Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Holy Spirit Baptism in the Holy Spirit Gifts'

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2003.
Includes abstract and vita. Translated from Korean. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-254).

In this paper I aimed to explore the bodily experiences and expressions that Christian charismatics interpret as religious.  The so-called presence of God and the so-called gifts of the spirit were in focus in the gathering of information. My purpose was to find out how the social community of the Christian charismatics affects the subjective bodily experiences that are interpreted as religious by the individual. The main questions were: 1: How do Christian charismatics describe religious experiences and their effect on the body? 2: What bodily expressions of religious experience can be observed in Christian charismatic contexts? 3: Is there a common way of expressing the experience of God's presence (individually or in a group) and how, in this case, can any resemblance be explained? The methods used to answer these questions were qualitative interviews and participant observations, which then were analyzed by the anthropologist Thomas J. Csordas theory of embodiment. By applying his theory on a Swedish-based material I hope to bring a new perspective into the research on this subject and inspire to further research and curiosity about Christian charismatics in Sweden. In this essay phenomena such as falling in the spirit, speaking in tongues, and healing were analyzed. Some of the phenomena, which are interpreted as presences of God by the believer, could be explained according to the theory of embodiment, but some could not. The similarities of bodily religious experiences among different groups of Christian charismatics can be explained with the concept of habitus. That is because even though the groups may have long distances between them, the still share behaviors and belief systems , for example the Bible, as common ideas in the global habitus of Christian charismatics.

Assignment (M. Div.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: I argue within the following pages for a synthesis of the contemporary Charismatic and Reformed positions on baptism in the Holy Spirit. I begin by surveying the Pre-Pentecost expectations of the Spirit’s outpouring and then unfold both the Charismatic and the Reformed views concerning Spirit baptism. In a final chapter, I propose a combined approach to Spirit baptism – spectacular everydayness - that takes seriously the Charismatic emphasis on the Spirit’s role of power as well as the centrality of community that forms the backbone of Reformed pneumatology.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die volgende dokument argumenteer ek vir ‘n sintese van die kontemporêre Charismatiese en Gereformeerde standpunte oor die doop met die Heilige Gees. Ek begin deur die voor-Pinkster verwagtinge van die uitstorting van die Gees te ondersoek, en daarna fokus ek op sowel die Charismatiese en die Gereformeerde beskouings van doop met die Gees. In ‘n finale hoofstuk stel ek ‘n gekombineerde benadering tot doop in die Gees voor – spectacular everydayness – wat die Charismatiese klem op die Gees se rol van krag, sowel as die sentraliteit van gemeenskap wat die ruggraat van Gereformeerde pneumatologie vorm, ernstig opneem.

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2003.
Includes abstract and vita. Translated from Korean. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-184).

