Perhaps you have read about the charismatic movement. It may also be that you have had some contact with it through fellow students, your work place, or neighbors. You may have seen posters announcing healing services. Recently Rev. C Harinck wrote a short book entitled The Charismatic Movement which answers questions put to him. The Following article represents the gist of an interview which he gave to J. H. Maurits and A. Jansen of the Daniel periodical.
First, how would you define the term, "Charismatic Movement"?
The book title, Charismatic Movement, is a comprehensive term for those religious movements which teach that the Holy Spirit still grants supernatural gifts and powers to believers. With the passage of time, there have been several distinguishable "waves" of this movement: 1) the Pentecostal movement at the beginning of this century; 2) the charismatic movement that wished to remain within existing churches; 3) the so-called , third wave"; and most recently, 4) the "Toronto Blessing" and "Vineyard" movements. These various segments of the movement are not always in harmony with each other, but have their unique emphases. For example, the "third wave" is more concerned with power, and the "Toronto" movement with joy These differences make it more difficult to evaluate the Charismatic Movement.
Can you tell us how your book originated?
Through the work of Bible distribution, we received disturbing news from Christians in Russia who were deluged by what they call "the new religion." The churches were disturbed by this, and it has led to schisms in various places. The churches of Eastern Europe have great difficulty distinguishing the various ideas coming to them from the evangelical movement. At a conference in Kiev, after thorough preparation, I gave a lecture about the Charismatic Movement. Also in such countries as Ghana and Nigeria, people need to be equipped in this area. That is why I wrote this little book.
What do the words charisma and charismata mean? How does the Charismatic Movement define charismata?
Charisma is a Biblical word. It means gift of grace. By this term we mean all the gifts God grants, both ordinary and special gifts. Strictly speaking, there are really no ordinary gifts, because all that the Lord gives us is His grace. Sometimes we also speak of them as "the fruit of the Spirit,,, such as love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal. 5:22-23), but wisdom and knowledge are also charismata. This fruit characterizes the work of the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal-Charismatic movement ,strongly emphasizes extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, such as faith to perform miracles, healing, the power to heal, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and the gift of interpreting prophecy
Is it Reformed to distinguish between the "ordinary" and "special" gifts of the Spirit? You emphasize the temporal character of the special gifts, but why were they once essential? What are the distinguishing traits by which their activity can be recognized?
In the Reformed tradition, the apostolic age is seen as a very special time, for this was the time during which the church was born. The New Testament had not been completed. The testimony of eyewitnesses was very important. The Lord gave special revelations to the apostles and prophets in the early church to reveal mysteries for the purpose of extending the gospel among the Gentiles (Eph. 3:5-6). In 2 Corinthians 12:12, they are even called the signs of an apostle. The new Christians were established by them. Gifts are always temporary, however, with the exception of love (I Cor. 13:13). The extraordinary gifts have been taken away after the passage of time. The ordinary gifts have remained.
In the Charismatic Movement, people often speak of the Holy Spirit as a power that goes out from God. Can we also know the Holy Spirit as a Person?
I wholeheartedly agree with what John Owen says, Only when we experience the works of grace which the Holy Spirit performs as the Comforter, will we worship Him as our gracious and merciful God." Faith in Christ is the way to receive and know the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:2; John 7:39). In the Charismatic Movement, the greatest emphasis is placed on being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, however, is not a power that comes forth from God, but He is God Himself. We come to know Him as a Person by His works of grace in us.
In your opinion, how does the Charismatic Movement deviate from the Reformed faith?
I will mention four points:
- The Word and Spirit belong together. The Reformers earnestly strove to maintain this, initially against Rome and later against the Anabaptists. The Holy Spirit binds Himself to the Word. We should never forget this. Experience must always be tested by the Word.
- In the Charismatic Movement the work of the Holy Spirit is separated from the work of Christ. The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ and comforts with Christ.
- The Charismatic Movement fosters an unhealthy desire. Faith is separated from the content of our faith. dependent on the Holy Spirit for the assurance of his People desire something more than salvation in Christ.
- The Charismatic Movement teaches that Pentecost is a repeated event, that what happened on Pentecost Day may happen in every revival and also in personal experience. Pentecost, however, is as much an unrepeatable redemptive event as is Christ's birth and resurrection.
