DEAR PENTECOSTAL / CHARISMATIC FRIEND – PLEASE HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND YOUR DOCTRINES AND TRADITIONS BY ANSWERING A FEW QUESTIONS WITH REFERENCE TO THE BIBLe. THERE ARE 6 TOPICS, CONSISTING OF 18 QUESTIONS IN TOTAL.
1. SALVATION AND THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE
If not for the Holy Spirit, the Bible teaches that no man would seek God (Romans 3:11).
QUESTION 1: If you do not believe in the doctrine of election, but the doctrine of choice, how do you interpret verses like these (of which there are many more)?
Ephesians 1:4
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Romans 9:15-24
For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy…
John 15:16
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
2. SALVATION AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
QUESTION 2: Everything Jesus does in our lives, comes through the working of the Holy Spirit. At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells our hearts and changes us from an old to a new person. Then why would it be necessary to subsequently also “accept or receive” the gift of the Holy Spirit? Isn’t this confused with the filling of the Holy Spirit, eg where we enter the presence of God in humble prayer or when He reveals more about God to us when we study the Bible?
3. PRAYING IN TONGUES
(In total, the words “pray, praying, prayed, prayer/s” appear 436 times in the KJV Bible. There is not a single reference to “Praying in tongues.” Only once, in Eph 6:18, does it mention “ALWAYS with ALL prayer and supplication in the spirit”
There are no reference to “heavenly languages or heavenly tongues” in the entire Bible either. In 1 Corinthians 13:1 Paul talks about SPEAKING “with the tongues of men and of angels” but this is hyperbolic, same as he also says “I could remove mountains” in verse 14.)
QUESTION 3: If “Praying in tongues” is essential for every saved believer, would it not have been discussed in more detail in the Bible, as was done with regards to praying in men’s own languages?
QUESTION 4: In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul makes it clear that not everybody has the same gifts. Do you know of any scripture contradicting Paul by saying that all saved believers will speak or pray in tongues?
QUESTION 5: Why is it necessary to often be taught how to “speak / pray in tongues” by others and in all instances for new believers to practice it when it is a spiritual gift from God?
QUESTION 6: Why does the church not in all instances obey to God’s word by using an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:6-19)?
QUESTION 7: Where an interpreter is however being used, how does it work that the interpretations are normally quite long, while the person who spoke in tongues only shared a very short “message.”?
QUESTION 8: Why does the church not in all instances obey to God’s word by limiting the number of people speaking or praying in tongues, to 2 to 3 per service (1 Corinthians 14:27)? (Verse 40 says “Let all things be done decently and in order.”)
QUESTION 9: Why would Paul have said that it was a sign for unbeliever, while the church says it is a “personal prayer language” (1 Corinthians 14:20-25)?
4. HEALING AND MIRACLES
QUESTION 10: If the modern day gift of healing is the same as the gift received by the Apostles, why does healing not always take place immediately (on the spot), like in those days?
QUESTION 11: Modern day healers say that you cannot be healed if you don’t have enough faith. Then why did Jesus and the disciples healed people without faith?
Matt. 8:5-10 It was the faith of the centurion that healed his servant.
Mk.5:35-43 The daughter of Jairus was healed from the fathers faith
Mk.2:5 Jesus healed the paralytic not because of his faith but of the four men who carried him.
Lk.17:11-19 Jesus healed all 10 but only one obeyed showing that he was the only one to possess true saving faith.
Lk.8:26-39 The demoniac of Gadarene was healed before he was capable of expressing his faith.
Lk.2:50-51 Jn.18:10 When peter cut of the ear of Malchus Jesus healed him without any faith present.
QUESTION 12: Why could Paul not heal subsequent to the book of Acts era? Not Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27), Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), or even himself (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
5. SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT
QUESTION 13: Why do we not see a single reference to the term “Slain in the spirit” in the entire KJV Bible?
QUESTION 14: Why does the biblical falling on one’s face refer to a person’s reaction to what he saw in a vision or an event beyond ordinary happenings, while in modern day practice, the person responds to another’s touch or to the motion of the speaker’s arm?
