September 13, 2006 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

The following is an excerpt from our new 317-page book The Pentecostal-Charismatic Movement: Its History and Error, available from Way of Life Literature:

One of the major themes of the Charismatic movement since the 1960s has been ecumenical unity. Doctrinal differences are downplayed. There is a call to “break down the walls” between denominations.

The radical nature of Charismatic ecumenism is evident in its close relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. That Charismatics are cozy with Rome is evident on every hand and is readily admitted by ecumenical leaders. In 1979 Tyndale House published The Three Sisters by Michael Harper, which traced the growing ecumenical unity of three branches of Christendom: Evangelical Protestantism (Evangeline), Pentecostalism (Charisma), and Roman Catholicism (Roma). Harper’s testimony echoes that of a great many Charismatic leaders today:

“I must confess to a deep longing to see these sisters reconciled to each other; to see them openly united in Christ and the Spirit; learning from each other and humbly listening to each other. ... The charismatic movement ... is more ecumenical than the evangelical world. ... What basically unites charismatics is NOT DOCTRINE BUT EXPERIENCE. ... It has BRIDGE-BUILDING POTENTIAL of importance to the ecumenical future of the church” (The Three Sisters, pp. 11, 33, 34).

Another book published in 1979 illustrates the power of the Charismatic-Catholic connection. That They May Be One by Thomas Twitchell was published by Logos press, and claimed that Charismatic-Roman Catholic unity would soon be realized. Speaking of his participation at the 1975 Atlantic City Conference, Twitchell said:

“As Ruth Stapleton finished, Father [John] Bertolucci resumed with more prayers of healing for the churches. Protestants were asked to stand and Catholics who were next to them were asked to seek forgiveness from their Protestant brothers and sisters for all the pain and hurt caused by their church’s office over the past 400 years. We Protestants did the same ... This night became, for all of us, THE TIME WHEN THE LORD CHOSE TO HEAL 400 YEARS OF HURT, PAIN AND DIVISION BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT CHURCHES... On this night the Lord forgave the sins of our fathers. We were made into one family by the gift of the Spirit. ... The next day THE PROCESSION FOR THE MASS WAS GLORIOUS. Three hundred priests entered ... The cross bearer entered with an empty wooden cross--a resurrection cross--as if to say, ‘We love you, our Pentecostal brothers and sisters; we thank you for recognizing our obedience to the authority of our church in the Eucharistic celebration.’”

The Charismatic-Roman Catholic alliance was very in evidence at the massive ecumenical conference held in Kansas City in July 1977. The 50,000 participants, forty-five percent of which were Roman Catholic, gathered under the banner of “Unity in the Lordship of Jesus.”

Catholic Kevin Ranaghan brought the opening address. Declaring that the streams of Christianity are coming together, Ranaghan said, “God has dug some canals between the streams. Tonight they are coming together and will flow forth from this stadium and this conference and will burst upon the nation as we go forth a newly-united people.”

Other Catholic speakers included Bishop Charles Helmsing, Ralph Martin, Cardinal Joseph Suenens, and priest Michael Scanlan. Pentecostal leaders in attendance included Vinson Synan, Bob Mumford, Larry Christenson, J.O. Patterson (Church of God in Christ), and Thomas Zimmerman (general superintendent of the Assemblies of God).

Supposed prophecies delivered at the Kansas City conference encouraged the participants in their unholy ecumenism: “I am going to restore my people and reunite them.” “I want to make a new brotherhood among you.” “And the Lord says to you: Stand in the unity with one another and let nothing tear you apart.”

Experiences such as these encourage ecumenists, but those that are grounded in the truth are not deceived by messages that are contrary to the Bible.

The fact that the Charismatic world has aligned with Rome has been evident in the large ecumenical conferences that have been held since Kansas City. The North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization was a series of conferences that were held in New Orleans in 1986 and 1987, in Indianapolis in August 1990, and in St. Louis in June 2000. I had opportunity to attend the last three of these with press credentials. Forty denominations and more than 200 Christian organizations were represented. Of the roughly 65,000 attending these three conferences, more than 50% were Roman Catholic.

