Charismatic Theology and the New Testament

RICHARD C. OUDERSLUYS

Since there is need to limit the subject announced, let me say at the outset that it is not my intention to attack or defend certain contemporary chari smati c expe ri ences and practi ces. While the H oly Spirit is not foreign to my Christian fa ith and li fe, I do stand outside the experi e nce and practi ce of speaking in tongues. T hi s being so, I have no expe ri ential basis for evalu ating the reality and validity of the ma ny claim s being made today for such spiritual experiences and practices. Like every other renewal move ment in the hi story of the church, the present chari smati c movement offers both pe ril and promise. It is my observation that in circles where there is a strong litu rgy, polity, and theology, the movement appears as a good expe ri ence, creating a new sense of Christi an community, a new caring and sha ring in fa ith , hope, and love, and it is a happening that is affi rmative and positiv e. In other circles, in cluding our own, the experi ence meets with antagonism, creates division and tension, and is, unhappily, facti onal and negativ e. T here is reason to be li eve that a church such as our own, possessing a well ­ defi ned liturgy, polit y, and theology, is we ll designed fo r containing and incorporating th ose whose faith has been re vi tali zed by some kind ofrecent chari smati c experi ence. Surely the church has before it chall enges and tasks more important than opposing enthusiasm and spontaneity . Christi an diversity should be respected when it involves individual C hristi an experi ence. Here the counsel of the Apostl e Paul is appropriate: Let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling bl ock or hindrance in the way of a brother .. . . Let us then pursue what makes fo r peace and for mutual upbuilding . . . . Welcome one another, therefore, as Chri st has welcomed you, for the glory of God (Rom. 14 :13, 19; 15:7). Attitudes of uncompromi sing hosti lity and negativity, whether on the pa rt of cha ri smati cs or non-chari smati cs, are not only deplorable but contra di ctory of the claimed leading and presence of the Holy Spirit. If chari smati c rene wal brings into our mi dst only a steady proliferation of small groups to li ve somewhere out on the periphery of the church, it will be due to the fa ilure of both church and groups to evide nce what both profess: " I beli eve in the H oly Spirit, the Lord and gi ve r of life." I trust that you will share my optimism when I say that I am hopeful of better things in our own beloved church. If there is any truth to the old adage th at wi sdom keeps company with age, then the oldest Protestant C hurch in Ameri ca with a continuous existence should be possessed by this time of enough wi sdom to meet the chall enge of the charismati c movement. After a ll , the old Dutch church has fo und grace at long last to accommodate itself to speaking Engli sh. And we have been able to

48 welcome with good grace those who speak Germ an, Hungari a n, Ita li an, and Spa ni sh, and so why not those who speak in ye t "other tongues?" D o not di smi ss or mi sta ke my optimism too hastil y, fo r it is a thinl y di sgui sed plea for understanding, and fo r a real attempt at "eagerness" to mainta in the unity of the S pirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3). T here are obstacles, of course, whic h stand in the way of an immedi ate reali zation of thi s goal. O ne of the m is the amazing diversity of the cha ri smatic movement it self. It is commonplace today to di stingui sh between older, classical, or traditi onal Pentecos­ tali sm and so-call ed N eo-Pentecosta li sm. 1 T he new Pentecostals, fo r the most pa rt , are ve ry defi nitely new. Most of them choose to remain within their fa miliar denomina­ tional structures. They do not practi ce speaking in tongues in public worship but reserve it fo r private devoti ons or fo r the specia l mid-week prayer service. Many of the m do not insist on speaking in tongues as a necessary proof of H oly Spirit bapti sm. In some circles, the renewal movement seems to be a new aware ness of the Spirit's presence and power whi ch prompts prayer, speaking and singing in the Spirit , and a new joy in the pursuit of sanctificati on a nd service. T heir c hari smati c expe ri ence-in contrast to olde r fo rms of Pentecosta li sm- is seldom introduced into the customary li turgy of the established c hurch. 2 If the N eo-Pentecostali st adheres to thi s new mode l, then it appears that hi s new experi ence can be theologized as an ' 'infilling of the Holy Spirit," and incorporated into our biblical unde rstanding of the doctrine of sanctificati on. N ot a ll c hari smati cs, ho wever, a re concerned to re main integrated with their fa miliar churc h liturgy, po lity, and theology. Some in sist upon making an absolute of the ir new fo und cha ri sm and demand it of a ll other C hristi ans as the sin e qua non of being baptized with the H oly Spirit. Some make so much of their new expe ri ence that they assume, a ll too hastil y in many in stances, that they were not C hristians at a ll before the experi ence and inadvi sedl y have themselv es re-baptized . Carri ed away by their own enthusiasm and zeal, they separate themselves from previous C hristian association a nd fellowship under the persuasion that they a re call ed to hi gher things. And when " preferring o ne another in honour" gives way to a spiri t of controversy, milita nc y, and rupture, then we mu st conclude, albeit re lu cta ntl y, that it may be best to agree to di sagree and go our separate ways. At present, however, N eo-Pentecosta li sm is so a morphous and free-wheeling that it defi es description and most sure ly does not possess anything like a normative theology. T hi s may be due to its recent developme nt , its subjectivity, and considerabl e div e rs ity o f expressio n . A n yo ne who assumes tha t he unde rst a nds Neo­ Pentecostali sm will be quickly di sabused of hi s a rrogance by reading a little of Walter J . H oll enweger's 572-page handbook on The Pentecostals. 3 S in ce it is a move ment, howe ver, or better still , a spirituality, and still lac king an adequate ly articul ated theology, opportunities for fruitful di scussion a nd study are still with us. If willing, churches and chari smati cs in our own theological tradition have before them a n opportunity to di scuss and study together thi s new spirituality, and to explore together its place in the framework of Reformed thought. If thi s does not take place, chari sma­ ti cs w ill have no alternative but to resort to theologizing their experience in terms of

