Table Of Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

CRITERIA FOR DISCERNING ANTI-RENEWAL LITERATURE
The Overall picture
Church History
A common characteristic
Heresy Hunters
Methodology
Presuppositions
Cessationism and Dispensationalism

THE PRIMARY ARGUMENTS OF ANTI-RENEWAL LITERATURE
The spiritual lineage argument
The accusation of heresy and occultism

BIBLICAL CRITERIA

THEOLOGICAL CRITERIA
Heresy
Occultism
The “Faith” Teaching

ORTHODOXY AND ORTHOPRAXY
Orthodoxy?
Presuppositions

PARTICULAR CRITICISMS
The Holy Communion has been interrupted
Arguments from silence
Misuse of scripture
Either/Or’s
“Dispensing the Holy Spirit”
Accusatory anecdotes
Accusatory associations of ideas

LEGITIMATE CONCERNS

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX I: James Burns, Revivals, Their Laws and Leaders
One criticism
Introduction
The coming revival

APPENDIX II: The Teaching of E. W. Kenyon
An Analysis of E. W. Kenyon
An Evaluation of E. W. Kenyon

APPENDIX III: Association of Vineyard Churches Statement of Faith

APPENDIX IV: Rhema Ministries South Africa Statement of Faith

APPENDIX V
“Five Steps in the Healing Procedure” Adapted to Renewal Ministry
1. Selection (who should you pray for?)
2. Diagnostic decision (what is happening here?)
3. Prayer selection (what kind of prayer will I use?)
4. Prayer engagement (How are we doing?)
5. Post prayer direction

BIBLIOGRAPHY

This is partly a time piece, and partly an apologetic that has relevance to all revivals, or times when the Holy Spirit moves in visible power. It is a time piece because it was written in 1995 to defend the move of the Holy Spirit occurring at that time, as noted by the caption above. However, such an apologetic is similar to the one Jonathan Edwards made in his day. In that sense the arguments are generic to all such moments in history. Perhaps, when the next great move of the Holy Spirit comes along, this text may be useful.

Such moments in history form part of the larger framework of the kingdom of God as enacted, inaugurated eschatology. As noted quite frequently in my publications, this understanding of the kingdom as present, near, delayed and future leads to a definition of the kingdom that produces a number of implications (explored in more detail in Breakthrough) one of which is that every revival is a fresh in-breaking of the kingdom.