Chapter 10.15

An Evaluation of Super-supernaturalism

The Fruit of a Monumental Delusion

Table of Topics

A) A Fake Revival

A.1) The general world-wide revival

A.2) The rise of cults

A.3) The King’s warnings about super-supernaturalism (Matt 7:21-23)

A.4) Pushing false doctrines with false miracles

A.5) Fake revival

A.6) Demonic distraction from real revival

A.7) A superior immorality, instead of spirituality: Hinn & Haggard

B) A Compromise with Pagan Culture

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

“Today 540 million people claim to be either Pentecostal or charismatic Christians. Does anybody really want to argue that the tremendous explosion of the power church in the late twentieth century is not of God?” Yes, we do.

Super-supernaturalism cannot claim a unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit based on a unique or superior rate of real Christian conversions.

“There is no such thing as a successful or enduring cult: we simply start to call it a church”

Super-supernaturalism is just one more of those “Christian” movements that were initially and accurately recognized as outside of historical Christian orthodoxy and later more widely accepted simply because of time and familiarity.

Jesus warned us that “many” of those who “prophesy,” “cast out demons,” and “perform many miracles” in His Name, the very things promoted in super-supernaturalism, are fakes being deceived and deceiving others.

History and Scripture tell us that it is not popularity, numerical growth, or finances that tell us whether or not a movement is empowered by God.

• Real revival is defined as repentance, not exorcisms, mayhem, faintings, and other temporary emotional experiences.
• A Church that will not defend its borders from such obvious apostates as homosexuals will hardly be a match for the fakes who perform supernatural deeds in the name of Jesus.
• The Church simply does not understand the depth, breadth, power, and danger of demonic deception, and this is demonstrated most clearly by the fact that we embrace many, many, more fakes than we excommunicate.
• Instead of super-supernaturalism being at the forefront of real spiritual revival as so many claim, it is possible that it has in fact been one of satan’s most effective tools to distract, dilute, and derail the spiritual revival that has actually taken place in the last few decades,

Jonathan Edwards: “It is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and kingdom of Christ.”

Primary Points

continued

• It is private and persevering virtue that most clearly separates the fakes from those who are genuinely empowered with the Holy Spirit.
• Unfortunately, super-supernatural Christianity is generally known for its immorality rather than its holiness.
• Such overwhelming greed disqualifies Benny Hinn to even be a minister (cf. 1 Tim 3:3; Tit 1:7; 1 Pet 5:2), let alone a Prophet, and brings even his salvation into grave doubt. If ever there was a candidate for one of the “many” who “prophesy,” “cast out demons,” and “perform many miracles” in the name of Jesus, but in the end will be called a damned “evil doer” by the very one they profess to serve, it is Benny Hinn.
• If Benny Hinn is the foremost showman of super-supernaturalism, Ted Haggard was its foremost statesman and became contemporary Evangelicalism’s greatest embarrassment. In one man, Mr. Haggard simultaneously demonstrates the heights to which super-supernaturalism has been embraced, and the moral depths to which its most influential leaders have sunk.
• “Is it not amazing that a movement that claims to have restored power for service, ability to communicate with God more than others have, ability for self-edification [through tongues], power to heal and perform other miracles, and ability to prophesy and receive direct revelation, has produced no significant advance in spirituality?”
• If super-supernaturalism cannot claim a privileged experience of the Holy Spirit as the reason for its popularity, what other factors may be in play? Essentially, we would suggest that cultural factors, rather than spiritual factors, have been behind any unique growth in the movement.
• While authentic Christianity requires the denial of the flesh, super-supernaturalism appeals to this very thing.
• For all its claims to a unique & superior experience of the Holy Spirit, super-supernatural Christians are not more spiritual than other Christians.
• We do not believe it is coincidence that the Corinthian church was the most “charismatic” congregation in the NT and also the most carnal and spiritually immature.

A) A Fake Revival

A.1) The general world-wide revival

All agree that the belief and claims to miraculous spiritual gifts in our generation is incredibly popular. What is not agreed upon is the explanation for this. Of course, super-supernaturalism desires to claim super-supernatural reasons.

For example, Dr. Paul Hiebert, formerly Distinguished Professor of Mission and Anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School writes:

There are a number of reasons for this rapid growth of [super-supernaturalism]. Certainly foremost among them is the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people in fresh ways. ^[1]

Such a claim remains to be confirmed in an evaluation of whether or not super-supernatural doctrines and practices are even biblical, for if they are not, then they certainly are not of the Holy Spirit either.

However, super-supernaturalism is much more likely to promote or defend its doctrines and practices with their immense popularity rather than with Scripture. Accordingly, Doug Bannister has very little rigorous biblical argument in his apologetic writing for super-supernaturalism, but writes:

Today 540 million people claim to be either Pentecostal or charismatic Christians. Does anybody really want to argue that the tremendous explosion of the power church in the late twentieth century is not of God? ^[2]

Yes, Mr. Bannister, we do.

First of all, super-supernaturalism is not in a position to claim a unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit confined to them based on a unique or superior rate of real Christian conversions. We are very grateful for the number of people who have truly come into the Kingdom through super-supernaturalist ministries. But the numbers of salvations in their ranks has not been unique, but rather, has been part of a wave of growth that began in the 1960’s and that led to the creation and expansion of many Christian ministries and churches. Church historians recognize that throughout the last half of the twentieth century, Evangelical Christianity in general experienced significant growth in numbers, both in America and throughout the world.

However, precise statistics on real born-again conversions to Christianity are difficult, if not impossible. As we discuss extensively elsewhere, false faith is much more common and much harder to recognize than most in the Church are willing to believe today. ^[3] The unbiblical willingness to accept mere professors as genuine Christians unfortunately skews any statistics today on the true growth of Christianity.

What then do we make of Pastor Bannister’s claim that, “Evangelicals, watching the explosion of the charismatic movement around the world, are taking seriously a movement that is leading fifty-four thousand people a day to Christ.” ^[4] First of all, there is absolutely no way Pastor Bannister, or anyone else, can confidently know what he claims. This is the case even if he did the necessary work of monitoring the true, virtuous spiritual fruit of these “converts” over a considerable period of time. Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed and the deception and abilities of false faith demonstrate this. ^[5] This is especially true when, in general, super-supernaturalism requires so little of someone claiming to be a person born again by the Spirit of God. Accordingly, super-supernaturalist conversion statistics are among the most inflated and suspect.

For example, in support of the evangelistic effect of super-supernaturalism J. P. Moreland writes:

In 1996, while Thai missionary Lun Poobuanak was conducting a Sunday service for a small band of Christians in a predominantly Buddhist village in Kalasin province, he was interrupted by the village leader. The leader shouted to Lun that because the monsoon rains had not come, their crops were almost ruined, and that if he would ask his God for rain that month, if he answered, all 134 families in the village would become Christians. The believers prayed and fasted for three days. On the fourth day, a cloudburst came that solved the problem, and all 134 families became Christians. ^[6]

Really? Even if the rain was truly a miracle and not a coincidence, there is simply no way that Dr. Moreland can claim all 134 families were born again that day. Has anyone returned since to see how many of them are still following Christ? Since when in Evangelical Christianity would we believe one pagan village leader could speak for the sovereign spiritual conversion of others? And are not the motives of these people for becoming “Christians” at least a little suspect? Which, of course, exposes the danger of all super-supernatural evangelism. Jesus Himself had crowds come to be miraculously fed, but how many of them were really disciples? (cf. John 6:24-66)

Nonetheless, we will use some statistics from Dr. Moreland who claims:

Some estimate that in 1970, there were around 71,000,000 born-again Christians with a vision to reach out to the entire world for Christ. By 2000, there were 707,000,000, roughly 11 percent of the earth’s population! ^[7]

Again, no doubt, many of these new conversions have occurred in super-supernatural contexts. Therefore, if pleasing God consisted of nothing more than converting people to Christ, no matter what else was happening, then there would be no reason to critique the movement. But God also values the understanding, preservation, and teaching of “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Our main point here, however, is if indeed super-supernaturalism is experiencing a unique and superior out-pouring of the Holy Spirit as it claims, we would expect a significantly unique and superior amount of born again Christian conversions among them, and there is none. Whatever “wave of the Spirit” that has manifested itself in numerical growth among Christians has not at all been unique to any one Evangelical sect.

A.2) The rise of cults

The second reason that the popularity of super-supernaturalism does not automatically impress us as a sign of the Holy Spirit is that this argument could just as easily be used by a number of cults that have grown up with super-supernaturalism. Accordingly, just because the Occult is one of the fastest growing spiritual phenomena in California, do we automatically attribute it to the Holy Spirit? Likewise, the NT scholar James White comments:

Joseph Smith’s religion started with six people in 1830, and today there are twelve million. Mohammed started with no one, and now there are a billion Muslims in the world. Contrast that with Jesus, who had five thousand men listening to Him on one day, and by the end of the next only twelve confused men remained, one of whom He said was a devil. Truth is never determined by numbers or popularity. ^[8]

Along the same lines, the secular historian Philip Jenkins writes in the context of the growth of super-supernaturalism:

Other winners from this era were the small sects that evangelicals themselves had long denounced as intolerable cults. According to the National Survey of Religious Identification the Jehovah’s Witnesses claimed 1.4 million members in the United States by the early 1990’s. . . .

Figures for the Latter-Day Saints are more controversial, but at least four million American adherents seems a reasonable estimate, making the Mormon church considerably larger than several of the old so-called [Christian] mainline bodies. . . . The growth of the Latter-Day Saints is very striking; the Mormon rate of growth in its first century and-a-half has exceeded that of early Christianity itself. . . . ^[9]

Dr. Jenkins goes on to make some important observations regarding the relationship between the popularity of a cult and its eventual acceptance by society and even the Church:

[S]ince the 1960’s, most of the older fringe religions [he includes Pentecostalism and Mormonism] have seen quite startling surges in membership, to the point where they challenge or actually outnumber many of the respectable [Christian] denominations. There comes a stage when even the deadliest enemies of a so-called cult have to grace it with the name of “church” [because of its popularity]. . . .

