The Myth of Mega Mysticism: 2 Illustrating Mega Mysticism

Chapter 14.2

Illustrating & Critiquing Mega Mysticism

Its Alarming Popularity in American Christianity

 

Table of Topics

A) The Popularity & Intimidation of Mega Mysticism

B) Jack Deere

C) Bill Hybels

D) Dallas Willard

E) Henry Blackaby

F) Richard Foster

G) A. B. Simpson

H) Marv Rosenthal

I) J. P. Moreland

J) Charles Swindoll

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

Mega mystical claims are intimidating.

Jack Deere: “In order to fulfill God’s highest purpose for our lives we must be able to hear His voice both in the written word and in the Word freshly spoken from heaven.”

Bill Hybels: “A third way God speaks to us [in addition to Scripture and people] is through direct leadings of the Holy Spirit.”

Dallas Willard: “the still small voice [of God]–or the interior or inner voice, as it is also called-is the preferred and most valuable form of individualized communication for God’s purposes.”

  • Henry Blackaby: “The Holy Spirit gives clear directives today. . . . What if your career decision is going to cause you lifelong regret? How do you make critical life decisions? You must rely on the Spirit of truth. He knows the future. . . . He’s knows the facts. He knows the truth.”
  • Richard Foster: “Imagine your spiritual self rising up through the clouds and into the stratosphere. . . . Go deeper and deeper into outer space . . . Rest in His presence. Listen quietly . . . Note carefully the instruction given.”
  • Charles Swindoll: “Although it went against my own wishes at the time, I could not resist the sovereign, all-powerful prompting of the Holy Spirit [to become President of Dallas Seminary].

A) The Popularity & Intimidation of Mega Mysticism

In this chapter we offer various examples of mega mystical writing. While we will not thoroughly discuss here why we feel they are unbiblical, one will get a sense of how intimidating mega mystical claims are. As Bill Hybels will be quoted below, “there is a third way that God speaks to us” and the implications are clear: If God doesn’t speak to you this way, you will miss the will of God for your life and miss out on the most intimate, specific, and valuable divine revelation available today.

This issue becomes particularly important in discussions regarding the very popular topic of Christian decision making. It is here that mega mysticism is having an overwhelming influence.

For example, consider the lyrics in the popular hit from the Christian band Third Day entitled “Revelation.” Does it not imply that either we do not have Scripture or Scripture is not sufficient to know God’s will for our lives?:

Give me a revelation.

Show me what to do.

‘Cause I’ve been trying to find my way.

I haven’t got a clue.

Tell me should I stay here.

Or do I need to move?

Give me a revelation.

I’ve got nothing without You.

Again, you would think we didn’t even have Scripture.

Along these lines, in a recent book on this topic, Douglas Huffman categorizes 85 modern books on the topic of Christian decision making and 87% of them teach what we would call mega mysticism. [1] This is revealed even in their titles:

Hearing God’s Voice, Henry and Richard Blackaby,

Surprised by the Voice of God, Jack Deere;

Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, Dallas Willard;

Divine Guidance: That Voice Behind You, Charles Coleman;

How to Know When God Speaks, Helen Hosier;

Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God’s Will, Gordon Smith;

How to Listen to God, Charles Stanley;

God Still Speaks: How to Hear And Receive Revelation from God for Your Family, Church, and Community, John Eckhardt;

Walking With God: Talk to Him, Hear Him, Really, John Eldredge.

We will illustrate the mega mysticism being promoted by these authors by quoting some of them below. Again, it is not our intention to unnecessarily disparage any of the following authors. Some of them are among the most rightly respected Christian leaders of our day. In addition, it is possible that some of them did not intend to promote mega mysticism. On the other hand, the quotes below demonstrate that some of the most influential Christian authors today are intentionally promoting mega mysticism.