49 older, traditional Pentecostalis m, and this will be regrettable . O ne of the spokesmen fo r chari smati cs in the Roma n Catho li c C hurch, Kili an McDonnell , sees the situati on this way: One of the major proble ms of the charismati c moveme nt has been a lack of critical exegeti cal litera ture. There has been much use of Scripture, and much populari zing with vari ous appeals to Scripture , but little seri ous exegeti cal study. C hari smati cs in the hi stori c churc hes have taken too unc riti call y the exegesis and theology of cl assical Pentecostali sm. Classi­ cal Pentecostali sm has its areas of strength- evange li sm, to mention onl y one-from which the hi stori c churches mi ght learn . But it would be a grave mi stake to take over classical Pentecostal exegesis without a careful examinati on. 4 T his " grave mi stake" which Kili an McD onnell depl ores is being avoided in some circles. Theologians in the various traditions are at work seeking to explore the biblical and theological groundings avail abl e fo r intei·preting thi s new spirituality . T wo or three outstanding Pentecostal theologians are also busy seeking to furnish the c hari s­ mati c movement with a definite theology. These me n are Walter J . H oll enweger, a former Pentecostal and presently serving as one of th e secreta ri es of the World Counc il of C hurc hes; Arnold Bittlinge r, a Lutheran and Professor of syste mati c theology in Schloss Craheim , Germany ; and D avid J. de Pl essis, who for many years has been the we ll -known roving ambassador of Pentecostali sm. If these men a re able to exe rcise any appreciable influence, chari smati c theology will ta ke on an identity and structure quite different from that of traditional Pentecostali sm. Sister Josephine Massingbe rd Ford of the theology departme nt in Notre Dame University, along with McDonnell a nd others, is devoting considerable time and writing to providing Roman Catholic charismatics with a theology that will e nabl e them to incorporate their expe ri ence into the broad framework of Catholic tradition. 5 A Special Committee on th e Work of the Holy Spirit, appointed by the G eneral Assembly of the United Presbyteri an Church in the United States of Ameri ca, brought in a report in 1970 whi ch was likewi se constructive and positive. Much of this theological activity is viewed with suspi cion by oldline Pent ecostals and , in some in stances, with outright opposition. In our own Reformed Church in America tradition, th ere has appeared to date no indication from our theologians how they would conceptuali ze " speaking in tongues" within the broad framework of Reformed theology. Since no encouragement has been giv en that there exists even the possibility of incorporating this experience within our doctrinal categories, most chari smatics among us become either extremely defensive and separati st or extremely apologetic and intimidated , and in both in stances they are resorting to traditional Pentecostal theology for assistance. In the face of this situation, there appear to be two tas ks which need to be pursued with vigor and courage, one negative, the othe r positive. The positive task will require from us a position on the reality and validity of " spiritual gifts" in the church today, and then some clear indication on how and why the y can or cannot be interpreted and incorporated into our particular theological tradition. With customa ry generosity, I would like to nominate my faculty colleagues for giving some leadership to the pursuit

50 of this task. Before this can be done, a negative task must precede it or be underta ken concurrently , that of clearing away diffi culties and mi sconceptions of th e subject which are a ri si ng from th e resort to the exegesis and theology of old-line Pe ntecos­ ta li sm. My task this morning I conceive to be the latter-clearing away some current exegeti cal mi sconceptions with regard to spiritual gifts, by setting the m in th e li ght of other ways of interpreting and reading the New Testament.

