Im a pentecostal looking for answers

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I’ve been born and raised a oneness ultra-conservative apostolic pentecostal, my Dad pastors a church. I know when I say this most people will think im just going through a “catholic” phase or something, but im 15. Im really into history and the great amount of historical evidence suppoting the Catholic church as well as what I think are inconsistensies in the basic doctrines under which iv been raised and the beautiful witness the few Catholics I know have lived in front of me have grown an interest in me! I’ve just started listening to sacred heart radio and I’ts awesome the way every thing seems to fit!!! buuuuut… There are still a few basic pentecostal doctrines Im having a hard time letting go and a few basic Catholic doctrines I’m having a hard time accepting. I was hoping someone who understood the apostolic pentecostal movement could give me some tips! Thanks! God Bless!🤷
 
I can’t reply without your specifying the problems as I’m not familiar with ultra-conservative apostolic pentecostal…but I just wanted to welcome you to CAF and to thank you for your interest. I ask Jesus to bless and help you in your search

Warm regards, Trishie
 
Well the way Ive been taught speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having recieved the holy ghost, so basically you cannot be saved without speaking in tongues. I was curious where the Church stands on speaking in tongues. Probably the most disinctive doctrine of the oneness apostolic pentecostal movements is that they deny the existence of the trinity. They believe that there is one God and he was manifest in Jesus. That is to say that Jesus is God the Father,God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They agree with the church that Jesus was fully man and fully God. I know to most people these doctrines sound ludicrous at best! Believe me though they way scripture is presented it can be convincing! Now in saying this I do not hold to them!!! I think God daily for helping me to see differently and for giving me a revelation on what the blessed Trinity truly is! I had always heard the doctrine of the trinity as being three seeperate persons who agreed in purpose… Until I started listening to E.W.T.N. and looked it up.
 
I’m sorry, I can’t give you the answer to your question, but like Trishie I welcome you to CAF:wave: and ask in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that He blesses you in your search for the Truth.:signofcross: .

-littletherese3
 
clayo93 said:
I’ve been born and raised a oneness ultra-conservative apostolic pentecostal, my Dad pastors a church. I know when I say this most people will think im just going through a “catholic” phase or something, but im 15. Im really into history and the great amount of historical evidence suppoting the Catholic church as well as what I think are inconsistensies in the basic doctrines under which iv been raised and the beautiful witness the few Catholics I know have lived in front of me have grown an interest in me! I’ve just started listening to sacred heart radio and I’ts awesome the way every thing seems to fit!!! buuuuut… There are still a few basic pentecostal doctrines Im having a hard time letting go and a few basic Catholic doctrines I’m having a hard time accepting. I was hoping someone who understood the apostolic pentecostal movement could give me some tips! Thanks! God Bless!🤷
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angelfire.com/ca3/rafaelmarie/ThePieta/athepieta.html
catholicfreeshipping.com/Products/cfs_gensym-154.html
catholicforum.com/churches/cathteach/divinemercy1.htm
our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/preface/
Hey kid here a good tip for you, start reading some good Catholic
Spiritual Books.😃 😃 😃
 
Welcome to the Forums. I hope you enjoy your time here and I hope you find the answers you are seeking.

Firstly, you should refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church if you have any questions about Catholic belief and practice. It is available free online:

vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm

You should also read the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This book summarises the information in the Catechism and provides information in a question and answer format. It is easier to understand. This is also fee online:

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

The information you want is available in both of these documents.
I was curious where the Church stands on speaking in tongues.
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The Catholic Church acknoweldges the existence of tongues as an extraordinary charism of the Holy Spirit. The Catechism has this to say about the Charisms of the Holy Spirit:

Charisms

799 Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.

800 Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really are genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit and are used in full conformity with authentic promptings of this same Spirit, that is, in keeping with charity, the true measure of all charisms.253

801 It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church’s shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good,"254 so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good."255

Tongues is a phenomena which helps the Church in her divine mission to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls. The Pope and the Bishops united with him have the task of deciding whether the gift of tongues is genuinely from God. If the Church has investigated the phenomena and declared it to be truly from the Lord, then the entire faithful receive the charism with joy and thanksgiving. However, these phenomena do not add or take anything away from the teachings of the Church. Christ was the full and complete Revelation of God to man; and there is to be no further revelation of God to man until his glorious return. Although the Church may declare an extraordinary manifestation of the Spirit worthy of belief, the faithful are not required to believe. We are only required to believe in the Sacred Deposit of Faith.

All supernatural phenomena, such as speaking in tongues, is only genuine if it approves or affirms the doctrines of the faith. Nothing from God will contradict the teachings of the Church. No true spirit from God will contradict the Gospel of the Lord. The manifestation of the Spirit will always lead people to Christ and the Church he established.

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican or Vatican II had this to say about the charisms of the Holy Spirit:

“The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit”.(115) These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church. Extraordinary gifts are not to be sought after, nor are the fruits of apostolic labor to be presumptuously expected from their use; but judgment as to their genuinity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.

Reference: Lumen Gentium paragraph 12. Bold is mine.

The Faithful are instructed not to seek extradordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. Catholics do not try to receive the gift of tongues. We accept tongues as a gift of the Holy Spirit given to those whom he alone chooses. Tongues are only given if they help or aid the Church. Tongues are not used as a magic trick; they are given for the benefit of the entire Church, not of individuals.

I think you will enjoy this article. It fully explains the Catholic position on tongues:

The Nature of Tongues by James Akin
catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9804chap.asp

**If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will help you in whatever way I can. **
 
clayo93 said:
I’ve been born and raised a oneness ultra-conservative apostolic pentecostal, my Dad pastors a church. I know when I say this most people will think im just going through a “catholic” phase or something, but im 15. Im really into history and the great amount of historical evidence suppoting the Catholic church as well as what I think are inconsistensies in the basic doctrines under which iv been raised and the beautiful witness the few Catholics I know have lived in front of me have grown an interest in me! I’ve just started listening to sacred heart radio and I’ts awesome the way every thing seems to fit!!! buuuuut… There are still a few basic pentecostal doctrines Im having a hard time letting go and a few basic Catholic doctrines I’m having a hard time accepting. I was hoping someone who understood the apostolic pentecostal movement could give me some tips! Thanks! God Bless!🤷
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clayo93 said:
Well the way Ive been taught speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having recieved the holy ghost, so basically you cannot be saved without speaking in tongues. I was curious where the Church stands on speaking in tongues. Probably the most disinctive doctrine of the oneness apostolic pentecostal movements is that they deny the existence of the trinity. They believe that there is one God and he was manifest in Jesus. That is to say that Jesus is God the Father,God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They agree with the church that Jesus was fully man and fully God. I know to most people these doctrines sound ludicrous at best! Believe me though they way scripture is presented it can be convincing! Now in saying this I do not hold to them!!! I think God daily for helping me to see differently and for giving me a revelation on what the blessed Trinity truly is! I had always heard the doctrine of the trinity as being three seeperate persons who agreed in purpose… Until I started listening to E.W.T.N. and looked it up.
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Now I’m not Catholic, but I am familiar with the Oneness movement, having a number of friends in it and having done a great deal of research on the topic. I’ll do my best to present things to you in a Catholic fashion while referring to points that you will find important.

On a positive note, both Oneness and Catholic believers put a strong emphasis on Acts 2:38. Catholics believe that baptism remits sins, just as Apostolics do, although they use a different formula “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” rather than the Name of Jesus. Catholics also believe in the reception of the spirit as a result of repentance and baptism, but don’t see speaking in tongues as “evidence” of it, but rather what happened to those believers in Acts.

Catholicism as a whole doesn’t oppose speaking in tongues, although some individual Catholics aren’t fond of it. It is most commonly found in the Catholic churches where there is an emphasis on the Charismatic movement. Catholic history has a number of stories related to healing, miracles, etc that would be similar to those told by Pentecostals.

As for the Trinity, the common definition is three persons, one substance. Volumes have been written trying to explain the meaning of this brief definition, making the distinctions between Father, Son and Holy Spirit without creating three gods and at the same time emphasizing their unity without making one person.

Someone Oneness writers have tried to minimize the difference by pointing out that the Latin word persona also meant role in a drama and suggest that people originally thought of it as One God playing 3 roles, but Catholics don’t accept that definition.

My advice to you if you thoroughly want to study the issue is to check out what’s written by Catholic Answers on catholic.com in their library and compare it with what Oneness writers have written.

On the issues of Baptism and Trinity Oneness writer David Bernard (Google him) has written a number of books and is considered by many Oneness preachers to be the most intellectual person to explain their beliefs. For a more popular presentation of Oneness objections to the trinity you can refer to an older work by Gordon McGee Is Jesus in the Godhead or is the Godhead in Jesus? that rather neatly captures the common Oneness objections to the doctrine of the Trinity.

