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\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Charismatics condemned by leading Christian Preacher. Today one in four of the two billion people who identify themselves as Christians are Charismatics or Pentecostals <\/strong>(ref<\/a>). \u00a0I want to be absolutely clear that I am very happy to identify myself as one of their number. \u00a0Do I have concerns about some charismatic leaders? Of course! \u00a0Do I believe that abuses have occurred in many places? YES. \u00a0There are some who call themselves charismatics, but their beliefs and practices are frankly unbiblical. Surely there are extremes in every movement.<\/p>\n Unapologetically, I do believe that much good is coming out of our movement. The Charismatics and Pentecostals are acknowledged by experts to be \u00a0proliferating like no other previous movement in\u00a0history.<\/strong> It seems to me that the movement contains many \u00a0vibrant, faith-filled people who have a deep trust in God, a sense of a relationship with God, and a strong desire to share the gospel.\u00a0 Outside of the West the Charismatic and Pentecostal Movement dominates the Evangelical church<\/strong>. \u00a0Whether you are Charismatic or not yourself, I hope you agree that these hundreds of millions of people are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and that we share in salvation together as one Body.<\/p>\n You can imagine then that I was a bit disappointed \u00a0when I first heard that John MacArthur was hosting a conference entitled \u201cStrange Fire<\/a>,\u201d about what he feels are the errors of the Charismatic Movement<\/a>. It seems pretty clear from this title and the use of Leviticus 10:1\u20132<\/em>\u00a0that this is likely to be a conference hostile to the ideas I hold dear. But, of course I accept that there are cessationsts who think differently on these issues. I concluded that there was nothing I needed to say about it at the time.<\/p>\n What has totally shocked and appalled me now, however, is viewing the brief clip with which I end this post. In it John MacArthur accuses the charismatic movement as a whole of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:<\/p>\n Here is a transcript of the relevant portions:<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t evangelical leaders speak against this movement<\/strong>? \u00a0Why is their such silence? Look When somebody attacks the person of Christ the Evangelical world rises up and says \u201cno, no, no!\u201d \u00a0. . . the Holy Spirit has been under massive assault for decades and decades, and Ive been asking the question \u2018where are the people rising up in protest against the abuse and the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?<\/strong>\u2018 The only thing I can suggest is that they have been literally backed up into a corner by intimidation that they need to be loving and accepting and tolerant and not divisive in the body of Christ, thats been the mantra. . .\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This clip does not appear to limit the accusation of blasphemy but applies it the whole movement. This is very serious and concerning since Jesus describes\u00a0\u00a0blasphemy against the Holy Spirt as the unforgivable sin (Mark 3:28-29). \u00a0Christians should not accuse one another lightly of this sin.<\/p>\n I have reviewed the other\u00a0other media<\/a>\u00a0clips by MacArthur and in various places he speaks of \u00a0\u201caberrations, heresies, terrible manipulation and deception,\u201d \u00a0claims that in the Charismatic Movement an implanting of the Word of God into people \u201cjust doesn\u2019t happen,\u201d and that\u00a0the movement has a \u201cwrong understanding of Scripture.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n In the clip \u201cWhy is it important to warn people against charismatic error?\u201d he assumes that all charismatics teach that if you give them money you will get health and wealth. \u00a0He then states,\u201cpeople caught up in any kind of error are cut off from God\u2019s blessing.\u201d<\/strong> \u00a0I really feel that is again going too far.<\/p>\n For example, take baptism. I presume that since we are both baptists, MacArthur and I would agree that, if what we believe turns out to be correct, those who teach and practice infant baptism are in error. \u00a0But I would definitely not argue that every pedobaptist is cut off from God\u2019s blessing!<\/p>\n It seems to me that MacArthur has made a fundamental error: He is confusing primary gospel issues with secondary issues.<\/strong> Surely we all believe in the centrality of Christ, in the gospel, in the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture, and in all three persons of the Trinity. Charismatics are definitely Evangelical<\/a>. These are the things we should contend for, and we have enough enemies already without taking up arms against each other.<\/p>\n I have many friends on both sides of the charismatic debate. I do know many who are solidly reformed and calvinistic, and may even describe themselves as cessationists but would find MacArthur\u2019s tone and generalising unfortunate. There are many in the new reformed movement who would go further and describe themselves as\u00a0theologically if not experientially charismatic<\/a>. However, in one video MacArthur seems to take aim against those who are \u201copen but cautious\u201d about these things, claiming certain well known pastors are giving \u201ccover\u201d to true charismatics.<\/p>\n We can have different perspectives on disputable matters. But lets do so as brothers who are one in Christ. Lets be like the elder Arminian John Wesley who shared fellowship with Calvinist Simeon<\/a>\u00a0and gladly preached at George Whitefields funeral despite previously describing his doctrine as damnable heresy.<\/p>\n There is a complex spectrum of views on Calvinism and Arminianism<\/a> which leads to disagreements that will probably never be resolved, and yet many today do not oppose each other on this issue so angrily. \u00a0There is a similar specturm on Charismaticism vs cessationism.<\/a> \u00a0 These days I generally see a softening of these arguments however. It seems to me that MacArthur\u2019s intervention may have its aim at stoking these fires.<\/p>\n I believe that whatever your view on the charismatic issue you should not be called a blasphemer and heretic. \u00a0Do you agree?<\/strong><\/p>\n UPDATE<\/strong><\/p>\n A reader has kindly pointed us to a previous sermon in which MacArthur expands on what he means by charismatics blaspheming the Holy Spirit:<\/p>\n \u201cMostly this comes in the professing church from Pentecostals and Charismatics who feel they have free license to abuse the Holy Spirit and even blaspheme His holy name. And they do it constantly.<\/p>\n How do they do it? By attributing to the Holy Spirit words that He didn\u2019t say, deeds that He didn\u2019t do, and experiences that He didn\u2019t produce, attributing to the Holy Spirit that which is not the work of the Holy Spirit. Endless human experiences, emotional experiences, bizarre experiences and demonic experiences are said to come from the Holy Spirit\u2026visions, revelations, voices from heaven, messages from the Spirit through transcendental means, dreams, speaking in tongues<\/a>, prophecies, out of body experiences, trips to heaven, anointings, miracles. All false, all lies, all deceptions attributed falsely to the Holy Spirit . . .<\/p>\n The Charismatic Movement has stolen the Holy Spirit and created a golden calf and they\u2019re dancing around the golden calf as if it were the Holy Spirit. It is a false form of the Holy Spirit. They\u2019ve exploited the Holy Spirit and demanded to be able to do that in an uncriticized manner. Nobody can say anything against them. That\u2019s divisive, unloving, cantankerous . . .\u00a0So the Charismatic version of the Holy Spirit is that golden calf who is not God, not God the Holy Spirit, but a false creation, an idol around which they dance in their dishonoring exercises.<\/p>\n From\u00a0\u201cThe Modern Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit\u201d<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Looking for Christian Help for When Life Hurts?<\/p>\n \u00a0Check out a growing collection of articles, drawing from Adrian Warnock\u2019s medical and psychological expertise, lived experience, and Christian faith.<\/p>\n Click the type of pain you or a loved one are experiencing right now<\/p>\n General suffering & disappointment<\/a> See the full list of over 40 articles Strange Fire \u2013 A Charismatic Response to John MacArthur<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/298\/2013\/09\/John-MacArthur.jpg\" "\\"John-MacArthur\\"")
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