Who are the 50 foremen? Who are Pentecostals? About the thousand-year kingdom-chiliasm
Pentecostals are a unique religious movement, a sect that combines mystical religious practices and a completely realistic, pragmatic approach to life. Perhaps that is why they are considered the most controversial and scandalous religious brotherhoods.
Pentecostalism - what is it?
Pentecostalism, as a religious group separated from Christianity, emerged at the dawn of the twentieth century in the United States of America. Why there? Pentecostal ideas were not new. The Christian Church encountered similar phenomena at the dawn of its existence in the 50-60s of the second century after the birth of Christ. Montanus, a Greek by origin, created the Montanist sect and his teaching on the worship of the Holy Spirit and acquiring the gift of prophecy. During prayers, people fell into a state of trance, they fell unconscious, muttering words of “an incomprehensible language.”
The First Ecumenical Council in 325 declared Montanus and his associates “possessed” and condemned him. During the period of the seventeenth – nineteenth centuries, Europe developed its own spiritual Christian churches and certain religious traditions.
Sectarianism was suppressed. And the “newfangled” religious leaders, expelled from their countries, took root in the United States of America.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, numerous religious sects were active in the country. They fought each other. As a result, the authority of the Christian religion and morality in society fell sharply. Against this background, a movement arose for the revival of the true Apostolic Church - the revivalist movement (English revival - revival, awakening). Pentecostals consider the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, which occurred on the 50th day after Easter, to be the basis of their teaching. In the Russian Orthodox Church this is the day of the Holy Trinity. The spirit descended in the form of tongues of flame. The apostles received the gift of prophecy and could speak different languages.
Let's consider some common features of Orthodoxy and the Church (sect) of Pentecostals: first of all, this is faith in the One God, who created all things on earth, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - as the atonement for human sins, the acceptance of the Bible as the basis of the word of God, the fulfillment of the sacraments of the church - baptism, repentance and communion (although the very conduct of them differs from the Orthodox), faith in the judgment of God, in the second coming of Christ, in eternal life.
Signs of Pentecostals
The main tenet of their teaching is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is accompanied by “glossalia” - speaking in the “angelic language”. Pentecostals stand in opposition to both the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The differences between Orthodoxy and Pentecostalism are significant and fundamental:
- Pentecostals do not worship icons, following the commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol.” Although the true meaning of this commandment is that you cannot worship anything material, “earthly”. Spiritual and moral laws should come first.
- They do not say prayers (addresses to saints) in ordinary language. During the service, the flock prays in a pseudo-language, the so-called “glossalia” (Greek glossa - “speech”, lalia - “vain talk”, “chatter”). This muttering is only “by ear” similar to real living language. The Scriptures in the New Testament, Acts 2, tell us how the Apostles received the gift of tongues. They received this gift to convey the Word of God to people in their native language. Therefore, Pentecostal glossalia has nothing to do with the apostolic gift. In addition, according to some studies, glossalia is a neuropsychological change, or more simply a “trance”, which includes those praying at Pentecostal services. How this state of people is used is known only to adherents of the church. The gift of tongues of the Apostles has nothing in common with the “angelic” language of the Pentecostals.
- Pentecostals convince their flock that any of their desires can be fulfilled by God. It is clear that this leads to the emergence of “miracle workers” and “healers.”
- From the previous position it follows that a miracle is an everyday addition to life, which develops human pride. A person stops realistically assessing his behavior, drawing conclusions from his misdeeds, etc.
- The theory of prosperity is the acquisition of wealth. The leaders of the sect actively encourage worshipers to make donations. The money or property brought in is controlled by the counting commission. At the same time, parishioners are not given a financial report on where the money went. Although a number of communities are involved in helping orphanages, in various types of charity events.
Our article is in no way intended to “promote” for one religion or another. Currently, Pentecostalism in Russia ranks second among various sects and religious movements, that is, the ideas of this Church are quite popular among people. We tried to only briefly tell you about the history of the development of this sect and its main features. The right to choose is always yours.