It is difficult to describe the overwhelming Catholic presence. A Roman Catholic, David Sklorenko, was the director of New Orleans ’87. On the first night of the meeting, Kevin Ranaghan introduced Vinson Synan, congress chairman, and said, “Isn’t it a wonderful thing for a Catholic to introduce a Pentecostal!” Priests and nuns were everywhere. A Roman Catholic mass was held each morning. Many of the speakers were Roman Catholics. On Saturday evening at New Orleans ‘87, conference chairman Vinson Synan encouraged everyone present to attend the mass on Sunday morning. He said, “If you want to see something beautiful, come see a spirit-filled Catholic mass.”

In days gone by multitudes of Bible-believers were tortured and martyred because they refused to accept Rome’s blasphemous mass. Today Pentecostal-Charismatic leaders call this same ritual “beautiful.”

Roman Catholic books dominated the literature sales areas. There were books on the mass, books about Mary worship, books about Mary shines such as Fatima and Lourdes, books by the Popes, books on the rosary. All sorts of Mary statues, rosaries, crucifixes, and medallions were on sale.

The final and most important messages of all three conferences were delivered by Roman Catholic priest Tom Forrest, and he acknowledged that he came from his office at the Vatican with instructions from “the holy father.” Yet he was welcomed as a man of God and a hero of the faith, and he literally brought the crowd to its feet in Indianapolis in 1990 when he proclaimed that the world must be evangelized by all denominations working together.

Some might be thinking, “Perhaps this Tom Forrest is one of those ‘evangelical Catholics’ I have been hearing about; perhaps he has rejected many of the Roman Catholic errors.” Let me explain how “evangelical” Forrest is.

He preached a message on evangelism at the Indianapolis conference in which he gloried in the Catholic distinctives. He praised God for the Pope. He praised God for Mary, the Queen of Heaven. He praised God for the Roman priesthood. He even praised God for purgatory!

In another message at Indianapolis ‘90, Forrest gave an illustration of how to evangelize. He said he walks through the streets of Rome praying a mystery of the rosary for every person he passes!

Friends, this is NOT Bible Christianity.

The list of leaders and organizations represented at these meetings reads like a who’s who of the Pentecostal-Charismatic world and even included many non-charismatic Evangelicals. Consider just a few: Charles Kraft and Peter Wagner of Fuller Seminary, Floyd McClung (Youth With A Mission), Oral and Richard Roberts, John Arnott, John Wimber (the Vineyard movement), Vinson Synan, Pat Robertson, Kenneth Copeland, Charles and Francis Hunter, Jack Hayford, Stephen Hill, John Kilpatrick, Steven Strang, Thomas Trask, Pat Robertson, Rick Joyner, Bob Mumford, Reinhard Bonnke, Carl Richardson, David Mainse, Jane Hansen (Women’s Aglow), Marilyn Hickey, Jamie Buckingham, Terry Law, Larry Lea, Michael Harper, Sheila Walsh, Russ Taff, Bob Weiner, E.V. Hill, The Gaithers, Peter Hocken, Demos Shakarian (Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International), James Robison, Anne Gimenez, CBN University, Every Home for Christ, Fuller Theological Seminary, Jews for Jesus, U.S. Center for World Mission, and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Every individual and organization that participated in these congresses signed a unity statement that said in part: “We accept one another as brothers and sisters in our one Lord, Jesus Christ. ... Among our churches, denominations, groups and ministries, there may have been times of tension, opposition and conflict. We wish to put these times behind us, by the grace of God. In view of the call we all have from the Lord to enter into this relationship for common work, we want to express our mutual personal respect and our respect for one another’s ministries” (New Orleans ‘87 General Congress Handbook).

No one can say that these conferences represented only some extreme element of the Charismatic movement. Though there are Charismatics who would not agree with some of the things that went on at this conference, these would be in the minority. For the most part, this conference and all that went on there, IS THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT OF OUR DAY!