B) Jack Deere

As noted in the previous chapter, both Drs. Erickson and MacArthur referred to modern charismaticism [2] as a primary source of mega mysticism. Accordingly, a popular author in charismaticism, Jack Deere, has written and taught much in support of it. For example, in his widely read book, Surprised by the Voice of God, Mr. Deere states that direct extra-biblical revelation should be occurring in our lives on a regular basis. Among other things he writes:

[T]here is something very wrong in our relationship with God when we do not see [visions], hear [voices], and feel [impressions] from him, and yet leave our “time with him” feeling satisfied. [3]

Likewise, Mr. Deere has said:

In order to fulfill God’s highest purpose for our lives we must be able to hear His voice both in the written word and in the Word freshly spoken from heaven. . . . Satan understands the strategic importance of Christians hearing God’s voice so he has launched various attacks against us [who promote mega mysticism] in this area. One of his most successful attacks has been to develop a doctrine that teaches God no longer speaks to us except through the written word. Ultimately this doctrine [the sufficiency of Scripture] is demonic even though Christian theologians have been used to perfect it. [4]

C) Bill Hybels

However, as Dr. Erickson also noted, mega mysticism is not simply found in charismaticism, as many other Evangelicals promote it as well. We have noted an example from John Eldredge in the previous chapter. Another persuasive promoter of mega mysticism is Pastor Bill Hybels who writes in his popular book, Too Busy Not to Pray:

A third way God speaks to us [in addition to Scripture and people] is through direct leadings of the Holy Spirit. This third Person of the Godhead is ready, willing and able to communicate with us. According to Scripture, he leads, rebukes, affirms, comforts and assures Christ’s followers. . . . .

You matter to God. He made you, and he knows what will fulfill you. He knows what vocation is best suited to your talents and abilities [and wants to tell you?]. He knows if you should marry or remain single, and if you marry, he knows which marriage partner is best suited to you [and if you miss His “guidance” in this, then what?]. He knows what church you can flourish in. And this is what he says to you: “I want to guide your life. I know the path that will glorify me and be productive for you, and I want to put you on it. I’ll do that primarily through leadings, so quiet your life and listen to me. . . . .

When we learn the discipline of stillness before God, we find that his leadings come through to us clearly, with little interference. . . . It is possible to develop a similar sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s still, small voice. It is possible to be aware throughout the day, even while going about your daily work, of God’s gentle promptings. That’s what it means to “live by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). . . .

If you open your mind and heart to God’s leadings, you will be amazed at what he will do. He is attempting to communicate with you more often than you know. You have no idea how much richer and fuller, how much more exciting and more effective your life will be once you make the decision to be still, to be aware and to obey God’s leadings. . . . For a truly dynamic, authentic, exciting Christian life, listen for the Holy Spirit’s leadings. [5]

Intimidating for sure. Here, in typical mega mystical fashion, Pastor Hybels claims that God wants to “primarily” lead us in extra-biblical matters through some sort of direct “mental telepathy.” He claims as well that such leadings will “come through to us clearly” if “we learn the discipline of stillness before God,” and that continuously interpreting such extra-biblical mental impulses and impressions as direct divine inspiration from God is necessary for a “truly dynamic, authentic, exciting Christian life.” Pastor Hybels is not alone in this regard as the vast majority of Christian books on divine guidance prescribe this very thing.

D) Dallas Willard

The popularity of mega mysticism can be demonstrated by the reception of such books as Dallas Willard’s Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God. Dr. Willard is not a professing charismatic but an ordained Southern Baptist minister and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. The book comes with the endorsements of some of the most influential Christians of our day. Ted Engstrom, past president of World Vision writes:

Willard wonderfully encourages us to listen for God’s voice and then to respond and obey. This is a book of great encouragement and helpful insights into the arena of God’s direction in our daily living.

Not surprisingly, the popular Quaker author, Richard Foster, likewise says of it, “The best book on divine guidance I have ever read. I recommend it highly.” A few excerpts from Willard’s book will demonstrate the doctrine of mega mysticism:

Today I continue to believe that people are meant to live in an ongoing conversation with God, speaking and being spoken to. . . . we live-really live-only through God’s regular speaking in our souls and thus “by every word that comes from of the mouth of God.” [6]

Neither will the Bible tell you what to do with most of the details of your life. Suppose you want to know how to raise your children. It will tell you some very important things but not everything you need and want to know on that subject. Your family, your work and your community will present you with many, many choices and issues about which the Bible simply says nothing . . .