By comparing these writers with what you find at Catholics answers (as well as the books and resources they recommend) you should be able to work out for yourself what the Bible is saying. It will also give you a basis on which to explain to your family why you are considering/adopting beliefs that are different from theirs

Good luck to you. 🙂
 
Hello and welcome,

I think the thing you need to do is understand where Christian teaching comes from. Where it does not come from is from reading the Scriptures and trying to best figure out what they mean. Rather, the teaching that already existed (given by God to the Church through the Apostles) found its way into Scripture (talking about the New Testament). The difference is crucial to understanding the role of both Scripture and the Church in teaching and guarding God’s full revelation to humanity.
 
clayo93 said:
I’ve been born and raised a oneness ultra-conservative apostolic pentecostal, my Dad pastors a church. I know when I say this most people will think im just going through a “catholic” phase or something, but im 15. Im really into history and the great amount of historical evidence suppoting the Catholic church as well as what I think are inconsistensies in the basic doctrines under which iv been raised and the beautiful witness the few Catholics I know have lived in front of me have grown an interest in me! I’ve just started listening to sacred heart radio and I’ts awesome the way every thing seems to fit!!! buuuuut… There are still a few basic pentecostal doctrines Im having a hard time letting go and a few basic Catholic doctrines I’m having a hard time accepting. I was hoping someone who understood the apostolic pentecostal movement could give me some tips! Thanks! God Bless!🤷
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I have a verry easy suggestion for you. Start with the conversion stories of Scott Hahn, David Currie, Tim Staples, Stephan Ray. They are on CD at St. Joseph Communication’s website and many can be gotten for about $3 each. They are also fun to listen to. They can answer many of your questions.

saintjoe.com/

I was born and raised Catholic, went to Catholic school until the 8th grade (didn’t have a Catholic High School). Then, I spent 7 years in a Pentecostal Church way back when I had questions that I was having trouble getting answers to. Once I started researching history, church and otherwise, and looking into what the Church really teaches, I am happy to say I am back.

I now teach 7th and 8th grade CCD and we study apologetics so, hopefully, these kids don’t have to go through the uncertainty and frustration I did. I also try to give them a preview of what to expect from their non-Catholic friends and what questions they will have and how to find those answers.

I want to congradulate you on asking the questions you have, they are very good ones and legitimate points of concern for you, I’m sure. Believe me, there are answers and we would love to help you find them.

Good luck and God bless

Niorbh a fhiú a dhath ariamh
a bhfuarthas in aisgidh.
(Nothing free is ever appreciated.)
 
I am not directly knocking you or really your faith, however the gift of speaking in another tounge is the ability to speak in another language.

From what I understand of the pentacostal religion is that one person rambles on gibberish and another can translate that? Is that correct?

I had a girlfriend a long time ago that was pentacostal and I told her that psychobabel is not a language. She did not like that very well.

"real human languages that could be understood by anyone who spoke them (Acts 2:11). "
 
Clay, as others have said. Welcome to the forum and I encourage you to continue your study of the Catholic faith.

But,and this is important. As you are still a minor living with your parents, you are still obligated to be respectful of their rules, and yes, attending your dads church is one of them. That does NOT mean though, that you should stop investigating our beautiful Catholic Church. Use that opportunity to compare/contrast what you hear and learn at your dad’s church with what you are learning with your Catholic studies.

PRAY. Always pray and ask God to guide you.

Also understand, depending on the Catholic feelings of your family, they may be upset with your studies, so be prepared for that.

God bless you on your faith journey, where ever it leads you.
 
Welcome! I was the other kind of Pentecostal, and before that I was almost Apostolic for a short time. I can tell you you’re going to like it here.😃
There are charismatic meetings in the Catholic Church. I go to one. We can speak in tongues. The New testament says not everyone speaks in tongues; it’s just one out of many gifts. Everyone doesn’t necessarily do everything.
The really relieving thing is it’s not wrong to ask too many questions. And, you don’t lose your salvation forever and come to immediate grief if you ask the wrong questions or fail to meet standards. Your level of enthusiasm is up to you. Your style is up to you.
 
Well the way Ive been taught speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having recieved the holy ghost, so basically you cannot be saved without speaking in tongues. I was curious where the Church stands on speaking in tongues. Probably the most disinctive doctrine of the oneness apostolic pentecostal movements is that they deny the existence of the trinity. They believe that there is one God and he was manifest in Jesus.

**Speaking as someone who has passed through the Charismatic movement, I will say that in my experience, people who speak in tongues have just as much difficulty learning Biblical languages as those who do not. Think about it.

Oneness (mistakenly called “apostolic faith”) is nothing more than Sabellian Modalism, a heresy the church rejected in the second or third century. It’s big problem (as I understand the doctrine) is that limits God to living in time–that some TIMES He’s the Father, some TIMES He’s the Son, and some TIMES He’s the Holy Spirit.

