An Unambiguous Pentecostal Theology

(c) 2008 Dr. J. David Arnett

.

In addition to a carefully articulated hermeneutic, emerging Pentecostals long for a holistic and systematic Pentecostal orthodoxy—an unambiguous theology—that leads to a Pentecostal orthopathy that will invigorate a twenty first century Pentecostal orthopraxis.
.
Holistic qualifies the orthodoxy as a belief system based on more than pneumatology and glossolalia.
.
Systematic refers to the orderly assimilation of the truth discovered by the inductive biblical theologian. It is organized to display the progressions and relationships between doctrinal truths.
.
Orthopathy is the passion and fire of emotions that flow out of an extreme, transforming encounter with God. It is the affect that reflects the glory of the Lord “as the Spirit of the Lord works within us” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT).
.
Orthopraxis is the worshipping, holy, compassionate, and evangelistic behavior of one indwelt by and cooperating with the Holy Spirit.
.
Pentecostal orthodoxy begins with Jesus Christ. A Pentecostal is a person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has surrendered to Him as Savior. When an individual invites Christ into his life, logic indicates that he receives all of God he is going to receive since the Godhead is not divided. In this sense, the Holy Spirit indwells all Christians.
.
Regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the believer—by an act of his will—gives the Holy Spirit administrative control over every area of his life. Neo-Pentecostal Dennis Bennett called this “releasing the Holy Spirit.” Without getting into a debate over anthropology (trichotomy versus dichotomy versus monism), it might be said that when “released” the Holy Spirit begins to flow from within a person’s inner being (“heart” in John 7:38, NCV).
.
As the Spirit moves outward, He affects the various aspects of a person. The human spirit is invigorated and the spiritual realm becomes perceptible. The emotions are touched. Frequently, the love of God overwhelms the believer. Joy wells up. The mind is affected. Visions, thoughts, or words may fill the Christian’s mind as the Holy Spirit shares the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 12:2). Even the body is influenced. Tears may come in response to the powerful emotions. One person may laugh. Another may tremble. Still another may dance. Some individuals may lose muscle tone under the weight of God’s glory and fall prostrate. All of these observable responses to the working of the Holy Spirit are highly individualized. The experiences do not seem to be normative. Rather, they appear to be based on each unique, but culturally conditioned personality.
.
However, from biblical and historical precedent, one observable experience does appear to be normative—speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-48; 19:1-7). That the individual has yielded himself to and is cooperating with the Holy Spirit is evidenced initially by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit supernaturally imparts to him the ability.
.
Carl Brumback has suggested that the reason speaking in other tongues is the initial physical evidence of the total saturation of a person in the Holy Spirit is because the speech mechanism is that last and most difficult member of the body to surrender and tame (James 3:1-12).
.
There should be additional indicators that the individual is participating (note the present tense) with the Spirit. These indicators include increasing levels of intimacy with God, developing righteousness as evidenced in a mortification of the sinful life and production of the fruit of the Spirit, an emboldened passion for the mission Christ gave to the Church and an openness to various manifestations (charismata or pneumatika) of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 27-31; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11). David Lim calls spirituals gifts “God’s tools to lead us to maturity and ministry.” [1]
.
Clearly, Pentecostal spirituality does not begin nor stop with the baptism in the Holy Spirit or with speaking in other tongues. Such spirituality begins at conception when the Spirit places in the human heart a hunger for relationship with the Creator. It continues through conviction, conversion, and ever increasing levels of interaction and intimacy. A person cannot interact with God without being changed. People become like those with whom they associate. This is especially true of spending time with God. Out of intimacy with the Creator, grow new priorities, new perspectives, new passions, new power, and new fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
.
Ultimately, the evidence for spirituality and an intimacy with the Holy Spirit is a life characterized by love (1 Corinthians 13). Such evidentiary love has two dimensions—love of God and love of neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). According to Richard Foster, “White-hot love of God compels us into compassionate love of neighbor… Love of God makes love of neighbor possible.”[2]
.

[1] Lim, David. 1991. Spiritual Gifts: A Fresh Look. Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 19.
.
[2] Richard J. Foster, Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1998), 166-7.