Our reverence for and faith in the Bible must not be allowed to blind us to the need for personal divine instruction within the principles of the Bible yet beyond the details of what it explicitly says . . . An exalted view of the Bible does not free us from the responsibility of learning to talk with God and to hear him in the many ways he speaks to humankind. [7]

[A] major point of this book is that the still small voice–or the interior or inner voice, as it is also called-is the preferred and most valuable form of individualized communication for God’s purposes. God usually addresses individually those who walk with him in a mature, personal relationship using this inner voice. [8]

So the thoughts and feelings in the mind and spirit of one who is surrendered to God should be treated as if God were walking through one’s personality with a candle, directing one’s attention to things one after the other.[9]

[I]t is often no more than an attempt to substitute safety and deadness for living communications from God, to look to the ponderous scholars or letter-learned scribes for their interpretation of God’s word rather than hearing for oneself the voice that is available to people even of the plainest sort or to resign oneself to hear only what God has said in Scripture rather than listen for the specific word he might have for one today.[10]

Dr. Willard quotes the very influential, early twentieth century British Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan as supporting his position who apparently wrote:

The doctrine of the inner light is not sufficiently taught. To the individual believer, who is, by the very fact of relationship to Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, there is granted the direct impression of the Spirit of God on the Spirit of man, imparting the knowledge of his will in matters of the smallest and greatest importance. This has to be sought and waited for. [11]

Are Willard and Morgan right? Are Christians missing out on a more intimate and obedient relationship with God because they do not recognize His promptings? Is there a whole other vast source of direct divine revelation more personal, specific, and therefore, much more valuable, than Scripture? Make no mistake. If the Holy Spirit is providing continual, immediate, individual divine revelation for the specific decisions we are making, then any thinking person would consider it a more important source of guidance than the more general guidance in Scripture.

Essentially, what mega mystics are claiming is that there is another “Bible” available to those who can learn to “read” it, which informs them more specifically of God’s will for their life, and if they ignore it, or do not learn how to “read” this other “Bible,” they will miss much of what God wants to tell them and His perfect will for their life. This last point illustrates the seriousness of our topic. As we have already stated, when God speaks He does not issue suggestions, but rather commands, and to ignore or otherwise unnecessarily miss such revelation is to be living outside of God’s will for our life, and essentially, to be sinning against Him.

E) Henry Blackaby

Henry Blackaby, the well-known Evangelical author of divine guidance materials, including Experiencing God, reflects some mega mystical elements in his teaching as well. For example, he writes:

In the Old Testament God spoke at many times and in a variety of ways. Through Jesus, God Himself spoke to His people during His lifetime. Now God speaks through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things, will call to your memory the things Jesus said, will guide you into all truth, will speak what He hears from the Father, will tell you what is yet to come, and glorify Christ as He reveals Christ to you. [12]

The Holy Spirit gives clear directives today. God is personal. He wants to be intimately involved in your life. He will give you clear guidance for living. You may say, “That has not been my experience.” You need to base your understanding of God on Scripture not on experience. [13]

The world is filled with voices seeking to convince you that reality is what they say it is. How do you know what is true? What if the way you are raising your children will ultimately cause them to reject your values? What if your career decision is going to cause you lifelong regret? How do you make critical life decisions? You must rely on the Spirit of truth [not Scripture?]. He knows the future. He’s been there. He’s knows the facts. He knows the truth. [14]

Life is a mystery. Who knows what triumph or tragedy lies on the horizon? God does. God is not bound by time as we are. He is in the future, just as he is in the present. He knows your personal future. He is the only one who can guide you safely and securely through your life. [15]

There is nothing more important in life than understanding when God is speaking to you [you mean apart from what He says in Scripture?]. If you are disoriented to God’s voice, your life is dangerously vulnerable. [16]

In typical mega mystical style, this great Christian man suggests the direct guidance of the Spirit is necessary to make a career choice or better ensure godly children, and he scares us with the dire consequences of not being able to “hear” the Spirit in a private revelation or guiding “signs.” Nowhere in the immense “guidance” literature from the Blackabys is there any mention of our conscience, or submission to authorities, or the desires produced by the New Nature, all of which are much more biblical and important than the private revelations they claim.

Elsewhere, Dr. Blackaby asserts that such extra-biblical revelation is infallible when he writes: “When we come to God to know what He is about to do where we are, we also come with the assurance that what God indicates He is about to do is certain to come to pass.” [17] The author completely ignores the fact that the only things that we can know for certain about the future is those things promised and predicted in Scripture, not the extra-biblical things Dr. Blackaby is talking about.

