March 9, 2005
Okay, I have a rant. And here it is:
Today, as I was reading my Bible study course book (Level F of Bible Truths For Christian Schools, Second Edition, written by James Frederick Creason Jr., Ph.D, and Kenneth Frederick, Ph.D and published by Bob Jones University Press), I came across this ramblement:
"The New Testament lists at least eighteen different [spiritual] gifts.... (1) Apostleship, (2) prophecy, (3) pastoring, (4) teaching), (5) evangelism, (6) exhortation, (7) ruling, (8) word of wisdom, (9) word of knowledge, (10) discerning of spirits, (11) helping, (12) giving, (13) showing mercy, (14) faith, (15) miracles, (16) healings, (17) [speaking in] tongues, and (18) interpretation of tongues.
"Some gifts, by their very nature, no longer exist. For example, the church was built on the 'foundation of the apostles and prophets' (Eph. 2:20). Once the church was established and the Scripture completed, the gifts of apostleship and prophecy passed off the scene. Miracles, healings, tongues, and interpretation of tongues are also nonexistent today. In the early days of the church, before the completion of the New Testament, these gifts verified that Christianity was God-given (Heb. 2:3-4). Now these 'sign gifts' have ceased. We have the completed, authoritative Word of God; we need no further revelation.
"The 'sign gifts' in the charismatic movement are not of God. The following are some reasons these are false gifts. (1) They are often exercised in un-Scriptural ways. (2) They are often viewed as necessary evidences of spirituality -- though God's Word teaches that all gifts originate with God and none can be earned. (3) They appear in apostate denominations, and even among Roman Catholics. Surely, the unsaved are not recipients of God's special grace. (4) They are not edifying, but divisive; many churches have split when 'tongues' appeared.
"Two primary errors characterize Charismatics. First, there is emphasis on experience to the exclusion of doctrinal teaching. What proponents 'feel' and 'do' is more important than what they read in God's Word. Second, there is a fixation on the Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit of God is truly at work, Christ is glorified. 'He shall testify of me,' Christ said (John 15:26), and 'He shall not speak of himself.... He shall glorify me' (John 16:13-14)."
I just read that and I was like, "Oh, my GOSH." Seriously. It is so far out there.
First of all, all of the gifts of the Spirit are still in use today. I speak in tongues and interpret myself, I've heard other people prophesy, I've seen miracles, I've seen healings. How dare they put God in a box like that? How dare they say that God doesn't perform miracles anymore? What about the birth of a baby? Is that now commonplace? I've always viewed it as a miracle. They act as if we ourselves give the gift of life.
Second of all, it is REALLY RUDE to say that Charismatics are bad. Sure, they don't say that exactly, but they are definitely implying it and planting seeds of discrimination against Charismatics in the minds of the people that read this TEXTBOOK. Things like that shouldn't be in a TEXTBOOK. I mean, I could understand if they were talking about people who follow Kabbalah and the Koran, but, um, HELLO? They were talking about our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. That's really sick, if you ask me.
Third of all, why wouldn't Charismatics put some emphasis on the Holy Spirit? He is the second person of the Trinity, is he not? Or do the people who wrote this book deny his existence?
And, fourth of all, did anyone stop to think that sometimes churches split when tongues are introduced because of SATAN? God, people are so dense sometimes.
AND, fifth of all, I think it's EXTREMELY RUDE of them to assume that all Roman Catholics aren't saved. Some of my best friends are Catholic, my grandmother is Catholic. Who are these TEXTBOOK WRITERS to question someone's salvation???
Ugh. This whole thing is just SO GROSS.
Then, in a later lesson, they went on to say that dancing is a sin, rock music is a sin, and that only "young men" can be preachers. Now, with the whole preachers-can-only-be-guys thing, they didn't outright say that women can't preach, but they emphasized "YOUNG MEN" about fifty times. I hate this textbook and the mentality of the people who wrote it. It just really disgusts me.
Faithfully ever,
** Erica **
