Reflections of an Undeconstructed Pentecostal
Much of the discussion about women in ministerial leadership focuses on the meaning of headship. So, I wish to offer a few reflections on the meaning of the Greek text and its theological implications.
Continue reading “Reflections on the Meaning of “Headship””
Some of my colleagues have suggested that those of us who favor the egalitarian the view of men and women are practicing a dangerous hermeneutic that will ultimately justify the acceptance of homosexual marriage. I admit that bad hermeneutics have indeed been employed to justify all sorts of evils. That is why we must approach the preaching and teaching of God’s word with fear, prayer, knowledge, and love for truth.
Continue reading “Will Women Bishops lead to Homosexual Marriage?”
Should women serve as preachers, teachers, and bishops? Does the Scripture support women in roles of leadership equal to men?
Continue reading “Should Women serve as Bishops in the Church?”
In a recent Facebook conversation about the nature of God, many of my dialogue partners insisted that God is a gendered male. They make this assertion based on a “plain reading of Scripture” in which God is Father and is therefore male.
Continue reading “An Exercise in the “Plain Reading” of Scripture”
“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8).
Continue reading “Is This the Time of National Restoration?”
Pentecostalism is a Spirit-movement; therefore, Pentecostals favor worship in which the Spirit moves. For Pentecostals, worship means experiencing the Holy Spirit in the fellowship of the church. While anointed singing and preaching are highly valued, they are not the goals of worship; they are a means to the desired end—an encounter with God at the altar. It is at the altar that souls are “gloriously saved,” converts are sanctified, the sick are healed, and seekers are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Whether these altar calls are noisy and dynamic, or somber and tearful, those who witness and participate in this spiritual worship walk away from the altar deeply moved and inwardly transformed. Pentecostal worship is not simply enthusiasm, neither is it entertainment—it is an evangelistic encounter with God’s holy presence.
Continue reading “The Centrality of the Pentecostal Altar”