We see the danger in relying on the mystical revelation Dr. Blackaby prescribes when he says:

When you do what He tells you, no matter how insensible it may seem, God accomplishes what He purposed through you. . . . If you have been given a word from God, you must continue in that direction until it comes to pass (even twenty five years like Abraham).” [18]

Dr. Blackaby ignores the biblical fact that Abraham’s divine guidance came through physical encounters with God, not merely the subjective “impressions” Dr. Blackaby relies on. Secondly, there is absolutely nothing prescribed in Scripture that is “insensible” or unreasonable to the regenerated Christian’s Spirit-liberated reason. [19] And in fact, God gave us our reason to evaluate the kind of extra-biblical direction Dr. Blackaby includes in his idea of divine guidance, and to ignore this is to be led by mystical foolishness, not biblical faith. [20]

Fortunately, Dr. Blackaby recognizes the seriousness of falsely claiming extra-biblical revelation from God and writes, “If you have not been given a word from God yet you say you have, you stand in judgment as a false prophet.” [21] Agreed, but the means that Dr. Blackaby deems sufficient to authenticate such revelation such as “signs” are often not adequate to do so. Dr. Blackaby is another author who we wish was more honest about the many, many, many times he undoubtedly thought God was leading him in a certain way and it turned out to be wrong.

F) Richard Foster

Richard Foster has been a popular author in the “spiritual formation” movement for decades since the writing of his book Celebration of Discipline. His commitment to mega mysticism is apparent in this very popular book on Christian spirituality. One observer remarks:

Foster prescribes a practice using one’s imagination that mimics astral projection to the degree that he actually includes a footnote disclaimer stating that it is not astral projection (Foster 28). It begins by telling his readers to imagine themselves going out into nature into a beautiful place (Greg Boyd describes how he practices this, as well as its results). After enjoying the sights and smells (in your imagination) these are the next steps:

In your imagination allow your spiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body. Look back so that you can see yourself lying in the grass and reassure your body that you will return momentarily. Imagine your spiritual self, alive and vibrant, rising up through the clouds and into the stratosphere. . .

Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal Creator. Rest in His presence. Listen quietly, anticipating the unanticipated. Note carefully the instruction given. With time and experience you will be able to distinguish readily between mere human thought that may bubble up to the conscious mind and the True Spirit which inwardly moves upon the heart (Foster: 27-28). [22]

We seriously doubt it. And where in the world is such an exercise prescribed in Scripture?

G) A. B. Simpson

A. B. Simpson (1843-1919) was the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination of churches. Popular mega mystical writer Gordon T. Smith writes of him:

One of the turning points in the life of A. B. Simpson, a spiritual writer within my own tradition, came when he recognized that God does speak to us in the depths of our being. But he stressed that we can hear this “still, small voice” only if we are prepared to listen and wait, being attentive to the very depths of our being. Simpson refers to this as “an old mediaeval message.” God does not have a mouth; he does not speak audibly. Rather, God “speaks” to us through our feelings, impressions left on our minds. [23]

H) Marv Rosenthal

Dr. Rosenthal is the Executive Director of Zion’s Hope and an otherwise godly and biblical man. However, in a recent letter he wrote the following which is not only unbiblical in our opinion, but illustrates how tempting it is for mega mystics to wrongly invest divine authority in their extra-biblical actions and words. Dr. Rosenthal wrote: “My friend did not know that the Lord had kept me awake much of last night, prompting me to do exactly what he had requested—send you this letter.” [24]

You will not find a command in Scripture to write someone a letter. And such wording claims that even the contents of the letter is by the direct “inspiration” of God. How then could we disregard the letter without sinning against God?

I) J. P. Moreland

As noted elsewhere, the popular Christian writer J. P. Moreland is rather committed to charismaticism and super-supernaturalism in much of his worldview. So it should not surprise us when he writes in a mega mystical way:

The Spirit can guide through inner words. In addition to Scripture study and meditation and the counsel of others, the Holy Spirit may also guide us personally from within (the inner witness of the Spirit, Romans 8:16), if we’re alert and ready. . . . It may be the case that God has been offering you indicators of guidance, but you haven’t noticed, being unaware of how God can speak. [25]

J) Charles Swindoll

We are confused about the writings of another exceptional Christian leader, Charles Swindoll, on this topic as well. At one point in his book, The Mystery of God’s Will, he helpfully writes concerning someone’s claim to being divinely guided by extra-biblical revelation:

Have you exhausted His Word so completely that you now must have a literal voice to guide you? Never! . . . . Tell me you have determined God’s will from the Scriptures, carefully studied within the context in which it was given, and you’ve got my attention and my respect. Don’t regale me with tales of a night vision or some “word of knowledge” in a dream. Don’t talk to me about a voice, especially one you heard in the middle of the night while standing in your kitchen. (It was probably just a bad case of indigestion.)