Some fringe religious movements succeed in becoming mainstream churches or denominations, while others diffuse their ideas through the better established churches and sometimes through society at large. In either case, cults should be seen as the laboratories or proving grounds for religious innovation [here the author reveals his secular bias], out of which can come much creativity, in addition to some harm. . . .

Some [cultic] religious traditions have grown rapidly in both numbers and social acceptance in very recent times. . . . A century or so can make all the difference between renegade status and orthodoxy. There is no such thing as a successful or enduring cult: we simply start to call it a church. . . .

This sect-church cycle has long been familiar to scholars of religion, who note that the achievement of respectability is by no means an unmixed blessing. In 1902, [humanist psychologist] William James noted how a new movement arises in response to a charismatic impulse, a sense of divine inspiration. ^[10]

Accordingly, we would suggest that super-supernaturalism is just one more of those “Christian” movements that were initially and accurately recognized as outside of historical Christian orthodoxy and later more widely accepted simply because of time and familiarity, not because its unbiblical doctrines had changed.

A.3) The King’s warning about super-supernaturalism

While Christians should resist the persuasive battering ram of the mere popularity of anything, especially in a world ruled by the evil one (cf. 1 John 5:19), the recent change in attitude toward super-supernaturalism suggests many have not. It is simply difficult for mainstream theologians, who are under pressure to sell books and to attract and compete for a limited number of prospective students to come to the seminaries where they are paid, to be overly critical of such a popular movement in the Church.

Nonetheless, we should know better. The King specifically warned us of popular, miraculous, fake “Christian” movements when he said:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’ (Matt 7:21-23)

Christ’s words tell us both how amazing and horrible the deception surrounding miracles can be. It is amazing in the amount and kind of works and words such deception can produce, and how widespread and deep such self-deception can be. It is horrible because the result of such deception is the judgment of Hell.

First, we notice the word “many” suggesting that deception regarding the miraculous will be relatively common. However, this does not refer to “many” out of the whole mass of humanity. Rather, Christ drastically narrowed His focus to a very unique and specific group of people. Here He said there will be “many” self-deceived and deceiving fakes specifically among those people who claim to “prophesy,” “drive out demons,” and “perform many miracles” all while using the name of Jesus! It is “many” of this kind of people whom Christ will expose as being tragically deceived, and “will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’”

Does a focus on these ministries of prophecy, exorcism, and miracles sound familiar? This would seem to be an astounding prophecy of where deception regarding the miraculous would be the most abundant in our own day. For 1600 years of post-apostolic Christian history there were only very few within the Church who would even claim these works, and all who did were considered heretics.

However, in the last one tenth of one percent of Church history, one of the fastest growing segments of the Church has virtually defined itself with its promotion and prioritization of these very things. It is the very ministries that Christ warns us of here that are the basis for super-supernaturalism’s claim to be unique and even superior to the rest of Christianity.

And this is so even though the King pointed out that such things as prophesying, exorcisms, and miracle working, are not synonymous with doing, “the will of My Father Who is in Heaven.” Christ specifically distinguished such “ministries” from doing God’s will, and contrary to the false assumptions of super-supernaturalism you can do all the will of the Father and not do what is vital to super-supernaturalism.

Is it not rather chilling that the very things Christ warned us of in a sermon almost two thousand years ago, so accurately and uniquely describe a large segment of the Church today? The very kind of people that super-supernaturalism commonly applauds, is the very kind of people Jesus specifically picked out as very likely to be fakes. Worse than fakes, we point out elsewhere the very likely possibility that Christ was warning the Church of demonically empowered miracle workers in its midst, of which we fear is quite common in super-supernaturalism. ^[11]

While super-supernaturalism celebrates prophets, exorcists, and miracle workers as extraordinary Christians, the King indicated that “many” of them should be excommunicated counterfeits. While super-supernaturalism would claim that modern day prophets, exorcists, and miracle workers are doing the most important spiritual work in the world today, Christ said “many” of this particular kind of person is not even doing “the will of [the] Father,” and are actually “evil doers.” Super-supernaturalism would claim that modern day prophets, exorcists, and miracle workers have an especially intimate relationship with Jesus. However, we believe Jesus will tell “many” of them that He didn’t even know them, and that He wants them out of His sight. While super-supernaturalism often boasts about a superior exercise of “faith,” it is in reality a foremost haven of people with false faith. ^[12]

As we said, such deception regarding the miraculous is so amazing because of its depth. This multitude of so-called prophets, exorcists, and miracle workers that Christ speaks of will actually believe with all their heart that they were serving and glorifying Christ with their ministries, and it will not be until they meet Him that they will discover their deception and resulting sentence to Hell. Their sincerity will not be enough to escape the divine charge of “evil doer.”

Of course, modern super-supernaturalists would want us to quickly point out that certainly this is not a condemnation of all their prophets, exorcists, and miracle workers. However, as we demonstrate elsewhere, the ministries and attributes of their modern prophets and miracle workers do not meet the biblical qualifications for claiming such gifts from God. ^[13]

Real Prophets from God can and will supernaturally foretell specific future events with perfect accuracy (cf. Deut 18:18-22; Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11, 27-32). Modern so-called prophets don’t, and don’t even claim to try.

Likewise, all God-sent miracle workers in the Bible without exception were also God-sent messengers of new extra-biblical divine revelation, authoritative for all people, something else that few so-called miracle workers want to claim today. ^[14] And casting out demons in the name of Jesus is no real sign of Christianity at all, as the unbelieving sons of Sceva made their living doing this very thing (cf. Acts 19:13-14). ^[15]

And that word “many” should make all of our hearts skip a beat or two. Jesus Christ the Lord, the One Who truly knows the hearts of people, warns us that “many” of those who “prophesy,” “cast out demons,” and “perform many miracles” in His Name are fakes being deceived and deceiving others. The modern Church simply ignores our King’s warning in its approach to super-supernaturalism. Nonetheless, history and Scripture tells us that it is not popularity, numerical growth, or finances that tell us whether or not a movement is empowered by God.

In the Bible, Solomon was richly blessed throughout his life while all the while grieving God and sowing the seeds of destruction with his pagan idolatry. Likewise, in the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church had all the things that many think is a sure sign of God’s blessing, but for the most part, it was a religion of “whitewashed tombs” (Matt 23:27). As of today, the Mormon Church is growing as fast as any branch of Christendom in the world, yet we certainly wouldn’t say it is because of God’s blessing. And both the Roman Church then, and Mormon Church now, claim to be ministering in the name of Jesus.

Therefore, we are not automatically impressed with the tremendous popularity of super-supernaturalism. According to Jesus, numbers and popularity should make us suspicious, not boastful. In fact, when Jesus reveals the true nature of all that was done in His name, it may be that the very movement that is proud of its prophets, exorcists, and faith healers, will be the very one exposed as among the most deceived and deceiving movements in the history of the Church. What seems now to be the most “successful” and dynamic aspect of Christendom, will be exposed sooner or later as perhaps the biggest fraud in the whole history of God’s people. And if the most “successful,” widespread, deceptive, and hollow aspect of Christendom in all of history is appearing in our day, it would seem to be just one more sign that the King will be appearing soon as well.

A.4) Pushing false doctrines with false miracles

The claims of the miraculous happening in super-supernaturalism will be generally exposed as fraudulent elsewhere. ^[16] Nonetheless, super-supernaturalist authors use the occurrence of these supposed miracles to support their promotion of false doctrines. Accordingly, we are reminded that the Medieval Roman Catholic Church did the same thing in the face of the Protestant Reformation. John Calvin (1509-1564) responded:

Perhaps this false hue could have been more dazzling if Scripture had not warned us concerning the legitimate purpose and use of miracles. For Mark teaches that those signs which attended the apostles’ preaching were set forth to confirm it [Mark 16:20]. In like manner, Luke relates that our “Lord . . . bore witness to the word of his grace,” when these signs and wonders were done by the apostles’ hands [Acts 14:31].

Very much like this is that word of the apostle: that the salvation proclaimed by the gospel has been confirmed in the fact that “the Lord has attested it by signs and wonders and various mighty works [Heb. 2:4]. When we hear that these are the seals of the gospel, shall we turn them to the destruction of faith in the gospel? When we hear that they were appointed only to seal the truth, shall we employ them to confirm falsehoods? . . .

Magicians and enchanters have always been noted for miracles. Idolatry has been nourished by wonderful miracles, yet these are not sufficient to sanction for us the superstition either of magicians or of idolaters.

The Donatists of old overwhelmed the simplicity of the multitude with this battering-ram: that they were mighty in miracles. We, therefore, now answer our adversaries as Augustine then answered the Donatists: the Lord made us wary of these miracle workers when he predicted that false prophets with lying signs and divers wonders would come to draw even the elect (if possible) into error. And Paul warned that the reign of Antichrist would be “with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

But these miracles, they say, are done neither by idols, nor by magicians, nor by false prophets, but by the saints. As if we did not understand that to “disguise himself as an angel of light” is the craft of satan! ^[17]

A.5) Fake revival

Many have been concerned about the empty revival that has occurred in particularly super-supernaturalism and the above warning of Christ would seem to give us reason to do so. About 250 years ago, there was another great revival in Britain and America called The Great Awakening. This whole move of God was initiated and led primarily by George Whitefield (1714-1770). In America, Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was certainly used as well in the Awakening. It is obvious in their writings that they defined revival as repentance, a supernatural turning from sin replaced by a supernatural love and humility toward others. And it was this kind of repentance that they regarded as the demonstration of the Spirit in revival.