Let us begin with the nature of the Pentecost event itself of Acts, chapter two, and the relationship between the Acts account and the Pauline materials on charismatic gifts. One is constantly dismayed to find expressions and phrases being regularl y shuffled back and forth between these two literatures, despite the fact that they a re writte n by different authors with their own theologies. Bent on harmonizing them, some resort to adjusting the Book of Acts to the Corinthian letters, and others Corinthia ns to the Acts. Few seem to be aware that the promine nt te rms for spiritual gifts, charismata, pneumatika, are restrictedly Pauline and do not occur at all in the Book of Acts, not even once. And not all are aware that the phrase "baptism with the Holy Spirit" is a phrase from the gospels which occurs twice in the Book of Acts, but that it is hardly a Pauline one. While the interrelationships of Acts and the Corinthian letters are easily a study in themselves, let me content myself with two observations. The first is that the Pentecost description of Acts, chapter two, and Paul's di scussion of spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12-14 are two accounts of related but different phenomena. Those who read the Book of Acts in the framework of older Pentecos­ tali sm readily assume that what happend then is an obligatory model for us today. They insist on the repeatability of what is termed "the baptism of the Holy Spirit" as a post-conversion experience, the initial evidence of which is "speaking in tongues," and all of this based on data from the Book of Acts. We can by-pass, for the present, differences among charismatics today with respect to some of these ite ms, but hardly the assumption that what took pl ace then must happen now in any pl ace or time. Too much is built subsequently on thi s assumption-that there are two kinds of Christians, those who have " the baptism with the Spirit" and those who do not; that there are two kinds of churches, those which are full -gospel churches, and those which a re still located somewhere between Easter and Pentecost, living behind closed doors, know­ ing that Jesus died and rose again, but knowing nothing of the reality of Holy Spirit baptism. Outside of establishment Pentecostali sm, few C hristi a ns read Acts, chapter two, in this fas hion. Moreover, the assumption that everything that happened then must happen now is altogether unwarranted. Eve rything in the Bible is authoritativ e, but not all is normative. Some things happened then which ought not to have hap­ pened, and other things happened once and were never meant to happen again. The latter is th e case with the Pentecost-event. The author of Acts him self understood the event eschatologically, something that happened once a nd once-for-all. Speaking of Luke's theology at this point, Hans Conzelm ann says, " in the quotation from Joel in the story of Pentecost (Acts 2: I ?ff.), the Spirit is thought of as.a sign of the End .' ' 6 The 5 1 quotation, as you recall , reads: T hi s is what was spoken by the prophet Joel : And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my S pirit upon all fle sh ... (Joel 2:28-32). Not only Joel but other Old Testament prophets present the activity of the Holy Spirit primarily in terms of an expected future time when the Spirit would be the key presence and power in three relationships. He is presented first in relationship to the messiah , empowering a nd equipping him fo r hi s messiani c task. At Isaiah 11 :2 , a seven-fold blessing of the Spirit is granted the coming king of peace, and at Isaiah 6 1 we read: T he Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me a nd sent me to preach good tidings to the meek ; to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclai m liberty to the captives, and release to prison­ ers, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of the salvati on of our God (Isa. 6 1:1 ,2). Another prophetic association of the Holy Spirit in the future is with the people of God (Isa. 32: 15- 17; 44 :3), and especially in Ezekiel the refrain occurs repeatedly , "And I will put my spirit within you and you shall li ve" (Ezek. 36:27; 37: 14 ; 39:29). Another relationship is with renewed nature and the world , and with special manifesta­ tions and signs of wind a nd fire as me ntioned by the prophet Joel (2:28ff.). Many years ago Geerhardus Vos reminded us that in the Old Testame nt and the N ew, to say Holy Spirit is to say eschatology. 7 Messiah, the messiah 's people, the world, these are the associations which mu st come to mind when we read Peter's sermo n on Pentecost in Acts, chapter two. "Thi s is that which was spoken by the prophet Joe l" (2 : 16) . Therefore it is significant th at John the Baptist introduces the messiah Jesus with the repeated witness, " I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark I :8; John I :33) . Matthew a nd L uke read " Holy Spirit a nd fire " (Matt. 3: 11 ; Luke 3: 16) . T herefore it is signifi cant when Jesus himself is baptized at the rive r Jordan that th e Holy Spirit comes upon him and re ma in s with him (Matt. 3: 16f. ; Mark 1:10- 11; Luke 3:2 1-22; John 1:3 2-34). Therefore it is signifi cant at Pentecost, when th e Holy Spirit is poured out upon the assembled church, th at Peter says, "Thi s Jesus Goel raised up, and of th at we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the ri ght hand of God, and having receiv ed from th e Fath e rthe promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear" (Acts 2:32f.). Jesus is the author and giv er of the Spirit, and you will observe from thi s point forward that the N ew Testament is constantly sensitive to this truth and speaks of the Spirit as the Spirit of C hrist. It is the coming of the Messia h and the coming of the Holy Spirit that in Luke's theology close out the old age and inaugurate the new age and the new covenant. And once introduced, they do not need to be introduced again. The "baptism of the Spirit" does not refer to a salv ation-hi story event th at is as unrepeatable as the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, or ascension of Jesus. And when so interpreted, the heavy symboli sm of th e Pentecost narrative begins to make eminently good sense. The symbolism has a strong J ewish coloring which has always captured the attention of

