THE FIVE DOCTRINAL POSITIONS

POSITION #1: THE EARLY CHURCH TO THE PRESENT

ans inform us that the initiate was baptized in water, anointed all over with oil,

clothed with new raiment, given communion, and received the laying on of hands

for the impartation of a gift of the Spirit. We can see the symbolic significance of

each of these activities in helping the new Christian to understand his salvation,

the anointing of the Spirit, the new life in Christ, being one with Christ through the

communion service. From New Testament times until the reformation, the church

was united around the doctrinal teaching set forth in this position.

The churches in this category believe that all of the experiences--SALVA-

TION, SANCTIFICATION, BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT--are initiated when one is

baptized in water which is efficacious for salvation. When one is BAPTIZED IN

WATER, he is baptized into Jesus Christ and initiated into the church. SALVA-

TION and the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT are synonymous terms, and SANCTI-

FICATION begins at SALVATION and is a progressive growth in grace. The

churches who hold this view are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox

Church, the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church, the Evangelical and Reformed Church,

the Churches of Christ, some Lutheran, and some Methodist churches.

POSITION #2: THE REFORMATION--1500 TO THE PRESENT

emphasis upon the spiritual reality of SALVATION: "the just shall live by faith."

This gave rise to the idea of the "priesthood of the believer" and the need to trust

the scriptures rather than the church for SALVATION.

The churches who hold this position teach that all of the experiences--

SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION, BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT--are initiated in the

experience of SALVATION. SALVATION and the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

are synonymous terms, and SANCTIFICATION begins at SALVATION and is a

progressive growth in grace. The emphasis on the spiritual aspects of SALVA-

TION that "the just shall live by faith" brought about the Reformation Period. Most

of the churches in this category do not consider WATER BAPTISM to be effica-

cious for SALVATION but as an outward symbol of an inward experience, the

"answer of a good conscience toward God." Some of these churches would

emphasize that one may be "filled with the Spirit"; however, this is not the

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT but rather a special anointing for ministry. The

churches who hold this view are the Baptist churches, the Presbyterian Church,

the Disciples of Christ, the Congregational Church, some Methodist, and some

Lutheran Churches.

POSITION #3: THE WESLEYAN/HOLINESS REVIVAL-- 1750 TO THE PRESENT

of the holiness revival. The credo of the early Methodist Church was that it was

raised up to take the message of holiness around the world. As the teaching of

SANCTIFICATION or pure love became less and less identified with cleansing and

more and more identified with a BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT as an enduement

of power for service, the stage was set for the Pentecostal revival.

The churches of the Wesleyan, or holiness persuasion, generally teach that

SALVATION is received by faith; however, there is a SUBSEQUENT experience of

SANCTIFICATION also received by faith which enables one to live a holy life and

experience a pure love for God. The experience of SANCTIFICATION became

synonymous with the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT (without THE EVIDENCE of

tongues); therefore, one received two separate, definite experiences of grace:

SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION (BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT). WATER

BAPTISM is not efficacious for SALVATION, but it is the "answer of a good

conscience toward God," and it may be administered after SALVATION or after

SANCTIFICATION. The churches holding this view are the Church of the Nazare-

ne, the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana), Christian Missionary Alliance, the

Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and the various churches of the

Wesleyan/holiness persuasion.

POSITION #4: THE PENTECOSTAL REVIVAL (HOLINESS)--1900 TO THE PRESENT

Topeka, Kansas. As the students searched the scriptures for an EVIDENCE of the

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, they concluded that speaking in tongues was the

means whereby one may know he has received the infilling of the Spirit. Agnes

Ozman was the first to receive the experience in Topeka, Kansas. The Pentecostal

movement spread to Houston, Texas and later to Los Angeles, California. In

1906, the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles began, and people from all over the

world came and received the experience of the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

with the EVIDENCE of speaking with tongues. For me, Parham was the "Father of

the Pentecostal Movement" because he was the first one to formulate the doctrine

that speaking in tongues is the EVIDENCE of the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Many had spoken in tongues prior to the Topeka experience, but Parham was the

one who made a doctrinal statement about the meaning of speaking in tongues.

Since the first persons who received the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

with the EVIDENCE of speaking in tongues at the turn of the century were holiness

people who had embraced SANCTIFICATION as a second definite work of grace,

they added the experience of the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT to their experi-

ences of SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION, and thus began to teach a three-fold

plan of salvation--SALVATION by faith, SANCTIFICATION, a second definite

experience of grace by faith, and the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, a third

definite experience received by faith with the EVIDENCE of speaking in tongues.

WATER BAPTISM is the "answer of a good conscience toward God" and may be

administered after SALVATION, after SANCTIFICATION, or after the BAPTISM IN

THE HOLY SPIRIT. The churches who espouse this view of these doctrines are

the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the Church of God in Christ, the Church of God

(Cleveland, TN), the Church of God of Prophecy, the Church of God of the

Apostolic Faith, and various other churches that hold to a Wesleyan view of

SANCTIFICATION.

POSITION #5: THE PENTECOSTAL REVIVAL (FINISHED WORK)--1910 TO PRESENT

teaching of SANCTIFICATION as a second definite work of grace. In 1910, Pastor

Durham began to preach the "finished work" of Christ and denied SANCTIFICA-

TION as a second definite work of grace. This was the first major division in the

Pentecostal movement. In 1914, the first General Council of the Assemblies of

God meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, accepted the "finished work" view of

SANCTIFICATION rather than the Wesleyan/holiness view. The individuals who

embraced this teaching believed that SALVATION is received by faith, and that the

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT with the EVIDENCE of speaking in tongues also is

received by faith; however, they teach that SANCTIFICATION begins at SALVA-

TION and is a progressive growth in grace. WATER BAPTISM is not efficacious for

SALVATION, but is the "answer of a good conscience toward God" and may be

administered after SALVATION or after the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. The

churches holding this view are the Assemblies of God, the Church of the Four-

square Gospel, the Pentecostal Church of God, the Open Bible Standard Church,

and the United Pentecostal Church.

THE CHARISMATIC RENEWAL: 1960 TO THE PRESENT

Charismatic Christian may hold any of the above views and belong to any of the

above churches, with the possible exception of a Pentecostal church. Usually a

person who belongs to one of the traditional Pentecostal churches is called a

"Pentecostal." A "Charismatic" believes in an experience of a BAPTISM IN THE

HOLY SPIRIT (usually with tongues) and the accompanying charismata or gifts of

the Spirit, and may belong to any one of the "non-Pentecostal" churches, embrac-

ing any or all of the teachings of that particular church. A Charismatic also may

believe that speaking in tongues is not the "initial physical EVIDENCE" of the

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT as taught by the "Classical Pentecostal," but that

speaking in tongues is a CONSEQUENCE of the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Charismatic may also believe that all speaking with tongues is a manifestation

of the "gift of tongues," and, therefore, does not accept the concept of a "prayer

language," or "devotional tongues."

This brief outline may clarify the question of what the various churches

believe concerning the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT and why there are different

Pentecostal churches. Several of the present day Pentecostal churches--Pentecos-

tal Holiness, Church of God in Christ, Church of God--were already organized

before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 1900, and the ministers of those

churches accepted the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT with the EVIDENCE of

speaking in tongues, making it part of the doctrine of their church. After 1900,

other churches were established in different parts of the country, and some were

the result of divisions in the organized churches.

This completes our study of the provisions of Christ for the church--the gift

of the HOLY SPIRIT and the gift of the various ministries. We now turn our

attention to the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the body of Christ: 1) the fruit of the

Spirit, 2) the gifts of the Spirit, and 3) the Spirit of Truth.

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