Losing Control in the Name of God?

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

It is interesting when viewing videos of so-called worship services of New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), Word of Faith (WOF), or just about anything Charismatic. It quickly becomes very clear that there is absolutely no order in those services. None. Nada. Zilch. Of course, proponents argue that what we are seeing is a move or manifestation of God, therefore to condemn or attempt to squelch it is to squelch the Holy Spirit. Really? Is that the case?

If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace… (1 Corinthians 14:30-33a ESV)

If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:30-33 KJV)

One sentence has been emphasized to help us focus on the truth of Scripture as revealed by a true apostle, Paul of Tarsus. The problems within the Corinthian church were manifold. They highly valued the sign gifts and specifically tongues, just like today’s Charismatic Movement and its many branches. Paul corrected their misconception by pointing out numerous times that tongues, in and of itself, was not the highly valued gift they were making it out to be. In fact, he said that other gifts were far more important (1 Corinthians 12).

It would seem from reading Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians that their church services were an absolute mess, which caused Paul’s frustration to rise to the surface on numerous instances throughout that letter. They became drunk at the Lord’s table, while some had nothing to eat. Paul told them to eat at home (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

One can only imagine how much confusion existed at that church. Reading through the first letter to the Corinthians is like looking at some of the things that happen within Charismatic, signs/wonders gatherings. There is no decency and nothing but confusion. Proponents would likely argue that there is no confusion at all. However, it reminds me of when Paul says this, as he takes the Corinthian believers to task…

Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? (1 Corinthians 14:22-23 ESV).

Paul’s question is rhetorical, isn’t it? Imagine some unsaved person coming into a Charismatic type service and people are laying on the floor, laughing deliriously, speaking on what sounds like gibberish, screaming in agony as if on fire, dancing or twirling around like they have ants in their pants, and other things to boot.

How does any of this bring glory to God? Paul basically says it doesn’t because an unsaved person seeing that mess would very likely think, “Hey, these people are lunatics!”

Notice that Paul specifically states that “tongues” are a sign for unbelievers. How so? Acts 2, just before Peter preached the sermon that brought 3,000 souls into the Church that day, the 120 who had waited in the Upper Room were speaking in “tongues.” Of course, their tongues were actual languages given to them by God, the Holy Spirit, who used that sign for unbelievers and they took notice. While some denigrated the 120 disciples as being “drunk,” many others heard them praising God in their own native tongue, which was not native to those speaking it! That’s the miracle! Tongues are a sign for those who are not yet saved.

Yet in Charismatic circles, tongues is constantly used in and out of church services where there is virtually no interpretation. Every service I ever attended during my involvement with the Charismatic Movement, English was spoken by everyone. There was, in fact, according to Paul, no reason for tongues to be used at all, yet tongues were constantly on display and there was not one instance of anyone interpreting a person who spoke in tongues. If you attend a service where 300 hundred people are all speaking in tongues and an unsaved person walks in, what will he/she get out of it? They will naturally think that what is going on there is the result of crazy people losing what’s left of their minds! Charismatic circles completely ignore this to their shame. They continue to elevate the gift of “tongues” or at least what they think is the gift. It is still seen as a second blessing and tends to promote the speaker to an elevated status. Paul argued against this, yet it persists.

Paul also had some important things to say about prophets at the Corinthian church. It is understandable that prophets would still have existed during the first century because God was still revealing His Word, His mysteries until a point where He could cobble the entirety of His Word together for us today.

I’ve met people who argue that they put no stock in those “councils” that determined which books became part of what we now call the Bible. They say “man” made those decisions. What they fail to understand is that they are actually denigrating God not man by their statements! They are actually denying the ability of God to put the final touches on His revealed, written Word to humanity! But they think they are “spiritual” because of their humanistic reasoning. They are not spiritual. They are arrogant, thinking their reasoning is higher than it actually is and in effect, all it really does is slap God in the face.

History is replete with example after example of how God used even ungodly and unsaved people to bring His will to fruition. This is biblical fact. Yet, we are to believe that somehow, mere men were able to keep God Almighty from bringing the final version of His Word together and presenting it as His final Word to humanity? What hubris to think that.

But during the Corinthian’s time, God was still revealing secrets or mysteries. Paul acknowledges this and he himself reveals numerous “mysteries” in his writings. It shouldn’t be difficult for Christians today to understand that the first century believers did not have all of God’s Word yet. Prophets were still very much needed then during Paul’s day.