The Assemblies of God and Rome

The Assemblies of God (AOG) have exercised probably the greatest influence among the Pentecostal denominations, and men with roots in the Assemblies have played key roles in the ecumenical Charismatic movement of the latter half of the twentieth century.

The Assemblies of God were formed in 1914, eight years after the Azusa Street meetings in Los Angeles, California. The AOG’s growth has been phenomenal, from 300 members at its founding convention to a worldwide membership of 12 million in more than 10,500 congregations today. As of 2004 the Assemblies of God (AOG) in the United States had 1,594,000 members, 12,270 churches, 2,584 foreign missionaries, 18 colleges and Bible schools. The AOG operate 299 Bible schools abroad (Handbook of Denominations).

Though resistant to ecumenical activities in its earlier years, the AOG has been active in the most radical forms of ecumenism during the last few decades. Ray Bullard, who was responsible for bringing Roman Catholics into the Pentecostal experience in 1967, was then and is now a member of an Assemblies of God congregation in South Bend, Indiana.

The late Thomas Zimmerman, who led the AOG as general superintendent from 1959 to 1985, regularly joined hands with Roman Catholic priests. He was one involved in the massive Kansas City conference of 1977 and stood on the platform with Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Suenens, thus pretending that this wolf in sheep’s clothing was a genuine man of God. Roughly 22,500 Roman Catholics participated in the Kansas City meeting.

Zimmerman joined hands with Roman Catholics in many other ecumenical meetings and projects, including Key ‘73, the 1981 American Festival of Evangelism, and the 1988 Washington for Jesus. Zimmerman was among the 28 Christian leaders that met with Pope John Paul II on his visit to the United States in September 1987.

The dramatic change in the Assemblies of God’s stand on ecumenical relations is evident in their relationship with the late David DuPlessis. In its first 60 years the AOG taught that Roman Catholicism is false, that Catholics need to hear the gospel, and Catholics who are converted need to separate from Romanism. When AOG minister David DuPlessis began to develop close communications with the Catholic hierarchy, he was forced to submit his resignation in 1962 (though he remained a member in good standing in the First Assembly of God of Oakland, California).

DuPlessis did not change. He grew so friendly with Rome that he attended the Vatican II Council meetings in the mid-1960s. He was received in audience by three Roman Catholic popes--John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. He helped develop the Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogues. In gratitude, Rome awarded DuPlessis with the Pax Christi award in 1976 and the Benemerenti award in 1983.

DuPlessis did not change, but the Assemblies of God did. By 1980 the attitude within the AOG had changed so radically that DuPlessis was welcomed back as a credentialed minister.

Today it is common for Catholic priests to speak in AOG churches and for AOG leaders to participate with Catholics in ecumenical meetings.

At least three Assemblies of God preachers were on the Steering Committee for the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization. At the time, one of these, Karl Strader of Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland, Florida, pastored one of the largest Assemblies of God churches in North America. Tens of thousands of Roman Catholics participated in these meetings, including hundreds of priests and nuns. Roman Catholic masses were conducted each morning of the conferences. Roman Catholic priest Tom Forrest brought the closing messages. The Assemblies of God preachers involved were not disciplined for their radical ecumenism.

In the Berean Call, January 1993, Dave Hunt, in answering a question from a reader, gave several other examples of the Assemblies of God-Rome connection:

Glen D. Cole of Sacramento has served at the top level of Assemblies of God leadership as an executive presbyter, yet he is deeply involved with much that you say the AOG stands against. He has even had a Catholic bishop perform the mass in his church at which Cole gave the sermon and said he had “never felt a greater presence of the Holy Spirit at a meeting.”

Yes, officially the AOG Bylaws, Article VIII, Sec. 11, seem to oppose the ecumenical movement and forbid participation in it, but the language leaves loopholes. Large enough loopholes, apparently, for the AOG itself to have engaged for some years in official “dialogue” with Roman Catholics, reported upon favorably in the Pentecostal Evangel!

