Introduction: This lesson is regarding the teaching of the charismatic movement. This includes the Assemblies of God, Church of God, and Pentecostals.
The Charismatics Believe in:
Signs and Wonders– The charismatics tend to focus on a miraculous experience and typically the more shocking the better. I Corinthians 1:22 “for the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom”. In Acts 13:11 Paul smites Elymas with blindness and in Acts 28:5 Paul is delivered from a poisonous snake bite. They require a sign. II Corinthians 12:12 “Truly the sings of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds”. After the apostles died, the “signs of an apostle stopped”. Acts 14:3 “and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands”- the Apostles. II Corinthians 2:5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight”. Faith or hope is the opposite of something that is seen, felt, or even experienced.
The Gift of Tongues– I Corinthians 12:1, 10. Tongues in the Bible are foreign languages- Acts 2:1-8 “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born” vs 11 “Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God”. This is not unknown gibberish utterance. These languages were given as a sing to the Jews vs 5. Tongues are for an unbelieving Jew- I Corinthians 14:22. Only men are to speak in turn and never more than three at a time- I Corinthians 14:27. No one speaks unless there is an interpreter- I Corinthians 14:27. Women are not to speak in tongues in the assembly- I Corinthians 14:34.
The Gift of Healings– They say, this is a person that lays hands on another and is healed, not a doctor. Today, when the “healer” doesn’t heal the sick, he/she will blame the person with the sickness and accuse them of not having enough faith in God, this is wrong. Mark 3:14-15 “And he ordained twelve, that THEY should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sickness”. Mark 16:15-18 “they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”. No misfires. People that were healed, were healed with a word, with a touch, through a messenger, through an item (staff, handkerchiefs, aprons, etc.)
The Gift of Prophecy– They claim that they can predict something that will happen in the future, something that was given to them specifically and no one else. II Peter 1:19-21 Regarding future events- All future events have been given to us in this Bible and all we must do is believe it and tell others about it.Romans 12:6-8 Speaking of preaching and proclaiming what Christ has done and of future events found in the Bible. I Corinthians 14:22-25 “but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe”.
Salvation by Baptism– “Water baptism is an essential to New Testament salvation and not mere a symbolic ritual”. They quote Acts 2:38, they say “Not for the remission of sins but because their sins have been remitted”. “You don’t send someone to jail to steal but you send someone to jail because they have stolen”.Acts 16:28 Notice that the Philippian jailor got saved the same way we get saved today, belief in Jesus Christ not in baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of what has taken place on the inside.
Female Pastors– Pastors, also known as Elders/Bishops in the Bible, these are men called by God to be overseers of a local congregation- I Peter 5:1-3. You find no where in the Bible a woman pastor. Pastors are Men- I Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, if a MAN desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work”. Vs 2 “the husband of one wife”. Vs 5 “For if a man”. Titus 1:4-7 “the husband of one wife”.
Current Apostles– Matthew 10:1-10 Apostles were given in time past and are no longer active today. These were given at a different time for a different purpose, “he gave them the power” to show forth sign gifts to an unbelieving Jew primarily- I Corinthians 1:22 “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom”.
- Vs 1- Power against unclean spirits, cast them out.
- Vs 1- heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease- with a touch.
- Vs 6- But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
- VS 8- Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.Know This- If someone today claims to be an Apostle, they are not a Biblical Apostle. The signs of the Apostles ended after the book of Acts, (the Acts of the Apostles). And a current “apostle” cant do any of these things today.
Exalting the Holy Spirit– People in the Charismatic movement pray, seek, invite, and throw the Holy Spirit upon people. None of these things are found in scripture. The Holy Spirit of God does not draw attention to himself but instead glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ – John 16:13-15. Everything in Christianity points and exalts the man Christ Jesus.
Anchor Baptist Church 