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The Sacraments of the Church
Think about this:
- Macchia once said that "Pentecostal theology must still catch up to Pentecostal experience when it comes to the sacraments of the church." Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?
- The Hebdens write about one baptismal service where "Four out of the Five (participants) had already received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit came in power upon the only one who had not while being buried in the baptismal waters." In your opinion, should Pentecostals emphasize a greater connection between water and Spirit baptism? Explain your answer with reference to Scripture, and possibly experience and/or reason.
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1 Reply
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I think I agree with his assessment enough, yes. I do think that a fair number of Pentecostals are so in touch with experiencing God that they are prone to forgetting about the theology behind the experience. It's a wonderful thing to encounter the Lord, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. Our theology is our foundation, and getting to know God is more than just spending time in His presence, to me. It's learning His history, His word, etc. All of the things that were so clearly passed down and commanded to us for a reason. It's achieving the balance of understanding the rituals and rules while also possessing this radical openness to God in which the sweet spot lies, I think.
2. Personally, I find the link to water baptism and Spirit baptism to be analogous. I think the connection is more of an allusion, less literal and more figurative. Of course, this isn't to say that God cannot use the literal connection, I just feel that water baptism is more of a foreshadowing of Spirit baptism than it is a direct parallel. I think that an emphasis on explaining the significance of water baptism as a precursor to Spirit baptism is wise to touch on, and I do feel that some churches lack this emphasis.
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