52 readers.8 T he fest iv a l itself, of course, was J ewi sh. T he features of wind; fire, a nd to ngues were precisely those of O ld Testa me nt predictio n. A nd when Pete r begin s hi s sermon, it is with the words: "You me n of Judea a nd all that no w a re living in J e ru salem" (Acts 2: 14). T he closing out of o ne age a nd the beginning of a new age was familia r language to a people Jo ng conditioned in a doctrine of the two ages. At the same time, the sign-c ha racte r of the event did shi ft atte ntio n to the dif.fe rentia of the new age, that God's cove na nt a nd grace were being ope ned to a ll the world, a nd that the mi ssio n of the c hurc h is to proclaim G od' s might y deeds in the world's languages. 0 Speaking in othe r to ngues (lalein heterais g/ossais) alo ng with the othe r associated phe nome na of Pe ntecost we re not the conte nt of the e ve nt but s igns po inting to the fulfillme nt of what had been promised. T hat by " othe r to ngues" L uke means foreign la nguages in w hi c h the gospel is to be preached seems fa irl y o bvio us from the na rra­ ti ve. Luke stresses a two-fold a mazeme nt by those who heard this s peaking . F irst, the y we re a mazed to hear spo ke n the ir own native la nguages (lei idiai dia /ektoi [2:6,8)) witho ut a ny need ofan interprete r. And in the second pl ace, they we re a mazed to hear Galilean Je ws s peaking these la ng uages. Because of the fore ign la nguage e mphasis in the narra tive, some scho la rs have seen here a counter e ve nt to the Genesis story of the scrambling languages at Ba bel, but this need not de tain us now. Whe n we turn to I Corinthia ns 12- 14, we confro nt a related but quite different reality. G lossola li a in Corinth has some we ll -defined c haracte ri stics. Speaking in to ngues is but o ne of ma ny spiritual gifts present in the Corinthian churc h . A ll the gift s are e ndowme nts bestowed for the e nric hment a nd edification of the bod y of C hrist. G lossolalia is not immediately unde rstood eithe r by speake r o r hearers, a nd necessary to the use of the gift in public worship is still a nother gift, that of inte rpreta tion of to ngues. Unless an inte rprete r is present, Pa ul cautio ns again st a ll o wing the exercise of the gift in community worship. A t C orinth, tongues a ppear to be basically a pe rsonal, individua l expe ri e nce ( 14 :4) , o ne in whi c h the speake r edifies himself ( 14 :4), a nd the refore, from the sta ndpoint of the C hristia n community, it is of Jess importa nce tha n prophecy whic h is immediately intelligible. These two accounts, the n , Acts a nd I Corinthia ns 12- 14 , should not be hastily ha rmo ni zed . The na ture, purpose, a nd func­ ti on of to ngues va ry in the books a nd theologies of Luke and Paul. 10 T here has alread y e me rged in o ur discussion a second exegetical mi sconception, a nd that rela tes to the precise nature a nd defini tion of glossola li a. Wha t does it mean to speak in tongues (lalein g/ossais )? A nd like wi se, what is meant by such terms as "spiritual gifts" (charism ata, pneumatika)? Some real, in-depth study of N ew T esta­ me nt te rmino logy ma kes one reali ze tha t answe rs he re a re tentativ e a nd uncertain . For glossola li a alo ne, scho la rs have come up with such dive rse proposals as real, exta nt -~-+angtrages, 11 as di alects of kno wn la nguages, 12 as oracul a r utterance needing ~ r e t a ti o y ' 3 as a ;:'ecitatiOilOf Scr~e, 14 as a _o r~ of _praye r , 15 as song, as ~ g ibb e ri s h , 16 as heavenl y or paradisical speech. 17 T he N e w E ngli sh Bible, with either in c r e dibl ~ · nee or a mazing courage, translates tongues (hai glosscii) consis­ te ntly ~~1li Ulterance._' '8 A nd this inability to agree o n the precise natur.e of wha t Pa ts talking a ou 1s· as c haracteri stic of c ha ri s ma tics as of professional schola rs. It is a little e mba rrassing, the refore, to consent to the confide nce of those

