Historical Background
Part 1
Let's Look Back
Do you recall your days of high school history?
For some of us, such memories remind us of a fascination with a storied past, while for others, they remind us of dusty textbooks and seemingly irrelevant specifics about times and places removed from our daily lives.
Nevertheless, if we are to properly understand a theological tradition like Pentecostalism, it is important that we understand the historical context which gave rise to it in the first place. In a sense, this is like preparing the ground before planting a seed.
In today’s video, we will be talking about some figures and movements which preceded Pentecostalism. In particular, we will be introduced to John Wesley, a man often labelled a spiritual forerunner of the Pentecostal movement, and the Methodist-Holiness tradition that followed after him. As you watch, be on the lookout for “seeds” – underdeveloped ideas and concepts that Pentecostals would later adopt and redefine as their own in the early 1900’s.
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Complex but connected
Tracing the origins of a movement as diverse and global as Pentecostalism through a single historical lineage certainly risks oversimplification. Nevertheless, even scholars who emphasize the Pentecostal movement’s complex and varied roots recognize that Pentecostalism, as we know it today, would not have been possible without the influence of Wesley and Wesleyanism.
Test Yourself
Answer
Talk it Through
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Historical Background: Part 1
Answer these questions in your own words:
- Although John Wesley rejected the idea that Spirit baptism is a subsequent event to salvation, do you believe he should be credited with fundamentally laying the foundation for the development of the Pentecostal view of Spirit baptism? Why or why not?
- Do your own views on Spirit baptism and sanctification more closely resemble Wesley himself, his intended successor John Fletcher, or the subsequent Holiness movement of the 19th century?
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2 Replies
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Yes, I do believe that he should be credited with laying the foundation for the development of the Pentecostal view of Spirit baptism. While he may not have embraced the entire, current Pentecostal view of Spirit baptism, he did emphasize the need for personal encounter with God, which is an essential pillar of the Pentecostal experience. His emphasis on the full surrender of the heart and the subsequent work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers opened the doorway for us to seek a deeper experience with the Spirit. I don’t think that it would be fair to discredit Wesley’s influence on Pentecostalism just because of a single point of contention.
My viewpoint seems to most closely align with Wesley. I disagree with Fletcher’s views on entire sanctification, as well as much of the subsequent Holiness movement’s views. As much as I would like to believe that we as Christians can be free from all sin, intentional or unintentional, I simply do not find evidence for this in the Bible. We are all fundamentally flawed creatures, and though we may turn away from conscious sin and become more holy through the work of the Spirit, it will always be a battle. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us – 1 John 1:8.
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- Yes I do believe that Wesley should be credited. The revival that Wesley was a part of is absolutely incredible to read. He was quite strong in his gatherings and teachings that the Spirit is so so key to the life of a disciple of Jesus. Much more so than many of his peers outside the revival movement.
- My own view is either undecided or both. What I mean by that is, depending on what you define as “Spirit Baptism” changes who’s view you more closely align with. In my own life I’ve seen the Pentecostal type “Spirit Baptism” occur at, and after salvation. Though I also know less Pentecostal type Christians who are undoubtingly filled with the Spirit but does not operate in the Spirit in the same way that is common among Pentecostals, and that filling of the spirit was also sometimes seen at, or after salvation.
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FURTHER RESOURCES
- William and Menzies, "Spirit and Power: Foundations of Pentecostal Experience" (pages 9-36)
- Ryan Danker, “What is Christian Perfection, and Does This Mean Christians Will No Longer Sin?”
- Gerald H. Anderson, “Parham, Charles Fox (1873-1929): American Pentecostal Pioneer and Founder of the Apostolic Faith Movement”