Is Revival Soft or Strong?

A guest article by Thang San Mung

Is Revival Soft or Strong?

A Pastoral Response to Current Revival Movements and Spiritualities

Introduction*

With a posting of its position paper by the General Presbyters of the Assemblies of God of America in 2000,[1] it became clear to sight about the growing tension, having long been existing even among the Pentecostals/Charismatics, in relation to the said current revival movements.[2] No doubt that one of the major concerns underlies with one’s uneasy feeling with certain phenomena that the said revivals brought.[3] While as no one is in the position to approve or disapprove it to others in practice, it is but one’s right to accept or reject it in terms of one’s own preference. However, to resist what God provided for our benefits at His own sovereign will just for the sake of personal inclination would be a big mistake and is even worth to call a blasphemy. At the same time, to entertain oneself just with the sounding but not having genuine spirituality inside also would be a void and meaningless spiritual quest. When ‘the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness so must genuine revival be’ is the statement of some to marginalize, frankly speaking, what seemed barbaric to their judgment, the metaphorical expressions such as “revival fire” or “rushing wind of God” or “spiritual tidal wave” and the likes are the explanation of some to validate those spiritual wild fires (cf., Acts 2:1-4). Therefore, this is our question, “Is revival soft or strong?”

1. The Rule for Us not for Them: The Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness

As theological undergraduate student, we’re first introduced to the Systematic Theology,[4] in which basic Christian doctrines are analyzed and systematized for fresher. The impression that I had when came across through the study of the Holy Spirit is about the fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5. I thought that I got a rule, by which I would be able to measure out what in the church were happening around under the cover of the term “revival”. The statement, “the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness,” became my measuring rod to rebuke those who seemed little bit rough and wild in my sight, as a young pastor.[5] However, not soon after, I became noticed of that something was missing as I tried to press on my big words against those likely wild and rough. The more I pressed on, it seemed that the more I missed out!

Am I wrong at claiming the gentleness of the Spirit? No. I don’t think so. If then so what is wrong? Nothing is wrong with that biblical statement. However, still something is wrong. Later, I found out that me myself is wrong. While claiming the gentleness of the Spirit as my measuring rod, I myself had missed to be gentle and humble enough in dealing with those spiritual stuffs. After many years of my pastoral service with many failures, I came to learn at last that the measuring rod of Spirit’s gentleness is not for to rule out my parishioners, who are of course genuine seekers of God, but is the rule to myself and my actions, even my attitude, to check out my dealings with those who seemed rough and wild in their spiritual hungriness, instead.[6]

As long as the phenomena are incidental, actually, there is nothing to worry about whatever form the revival took on. However, at some extreme situation, if there would be an occasion, in which such phenomena represent certain theological/doctrinal value, attention should be given, of course. For this is more than a phenomenon. Therefore, to brief, certain phenomena, though seemed strange and rough sometimes, are not worth be given serious attention. Just let them show their own color at the end. All our concern is more than physical expressions—that is the inward state of the said revival. Therefore, as shepherd of God’s flock, it is our responsibility to put on the meekness and gentleness of the Spirit on ourselves in our spiritual business with so-called end-time revivals so that every inner state of every individual will be challenged by our gentle behavior rather.

2. The Benefit of Change: The Work or Movement of the Spirit is Irresistible

No revival movements had been well received at first! Just to name a few, Montanist revival in the early third and fourth centuries is an instance.[7] In their rigorous response to the negative reaction of the church, it eventually turned even to a heretic tendency at last, sadly! Monastic reform of the fifth and sixth centuries against the luxurious lifestyle of the time is another. It was well accepted only very long after its first appearance.[8] The great Reformation, which was also called as Protestant movement by its early rivals, in the sixteenth century, also was bitterly anathemized by the time. We can read many similar stories in almost every pages of Church History, such as of Anabaptists, Puritans, Moravian brethrens. We can see that almost every revival movements had not been well received at first. The reason is that it is too barbaric to the existing religious culture and institutionalized tradition.

