CrossTalk - Charismatics: The Product of Married Cousins?

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Charismatics: The Product of Married Cousins?

by
Randy Weiss

What do seminary graduates and bootstrap preachers have in common? That's easy. Generally nothing, and that's sad. One common criticism of our movement (i.e., Charismatic Christianity) is that we lack sophistication and excellence. We must become qualified in areas that reach beyond fund-raising and hand-raising. Nowhere, does the Bible say that when we get to Church we're supposed to disengage our brains, and contrary to the way some folks act, there is nothing spiritual about being self taught if it turns us into self-made ignoramuses. We've merrily wallowed in our own opinions for so long that we've started to believe our own press and ignore the fact that the world looks at us like the product of married cousins. We've spent so much time together teaching each other new rhetoric that we've ignored the centuries of hard fought theological truths bought with the blood of the martyrs, paid for through the suffering of the Reformers and painstakingly preserved by the scholars who went before us investing their lives in study. We must escape Charismania and become orthodox Spirit-filled Christians! We've been too lazy and too gullible for too long.

How many times have we been taken to the cleaners straight from the pulpit?

Well, its no wonder. We mock book-learn'en, and then we open our hearts, minds, and checkbooks to every circuit preacher with a nice haircut and a tape series. Have you ever asked an evangelist where he got his education or his information? If his only credentials are Armani, what gives him the right to tell you how to think? Certainly, a college degree is not any assurance of integrity or accuracy, but neither is education to be disdained. The fact is, the time has come for Spirit-filled Christians to generate quality. It's time to find the balance between dry, powerless intellectualism and emotionally charged, erroneous nonsense from well-meaning but unprepared Christian leaders.

Poor Bible study methods often lead well-intentioned Christians down the wrong path. Poorly trained leaders carry much of the blame for handling the sacred Word irresponsibly. We should all become more versed in how to correctly interpret the Bible. Hermeneutics (the art and science of biblical interpretation) teaches us correct methods to study the Bible which help avoid arrogant, erroneous, or manipulative interpretations. We should be suspect of preachers who primarily use the text of the Bible to make their point in a sermon. This sometimes robs God of His point.

The Bible wasn't written to be read as yesterday's headlines or tomorrow's news. We should address language and cultural differences and realize that centuries have passed since the original documents were written. The Bible is understandable, but it does take some work to understand it correctly.

The Bible is fresh and new for us each day, but it is also consistent and unchanging eternally. The Bible contains a vast variety of literary styles from the poetic construct of the Song of Solomon, to the apocalyptic literary form of the Revelation. These factors prove that different sections of the Bible require different study techniques to grasp God's message to His people.

Learning was once a respected Christian endeavor. Originally, our American colleges were aimed exclusively at religious education. Between 1636 and 1769, the first nine famous colonial colleges were opened by denominational churches. These included Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Rutgers, and Dartmouth.

Eight of our oldest and most famous universities were established as Christian schools of religion. Doctrine and dogma were taught alongside the ancient languages of the Bible. The Great Awakening of the 1730's which swept America was strongly influenced by trained religious leaders. Revival is not hindered by "book-learn'en." Knowledge fans the flames of revival.

It is no wonder that so many of the non-Pentecostal/non-Charismatic polemicists have drawn a bead on us to shoot us out of the saddle. Worse, we've painted neon targets on our butts and hung signs saying open season on religious boneheads. Our extravagant excesses have been only slightly less reprehensible than our tabloid behavior.

It's time we place a new premium on education. It's time we wise up and learn as much as we can. Every church should encourage Christian higher education. I'm not suggesting that we ignore vocational pursuits; I'm simply saying that we should give God His due and love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds. We have ignored the service of our minds for God long enough.

If you commit your mind to Christ, I guarantee that you will be a more effective servant than you ever dreamed possible. Don't let anyone talk you out of this enterprise. The days are short. But not so short as to justify wasting them in Christian presumption.