification is defined in terms of “pure or disinterested love.” Wesley believed that one could progress in love until love became devoid of self-interest at the moment of entire sanctification. Thus the principles of Scriptural holiness or sanctification are as follows: sanctification is received by faith as a work of the Holy Spirit. It begins at the moment of new birth. It progresses gradually until the instant of entire sanctification. [6]

Wesley's concept was that this second work delivered Christians from the fault in their moral nature that causes sinful behaviour.

The revival movement of England in the 1730s spread Wesley's sanctification theology. It opened the way for thinking of a “second blessing” given to Christians where they experience “instant sanctification.” It was the seed that later germinated the Pentecostal notion of a second blessing in Spirit baptism. But more on that later.

The nineteenth-century saw the emergency of theological distinctives that also played their role in giving birth to Pentecostalism. Next we'll talk about the legacy of Edward Irving and the importance of nineteenth-century premillennialism in understanding the theological roots of Pentecostalism.

More on this topic

(PART 2) Where Pentecostalism came from - The legacy of Edward Irving

(PART 3) Where Pentecostalism came from - The Holiness movement

Why Pentecostalism began

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[1] Gary B. McGee (Ph.D., Professor of Church History, Chair, Bible and Theology Department at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary), Systematic Theology, Chapter 1 “Historical Background,” Logion Press, 1995, p. 11.

[2] R. Larry Shelton (Th.D., Fuller Theological Seminary), “Perfection, Perfectionism,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 906.

[3] Robert G. Tuttle Jr. (Ph.D., University of Bristol), “Wesley, John,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 1266-7.

[4] Ibid., p. 1269.

[5] R. Larry Shelton (Th.D., Fuller Theological Seminary), “Perfection, Perfectionism,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 906.

[6] Robert G. Tuttle Jr. (Ph.D., University of Bristol), “Weslyan Tradition,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed., Paternoster Press, 2001, p. 1269.

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