Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Regarding the matter of tongue-speaking among the Pentecostals, Witness Lee left me with two lasting conclusions ...
- All tongue-speaking is fake
- Those who play with these fake things will become immoral
|
I would not consider either of these simply true. But there is something about extreme positions that creates moral dilemmas.
First, there is a general teaching among some Pentecostals that being filled with the Holy Spirit gives you special spiritual strength against sin. This is the beginning of failure because you let your guard down since you think it is impossible, or nearly so.
Then, one little appreciated fact about the Pentecostal movement (at least its beginnings) is that it mostly sprang from the Methodists and retained the belief in the ability to lose salvation (Arminian). So, once you actually sin (and realize it) you are now "backslidden." And, in our tendency to believe that we have time, we will allow ourselves to enjoy our sin until we decide to "get saved" again.
In other words, there is a tendency to believe in hills of being Christian v valleys of being heathen rather than hills and valleys in the faith.
Now many of the newer charismatic independents are not of the Arminian persuasion. And also, fewer are as ideologically extreme as their old-school Pentecostal brethren.