Not only Cole, but AOG pastors Paul Radke and Karl Strader have served on the highly ecumenical North American Renewal Service Committee alongside numerous Catholic leaders and ecumenists. ...

[The] current General Superintendent, G. Raymond Carlson, has been (and I presume still is) on the Board of Reference of Richard Foster’s Renovare along with Catholics, ecumenists, inner healers. Renovare is pushing worldwide Foster’s brand of mysticism which includes visualization and advocates the ‘spiritual practices’ of Catholic mystics and the integration of psychology and theology.

That the mainstream Pentecostal-Charismatic world has capitulated to Rome cannot be denied.

(Eyewitness reports on the North American Congress on the Holy Spirit & World Evangelization meetings in New Orleans, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, can be found in the Fundamental Baptist CD-ROM Library available from Way of Life Literature.)

There are two foundational errors in the ecumenical philosophy: 

First, the ecumenical movement has an unscriptural view of doctrine.

The term “doctrine” appears 56 times in the King James Bible. The first characteristic of the church at Jerusalem that is described for us by the Holy Spirit is that it “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). The one true faith, the one true body of doctrinal truth, was given to the apostles by divine inspiration and enshrined in the New Testament Scripture. From that time forward, churches are commissioned to stand strictly upon that same doctrinal faith. No modifications are to be made and no changes accepted.

When Paul wrote to Timothy to instruct him in the work of the church, he did not tell him to “lighten up” and to ignore doctrinal differences. He instructed him to remain absolutely steadfast in the apostolic doctrine and not to allow ANY other doctrine to be taught.

“As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach NO OTHER DOCTRINE” (1 Tim. 1:3).

“O Timothy, KEEP THAT WHICH IS COMMITTED TO THY TRUST, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called” (1 Tim. 6:20).

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, THE SAME commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

Those who call upon believers to disregard denominational distinctives are ignoring the Bible’s emphasis upon sound doctrine. Some divisions between Christians are manmade and unnecessary, but many others--most, in fact--are doctrinal. Why, for example, is an Episcopalian church different from an Independent Baptist church? The doctrine is different. One teaches that baptism regenerates; the other, that baptism is symbolic. One baptizes infants; the other, believers only. One sprinkles; the other immerses. One has a priesthood; the other has pastors and deacons. One has a hierarchical church structure; the other practices the true autonomy of the assembly. One interprets prophecy literally and is looking for the imminent return of Jesus Christ; the other interprets prophecy allegorically. One allows its leaders and members to hold every sort of heresy and immorality; the other practices discipline and separation.

What is the difference between an Assemblies of God congregation and an independent Baptist church? Again, the difference is doctrine. One believes the baptism of the Holy Spirit is something the believer must seek and that its initial evidence is tongues; the other believes the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred at Pentecost and that every believer has the Holy Spirit and has no need to seek a Spirit baptism. One believes the sign gifts are operative today; the other believes the sign gifts ceased with the passing of the apostles. One believes the gift of tongues is operative today; the other believes the gift of tongues had a temporary purpose which ceased in the first century. One believes salvation can be lost; the other believes salvation is eternally secure. 

One of the names of the Spirit of God is “the Spirit of Truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 4:6). When He comes in His saving and sanctifying power, He also comes with Truth. One clear biblical evidence that the Charismatic movement is not of God is its doctrinal carelessness. Those who are “spirit baptized” have strange religious experiences; they might become better people in some moral and religious sense; they might “feel” closer to God; but they continue in their abominable false doctrines, and the Holy Spirit of God is not the author of such confusion.

It is impossible to take the Bible’s instruction about doctrine seriously and also be ecumenical.

Second, the ecumenical movement ignores God’s command of separation.

God forbids fellowship with error, yet Roman Catholics and others that are committed to heresy are accepted as true Christians in the Charismatic movement. Contrariwise, a truly Spirit-filled Christian will desire to obey the Spirit’s instruction regarding separation and contending for the faith

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom. 16:17).