Pentecostals
A movement in Protestantism that arose in the USA in 1901. Pentecostals believe that the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is necessary, which is expressed in gifts received by the believer. The main gift is speaking in “other” tongues.
Not all believers want to be content with just faith. They want to feel the presence of God in this world, they want constant confirmation of his attention and care. After all, the Holy Scriptures almost all consist of stories about how God spoke to people and helped them. Jesus personally honored many people with him. They saw his miracles, his resurrection.
Why has nothing like this been happening in the world for so long? Maybe because we have forgotten some rules, we behave differently from the inhabitants of Palestine in the 1st century AD. e.? People called Pentecostals are looking for an answer to this question. Moreover, they believe that the problem has already been solved.
The modern Pentecostal movement gives a very precise date for its founding: seven o’clock in the evening on the eve of 1901. This happened in a group of “seekers of apostolic Christianity” and convinced that true Christians are accompanied by the gift of speaking in tongues.
In 1900, a young Methodist minister, Charles Parham (1873–1929), decided that his religious life needed some change. As he read the book of Acts and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, he compared the weakness of his own ministry with the strength reflected in these books. Where are his converts? Where are his miracles? His healing? Undoubtedly, he told himself, the Christians of the first century possessed some “secret” of power that both he and his church had now lost.
Parham did not discover anything original. He essentially borrowed, only slightly modifying, one of the movements of the Iowa Holiness Association. One of the leaders of the Association was B. Irwin, who announced that he had experienced the third work of the Holy Spirit, which he called “the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire.”
In 1899, Parham, having visited Irwin’s meeting, fell under his influence and subsequently said that he saw a radiance above the head of his idol.
In October 1900, Parham announced to his small following that a deeper and more thorough study of the Bible (which was quite in the spirit of many Protestant denominations of that time) was necessary to obtain the signs of primitive Christianity. To this end, he opens a Bible school in the city of Topeka, which at first consisted of only 30 teachers and students. In these classes, students were led to the conviction that the idea of finding some other, new relationship with the Holy Spirit permeates the entire New Testament, starting with the first chapters of the Gospel.
As you know, at first the Jews believed that John the Baptist was the Messiah they were waiting for. But John said to them: “He who is mightier than I is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
It was these words that the school teachers emphasized. In the last days of His ministry, Christ taught a lot about the Holy Spirit, who would be the Comforter of the disciples, supporting them in sorrow, guiding them to the truth. The Holy Spirit will take the place of Christ after His glorious Ascension. Particular attention was paid to what the Savior said before the Ascension: “Wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from Me, for John baptized with water, and a few days after this you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5) .
While studying the issue of baptism, the school's students came to the conclusion that in the five cases described in Acts, baptism was accompanied by glossolalia, that is, speaking in a “different tongue.” First of all, the “researchers” paid attention to the episode described in the “Acts of the Apostles.” It describes how on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and they spoke in other tongues, which was perceived as a sign of the need to bring the light of teaching to different peoples. Before this, Pentecostals believed and still believe that the apostles were only purified and prepared “empty vessels.” Now the third and most revered person of the Trinity by Parham's followers - the Holy Spirit - filled them like sacred Oil.
After this, for many evenings they prayed for the sending of the Spirit, but to no avail. And then at about seven o'clock in the evening - it was New Year's Eve (1901) - a young student named Agnes I. Ozmen suddenly said: “Isn’t it true that many of the baptisms described in Acts were accompanied not only by prayer, but also a certain action: did the person offering the prayer lay hands on the person wishing to be baptized?” After which Parham laid hands on the girl, and immediately she spoke in “other” tongues.
Over the next three days, there were numerous “baptisms of the Holy Spirit” in the city of Topeka, each accompanied by speaking in “tongues.” On the third of January, Parham himself received baptism and spoke with twelve other close associates.
The baptism of the Spirit continued to be preached on the streets and in hotels.