Unfortunately, this is not how revival is thought of in super-supernaturalism. Exorcisms, mayhem, faintings, and other temporary emotional experiences are enough for many to claim revival. American Christianity counts “decisions” to track revival, while Whitefield and Edwards point us to evaluating lasting moral transformation. What is worse, is the possibility that the supernatural manifestations that many point to today as evidence for revival are actually satanic delusions to distract us from the real work of God that is the conviction of sin, and lasting conversion from it. Which is why we hope the next spiritual revival will be known for Christ-like character rather than pop-culture charisma.

It is not simply historicists who have been concerned with the spiritual deception that is abundant in super-supernaturalism today. Well known NT scholar Michael Green, a long-time leader of super-supernaturalism in Britain, writes in his commentary on Matthew 7:21-23:

How evil are the fruits to be found in many professing Christians! . . . . a religion that takes refuge in charismatic jargon about prophecy, or miraculous healings, or the driving out of demons, but may not even really know Jesus, and does not really do the will of the heavenly Father (22-23). . . . I fear that so much that passes as Christianity will shrivel up in the day of judgment and be found to be bogus and worthless. ^[18]

Of course there has been true spiritual revival in super-supernaturalism, just as there has been in other evangelistic branches of Christendom in the last century. However, because of the doctrinal shallowness and unbiblical discernment of super-supernatural Christianity, we believe it has been a primary breeding ground for false conversions. One piece of evidence for this may be the number of “charismatic Christians” present in churches that do not believe or preach the Gospel. Along these lines, Christian researcher George Barna writes:

Many people believe that charismatic Christianity is almost exclusively a Protestant phenomenon. However, the research showed that one-third of all U.S. Catholics (36%) fit the charismatic classification. Framed differently, almost one-quarter of all charismatics in the U.S. (22%) are Catholic. ^[19]

In addition, and contrary to the belief of many, the survey noted that people in “non-charismatic churches” give financially significantly more than those in “Pentecostal” churches. Nevertheless, how confident are we that 36% of Roman Catholics in America are regenerated Christians? How many Roman Catholic “charismatics” then are not Christians? And if so many “charismatics” can be false Christians in Roman Catholicism, then why would be doubt it would be widespread elsewhere?

Indeed, there has been evangelistic revival in our country over the last 50 years, but historically, the saving faith that occurs in genuine revival, is quickly infiltrated and diluted with false faith. ^[20] Jonathan Edwards noted this regarding the Great Awakening:

His suspicions grew after he left Northampton and reflected back on the revivals and his own interpretations of events as presented in his earlier revival writings. In a letter to Thomas Gillespie, a fellow revivalist on the other side of the Atlantic, dated July 1, 1751, Edwards writes:

There was a very glorious work of God wrought in Northampton, and there were numerous instances of saving conversion; though undoubtedly many were deceived, and deceived others; and the number of true converts was not so great as was then imagined. ^[21]

Another expert on revival, D. M. Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) wrote regarding false faith:

Everything that appears to be conversion is not conversion. You will often find people responding to a call forward in a time of excitement or in a highly organized campaign with large numbers. If you ask them afterwards, ‘Why did you go forward?’ they will often say, ‘I don’t know.’ And that is the truth-they do not know. It was the power of suggestion; seeing others going forward, they felt an impulse to go and to do the same thing [without thinking]. ^[22]

Accordingly, Dr. Carson writes concerning the fakes described in the parable of the sower and the seed (cf. Matt 13:1-23) that they, “are always numerous in times of revival and were so in Jesus’ ministry.” ^[23] Unfortunately, super-supernaturalism’s frequent focus on spectacular occurrences and claims instead of abiding supernatural virtue has made it even more vulnerable to a perverted revival.

Accordingly, Dr. Carson writes:

In the entire history of the church, has there ever been another generation with so many nominal Christians and so few real (i.e. obedient) ones? And where nominal Christianity is compounded by spectacular profession, it is especially likely to manufacture its own false assurance. ^[24]

Far too many people today believe they are Christians because of merely a spiritual experience. We read of such people in Hebrews who had “once been enlightened . . . tasted the heavenly gift . . . shared in the Holy Spirit . . . tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age” . . . but who “fall away [parapesontas]” living a life that “produces thorns and thistles.” People producing this kind of “fruit” will “in the end . . . be burned” because even though they experienced many great spiritual things, they did not experience the even “better things . . . things that accompany [real] salvation” (Heb 6:4-9).

False faith can experience and enjoy all kinds of stimulating spiritual events, but this is not a sufficient sign of saving faith. Dr. Carson speaks of the deceptive nature of spiritual experiences when he writes:

There are several different ways to become self-deluded about spiritual things. For example, it is possible to enjoy some sort of unique spiritual experience and live in its glow at the expense of ongoing spiritual experience and sustained practical obedience.

I heard of a man who enjoyed what he took to be a special outpouring of God’s blessing upon him. He felt himself transported with Paul to the third heaven. So momentous was the event that he wrote it all up in a paper to which he gave the title, “My Experience.”

The months slipped past, and he became indifferent to spiritual things. At first he preserved the form, and hauled out his manuscript to show various visitors. But as months turned into years, even the form of godliness was abandoned, and his experience lay forgotten in a dusty drawer.

Many years later a minister came calling. The man, thinking to impress his visitor, called upstairs to his wife, asking her to bring down “My Experience.” She rummaged around until she found the tattered document, and replied, “I’m sorry, dear, but your experience is rather moth-eaten.” Just so, the man had lulled himself into irresponsible spiritual apathy by coasting along on the memory of some past experience. . . .

Another form of self-delusion, however, is evident in Matthew 7:21-23. It is not so much that the false claimant lulls himself into spiritual apathy, as that he mistakes loud profession and supernatural, almost magical formulations and experiences, for true spirituality and genuine godliness. Obedience is neglected. The pressure of the spectacular has excluded the stability of growing conformity to the Father’s will.

Because he seems to be getting results, immediate results, spectacular results, he feels he is close to the center of true religion. His success indices are soaring; God must be blessing him. Surely God will understand and sympathize if there is not always enough time for prayer, self-examination, or conscious repentance. The results are the important thing.

If the truth gets a trifle bent, it’s only because the supporters need to hear certain things. And is it wise to run the risk of driving off such supporters by talking about the narrow way? Just as Nixon’s closest aides could talk themselves into believing that their cause was more important than their ethics, so these religious extroverts convince themselves that their success-oriented spectacular victories are more important than the nitty gritty of consistent discipleship. ^[25]

Unfortunately, the lack of discernment, courage, and conviction in Christianity today encourages the spread of deception in super-supernaturalism regarding its “revival” of conversions and miraculous gifts. It is this same lack of virtue in the Church that has led to a growing habit of welcoming practicing and unrepentant homosexuals as brothers and sisters in Christ. This is despite clear and repeated biblical warnings that people with such a lifestyle are “wicked,” that Christians should “not be deceived” by them, and that they are not a part of God’s kingdom today, nor will they be in the future unless they repent (cf. 1 Cor 6:9-10; cf. Rom 1:26-27; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:5-6). A Church that will not defend its borders from such obvious apostates will hardly be a match for the fakes who perform supernatural deeds in the name of Jesus.

When will we wake up and believe Christ that not everything supernatural is holy? Why are we so afraid to misjudge a “backsliding Christian” as an unbeliever, but have no fear of allowing fakes to exist and minister in our midst? When will we heed the Apostle’s warning that there will be:

false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Cor 11:13-15)

What church do you know that could receive the same praise the Ephesian church received from Christ when He said: “I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be Apostles but are not, and have found them false” (Rev 2:2)? Is it because there are no longer “wicked men,” and “deceitful workmen,” in God’s Church who “masquerade as servants of righteousness”? On the contrary, they are in abundance.

It is not servants of satan that the Church lacks today. Rather, what modern Christians are dangerously deficient in is leaders with discernment to hold on to sound doctrine and the courage to enforce it. The Church simply does not understand the depth, breadth, power, and danger of demonic deception, ^[26] and this is demonstrated most clearly by the fact that we embrace many, many, more fakes than we excommunicate.

Besides popularity, what else does super-supernaturalists claim to be proof that God has given them a unique and superior experience of the Holy Spirit over other Christians? Miracles of course. The very thing that Christ said “many. . . evildoers” will perform in the Church. Accordingly, there is good reason to be alarmed by super-supernaturalism’s claims of the miraculous when all of them, without exception, can be observed just as supernaturally among contemporary cults, witch doctors, fortune tellers, Buddhists, and New Agers, as we document elsewhere. ^[27]

Unfortunately, the more supernatural the claims in an unbiblical environment, the more likely that the phenomena cannot be explained in terms of simply a different Christian culture, philosophy of ministry, or fleshly emotionalism. ^[28] It must be conceded that many experiences within super-supernaturalism are actually supernatural, and because there are only two sources of such things, it would seem imperative that we discern what the source of these experiences are.

A.6) Demonic distraction from real revival

In fact, instead of super-supernaturalism being at the forefront of real spiritual revival as so many claim, it is possible that it has in fact been one of satan’s most effective tools to distract, dilute, and derail the spiritual revival that has actually taken place in the last few decades, because they allowed their lack of discernment, puffed up egos, and pandering to pagan cultural values get the best of them. This is precisely what the real history of revivals teaches us.

Accordingly, the well known Baptist leader and author Henry Blackaby, someone who has led and observed considerable and genuine spiritual revival himself, writes:

Paradoxically, one of the times satan’s voice is heard the loudest is during periods of spiritual revival. When revival takes place, large numbers of people are moved to repentance. That’s a time to be on guard as much as ever for satan’s interference. He cannot fight against the Holy Spirit, so he tries to mislead God’s people by producing “counterfeit revival.”

