Charismatic Gifts In The Early Church

The emergence and widespread acceptance of the validity of the charismatic experience has generated many questions. One of the foremost is, “What happened to the gifts of the Spirit after the New Testament period?” Dr. Ronald Kydd’s careful probe seeks to answer that question. After a thorough and careful study of the writings of the early church fathers, Dr. Kydd provides an objective, informative analysis and reaches thought-provoking conclusions. “What emerges from a study of the sources is a picture of a Church which is strongly charismatic until around A.D. 200.” Quality scholarship communicated in a striking personal style makes this book enjoyable and challenging for the layperson, minister, student, and scholar.

Spirit and Sacrament by pastor and author Andrew Wilson is an impassioned call to join together two traditions that are frequently and unnecessarily kept separate. It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center. Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies and prayers of confession coexist, the congregation sings When I Survey the Wondrous Cross followed by Happy Day, and creeds move the soul while singing moves the body. He imagines a worship service that could come out of the book of Acts: Young men see visions, old men dream dreams, sons and daughters prophesy, and they all come together to the same Table and go on their way rejoicing. In short, Spirit and Sacrament is an appeal to bring out of the church's storehouse all of its treasures, so that God's people can worship our unrivaled Savior with sacraments and spiritual gifts, raised hands and lowered faces.

Contrary to popular belief, miracles did not pass away with the twelve apostles. If anything, the Pentecostal sparks that were lit by them continued to spread throughout the known world. In this first installment, the reader will learn how Jesus and the apostles established the concept of the Holy Spirit's abiding presence in the church laying the groundwork for a Christian initiation that included salvation and Spirit baptism. The reader will see how spiritual gifts operated through the twelve apostles as they spread Christianity into the known world. How bold witnesses, supernatural signs, and practical love resulted in massive expansion of the early church despite extreme persecution. How Montanism tried to revive the church from moral decay through strict living and prophetical gifts before it was rejected. How Emperor Constantine I reunited the Roman Empire under a new Christian-friendly regime. How the new state-run churches, overrun with sin, caused many to flee to the wilderness resulting in another intense spiritual revival. How the Middle Ages featured the mass conversion of much of northern Europe through miracle-working missionary monks, followed by a period of great jubilation, mystical faith, and charismatic revivals, and ending with the incredible healing ministry of Vincent Ferrer.

The book is divided into three parts. Part One provides a thematic analysis and exegetical commentary on all the relevant biblical and cognate literature, including Josephus, Philo and the Mishnah. Part Two investigates the thinking of key Christian theologians on the Holy Spirit, from the Apostolic Fathers to eighteenth century authors such as John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. Part Three examines more recent writings on the Spirit, from the nineteenth century onwards, including major systematic theologians such as Schleiermacher, Barth and Moltmann, as well as biblical scholars such as James D G Dunn, Gordon Fee and Gerd Theissen. Thiselton concludes the entire study by identifying seven fundamental themes, and calling for greater dialogue between mainstream scholarship and contemporary leaders of the Pentecostal and Renewal movements.

Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? takes you to the heart of one of the most dividing questions in the Church today: how are the Holy Spirit’s miracles at work among God's people now? Is he still actively giving the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and healing that fill the book of Acts? Is he driving out demons when Christians command them to flee? Or are these events confined to the time of the early church and the apostles? This volume of the Counterpoints series provides an impartial format for comparing the four main positions on present-day miracles (including the history and distinctions between the three positions that affirm miraculous gifts) with voice also given to a large sector of open-but-cautious evangelicals: Cessationist: there are no miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit today. Pentecostal: gifts are intended for today, with certain nuances focused on baptism and speaking in tongues. Charismatic: gifts are intended for today and should be actively practiced. Third Wave: gifts are intended for today, with greater emphasis on baptism and less on tongues. This thought-provoking book will help Christians on every side of the miraculous gifts debate to better understand their own position and the positions of others. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

Framed around the author's experience of spiritual warfare, Silence Satan introduces readers to the two warring plans for their lives: Satan's (who kills, steals, and destroys) and God's (who gives abundant life). It then reveals the various ways Satan tries to silence and destroy this generation with wounds, accusations, lies, and deceit and how to stand strong against them.