The theory that faith is manifested, first of all, in the descent on a Christian of “spiritual gifts,” “signs,” and grace (“charisma”) is firmly established in the teachings of the founder of Pentecostalism. These gifts include, of course, not only the peculiar “polyglotism” that Pentecostals greatly value, but also the ability to work miracles and heal people. Charles Parham himself received this ability.
In 1903, he arrived in the resort town of Colorado Springs (Colorado), famous for the fact that the waters of the Colorado River help cure many ailments. Undoubtedly, Parham was helped by this general atmosphere of expectation of healing. The preacher invited the sick to his prayer meetings, and many supposedly received relief after this. The rumor that a man had appeared, endowed with extraordinary healing powers, spread throughout the country. Newspapers of the time amplified the news of healings and “powerful in spirit” religious meetings now held by Parham in Galena, Missouri. Here, according to newspaper reports, he healed more than 1,000 people and converted more than 800.
One of the successors of Parham’s work was the black clergyman V. Seymour, who ordained him. In a small church in Los Angeles, the black Baptists he taught in 1906 experienced the obvious presence of the Holy Spirit, spoke in other languages, shook, and made loud speeches. This made a certain impression, especially since stories about the amazing preacher from California were published in newspapers by reporters who were greedy for everything original.
The next wave of Protestant awakening lasted three years. People who experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit came here from all over the country, many of them later became the founders of Pentecostal churches not only in the USA, but also in Scandinavia, England, India, and Chile. This was the beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement.
Literally from the very first years of the emergence of Pentecostalism, the movement began to fragment in the United States into more or less large groups, independent of each other, preaching different forms of communication with the Holy Spirit (but, as a rule, with something else - theft and other ecstatic things). The idea of returning to the spirit of the apostolic church by organizing noisy gatherings became widespread, although everyone understood it differently.
Many of these organizations are now affiliated with various Pentecostal associations and unions. The largest of them is the Assemblies of God association.
It was started by several Pentecostal churches: the Pentecostal Church of God in America, the Pentecostal Holy Church, the Calvary Pentecostal Church, united in the General Council. Subsequently, several more organizations joined them, and in 1914, the Assemblies of God association was founded at the All-American Conference in Hot Springs (South Dakota). Currently, the center of this association is located in Springfield (Missouri), and it unites over two million people. The Assemblies of God are headed by a General Council that meets biennially and is presided over by a General Superintendent.
The Assembly of God has 18 periodicals, several colleges and Bible schools, and its missionary activities cover 98 countries. Especially for work in Russia and Eastern Europe in the 20s, the Russian and Eastern European Mission was created in Chicago, which financed and supported the activities of the famous propagandist of Pentecostalism in the USSR I. E. Voronaev.
Another major Pentecostal association is the Church of God, which began as a religious circle formed in 1884 in Ohio, whose members came to the idea of the need to “continue the Reformation.” To achieve this goal, a Christian Union was founded in 1886, which in 1902 received the name Holiness Church.
Five years later, it was renamed the Church of God, based in Cleveland, Tennessee. Its most prominent organizer is A.D. Tomplinson, who in 1908 created the General Administration of the Church of God in the city of Cleveland. Soon Tomplinson, under the influence of a preacher who came from Azusa Street (W. Seymour's church was located there), experienced glossolalia. In 1910, the Declaration of Faith compiled by Tomplinson and R. Sperling was published. Its doctrine is extremely saturated with the ideology of Pentecostalism with its seeking of miracles, healings, and prophecies. Over the decades, the organization has been plagued by numerous schisms, leading to the emergence of separate but related churches.
The Church of God is currently headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee, and has overseas missions in 54 countries. It has a large college and several preaching schools in the United States. It is headed by the General Assembly, which meets every two years, the recommendations of which are prepared by the General Council of Elders. The Church publishes eight periodicals. Its missionary activities are carried out in 72 countries. The total number of believers reaches 400 thousand people.
In addition to the above-mentioned churches and associations in the United States, there is the Pentecostal Association, the Pentecostal World Assembly, the Pentecostal Holiness Church and others.
The features that divide churches are usually minor. Thus, members of the Pentecostal Church who were baptized by fire are prohibited from carrying weapons. Only adults are baptized. It is forbidden to drink not only alcoholic beverages, but also Coca-Cola, wearing gold jewelry, ties, and certain hairstyles.
There are so-called “Oneness” or “Unitarians” who deny the Trinity and baptize only in the name of “God Jesus Christ.” But most Pentecostals revere the Trinity, although their main character is the Holy Spirit.
There are many Pentecostal churches in the world that especially emphasize their national or racial identity: Spanish, black, etc.
The total number of Pentecostals around the world is growing steadily. If in 1969 there were 30 million of them (including 4 million in the USA), then by 1994 there were already more than 50 million of them.
In their sermons, sectarians place a special emphasis on the presence of the Holy Spirit in the world, and their main dogma is the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which must be accompanied by speaking in “other tongues.”
During the service, first of all, “driving” occurs - the community leader introduces the audience into a state of tension. Then his sermon begins to be interrupted by spontaneous shouts, and the singing of hymns occurs, usually with rhythmic choruses, accompanied by clapping of palms to the beat. This is followed by a loud prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit; a state of trance arises in the hall, accompanied by shouts of “pseudo-verbal structures.”
Here are some examples of glossolalia:
“Amina, supiter, amana... regedigida, treg, regedigida, regedigida... supiter, supiter, aramo... sopo, murmur, karifa...”
It is interesting that despite the fact that speaking other languages is supposedly a “gift”, in Pentecostal churches there are widespread “instructions” on how to prepare oneself for it, what exercises to do for the tongue and voice. Apparently, a person finds himself under strong pressure from the group and from his own expectations and, in order not to disappoint his hopes, he begins by his own efforts to evoke and arouse in himself what, being God's gift, should have come to him as insight. The same probably applies to shaking and loud shouts.
Some church authorities claim that the Holy Spirit can baptize a believer without the sign of tongues, although such are an exceptional minority. It is the Pentecostal doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that significantly distinguishes them from most Protestant denominations.
Otherwise, it corresponds to the main modern Protestant dogmas. This includes recognition of the exclusive authority of Holy Scripture, and the absence of prayers for the dead, and non-worship of the holy cross and icons, and non-recognition of the legitimate, grace-filled priesthood.
Like some other modern religious formations, Pentecostals seek to restore the spirit of early apostolic Christianity - measured communal life, a constant sense of the presence of God, the expectation of quick salvation and great world cataclysms.
In connection with their reverence for early Christian antiquity, Pentecostals are convinced that man in his communication with God does not need intermediaries in the form of a church with magnificent rituals or ordained confessors. (This is also quite consistent with traditional Protestantism.)
Much attention is paid to stories about the end of the world, the Second Coming, about the constant struggle of evil spirits with good ones, about hellfire.
Pentecostals hold the view that man is essentially sinless and that Christ did not bring salvation to all mankind. Accordingly, the salvation of each individual depends on the condescension of charisma, spiritual signs and decent behavior in general.
Pentecostals really try to lead a highly moral lifestyle, not use tobacco and alcohol, not commit any violence (and therefore oppose wars), and work hard.
On the first Sunday of every month, adherents of Pentecostalism perform the breaking of bread, which for them is only a memory of the Last Supper. Believers are offered a piece of bread from a tray and a sip of wine from a cup. Before the Lord's Supper, the ritual of washing the feet is performed. This is given great importance, since it is believed that breaking bread without washing the feet cannot be a full fulfillment of what the Savior commanded. Typically, foot washing occurs at the end of the service. Believers - men - in one room, women - in another - gather in pairs, and one washes the other's feet in basins with warm water.
What remains is the rite of water baptism, which is, as it were, a visible evidence of acceptance into the church. Small children are not baptized, but are brought into the congregation for blessing.
Sectarians practice various forms of repentance. General repentance - before the breaking of bread - is performed irregularly. Honest - in front of the entire community. There is also repentance before the elder and before each other. One who has repented before the members of the local church is considered accepted into the community, but this is not enough to participate in the breaking of bread - water baptism is also required. For future spouses, a wedding ceremony is obligatory - in the form of a prayerful farewell from the community. Pentecostals do not have the best attitude towards marriage with non-believers.
Almost all Pentecostals (except for Sabbath-keepers - these, like Adventists, keep the commandment and remember the corresponding day) consider Sunday as a day of rest. On this day, all believers gather for prayer meetings, where prayers are often performed in “other” languages. There are areas where they pray only in “other tongues” and articulate speech can only be heard in the preaching of the Word of God.
Pentecostals in Russia celebrate church holidays according to the old style. These include: the Nativity of Christ, the Baptism of the Lord, the Presentation of the Lord, the Annunciation, the Transfiguration of the Lord. Pentecostals always celebrate Easter on Friday of Holy Week (according to the Orthodox calendar). The holidays of the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost coincide with the days of Orthodox celebrations.
Each community is headed by a fraternal council, headed by a church elder, and the communities are united into so-called districts. The district is headed by a senior presbyter.
In the Russian Empire, the first Pentecostal preachers appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. And first of all, as often happened with Protestant denominations, in Finland. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was preached by the Methodist pastor from Norway T. Barat in 1907, who came to Russia with his sermon. Here this teaching found new adherents among evangelical Christians, Baptists, Adventists and other sects.
One of the first Russian preachers of the baptism in the Holy Spirit were A. I. Ivanov and N. P. Smorodin. In the literature, adherents of this direction of Pentecostalism were also called currants. According to Ivanov, he began to preach the baptism of the Holy Spirit among evangelical Christians in 1910, and three years after communicating with the missionary Urshan (by the way, who adheres to the concept Jesus only -"only Jesus") became a Pentecostal.
The Helsingfors Police Department preserved descriptions of prayer meetings led by Ivanov. During the meetings, some participants, under the influence of Ivanov’s personality, “fell into hysterics, shook, and screamed, as if prophesying in an incomprehensible language. They all explained this condition as an undoubted result of the influence of the Holy Spirit.”
Then the Oneness Pentecostals began vigorous activity in the Novgorod, Vyatka, and Moscow provinces. They preached not only among Baptists and Evangelical Christians, but also among Molokans, Doukhobors, Khlysty and Skoptsy, who believed in the “influx of the Holy Spirit” and often invoked it at their meetings.
During the First World War, Ivanov was imprisoned for promoting anti-war sentiments, and in 1918 he already received permission from the Soviet government for official activities. The Smorodinians called themselves “Evangelical Christians in the spirit of the apostles.” Their main difference was faith in one God, Jesus Christ, and baptism in his name.
However, Christians of the evangelical faith and their leader I. Voronaev (real name Cheprasov) gained much greater popularity in Russia and Ukraine. He was born in the Urals and served near Orenburg. The future leader of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith (EBC) deserted the army and joined the Siberian Baptists, then left the country, preached among the Russians in California, then converted to Pentecostalism and entered one of the Assemblies of God churches.
In 1921, I. E. Voronaev arrived in Odessa and founded the first Pentecostal prayer house here. Letters were sent from Odessa throughout Ukraine with the news that in the south of Ukraine “the fire of God’s love had flared up.” Baptists and evangelical Christians came here to Odessa to answer this call, and Pentecostals returned back to preach.
Soon communities of Voronaevites are established not only in the Khmelnitsky, Kyiv, Poltava regions, but also far beyond the borders of Ukraine - in the Urals, Central Asia, and Siberia. In 1926, at the First All-Ukrainian Congress of Pentecostals, the Regional Union of Odessa was renamed into the All-Ukrainian Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith. Over the five years of its existence, the Pentecostal community in Odessa grew to 400 people; in total, the HEV Union by 1927 numbered over 350 communities with more than 17 thousand parishioners.