Throughout history God’s obvious opponents have not quenched the Holy Spirit’s work as much as his supposed supporters have. During the First Great Awakening, America was blessed with some great Christian leaders. God worked powerfully through men such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield to turn the nation back to Christ. Others rose up as Christian leaders but ultimately promoted questionable doctrines and unbiblical theology. Caught up in the emotional fervor of revival, they and those who followed them failed to ground their teachings in God’s Word.

One scholar noted: “Without question, the rise of the fanatical element coincided with the decline of the spiritual power of the Awakening. Those who spoke most loudly of being led by the Spirit were the very persons responsible for quenching the Spirit’s work.”

Henry Alline, an itinerant preacher in the Canadian Maritimes, observed during his travels: “But O how common it is in a time of revival, for many to be deceived, and to take up with something short of Christ. . . . But O how apt are young Christians to be led stray, being so fond of everything that appears like the power of God, that they receive almost anything that has a zeal, not considering, that when God is at work, that then is the time for the devil to counterfeit. ^[29]

Just as Dr. Blackaby suggests, the lack of courage, sound doctrine, and discernment on the part of too many leaders in the Great Awakening essentially ruined it in the opinion of its foremost founders.

No super-supernaturalist today has even come close to being used in spiritual revival to the degree that George Whitefield was, and he warned of the worthlessness of super-supernaturalism when he wrote:

Great need have you, my brethren, at this time to take the Apostle’s advice and to try the spirits whether they be of God. For the devil is beginning to mimic God’s work and, because terrors will not do, he is now transforming himself into an angel of light, in order more effectually to gain his point.

Brother________, as well as brother _________, I believe, imagines there will be a power given to work miracles. . . . But, alas! what need is there of miracles, such as healing sick bodies and restoring sight to blind eyes, when we see greater miracles done every day by the power of God’s Word? Do not the spiritually blind now see? Are not the spiritually dead now raised and the leprous souls now cleansed, and have not the poor the Gospel preached to them? And if we have the thing already which such miracles were only intended to introduce, why should we tempt God in requiring further signs?” ^[30]

Along the same lines, John Wesley (1703-1791) during this time, wrote a Miss Bolton as follows:

George Bell, William Green and others, then full of love, were favoured with extraordinary revelations and manifestations from God. But by this very thing, satan beguiled them from the simplicity of life in Christ. By insensible degrees they were led to value these extraordinary gifts more than the ordinary grace of God: this, my dear friend, makes me fear for you. ^[31]

Likewise, Jonathan Edwards, recognized by all as the foremost authority on the Great Awakening, flat out blamed super-supernaturalism for its demise. Writing in reference to the year 1742 Mr. Edwards wrote:

The work continued more pure till we were infected from abroad; our people hearing of, and some of them seeing, the work in other places, where there was a greater visible commotion than here, and the outward appearances were more extraordinary, were ready to think that the work in those places far excelled what was amongst us, and their eyes were dazzled with the high profession and great show that some made, who came hither from other places. ^[32]

Likewise, in his monumental treatise on the very topic of discerning divine from demonic revival, Edwards wrote:

It is a hard thing to be a hearty zealous friend of what has been good and glorious, in the late extraordinary appearances, and to rejoice much in it; and at the same time to see the evil and pernicious tendency of what has been bad, and earnestly to oppose that. But yet, I am humbly but fully persuaded, we shall never be in the way of truth, nor go on in a way acceptable to God, and tending to the advancement of Christ’s kingdom till we do so. There is indeed something very mysterious in it, that so much good, and so much bad, should be mixed together in the church of God. . . .

It is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and kingdom of Christ, all along hitherto. It is by this means, principally, that he has prevailed against all revivings of religion, that ever have been since the first founding of the Christian church. . . .

So the same cunning serpent, that beguiled Eve through his subtlety, by perverting us from the simplicity that is in Christ, hath suddenly prevailed to deprive us of that fair prospect, we had a little while ago, of a kind of paradisaic state of the church of God in New England. . . .

And so it is ever likely to be in the church, whenever religion revives remarkably, till we have learned well to distinguish between true and false religion, between saving affections and experiences, and those manifold fair shows, and glistering appearances, by which they are counterfeited; the consequences of which, when they are not distinguished, are often inexpressibly dreadful.

By this means, the devil gratifies himself, by bringing it to pass, that that should be offered to God, by multitudes, under a notion of a pleasing acceptable service to him, that is indeed above all things abominable to him. By this means he deceives great multitudes about the state of their souls; making them think they are something, when they are nothing; and so eternally undoes them; and not only so, but establishes many in a strong confidence of their eminent holiness, who are in God’s sight some of the vilest of hypocrites. . . .

It is by such sort of religion as this, chiefly, that satan transforms himself into an angel of light; and it is that which he has ever most successfully made use of to confound hopeful and happy revivals of religion, from the beginning of the Christian church to this day. When the Spirit of God is poured out, to begin a glorious work, then the old serpent, as fast as possible, and by all means, introduces this bastard religion, and mingles it with the true; which has from time to time soon brought all things into confusion.

The pernicious consequence of it is not easily imagined or conceived of, until we see and are amazed with the awful effects of it, and the dismal desolation it has made. If the revival of true religion be very great in its beginning, yet if this bastard comes in, there is danger of its doing as Gideon’s bastard Abimelech did, who never left until he had slain all his threescore and ten true-born sons, excepting one, that was forced to fly.

Great and strict therefore should be the watch and guard that ministers maintain against such things, especially at a time of great awakening: for men, especially the common people, are easily bewitched with such things; they having such a glaring and glistering show of high religion; and the devil biding his own shape, and appearing as an angel of light, that men may not be afraid of him, but may adore him. ^[33]

Accordingly, the charismatic teacher Hank Hanegraaff writes in his own book, Counterfeit Revival, which exposes the unbiblical, fraudulent, and demonic nature of the ministries of many celebrities in modern super-supernaturalism:

In the end the “peculiarities of wild enthusiasts” spelled the demise of the Great Awakening. The powerful expositional preaching of men like Edwards, with its emphasis on esteem for Christ, an eternal perspective, essential Christian doctrine, and ego-effacing love, was replaced by excesses, errors, and extremes. The turning point, in Edward’s estimation, came when enthusiastic endorsers of the revival began to entertain and encourage such lying wonders. . . .

As lying signs and wonders took center stage in the Great Awakening, division arose between those who resisted “imprudences and irregularities” and those who promoted them. . . . By 1743 America’s clergy were evenly split over whether the revivals were a work of God or a work of the devil. . . . By the beginning of the American Revolution (1776) . . . Christianity was once again on the decline. The emotional excitement and spiritual effects of the Great Awakening had deteriorated into apathy and indifference. . . .

While the First Great Awakening had emphasized the rational understanding of essential Christian doctrine, it remained for the Second Awakening [e.g. Charles Finney], the next great wave of American revivalism, to advance almost purely emotional Christianity to a central position in popular American religion. In the First Great Awakening excesses had been the byproduct of revival; in the Second they would be the bottom line. ^[34]

Unfortunately, we would suggest that the American Church has allowed precisely what Edwards warned against. Just as he saw the true spiritual revival in his day be swallowed up with deceptions of the supernatural, so we have experienced the same great tragedy today. To the extent that super-supernaturalism is not of the Spirit, but merely feelings and mistaken emotions, then it is simply a new religion, and not a revival. Accordingly, NT scholar Thomas Edgar has written concerning modern super-supernaturalism:

That their numbers are growing, that the followers are enthusiastic, and that there are alleged miracles are not evidence that the phenomena are from the Holy Spirit, since all these occur in other religions. ^[35]

What super-supernaturalism has claimed as a revival of authentic Christianity has actually turned into a great demonic delusion. Accordingly, Mark I. Bubeck, pastor, popular author, and noted counselor of demonized persons shares the following warning in his classic book The Adversary. After sharing some historical information regarding what he feels were demonically influenced phenomena during the Welsh Revivals and commenting on Christ’s warning of demonic counterfeits, he shares his own warning:

The tendency in revival or any spiritual movement is to accept all supernatural manifestations as being authored by God. Such a tendency, according to these warnings of our Lord [Mt. 24:24-25], is very dangerous. This is why the Word of God calls upon believers to test the spirits to measure and evaluate with care that which appears to be good.

As stated earlier, the Holy Spirit will not be offended by this trying of the spirits. He is the One who told us to do it. This is one of the reasons I am greatly concerned about some segments of the Charismatic movement, with its broad emphasis upon the baptism of the Spirit and the experience of speaking in tongues. A spirit of caution is rarely heard by proponents of Charismatic gifts.

Luke 11:11-13 and Matthew 7:9-11 are often used to prove that there is no danger of wicked powers deceiving when you are asking for the Holy Spirit and good gifts from God. What is forgotten is that this same Lord is the One who urged us to try the spirits and to believe not every spirit. If I seek some experience which does not have a sound biblical foundation, I am opening my life to some deceiving spirit to come as an angel of light. . . . All experience must be measured and understood in the light of the truth of the Word. Error that is contrary to God’s Word must be repudiated, renounced, and removed from one’s life and practice, or Satan will soon move in advantage against him.

I have many friends and loved ones who are ardent advocates of the Charismatic movement and do not see the dangers I seek to bring to view. I do not mean this expressed caution to be a blanket condemnation of the movement or of them. However, I have had to deal with too many oppressed and afflicted people, who have opened their lives to demonic forces while seeking some supernatural experience, not to sound the alarm. ^[36]

A.7) A superior immorality, instead of spirituality: Hinn & Haggard

How then can we discern a demonic revival from a divine one? First of all, again, it is not its popularity. Remember, the road to Hell is popular and real Christianity will always be in a minority (cf. Matt 7:13-14). As we have repeated and demonstrated throughout KOG, the only real way to tell the difference between the divine and demonic is supernatural virtue, not popularity or power. ^[37] It is private and persevering virtue that most clearly separates the fakes from those who are genuinely empowered with the Holy Spirit (cf. Matt 7:15-20; Gal 5:6, 22-25). In other words, the people who know our true spiritual condition the best are those spouses, children, and friends who understand what a real disciple of Christ looks like, and know who we are when the public is not looking.