I don’t mean to be flippant about serious spiritual matters, but this kind of extra-biblical revelation is not only spurious, it’s downright dangerous. It invariably leads you astray, away from the truth of God. Your curiosity and your fascination will take over, eclipsing the authority of the Scriptures.

Those who have a high view of biblical revelation, I find, have a very low view of any kind of extra-biblical revelation. Can God do it? Certainly. He is God, and He is able to do whatever He pleases. Does God do it? In all my years of ministry, I’ve never found a reliable incident of such revelation. On the other hand, I’ve seen sincere people get into a lot of trouble and confusion because they relied on extra-biblical truth rather than on the Word of God.

Several years ago I witnessed this in the lives of a fine pastor and his wife. Originally in his ministry, this gifted young man was committed to the dear and practical exposition of the Word. The church he was pastoring grew, not only in numbers but also in harmony as they related to one another in love. It was a strong, healthy body.

Then, through an intriguing chain of events, the pastor and his wife began to rely more on dreams and visions for direction and less on the truth of the Scriptures. The congregation became divided as some in the flock began to seek God’s will through various extra-biblical phenomena while others resisted such teaching. Ultimately, the rift fractured the fellowship. The pastor left and began another church a few miles away as his loyal followers joined him, while others stayed to pick up the pieces.

Hard feelings and broken relationships now remain. Confusion has replaced harmony. The final authority of that pastor is no longer based on the written Word of God but, more and more, on dreams, visions, strange interpretations of the Bible, and erroneous teaching that highlights experience. . . .

God’s Word provides all the light we will ever need on our journey through this life. . . . we will continue to stand on the solid rock of God’s Word of truth. All other ground is sinking sand. [26]

With all sincerity we thank Dr. Swindoll for a very helpful correction to mega mystical teaching and practice. However, and unfortunately, in our opinion, confusion results from his promotion of “inner promptings of the Holy Spirit” later in the book. Under the heading, “How Does God Lead Today?” Dr. Swindoll repeats the importance of Scripture, but then adds, “Second, God leads us through the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit” and goes on to write:

The inner prompting of the Holy Spirit gives us a sense of God’s leading, although that leading is not always what we might call a “feel good” experience. In my own life, as I mentioned earlier, my decision to accept the presidency of Dallas Seminary was not an easy one. Ultimately, it was an at-peace decision, but it was not what I would have wanted or chosen. Remember my story? I found all kinds of ways to resist when the position was first offered to me. Remember that two-page, airtight letter, carefully thought through, full of Scripture? It should have convinced anybody that I was the wrong person for the job. Except that God was busy convincing them-and, later, me, that I was the right person. Although it went against my own wishes at the time, I could not resist the sovereign, all-powerful prompting of the Holy Spirit.

The Book of Jude offers a wonderful example of this: “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Jude started to write a letter to his fellow Christians about salvation, about the finished work of Christ on the cross. That was his original plan . . . until the Holy Spirit prompted him to do otherwise. “I felt the necessity to do so,” Jude admits. I’ve underlined that phrase in my Bible: I felt the necessity.” That was nothing less than the inner prompting from the Spirit of God.

In similar fashion, I felt the necessity of reconsidering the invitation to Dallas Seminary [because of a direct divine inspiration from the Holy Spirit]. So I can testify from personal experience that you can believe you really know God’s will, and you may be dead wrong [because it exists outside of Scripture?]. But if you are, the prompting of the Holy Spirit will be nudging you within. “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9) [through mental impulses inspired by the Spirit?].

Nothing wrong with planning. Nothing wrong with thinking it through. Nothing wrong with doing your charts, listing all the pros and cons, talking it over. But as you are moving along, stay sensitive to the quiet, yet all-important prompting of God through His Holy Spirit. . . . By doing so, you may well sense inner promptings that will spur a thought such as, “I can’t believe I’m still interested in that. I wonder what the Lord’s doing? I wonder where He’s going with this?

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go,” says the Lord. “I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). The Spirit of God inside is steering us. [27]

Again, we are confused by Dr. Swindoll. Above he castigates people for being guided by visions, dreams, “a still small voice” and “extra-biblical revelation,” and says “God’s Word provides all the light we will ever need on our journey through this life.” However, he later promotes divine guidance through what can only be mental telepathy. In reality, some of the methods of revelation he criticizes are much more biblical and objective than the one he claims for himself. Elsewhere we will argue that the Scriptures Dr. Swindoll uses to support such an idea do not do so.

Finally, we wish Dr. Swindoll would have admitted that, in the end, he simply had more good reasons to do what he did, than otherwise. In other words, we would suggest that there was a lot more plain good ole logic and reasoning in his decision than what is reflected here. There is no need to claim that he was eventually convinced and persuaded to make his decision because “God was busy convincing” everybody involved through “the sovereign, all-powerful prompting of the Holy Spirit,” or that he “felt the necessity of reconsidering the invitation to Dallas Seminary” because God supernaturally inspired him to do so.

On the contrary, we wonder if a more careful analysis were made of the decision making process here, that it could all be explained in more natural ways. Including the fact that as Dr. Swindoll considered the facts of the decision with the logical and moral reasoning God had given him to make wise decisions, the reasons for the course he decided became more evident to him, and eventually outweighed the reasons to remain where he was. In other words, even this decision was, in reality, made in the same way that Dr. Swindoll makes dozens of decisions every day in which he would not claim some supernatural divine revelation for. In the end, and contrary to what he wishes to imply, he simply had more good reasons for the choice he made or he would not have made it.

As we have discussed extensively elsewhere, even biblical faith is based on facts, evidence, and good reasoning, and anything short of this is foolishness. [28] In the end, we feel peace about decisions because we have collected the facts and obtained enough good reasons for our decision, leading to a settled peace in both our moral reasoning (conscience) and logical reasoning (what seems wise). And it is the number of those good, moral, logical reasons that persuades us and gives us peace, rather than some divine revelation of the Holy Spirit that is nowhere promised or prescribed in Scripture.

Extras & Endnotes

Devotion to Dad

Our Father, it is a difficult and dangerous task to critique good Christian men for the errors we see in their interpretation and application of Scripture. Always help us see the planks in our own eyes before taking the sawdust out of the eyes of others. Keep us humble. We resolve never to let our knowledge puff us up and forsake love.

Gauging Your Grasp

1) Why are mega mystical claims intimidating?

2) What are quotes from the following authors that illustrate their belief in mega mystical doctrine? Jack Deere, Bill Hybels, Dallas Willard, Henry Blackaby, Charles Swindoll.

3) What are some quotes from Edwards, Packer, and MacArthur that denounce mega mysticism?

Publications & Particulars

  1. Douglas Huffman, How Then Should We Choose?: Three Views on God’s Will and Decision Making (Kregel 2009), Appendix. ↑

  2. By modern charismaticism we are primarily referring to what is commonly labeled the “charismatic” movement that began with the Pentecostals in the early 1900’s, spread into denominational churches in the 1960’s and 70’s, and has merged with what is referred to as the Third Wave churches today. Pentecostal churches include Assembly of God, Church of God, Open Bible, Apostolic, Foursquare Gospel, and Full Gospel. Third Wave churches include Vineyard and a variety of independent congregations.

    We thank God for all He has done through the “charismatic” movement, and for the dear Christian brothers and sisters who would claim membership in it. However, throughout Knowing Our God (KOG) we refrain from referring to this movement as “charismatic,” because this erroneously implies a uniqueness and even superiority in Christian grace (charis), and by further implication, a superior possession or experience of the Holy Spirit.

    Surely no right-minded “charismatic” would desire to claim such a superiority over their Christian brothers and sisters, especially since they cannot demonstrate one. Biblically speaking, being “led by the Spirit,” experiencing His power, and living “not under law” but by “grace [charis]” is most clearly manifested in the “fruit of the Spirit” which the Apostle Paul describes as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:4, 18, 22-3). “Charismatic” Christians in general are not superior in these virtues of love and holiness compared to other Christians, and these virtues are the real essence of Christian charisma, making all obedient Christians true “charismatics,” not just a particular sect.