In 1928, the attitude of the Soviet government towards religious associations became sharply intolerant. In response, Voronaev and his associates supplement their doctrinal dogma with the doctrine of baptism by suffering. The print organ of HEV - the magazine "Evangelist", published with a circulation of three thousand in 1928, constantly reminded of the need to humbly bear the cross of patience, abstinence, and humiliation.
Since the late 1920s, HEV has been going illegal. In 1929, new legislation on religious cults was applied to Pentecostals, which came into force at the end of 1928. The houses of worship of sectarians were closed everywhere. It was dangerous to gather illegally. In 1930, Voronaev and many of his like-minded people were arrested.
There were other Pentecostal sects in the Soviet Union. These are Christians of the evangelical faith - Schmidtites who acted in Western Ukraine; Evangelical Christians, Pentecostal Zionists - Leontyevites, Evangelical Christians, Holy Zionists - Murashkovites, etc.
From the 30s to the 80s of the last century, Pentecostals were subjected to quite severe persecution by the authorities. This was expressed in an extremely negative attitude towards Pentecostal children at school, towards young men in the army, during admission to universities and at work. Pentecostals were accused of anti-Soviet propaganda and discrediting ties with the West. This was the reason for the mass movement of Pentecostals for permission to travel abroad in the 70s. In this struggle, Pentecostals actively collaborated with well-known Soviet dissidents and human rights activists. The situation changed during the perestroika years.
On March 27, 1991, the Church of the Union of Orthodox Christians of Russia was registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation (over 100 thousand registered adherents of the Church, more than 600 communities). The national composition of the Union of HVEs of Russia: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and representatives of more than 100 other nationalities of Russia. There are communities in all 78 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
In March 1991, a congress of Pentecostals took place in Moscow. At it, the Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) of the USSR was formed, a Presidium of 13 people was elected, republican Councils, regional Councils and the Union Council of senior elders were formed. In 1994, the Union was transformed into the Eurasian Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith, registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. The declared purpose of the Union is to communicate its understanding of the Gospel to all nations in their own language.
The Union owns theological educational institutions: Moscow Theological Institute, Irkutsk Theological Institute, Bible schools in the regions. The following magazines are published: “Reconciliator”, “With Faith, Hope, Love”. SHVE has a united editorial office of Christian radio and television programs.
Certain basic principles of Pentecostalism - and, above all, their practice of the condescension of the Holy Spirit - gave rise in the second half of the last century to a powerful neo-Pentecostal, or charismatic, movement. In the 60s, organizations appeared in the United States that sought to develop the doctrine of charisma beyond all possible limits. Many Catholics and Protestants, including former traditional Pentecostals, join this movement. This movement was perceived by official Catholicism as a renewal, a revival of the church.
Three theological universities become the center for preaching the charismatic revival of Catholics: Duquessey (Pennsylvania), Notre Dame (Indiana), Loyola (California). From here, theological developments are spreading, in which linguistics is “scientifically” substantiated among the Catholic clergy and ordinary parishioners. In the 1970s, there were 203 charismatic Catholic groups in the United States.
However, the movement was not limited to Catholicism. In general, it had a completely different, ecumenical orientation (that is, it claimed to be the next unifier of believers of all congregations). In this regard, Christian norms are eroded, the Bible fades into the background - the practice of spiritual gifts comes to the fore.
In addition to traditional linguistics, neo-Pentecostalism practices many other ecstatic actions: “Toronto theology” - laughter, “prayers of birth pangs” - convulsions, “surrender in spirit” - fainting; tears, jumping, hiccups, etc., etc.
In neo-Pentecostal movements, adoration of the pastor, noisy meetings in large halls, and a claim to the exclusivity of their own church are common.
A number of similar charismatic organizations are being created in the USA: the Body of Christ movement, the United Evangelical Church, the World United Revival, the Universal Church, the Mystical Body, etc.
By the beginning of the 1980s, there were 16 thousand charismatic groups around the world.