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The pneumatology in the thought of Yves Congar is reflected and produced under the essential test of experience and communion. Through the God’s experience that humanity has developed its theological reflection and sensed the nuances of self-revelation of God to all his work created and could discern what paths to be followed in relation to God, the cosmos and the human being. It was by the God’s experience that humanity approached the sacred and had communion with him. It could recognize God in its divine persons and worship him through Church sprouted of the decisive event of the Incarnation of the Word and his resurrection, from which it was given to mankind the grace of the Holy Spirit. But it was already present with mankind since the creation of the lines of the story. The Holy Spirit is the love of God manifested as mother love, protects, nurtures, corrects, unites and strengthens with his gifts and charisms. He is one for which, in the exercise of his mission, Christ and the kingdom of God come into the world. Mission is fulfilled in and through the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, being the Holy Spirit its foundation of communion, catholicity and holiness. The Holy Spirit was present in history, of humanity and of the Church in its great moments of transformation, conduting and inspiring his footsteps. However, the experience lacks interpretation, and in the historical process the communion was, sometimes, undone, and the Holy Spirit was also praised by some and forgotten by others, in this case the Church of Christ, was closed to the Holy Spirit. In the second Vatican Council happened the latest historical re-opening of the Church to the Holy Spirit. Overcoming hierarchism in it installed, says Congar
A pneumatologia no pensamento de Yves Congar é refletida e produzida sob o crivo indispensável da experiência e da comunhão. Através da experiência de Deus que a humanidade elaborou sua reflexão teológica e intuiu os nuances da auto-revelação de Deus a toda sua obra criada e pôde discernir quais os caminhos a serem seguidos na relação com Deus, com o cosmo e com o ser humano. Foi pela experiência de Deus que a humanidade aproximou-se do sagrado e teve comunhão com ele. Pôde reconhecer Deus em suas Pessoas Divinas e prestar culto a ele através da Igreja brotada do evento decisivo da Encarnação do Verbo e sua ressurreição, de onde foi dada à humanidade a graça do Espírito Santo. Mas ele já estava presente com a humanidade desde a criação nas entrelinhas da história. O Espírito Santo é o amor de Deus que se manifesta como amor de mãe, protege, nutre, corrige, une e fortalece com seus dons e carismas. Ele é aquele pelo qual, no exercício de sua missão, Cristo e o Reino de Deus chegam ao mundo. Missão que se cumpre na e pela Igreja, Corpo Místico de Cristo, sendo o Espírito Santo seu fundamento de comunhão, catolicidade e santidade. O Espírito Santo esteve presente na história, da humanidade e da Igreja, em seus grandes momentos de transformação, conduzindo e inspirando seus passos. Entretanto, a experiência carece de interpretação, e no processo histórico a comunhão foi por vezes desfeita, e o Espírito Santo foi exaltado por uns e também esquecido por outros, nestes casos a Igreja de Cristo, se fechou ao Espírito Santo. No Concílio Vaticano II houve a mais recente reabertura histórica da Igreja ao Espírito Santo. Superando o hierarquismo nela instalado, afirma Congar. Aberta ao Espírito Santo e sob sua inspiração, a Igreja pôde dar mais e novos frutos de diálogo, comunhão e santidade que favorecem o cumprimento de sua missão como Igreja evangelizadora e profética no mundo

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This dissertation is the result of a search about a Pentecostal schism in the Brazilian Baptist Convention, in the decade of 1960. The center of interest of the conflict is a Spiritual Renewal Movement, which defended an experience of religious ecstasy, called baptism with the Holy Spirit, as confirmation of the relationship of the believer with God. The gradual adhesion of Baptists communities to such proposal transformed it into an alternative web of power that caused instability in the relations of power within the Baptist denomination in Brazil. The research reconstructs the shocks of this crucial episode and offered an interpretation from the theories of Michel Foucault and Michel de Certeau, trying to decipher the institutional mechanisms of control in battles with the tactics of the web of power. In the historical context of Brazilian effervescence not only religious, the mechanisms of surveillance of Brazilian Baptist Convention have proved inadequate for maintaining the unity threatened, since the opposing groups were punished with the exclusion.(AU)
A presente dissertação é resultado de uma pesquisa acerca de um cisma pentecostal na Convenção Batista Brasileira, na década de 1960. No foco do conflito encontra-se um Movimento de Renovação Espiritual, que defendia uma experiência de êxtase religioso, designada de batismo com o Espírito Santo, como confirmação da relação do crente com Deus. A progressiva adesão de comunidades batistas a tal proposta transformou-a numa rede alternativa de poder que causou instabilidade nas relações de poder no interior da denominação batista no Brasil. A pesquisa reconstrói os embates decisivos deste episódio e ofereceu uma interpretação a partir das teorias de Michel Foucault e Michel de Certeau, na medida em que tenta decifrar os mecanismos institucionais de controle em confronto com as táticas das redes de poder. No contexto histórico brasileiro de efervescência não só religiosa, os mecanismos de vigilância da Convenção Batista Brasileira mostraram-se insuficientes para a manutenção da unidade ameaçada, uma vez que puniu os grupos opositores com a exclusão.(AU)

