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The Commentary

Violence for church?

The beginning of July saw a large march in London against knife crime, following the murder of Ben Kinsella, 16-year-old half-brother to an actress from the TV soap EastEnders.

One cannot but sympathise deeply with the family, but the killing brought home what was pointed out in this column last month. I am sure there are some redeeming features and portrayals of humanity in the series, but EastEnders often glamorises drinking, casual sex, aggression, petty crime and thuggery. If our TVs pour out violence, we must not be surprised when it invades our streets.

Kick in the face

However, not only do we have violence in society, but evidently the new ‘revival’ coming out of Florida under preacher Todd Bentley (see article on page 16) is advocating violence in church too. On one video* Bentley describes incidents where God supposedly told him to hit people. ‘I am thinking why is the power of God not moving and he said, “It is because you haven’t kicked that woman in the face”…Bam(!) and as my boot made contact with her nose she fell under the power of God’.

In the 1990s we had the ‘Toronto Blessing’, now we have this. What should Christians make of it? I would have thought it would be fairly obvious. But, just in case, let me remind you of three marks of counterfeit claims to the Holy Spirit’s work.

1. Feelings before faith

Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is of primary importance. We are saved by faith. But false teachers and deceiving spirits focus on feelings rather than faith. When we start seeking ecstatic experiences, even good Christians may be led astray. Why is this the case?

First, it is because feelings are man-centred, whereas faith is God-centre.

Second, it is because, when we focus on feelings, the need for sensation will steadily intensify. If we make our devotion to Christ dependent on how we feel, soon there will be a need for the normal to be replaced by the un-usual, the unusual by the extreme and the extreme by the ridiculous. Participants are eventually left disillusioned, as the ecstasy proves increasingly elusive. By contrast, the great faith chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11, makes no mention of how people felt — except one. Noah was moved by fear to build the ark. Faith is congruent with all kinds of feelings, from joy to anxiety. Beware focus on feelings rather than faith in God’s promises.

2. The Spirit before Jesus

In Scripture we are told that the work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus (John 16.14). In Jim Packer’s wonderful illustration, the Holy Spirit acts as a floodlight to illuminate Jesus. He does not draw attention to himself but to Christ and the gospel. But, in these counterfeit meetings, the question will not be so much, ‘Do you know Jesus?’ but ‘Have you experienced the Spirit?’

3. The temporal before the eternal

The Spirit is given primarily to empower the disciples to be witnesses to Christ and the gospel (Acts 1.8). He witnesses to the truth of God, human sin and eternal salvation through the cross of Jesus. But counterfeit movements focus on this life rather than the life to come. So, for example, although the New Testament apostles never once advertised a healing meeting, that will be the focus with counterfeits. And, similarly, you will find that counterfeit movements focus on the temporal in that they are always on about money and collection plates. By contrast, Paul was often happy to support himself (1 Thessalonians 2.9).

The Commentary

Violence for church?

Violence for church?

Kick in the face

1. Feelings before faith

2. The Spirit before Jesus

3. The temporal before the eternal

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exb53K2v4pk

John Benton

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