Do we then accept the following testimony supplied by Doug Bannister as proof of a superior and unique work of God the Holy Spirit?:

Vicky prayed for [Mark] to receive the baptism of the Spirit. “My whole body heated up. The Spirit was all over me.” Two weeks later, Mark received the gift of tongues. As he tells me these things, Mark’s six foot-five-inch frame shifts back and forth on the padded chair he’s sitting on-clearly, these are powerful memories. “After we were married, we started a prayer group. It exploded-twenty, forty, eighty came out. We had it all-tongues, healings, words of knowledge. I felt like I had gone from death to life.”

“People were coming in off the street, getting saved,” Vicky recalls. “But something wasn’t right. My understanding of the gospel then was, ‘Make Jesus your Savior [how about Lord?], be baptized in the Spirit, experience his gifts.’ We were at church all the time, but . . . ”

“We had an unhealthy relationship,” Mark adds, finishing Vicky’s sentence. “I was abusive to my wife. I was looking at pornography even while my ministry was exploding. Christianity had become one experience after another. I thought the goal was to get people to receive the Baptism [i.e. speak in tongues]. But I wasn’t in the Word. The Word was what we were missing.” A series of painful circumstances resulted in their leaving that church and dropping out of church entirely for several years. ^[38]

Are we really to believe that these people experienced a unique and superior blessing of the Holy Spirit when their lives were marked by a lack of love and holiness? Does the “success” of their prayer group lead us to conclude differently? The fact that Pastor Bannister would even present this as a testimony of the unique and superior experience of the Holy Spirit occurring in “power churches” as he puts it, reveals his own deep deception about the real fruits of God the Spirit. Biblically speaking, the Holy Spirit does not manifest itself in physical heat as claimed above, but in practical holiness. Which again, is a reason why we do not believe super-supernaturalism is being blessed with any kind of unique or superior ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Accordingly, and unfortunately, super-supernatural Christianity is generally known for its immorality rather than its holiness. In fact, if you named the half dozen or so most influential super-supernaturalists since the 1970’s, you find a very sad history of moral failure. Ones like Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Kathryn Kuhlman, Benny Hinn, and Ted Haggard were and are plenty popular, but are not known today by most for their Christian spirituality. They have simultaneously been the most popular and influential super-supernaturalists and the most embarrassing moral failures in all the history of American Evangelicalism.

Compare the morality and reputation of those above with the half dozen or so most influential leaders of “non-charismatic” churches and ministries during the same time. Ones like Billy Graham, Luis Palau, D. James Kennedy, Charles Swindoll, John MacArthur, Bill Hybels, and Max Lucado are known for their spirituality. It is safe to say, in fact, that the leadership of super-supernaturalism has embarrassed Evangelicalism a great deal more because of immorality than their counterparts in historicism.

We do not relish pointing this out, as we have shared in the embarrassment. However, any movement that claims to be experiencing a unique and superior ministry of the Holy Spirit should manifest a unique and superior holiness. Yet, sadly, as we document more fully elsewhere, ^[39] the foremost founders and leaders of super-supernaturalism have actually exhibited a great deal of lying, greed, spiritual immaturity, and gross immorality. Here, two contemporary examples will suffice to illustrate our point. Again, the question we are asking is are we really to believe that such men are at the forefront of leading the Church into a greater ministry of the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps the most successful super-supernaturalist to date is Benny Hinn, who claims all kinds of miraculous gifts including prophecy, tongues, healing, and particularly the ability to “slay” people in the Spirit. He has drawn crowds of hundreds of thousands all over the world. His thirty-minute TV program This Is Your Day, is among the world’s most-watched Christian programs. Nonetheless, elsewhere we document Mr. Hinn’s fraudulent healing claims and false prophecies. ^[40]

Mr. Hinn relates that when he witnessed the popular faith “healer” Kathryn Kuhlman (1907-1976) “slaying people in the Spirit,” he exclaimed, “I’ve got to have this . . . I want what Kathryn Kuhlman’s got. I wanted it with every atom and fiber within me.” ^[41] Why? There is absolutely no biblical support for such a practice. ^[42] Nonetheless, the real reason becomes apparent when we note that Mr. Hinn’s “gift” has earned him world wide fame and untold millions of dollars. In addition, the whole thing is a little spooky when Mr. Hinn admits that he frequently visits Ms. Kuhlman’s gravesite to replenish “the anointing” from her bones. ^[43]

Mr. Hinn’s greed is well-documented. One chronicler relates:

On the April 2nd TBN [Trinity Broadcasting Network] program, Benny Hinn claimed that God is about to make a major move to anoint the people of God, as soon as Israel signs a treaty with the ailing Hafez Al-Assad of Syria, which will likely be within the next year [This never happened]. This will signal the impending large scale shift of financial wealth from the wicked to those obedient to God.

But, in order to benefit from this unprecedented supernatural anointing, you must be obedient to God and sow your financial seed (to TBN) now! . . . . In fact, Benny revealed that God is even now healing those who call in their contributions to TBN. But this is not selling healing for money, he says, it is God blessing those who are truly obedient and worthy to receive his coming unusual anointing! Indeed, God will even be saving people you know as you are calling in your pledge to TBN. . . .

The implication is that you will be bypassed by God and miss out on the supernatural anointing to come if you are not totally obedient to God and call in your pledge to TBN now! ^[44]

Such swindling is habitual in Mr. Hinn’s ministry.

In December of 2002 NBC Dateline aired an investigative report on Mr. Hinn and reported that he had raised millions of dollars for a healing center, then cancelled its construction. Likewise, he raised millions more for an orphanage in Mexico, and claimed on his website that it would be completed in a few months. However, at that time, Mexican officials claimed that Benny Hinn’s ministry hadn’t even applied for a building permit yet. During the Dateline segment they flew over one of Mr. Hinn’s multi-million dollar mansions in Texas. In December 2006, Mr. Hinn sent out a mailing asking for donations towards a new Gulfstream G4SP jet valued at an estimated $36 million and costing over $600,000 per year to operate.

Not surprisingly, in March 2005, Ministry Watch, an independent Evangelical organization which reviews Christian ministries for financial transparency and efficiency and advises potential donors accordingly, issued a Donor Alert stating that “the reported exorbitant spending of the Hinn family reveals that Benny Hinn Ministries has far more money than it needs to carry out its ministry” and advising Christians to “prayerfully consider withholding contributions to Benny Hinn” while praying for his restoration and repentance.

Even so, Mr. Hinn refuses to be a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Understandably, in 2008 he was chosen by Congressman Charles Grassley for a U. S. Senate investigation into the fraudulent use of charitable contributions. ^[45] Such overwhelming greed disqualifies him to even be a minister (cf. 1 Tim 3:3; Tit 1:7; 1 Pet 5:2), let alone a Prophet, and brings even his salvation into grave doubt. If ever there was a candidate for one of the “many” who “prophesy,” “cast out demons,” and “perform many miracles” in the name of Jesus, but in the end will be called a damned “evil doer” by the very one they profess to serve, it is Benny Hinn.

If Benny Hinn is the foremost showman of super-supernaturalism, Ted Haggard was its foremost statesman and became contemporary Evangelicalism’s greatest embarrassment. In one man, Mr. Haggard simultaneously demonstrates the heights to which super-supernaturalism has been embraced, and the moral depths to which its most influential leaders have sunk.

As a graduate of Oral Roberts University, Mr. Haggard was indoctrinated in super-supernatural doctrines and practices. Nonetheless, in 2003, Mr. Haggard was appointed as the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. In just a matter of 30 some years super-supernaturalism had gone from being ostracized almost universally by Evangelicals, to being so respected as to choose a super-supernaturalist to lead and represent them. They would soon greatly regret that decision.

In 2005 Mr. Haggard was listed by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential Evangelicals in America. Around the same time, author Jeff Sharlet reported that Mr. Haggard “talks to . . . [President] Bush or his advisers every Monday” and stated at that time that “no pastor in America holds more sway over the political direction of Evangelicalism.”

Unfortunately, at the time that he was apparently having weekly meetings with the White House to represent Evangelical Christianity, he was also having almost monthly meetings with a male prostitute to engage in oral sex. In November 2006, prostitute Mike Jones alleged that Mr. Haggard had paid Jones to engage in sex with him for three years and had also purchased and used methamphetamine.

At first, Mr. Haggard claimed he had never met his accuser and in a television interview said “I am steady with my wife. I’m faithful to my wife,” and that he had never engaged in homosexual behavior. However, a few days later, he admitted in a written statement:

The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. . . . I am a deceiver and a liar. There’s a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life.

Even yet, Mr. Haggard’s repentance is questionable. After initially agreeing to be under the authority of a team of Pastors for accountability, in February of 2008, the new Pastor at New Life Church, former home to Mr. Haggard, issued a press release announcing that Mr. Haggard had requested to leave the team created to “restore” him and that as Mr. Haggard’s restoration is “incomplete,” he was not welcome to return to New Life.

Even before this, in August 2007, Mr. Haggard had released a statement asking for money to help support his family while he pursued a degree in counseling. Following this request for money, a member of Mr. Haggard’s restoration team said he should have consulted with them before releasing a statement. His restoration team issued a public statement that Mr. Haggard’s request was “inappropriate” and that he was, “a little ahead of himself.”

News media pointed to his reported income: in 2006, he received $115,000 and an $85,000 anniversary bonus shortly before the scandal broke. After the scandal broke, the board of trustees of New Life Church agreed to give him a $138,000 severance. Additionally, the Haggard family owned a home in Colorado Springs, Colorado that was valued at more than $700,000 and Mr. Haggard was still receiving royalties from books he had authored.