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:9-10).

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:14-17).

“ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8-9).

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him”
(2  Cor. 11:3-4).

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14).

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11).

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision” (Phil. 3:1-2).

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8).

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us” (2 Thess. 3:6).

“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1 Tim. 1:19-20).

“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Tim. 6:3-5).

“But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:16-18).

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Tim. 3:5).

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Tim. 3:13-14).

“A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself” (Titus 1:10-11).

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 John 7-11).

It is impossible to be strict about sound doctrine as the Bible says we should be and to practice separation from error and also to be ecumenical. The practices are diametrically opposed to one another.

What about Christian unity? The Bible definitely speaks of unity but true Christian unity is the believers of a sound New Testament church united together in mind and faith and purpose to serve Jesus Christ and fulfill the Great Commission under the direction of their duly ordained leaders.

John 17:21 is often cited as the foundation for ecumenical unity. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17 is not a command that Christians are to obey; it is a prayer that Jesus addressed to God the Father. It is not something man needs to do; it is something God has already done. The prayer was answered 2,000 years ago. The unity described in this passage is the supernatural oneness that God creates among those that are born into His family by faith in Christ. Further, in John 17 the Lord Jesus is referring to those who keep His Word (Jn. 17:6, 17). It is a unity in truth and obedience to the Scripture. It is not a unity that ignores doctrinal differences for the sake of an enlarged fellowship. It is not an ecumenical “unity in diversity.”

Consider two other key New Testament passages on unity. The first is Ephesians 4:1-6:

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

In this passage we see true biblical unity and it is far removed from the ecumenical philosophy!

First, it is a unity of the Spirit (v. 3). This means that it is a unity involving those that are regenerated by and led by the Spirit of God. Contrast this with the ecumenical concept of bringing together everyone that names the name of Christ regardless of whether or not they are regenerate Christians. At a large ecumenical conference in St. Louis in 2000, I asked many of the people who were manning ministry booths, “When were you born again?” Not one gave a scriptural answer. Some said they were born again when they were baptized. Some, when they had a charismatic style experience. Others weren’t familiar with the term. Yet all of these people are intimately involved in the Charismatic-ecumenical movement.

Second, it is a unity of the one faith (v. 5). Biblical unity is impossible apart from the one true and settled faith taught by the apostles. God’s people are called upon to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). There is no unity between those who believe and follow the Bible and those who do not. Note that “the faith” is not divided into cardinal and secondary issues. In Matt. 23:23 Jesus taught that while not everything in Scripture is of equal importance, everything has some importance. Nothing clearly taught in Scripture is to be despised and set aside for the purpose of unity. In 1 Tim. 6:14, Paul taught Timothy to keep apostolic doctrine “without spot” until the return of Christ. Spots are small, seemingly insignificant things. Thus, Paul was teaching Timothy to value everything in Scripture. The theme of 1 Timothy is practical church truth (1 Tim. 3:15), church government (1 Tim. 3), the woman’s role in church work (1 Tim. 2), the widows (1 Tim. 5), etc. These are the very things that are typically ignored in ecumenical ventures, because they are considered of “secondary” importance. Yet Paul taught Timothy to keep all of these things without spot. Timothy was instructed to allow “no other doctrine” (1 Tim. 1:3). That is the strictest kind of standard for doctrine, and when one holds that standard of doctrine it is impossible to be ecumenical even in the mildest New Evangelical sense.

Third, it is a unity that has as its basic unit the New Testament assembly. The command in Ephesians 4:3 is addressed to the church at Ephesus (Eph. 1:1). It was not addressed to the worldwide body of believers or to all of the believers throughout a particular region. It is possible to practice biblical unity within the assembly because doctrine and righteousness can be enforced and preserved there. Outside of the assembly, though, there is no biblical discipline, leadership, or oversight. When Christians attempt to practice interdenominational and parachurch unity, there is always compromise because an attempt to respect every aspect of the New Testament faith causes division rather than unity. I am not responsible to maintain a unity with every professing believer in the world but with the believers in my assembly, in my local body, and with others with whom I am truly likeminded. The Bible says we are to glorify God “with one mind and one mouth” (Rom. 15:6). That is not a description of any type of ecumenism! This is only possible in the New Testament assembly, where believers can be united together in doctrine and spirit and purpose in a way that is impossible apart from the assembly.