How do Charismatics view baptism with the Holy Spirit? Do the views of the Charismatic Movement assault the basic positions of the Reformed faith?
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is understood by Charismatics as a second blessing. This is understood to be a spiritual experience by which a person is not only completely filled with the Spirit, but also receives complete assurance of salvation, and is empowered for every task in God's kingdom. According to many in the Charismatic Movement, glossalia (speaking in tongues) is evidence of being baptized with the Holy Ghost. In some charismatic groups, prophecy and healing are similarly regarded. A believer who has not been baptized by the Holy Spirit and does not speak in tongues is regarded as a "second class" Christian. Such an idea is in complete conflict with our confessions. The Heidelberg Catechism says expressly that all believers receive all His benefits (Qu. 53).
How do you understand the baptism of the Holv Spirit? From a Biblical perspective, is it identical to the new birth? Or is it a second experience (blessing) after conversion?
We must maintain that everyone who is born again is baptized by the Holy Spirit. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit one cannot be a member of Christ's body "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9), We confess that this is not a second blessing. See also Ezekiel 36:27 and I Corinthians 6:17. We read in I Corinthians 12:13, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body....... that is to say, born again and bound to Christ and to His church by faith. True faith is sufficient for salvation. The unity of the body of Christ is violated by the teaching of a second experience.
What is it then to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? Is this something that Gods children consciously experience?
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is a sign, a token something by which God marks us as His own. God knows and acknowledges His people by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We must realize that the real issue here is a sealing with the Holy Spirit, not by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul speaks about this in Ephesians 1:13, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." The Holy Spirit Himself is the seal, by which the Lord recognizes His people. By faith, there is the consciousness (in varying measure) that I bear this seal, and therefore I belong to Him. It is fully scriptural to say that God's child is entirely dependent on the Holy Spirit for the assurance of his portion in Christ. Usually this assurance is received in steps. It can also be received immediately by the powerful witness of the Holy Spirit through a word from the Scriptures, for example, to Mary at the sepulchre of Jesus. There a single word brought complete deliverance.
Dr M. Lloyd Jones says in his book, Joy Unspeakable, that a person can be a child of God and still not be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Yes, I also read that. It disappoints me that the doctor expresses himself like that. It strikes me that Lloyd Jones, who is usually meticulously Biblical, places such an emphasis in this book on the experiences of people. He seems to have been influenced by the Welsh revival which had a charismatic tendency He differs in his views from the Pentecostal groups, however, which teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in tongues. What Lloyd Jones means by being baptized with the Spirit is a strong sealing of the Spirit by which the believer is deluged with ecstasy and power to serve God. Dr. Lloyd Jones separates regeneration from the baptism with the Holy Ghost. He asserts that regeneration takes place outside of our consciousness, while we consciously experience the baptism with the Holy Spirit. So, according to him, something is added. The doctor is no longer living, or I would like to point out some Scripture texts to him. Among others, I think about what we read in I Corinthians 1:30, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." All salvation is found only in Christ and nothing needs to be added. All our extras only dim the glory of Christ, while the Holy Spirit expressly and exclusively glorifies Christ.
Then what about sanctification? Dr Lloyd Jones teaches that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the greatest incentive to holiness.
Yes, there he uses the illustration of the gardener. The gardener has done his work, the seed has been sown in the soil, and there is life in the seed. But what if it is a cold spring, a spring without sun and without rain? The poor gardener sees nothing sprouting. But then comes the sun, followed by rain, and suddenly he sees everything s routing at once. That, Lloyd Jones teaches, is like the connection between the baptism with the Holy Spirit and sanctification. The sinner who is united the most closely with Jesus has the holiest life. The view of Dr. Lloyd Jones opens the way for a striving after holiness such as you sometimes find in evangelical circles. In evangelical circles there is often an emphasis on sanctification. Is this connected with the growing influence of the Charismatic Movement? Is this a reaction against a shortcoming within the church? It is true that they emphasize holiness more than in our circles. To them sanctification of heart and life is a means for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is a discernible connection with the Charismatic Movement. It does seem that both these movements want to be a reaction against a world that is becoming increasingly secular. Everything is possible today This forces young people to make more choices. It is not just a matter of confessing; the issue is that our lives must be in han-nony with what we confess. As long as this is done out of love to the Lord, this is good, but I think that there is a real danger of promoting a kind of "works-holiness."