QUESTION 15: Why did the people fell upon their faces in the biblical instances while in modern days they fall backwards and someone needs to be around to catch the person being slain in the Spirit?
6. PROPHECIES AND REVELATION
QUESTION 16: Is there still a need for prophets to proclaim God’s Word to the people now that we all have Bibles?
QUESTION 17: While all prophets in the Bible either prophesied about the comings of Christ or as warnings to the people, why do almost all modern prophecies relate to prosperity and worldly promises?
QUESTION 18: Why do people keep on trusting today’s prophets while the majority of their prophecies do not come to pass (Deut. 18:22, Jer. 28:9, Ezek. 33:33, 1 Sam 3:19, etc).
(Compiled by GH Woest)
HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIES 
Question1.- I believe in God’s election, as stated in quoted Scripture.
2.. SALVATION AND THE HOLY SPIRIT- in my experience, as a JEW,knowing NOTHING about Jesus, other than popular culture, and my love of ”Jesus Christ Superstar” plus movies about His life, I know that even as a child, I was being drawn by the Holy Spirit, without ”receiving Him” but, through this process was finally convicted, and did ”accept” Jesus Christ, but, it wasn’t an instantaeous conversion, nor ”magical” in that i started speaking in tongues or healing the dead….
Salvation and true belief in Christ developed through the tutorship of the Holy Spirit in learning the Word, prayer, and repentance from sin, the world, and the old man. There’s an experience when I believe God supernaturally interceded, forcing my hand, an event where I was no longer lingering in the old life, with the new, but, I believe God chooses us, the Holy Spirit walks with us, and Jesus Christ is our Savior, and reveals this to us through our life experience with Him, and especially through understanding of the Scripture. Without extensive seeking Him, listening to His Word, plus the guidance through teachers, Pastors, and the copious works of theologians, we are guided, for I believe, this is where we recognize HIS VOICE, and another, we cannot follow.
We’re just dumb sheep, dealing in a realm where there are untold false stars and demonic deceptions, and I think we’re spared knowing how bad it truly is, otherwise, we’d never get out of bed. But, those, who God has CALLED OUT, who have taken up HIS CROSS as their own, will be led by Him, no matter how much we are tempted away, and by that, i don’t mean by the world of lust or greed, but, by false churches and beliefs. The harlot. The strange woman’s voice is shrill and hollow to our ears.
QUESTION 3: If “Praying in tongues” – i was first involved in Messianic Judaism and it always has been a ”charismatic” denomination. So, speaking in tongues was certainly prevalent.
In my 30 years as a believer, and in my maturity, (though i am still a little child spiritually) I have recognized the difference between tongues which edify, and tongues, which are from another spirit.
My friend saw the famous guitarist, and satanic occultist, Jimmy Page, at an airport, surrounded by his throngs of worshipping fans, speaking in tongues, channeling a spirit. This confirms my theory, and belief, that my experiences with some cults, and the charismatic and Pentecostal churches, of whom, I am indebted for many GOOD AND SOUND doctrine, have mistaken the purpose, and possible DECEPTION of some who were speaking in tongues.
When we would have prayer meetings, I would suddenly feel uncomfortable when someone started speaking in tongues…. In my life, as a Jew, I learned Hebrew, and then Biblical Hebrew, which gives me a boost in also understanding some ancient words in the Syriac and Aramaic tongues….