Questions also surfaced about the tax-exempt group Mr. Haggard had asked that donations be sent to, on his behalf. He had promised that 10% of the donations would be given to this organization, but according to the Colorado Secretary of State, the organization had already been dissolved.

Surely Mr. Haggard represents both the political and cultural “success” of super-supernaturalism and the very depths of the immorality for which its foremost leaders have been known for, which we have documented here and elsewhere. ^[46]

Let us contrast this for a moment with Brother Yun, a leader of the house church movement in China. He does not ascribe to the doctrines and practices of super-supernaturalism, and yet has seen more real revival and miracles than any super-supernaturalist. And his humility, holiness, and simplicity are in stark contrast as well. Accordingly, Gordon Hickson, Co-ordinator of the Back to Jerusalem Foundation which Brother Yun founded, writes:

I have been working closely with Brother Yun and Back to Jerusalem now for several years. During this time I have organized many dozens of meetings for Brother Yun throughout the United Kingdom. . . . The truth is that Brother Yun does not handle a cent of any money that comes in from his meetings anywhere in the world. This has always been the case. He never emphasises donations at all, and has never asked a single person for anything except their prayers.

Our experience of Brother Yun in the UK, and other parts of Europe, has been nothing but exemplary. He has personally had a massive impact on the Church in the UK, both through his book and the many meetings he has held with a view to awakening the UK Church to their Missions calling and responsibility. We highly honour his integrity, humility, accountability, and financial transparency. . . .

The BTJ Foundation is totally accountable and our finances are audited annually. Our books are open for inspection and anyone is welcome to see them. We are accountable to a board of trustees and all our activities and actions are conducted with integrity.

Additionally, we have a statement regarding Brother Yun’s ministry from Pastor Waldemar Sardaczuk, Honourable President of Aktionskommitee fur Verfolgte Christen (AVC):

Brother Yun and his family have been living with us in Nidda, Germany for many years. We’ve got to know him and his wife very well. They are members of our church and are a great testimony in their walk with God. . . . As with all men of God who are used by the Lord, Brother Yun has been the object of much slander, attack and jealousy.

I can shed some light on the daily life of Brother Yun and his family. They live here in our town in very moderate conditions. They live in a comparatively small apartment, which they rent. Neither he nor any of his family members drive or own a car. They are totally focused on ministering for the Lord, and have little concern for material things. His manner of life, his conduct, and his family are in accordance with the bible. ^[47]

If “charismatic” Christians truly wish to make a believable claim that God is giving them a unique and superior experience of the power of the Holy Spirit, then they had better be able to demonstrate a spiritual uniqueness and superiority that would reflect this. And as Jesus clearly taught, it will not and cannot be physical miracles (cf. Matt 7:15-27), as super-supernaturalists constantly claim. As we have repeatedly pointed out, the only possible and biblical evidence of such a privileged experience of the Holy Spirit would be superior holiness, and nobody, including “charismatics” claim or can demonstrate such a thing over other born again Christians.

Accordingly, Dr. Edgar has written:

All groups and doctrinal persuasions of Christendom have experienced theological and moral problems with both their leaders and laymen. As other Christians have experienced, so a number of charismatic leaders have led lives that are morally or ethically contrary to Scripture. If not more common, this is at least as common as among non-charismatics. Therefore it may be safely concluded that all the alleged miracles and so-called tongues-speaking have not produced any genuine spiritual advance over non-charismatics. It has produced enthusiasm for the miraculous, but this is not to be equated with spirituality. . . .

Is it not amazing that a movement that claims to have restored power for service, ability to communicate with God more than others have, ability for self-edification [through tongues], power to heal and perform other miracles, and ability to prophesy and receive direct revelation, has produced no significant advance in spirituality? . . . . Other than [emotional] enthusiasm there seems to be no spiritual advantage to this movement and the non-charismatics are not missing out on any genuine spiritual benefit.

On the negative side the movement has split churches, and through its televangelists the movement has had one of the most significant negative impacts on the testimony of the church in recent history. These characteristics are evidence that the charismatic phenomena are not the New Testament phenomena, that the genuine gifts are not present. ^[48]

We agree with many super-supernatural teachers that the movement is a sign that the return of Christ is near. But for different reasons. Super-supernaturalists claim that their miracles point to the return of Christ. However, there is no biblical evidence that this is the case. ^[49] Rather, Christ warned that there would be a rise of false prophets and false miracle workers (cf. Matt 24:11) and Paul warned of increased wickedness among professing believers (cf. 2 Tim 3:1-9), and decreasing doctrinal integrity (cf. 2 Tim 4:3-4).

While the super-supernaturalist run after their “miracles,” let us strive to, “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim 4:12), which are the real proof of a real experience of the real Holy Spirit. Accordingly, we will end here with how Jonathan Edwards ended what is universally considered by Christian scholarship to be the most insightful treatise on discerning true revival. What Edwards concludes should be incredibly convicting regarding how we have accepted the super-supernaturalist “revival.” In the very last words of this monumental treatise Jonathan Edwards wrote:

Our discerning, with regard to the hearts of men, is not much to be trusted. We can see but a little way into the nature of the soul, and the depths of man’s heart. The ways are so many whereby persons’ affections may be moved without any supernatural influence . . . that no philosophy or experience will ever be sufficient to guide us safely through this labyrinth and maze, without our closely following the clue which God has given us in his word. . . . If we do otherwise, no wonder if we are bewildered, confounded, and fatally deluded.

But if we had got into the way of looking chiefly at those things, which Christ and his apostles and prophets chiefly insisted on, and so in judging of ourselves and others, chiefly regarding practical exercises and effects of grace, not neglecting other things; it would be of manifold happy consequence; it would above all things tend to the conviction of deluded hypocrites, and to prevent the delusion of those whose hearts were never brought to a thorough compliance with the straight and narrow way which leads to life;

it would tend to deliver us from innumerable perplexities, arising from the various inconsistent schemes there are about methods and steps of experience; it would greatly tend to prevent professors neglecting strictness of life, and tend to promote their engagedness and earnestness in their Christian walk; and it would become fashionable for men to show their Christianity, more by an amiable distinguished behavior, than by an abundant and excessive declaring their experiences; and we should get into the way of appearing lively in religion, more by being lively in the service of God and our generation, than by the liveliness and forwardness of our tongues,

and making a business of proclaiming on the house tops, with our mouths, the holy and eminent acts and exercises of our own hearts; and Christians that are intimate friends, would talk together of their experiences and comforts, in a manner better becoming Christian humility and modesty, and more to each other’s profit; their tongues not running before, but rather going behind their hands and feet, after the prudent example of the blessed apostle, 2 Cor. 12:6,

and many occasions of spiritual pride would be cut off; and so a great door shut against the devil; and a great many of the main stumbling-blocks against experimental and powerful religion would be removed; and religion would be declared and manifested in such a way that, instead of hardening spectators, and exceedingly promoting infidelity and atheism, would, above all things, tend to convince men that there is a reality in religion, and greatly awaken them, and win them, by convincing their consciences of the importance and excellency of religion. Thus the light of professors would so shine before men, that others, seeing their good works, would glorify their Father which is in heaven. ^[50]

B) A Compromise with Pagan Culture

If super-supernaturalism cannot claim a privileged experience of the Holy Spirit as the reason for its popularity, what other factors may be in play? Essentially, as noted above, we would suggest that cultural factors, rather than spiritual factors, have been behind any unique growth in the movement. Accordingly, in a report from the Barna Research Group on “charismatic Christianity” we read:

The movement toward charismatic Christianity coincides with several cultural shifts, according to author George Barna, who directed the research projects.

“The charismatic orientation is most popular among the non-white population – which is, of course, the sector of the population that is growing most rapidly. Also, the freedom of emotional and spiritual expression typical of charismatic assemblies parallels the cultural trend toward personal expression, accepting diverse emotions and allowing people to interpret their experiences in ways that make sense to them,” Barna explained. “It is not surprising that the Pentecostal community in America has been growing – nor do we expect it to stop making headway.” ^[51]

Unfortunately, American Christianity has increasingly abandoned Authentic Christianity and defined spiritual success as numerical growth, popularity, crowds, buildings, financial wealth, political power, dynamic speakers, and spiritual experiences.

As the insightful critic of mere cultural Christianity, A. W. Tozer (1897-1963) put it, right about at the time that super-supernaturalism was gaining steam, “Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity, and bluster make a man dear to God.” ^[52] In general, we believe super-supernaturalism has been especially guilty of redefining Authentic Christianity into doctrines and practices more palatable to our pagan culture. Many throughout the years have made the same observation.

Richard Quebedeaux, a Church historian sympathetic to the super-supernaturalist movement, has written:

It is apparent that with the ever more pervasive rationalization and routinization of life inherent in secularization, the “nonrational,” the ecstatic, has again become appealing. In secular society, it is quite understandable that an experiential religious style . . . has become attractive. Charismatic Renewal . . . owes its growth and spread, emergence, and success, in part, to the new enthusiasm for religious experience in Western culture today. . . . The emergence, development, and success of Neo-Pentecostalism as a religious movement should not be considered in isolation from the trends in society as a whole that have certainly contributed to the movement’s growth. . . .

We have already touched upon the attraction of young people and the middle class more generally to Charismatic Renewal, because it offers something to do and experience now. . . .

The new enthusiasm for religious experience is one of the more surprising developments of the past decade in the larger society. . . . Some are consciously seeking a personal encounter with God; but for others, the search for experience is less consciously religious-involving the use of drugs, certain kinds of music and dancing, even occult practices. In addition, very little patience is apparent in this quest; results are expected immediately. The enthusiasm for experience, and impatience for that experience (“instantism”) are integrally related in modern culture. . . .