In the meantime, be patient with God and yourself.**
 
There are still a few basic pentecostal doctrines Im having a hard time letting go and a few basic Catholic doctrines I’m having a hard time accepting.
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Welcome to the forums! We’ll be happy to help you with your questions.

Let us know which doctrines you are having problems with. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about Catholic doctrines, and the only Oneness Pentecostal I had anything to do with had a lot of them.

So, tell us about these doctrines.

God bless you,

Ruthie
 
Remember to ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truths 🙂
 
A quick and easy way to verify Catholic teachings is by obtaining a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It’s available in any reputable bookstore.

It has all the answers to the question: What does the Catholic Church teach on_____________? It contains the most comprehensive synthesis of the of the Catholic doctrine as referenced from Scriptures, Early Fathers, The Liturgy and Church Magisterium.

Warning:
You might be shocked to find out that aside from clarity in all matters concerning Catholic teachings, they don’t contradict the Bible and can be cross-referenced back and forth.😃
 
clayo93 said:
Well the way Ive been taught speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having recieved the holy ghost, so basically you cannot be saved without speaking in tongues. I was curious where the Church stands on speaking in tongues.

Probably the most disinctive doctrine of the oneness apostolic pentecostal movements is that they deny the existence of the trinity. They believe that there is one God and he was manifest in Jesus. That is to say that Jesus is God the Father,God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They agree with the church that Jesus was fully man and fully God. I know to most people these doctrines sound ludicrous at best! Believe me though they way scripture is presented it can be convincing! Now in saying this I do not hold to them!!! I think God daily for helping me to see differently and for giving me a revelation on what the blessed Trinity truly is! I had always heard the doctrine of the trinity as being three seeperate persons who agreed in purpose… Until I started listening to E.W.T.N. and looked it up.
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Howdy and welcome to the forums that I only just joined yesterday! 😃 I have a friend who was raised Pentecostal and I wish she was here right now to talk about this. We’ve only talked about it a little, she only opened up about it recently. Imagine. After all the paths I’ve been down, anyone being reticent with me about their own journey. Oy. 😉

I think it would be wise to study St. Paul’s writings on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Scott Hahn has done some wonderful teaching on the writings of St. Paul. And Fr. Mitch Pacwa from EWTN wrote a slim book on St. Paul in honor of this Year of St. Paul. And before I forget, here are some links you can use for all kinds of Catholic studies.

Sonitus Sanctus, free Catholic audio (mp3’s and RealAudio files). Look on the right hand column to find topics and speakers you might enjoy. 🙂
catholicaudio.blogspot.com/

Scott Hahn has different sites and many resources and many studies on St. Paul. He’s a marvelous speaker and scholar. 😉
scotthahn.com

And for insight into the Trinity… might I suggest downloading or listening online to Fr. Benedict Groeschel’s series on The Mystery of the Trinity from the EWTN audio library.

Hope you find something that helps in all that. And I’m glad you’re looking into Catholicism. I was so confused about Christianity before I found the Catholic Church, I had just about given up on ever understanding it or ever having my questions answered. What a difference the Church has made. 🙂

Pax in Christi
 
I would also listen to Drake McCalisters conversion story from the Journey Home. He was a Foursquare Sr Pastor that came into the Catholic Church in 2004.
He listened to Sacred Heart radio in Washington and includes that in his conversion story.
His perspective may be helpful.
Many Blessings
Doolin
 
Well, why didn’t I include this in my earlier reply? Doh!

You would probably enjoy and learn a lot from the Journey Home series on EWTN. You’ve probably already seen some of these, maybe a lot of them. But you can download bunches of them from EWTN’s audio library and listen on your computer or mp3 player. I’ve got 40 something JH shows on my player, along with Scott Hahn and Tim Gray bible studies, and Fr. Groeschel talks, and Fr. Pacwa’s shows. And Rosalind Moss talks.

There’s a lot of stuff out there. Happy listening! 🙂
 
Welcome to CAF! Another person’s story that might help you is Jeff Cavins “My Life on the Rock”. He was Assembly of God, not Oneness but his story is very inspiring!! His journey is a lot like my own, minus the Mormonism part. LOL.

One of the hardest parts of my own former doctrine to let go of was the Idea that the Trinity were all seperate beings. (We didn’t call it the Trinity, but the Godhead) At the end, my prayer was, “Lord, I don’t get this whole Trinity thing, but I’m sure you’ve got a handle on it so lead me where you would have me go”

Again, Welcome to the Forums!
in Christ
Steph
 
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