There is no consensus regarding the interpretation of the "Spirit like a dove" comparison in Jesus' baptism (Mk 1:10). Although scholars have proposed at least fifty different interpretations of the dove comparison, no study appears to have considered Isaiah's three dove texts as the background for the Markan dove (cf. Is 38:14; 59:11; 60:8). This neglect is surprising considering the abundance of Isaianic allusions in Mark's Prologue (Mk 1:1-15), and the growing awareness that Isaiah is the hermeneutical key for both the Markan Prologue and Jesus' baptism within it. Indeed, Mark connects the dove image inseparably to the Spirit's "descent" from heaven, which alludes to Yahweh's descent in a New Exodus deliverance in Isaiah 63:19 [MT]. Furthermore, each Isaianic dove text uses the same simile, "like a dove" or "like doves," which appears in Mark 1:10, and shares the theme of lament and restoration which fits the context of Mark's baptism account. This study therefore argues that the dove image in Mark 1:10 is a symbol which evokes metonymically Isaiah's three dove texts. So the Spirit is "like a dove" not because any quality of the Spirit resembles that of a dove, but because the dove recalls the Isaianic theme of lament and restoration associated with doves in this Scriptural tradition. After discussing the Markan dove in terms of simile, symbol, and metonymy, the study examines the Isaianic dove texts in the MT and LXX and argues that they form a single motif. Next, later Jewish references to the Isaianic dove texts are considered, while an Appendix examines further dove references in Jewish and Greco-Roman literature. Finally, the study argues that the Markan dove coheres in function with the Isaianic dove motif and symbolizes the Spirit's effect upon and through Jesus by evoking metonymically the Isaianic dove texts.

This research discusses the role of the baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit in missions through a specific focus on Ghanaian Pentecostal Churches. Scripture, history, scholarly works, interviews, observations, ecumenical documents, as well as relevant documents of Ghanaian Pentecostal churches were used to study the issue under discussion. In order to achieve the objective for the topic chosen, the research also discusses some of the major factors that led to Pentecostalism in Ghana – i.e. the concern of the indigenes about their worldview not being addressed by the Western missionaries that came to serve in Ghana. In the desire of the then Ghanaian Christians to have their worldview addressed, they resorted first to the Pentecostalism initiated by the African Initiated Churches, and then to the current trend of Pentecostalism in Ghana. The findings reveal that, though one of the factors that has made Pentecostalism so acceptable to Ghanaians is the way it has addressed their worldview; Ghanaian Pentecostal Churches themselves are of the opinion that the role of the Holy Spirit is the major factor. Their argument is that, it takes the role of the Holy Spirit to convict a sinner of his or her sins and incorporate the person into the body of Christ. After this incorporation, the person needs to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be able to live according to the will of God. Furthermore, it is the Holy Spirit that also empowers believers to work both within and outside the church. This empowerment is manifested through the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to believers – for both their personal edification and the perfection of the church. As believers operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, God works through them in the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the missio Dei. It was finally revealed that, although the Holy Spirit is the power behind mission, the human factor cannot be forgotten. With this in mind, it was argued that Ghanaian Pentecostal churches have put into place various missional approaches, to help them to effectively participate in the missio Dei. These missional approaches were therefore discussed in the light of the “five marks of mission” (i.e. Evangelism, discipleship, responding to the social needs of people through love, transforming the unjust structures of society and safe guarding the integrity of creation) and Krintzinger et al.’s holistic mission approach (i.e. kerygmatic, diaconal, fellowship and liturgical).
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
lk2014
Science of Religion and Missiology
PhD
Unrestricted

The main goal of this study is to demonstrate the role of the Holy Spirit in building up Church unity, based on the exegesis of I Corinthians. The current theme is urgent; however, little attention has been paid to it in research literature. We have noted that it is not human wisdom but the Holy Spirit who is the key to our faith, salvation, and understanding of divine mysteries. The Holy Spirit along with Christ brings forward the building of the Church and guides it. One Spirit is the foundation for Church unity. The Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts according to His will and establishes their orderly operation. Seeking the guidance of the Spirit, trusting and obeying Him brings unity, whereas following different authorities, mistrusting and disobeying Him results in disunity.
Biblical and Ancient Studies
M. Th. (New Testament)

The subject of this diploma thesis is comparison of Orthodox and Evangelical churches pneumatology. The main goal is to summarize, compare and evaluate the knowledge acquired from studying various texts from both Orthodox and Evangelical theologians. The first part of the diploma thesis is addressing significant theological topics from the Orthodox Church. The second part focuses on Evangelical pneumatology with special attention to its charismatic and Pentecostal character. A substantial part of this section is devoted to terminologically defining evangelicalism in its historical context. At the same time an attempt was made to capture the breadth and diversity of this modern phenomenon. The starting point that was chosen for the thesis were the works of various Pentecostal and charismatic authors whose main viewpoints are being compared in key points with those of traditional, conservative theologians. The third and at the same time the last part evaluates the acquired knowledge and accentuates the similarities and differences.

The Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal movements propose a subsequent to salvation Spirit baptism. This baptism is viewed as an experience in which the Spirit either confers or awakens gifts within the life of the believer. The thesis ofthis paper is that Spirit baptism occurs at conversion. Spirit filling on the other hand is one of many metaphors to describe the work of the eschatological Spirit subsequent to salvation. This distinguishing of Spirit baptism and Spirit filling is different to the Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal idea that Spirit baptism and Spirit filling are synonymous experiences that occur at some point subsequent to salvation.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
Th. M. (Systematic Theology)

The content of this dissertation delineates the crucial and incisive role of the Holy Spirit in terms of God's grand and majestic acts of creation, that is the creation of the multiversity of universes, redemption that is the cross, the exemplar of Christ in self­ denial, reconciliation and restoration, and his resurrection, that is self-empowerment, self-renewal and self-fulfillment observed within the context of God, being human and the physical organic environment as it interacts with the human acts of personal and social responsibility observed within the context of a five dimensional approach of self-actualization, self-denial, self-empowerment, self-renewal and self-fulfillment, ingested into ones identity, internalised and witnessed as meaningful daily praxis, seen through the prism of the cross and the resurrection. A didactic method has been followed to engender insights into and conviction regarding the relevance of the subject for our present day and a hortatory method to exhort to an obedient response and to urge an appropriate action.
Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics
M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Text in Afrikaans
Summaries in English and Afrikaans
'n Onderskeidende kenmerk van die Pinksterbeweging (waarvan die AGS deel is) wat aan die begin van hierdie eeu tot stand gekom het, was die funksionering van die pneumatika (die geestelike gawes in 1 Korintiers 12:7-11 genoem) in die lewens van lidmate en in die liturgie van die erediens. Die opkoms van die Charismatiese beweging vanaf die sestigerjare het hierdie fenomeen opnuut onder die aandag van die kerk gebring. Histories blyk dit dat die funksionering van die pneumatika 'n integrale deel van die bemoeienis van God met die mens was. Sommige van die pneumatika was reeds in die Ou Testament teenwoordig, is prominent in die bediening van Jesus gesien tydens sy vleeslike bestaan, en was kenmerkend van die kerklike lewe in apostoliese tye. In die na-apostoliese tye was daar 'n merkbare afuame hiervan, maar het selfs in die middeleeue nooit heeltemal van die toneel verdwyn het nie. Vanaf die twaalfde eeu was daar weer 'n gestadigde toename in die voorkoms van die pneumatika wat sy klimaks bereik in die wereldwye Pinksterherlewing aan die begin van die twintigste eeu. Die teoretiese teologiese teorie binne die AGS hou die ideaal voor dat die pneumatika steeds op Nuwe Testamentiese wyse (soos deur die AGS geinterpreteer) in die erediens sal funksioneer. 'n Empiriese ondersoek met behulp van 'n situasie-analise (Wallace se model van deduktiewe en induktiewe redenering) toon aan dat daar 'n beduidende verskil tussen ideaal en praktyk is - die pneumatika funksioneer slegs sporadies in die eredienste, terwyl lidmate se betrokkenheid daarby en kennis daarvan dienooreenkomstig van beperkte aard is. n V erstelde praktykteorie word voorgestel. Dit behels 'n model wat die interathanklikheid en relasie aandui tussen Christus as Hoof van die gemeente en Bron van die pneumatika, lidmate en pastore se houding en kennis in verband hiermee, en die ruimte vir en implementering van die pneumatika in die erediens. Fasiliterend tot hierdie interaktiewe proses is die doping in die Heilige Gees, opleidingsprogramme, en kleingroepe. Hierdie praktykteorie is oop vir toekomstige toetsing en verstelling - alles moet lei na die herstel van die funksionering van die pneumatika tot opbou van die gemeente en meerdere verheerliking van God.
A distinctive characteristic of the Pentecostal Movement (of which the AFM is a part), formed at the beginning of this century, was the functioning of the pneumatics (the spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11) in the lives of members and in the liturgy of their worship service. The Charismatic Movement arising in the sixties brought this phenomenon under the attention of the church anew. Historically it seems that the pneumatics were a integral part of the activities of God with his people. Some of the pneumatics were already present in the Old Testament, were seen in the earthly ministry ofJesus, and were distinctive of the apostolic period. In the after-apostolic period there was a marked decline in the appearance thereof From the twelfth century onwards there was an increase in the appearance of the pneumatics that climaxed in the worldwide Pentecostal revival at the beginning of this century. The theoretical theological theory in the AFM presents the ideal that the pneumatics would still be operating, as in New Testament times (i.e. as interpreted by the AFM), in their worship services. An empirical survey with the aid of a situation analysis (yv allace' s model of deductive and inductive reasoning was used), shows that there is a marked difference between ideal and practice - the pneumatics are operating sporadically and on a limited scale in the worship services, whilst the participation of the members and their knowledge in this regard are accordingly limited. An improved practice theory is suggested. It entails an interactive model that shows the interdependency and relation between Christ as head of the church and source of the pneumatics, church members and pastors whose attitude and knowledge in connection with this are of utmost importance, and the place for and implementing of the pneumatics in the worship service. Facilitating this interactive process is the baptism in the Holy Spirit, teaching programmes, and small groups. This practice theory is open for future testing and improvement - this must all lead to the restoring of the functioning of the pneumatics for the edification of the church and the greater glorifying of God.
Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology
Th. D. (Practical Theology)