Another key passage on Christian unity is Philippians 1:27:

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

We see here, first, that biblical unity is a function of the local church. This instruction was addressed to the church at Philippi. True Christian unity is not a parachurch or interdenominational issue.

We see, second, that biblical unity means having one mind. It is not an ecumenical unity in diversity. Compare Rom. 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11.

We see, third, that biblical unity means total commitment to the one apostolic faith. The New Testament faith is not many separate doctrines but is one unified body of truth into which all doctrines fit. It is unscriptural to think that only a few “cardinal” or “fundamental” Bible doctrines are crucial while other New Testament teachings and practices are tertiary and can be ignored for the sake of unity. As we have seen, the apostle Paul instructed Timothy to keep every aspect of biblical truth “without spot” until the return of Christ (1 Tim. 6:14). This refers to the details of the Word of God. It is impossible to stand unequivocally for New Testament truth in all its aspects and to be ecumenical at the same time.

As one wise pastor observed, we will limit our message or we will limit our fellowship. The choice is clear. If one is faithful to the New Testament faith, it is impossible to have a wide fellowship, and if one is committed to a wide fellowship he must limit his message, but this is something that is forbidden in Scripture.

[This article is excerpted from the new book THE PENTECOSTAL-CHARISMATIC MOVEMENTS: THE HISTORY AND THE ERROR. I have been examining and re-examining the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements for more than three decades since I was led to Christ by a Pentecostal in 1973 and began to seek God’s will about tongues-speaking and the miraculous gifts of the early churches. I have built a large library of materials on this subject and have interviewed Pentecostals and Charismatics and attended their churches in many parts of the world. I have also attended large Charismatic conferences with press credentials. I have approached these studies with an open mind in the sense of having a commitment only to the truth and not to anyone’s tradition. I am a member of an independent Baptist church but Baptist doctrine and practice is not my authority; the Bible is. Each fresh evaluation of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement has brought an increased conviction that it is unscriptural and dangerous. This book begins with my own experience with the Pentecostal movement. The next section deals with the history of the Pentecostal movement, beginning with a survey of miraculous signs from the second to the 18th centuries. We then examine the movements in the 19th century that led up to the creation of Pentecostalism and the outbreak of “tongues-speaking” at Charles Parham’s Bible school in Topeka, Kansas, in 1901, and at William Seymour’s Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles in 1906. We examine some of the major Pentecostal denominations, the Latter Rain Covenent, the major Pentecostal healing evangelists, the Sharon Schools and the New Order of the Latter Rain, the Manifest Sons of God, the Word-Faith movement and its key leaders, the Charismatic Movement, the Roman Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the Pentecostal Prophets, the Third Wave, and the recent Pentecostal scandals. We conclude the historical section with a look at the Laughing Revival. In the last section of the book we deal with the theological errors of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements (exalting experience over Scripture, emphasis on the miraculous, Messianic and apostolic miracles can be reproduced, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of fire, exalting the Holy Spirit, tongues speaking is for today, sinless perfectionism, healing is guaranteed in the atonement, spirit slaying, spirit drunkenness, visions of Jesus, trips to heaven, women preachers, and ecumenism). The final section of the book answers the question: “Why are people deluded by Pentecostal-Charismatic error?” David and Tami Lee, former Pentecostals, after reviewing a section of the book said: “Very well done!  We pray God will use it to open the eyes of many and to help keep many of His children out of such deception.” And Mary Keating, also a former Charismatic, said, “The book is excellent and I have no doubt whatever that the Lord is going to use it in a mighty way. Amen!!” 317 pages. $9.95. Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061. 866-295-4143]