53 who c laim that th e charismatic activity going on today is exactly th at which is reported in the New Testament. F urthermore, it is not always observed that the terms charismata and pneumatika are not exact synonyms in Paul.'" T hi s should be clear from Romans I: I I where Paul makes pneumatikon ·modify charisma, and says he " wants to conie to Rome in order to impa rt some spiritua l c harisma." Charisma (cha rismata) stands fo r some concrete expression or reali zation of divine grace (Rom. 12:6; I Cor. I :7 ; 7:7; 12:4, 28-3 1) , and is so broad a term that it embraces every kind of divine grace from God 's saving grace in .C hrist to partic ul ar gifts granted C hristian believers (I Cor. 12:4). While it is used most frequently for the gift of healing (I Cor. 12:9, 28, 30, 3 1), Paul uses it also for sexual continence and says," I wish that a ll were as I myself am. But each one has his own special gift from God, one of o ne kind and one of another" (I Cor. 7:7). T he word pneumatikon, on the other hand, appears to be restri cted to gifts of inspired perception or speech and their interpretatio n (I Cor. 12: 1-4; 14: I ff.). In a careful study of "Spiritual Gifts in the Pauline community," E. Earl e Elli s has shown convincingly that the spiritual gifts mentioned in I Corinthians 14 are almost always in some form connected with inspired speech or prophecy. 20 Pneumatics pray a nd sing in tongues, they prophesy, they interpret these forms of Speech and discern the origin of it (l Cor. 14 :29, 30-3 1) . Therefore, i:harismata and pneumatika are not synonymous and this misunde rstanding should be corrected. In the li ght of this di stinction, it is unfortunate that the word chai·ismatic has gained such currency in our time, because pneumatic would be far more accurate, biblically speaking. But we continue now with the point that we should not be so certain that we know precisely the character and nature of this pneumatic activity in the Corinthian church community. T here is consiqerable elasti c.ity in the conception of the prophet and of his activity. Here, both in Luke and in Paul, the prophet engages in prediction (Acts 11 :28; 20:23; 25:22), pronouncement of divine judgment (Acts 13: 11 ; 28:25-28), exhortation (I Cor. 14:2; Acts 15:32), interpretation of Scripture (Acts 2: 14-36; 6:9- 11; 8:30-35; ·18 :24-28), teaching (Acts 13: 16-34), and receiving of divine revelation (I Cor. 14 :30-3 1). This means that the work of the prophet overlaps with that of the apostle, teacher, exhorter, and elder. 21 When it comes to suc h othei· gifts as " the utterance of wisdom," and the " utterance of knowledge" (l Cor. 14 :8), present-day chari smati cs as well as New Tesiament scholars exhibit considerable diversity of definition. Some of the gifts are immediately 'understandable, such as healing, teaching, working of miracles, administration, and such; but others are not as easily defined. In the face of this data, it is surely wise to urge some caution against too facile an identification of present-day charismatic a.ctivity with that of New Testament times. A third misunderstanding which we do well to c larify is the strange idea that spiritual gifts are only extraordinary in characte1' and exercised only by a spi1;itual elite in the c hurches. An examination of Paul's letters reveals that they contain four different li sts of gifts. Nine gifts are mentioned at l Corinthians 12:6-8, and eight gifts reappear later at verse 28. Tongues and the interpretation oftorigues are li sted in b.oth passages of c hapter 12. At Romans 12:6-8, seven gifts are mentioned and at Ephesians 4: 11 five are li sted , and in neither passage do· tongues or interpretation of tongues

