The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 8 Responding to the Charismatic Movement

Previous posts in this series:

1 Background

2 A Rejection of Sola Scriptura

3 Counterfeit Miracles

4 Unquestionable Authority

5 Demons, demons and more demons

6 A Return to Mysticism

7 An Ecumenical Spirit

In light of all that we have considered about the Charismatic Movement, given that there is so much within that movement which draws Christianity back to the darkness of Romanism, the question then arises as to what should our response be to the Charismatic Movement and to its teachers. Since it is one of the most potent forces today in undermining the work of the Protestant Reformation we clearly cannot embrace it. What then will we do? When the Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians he did so in response to error having crept into that church through the influence of those described as ‘false brethren unawares brought in ... that they might bring us into bondage’. Paul denounced in the strongest terms those who had brought false teaching into the church, yet to those who had been deceived his approach was somewhat different. Although Paul did rebuke those Galatians who had followed after false teachers, and indeed marvelled that they had done so, he did it in love and with the desire that they would return again to the purity of the gospel. Our response to those who teach false doctrine and our response to those who are deceived by it will be different. The promoters of false doctrine are to be denounced and opposed with all of our strength, yet although we are to seperate from those who espouse error that does not mean that we are to abandon people and leave them to be deceived by false teaching. Instead we must seek to show them their error that they might turn to the truth. Whether they are following the errors of the Charismatic Movement, the errors of Rome, of Mormonism, of Islam or of any other false religion, we are to seek to turn people away from those who would deceive them. 

The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 6 A Return to Mysticism

Previous posts in this series:

1 Background

2 A Rejection of Sola Scriptura

3 Counterfeit Miracles

4 Unquestionable Authority

5 Demons, demons and more demons

What is mysticism? In his Dictionary of Theological Terms Dr Alan Cairns describes mysticism as ‘The search for a higher initiation into spiritual mysteries, or a higher consecration to spiritual realities, or a union with deity, by a withdrawal from the external world and by means of contemplation. In this way mystics profess to apprehend truths which are beyond the understanding’^a. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes it as ‘a constellation of distinctive practices, discourses, texts, institutions, traditions, and experiences aimed at human transformation, variously defined in different tradition’^b. Mysticism has existed within the broad sweep of Christianity for centuries, as well as being found in many other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Taosim. Within Christianity mysticism finds its greatest prominence during the period of the Middle Ages, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, and also in the Orthodox Church, in both cases often being closely linked to Gnosticism. People such as Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena and Ignatius Loyala, all active in the Church of Rome during this period were mystics, and promoted mystical practices. Mysticism in the Roman Catholic Church has continued through to the modern era with men such as Padre Pio. The ideas of trances, visions, meditation, ecstatic experiences, contemplative prayer and the professed miraculous ability to survive without food for long periods of time can all be found within the realm of ‘christian' mysticism. The reformers of the 16th century by and large turned away from such ideas and were sceptical of the claims of the Roman Catholic mystics. Yet mysticism has remained prominent within Roman Catholicism, and its practices and teachings are also increasingly found within the Charismatic Movement. One area where this has come to light in recent years is in the practice of a form of contemplative prayer known as Lectio Divina. 

The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 5 Demons, demons and more demons

Previous posts in this series:

1 Background

2 A Rejection of Sola Scriptura

3 Counterfeit Miracles

4 Unquestionable Authority

The famous Baptist preacher C.H. Spurgeon once made the following remark in relation to demon possession; ‘Satan is not inside our heart now, he entered into Judas, but he cannot enter into us; for our soul is filled by another who is well able to hold his own’^a. The true believer cannot be possessed by the devil nor any of his demons. When Christ was accused of casting out devils through the power of the devil in Matthew 12, he responded by saying ‘how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house’. The devil cannot take control of one who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as every believer is, having received the Holy Spirit at their conversion, for he is the ‘strong man’ that cannot be bound by any demon. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell alongside a demon within a believer for ‘what concord hath Christ with Belial?’ Indeed no example can be found in Scripture where a demonic spirit has ever inhabited a true believer. Also it is not the norm today for people in general to be possessed by demons. Only where they voluntarily and purposefully invite demons into their lives by involvement in occult practices can people today be demon possessed. When Christ ministered upon the earth he invaded the domain of Satan, confronted demons and demonstrated his power over them. Yet this was a unique period. Satan himself realised that his ability to deceive the world would soon be greatly restrained and so was in a heightened state of activity. The ushering in of the gospel age that followed Christ’s atoning death and resurrection has resulted in Satan being bound and greatly restricted in his ability to deceive the nations.

