Try the Spirits--A Reformed Look at Pentecostalism

Prof. David J. Engelsma

Foreword to the Second Printing

The Evangelism Committee and the Congregation of the Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland, Illinois are thankful to God that a second printing of this booklet is necessary. For it means that God is giving this testimony to the Reformed faith and life wide distribution. Requests continue to come in, not only from our own country, but also from other nations. Not a few have expressed to us that this little work has been used of the Lord, either to deliver them from the charismatic religion or to enable them to withstand the temptation to go charismatic.



Some, not unfavorably disposed to the thrust of the booklet, have chided us for its "pejorative" tone. We must acknowledge that the warning we give is a sharp one. But sharpness in defense of sound doctrine, and in warning against error, although exceedingly rare in our day, is not only permitted the Church, but also demanded: "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith" (Titus 1:13). Nor does it betray a bitter, hateful spirit. We testify as we do in the booklet, because we love the God Whose glory, we are convinced, is revealed in the historic, creedal Reformed faith and life; because we love Reformed believers and their children, whose faith and life are disparaged by the charismatics and who are seduced to forsake this faith and life for the charismatic religion; and because we love the charismatics, as our neighbors, and desire that they come to recognize their beliefs and practices as false.



We are not of a mind to soften the message in the slightest. It is the blunt thesis of this booklet that the basic tenets of the charismatic movement are false doctrine and that the charismatic religion is a foe of the Reformed faith, and, therefore, of historic Protestantism. We prove this, we believe, from Holy Scripture. We marvel that Protestants have so soon forgotten the struggle of Luther and Calvin against Anabaptism and the exposure by B. B. Warfield of perfectionism. When we observe that Dr. D. M. Lloyd-Jones (for whom we have high regard and from whose writings we have profited) was seemingly soft on the charismatic movement, so that many now can appeal to his authority to approve the movement, and that Dr. J. I. Packer (whom we also respect and who has made us his debtors by his magnificent "Historical and Theological Introduction" to his, and Johnston's, translation of Luther's The Bondage of the Will, in his book, Keep in Step with the Spirit, welcomes the movement within the churches and warns against condemning it, and that virtually all the churches accept the charismatics as members in good standing, we are more convinced than ever that Protestantism needs an uncompromising "No" to the charismatic movement and a fervent "Yes" to the traditional Reformed faith and life.



We ask only that our witness be given a hearing. Here, too, let men "test the spirits."

David J. Engelsma

South Holland, Illinois

January, 1987

Foreword to the Third Printing

By this time, it is evident to all that the charismatic movement (or, neo-Pentecostalism) is no vagrant breeze wafting through the Protestant churches, but a mighty wind blowing steadily in these churches. Nor does this surprise us. Religion, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Bereft these many years of doctrine solid, expository preaching and thorough doctrinal instruction, the churches are exposed to the inrushing stream of mysticism. Starved of the "strong meat" of the Word (Hebrews 5:12-14), the empty souls of the members of these churches crave the insubstantial air of feeling. Although the powerful presence of the charismatic wind in the Protestant churches does not surprise us, it does grieve us. We call our fellow Protestants, especially all Reformed Christians, to resist the neo-Pentecostal hurricane: "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). By the infallible rule of Holy Scripture, "try the spirits whether they are of God" (I John 4:1).

David J. Engelsma

South Holland, Illinois

April, 1988

Preface

The believer is "in Christ," Col. 2:10. Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, Eph 3:17, so that through the power of our God-given faith, we are the possessors of all the spiritual blessings of salvation. As such we are complete in Him. Possessing the full Christ, we possess the full Spirit of Christ through Whose power we are enabled to live a holy life.



Such is the confession of the Reformed faith!



The pamphlet is divided into three chapters:

Chapter 1 - The Reformed Answer to Pentecostalism's Basic Biblical Appeals.

Chapter 2 - The Reformed Testing of Pentecostalism's Spirit; and ends, appropriately, by answering the question as to what is the normal, regular Christian life in ...

Chapter 3 - The Reformed View of the Christian Life.

May the Lord keep us faithful to His Truth, teaching us to live lives which are lived in the living power of His Word.

THE EVANGELISM COMMITTEE

Protestant Reformed Church

16511 South Park Avenue

South Holland, Illinois 60473

Phone (708) 596-1314



Additional copies of this pamphlet may be obtained upon request. For a list of other pamphlets and tapes distributed by this Committee, see the back pages .

(Fourth Printing, 1990)

Introduction

An examination, from the viewpoint of the Reformed Faith, of the religious movement known as Pentecostalism is in order. For Pentecostalism makes inroads into Reformed Churches. Some hold that the Reformed Faith and Pentecostalism are harmonious; others claim that Pentecostalism is the completion of the Reformation in our time; others openly proclaim that the Pentecostal religion replaces the historic Reformed Faith.



To conduct this examination is legitimate. It is common that Pentecostals scare off would-be critics by insinuating that criticism of Pentecostalism is the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. A Reformed man is not intimidated by this scare-tactic. More than once in the history of the Church, false teachers tried to gain entrance into the Church by appealing to the Spirit. An outstanding example is the appearance of fanatics at the time of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, who harassed the Lutherans in Wittenberg. These were the "heavenly prophets" and "enthusiasts" who claimed to receive special revelations from the Spirit and to perform miracles. They cowed Melanchthon; but they did not cow Luther. When they screamed, "The Spirit, the Spirit," Luther replied, "I slap your spirit on the snout."



The Reformed man and woman know the instruction of the Spirit of Christ in Holy Scripture: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).



The standard of the examination of the spirits, including the spirit of Pentecostalism, is Holy Scripture, the inspired Word of God. In the light of Scripture the question must be this: does this spirit, this religious movement, confess Jesus Christ (I John 4:2,3); does it abide "in the doctrine of Christ" (II John 9)? For the Holy Spirit confesses Jesus Christ and brings the doctrine of Christ.



Our examination of Pentecostalism must include a consideration of its criticism of the Christian life of Reformed believers. For Pentecostalism belittles the life of "mere believers."



The effect of Pentecostalism is that believers wonder whether their life is what it should be--a normal Christian life. Believers are even made to doubt whether they are saved Christians at all. In the final analysis, Pentecostalism's appeal to religious people is its boast of a higher, fuller, deeper, richer Christian life. Pentecostalism exults in a Christian life that is all power, all excitement, all joy, all victory.



Let no one suppose that, because we speak of a Reformed examination of Pentecostalism, the concern of the examination is limited to those who are members of a Reformed church. The Reformed Faith represents Protestantism--Biblical Christianity. As will be evident, the standard by which the Reformed Faith conducts the examination is Holy Scripture-the rule of faith and life for every professing Christian. Under the clear light of Holy Scripture, Pentecostalism displays features that mark it unmistakably as a form of an age-old, and quite familiar, threat to Christianity.





Contents:

Preface



Introduction





Chapter 1 - The Reformed Answer to Pentecostalism's Basic Biblical Appeals.





Chapter 2 - The Reformed Testing of Pentecostalism's Spirit; and ends, appropriately, by answering the question as to what is the normal, regular Christian life in ...





Chapter 3 - The Reformed View of the Christian Life.