    In fact, the greatest and most important uniqueness of charismatic churches over other authentic Christian churches is not their love or holiness, but rather an emphasis on, and practice of: 1) emotional worship, 2) speaking and/or praying in an incoherent tongue, 3) claims to direct divine revelation through spiritual gifts such as prophecy, and 4) claims to a greater abundance of miracles in general through the gifts of healing and miracle working.

    Therefore, throughout KOG we use the terms emotionalism (see chapters 4.8-11), glossaism (Gr. glossa: “tongue,” see Book 12: The Truth About Tongues), prophetism (see Book 9: God’s Prophets), and super-supernaturalism (see chapters 10.14-16) to refer to these distinctives respectively, while recognizing that they may exist elsewhere as well. Accordingly, we believe this allows us to address the areas of concern we have regarding the movement, and avoid speaking critically of the movement as a whole, which has many good, although not unique, attributes as well.

    Likewise, we refrain from referring to those Christians who would differ from “charismatics” as “non-charismatics,” erroneously implying again that the latter is somehow lacking in grace. Rather, those who oppose the sometimes bizarre worship of emotionalism, the obscure utterances of glossaism, the extra-biblical revelations of prophetism, and the miracle-a-minute mindset of super-supernaturalism are better labeled as historicists. This reflects the fact that for at least 1600 years of Church history, the great majority belief and practice of God’s people was opposed to all of the uniquenesses that the “charismatic” movement claims today.

    It is a historical fact that miraculous gifts such as healing, tongues, and prophecy ceased functioning in the church in the fourth century when the NT canon had been completed, recognized and sufficiently distributed. Accordingly, the very few people since then who have promoted bizarre forms of worship, obscure utterances in prayer, claims to extra-biblical revelation, and miracle working abilities, were always thought to be deceived and dangerous, and not accepted as biblical Christians. What those in charismaticism also refuse to admit, or take seriously enough, is that the modern versions of the miraculous gifts being claimed do not match the attributes of their biblical counterparts. For a great deal of discussion on these matters see the books in Volume 2 of KOG. ↑

  3. Jack Deere, Surprised by the Voice of God (Zondervan, 1996), 291-2 ↑

  4. Jack Deere, “John Wimber: Friend or Foe?” reprint from The Briefing (Matthias Press, 1990), 18. ↑

  5. Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not to Pray (Intervarsity, 1998), 134, 142, 146, 152-3, 167 ↑

  6. Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God (Intervarsity, 1999), 18. ↑

  7. Ibid., 59. ↑

  8. Ibid., 89, underlining added ↑

  9. Ibid., 102. ↑

  10. Ibid., 103. ↑

  11. G. Campbell Morgan quoted by Willard, 166. ↑

  12. Henry Blackaby and Claude King, Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, (Lifeway, 1990), 35 ↑

  13. Ibid., 75 ↑

  14. Henry and Richard Blackaby, Hearing God’s Voice (Broadman & Holman, 2003), 70-1. ↑

  15. Ibid., 75 ↑

  16. Ibid. 264. ↑

  17. Blackaby, Experiencing God, 128. ↑

  18. Blackaby, Experiencing God, 61. ↑

  19. Regarding the vital theological topic of Spirit-liberated reason see chapters 4.15-4.16. ↑

  20. Regarding the fact that our reason makes the difference between biblical faith and foolishness see section 6.11.B.5-6. ↑

  21. Blackaby, Experiencing God, 140. ↑

  22. Bob Dewaay, “Richard Foster-Celebration of Deception- Evangelical Mysticism,” Critical Issues Commentary, May/June 2009, 2-3 ↑

  23. G. T. Smith, 51 ↑

  24. Marv Rosenthal, “A Letter”; online at http://www.zionshope.org/ link_open_letter_flash_0811.aspx. ↑

  25. J. P. Moreland, and Klaus Issler, In Search of a Confident Faith (Intervarsity, 2008), 186, 201. ↑

  26. Charles Swindoll, The Mystery of God’s Will (Word, 1999), 33-35. ↑

  27. Ibid., 47-8. ↑

  28. Regarding the fact that our God-given reason makes the difference between something being biblical faith or foolishness see section 6.11.B.5-6. ↑