How about today? Are prophets needed today? Does a cow give chocolate milk? I mean, my goodness, do we really have to answer that question? Unfortunately, yes, because there are so many who follow individuals who claim to have the gift of prophecy. What this means is that God is still adding to His Word. There can be no other way of looking at that. Either God is still writing His Word through current “revelations” by those who claim the gift of prophecy or He is not. It cannot be both. If He is, then that means that the things these modern-day prophets reveal today are equal in authority to what has been previously revealed as part of God’s Word.

But regarding prophets during Paul’s day, he made things very clear on a number of fronts and he did so in 1 Corinthians 14:30-32, as highlighted above, but let’s repeat it here.

 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (ESV)

Please notice the text in bold. It’s very important and it’s often missed. Paul says, “…and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.” What does that mean? Very simply, it means that God does not overtake the prophet so that the prophet loses control of himself.

Prophets were to control themselves when speaking (“the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets”), even when giving new revelation (cf. vv. 27-28). The nature of this gift was that it did not sweep the prophet into a mindless frenzy. Pagans, on the other hand, who received demonic revelations, frequently lost control of themselves. Inability to control oneself was no evidence that the prophet spoke from God. On the contrary, it indicated that he was not submitting to God’s control, because “God” produces “peace,” not “confusion.” (p. 195)

“The theological point is crucial: the character of one’s deity is reflected in the character of one’s worship. The Corinthians must therefore cease worship that reflects the pagan deities more than the God whom they have come to know through the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 12:2-3). God is neither characterized by disorder nor the cause of it in the assembly.”

Again the apostle reminded his readers that what he was commanding was standard policy in the other churches (“as in all the churches of the saints”; cf. 1:2; 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:36). This reminds us again that this church had some serious underlying problems. Confusion and disorder in church services are not in keeping with the character of God, and such conditions dishonor Him.

Seems to me, Mrs. Bentley lost control of herself and was swept into a “mindless frenzy.” Because she could still talk is beside the point. I’ve seen other women with the same type of spirit come to the point of almost complete exhaustion and out of breath after such an episode. That’s not what occurred with God’s actual prophets of old.

If you consider the many examples of prophets in the Old Testament, we see how they spoke and their demeanor while speaking. There are too many examples not to understand this. Did the Old Testament prophets lose control of themselves? Does the Bible ever describe them as going into some sort of frenzy while they spoke what God laid on their hearts? Yet, this is all too often the norm within Charismatic and especially NAR circles and it is the norm with pagan cults as well, like Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Hinduism, etc. It is demonic. It is not of God.

Todd Bentley’s wife has, at the very least, a familiar spirit and she could also be literally possessed. That is not a good, yet both she and Todd believe that it is how God speaks to and through her. She needs our prayers.

In the video below, she starts speaking at the 00:45 time-stamp and relates this dream involving Oral Roberts and elephants. What an absolute mockery.

If you don’t feel like watching the entire video (and I don’t blame you), jump ahead to time-stamp 02:58. All of a sudden, after she says, “…the hope from God,” her head whips to the side. It continues more violently and you can hear her hissing as well. The hissing happens numerous times while she is in her trance-like state. Todd apparently thinks it’s just swell.

What would the apostle Paul say about this? He would denounce it, according to what he wrote to the Corinthians and I wish he were here to do exactly that! The prophet of God was always in self-control. How many times did Paul (and other writers), talk about the need for the Christian to be in control of their faculties?

Yet, we watch Mrs. Bentley and we see that she has lost control of herself, which is obvious because when it happens at the 02:58 mark, it clearly takes her by surprise. Yet, she also very clearly gives into it and just goes with it.

There are so many things wrong with the Charismatic/NAR movements. They represent a modern-day Corinthian church before Paul got them to straighten out. To their credit, they did straighten out, but what about today’s Charismatic/NAR? Will they straighten out? It’s seriously doubtful because too many people like to go by how they feel about something, whether it’s music* in church, or tongues, or signs and wonders. People today want to ultimately be entertained. They want to see and experience the ethereal and supernatural. It is so telling though how these displays of the supernatural never bring about a closer walk with God. People do not become more obedient to the law of Christ. They end up simply feeding their egos.

People chasing after signs and wonders become more focused on SELF and its demands. Self can never be satiated. When we give into it, it simply demands more attention. The Bible tells us clearly and repeatedly that we are to deny Self and all of its yearnings. We are to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. He lived a life of self-deprecation. He avoided catering to Self. He lived to fulfill the will of God the Father and we are to do the same thing.

I hope and pray that there will be a mass exodus out of NAR and everything it represents. We need far less gospel-tainment and more Christians committed to following the Lord regardless of the cost and regardless how that makes us “feel.”

This Cultural Marxism in the visible Church needs to stop.

*For a great series on modern-day music in the church, please check out this article over at Watchman’s Bagpipes!

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective