I have been greatly encouraged by a fascinating series on the “Word and the Spirit” examining the important role played by Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this debate.
It has been published by Evangelicals Now and is part of a doctoral thesis by Australian pastor Adam Ramsay.
As Ramsay noted, the great Welsh preacher was emphatic that there is nothing in Scripture to say that spiritual gifts were only temporary, and that our convictions should not be based on Reformation theology but on the Bible.
Having spent my formative years as a Christian as part of what many consider the cathedral of Reformed evangelicalism (All Souls, Langham Place, in central London), I recall that it was something of a taboo subject (in the 1970s) and, on the occasions when it was mentioned, the Charismatic Movement came in for harsh criticism.
But on moving to Yorkshire and coming under different (though equally godly) influences, I came to see that the Pentecostal call for a return to the kind of Christianity displayed in the Acts of the Apostles made perfect sense. From a biblical point of view, it was patently obvious.
The first disciples, already acknowledging Jesus as Messiah and clearly born again of the Spirit, were commanded to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high. But hadn’t they already received the Spirit?
Well, yes, the revelation of Christ’s divinity was clearly a work of the Spirit. But both Jesus and John the Baptist spoke of a ‘baptism of fire’ which came with explosive force, both literally and spiritually, on the Day of Pentecost. This was the power that launched the Church – Artemis-like – into world-changing orbit. But it wasn’t just for ‘kick-off’. It was the plan for every believer.
Yes, everything turned (as far as the Gospel message is concerned) on Easter weekend when the Passover ‘Lamb of God’ was sacrificed for our sins and rose from the dead as the first fruits of all who would believe in Him. But there has been a misleading perception that has disempowered the Church for much of the past two millennia – that it was the resurrection that changed the once fearful followers of Jesus into death-defying proclaimers of the Gospel.
Of course, it was the resurrection that gave them the message to proclaim. But it was Pentecost that gave them the power with which to proclaim it. Yeshua’s many post-resurrection appearances considerably added to his disciples’ faith while also providing further proof for the historical basis of Christianity.
But the ability to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth had to wait until Pentecost, 50 days after Christ’s resurrection coinciding with the feast of first fruits. As Jesus said: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4f)
And he went on to explain how it would give them the power to be global witnesses of the Gospel.
As well as marking the spring harvest, Pentecost (also known as Shavuot) celebrates the giving of the Law of Moses, 50 days after the exodus from Egypt. And once I saw that there was a power, a boldness, missing from my walk of faith, I allowed a group of godly businessmen to lay their hands on me. And that night I experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues for the first time and generally open to God’s leading in a new way.
My life was absolutely transformed. The law, as it were, was now written on my heart, not just on tablets of stone (2 Corinthians 3:3), and I was living and breathing the gospel as it became the central focus of my life and career. No Christian should miss out on the riches Christ offers through such a baptism, for modern-day disciples need it as much as the apostles of old.
It’s not just about firepower, however. It’s about experiencing the full joy of Pentecost which had the first disciples accused of being drunk (Acts 2:13). After all, the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
See also Paul’s magnificent prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 – the perfect recipe for harnessing the power of Messiah’s riches to bring glory in the church.
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