Has anyone ever asked you, “Are you one of them tongue-talkers?†After you get your eyes to stop rolling, you have to decide whether or not to do a witty comeback (no, this is not the kind of response I usually choose, but it appeals to my flesh to think about it) “Well, yes, aren’t you? I know if the early church needed it, I sure do.†Or, you may decide to calmly and lovingly offer a defense for what you believe about praying in the Spirit and tongues with interpretation. But what about the out-of-the-blue statement, “All you [insert your “label†here] ever talk about is tonguesâ€? Your mouth drops and you say, “Wait, didn’t you just bring it up?â€
If the early church needed it, I sure do.
Any regular reader of this journal knows we talk about a great deal more than just glossolalia. I am glad that Pentecostals, charismatics, and those that are open but cautious regarding the gifts of the Spirit can agree on so many things. In our unity on essentials, we have diverse beliefs about many other subjects. May you find something in this issue that challenges and instructs you and which God may use to deepen you.
Raul L. Mock is one of the founders and directors of the Pneuma Foundation and editor of The Pneuma Review. Raul has been part of an Evangelical publishing ministry since 1996, working with Information Services and Supply Chain Management for more than two decades. He and his wife, Erin, have a daughter and twin boys and live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. LinkedIn
“Now I, Paul, who am lowly in presence among you but bold toward you while absent, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ†(2 Cor. 10:1, MEV). Gentleness, one part of the fruit of the Spirit, needs a place in our everyday lives. Often translated humility or meekness, the word gentleness…
Craig S. Keener, author of Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, discusses the different views skeptics hold about miracles while providing statistical information about what Americans think about miracles. This is part 1 of a special lecture series on apologetics given at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in the Summer of 2014,…
The sixth chapter from Professor Williams’ book, The Gift of the Holy Spirit Today, about the greatest reality of our time. Chapter Six: Means We turn now to a consideration of the gift of the Holy Spirit in relation to water baptism and the laying on of hands. Our concern at this point is…
In this excerpt from his book, Jesus in Iran, Eugene Bach shares how God is using dreams and visions to draw Muslims into a relationship with Jesus the Messiah. I would like to state that I am not much into visions and dreams. In Christian circles, I am in the minority. After serving for more…
The Summer 2003 issue continues the study of Biblical interpretation with Professor Craig Keener. Chapter Two: “Learning Context†is a lesson in reading the Scriptures for what they were intended to say instead of reading them according to our preconceived ideas. Messianic teacher Kevin Williams continues his Messianic Foundations Series with the tenth…