This thesis analyzes the pneumatology of Didymus the Blind as expressed in three of his writings: the Commentary on Genesis, the Commentary on Zechariah, and On the Holy Spirit. It attends specifically to the relationship between this pneumatology and Didymus’s concept of virtue formation. Chapters 1 and 2 provide a survey of the state of Didymean scholarship and a sketch of his biography. Chapter 3 identifies the concept of virtue formation that Didymus espouses in the Commentary on Genesis and the Commentary on Zechariah, while chapter 4 describes the pneumatology of On the Holy Spirit. Finally, chapter 5 draws together the observations of chapters 3 and 4 to demonstrate their interconnectedness and to argue that the pneumatology which Didymus constructs in On the Holy Spirit is, in fact, the underlying source of agency for the notion of virtue formation that he develops in his commentaries on Genesis and Zechariah.

Text in Afrikaans
In hierdie navorsingstuk word 'n totaal nuwe Radikale en gedifferensieerde Universumgerigte aanloop tot die teologie, die peumato/ogie en veral die ou klassieke pentekosta/isme se eng partikularistiese en sogenaamde unieke elitistiese geestesdoopmodel krities teologies-filosofies ondersoek. Hoewel die moderner neopentekostalistiese oftewel charismatiese weergawe van klassieke pentekostalisme aandag kry om as kriterium van vergelyking le dien, val die hoofklem op klassieke pentekosta/isme. Uiteraard kom die verskillende Geesdoopmodelle pertinent aan die orde. En in die lig hiervan poneer hierdie studie dan 'n kraaknuwe globalistiese Geesdoopmodel, genaamd die RGU-Geesdoopmodel wat dui op 'n Radikale en Gedifferensieerde Universumgerigte Geesdoopmodel. Hierdie nuwe RGU-Geesdoopmodel impliseer logiesgewys dan ook 'n radikale revolusionere paradigmatiese ommeswaai van en verandering in die ou klassieke Geesdoopperspektiewe. Noodwendig impliseer dit ook 'n grater oopspanning van die teologies-wetenskaplike navorsingspeelveld en die interverwante relasies daarvan met alle teologiese en nie-teologiese wetenskappe en bedrywe, met alle kerklike en nie-kerklike kaders, met alle religieuse en nie-religieuse kringe, asook met alle teoretiese en praksiologiese ingesteldhede. Gebiedsafbakening is dus ook gebiedend noodsaaklik en onontbeerlik. Die sentrifigale vernouing van die studieskopus hanteer dan uiteraard net die essensieile teologies-wysgerige en praksiologiese impakte, nie net op die ou klassieke pentekostalisme nie, maar ook op alle teologiee en alle filosofiee en alle wetenskappe, wat op 'n samehangende holisties-geintegreerde wyse universumgerig tot een groot globale geheel omskep word
In this research a totally new Radical and Differentiated Universal-directed approach to theology, pneumatologyand particularly the old classical pentecostalism's narrow particularistically and so called unique elitistic model of Spiritbatism is critically investigated on theological-philosophical levels. Though the moderner neo-pentecostalistic or rather charismatic rendering of classical pentecostalism receives attention to serve as criterion for comparison, the main focus is on classical pentecostalism. Naturally the different models of Spiritbaptism comes pertinently on the table. And in the light of this, our study propose a brand new globalistic model for Spiritbaptism, namely the RDU-Spiritbaptism-mode lwhich signifies a Radical and Differentiated Universal-directed model of Spiritbaptism. This new RDU-Spiritbaptism-model also logically implies a radical revolutionary paradigmshift and tum-about in the old classical Spiritbaptism perspectives. This inevitably also implies a widening of the theological-scientific field and the interrelatedness thereof with all theological and non-theological sciences and professions, with all ecclesiological and non-ecclesiological scopes, with all religious and non-religious circles, as well as all theoretical and praxiological inclinations. Confinement of territory is thus also imperatively essential and indispensable. The centrifical narrowing of the studyscope handles naturally only the essential theological-philosophical and praxiological impacts, not only on the old classical pentecostalism, but also on all theologies and all philosophies and all sciences which are all transformed in a coherent holistically interconnected fashion to one great universal whole
Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology
D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The heart of Pentecostal practice has always been an experience of the Holy Spirit. These experiences are often claimed to have the direct guidance of the Spirit and form the decisions and actions that result in the ongoing of the development of practices and doctrine. It is my contention that the third and fourth so-called waves of the Spirit are not truly waves of the Spirit, neither are they new. They are the rebirth, albeit in a new manner, of three disappointing and tragic movements of past Pentecostal history, namely the (New) Latter Rain, the Shepherding Movement, and the Prosperity Movement. I maintain that these two waves do not follow a solid Pentecostal doctrinal stand of an experience in the Holy Spirit of separability and subsequence, neither do they draw their doctrinal stand from the book of Acts, but rather the Synoptic gospels. Unfortunately, even though Pentecostal scholarship is on the rise, the majority of the prolific writers of these last two waves are extremely eisegetical in regards to their dealing with the Word of God. They claim vision and direction from Heaven, as opposed to an exegesis of the canon of Scripture. I maintain that these two, so called waves of the Spirit are not Heaven sent but man conceived and thus dangerous heresy to the church. `I believe that courage is the most important virtue, the foundation that underlies and gives realty to all other virtues and personal values. Without courage we become conformists. Conformity is not the fibre good and courageous leaders are made of… Do not be frightened by the aloneness that may come with your holding unpopular positions. It is in aloneness that wisdom will visit you and smile upon you'. These are not, as a theologian might be entitled to expect, the words of Elijah or Jeremiah. They are quoted from a speech given in 1999 by Mamphela Ramphele, vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town. Her context was the silence that has so often fallen on African societies once liberation has taken place. It is just such silent acquiescence, she insists, that allow former `heroes of the struggle' to become despots and dictators. Her words are challenging to Pentecostal theologians for at least two reasons. The first and more mundane is that Pentecostalism is most vibrant today in precisely those countries, which can be termed `postcolonial'. The second, and to my mind the most relevant to the movement, is that Pentecostalism was at its beginning a powerful spiritual force because it inherited an ethos of radical difference and because its proponents were unflinching in refusing to be co-opted into any other agenda than the one for which they knew they had been empowered by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. In this sense it was a prophetic religion, a religion similar to that of Elijah and Jeremiah. It is my plea then in this presentation that the so-called `postcolonial' countries will not swallow this new error, which has been called the new Pentecostal rhema from Heaven, which stems, as do so many new theological trends from the Western world. The new emerging Pentecostal Charismatic churches, particularly of the Third World need to have the courage not to be conformists, for such is not the fiber good and courageous leaders have. The hermeneutical pneumatology of the Pentecostal tradition has always been questioned. The early Pentecostals did not even bother to develop a theological hermeneutical position of a subsequent experience of the Spirit; they accepted their experience as from God . When they did begin to develop a Pentecostal theology it was often ridiculed as being primarily experiential, thus in the minds of most, devoid of Biblical theology. Fifty years after the outpouring of the Spirit at Azusa Street many Pentecostal scholars began to re-examine the pneumatology of Luke's writing. In the latter part of the 20th Century many Pentecostal scholars came into their own, examining and challenging many of the previously accepted conclusions of theologians, in regards to the Classical Pentecostal doctrinal position . Their position was that there was a separable and subsequent experience of the Spirit following salvation, which was accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues. The initial evidence was for a few, and still is for some, questionable evidence. Such a position stood in opposition to those who declared that there was no second experience of the Holy Spirit for any person other than salvation. If those who believed in the `conversion-initiation, which included the baptism in the Holy Spirit' were indeed correct, then everything that Luke talks about in relation to pneumatology in his two-volume work is totally in relation to salvation. This was the theological pneumatological position prior to Classical Pentecostalism. It did and has resulted in many theological challenges. Scholars who take this position do so on the premise that Pentecost is more of a historical situation