54 occur. A total of twenty gifts appear in tbe four li sts and characteri ze three great c hurches of the N ew Testament time . Moreover, the di stribution and vari ety of the gifts is most instructiv e. N ot a ll the c hurc hes share in a ll the gifts. In eve ry li st , howeve r, some gifts are extraordina ry whil e others are quite ordinary, suc h as teach­ ing, generous giving, or deeds of mercy. T he author of the di ffe rence is the Holy Spirit who "distribut es to each as he will s for the common good" (I Cor. 12 :7). T he S pirit's distribution in Corinth , howeve r, was not sati sfa ctory to th e community. T he more sensati onal, showy gifts were in greater demand th an oth ers. T hat glo ssola li a was out of ha nd in Corinth is suggested by the deta il and length of Paul 's di scussion a nd hi s quite direct approach in counseling. T he counsel which he gave in the situati on was firm but unde rsta nding. H e refused to forbid tongues (I Cor. 14 :39). H e urged hi s readers to "earnestl y desire spiritual gifts" (I Cor. 12:3 1; 14 : 1) , and claimed that he was himself no novi ce in speaking in tongues ( 14 : 18). Yet he did not hesitate to bring the exercise of thi s gift under regul ation , and in the course of this procedure he did not hesitate to rank all spiritual gifts in a hi erarc hy of importance, leaving tongues and their inte rpretati o n at th e bottom of the li st. T he basis of hi s evaluation was that of be nefit to the C hristi an community. To each is given the manifestati on of the Spirit fo r the commo n good (I Cor. 12:8). Let all things be done for edification (I Cor. 14 :26). All things should be done decently and in .orde r (I Cor. 14 :40). It is the princ iple of edification that moved Paul to give higher marks to prophecy than either to tongues or to the interpretati on of tongues, and to counsel restraint in th e exercises of these gifts in public worship. I gath er that Paul himself exe rcised these gifts frequentl y in private, otherwise I find it diffi cult to understand hi s word, " I thank God that I speak in tongues more(ma./lon p an ton human) th an yo·u all " (I Cor. 14: 18). It is worth observing also that Paul took occasion tq warn the·Corinthian community that what does not hold the head will not long hold th e heart. Assuming as I do, that tongues in th e church there was a form of S pirit-prompted prayer and praise, it should be noted th at Paul did not commend such prayer as being in any way preferable or supe rior to prayer with the mind. Larry C hristenson, one of the talent_ed contemporary cha ri smati cs among the Lutherans, says this: An utterance in tongues comes upward from the depths, but instead of being channeled through the· mind, it by-passes the mind a nd flows di­ rectly to God in a stream of Spirit-pro mpte d pra ye r, praise and th anksgiving. 22 T he Apostl e Paul , on the other hand, refused to place mind and spirit in antithesis, but said , . If I pray in a to ngue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with the t> pi rit and l will pray with the mind also (I Cor. 14: 14- 15). . . A nd then he added, ' ' I thank God that I speak in tongues more tha n you all ; neve1;the- less in church I would rather speak fiv e words with my mind , in orde r to. in struct ·othe rs, than ten thousand words in a tongue" (I Cor. 14: 18-1 9). (Incidenta ll y, it is at 55 this point that I would like to in vite th e re fl ection of my co ll eagues in hi stori cal and syste mati c theology, because I see lurking here the possibility of a bad constructi o n of the relati o nship between nature a nd grace.) Having made these remarks, it is import ant to add, however, that Paul's attitude towa rd spiritual gifts in the Corinthian situati on is positive. While nowhere does he encourage the strange idea that every C hristi an sho uld speak in tongues, nevertheless hi s aim was to regul ate, not e li minate the c hari sm of tongues. O n the othe r hand , Paul is decid edl y negati ve to any idea that beli evers with spiritua l gifts are a superi or breed . On occasion , Paul can di stingui s h between a spiritual a nd a carnal C hristia n (I Cor. 3: I, 3, 4), but ne ver in terms that would suggest that one is Spirit-bap­ ti zed and the othe r not. What Paul does say is, "For with one Spirit we were a ll baptized into one body-J ews a nd G reeks, slave or free-and a ll we re made to drink ofone Spirit" (l Cor. 12: 13). O r again , "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of C hri st does not belong to him " (Rom. 8:9). What Paul is saying here is clear: if you are in C hri st you a re in the Spirit, and you have been a nd are Spirit-baptized . In fa ct, " the bapti sm of the Spirit" is a most unfo rtunate ph rase to use fo r a post-conversion, second bl essing of the Spirit. In both Luke-Acts and Paul , eve ry C hri sti an is a chari smati c, and every be li ever has hi s or her chari sm or more than one (I Cor. 12:7; 7:7; 12: 4, 9, 28, 30, 3 1). G ifts are in no way essential to salv ati on, and gifts do not ma ke us in any way bette r tha n other C hristi ans. A nd nowhere are we encouraged to entertain the idea that all should speak in tongues in orde r to de monstrate their spirituality. Are a ll apostl es? A re all prophets? Are a ll teachers? Do a ll work mira­ c les? Do a ll possess gifts of healing? Do a ll speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (I Cor. 12:29-30). As students of the G reek T estament kn o w, Paul phrases these questions in such a manner that the clearly-expected answer is " N o." T herefore, if anyone among us as a Spirit-baptized, Spirit-led C hri sti an is persuaded that tongues are not for him o r her, and that the Holy Spirit is working in hi s li fe in other ways, the n there is nothing in .the N ew Testament that says you a re less a C hristian than your c hari smati c neighbor. On the othe r hand , your neighbor's decision to seek the gift and to exe rcise it is a decision to be equally respected . Paul has a word at thi s point which should appear more freque ntly than it does in our preaching and teaching. It is hi s word at E phesians 5: 18: D o not get drunk with wine, but be constantly , da il y, fill ed and refill ed with the Spirit" (plerousth e en pneumati). While a believer who truly commits him self to C hrist receives the Ho ly Spirit into hi s life, and while it is axi omati c in the New T estament that one cannot be a C hristian without the Holy Spirit, the re is a consta nt need to be fill ed a nd refill ed with the Spirit. At Galatia ns 5:25 Paul writes, " lfwe liv e by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. " There is no experi ence or possession of the· Holy Spirit that ma kes the be li ever autonomous or self-suffi cient , that sets him up in bu siness for life . The heart of the N ew T estament theology of the Spirit is ma n's lack of self-sufficienc y and hi s need to be constantl y renewing hi s life in faith , gratitude, and love. A nd it will not do to major