To simply label, however, such revivals barbaric, it might be a great, unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit (cf., Matthew 12:31). In fact, we’ve got here to stay in a dilemma for some time, waiting for what’d be turning out at the end. To be honest, the major reason why the existing cultures could not accept such at their first contact is all a single word “fear”. It is a fear to change by the call of this new movement (cf., Mark 11:31-32; Matthew 26:4-5). This fear had even brought a conclusion to denounce such genuine revivals and to anathemize them. However, if it is truly the work of the Holy Spirit, no one for sure will be able to hinder it. In effect, if resistance continues, there would then be a consequential division, though bitter, in order to outlet the flow of the current to reach the wider community (cf., Matthew 10:34). Therefore, at this stage, as leader of the church, we should not point our fingers out to that timely call of change but to ourselves first and find out what changes need in us and among us.

However, at the same time, there should have a caution too. All of the said revivals would not bring the needed change always. To make simple, for they all are not genuine revival but might be just certain people movements claiming good name of revival. In another words, therefore, we can, and should, know genuine revival by its final result. However, that change to be occurred, we should also acknowledge that God has many different ways, better than ours. There are several ways for the Holy Spirit to follow—may be rough or smooth, wild or gentle, bitter or sweet to us (cf., “sword” vs. “peace”, Matthew 10:34). In another words, this different phenomenal expressions are not actually the problem at all.[9] The final product is what we are eagerly waiting for.

3. The Law of the Spirit: Two Expressions but One Single Attitude

When several Christological debates were broken out in the early Church, a new search on the nature and person of Jesus Christ became a demand that finally formulated the doctrine in such terminology as “hypostatic union” and others.[10] In this light, traditionally, the church claimed the doctrine of two natures—divine and human—in the one single person of Jesus Christ. The same formula can be applied here also. The soft and strong move of the Holy Spirit is the twofold expression of His one single attitude—that is love, a transforming love. In its aggressiveness, love can be soft and strong. Love is both. Proverbs also says that “better is open rebuke (aggressiveness of love) than hidden love” (27:5, NIV).

One may surprise to read Jesus Christ having said that he brought not peace but sword, a symbol of war and division. The intention is to make clear of his agenda as irresistible. Therefore, when there’s any attempt to resist, a bitter sword of division would take place to reinforce the desired end—transformation or change. In that sense, the two extreme sides of each, peace and sword (i.e., sweet and sour, smooth and gentle) someway represent the nature of God’s work instead. Following this analogy, some phenomenal expressions of certain revival are also just the representation of the single attitude of the Spirit, who messaged such a timely call to the church in God’s aggressive love. To our human tendency, some might prefer one way over another. However, the Spirit of God would work in His own better way and has the right to make His midnight call in a way that we didn’t expect. Therefore, this is the reminding words of Jesus to be always ready and alert that the groom might come in an unexpected situation (cf., Matthew 25:3; Luke 21:28, 36). This same principle can be applied to our case too.

While not arguing for or against such posting of position paper as it is a denominational need, however, this is the request of this article to pastors and leaders to have a little more patience in dealing with current end-time revivals until the final result of such could be clearly counted on. At the same time, this is a humble advice to those who are struggling with the said phenomenal problems of revival to observe not only the single side of the coin but the other side also. Let us tentatively ask such questions as what in the other, hidden side of such revivals really is and what in-depth theological basis beneath it has adopted, rather than how it looks like to our glance on the surface. For the Spirit of God defines himself in the forms of still water sometime and also wild fire the other time, peaceful voice sometime and rushing wind the other time, soft and gentle to someone like hungry Elijah in the cave but strong and rough to Saul on the road to Damascus.

Therefore, let us say that genuine revival may come in several ways and may be reflected through several expressions—such as in a soft or strong movement, through sweet or even bitter experiences of life, and many other hundred ways.[11] However, on the one hand, as the overall pastoral principle, we know that we are not merely to entertain the sounding of the said revivals but to watch and celebrate the change that every genuine revival always brought to renew the life of the saints—i.e., our love for God, our devotion to His service, our commitment to mission, and such.