for the church. However scholars convinced of the Classical Pentecostal position are refusing to accept this position and have and are continuing to develop an exegetical position for a secondary work of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. This is my personal position made vitally real for me since I did not grow up in a Pentecostal church setting, but rather came into the Pentecostal experience in my early 20's. It is my contention that the theological impact of Christ's ascension prior to the public ascension witnessed in Acts 1 has not been fully examined. Few scholars have dealt with the typological fulfillment firstly, of the work of the High Priest as seen completed in the life of Jesus Christ, or secondly, of His fulfillment of the first four feasts which the Jews were commanded to keep. Both of these aspects very clearly enhance and form a clear indication that the classical Pentecostal theology was and is correct in speaking of a separable and subsequent work of the Spirit following a clear salvation experience. I will seek to elucidate this by an examining the historical background of the first two waves of the Spirit, followed by a preview of the work of the Holy Spirit as seen in the canon of Scripture with emphasis on the New Testament. I will follow this by the development of the idea of regeneration in the New Testament. Finally I will examine Lukan writing in regards to the experience known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These chapters will then serve as a base for comparison with the material, which will follow. In the late 20th and early 21st century the Classical Pentecostal doctrine has been challenged by the last two charismatic waves of the Spirit, both of which have spawned a plethora of writings. It is my contention first; that the traditional Pentecostal understanding of the authority of Scripture has been abandoned in that now experience takes precedence over Scripture. Secondly it is clear that these last two waves do not fall within the same parameters as the first two waves in their understanding of a doctrine of separability and subsequence, since they revert to a pre-Classical Pentecostal theological position of only one experience of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, in a day when Pentecostal scholarship is seeking to become acceptable in their exegesis, the authors of these waves are almost totally eisegetical. The question needs to be asked `Have they subtly taken on a title to glean a following?' It is thus my contention that a survey of these waves shows that they have no common ground with the initial two waves of the Spirit. The indication is that they have deliberately chosen a different Biblical basis and thus disqualify themselves from the Pentecostal Charismatic stream. I will seek to elucidate this by examining the historical background of the last two waves of the Spirit, followed by an examination of the Pentecostal hermeneutic and their lack of hermeneutics, as seen so clearly in their writings. This will be done by pointing out the comparisons to the latter two waves of the Spirit both in theory and in the voluminous writing, which are largely based on eisegesis. The stated desire to `have church without making anyone sick' has broached and taken the movements far into left field. Finally, it is my contention that the third and fourth waves of the Spirit are not new at all. They are simply a rebirth of three disappointing and tragic movements in Pentecostal history. Thus I hope to clearly substantiate that the third and fourth wave of the Spirit are not really waves of the Spirit at all. They are not such in terms of their Biblical theological basis, neither are they such exegetically. They are simply the result of those desirous of the moving of the Holy Spirit who have reached back into the past and reintroduced past aspects of renewal, which unfortunately were man centered and resulted later in much havoc among Christians. I will seek to elucidate these facts by an examination of the history and practice of the (New) Latter Rain, which still haunts Saskatchewan, Canada where tragedies still exist, and the Shepherding movement out of Florida, which after a few years was denounced even by the leaders and finally totally disbanded. Then, finally the Prosperity Movement, which rose and fell as an unacceptable, illegitimate deduction of so called truth of the canon. One hopes and prays that the tragedies in lives will not live to haunt the church if Jesus tarries. We do not want the "heroes of spiritual struggles" to become the despots and dictators of the Pentecostal churches in the Third World.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D.Th. (Church History)