The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 4 Unquestionable Authority

Previous posts in this series:

1 Background

2 A Rejection of Sola Scriptura

3 Counterfeit Miracles

At the 1st Vatican Council on 18th July 1870, the Roman Catholic Church passed one of its most absurd doctrines, that of Papal Infallibility. The decree passed at that council stated that ‘when the Roman pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA, that is, when, 1) in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, 2) in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, 3) he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the church, irreformable’^a.

Although this was the first time that the infallibility of the Pope had been officially declared by the Vatican, the idea that the Pope and indeed the Roman Catholic Church could not err had long been a part of Roman Catholic church history. In 1075 Pope Gregory VII stated that ‘the Roman Church has never erred and will never err to all eternity, according to the testimony of the holy scriptures’^b. Even though the doctrine of Papal Infallibility only teaches that the Pope is infallible when speaking ex cathedra, it still teaches that a mere man can infallibly define a doctrine, without rebuke from any other man. More importantly, it means that no-one can bring the teaching of that person or church to the bar of scripture to challenge whether they are true or not. 

The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 3 Counterfeit Miracles

Previous posts in this series:

1 Background

2 A Rejection of Sola Scriptura

On Sunday 27th April Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII were declared saints in a ceremony at the Vatican. Necessary for their canonisation were two authenticated miracles. In the case of John Paul II a woman in Costa Rica was supposedly cured from an inoperable brain aneurysm after the pontiff appeared to her in a vision, and a Polish nun was cured from Parkinson’s disease after praying to the deceased Pope. These claimed miracles are no new development in the Roman Catholic Church; from appearances of the Virgin Mary, to bleeding and weeping statues, to the healing of incurable diseases, miracles are an extremely important part of the Roman Catholic faith. Many pilgrimages are made by Roman Catholics to locations where miracles are reported to have occurred; one of the most famous examples being Lourdes, a place regularly visited by millions of Roman Catholics in the hope of being cured by the water there. Yet with every miracle which it claims, the Church of Rome faces the same problem – a lack of authentication. Even as the Vatican was seeking to canonize John Paul II, reports were abounding that Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, the Polish nun supposedly cured of Parkinson’s, had fallen ill again.^a Time and again this same issue arises with miracles in the Roman Catholic Church, they are either proven to be false, or they are authenticated only on the most tentative of evidence, and rarely if ever supported by medical verification. Yet in spite of this, Roman Catholics continue to enthusiastically seek after miracles. Since the time of the Reformation mainstream evangelical Protestantism has rejected the belief that the supernatural sign gifts of the New Testament such as healing are still available today, and has been highly sceptical of the claimed miracles of Rome. Yet with the advance of the Charismatic Movement many Christians have turned once again to seeking after miracles, and to a belief that the power of healing which was bestowed on the apostles is still available today. Here once again we see the common ground between Roman Catholicism and the Charismatic Movement; a seeking after miracles that, when they are examined, are shown to be at best exaggerated, and at worst counterfeited.

The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 2 A Rejection of Sola Scriptura

Previous posts in this series:

1 Background

The gospel message which was rediscovered in the 16th century has often been summed up in what is known as the Five Solas of the Reformation. Although they were not articulated in this form until the 20th century, the writings of the reformers clearly teach that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, as revealed in scripture alone. These Five Solas are a direct response to the errors of Roman Catholicism, and mark out the differences between the reformed church and the Church of Rome. Where the Roman Catholic Church teaches that were are saved by a combination of God’s grace and our own good works, the reformers responded that it is by grace alone. Where they teach that we approach God through Christ, Mary and the saints, the response is that it is through Christ alone. To turn away from any of these biblical truths is to depart from the faith and begin the journey back into Roman apostasy. Of the Five Solas it is surely that of ‘sola scriptura’, or scripture alone, where Rome's difference with Protestantism has its root, for it is by appealing to scripture plus tradition that they are then able to support all of their other erroneous doctrines. This rejection of scripture as God’s complete and final revelation to man, and his only rule for faith and practice, is something of which the Charismatic Movement is also guilty, and by so doing it turns away from the biblical principles of the Reformation, back to the error of Rome.