56 on the Spirit's gift s and by-pass the fruit of the Spirit, described by Paul in Galati ans 5: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffe ring, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekn ess, self-control ; again st these there is no law (vv . 22-23) . Here the word fo r fruit or harvest(karpos) is in the singul ar, and the significance is that the full fruit of the S pirit is for e ve ry C hri stia n . The words fo r gifts (c harismata-pne11111atika) are plural , because they are not designed for possession by any one individual or church. The gifts contribute to the benefit of the community when wi sely exercised, but the fruit of the Spirit is essential to salvation. Paul can write to th e church at Thessalonica, " This is the will of God, your sanctifi cation " (l Thess. 4:3). And J esus said , " He who abides in me and l in him , he it is that bears much fruit " (John 15 :5). Without the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts will wither and di e a way. l beli eve it would be helpful in our churches today if the re were more explicit preaching and teaching on the origin , nature, a nd progress of the C hristi an life, and greater emphasis upon the Pauline truth that in C hrist we have the fullness of blessing that some are mi sta kenl y seeking beyond C hrist. This last remark leads me to mention one more area of mi sunderstanding in so muc h of present-day di scussion about c harismatic renewa l, and to suggest that it likewise deserves our probing and study. It has to do with a tendency I observe in mu ch contemporary speaking and writing to pull apart C hri st and the Spirit, to set over again st each ot her water-ba ptism and spirit-baptism, and consequently to encourage the idea that there are two or three we ll -defin ed stages in the C hri stian life or eve n di stinct systems of salvation.Not a ll chari smati cs are fo ste ring this mi sunde rstanding. F or example, C hristi an Krust, commenting on a confession of faith drawn up by the MLillheim Association of C hristi an Fellowship in Germany has said : The attempt to present the baptism of the Spirit as a second spiritual experi e nce, to be fundamenta lly di stingui shed from rebirth, has no basis in Scripture. 23 Other cha ri smatics, however, a re much more apt to settle for the more common Pentecostal position which can be illustrated by what Ra lph M. Riggs says regarding the experi ence of Spirit-baptism: It is as di stinct from conversion as the Holy Spirit is di stinct from C hrist. (The Spirit's) coming to the be li eve r at the baptism is the coming of the Third Person of the Trinity, in addition to the coming of C hrist, which takes pl ace at conve rsion. 2 4 T he·suggestion th at there is something more for the beli ever in the Holy Spirit than he already has in J esus C hri st meets with solid oppositi on in the N ew T estame nt. To the di ssatisfi ed G alatians who wanted to supplement faith in C hri st with something more, Paul wrote, " If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us al so walk" (5 :25).faul did not comma nd th em to seek a second blessing or a third or even a new ba ptism of the Spirit, but reminded them that th ey had received the Spirit when they first be li eved, and now they should walk by the Spirit in whom and by whom they had come thus fa r. T o .the di ssati sfi ed C olossians who wanted something more mysti cal tha n simple faith union with C hri st, Paul .wrote :

57 In him (Christ) dwells a ll the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in him you are madefi1//-complete (2 :9- 10) . Having been made full or complete in Christ, what more could they want? T he only fulness there is-the whole fu lness of God (Pan to pleroma tes theotetos somatikos) is already located io C hri st, a nd believers who are in C hrist a re in him in whom a ll the fulness dwells, a nd therefore to suggest that believers should seek something more outside of Christ was the heresy that threatened the church at Colossae. The New Testament never e ncourages the subordination of Chri st to the Holy Spirit or suggests that they are set in a ntithesis to each other. Now here is the re lationship between Holy Spirit, C hrist, and C hurch set forth with greater cla rity than in the Gospel of John. There, the glory of Jesus, which is hi s self-giving love at the Cross, is the necessary prelude to the giving of the Spirit, because it is to be the whole work of the Holy Spirit to effect the realization of C hrist's glory in hi s people. In this gospel, Jesus teaches that the Spirit has no othertask tha n to witness to him (14:26), to glorify him ( 14 : 14) , to take up his work as revealer of truth ( 16: 13) and giver of life (7:37-39). The Holy Spirit has no name, no purpose, no work, which is independent of the person, word, and work of Jesus. When the Spirit of truth comes, he wil I guide you into a ll truth; for he wi II not speak on hi s pwn authority, but whatever he hea rs he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you (16: 12- 16).

As over against J esus C hri st, the Holy Spirit is self-effacing and self-sacrificing. His subjective work in the believer is not a repetition in us of the objective work of C hrist, but rather a work of identifying us with the work C hrist has done for us . And if it be thought that this may be peculiar to Johannine theology, let me assure you that it appears just as forcibly in Pauline thought. Paul attributes the same soteric activity equally to C hrist and the Spirit. Believers a re said to be justified " in C hrist" (Gal. 2: 17) and "in the Spirit" (I Cor. 6: 11) , consecra ted "in C hrist" (I Cor. I :2) and in "the Spirit" (Eph. 4:30). Believers are sealed (Eph. I: 13 ; 4:30), righteous (I Cor. 6: 11; Phil. 3:8, 9; Rom. 14: 17) in both. Believers have in both their life (Eph. 2: I ; Col. 3:4; Rom. 8: 11) , their joy (Phil. 4:4; Rom. 14 : 17), their hope (I Cor. 15: 19 ; Rom. 5 :5; Gal. 6:8), their fellowship (I. Cor. I :9; II Cor. 13 : 14). The person and work of the Holy Spirit is the life bond between C hrist a nd believer in every respect. He is the one whom John V . Taylor c haracterizes as "the invisible go-between God" the effect of whose coming is-communication, awareness. 24 This is why neither Luke nor Paul can conceive ofa C hristian apart from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled, Spirit-possessed life always has this character-an incomparable awareness of Jesus C hrist. There is in the New Testament no experiencing or honoring of the Spirit that is not at o·ne and the same time an experiencing and honoring of C hrist. One can have as much of the Holy Spirit as he has of C hrist, a nd of C hrist as he has of God. The seeking of experience for experience's sake, even the experience of the Holy Spirit, is unbiblical, irreligious. If the character of the Holy Spirit is his self-effacing,

58 self-sacrificing for the sake of Christ, perhaps we should recognize the Holy Spirit in action in the caring and sharing of Christ's people, in the fellowship of the forgiven and forgiving church, where Christ alone is given the pre-eminence because such is the task and testimony of the Spirit.

