Viii Was Montanism a Heresy?

THE STORY OFOFOFPENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS PROF. M.M.NINAN MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS Prof.M.M.Ninan Normal , IL 61761 March 2017 THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS CONTENTS FOREWORD I INTRODUCTION 2 II THE CULT OF CYBELE 5 III HISTORY OF MONTANISM 12 IV TEACHINGS OF MONTANISM 25 V TESTS OF A PROPHET 37 VII CHURCH HISTORY EUSEBIUS PAMPHILIUS 51 VIII WAS MONTANISM A HERESY? 57 IX MONTANISM BY PHILIP SCHAFF 61 X GLOSALALIA FROM FIRST CENTURY TILL 19TH CENTURY 67 XI REVIVAL OF NEW PROPHETIC MOVEMENT THE FIRST WAVE: THE CLASSICAL PENTECOSTALS 76 XII REVIVAL OF NEW PROPHETIC MOVEMENT THE SECOND WAVE: THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT 115 XIII REVIVAL OF NEW PROPHETIC MOVEMENT THIRD WAVE:THE SIGNS AND WONDERS 135 XIV THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRIT POSSESSION 150 THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS FOREWORD I started this study on Montanus as part of the studies on early heresies. To my surprise it turned out to be study on the development of the waves of movement of the Holy Spirit through history. When the unexpected happens, often we are lost. Yet who are we to judge the Holy Spirit? How do we know whether these strange behavior of people and strange unbelievable claims of miracles are from God or from the devil. This was the problem through the ages. In the case of Montanus, the church could not not make up its mind for a long time and finally denounced the movement. Probably it was too soon too early. But it came as a series of bursts in the 19 th century onward. Still the reaction is the same. There are some who claim that it is from the Devil itself while others do feel that it is from God. As Wesley put it, our only tests are “the Law and the Testament”. “By their fruits you will know them”. One thing is certain, the Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movements are here to stay. How about the third wave? Judge for yourself. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” 1 John 4:1-2 "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. "The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people. "The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise” Isaiah 43 19-21 Prof.M.M.Ninan Normal, IL 2017 MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC AND THE THIRD WAVE MOVEMENTS IS THIS HERESY? M.M.NINAN 1 MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC AND THE THIRD WAVE MOVEMENTS IS THIS HERESY? M.M.NINAN MONTANISM I INTRODUCTION The Circumcisers (1st Century) The Circumcision heresy may have been the first heresy in the history of Christianity which may be summed up in the words of Acts 15:1: "But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’" Many of the early Christians were Jews, who brought to the Christian faith many of their former practices. The first Christians obviously came from Jews. It was considered as a cult within Judaism. They recognized in Jesus the Messiah predicted by the prophets and the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Circumcision was the sign of being within the community of covenant which started with Abraham and so it was necessary to have it to start with. It was like the tribal marks which are still practiced in the South Sudan and South Africa. These marks were necessary to protect the tribal members in the case of constant warfare between the tribes. In the spiritual warfare these signs can be hidden visually. So was the circumcision. Early Christian believed that many thought it would also be required for membership in the New Covenant that Christ brought in since it was 2 MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC AND THE THIRD WAVE MOVEMENTS IS THIS HERESY? M.M.NINAN the fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise. They believed one must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic law to come to Christ. In other words, one had to become a Jew to become a Christian. But God made it clear to Peter in Acts 10 that Gentiles are acceptable to God and the new covenant symbol is no more circumcision but water baptism - again a more invisible tribal mark. Since it was open to the gentiles also one may be baptized and become Christians without circumcision. Baptism left no mark and was simply a ritual of becoming a disciple wherby the life of the disciple becomes a visible mark. Thus it is only the desire and commitment to study the teachings of Jesus and experience His power within oneself is what makes a Christian. Baptism came to be the symbol of setting apart and hence the initiation into Christianity. This was a new revelation through one person - Peter. Evidently in terms of the Judaism this was a heresy. Thus this defined a new religion. The same teaching was vigorously defended by Paul in his epistles to the Romans and the Galatians—to areas where the Circumcision heresy had spread. Peter put the seal of new religion called Christianity. Christianity was a heresy of Judaism. In the same way Islam was a going back to extreme Monotheism from Christianity - Mohammed was defining a new religion. Gnosticism (1st to 8th Centuries) "Matter is evil!" was the cry of the Gnostics. This idea was borrowed from certain Greek philosophers. It stood against Catholic teaching, not only because it contradicts Genesis 1:31 ("And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good") and other scriptures, but because it denies the Incarnation. If matter is evil, then Jesus Christ could not be true God and true man, for Christ is in no way evil. Thus many Gnostics denied the Incarnation, claiming that Christ only appeared to be a man, but that his humanity was an illusion. Some Gnostics, recognizing that the Old Testament taught that God created matter, claimed that the God of the Jews was an evil deity who was distinct from the New Testament God of Jesus Christ. They also proposed belief in many divine beings, known as "aeons," who mediated between man and the ultimate, unreachable God. The lowest of these aeons, the one who had contact with men, was supposed to be Jesus Christ. I have dealt with this movement in another book. 3 MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC AND THE THIRD WAVE MOVEMENTS IS THIS HERESY? M.M.NINAN Montanism (Late 2nd Century) The next heresy within Christianity was the movement known as Montanism. The exact origin of Montanus is still in dispute, though it is certain that it is within Phyrgia. The sources speak of three possible towns: Pepuza, Tymion and Ardabau. Eusebius of Caesarea, "the Father of Church History," (d. 339) tells us that Montanus was "a recent convert to the faith ... gave the adversary access to himself ... and began to speak and prophecy strange things" (Ecclesiastical History 5.16.7). He was probably a priest of the Cybele and was an idol worshiper. St. Jerome (Ep. ad Marcellam, vol. i. 186) uses the phrases “abscisum et semivirum ….Montanum (see W.H.C. Frend, “The Rise of Christianity (London 1984)) and suggest that Jerome may have thought Montanus was a priest of Cybele. Looking at his approach to the concept and person of the Holy Spirit, this may well have been true. He has carried his logical part of the past religion into the theology of Christianity which is what alienated the Church hierarchy. According to the Catholic New Advent Encyclopedia, this is perhaps a later invention intended to connect his ecstasies with the dervish-like behavior of the priests and devotees of the "great goddess". (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10521a.htm) His position within the Church itself was in question. He was probably a bishop or was he a lay member only? Looking at his influence within the community of Christian, he certainly was the head of that Church. Most probably he was indeed a bishop. 4 MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC AND THE THIRD WAVE MOVEMENTS IS THIS HERESY? M.M.NINAN II THE CULT OF CYBELE 5 MONTANUS THE STORY OF PENTECOSTAL, CHARISMATIC AND THE THIRD WAVE MOVEMENTS IS THIS HERESY? M.M.NINAN Roman coin with Cybele. The seated figure (reverse) represents Cybele with words mater deum. deum is a syncopated form of deorum, translating to "the mother of the gods", a common epithet for Cybele. The obverse is Julia Augusta, daughter of Caesar Augustus. Cybele was known as Magna Mater ("Great Mother"). A Roman name for this goddess was Mater Kubile, and sometimes also simply Magna Mater, meaning "Great Mother". Her full official Roman name was Mater Deum Magna Idaea (Great Idaean Mother of the Gods). Cybele, like the Ephesian Artemis and many other goddesses, was also venerated in the form of a black stone. Once this stone had been brought to Rome, both stone and goddess were worshiped in the Roman Empire until the 4th century CE. Agdos is another name for Cybele, when she takes the form of a rock.

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