What are Pentecostals...

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I have a question. I am not sure if I am posting in the right place so forgive me.

A girlfriend of mine informed me that she met and is dating an amazing guy who is Pentecostal. She is Catholic and is concerned as they are both of different religions. She asked me what is a Pentecostal and their beliefs, but I have no idea what their religion is all about since I am a cradle Catholic and never had the need to look into anything else. Can you please explain what the diferences are between Catholics and Penecostals? And I will pass this on to her. Thank you.

God Bless you 🙂
 
Cagrl said:
I have a question. I am not sure if I am posting in the right place so forgive me.

A girlfriend of mine informed me that she met and is dating an amazing guy who is Pentecostal. She is Catholic and is concerned as they are both of different religions. She asked me what is a Pentecostal and their beliefs, but I have no idea what their religion is all about since I am a cradle Catholic and never had the need to look into anything else. Can you please explain what the diferences are between Catholics and Penecostals? And I will pass this on to her. Thank you.

God Bless you 🙂
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Well since you know what Catholicism is…
Pentecostalism are Christians that emphasize the gifts of the spirit spoken about in Acts and Corinthians.
A few of them, oneness Pentecostals, are not Trinitarian.
They speak in tongues, have emotional worship services, and in general…great music 😃
youtube.com/watch?v=bkf7DpnnNck&feature=related

I will also add the webstie from wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecostalism
 
Cagrl said:
I have a question. I am not sure if I am posting in the right place so forgive me.

A girlfriend of mine informed me that she met and is dating an amazing guy who is Pentecostal. She is Catholic and is concerned as they are both of different religions. She asked me what is a Pentecostal and their beliefs, but I have no idea what their religion is all about since I am a cradle Catholic and never had the need to look into anything else. Can you please explain what the diferences are between Catholics and Penecostals? And I will pass this on to her. Thank you.

God Bless you 🙂
Click to expand...
The Pentacostal movement began in the early nineteen hundreds and was incorporated by a persian man as the United Pentacostal Church. This Church saw itself as the restoration of the true and pristine body founded by Jesus Christ. Like other Protestand donominations it holds to the docrtine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture as the sole rule of faith). However, with regard to the rest of its teachings, it has departed substantially from the the teachings of orthodox Christianity. It is characterized by a charismatic zeal. The members “Speak in Tongues” dance and sway in church “are slain in the Spirit” etc.
At first this may sound a great deal like the Charismatic movement found within the Catholic Church. However, it is much different.The “worship” services are more akin to ancient pagan rituals in which cult members would work themselves into an emotional and banal frenzy in a disorderly, and sometimes dangersous manner. At Church services, it is not uncommon to see Pentacostals running around the church, wistling, holering, yelling, falling all over the ground, in complete contradiction of the order and peace of the Holy Spirit.
To make matters worse, their form of speaking in tongues in nothing more than the phenomena of “glossia” an inane meaningless babble found often among pagans and is the result f the emotional frenzy the find themselves. This shares nothing in commmon with the tongues found in the New Testament, by which the Apostles were able to speak to persons who spoke other languages and the words of the Apostles would be comprehended by all. By my observation, by giving up so much of the rational control of themselves, they leave themselves open to dangersous and demonic attack. Yet that is not the entire extent of the folly of the United Pentacostal Church.
This organization goes so far as to deny the reality of the Holy Trinity. In complete opposition to the Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church, the UPC teaches that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not three distinct persons (or hypostatises) but they are really one person. One of the major practcle results of such a teaching is the deficient form of baptism that they use. Rather then baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as the Catholic Church and here scriptures proscribe, they Baptize in the name of Jesus only. Since this batism is lacks the proper form, it is not valid and, thus, they are not born again. Since baptism is the entrance into the Christian life, members of the UPC cannot be viewed as Christians.
Yet, there is another form of Pentacostal that can be seen as Christians. At some point during the 1900s there was a schism within the UPC and a large body of the Church adopted the doctrine of the Trinity. With this adoption of the Trinity, the members fo the newly formed Assemblies of God Church began to practice a new and valid Trinitarian baptism. However, this Church continued to hold to the dangerous pagan like “worship services.”
 
What kind of Pentecostal is he, exactly? I have some experience with Foursquare churches. They are Pentecostal of some sort, I believe, but they definitely believe in the Trinity, among other things.
 
I don’t dispute the history given above. But I don’t see Pentecostals quite the same way as do some. I grew up among them and still live among them. The world headquarters of the Assemblies of God is very near to where I sit. Pentecostals vary a lot, and that variation is largely determined by the socioeconomic and educational status of the members. John Ashcroft, after all, is a member of the Assemblies of God. Some are pretty tame and do significantly resemble charismatic Catholics in the ways they pray. Some are kind of rough-cut. Some are truly bizarre. A few make one wonder what “spirit” they’re really dealing with. Some treat prayer almost as if it is a magic spell of some kind. Spooky.