Young people in our churches are also somewhat influenced. it sometimes happens that our young people receive as gifts or buy books by Andrew Murray, Erlo Stegen, Oswald Chambers, etc. What is your attitude toward this? Is there not a great danger of claiming Christ too easily and then only being concerned with the question: "How can I be a good Christian?"
The Pentecostal movement has its roots in John Wesley, an eighteenth-century revival preacher, and the Methodist movement he founded. In a sense, John Wesley was the founder of the "holiness movement." This influence is also noticeable in Andrew Murray There is a strong emphasis upon holiness in daily life and in communion with God. There is a strict discipline regarding meditation, Bible reading, and prayer. Sanctification involves all of the heart and life and thoughts. In a very good sense, this indeed opens the way for more grace, and not from any merit, but because God blesses the means. When a child of God lives carelessly, he experiences little comfort in his heart. In the holiness movement, however, this piety is regarded as a ladder to greater blessings and a richer outpouring of blessings. There is a danger of promoting legalism clad in an evangelical garment. In the final and deepest analysis, man does all himself. There is no room any more for the publican's prayer. It becomes an almost preponderating, unhealthy tendency to sanctify yourself. I see dangers in the exhortations and directions of Andrew Murray. It looks too much like a method that must be followed. You must put yourself into a particular frame, and because of that, the Holy Spirit will come. I want to warn our young people against this. Some people have been misled by this. Some people become almost panicky, and say, "I am doing everything, so why doesn't the Holy Spirit come?" You would almost have sympathy with them and call God cruel. I would say to young people in this situation, "You are obsessed with yourself. You want to be more than just a sinner. You place more emphasis on the power of 'believing man' than on the power of Christ. You must not look to your own honor but to the honor of Christ."
Can you show our young people a better way?
In our Reformed circles we emphasize, "You must know the truths of Scripture from experience." That is why the Charismatic Movement, which emphasizes personal experience, can be so attractive for our young people. It is a mistake, however, to seek an experience that transcends the experience of faith. The best-known spiritual experience in the Bible is the day of Pentecost experience: to flee as a guilty sinner to Christ to take refuge in Him. It is not ecstasy when someone comes to faith. Still it grips deeply into his inner being, and that is something he experiences. There must be a truly Biblical experience. That is probably not as sensational as we may think. it concerns a hearty sorrow over sin and a need to confess everything before God in our prayer-closet. That is also not as sensational as in the Charismatic Movement. However, it does touch us deeply it brings us to brokenness before God. Emotions are temporary; true contrition brings us to Jesus' feet. When young people long for personal experience, I emphasize Bible study. The Holy Spirit shows us by the Word that we accomplish nothing of ourselves. We would like to come to Jesus with experiences and emotions, but it is better to flee to Jesus with our distresses. Remember also that the door of admission does not operate electronically; we must knock on it. God does not deal with us as if we were inanimate objects.
What literature would you recommend to young people?
We must go back to the source, the Word of God. We can also learn from the Reformers, the Puritans, and the Dutch Second Reformation divines. For example, Calvin's Institutes is very refreshing. I think of the books of A Brakel, M'Cheyne, Bunyan, Ryle, Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine (for example on the woman of Samaria), Immens, Edwards, Guthrie (The Christian's Great Interest), Shepard, Hooker, Hellenbroek, Joseph Alleine (A Guide to Heaven). Books written many years ago are not necessarily difficult. Read them and notice how practical they are! He that seeks shall find.
Pastor, we want to sincerely thank you for this interesting conversation about a difficult subject. Do you have a final remark for our young people?
Young people, you should be deeply aware that you need to be converted to God, and there is no salvation outside of Christ. With this thought, place yourself under the preaching of the gospel. There you may hear, "Let him that is athirst come, and let him take of the waters of life freely" We should have more expectation of that than of anything else. You must not try to climb the ladder of increasing "self- sanctification." If you have a real desire to be reconciled with God, do not be offended by all the things in the church that, in your eyes, are not as good as they should be. Go to church under the preaching where the seriousness of sin is emphasized, but where you are also told that, in Christ, salvation is available for the greatest of sinners. Finally, I plead with you, do not reject God's grace, but pray for the workings of His Spirit.
Rev. C. Harinck is pastor of the Gereformeerde Gemeente in Houten, The Netherlands.