Where is the term "full gospel" in Scripture? Answer - nowhere. The term "full gospel" implies by its very nature that there is a partial/half/lesser gospel. This concept is totally foreign to the Word of God. The Pentecostal Church has made up this term to create the illusion for Christians that there is something more when there isn't. The Bible refers to "the" Gospel, meaning ONE. "Full Gospel" implies that there is more than ONE. The world must see Christians as a very confused bunch of people because they have "the Gospel" which is in Scripture and the "Full Gospel" which appears in the names of many Pentecostal churches.
Scripture does not teach that Christians are to seek after the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues and it certainly is not a command anywhere in Scripture which some churches teach. This term is very confusing and in serious error. Every time I drive by this church and see this name "Full Gospel Lighthouse" I think to myself that the people who attend there must be a bunch of Christian snobs who think that they are better than the rest of us.
What the Pentecostal Church has done by using the term "full gospel" in any context, they have created a class system within Christianity. There are the first-class Christians who go to the "full gospel" church, and there are the second-class Christians who go to all the other Christian churches. This is snobbery beyond belief and I often envision the adherents of this church walking around looking down their spiritual noses at the rest of us. Other phrases that come to mind are "We are the haves and the rest of you are the have-nots." We are the greater and you are the lesser Christians. We are the powerful and you are the powerless Christians. Some Christians are strong like the "full gospel" Christians and some are weak like the rest of us are made to feel by the use of this term. There are the big larger-than-life Christians who attend the "full gospel" church and there are the little minor insignificant measly Christians who attend all other churches. This term is a threat to my personal self-worth. It makes me feel like I am a lower-quality Christian and nothing could be further from the truth.
This snobbery has a very definite purpose within the Pentecostal Church. Its purpose is to create the illusion that there is something more, that they've got "it" and the rest of us haven't. I find this whole idea highly offensive and the use of this term needs to be stamped out immediately.
Christianity is what it is! Jesus is who He is! For 2000 years, He was the God-man who died for our sins. Now all of a sudden, in the twenty-first century, the Pentecostal Church is trying to tell us that He's somebody very different. Glossolalia/tongues-speakers are now saying that not only is He the One who paid the price for our sins but now He's also the One who provides health and wealth. This is like saying to Jesus, hanging on the cross with nails in His hands and His feet; "What do you mean all we get is forgiveness for sins? We want more! We want health and wealth!" I can just see all the Penetcostals looking up all the Scriptures in the Bible that refer to health and wealth and deciding that all they have to do is quote these Scriptures often and we will be able to make health and wealth part of the reason that Jesus died on the cross (the Atonement).
What do you think God's attitude is towards this kind of thinking? The Bible teaches that nothing is to be added or taken away from "the Gospel" that was delivered to the Saints. There's something new in Penetcostal churches all the time. The history of their church shows that they never ever get to the truth. What was new truth becomes old truth and is quickly discarded to be replaced by the next new truth. This says to me that the "new truths" must be falsehoods if they can be so easily discarded and set aside. Falsehood makes the Pentecostal church a cult and they are full of it.
There is nothing new in Christianity unless you're a Pentecostal or a tongues-speaker. Tongues or glossolalia creates the illusion that there is something more because they are not used in most churches. The reason they are not used in most churches is because it is not Scriptural. Scripture teaches that tongues will cease. If you fall for the ruse of glossolalia, you will most certainly be convinced there is something more when there isn't. Ministers also claim that God speaks to them when the truth is the total revelation of God is contained within the Scriptures. Another way that the illusion of something more is created.
Scores of phony, unverifiable healings also contribute to the illusion there is something more when there really isn't. "Full Gospel" is a very offensive term and is totally confusing for the Christian population in general. What must the world think? Things that come to mind are; What is the matter with Christians? Don't they know what they believe? There seems to be two Christianities. Which one is right? How do I decide which church to go to? And I would hazard a guess that a lot of people thinking this way end up going nowhere rather than make the wrong choice because they both can't be right.
Any church using the term "full gospel" in their name needs to change that name to something else immediately to end the total confusion it's creating in Christendom.
Experience over doctrinal truth - about me
Miracles, signs and wonders - about me
Emotional high / feeling good - about me
Doctrine of subsequence - about me
Health and wealth - about me
Visions - about me
Healings - about me
Speaking in tongues - about me
Annointing - about me
New revelation - about me
Blessings - about me
Spiritual gifts - about me
Mysticism - about me
Glossolalia - about me
Hi, my name is "PENTE." I like it when the world revolves around ME! That's why I left the Baptist Church because not enough was about ME!
More Thoughts
Being totally self-centered you feel very comfortable at the Pente/tongues cult but what does Scripture say? Did God set up the church for our benefit? No! He set up the church to spread the good news about Him. The church was set up for His benefit; not for ours.
It's about Him, His death, burial and resurrection. The only thing about "us" is that we get our slate wiped clean, our sins forgiven. (It is finished.) Any and all tongues-speaking cults feel they must offer "more" to attract constituents. They do it because it works. Large numbers of people fall for it every year.
The tongues-speaking cults exist solely for the benefit and self-worship of its adherents. You need to remember here that just because so many people are being drawn to it doesn't justify it or make it right. Satan has been extra busy since the Faith Movement arrived on the scene in the early 80s. This movement has given Satan a perfect tool to work with to throw Christians off the road and into the ditch. He has had great success with it and will likely continue as long as Christians give him an open door.
We live in a very self-centered world where everything is about "me." The "me" cults play constantly to this weakness in our society. This current generation has often been called the "me" generation and it applies to the church as well. Christ would be appalled at what's going on in the tongues-speaking cults. How will they explain themselves when they stand before God someday to give account for why they totally misread and misunderstood Scripture and worst of all, shared this misunderstanding with millions of people around the world.
3 comments:
Really interesting perspective. How true it is that the penetcostals all think everything is about them instead of our Lord. Liked the cartoon.
What a great post. We also feel like we are crying in the wilderness about this subject. At least our children are out now after six years of following that false prophet, Benny Hinn. The unfortunate part is that they no longer see any value in the Christian life. We would ask that you pray for Joelene, Adam, Michael, Brenda and their families as we will pray for you and yours.
Doesn't this cartoon just say it all! Have really enjoyed reading your blog. Hope your family soon sees the errors of their ways before it is too late and we are raptured away without them.
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