Recently, I was watching a video of Heidi Baker, although not charismatic, an emergent leader, whose popularity has SOARED… she started speaking in tongues, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up, because, I recognised some words, which WERE Syriac …and they were in praise of the ancient goddess/gods of baal… just to be sure, i researched them, and I believe my finding confirmed my conclusion, that she is channeling a false spirit, and far from blessing these naive people, she was initiating them into a snake religion, the mystery religion of ancient Mesopotamia…
The PURPOSE of tongues, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, as learned in Acts, is widely misunderstood. Before Jesus, only Prophets, and the High Priest were ANOINTED (Maschiach) with oil (Holy SPIRIT) to guide the Israelites. The LAW was given, and people who were faithful to it, were given the promise of eternal life. Since nobody could accomplish it with perfection, blood sacrifice for propitiation, especially, on the DAY OF ATONEMENT, in the tenth month, our SEPTEMBER, usually, was ordained, for the HIGH PRIEST, of the tribe of Aron the Holy, the TZADIK Kohane, (Righteous Priest).. who would go into the Holy of Holies, once a year, to offer the blood of the bullock on the altar before the mercy seat of God. There the Presence (Shekina) GLORY of God appeared and the sins of the entire nation, to whom repentance was noted (not everyone repented but those who did, and sorrowed for their sins) were forgiven for that year, a new page in the ”Book of Life” was given. Then, when Jesus, of the line of David the King, and ALSO of the maternal line of ARON THE HOLY, for Mary was the grand daughter of the last Levitical Tzadikim HIGH PRIEST, whose name historically, was recorded as YESHUA II. After he died, the position of official high priest went to the selection of Herod’s father-in-law Jason, and the Levitical High priesthood became secondary to that, but, still existed, historically (according to Flavius Josephus) on Mt. Zion.
Recently, in the last 40 years, with the discovery and analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls, miraculously, many questions have been answered. Among these were the controversy of Josephus’s claims that these final Tzadikim (Levitical High Priest’s lineage) were indeed the Essenes, as he claimed. Well, the Dead Sea Scrolls, among other AMAZING confirmations, concluded that there were the Essenes, and among them were the ancestors preceding Jesus CHrist, Mary’s mother’s father’s family.. the line of the High Priest.
THIS IS IMPORTANT. Jesus offered Himself, as the FINAL HIGH PRIEST, THE FINAL TZADIK, and in Judaism, the TZADIK is the MESSIAH, and HIS BLOOD was the FINAL Propitiation.
In the language of Hebrew the Tzadik is a LETTER, and it is also the number 18. So important are the letters of Hebrew and how God ordained them, for Jesus called Himself the ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE WORD OF GOD, so, the alpha-bet of Hebrew means that He is from A to Z, and in Hebrew that is A – the Alef, or BULLOCK- THE OX, the SACRIFICE to the last letter TAV- which is the CROSS.
HE IS THE MESSIAH. HE IS GOD. After He rose, He brought with Him those who died before the Pentecost, when, the New Covenant would be sealed with the dispensation of the Holy GHOST.
He was with His people for those 50 days of Pentecost, along with the ones who died and were in Sheol, (paradise part of hell in the underworld), so people saw their loved ones and historical people, it was a miracle. Did they ascend then too? It’s not written.
They were distraught (the Apostles to learn he was leaving again) but, He said, ”I will send you my SPIRIT, as the COMFORTER) AND the SPIRIT is GOD, not INFERIOR to GOD THE SON OR GOD THE FATHER.’
The land of Israel in the First Century, was a ”Polis” a Greek NATIONAL State city, no longer speaking Hebrew, no longer only Jews, for 300 years they were ruled by GREECE, and they liked it. They were a mixed nation, and had many foreigners, so, Jesus stirred things up and many of the Gentiles were curious about all of this and started going into the synagogue to figure this strange thing out. That means there were Jews, GREEKS, Romans, Arabs, etc… and the LANGUAGE in Israel, in the First Century, although ruled by Rome, by then, was still GREEK. In places like Nazareth, they spoke Syriac and Aramaic, but, they also spoke Greek. Peter, John, and Paul wrote all their Apostles IN GREEK. NOT ARAMAIC.
The only thing in the NT written in Aramaic was Matthew’S Gospel, which was to the Jews.
They were sitting in the synagogue when the Holy Ghost descended, and like the HOLY OF HOLIES, when the SHEKINA PRESENCE of God appeared, so did the FIRE, THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE OF THEIR SOULS, and the first thing that happened was they could communicate with the foreigners who did not speak their languages, in an instant.
