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Dangers of Pentecostalism

2 Peter 1:16-21

The dangers of Pentecostalism are many, especially with respect to the Word of God.

Scripture of No Effect

Pentecostalism makes the Holy Scriptures of no effect by adding speaking in tongues, ecstatic visions, the performance of miracles, and holy trances to the message of the Bible. In other words, they make their experiences to be revelations equal to, and even greater than that of the Bible. In practice, Pentecostalism is a denial of the sufficiency of the Scriptures. Pentecostalism implies that the Bible alone is not able to make a man “thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” They would have us to know that something more is needed. — Something more than the gospel. — Something more than redemption. — Something more than salvation. — Something more than eternal life. — Something more than Christ!

An Additional Word

As Mormonism is built not upon the revelation of God in Holy Scripture, but upon the vision Joseph Smith claimed he had, and wrote out in the Book of Mormon, Pentecostalism is not built upon the Word of God, but upon additional revelations from God men and women claim to have. The Pentecostal does not seek enlightenment from the Holy Spirit in the study and understanding of the Word of God. He seeks an additional word from God, an additional revelation, an additional source of truth, an additional basis of faith. These deluded souls fully believe that there are prophets and apostles today, possessing all the gifts and powers of Elijah and Paul; and they are seeking a message from heaven by these men. For them, the Bible alone is not enough. Modern day miracle workers flat out deny the sufficiency of the Word of God. In his book (Miraculous Healing), Henry W. Frost wrote, “We are not to say, therefore, that the Word of God is sufficient.”

Superior Revelations

The charismatic looks upon signs, wonders, and miracles as being superior to and more powerful than the Word of God! They tell us that if men do not believe the Bible simply as the pure Word of God, and submit to it as such, perhaps they will believe if they see a miracle. But our Lord rebuked such a thought, saying, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

God’s Testimony

The miraculous, spiritual gifts of the apostles were never intended to produce faith in men. They were temporary gifts, confirming to God’s elect the authority of the apostles as the messengers of Christ. We believe the gospel of Christ upon the divinely confirmed testimony of the apostles. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s