Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders is a phrase referring to the idea that experiences historically perceived as miraculous can be normative in modern Christian experience, and is a phrase associated with groups that are a part of modern charismatic movements, especially ones whose practices derive directly and indirectly from the teaching and writing of the late John Wimber. Derived from old and new testament allusions, and originally appearing in Wimber writings, the phrase is now used in the Christian and mainstream press, and in scholarly religious discourse to communicate a strong emphasis on recognizing perceived manifestations of the Holy Spirit—the third person (hypostasis), with God the Father and God the Son, of the Christian Trinity[1][2][3]—in the contemporary lives of Christian believers; as well, it communicates a focus on the expectation that divine action would be experienced in the individual and corporate life of the modern Christian church, and a further insistence that followers actively seek the "gifts of the Spirit".[4] Other attributes of congregations dedicated to signs and wonders and arising from these origins emphasize contemporary, participatory styles of worship, and include an understanding that the impact of the church's message and effort is manifest in church growth.[4] A further major emphasis of belief in signs and wonders is that the message of the Christian "good news" is communicated more effectively to those who do not believe it if accompanied by such supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit, including such signs and wonders as miraculous healings and modern prophetic proclamations.

Biblical origins

The origin of the title phrase is said to be in Deuteronomy 26:8, which describes the commandment to tithe (offer a gift or contribution of) the first fruits of ones resources, linkig the command to God's having brought the Israelites out of Egypt "with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with signs and wonders [emphasis added]." This passage is read in the Passover Haggadah, and in the Seder.

A further key biblical citation that is understood by Christians holding theologies with emphasis on signs and wonders is Mark 16:20, which states, "…the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

Critical responses

Controversy stirred by John Wimber’s teachings on signs and wonders brought on a wave of critical responses, a wave referred to as the "fourth wave of the Holy Spirit," although some have argued that it was less a wave than an "orthogonal ripple". The most persistent criticism focuses on the claim that effective evangelism cannot properly be exercised without the accompanying miraculous work. Such a situation, it was argued, added to the Gospel message and ultimately distorted its message from being one of salvation to being one of experiencing God's blessings now. While many critics did not deny that God could perform the miraculous, they also claimed that it was a fallacy to assume that miracles could be expected—as though God could be "forced" to act as it were.

Entering into the dialogue were J. Woodhouse,[5] K. L. Sarles,[6] K. M. Bond,[7] and D. H. Shepherd,[8] Later in the 1990s, the discussion was taken up by R. E. Jackson (addressing skeptics),[9] and D. Williams.[10]

Defense and reflection

The ongoing theological reflection accompanying the signs and wonders movement was evidenced by Fuller Theological Seminary’s 1988 Symposium on Power Evangelism.[11] In the same year, C. Peter Wagner released The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit.[12] The study of the missiological implications of signs and wonders would continue on into the turn of the century[13][14] E. B. Dennis confronted the long-standing objections of cessationists with his thesis entitled, The Duration of the Charismata, in 1989.[15] The broader debate over the signs and wonders movement and the present-day function of the manifestation gifts would continue on into the 1990s.[16][17][18][19]

See also

References and notes

  1. ↑ Millard J. Erickson (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. p. 103.
  2. ↑ T C Hammond, Revised and edited by David F Wright (1968). In Understanding be Men:A Handbook of Christian Doctrine. (sixth ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 54–56 and 128–131.
  3. ↑ Grudem, Wayne A. 1994. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. page 226.
  4. 1 2 CT Editorial Board (February 9, 1998). "Editorial: Wimber's Wonders". Christianity Today. Carol Stream, IL: ChristianityToday.org. 42 (2). Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  5. ↑
    • J. Woodhouse, P. Barnett, et al., Signs & Wonders and Evangelicals: a Response to the Teaching of John Wimber (Homebush West, NSW, Australia: Lancer Books, 1987).
  6. ↑
    • K. L. Sarles, An Appraisal of the Signs & Wonders Movement (Dallas, Texas: Bibliotheca Sacra, 1988).
  7. ↑
    • K. M. Bond, Signs and Wonders: Perspectives on John Wimber's Vineyard (Langley, British Columbia: Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary, 1990).
  8. ↑
    • D. H. Shepherd, A Critical Analysis of Power Evangelism as an Evangelistic Methodology of the Signs and Wonders Movement (Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, 1991).
  9. ↑ R. E. Jackson, An Evaluation of the Evangelistic Emphasis of the North American Power Evangelism Movement, 1977-1997 (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1999).
  10. ↑ D. Williams, Signs, Wonders, and the Kingdom of God: A Biblical Guide for the Reluctant Skeptic (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Vine Books, 1989).
  11. ↑
    • Papers Presented at the Symposium on Power Evangelism (Pasadena, California: Fuller Theological Seminary, 1988).
  12. ↑
    • C. Peter Wagner, The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit: Encountering the Power of Signs and Wonders Today (Ann Arbor: Servant Publications Vine Books, 1988).
  13. ↑ T. O. Kettenring, The Impact on Confidence for Personal Witnessing through Exposure to Power Evangelism (Denver, Colorado: Denver Seminary, 2000).
  14. ↑ J. Lee, Power Evangelism in the Third Wave Movement and Its Implications for Contemporary Church Growth (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2000).
  15. ↑ E. B. Dennis, The Duration of the Charismata: An Exegetical and Theological Study of 1 Corinthians 13:10 (Virginia Beach, VA: CBN University, 1989).
  16. ↑ D. T. Tharp, Signs and Wonders in the Twentieth Century Evangelical Church: Corinth Revisited (Ashland, OH: Ashland Theological Seminary, 1992).
  17. ↑ J. A. Algera, Signs and Wonders of God's Kingdom (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Theological Seminary, 1993).
  18. ↑ Jon M. Ruthven, On the Cessation of Charismata : The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993).
  19. ↑ J. I. Packer, G. S. Greig, et al., The Kingdom and the Power: Are Healing and the Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today?: a Biblical Look at How to Bring the Gospel to the World with Power (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1993).

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.