' Erlin g Jorstad, The Holy Spirit in Today's Church: A Handbook of the New Pentecostalism, New York: Abingdon, 1973, pp. 16ff. 2 Ibid., pp. 22-23. 3 Walter J. Hollenweger, The Pentecostals, London: SCM Press, 1972. • See the Int roduction to Gifts and Ministries by Arnold Bittlinger, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973 . 5 Josephine Massingberd Ford, "Towards a Theology of 'Speaking in Tongues,' " Theological Studies (March 1971) pp. 3-29. 6 Hans Conzelmann, The Theology of St. Luke, London: Faber and Faber, 1960, p. 95. 7 Geerhardus Vos, "The Eschatological Aspect of the Pauline Conception of the Spirit," Biblical and Theological Studies, New York: Scribner's, 1912, 211f.; Ned Stonehouse, "Repentance, Baptism and the Gift oftbe Holy Spirit," Paul Before the Areopagus and Other New Testament Studies, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957, .P· 75. See also an earlier essay of mine, "Eschatology and the Holy Spirit," Reformed Review (December 1965) pp. 3-12. 8 Merill F. Unger, The New Testament Teaching 011 Tongues, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1971, and also artic les in Bibliotheca Sacrn, p. 120 (1963). • The connection between Pentecost and the world mission of the church was the subject of Harry Boer' s thesis, Pentecost and the Missionary Witness of the Church, Franeker: T. Wever, 1955. See also his further use of the theme in Pentecost and Missions, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964. 10 Bastiaan Van Elderen, "Glossolali a in the New Testament," Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society 7 (Spring 1964) 53-58; and Arthur C. Piepkorn, "Charisma in the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers," Concordia Theological Monthly, 42 (June 1971), pp. 369-389. 11 J. G. Davies, " Pentecost and Glossolali a" Journal of Theological Studies, 17 (1966), pp. 299-307. See also B. Van Elderen, op cit. 12 H. E. Edwards, "The 'Tongues' at Pentecost, a Suggestion," Theology 16 (1928), pp. 248-52. 13 Dale Moody, "Charismatic and Official Ministries, A Study of the New Testament Concept," Interpreta­ tion 19 (1965) 274-94; S. D. Cu rrie, " 'Speaking in Tongues': Early Evidence Outside the New Testament Bearing on 'Glossais Lalein,' " Interpretation 19 (1965), pp. 274-294. "C. J. Sirks, "The Cinderell a of Theology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit,'' Harvard Theological Review 50 (1957), pp. 77-89; R. 0. P. Taylor, "The Tongues at Pentecost", Expository Times 40 (1928-29), pp. 300-303. "'Larry Christenson, Speaking in Tongues, Minneapolis: Dimension Books, 1968, pp. 27, 28. 16 I. J. Martin, "Glossolalia in the Apostolic Church", Journal of Biblical Liternture 63 (1944), pp. 123-130; W. S. Thompson, " Tongues at Pentecost, Acts 2", Expository Times 38 (1926-27), pp. 284-286. 17 Abraham Kuyper, The Work of the Holy Spirit, New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1906. '" Robert H. Gundry, "Ecstatic Utterance" (NEB), Journal of Theological Studies, 17 (1%6), pp. 299-307. 19 E. Earle Ellis," 'Spiritual Gifts' in the Pauline Community ,'' New Testament Studies, 20 (January 1974) 128-144; Hans Conzelmann, "Charisma" in Kittel's Theological Dictionwy of the New Testament, ed. by G. Friedrich, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974, IX, 436f. , and likewise "Pneumatiko s" by Ed. Schweizer, Ibid. , VI , 1968, pp. 396ff. 20 E. Earle Ellis, ibid. , pp. 128-144. 21 E. Earle Ellis, "The Role of the Christian Prophet in Acts," Apostolic History and the Gospel: Biblical and Historical Essays presented to F. F. Bruce on his 60th birthday, ed. by W. Ward Gasque and Ralph P. Martin, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970 , 55-67 , and his companion studies, "Christ and the Spirit in I Corinthians," Christ and the Spirit in the New Testament, Studies in honour of C. F. D. Moule, ed. by B. Lindars & S. S. Smalley, Cambridge University Press, 1973, pp. 269-277; and "Paul and His Co­ workers", New Testament Studies, 17 (1970-71), pp. 437-452 . 22 Op. cit., p. 73. 23 Cf., Hollenweger, The Pentecostals, p. 236. 24 Ralph M. Riggs , The Spirit Himself, Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1974, pp. 79-80. 25 John V. Taylor, The Go-Between God, The Holy Spirit and the Christian Mission, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1972, pp. 17ff.

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