This was expedient for them to catch fire for the Gospel’s purpose to spread the GOOD NEWS of God.
All of this is not only intended for our amusement or growth and edification, but, all for GOD’S GLORY, in establishing HIS KINGDOM.
IN the FIRST CENTURY this was done.
By the SECOND CENTURY, as we read, in Revelations, and can INFER by how COLD the churches had grown in less than 50 years after being established by the Apostles and disciples of Christ, Himself, that it was also done. Some were still with a little strength, the rest were apostate, already.
The gifts of the Spirit, given to the First Century Apostolic age, were singularly unique as the Apostles. There are no more healers, like Paul, anyway, who can walk down the street, and whose shadow brings instaneous healings.
He was given this gift for the purpose of the establishment of the CHURCH.
Do we have gifts of healing? i believe we do, according to God’s Plan.
HOWEVER, do we RECEIVE the same GIFTS and in the SAME PENTECOST?
I do not believe that happens.
The HOLY GHOST (GOD) IS WITH US, and HE CAME DOWN at PENTECOST. Why would we need to receive a second Pentecost?
I think this is a corruption of the truth, and the strange things we see in the manifestations of those receiving the ”Holy Spirit” may be more like the spirit called ”kundalini” in the HINDU culture, where they speak in tongues, can also perform miracles, but, they do it in the spirit of these other goddesses and dead spirits they invoke, otherwise demons.
When I watch videos of this new-age church phenomenon of people of the world of faith, or new apostolic, new wine, new new new…. receiving the Spirit, jerk around, fall down laughing drunk, hop up and down, run around, I am certain it is IDENTICAL and is the same spirit of the antichrist, or demons.
The Holy Spirit manifests Himself, as God, in LOVE, in GOOD WORKs, IN THE BUILDING OF HIS TEMPLE, for HIMSELF, so, anything that looks and acts ridiculous, or is nonsense, like speaking in unknown tongues, which edify NOBODY, and when translated have words of strange affiliation with Astarte, not God- YHVH, JESUS, or the Holy Spirit’s purpose to BUILD the CHURCH, the TEMPLE, the BODY OF CHRIST, it is a deception. It is false, and it must be rejected, otherwise it can lead people astray, and possibly away from Christ completely. He may say, ”I NEVER KNEW YOU” because they may be following another god, and not even know it.
MANY other religions, espeically the Eastern religions, have precepts that are extremely compatible with Christianity for a purpose, and that purpose is to destroy man’s relationship with Christ through fellowship with the Holy Spirit, who can indwell us, where we may speak in a tongue, miraculously, if it’s to reach someone who speaks that language, or who can interpret it. He can raise the dead through us, if that’s His purpose. He can heal through us.
BUT, we’re dealing with a counterfeit god, lucifer, who imitates Christ. Christians, myself included, no matter how seasoned we are, can be MISLED. WE ARE STILL LITTLE CHILDREN, and that’s why we need to TEST ALL SPIRITS.
IF nobody can speak the language, or if it’s just someone babbling away, what purpose is that? GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION 1 COR 14:33….
ok, i’VE spontaneously written this ridiculously long thesis paper…. so, I’m stopping HERE. I will not edit, because, I do believe in the Presence and possession of the Holy GHOST, in our lives, and I am praying that this rapidly delivered, post was inspired by Him, since I don’t even know what I just wrote.
LIKE ALL THINGS, PRAY ABOUT WHAT YOU READ, INCLUDING WHAT I JUST WROTE. TEST THE SPIRITS ALWAYS… SHALOM AND GOD BLESS YOU.. IN JESUS OUR MESSIAH.
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Amazing and awesome questions! To make my answer short. To cover ALL of the questions. I’m led to answer Romans 14-16. I do not consider myself of any one particular division of the body, because, let’s face it, Paul speaks against those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine of which we learned. I am a Jesus follower. NOTHING more, nothing less. I do not consider myself better than anyone else BUT I am bettered by Him who cleanses me of my sins.
God bless you brother! Hope my answer helps.
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