But to my knowledge, they all do believe strongly in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as they understand that, and believe that things like “speaking in tongues” (with some that’s the extent of it) being “slain in the spirit”, even taking up serpents (and some have died doing that) are all biblical in source and represent movements of the Holy Spirit.

I am not without some level of respect for many of them. Some (I’ll stick my neck out and say “most”) are quite earnest in their desire to be holy, and are not simply out for the self-hypnotic thrill that some seem to be after. No doubt some are delusional and insane.
 
I don’t know what kind of Pentecostal he is as I did not even know that there was more thank one kind so I didn’t ask. But maybe I will ask.
 
Cagrl said:
I don’t know what kind of Pentecostal he is as I did not even know that there was more thank one kind so I didn’t ask. But maybe I will ask.
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I am always a little slow to recommend interfaith marriages, but let me say this one thing.

Pentecostalism often “wears off”. It’s not easy to maintain that “emotional high”. But the actual answer to a Pentecostal’s dream is the Eucharist. All of that speaking in tongues and arm lifting and such are efforts to be “closer to Jesus”. In that, most Pentecostals are truly sincere. Many would truly give his/her right arm to so much as be able to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe if they could. And all the while, Jesus is physically present in the Eucharist. It’s the one thing that can actually fulfill the hunger many of them legitimately have. It’s not pretense. Many of them really do have that hunger.

But having said that, I will also say conversion needs to be before a marriage, not after. As I said, sometimes Pentecostals go into a “spiritual slump” of near indifferentism, and some never come back out. One ought never go into a marriage with a Pentecostal in the hope that he/she might convert someday.
 
Ridgerunner said:
I am always a little slow to recommend interfaith marriages, but let me say this one thing.

Pentecostalism often “wears off”. It’s not easy to maintain that “emotional high”. But the actual answer to a Pentecostal’s dream is the Eucharist. All of that speaking in tongues and arm lifting and such are efforts to be “closer to Jesus”. In that, most Pentecostals are truly sincere. Many would truly give his/her right arm to so much as be able to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe if they could. And all the while, Jesus is physically present in the Eucharist. It’s the one thing that can actually fulfill the hunger many of them legitimately have. It’s not pretense. Many of them really do have that hunger.

But having said that, I will also say conversion needs to be before a marriage, not after. As I said, sometimes Pentecostals go into a “spiritual slump” of near indifferentism, and some never come back out. One ought never go into a marriage with a Pentecostal in the hope that he/she might convert someday.
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True…very true. You make some very good points.
I too think as you and am a little slow to recommend interfaith marriages. And I too believe that any conversion that is to happen should be before marriage and that’s if there is going to be a conversion. I also believe you should convert for yourself, only. I will defintely bring this to my girlfriend’s attention. Thanks. 🙂
 
Pentecostalism runs a gamut: from very conservative sects in which women must never cut their hair, not even to trim split ends or get a fringe, and television is out of the question, to the non-Trinitarian sect mentioned earlier in the thread, to snake-handling and poison-drinking groups, to megachurches with women in loud makeup and men and women with puffy hair, preaching that if you have faith you will have whatever you want, to fairly average churches that could just as well be Baptists to the casual eye, so certainly ask what kind.
What they all have in common is a basically Protestant interpretation of Scripture and a belief that the Gifts of the Spirit can be experienced as fully as on Pentecost, by all believers who are willing, and that it would be good if everyone in the world were to experience them frequently.
 
Well, speaking as a “Pentecostal”, I agree that there are several different kinds.

The vast majority (by numbers) are Trinitarian Evangelicals. Assembly of God, Foursquare, Church of God in Christ, are examples. The “Jesus Only” or “Oneness” folks are a tiny minority. In parts of the world (Africa, for instance) Pentecostalism is the fastest growing faith.

Here are the primary beliefs of the Assemblies of God, which is by far the largest Pentecostal group worldwide.

We also have much in common with Catholic Charismatics.
 
BrianH said:
Well since you know what Catholicism is…
Pentecostalism are Christians that emphasize the gifts of the spirit spoken about in Acts and Corinthians.
A few of them, oneness Pentecostals, are not Trinitarian.
They speak in tongues, have emotional worship services, and in general…great music 😃
youtube.com/watch?v=bkf7DpnnNck&feature=related

I will also add the webstie from wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecostalism
Click to expand...
Yes, i agree with Brian. I’d go so far as to say that Oneness Pentecostals might not be Christian, as they believe in a different Jesus and a different gospel.

One thing i might add is that most Pentecostals (Oneness or other wise) do not believe a person is a Christian until she demonstrates this through speaking in tongues. In contrast, Evangelicals and those of Calvary Chapel believe in the perpetuity of spiritual gifts but do not see speaking in tongues as a requirement.

If your friend is led to believe that she is not a Christian because she does not speak in tongues, have her read St. Paul:

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? *(1 Corinthians 12:29-30)*The obvious answer to St. Paul’s questions is, “No, not all speak in tongues.” Let her know she should not feel as though God has forsaken her if she does not have this gift.

BTW, if you think that speaking in tongues is a Protestant thing only, there are Catholics in South Bend Indiana who disagree. I myself have not made up my mind as to whether this is a legitimate gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
HannahLisa said:
What kind of Pentecostal is he, exactly? I have some experience with Foursquare churches. They are Pentecostal of some sort, I believe, but they definitely believe in the Trinity, among other things.
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Four Square does not accept the Trinity. The booklets in their Church explicitly condem the Catholic Church for her acceptance of the Holy Trinity.
 
dparker said:
Well, speaking as a “Pentecostal”, I agree that there are several different kinds.

The vast majority (by numbers) are Trinitarian Evangelicals. Assembly of God, Foursquare, Church of God in Christ, are examples. The “Jesus Only” or “Oneness” folks are a tiny minority. In parts of the world (Africa, for instance) Pentecostalism is the fastest growing faith.

Here are the primary beliefs of the Assemblies of God, which is by far the largest Pentecostal group worldwide.

We also have much in common with Catholic Charismatics.
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I dated a UPC member and he had told me that the UPC was more prevalent. I guess I was misinformed. Glad to see a Trinitarian Pentacostal on the boards. Does your organization believe in the same steps of salvation as does the UPC?
 
Cagrl said:
I have a question. I am not sure if I am posting in the right place so forgive me.

A girlfriend of mine informed me that she met and is dating an amazing guy who is Pentecostal. She is Catholic and is concerned as they are both of different religions. She asked me what is a Pentecostal and their beliefs, but I have no idea what their religion is all about since I am a cradle Catholic and never had the need to look into anything else. Can you please explain what the diferences are between Catholics and Penecostals? And I will pass this on to her. Thank you.

God Bless you 🙂
Click to expand...
Pentecostal by definition claims that speaking in tongues is proof of being filled, baptised with the Holy Spirit. Some go to the point of claiming one is not saved unless they speak in tongues.

My advice for your catholic friend is RUN away from this falsehood as fast as they can RUN.

p223.ezboard.com/bexpentecostalforums
 
There is quite a bit of misinformation in this thread concerning Pentecostals:

(1) Concerning the trinity the vast majority are trinitarian. The United Pentecostal Church and those of its kind are a minority.

(2) Concerning speaking in tongues again only a small minority see speaking in tongues as a prerequisite for salvation. By no coincidence these are usually the ones that disbelieve in the trinity.

Some believe speaking in tongues is initial evidence of the baptism of the spirit. But even amongst these groups most would make a distinction between evidence and a prerequisite.

Others do not even believe being filled with the Spirit is necessarily related to speaking in tongues.

You will not see a Pentecostal state the gifts of the Spirit have ceased.

(3) Concerning style of worship there also is great divergence. You will see more demonstrative worship (raising of hands, clapping) and more contemporary worship (Christian band over traditional organ). However this type of worship is becoming more prevalent in nonPentecostal type churches.

(4) There is disagreement amongst Pentecostals concerning “name-it-claim-it” or “word of faith theology”. Most of your traditional Pentecostals, while believing in divine healing, disagree with the extremes of the word-of-faith movement and that ilk.

Because of the similarity between Pentecostals and Catholic Charismatics, you generally will not see the hard-core anti-Catholicism in Pentecostals that you will see in non-Pentecostal fundamentalists for example.
 
East_and_West said:
I dated a UPC member and he had told me that the UPC was more prevalent. I guess I was misinformed. Glad to see a Trinitarian Pentacostal on the boards. Does your organization believe in the same steps of salvation as does the UPC?
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I don’t think so. As I understand UPC beliefs (again, they are a tiny minority) salvation requirements include baptism in the name of Jesus only and speaking in tongues. This is a very small cultic viewpoint.

Mainstream Pentecostals believe in ‘traditional’ (I know Catholics are laughing:) ) salvation theology. Repent of your sin, Believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, Confess Him before man. Baptism is usually by immersion (though other modes are accepted) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second subsequent work of grace that infills the believer for power and service. As occurred repeatedly in Acts, speaking in tongues is the initial evidence.

And though there may be some backward narrow minded Pentecostals out there, in my experience, we are much more open minded about other Christians and traditions. We accept that God in His love and grace draw men to Him in various ways (but always through Jesus!) and we tend to be very inclusive of other traditions.
 
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