A Commentary on the Negative Attitudes towards the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement

(By denominational ideology)

My vision for this website was and is to distribute what I believe to be doctrine that is consistent with Biblical interpretation that is not influenced by a denomination or it’s by- laws that go against true doctrine from the Scriptures. After putting what I know and believe to be correct Bible teachings together for the Christian community’s use, I am amazed at the negative amount of teachings that abound on the internet against the “Charismatic” beliefs and what we call “Pentecostal” teachings.

Let me qualify my commentary with saying that I can speak from experience in the Pentecostal Church of God and from a number of years in what I believe to be a relatively balanced Pentecostal-Charismatic group of churches. In self evaluation, I think that I have been able to ascertain what the imbalances and erroneous teachings of the ‘church’ are from a non-denominational standpoint. I believe what I believe because I refuse to be predisposed by man’s inclination to be self serving in doctrine.

For instance, the doctrine that Jesus will return and ‘rapture’ His church out of this sinful world is by far a very disturbing teaching of the church. When you objectively look at Scripture, you see that Jesus will return once to the earth and that is at the last trumpet spoken of in the Revelation. No where can you find, without twisting Scripture, that Jesus is coming back twice; once to ‘rapture’ His church and once to destroy all the evil doers of the earth who have decided to follow the Anti-Christ. The rapture doctrine does nothing but cause complacency in the church because the idea that Jesus will take the entire church out of this sinful world is simply incorrect. Yes, there will be a group of people that are preserved from the reign of the Anti-Christ (Rev 12) but there will also be a large number of “Christians” that must enter into a time of deciding whether to die for their beliefs or deny their faith and take the mark of the beast to live for the remaining time that is decreed by God (a maximum of 3 ½ years). If this brings up questions in your mind, you can access the teachings on my web site that will describe this in detail.

There are many divisions in the church and it is God’s will that those divisions are either brought together in unity for His glory or separated from the true church for destruction. It’s my desire that through the teachings in this web site, unity is brought forth. The fastest growing segment of the church is in the Pentecostal/Charismatic ranks. Why? Because truth reigns and God’s Word will cause those who truly desire Him to come together and be over comers and ‘more than conquerors’. Within the basic teachings of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement, there lies the ability for a child of God to enter into truth and the group of people that are going to be in the ‘Bride of Christ’. That’s not to say that there won’t be people from mainline denominationalism in the Bride but those who understand the truth of perfection in the church will make it because that truth causes one to desire the greater things of God which brings about a changed life.

True Pentecostalism is foundational truth. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.” The church should be patterned after the church in the book of Acts without additions or subtractions. No snake handling but with great expectations of the hand of God saving, baptizing with the Holy Ghost and seeing the gifts of the Spirit operating fully within the local and worldwide church.

Craig Roberts