In Classical Pentecostalism, much time is often spent by a candidate for Spirit baptism waiting for the initial evidence and/or gift of tongues. It is something that “just happens”-suddenly, sometimes after years of “seeking.” But in Charismatic Renewal, one can expect a much quicker response. Fluency in glossolalia [speaking in tongues], Neo-Pentecostals admit, comes only with much practice (i.e., it is, obviously, a form of “learned behavior”); but the first “sounds” can be articulated almost at once. Neo-Pentecostalism, more than Classical Pentecostalism, accommodates the current enthusiasm for a “full” religious experience now. . . .

[C]ontemporary Western society has also contributed to the emergence and success of Charismatic Renewal. It is easy to understand why, in an age of the resurgence of (1) predictive prophecy, “fore-telling” rather than “forth-telling” (e.g., Jeane Dixon and Edgar Cayce), (2) psychic research (e.g., the late Bishop James Pike), (3) astrology, and (4) interest in the occult. Pentecostal phenomena such as divine healing, glossolalia, prophecy, and exorcism should also be increasingly acceptable and attractive to those who, in past times, would have immediately dismissed such activities as appropriate only for the uninstructed. ^[53]

Likewise, the super-supernaturalist historian Walter Hollenweger makes a convincing case for the fact that Pentecostalism overseas is “a form of Christian syncretism” ^[54] in which adherents are encouraged to weld practices from their previous religions to their Pentecostalism. Examples include “shamanistic forms of religion in Korea” ^[55] and the fact that African Pentecostalism “often entails acceptance of traditional healing practices [i. e. witch-doctoring] as gifts of the Holy Spirit, rather than their proscription as the work of demons as [it was] under many missionaries in the past.” ^[56] Hollenweger notes as well that foreign Pentecostals seem less concerned with discerning practices associated with demonism. ^[57]

Along the same lines, Richard Gaffin, Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster has written:

The phenomenal growth of this movement has no easy or single explanation, but certainly it cannot be understood, at least in the West, apart from larger cultural and subcultural developments in recent decades. Among these, in particular, are a growing disillusionment with our society as a whole and its apparent direction (or lack thereof), and an awareness that things like industrialization, technology and material affluence, on which such high hopes have been set, tend by themselves to disappoint and depersonalize rather than to satisfy basic human needs and aspirations.

Another factor is the “new irrationalism” of the West with its preoccupation with various Eastern religions and other forms of mysticism, in the quest for personal wholeness and experience with genuine emotional depth. ^[58]

Also, Dr. Martyn Percy, Principal of Ripon College, Oxford, notes that one reason for the popularity of super-supernaturalism is:

the type of religion offered—tactile and immediate—is particularly suited to a post-modern world, with its emphasis on [self] fulfillment, healing, the individual and celebration. ^[59]

Likewise, Dr. Carson has made the comment:

So far as I can see, the vision of spirituality in the Vineyard movement might be dubbed a spirituality of power, whether in ostensible miracle or in frequent and private divine disclosure. To assess this vision fairly would take us too far afield, but the least that must be said is that this focus on power caters to the infatuation with triumphalism so disturbingly endemic to modern Western culture. ^[60]

Finally, Erwin Lutzer of Moody Bible Church warns that super-supernaturalism has perhaps followed modern culture’s idolatry concerning the supernatural:

In an age of rampant spirituality we must remember that there are two sides in the spiritual world, and we often confuse the one with the other. We must proclaim with the loudest voice that not everything that is miraculous comes from God! Discernment has never been as important as it is today. With our culture’s heedless plunge into spirituality and the accompanying proliferation of miracles, we must be wary of our generation’s love affair with the supernatural. ^[61]

Several observations can be made at this point. Perhaps the most important is the suggestion that, while authentic Christianity requires the denial of the flesh, super-supernaturalism appeals to this very thing. As we have said, the first reason we would suggest it is not of the Holy Spirit is that for all its claims to a unique and superior experience of the Holy Spirit, super-supernatural Christians are not more spiritual than other Christians, and in fact, their foremost leaders are known for their immorality.

Second, however, is the obvious appeal to the flesh that seems promoted in several of its practices and values. The pursuit and immediate attainment of emotional experiences, Eastern religion-like mysticism, spectacular appearing performances, claims to spiritual superiority and power, a concentration of the “health and wealth gospel,” and the general feel that you are someone special and involved in something special all appeal to the flesh and are promoted in super-supernaturalism.

The tongues phenomenon may especially illustrate this. Sociologically, it provides inclusion into a privileged class of Christians. Spiritually, it promises a more intimate prayer life and relationship with God than those who do not possess the “gift.”

When we note that super-supernaturalism is predominated by a thirst for experiential mysticism, magic, power, wealth, health, and everything unbelievers seek after as well, we are reminded of Isaiah’s description of the idolatrous nation of Israel in his day when he said, “They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans” (Isa 2:6).

Along these lines, we have written elsewhere:

What Church leaders have allowed in American Christianity in general, and emotionalism [another aspect of super-supernaturalism] especially, reminds us of the failed courage, conviction, and integrity of another spiritual leader many years ago. When the Israelites lost patience in waiting for Moses to bring them the word of God, they enticed Aaron to introduce another religion which involved worshipping something they could make and see (a golden calf), and would accordingly appeal to their physical senses (cf. Exod 32:1).

Did this new religion that Aaron allowed promote spiritual virtue? No, rather the Scriptures state they “indulged themselves in pagan revelry ^[62] [tsachaq]” (Exod 32:6 NLT), and exhibited loud “shouting” and “singing,” “dancing,” “running wild,” and being “out of control” and a “laughingstock” all as a “festival to the Lord” (cf. 32:5-6, 18-20, 25. NLT) as Aaron erroneously called it. And he had suggested such a thing “When Aaron saw how excited the people were about” (v. 5 NLT) the new religion.

OT scholars point out that the kind of worship being described here reflects the idolatrous worship practices of the Egyptians whom the Israelites had lived with for centuries. ^[63] The true nature of this worship is revealed when God said He was angry, wanted to destroy the people (v. 10), commanded Moses and the Levites to slaughter 3000 of them (v. 28), and “struck the people with a plague because of what they did” (v. 35). These people were certainly worshipping “in spirit” just not “in truth,” (John 4:23) as God demands.

When Moses arrives, he asks Aaron an important question: “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” (v. 21). Answer: appealed to his ego and need to be popular. And in the process, this high priest with the God-given responsibility to shepherd and protect the people, and set an example of the sacrificial obedience, and spiritual self-control required in any claim to real spirituality, led them on the destructive path of pagan emotionalism. We fear that the same cowardice and egotism has infected far too many churches that have been swayed by feeling-oriented crowds rather than faith-oriented Christianity. ^[64]

Not surprisingly, the Apostle Paul intentionally reminded the Corinthians about this episode of fleshly worship in Exodus (cf. 1 Cor 10:7). Accordingly, it could be said that abuses regarding the miraculous gifts are not the only thing that “charismatic” and Corinthian Christians have in common (cf. 1 Cor 12-14). We do not believe it is coincidence that the Corinthian church was the most “charismatic” congregation in the NT and also the most carnal and spiritually immature.

It is possible that the feeding of the flesh in super-supernaturalism is also demonstrated by the continual change that has occurred in what supposedly miraculous phenomenon is being promoted. At its beginning, tongues was considered the requirement for entry into the movement, and the most important gift that had been restored to the Church. However, as Dr. Edgar notes:

The modern charismatic movement made little impact on the basis of speaking in tongues alone. It was not until “healing” was added that the movement began to grow in significant numbers. ^[65]

Tongues, for many of those who observe it, is rather creepy and anything but attractive. But healing? Now you have an attraction! However, it would seem that significant segments of super-supernaturalism have gotten bored with that as well, and now prophecy has come to the fore, empowering anyone who desires it, an opportunity to address God’s people as if they were God themselves.

And as the climax of attention on the supposed gift of Prophet has perhaps come, we are seeing a new and growing claim that Apostles are being restored to the Church as well. ^[66] What will come next when super-supernaturalism tires of this too? When super-supernaturalists habitually insist that practicing the miraculous gifts is the cure for boredom in the Church instead of sacrificial service to the King, we rather shudder to think what they will come up with next after “slaying,” “laughing,” “rolling,” being “drunk” or “glued,” and uttering obscure gibberish all “in the Spirit” have lost their appeal.

This would suggest another indication that super-supernaturalism is of the flesh rather than the Spirit. Namely, its practitioners commonly grow tired of it. Accordingly, Dr. Percy of Oxford has studied the current state of super-supernaturalism in Britain, noting its recent decline in popularity and influence. These developments may be important for American super-supernaturalism as the British version has generally tracked several years ahead of its American cousin.

One reason that Dr. Percy notes for the decreasing influence of super-supernaturalism is that, although its characteristics drew people because of their apparent freshness and novelty, these now have lost their emotional appeal. This has driven some in Britain back to “mainstream denominational churches.” Dr. Percy writes:

As one leading figure within British Charismatic Christianity said to me recently:

I sense that people are rather bored with charismatic phenomenon, and a bit nervous of just jumping on to the next bandwagon, in case they get their fingers burned again. They’ve had Signs and Wonders, the Kansas City prophets, power evangelism, power healing, deliverance, the “Toronto Blessing,” and more besides. . . . But where has it taken us? I think that people are just tired. ^[67]

We pray that our super-supernatural brethren may enter the real refreshment of the Holy Spirit that comes by denying ourselves and losing our life in sacrificial obedience, rather than seeking merely an emotional experience.

Extras & Endnotes

A Devotion to Dad

Our Father in Heaven, we feel like Nehemiah who surveyed the state of Your city and repented for his people for their idolatry. The amount of doctrinal decay in Your Church is appalling and alarming. Dear God, send us to repair the walls so that the enemy cannot so easily walk in and take advantage of Your people. Help us somehow to have the opportunity to speak the truth in love to rescue some from the false teachings they have fallen into, and to protect others from ever doing so. Oh God, send us with humility and grace, but also with truth!

