What is the Charismatic movement?

Answer

The Charismatic Movement is an interdenominational Christian renewal movement and is among the most popular and fastest-growing forces within the Christian world today. The movement has its origins in 1906 at the Azusa Street mission in Los Angeles, California, a Methodist-sponsored revival. It was there that individuals claimed to have been “baptized by the Holy Spirit” in a manner similar to that recorded in Acts chapter 2 during the celebration of Pentecost. The occurrences of people speaking in tongues and experiencing miraculous healings stirred a spiritual fervor. Attendees of these meetings spread their enthusiasm across the United States, marking the beginning of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement.

By the early 1970s, the movement had extended to Europe, and in the 1980s, it further expanded, giving rise to several new denominations. Its influence can be observed in various other denominations such as Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and non-denominational churches.

The movement derives its name from the Greek words charis, which is the English transliteration of the Greek term for “grace,” and mata, which means “gifts” in Greek. Charismata, therefore, signifies “grace gifts.” It underscores the display of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as an indication of His presence. These gifts, also referred to as the biblical “charisms” or spiritual gifts, are believed to grant an individual influence or authority over large groups of people. Among these “charisms,” speaking in tongues and prophesying are prominent. Charismatics maintain that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit experienced by the first-century church can still be encountered and practiced today.

The Charismatic Movement is notably characterized by its acceptance of speaking in tongues (also known as glossolalia), divine healing, and prophecies as demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. Most gatherings are centered around prayer and spiritual activities.

Spirited singing, dancing, shouting “in the spirit,” and raising hands and arms in prayer are common practices. Anointing the sick with oil is also often part of the worship service. These practices contribute significantly to the movement’s growth and popularity. While growth and popularity are desirable, they cannot be used as a test for truth.

The question remains: is the Charismatic movement scriptural? We can best answer that question by considering that since the creation of mankind, Satan’s insidious master plan has been to create a veil between God’s children and God’s inerrant Word. This plan originated in the Garden of Eden when the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say . . .?” «Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? », (Genesis 3:1), casting doubt on the authority and authenticity of God’s words. Since then, he has continued to challenge the inerrancy and sufficiency of the Bible. Undoubtedly, Satan has intensified this strategy «Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: », (1 Peter 5:8).

Where Satan fails to take the Bible from us, he endeavors to draw us away from it. One way he achieves this is by diverting Christians’ focus to the claims of certain individuals regarding supernatural experiences. Those who pursue sensational experiences or new revelations from God lack the time or interest to search the Scriptures for God’s truth.

It is undeniable that God performs miracles. Some of what transpires in the Charismatic movement may indeed be a genuine work of the Holy Spirit. However, it is essential to recognize that the Body of Christ has already experienced a wide variety of spiritual gifts and manifestations.

We have already been given the all-sufficient, eternal Word of God. Do we need new apostles, new faith healers, or self-styled miracle workers? Or is the greater need to return to the Bible and proclaim the whole counsel of God in the power and love of the Holy Spirit?