Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Post Charismatic?

I really don't like all the post-this and post-that business, but I did venture to get Rob McAlpine's new book, Post-Charismatic?, which I started a couple of days ago.

In terms of the question of whether the gifts of the Spirit are around today, I'm an unashamed charismatic. The popular way of justifying the theory that the gifts vanished with the death of the last apostles is to eisegete into 1 Cor. 13:9-10, but the 'perfection' there named is not a biblical canon, at least not in Paul's mind. However, when it comes to charismatic culture, I often want little to do with it. And, if I am honest, I sometimes struggle with the tension this creates. Just recently a well meaning person tried to speak with 'prophetic authority' into my life, but to put it politely ... they didn't bless me. As my charismatic friends would say, the person apparently spoke 'from the flesh' (which is also a polite way of putting it – I thought of other ways, but alas that aspect of my creative urge is best left unpublished. Besides, they meant well).

To be honest, my understanding of what counts as 'prophecy' has changed somewhat. I would understand particularly socio-political theological engagement (e.g. aspects of liberation theology, and books like Colossians Remixed) to be sometimes profoundly prophetic, for me more so than the 'I had a picture but don't know what it means' variety. But through whatever manner God chooses to speak I want to be ready to hear (1 Thess. 5:20 'don't despise prophecies'; 1 Cor. 14:1 'Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy'). Hopefully this books will help me out on at least that front.

14 Comments:

At 5/07/2008 12:01 AM, Anonymous Nick Norelli said...

"In terms of the question of whether the gifts of the Spirit are around today, I'm an unashamed charismatic. [...] However, when it comes to charismatic culture, I often want little to do with it."

Amen brother, Amen!

 
At 5/07/2008 12:37 AM, Anonymous Jonathan Robinson said...

i tend to use the term 'lapsed-charismatic' to describe myself. Because i know that, despite my superior critical skills and Biblical knowledge, the passion and hunger for God that characterised my charismatic-phase are sadly lacking. I do still love Jesus, but i often long for those good old days of naivete and childlike faith. It bothers me that my friends are more likely to describe me as a cynic than an enthusiast! One day i hope to get back to that place, but without all the b0ll0x. so 'post-charismatic' doesn't cut it perhaps 'pre-reflecto-charismatic' would better describe the state i'm in?

 
At 5/07/2008 2:17 AM, Anonymous One of Freedom said...

Robby Mac is a friend of mine. I really enjoyed this project when it came out on the web, how is the translation into book?

 
At 5/07/2008 7:31 AM, Anonymous mark said...

I've been wondering what it was that we are supposed to "post" this week. Keep up with the post-"post" posts.

 
At 5/07/2008 10:38 AM, Anonymous Mark Stevens said...

I cheekily make the statement , "before I was a Christian I was a pentecostal pastor!", most people take a few seconds to register what I have said and then give a nervous laugh...

If anyone cares I would say my journey out of pentecostalism was a little like Barth's journey out of liberalism.

 
At 5/07/2008 3:00 PM, Anonymous Brian said...

sadly, the pentecostal/charismatic movement does attract the weirdos. A lot of it is due to poor teaching in my opinion.

 
At 5/07/2008 9:51 PM, Anonymous Chris Tilling said...

Glad to write a post people sort of agree with!

I've been chuckling about your comment, paroikos, today.

 
At 5/08/2008 1:02 PM, Anonymous Peter Kirk said...

Good post! I’m more into “charismatic culture” than you are, but that is or at least should be a cultural issue which is a matter of free choice for Christians, as long as we don’t give offence.

As for some who "prophesy" "in the flesh", maybe the piece of flesh in question is often the one referred to in Colossians 2:11,13.

See also my related posts.

 
At 5/08/2008 4:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm in a similar spot to you Chris. I've found the genuine 'gift of the spirit' (yeah, yeah all sorts of things are god's gift but I'm talking about the wacky ones) type people often have nothing to do with the 'charismatic culture' and don't like it very much, and are just busy living for Jesus. Unfortunately though, often they have to choose between a church that talks a bunch of crap, and a church that tells them they don't exist.
MikeW

 
At 5/08/2008 6:28 PM, Anonymous Keyvan Cyrus said...

God bless you with your honest spirit and your desire for spiritual gifts, I think if we do not come a cross with many genuine aapearance of the wonders and miracles and gifts does not ring any bell for not beliving in them.
Church history always concede that though the frequent manifestation of the gifts were not remarkable but the existance of those gifts and wonders always have been reported and confirmed.

Keyvan Cyrus

 
At 5/08/2008 10:19 PM, Anonymous Geoff Hudson said...

Ever thought that gifts of the Spirit were originally gifts of spirits? So one would have had a spirit of this, that or the other. After all in first century Jewish understandings, spirits were the powers that enabled, moved and motivated. And what was the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God doing before Acts 2? Never mind about post Pentecost, what about pre-Pentecost? Did Jews have to believe in Jesus before they could be filled with the Spirit? Did the prophecy of Joel place such a restriction on Jews?

 
At 5/08/2008 11:08 PM, Anonymous Chris Tilling said...

Thanks Peter, I'll have a look

MikeW,
Your comment made me smile. It seems quite a few of us are in teh same boat.

Hi Geoff,

Yea, I'm thinking of 1 Enoch in light of your comment. Not sure that would be the best model for understanding Paul, though. Or do you have a specific idea in mind?

 
At 5/08/2008 11:49 PM, Anonymous Geoff Hudson said...

Chris,

I don't see any reason to think that the mission of those in Acts 2could have been any different from the prophet's mission of Mark 1. They must both have been about exactly the same business.

 
At 5/15/2008 5:56 AM, Anonymous Edward T. Babinski said...

I once was a charismatic and can still speak in tongues, but find that nowadays it only comes in handy during __[fill in the blank]__.

 

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