Gauging Your Grasp

What are the current estimates of those claiming and practicing super-supernatural beliefs?

Given its popularity in the Church, why would we want to question it?

We claim super-supernaturalism cannot claim a unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What facts do we base this on? Do you agree or disagree and why?

In light of the early alarm that super-supernaturalism caused in Evangelical Christianity because of its doctrines and practices, what are several reasons we claim it has become so popular?

What sobering warning do we claim Christ gave concerning modern super-supernaturalism? What are several aspects of this warning? Do you agree or disagree that this warning applies to modern super-supernaturalism?

What biblical and historical examples do we offer to support our claim that it is not popularity, numerical growth, or finances that tell us whether or not a movement is empowered by God?

How would a real world-wide outpouring and experience of the Holy Spirit manifest itself? Are these things in super-supernaturalism?

What do we claim the wide acceptance of super-supernaturalism in the Church says about American Christianity and its leaders? Do you agree or disagree?

What historical support do we provide for the claim that super-supernaturalism has been one of satan’s most effective tools to distract, dilute, and derail the spiritual revival that has actually taken place in the last few decades?

1. What are examples of appalling lack of virtue among the foremost leaders of super-supernaturalism? What is your conclusion regarding this?
2. We claim that while authentic Christianity requires the denial of the flesh, super-supernaturalism appeals to this very thing. Why do we claim that? Do you agree or disagree and why?
3. What similarities do you see between modern super-supernaturalism and the concerns the Apostle Paul had about the Corinthian church?

Publications & Particulars

1. Paul Hiebert, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries (Baker, 1999), 148. ↑

2. Doug Bannister, The Word and Power Church (Zondervan, 1999, 114. ↑

3. As we discuss extensively elsewhere, false faith is much more common and much harder to recognize than most in the Church are willing to believe today. See chapter 6.6. ↑

4. Bannister, 119. ↑

5. Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed and the deception and abilities of false faith demonstrate this. See section 6.6.B. ↑

6. J. P. Moreland, Kingdom Triangle (Zondervan, 2007), 168. ↑

7. Ibid., 167. ↑

8. James White, Scripture Alone: Exploring The Bible’s Accuracy, Authority, And Authenticity, (Bethany House, 2004), 195. ↑

9. Philip Jenkins, Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History (Oxford University Press, 2000), 185-6, 228. ↑

10. Jenkins 69, 227-9. ↑

11. Worse than fakes, we point out elsewhere the very likely possibility that Christ was warning the Church of demonically empowered miracle workers in its midst, of which we fear is quite common in super-supernaturalism. For what we believe was Christ’s warning concerning super-supernaturalism see section 6.6.E. ↑

12. For a detailed discussion of the biblical doctrine of false faith as opposed to saving faith see chapter 6.6. ↑

13. For an introduction to the biblical qualifications for Prophets see section 9.1.B. ↑

14. For further discussion on the biblical qualifications of God-sent miracle workers see chapter 11.1. ↑

15. For further discussion of exorcism see section 11.10.B. ↑

16. The claims of the miraculous happening in super-supernaturalism will be generally exposed as fraudulent elsewhere. See sections 11.7.B.9 and 11.8.E-F. ↑

17. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Prefatory Address; online at http://www.ccel.org. ↑

18. Michael Green, The Message of Matthew (BST) (Intervarsity, 2000), 109. ↑

19. “Is American Christianity Turning Charismatic?,” Jan. 2008; Barna Group; online at http://www.barnagroup.org. ↑

20. For further discussion of the nature of saving and false faith see chapters 6.3 and 6.6. ↑

21. Quoted in Stephen J. Nichols, An Absolute Sort of Certainty: The Holy Spirit and the Apologetics of Jonathan Edwards (Presbyterian and Reformed, 2003), 116. ↑

22. D. M. Lloyd-Jones, The Sovereign Spirit: Discerning the Gifts (Harold Shaw, 1985), 75. ↑

23. D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Frank E. Gaebelein, ed. CD-ROM (Zondervan, n.d.), Matt 13:20-21. ↑

24. D. A. Carson, The Sermon on the Mount (Baker, 1978), 131. ↑

25. Carson, Sermon, 130-131. ↑

26. The Church simply does not understand the depth, breadth, power, and danger of demonic deception. See section 11.11.A. ↑

27. Accordingly, there is good reason to be alarmed by super-supernaturalism’s claims of the miraculous when all of them, without exception, can be observed just as supernaturally among contemporary cults, witch doctors, fortune tellers, Buddhists, and New Agers, as we document elsewhere. See chapter 11.12. ↑

28. For further discussion of the error of emotionalism particularly in charismaticism see chapters 4.10-11. ↑

29. Henry and Richard Blackaby, Hearing God’s Voice (Broadman & Holman, 2003), 191-2. ↑

30. Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, 2 vols. (The Banner of Truth Trust, 1970), 348-9. ↑

31. Hulse. ↑

32. John Gerstner, The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards, 3 vols. (Berea, 1991), I.165. ↑

33. Jonathan Edwards, Treatise on Religious Affections, III.4.4; online at http://www.ccel.org, ↑

34. Hank Hanegraaff, Counterfeit Revival (Word, 1997), 115-116. ↑

35. Thomas R. Edgar, “The Cessation of the Sign Gifts,” Bsac, 145 (1988), 372. ↑

36. Mark I. Bubeck, The Adversary (Moody Press, 1975), 129-130. ↑

37. As we have repeated and demonstrated throughout KOG, the only real way to tell the difference between the divine and demonic is supernatural virtue, not popularity or power. See chapter 11.13. ↑

38. Bannister, 40-41. ↑

39. Regarding the fact that the foremost founders and leaders of super-supernaturalism have actually exhibited a great deal of lying, greed, spiritual immaturity, and gross immorality. see esp. section 11.7.B.9. ↑

40. Nonetheless, elsewhere we document Mr. Hinn’s fraudulent healing claims and false prophecies. See sections 9.11.F.3 and 11.8.F.4. ↑

41. Benny Hinn, Good Morning, Holy Spirit (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), 9, 11-12. ↑

42. Regarding the unbiblical nature of “slaying in the spirit” see section 4.11.B.3. ↑

43. Benny Hinn, “Double Portion Annointing,” Part #3, Orlando Christian Center, Orlando, FL, audiotape, aired on TBN, 4-7-91. ↑

44. http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/tbn.htm. ↑

45. References for these details regarding Benny Hinn can be found at Wikipedia online at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Hinn ↑

46. Surely Mr. Haggard represents both the political and cultural “success” of super-supernaturalism and the very depths of the immorality for which its foremost leaders have been known for, which we have documented here and elsewhere. See esp. section 11.7.B.9. ↑

47. http://www.backtojerusalem.com. ↑

48. Edgar, 385-6 ↑

49. For a discussion of the proper interpretation and application of Joel 2 and Acts 2 see section 8.7.B.2. ↑

50. Edwards, Affections, III.12.2.9. (last words in treatise); online at http://www.ccel.org. ↑

51. “Is American Christianity Turning Charismatic?,” Jan. 2008; Barna Group; online at http://www.barnagroup.org. ↑

52. A. W. Tozer, “The Speaking Voice” as http://www.the-highway.com/voice_Tozer.html. ↑

53. Richard Quebedeaux, The New Charismatics: The Origins, Development, and Significance of Neo-Pentecostalism (Doubleday, 1976), 181, 85-89. ↑

54. Walter J. Hollenweger, Pentecostalism (Hendrickson, 1997), 132. ↑

55. Ibid. ↑

56. Ibid., 254. ↑

57. Ibid., 243. ↑

58. Richard B. Gaffin, “The Holy Spirit” WTJ 43 (Fall 1980) p. 58. ↑

59. ref. unavailable. ↑

60. D. A. Carson, in Power Religion: The Selling Out of the Evangelical Church? (Moody, 1992), 113. ↑

61. Erwin Lutzer, Seven Convincing Miracles (Moody, 1999), 12. ↑

62. In the context of the Apostle Paul’s own reference to this incident in 1 Corinthians, Dr. Anthony Thiselton writes:

    Paul cites the LXX wording, the LXX [paizein] was presumably chosen as the nearest equivalent to the Hebrew which it translated [tsachaq]. BDB renders the Qal form to laugh, but the form used in the context of Exod 32:6 is to make sport, allowing for a probably triple meaning: (i) “letting their hair down” in the absence of Moses with nuances of (ii) idolatrous dancing before the golden calf, and (iii) sexual license approaching orgy – all in contrast to the theological and ethical restraint and sober self-control (cf. 9:24-27) demanded of God’s covenant people.

    This demands a more forceful translation than “to play” (NRSV) and a more sinister nuance than “to revel” (REB). [Pentecostal commentator Gordon] Fee criticizes NIV’s “to indulge in pagan revelry” as reading pagan into the text, but his criticism overlooks Bertram’s exegesis of Exodus 32 in “cultic dancing” or overly harsh in the light of the Hebrew and the context of Exod 32:1-6, where “pagan-like” is implicit. The combination “lifting the lid” of control or restraint, fired by drink, a party mood, and the absence of the patriarchal figure of Moses led to more than mere play. (The First Epistle to the Corinthians [Eerdmans, 2000], 734-5) ↑

63. See for example, C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, who specifically relate it to the manner “in which the Egyptians celebrated their feast of Apis (Herod. 2, 60, and 3, 27).” (Commentary on the Old Testament, Electronic Edition STEP Files CD-ROM [Findex.com, 2000]). ↑

64. Excerpted from section 4.11.D. ↑

65. Edgar, 376. ↑

66. Regarding the growing claim that Apostles are being restored to the Church see section 8.5.B. ↑

67. ref. unavailable. ↑