In my church life I regularly rub shoulders with charismatic and pentecostal Christians, most of them members of Freedom Fellowship, the faith community who is featured regularly in my books.
The lack of discernment seems to go along with the preference for gifting over character. It’s all good to let the fire fall and be swept along in the excitement, but the hard, daily work of spiritual formation and discipleship smacks of works righteousness in those circles.
yes, much discernment is needed. Having had experience in this faith tradition, I have also noticed that the heirarchy in the five-fold ministry of offices: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher that teacher is last. The way it is seen by this group is that a teacher is less necessary because when teachers are elevated, they bring dead religion. I get where they are coming from and recognize how teaching in the past has wounded them around their attention to supernatural gifts, however, the minimization, in my view, has had negative consequences in the entire movement. The five-fold needs one another--they need balanced teachers to help with accountability for the prophets and apostles.
I think apostles were the prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher in certain degree. I think everybody is teaching and learning as we go through time and space. Specific gift illuminate by the HS bring out the prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. Discernment helps us to check our character and critically check our heart and make space for the HS. All we need is not to put HIM in a box of time and space. Supernatural is superbly natural than the time and space.
The lack of discernment seems to go along with the preference for gifting over character. It’s all good to let the fire fall and be swept along in the excitement, but the hard, daily work of spiritual formation and discipleship smacks of works righteousness in those circles.
yes, much discernment is needed. Having had experience in this faith tradition, I have also noticed that the heirarchy in the five-fold ministry of offices: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher that teacher is last. The way it is seen by this group is that a teacher is less necessary because when teachers are elevated, they bring dead religion. I get where they are coming from and recognize how teaching in the past has wounded them around their attention to supernatural gifts, however, the minimization, in my view, has had negative consequences in the entire movement. The five-fold needs one another--they need balanced teachers to help with accountability for the prophets and apostles.
I think apostles were the prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher in certain degree. I think everybody is teaching and learning as we go through time and space. Specific gift illuminate by the HS bring out the prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. Discernment helps us to check our character and critically check our heart and make space for the HS. All we need is not to put HIM in a box of time and space. Supernatural is superbly natural than the time and space.