Le récit de la Pentecôte (Actes des Apôtres 2) présente au lecteur un élément particulier qui se retrouve rarement dans le canon biblique : les « langues comme de feu ». Seuls les passages d’Isaïe 5,24 et Actes 2,3 utilisent cette expression; pourtant, leurs contextes diffèrent largement. Nous trouvons certains commentaires rabbiniques et fragments de rouleaux de la Mer Morte qui emploient cette même expression, et la littérature gréco-romaine utilise une image similaire où un feu divin se pose sur la tête de certains personnages. Puisque la fonction de cet élément diffère d’un ouvrage littéraire à un autre, comment devons-nous interpréter les langues de feu dans le récit de la Pentecôte? Les commentaires bibliques qui examinent cet élément proposent différentes hypothèses sur la symbolique des langues de feu. Afin de répondre à cette problématique, nous commencerons notre étude avec une présentation sur l’état de la question et des approches synchroniques utilisées. Nous présenterons ensuite l’analyse structurelle du récit de la Pentecôte afin de percevoir la place que notre expression occupe dans cette péricope. Au chapitre trois, nous ferons une analyse grammaticale de notre segment afin de voir la fonction grammaticale de l’expression, et présenter une recension des ouvrages hébraïques et gréco-romains qui utilisent cette expression ou une image similaire. Enfin, l’analyse philologique des termes γλῶσσα et πῦρ sera élaborée et comparée à l’utilisation retrouvée dans le livre des Actes des Apôtres. Subséquemment, nous serons en mesure de porter un regard critique sur quelques interprétations proposées afin de percevoir que la mise en réseau structurel du membre γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός, avec les termes répétitifs et synonymiques du récit, nous orientent à percevoir l’accomplissement de la promesse du Saint-Esprit, qui à son tour habilite le croyant à réaliser la mission donnée : la proclamation du message christologique à toutes les ethnies.
The Pentecost Account (Acts of Apostles 2) introduces the reader to a particular item that is rarely found in the biblical canon: the tongues as of fire. Only passages of Isaiah 5:24 and Acts 2.3 use this term, yet their contexts differ widely. We find some rabbinic commentaries and fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls that use this same expression. Greco-Roman literature uses a similar image where a divine fire is set on the head of certain characters. Since the function of this element varies from one text to the other, how are we to interpret the tongues of fire in Pentecost account? Biblical commentaries focused on this element propose different hypothesis as to the symbolism of the tongues of fire. To address this issue, we are going to conduct a presentation on the state of the question, a grammatical analysis, a review of Hebrew texts and Greco-Roman stories that use this expression or a similar image, a philological analysis of the terms γλῶσσα and πῦρ, followed by a structural analysis to perceive the place that our expression holds in the Pentecost account. Subsequently, we will be able to take a critical look at previous synchronic interpretations, and propose that the expression γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός works in its structural framework along with its repetitive and synonymous terms in order to guide us to see the fulfillment of the promise of Holy Spirit, which in turn empowers the believer to carry out the mission given: the proclamation of the Christological message to all ethnic groups.