The Charismatic Reversal of the Reformation: 1 Background

The Charismatic Movement; what’s the big deal? Surely it is just another manner in which some Christians worship, as acceptable as any reformed, more conservative style of worship? Why is there such a strong reaction against the Charismatic Movement from many evangelical preachers today? Is it really that big an issue? On one occasion John MacArthur described the Charismatic Movement in the following terms; 'It's a kind of Spiritual AIDS. AIDS is a deficient immune system, and this kills the Church's immune system! The Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement kills the immune system, because it makes it a sin to question their theology'^a. To many people this statement will be a great exaggeration of the issues in the Charismatic Movement and an outrageous thing to say. To compare a particular form of Christianity to a deadly disease is surely too much. Yet when we examine the Charismatic Movement closely, when we understand what the Charismatic Movement actually is, and consider what is actually taught within it, then we will find that it is very difficult to argue with that statement. As we look at the serious errors, and indeed heresies, that are found within that movement, we believe that an honest analysis of the facts can lead to only one conclusion; that the Charismatic Movement is indeed a form of ‘spiritual AIDS’, and that it leads Christianity in only one direction; back to the darkness of Rome.

Protestant - not a name to be ashamed of

There is a tendency among some believers today to avoid the use of the name of Protestant when describing themselves. The will call themselves Christian, and rightly so for we are followers of Christ before we are anything else. They will describe themselves by their denominational affiliation, be that Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist or something else. Yet when it comes to the name 'Protestant' there sometimes seems to be an aversion to using the name, as if it is something they should be ashamed of. This should not be the case, but every believer should be proud of their Protestant heritage. There are doubtless some who avoid emphasising their Protestantism because of an ecumenical spirit. They do not want to risk ruining their relationship with the local priest by proclaiming too loudly that they are Protestant. By avoiding the use of that name they can more easily blur the lines between their respective churches. Yet there are others, who have no desire for communion with Rome, but who also avoid using the name Protestant. They are not ashamed to be called Christian, yet they will not use the distinctive name of Protestant. In Northern Ireland the association of Protestantism with unionism and loyalism has caused them to be treated as one and the same, and perhaps for some this is the reason some have rejected the name Protestant. Yet they are not the same, for Protestantism is a matter of religion, not politics.

A pivotal verse for a pivotal day

31st October 1517 was a pivotal day in the history of the church of Jesus Christ. The nailing of Martin Luther's 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral has been seen as the spark which lit the fires of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Whilst earlier men such as Wycliffe and Hus had also rejected the teachings of Rome and sought to turn the church back to the teachings of the bible it has been the actions of Martin Luther which have been traditionally viewed as the start of the Reformation. So significant were his actions on 31st October 1517 that this date has become known as Reformation Day, although sadly that fact has been forgotten by many Protestants. What better verse then to consider on this day but the words with which Luther had struggled, yet were also the means of converting that great Reformer, and bringing him out of the darkness of Romanism into the glorious light of the gospel:

'For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith'. (Romans 1:17)

For a long time Luther had struggled with a sense of guilt of his sin. Although he had lived the life of a monk, and been devout in doing so, he knew that was still unrighteous in the sight of God. The demands of the law were such that all his prayers, penance and pilgrimage had not given him peace, either within himself or with God. When he considered the justice and righteousness of God, he could not understand how a man could possibly be justified in the light of God's holy justice. Luther's own words describe how he felt:

Are you really a Protestant?

A couple of months ago an open air preacher was approached by a group of men on Belfast's Shankill Road who objected to his preaching the gospel. In his defence he told them that he was preaching a Protestant message, surely thinking that no-one in one of Belfast's most historically Protestant roads could openly object to his preaching when it was couched in those terms. The response of the men however was that they were not Protestants, they were Loyalists. Such an incident is a sad indication of how Christianity has declined in Ulster in recent decades, a land once renowned for the preaching of the gospel has, even in one of its most staunchly 'protestant' areas, no time for the Word of God. There is however a great truth in the response of those men on the Shankill Road, for being Loyalist or Unionist does not necessarily mean being Protestant. There are many people who have grown up in Loyalist areas and when asked what religion they are, they would immediately give the answer that they were Protestant. In the majority of cases however, what they are simply saying is that they are not Roman Catholic, their answer it political and cultural more than religious. In the 2011 Northern Ireland Census over 875,000 people described themselves as Protestant. Yet there is no doubt that in many of these cases their Protestantism is simply a historical one; their parents or grandparents went to a Protestant church so they also consider themselves to be Protestant. Yet the true definition of a Protestant is not found in our cultural identity, nor is it not defined by the waving of Union Flag or the wearing of a t-shirt stating that we are 'Proud to be a Prod'. The true definition of a Protestant is rooted in a faith in the Word of God.

