I shared in the previous blog that I have unwittingly
become involved in the Strange Fire controversy, not to take sides between cessationists
and continuationists, but because of the damaging conflict it has had the
potential to stir within the church world.
I first read Michael Brown's Book, AuthenticFire, and was blessed immeasurably.
I learned so much about the true working of the Holy Spirit around the
world today, that I was filled with joy and encouragement. Now I am reading John MacArthur’s book, Strange Fire, and it is so difficult to
plod through, that I am still on Chapter 1, mainly because the spirit and the
tone of the book, the many unkind words used towards Christian brethren is so
insulting, it is difficult to get beyond the Introduction. As difficult as it is to read such negative
material, I am reading and taking notes as I go, marking down anything that I
need to look into further. In fact, I
have spent so much time looking things up, and checking the people and the
movement implicated, and further sources about them that I have asked people to
pray for me for God's discernment, and the strength to endure reading the book
to the end.
The Introduction literally blew me away with some of the ugly graphic terms the author used regarding what charismatic theology represents to
him. Suffice it to say, that the book does not
start out on friendly terms with charismatic believers, and it doesn't get any
better. You do not read very far into
the book before you start reading about the founder of Pentecostalism (the
spiritual founder of the movement that later led to the Charismatic Movement),
Charles Parham. In Chapter 1, I read
with great interest how the movement started. 1
In fact, I was so interested, that I went beyond what MacArthur had said
and found other sites that gave the history and biography of Charles
Parham. Not surprisingly, MacArthur
paints a very negative picture of Parham.
The other sites I found give a similar history, but definitely arrive at
different conclusions about the man and the resulting movement. One source said that under his ministry,
there were 2 million converts!
MacArthur pointed out the weaknesses of the man and the movement, seeing
him as flawed, and therefore the whole movement is flawed. Yet, clearly, the proof is in the pudding. It would be hard to calculate exactly how
many more millions have been saved as a direct result of the ministry of
Charles Parham!
I give this as an example to show you that there are more
than one renditions to every story. And
the more I read Strange Fire, the
more I began to feel that much of this book is written in a way that is
sensational, and highly subjective, based on so much personal opinion that it
would seem to take forever to check all the sources provided, and then, like a
lawyer, have to deduce how much of it is actually based on substantial proof. What alerted me to the sensational style of
the book is that I used to be in the newspaper business as both an
investigative reporter, writer and editor.
I know how the business works.
You do an interview and do some research, and then you take an
interesting, almost deviant little piece of information and you build your
story around it, largely disregarding the rest of the information you have
gathered. You do this to get the
reader's attention. You build an entire
story around one little snippet of information. While the quote itself may have been said,
without providing it in a fuller context, are you really providing the whole
truth and nothing but the truth? It is
NEVER acceptable to make generalizations and portray an incomplete picture.
The Bible says that we are to "put away
lying."
Eph 4:25
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we
are members one of another.Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the
sun go down upon your wrath:Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
What happens when we are angry? We give place to the devil. And lying is entering the devil's territory,
for he is the father of lies. Jesus
sharply rebuked the Pharisees, declaring these strong words to them:
Joh 8:44 Ye are
of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar,
and the father of it.
We must be so careful we do not enter into this enemy camp by being careless with our words.
Satan brings people into bondage, but Jesus is the truth, and He sets us free:
Joh 8:32 And ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.Joh 8:36 If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
It cannot be over-stressed that for Bible-professing Christians, who have truly been
supernaturally born again, we have to be extra careful how we treat our
brethren, especially in what we say about him/her. Any time we point out what the Holy Spirit
has shown us is the flawed beliefs of another, and it is clearly in violation
of Scripture, we have to be careful that we "lovingly" and
"humbly" point them to the truth.
Scripture is very clear on how to deal with conflict.
Gal 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted.Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ.Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is
nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Jesus taught that there's a proper protocol to follow
when approaching someone who is at fault:
Mat 18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother.Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or
two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be
established.Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an
heathen man and a publican.
Yet, it is not indicated anywhere in Strange Fire, which is clearly at odds with an entire denomination,
that this has NOT been done according to Scripture! So what we are dealing with in this book are
several problematic ways that these accusations have been handled. Namely:
Are these quotes providing an overall true picture of half a billion believers,
or is it simply pointing out the few that have erred? Can they or have they been substantiated face
to face with the ones being accused? Have these people being accused been given
a fair chance to explain themselves, and repent if need be? And, if they are in error, have they been
approached in the true spirit of what the Bible says - (with meekness and
humility)? I did not read anything or
anywhere in Strange Fire to indicate this has been done. If I find it, I will stand corrected.
I realize also, that this is not to excuse error in
ministries. We have to confess to error
when it is pointed out to us as a matter of Biblical principal and church
discipline. Rebuke is necessary, but we
must be careful "how" we do this.
In contrast, the book AuthenticFire, is written with kindness and grace, and fits the right way to handle
conflict within the Body. I believe it
is also written according to Biblical principle.
Tit 1:9 Holding
fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound
doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
There are other strong, important issues that have come
to the forefront for me, as a result of becoming aware of the Strange Fire
controversy. I will share these in the
blogs to follow.
1 MacArthur, John.
Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the
Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship, c 2013, pg. 22-29.
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