Martin Luther's idea of recanting

When Pope Leo X issued his Papal Bull against Martin Luther on 15th June 1520 he left him no room for manoeuvre. There was no offer of a discussion on the issues of difference, Luther was not given the opportunity of explaining from scripture why he held the views that he did, but was given the ultimatum of recant or be excommunicated. Luther response was to publicly burn the Bull at Wittenburg and respond to it in a tract entitled 'Assertation of all the Articles Wrongly Condemned in the Roman Bull. The tone of his response gives an indication of what he thought of recanting his views, and of of the Pope's demands.

The Reformation Martyrs of Sussex: Deryk Carver

Throughout history many men and women have been martyred for the faith. They have differed in age, nationality and social standing. Some names are well known to us, some lost to history, yet all have this in common, that they have sealed their faith by their blood and have gone on to receive their eternal reward in glory. In one county of England alone a number of ordinary people displayed in their life and death that conviction of faith.

In 1555 Deryk Carver was living as a brewer in the town of Brighton, his place of business located in Black Lion Street. Originally from Flanders he had been blessed by the Lord both with temporal riches as well as spiritual treasures. It is likely that his conversion to Christ had been during the reign of Edward VI, but now that ‘bloody’ Mary had ascended the throne it was impossible for him to worship in the parish church and so he assembled together with a few like minded friends for prayer and worship at his home.

On such an occasion in 1555 he was apprehended by the sheriff, Edward Gage, and sent to London where he was committed to Newgate prison. He was approximately forty years old when he was put on trial before Bishop Bonner and he gave a clear and definite answer to all that was put to him. Amongst those things which he denied were the doctrines of transubstantiation and auricular confession, he declared that the Latin mass was unprofitable and that the faith being then taught was contrary to the Word of God. Upon further examination he declared that he possessed a Bible and Psalter in English and that such had been read in his house on many occasions. When broughtback before the bishop on 10th June his confession of faith was read to him and he was asked if he would stand by it. Replying in the affirmative he said

‘Yes, for your doctrine is poison and sorcery. If Christ were here you would put him to a worse death than he was put before. You say that you can make a God. Ye can make a pudding as well. Your ceremonies in church be beggary and poison’.

On 22nd July 1555 he was brought to the town of Lewes where a stake was set up at the ‘Sign of the Star’, an inn in the centre of the town. A barrel had been prepared into which his Bible had been thrown. Carver took the bible and threw it out amongst the people however the sheriff ordered in the name of the king and queen that it be thrown back. Carver’s last exhortation to the crowd before he was burnt was recorded

‘Dear brethren and sisters, witness to you all, that I am come to seal with my blood Christ’s gospel, because I know that it is true. It is unknown unto all you, but that it hath been truly preached here in Lewes, and in all places in England, and now it is not. And for because I will not deny here God’s gospel, and be obedient to man’s laws, I am condemned to die. Dear brethren and sisters as many of you as do believe upon the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost unto everlasting life, see that you do the works appertaining to the same. And as many of you as do believe upon the Pope of Rome, or any of his laws which he set forth in these days, you do believe to your utter condemnation, and except the great mercy of God, you shall burn in hell perpetually.’

As the flames came upon him he commended his spirit in to the hands of the almighty God and passed into his glory, the first of the Sussex martyrs. A plaque on his place of business, still standing in Black Lion Street, Brighton, bears the simple inscription ‘Deryk Carver, First Protestant Martyr burnt at Lewes, July 22nd 1555, lived in this brewery’.

Adapted from ‘Sussex Martyrs of the Reformation’, The Sussex Martyrs Commemoration Council