In the USSR, the first neo-Pentecostal groups appeared in the Baltic states. There, in 1989, the Christian-charismatic church “New Generation” began to operate. A year later, the Christian-charismatic church “Word of Life” arose in Ukraine with its center in Donetsk, and “Good News” appeared in Moscow. Such churches also include the “Faith Movement”, “New Generation Church”, “Living Faith”, “Living Water”.
The patron of new charismatic groups is primarily the Russian Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (“Church of God”). In addition to such usual activities as organizing communities, drug addiction help centers, etc., neo-Pentecostals also organize mass meetings with foreign preachers. At such events, an upbeat atmosphere reigns, people are healed on stage, the audience enters into religious ecstasy, accompanied by the usual glossolalia, crying, screaming, body movements, etc.
Preacher Benny Hill, invited by the Russian Agricultural Society, spoke in Moscow. In his speech, he said, in particular: “When I come down from this platform, the anointing remains at the top. Usually it leaves me when I go down the steps: sometimes on the first, sometimes on the third. But on the last step he is definitely no longer with me. And my employees pester: “Lay your hands on this woman, pray for her.” It can be very difficult to refuse, and of course I lay hands and pray. But they just can’t understand that it’s all over, and nothing will happen this time...”
Indeed, it’s time to understand that a stage is a stage.
From the book The Double-Edged Sword. Notes on Sectology author Chernyshev Viktor MikhailovichPentecostals The concept and acceptance of charismatic (charisma is the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit) revival is necessarily inherent in Christians of the evangelical faith. It is this feature of doctrine that distinguishes Pentecostals from other Protestant denominations.
From the book The Orthodox World and Freemasonry author Ivanov Vasily FedorovichPentecostals The birthplace of another sect, Pentecostals, is America. There, in 1906, in the month of April, in Los Angeles, a group of black Baptists was seized by some kind of excitement, expressed in a strange monosyllabic muttering, trembling all over the body and convulsive
From the book The Invasion of Anti-Cultism into State-Religious Relations in Modern Russia author Ivanenko Sergey IgorevichPentecostal Christians as one of the main targets of anti-cultists One of the most serious dangers for the Orthodox Church and society, according to anti-cultists, is the so-called “neo-Pentecostalism.” It should be clarified that Christians of the Evangelical Faith
20.06.2015
Surely many have heard about people who consider themselves Pentecostal evangelists. Despite the widespread stereotype, this movement is not a sect. In fact, Pentecostalism is one of the branches of Protestantism, which is a Christian movement. In the CIS countries, Pentecostalism is considered quite widespread.
Story
This movement of the Christian religion was founded in the last century in the USA. The essence of Pentecostalism lies in opposition not only to Orthodoxy and Catholicism, but also to all other movements of Protestantism. Believers have always strived for a return to Apostolic Christianity. This explains the development of the institutions of teachers, interpretation of tongues, evangelists and prophets. Pentecostals also believe in the power of healers and miracle workers.
Believers unite in communities, which are headed by a fraternal council. In turn, communities unite among themselves into districts.
Famous figures of this religious formation were C. Finney D. Moody and C. Parham.
What do they believe?
Like all parishioners of the Protestant Church, Pentecostals worship exclusively the Holy Scriptures. At the same time, religion denies the existence of the Mother of God, saints, their images and crosses. If a person dies, they do not pray for him and do not have a funeral service for him before burial.
Sermons often emphasize the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals have no such thing as Sacraments, because they were turned into ordinary rituals. It is believed that religion should not be material, because the grace of the Lord’s power is unconditional, not requiring confirmation.
Pentecostals pay special attention to the Last Supper, so every month on the first Sunday they honor it as the breaking of bread. Representatives of the community take a small piece of bread from the tray and wash it down with a small amount of red wine from the cup. But not all Pentecostals perform this ritual, because they, in turn, are divided into Omovens and neo-Omovens. The latter honor the Last Supper with bread, and the Washers perform a ritual, the essence of which is the washing of the feet.
As for baptism, Pentecostals undergo this rite at a conscious age. Young children attend meetings even though they are unbaptized.
Particular attention is paid to repentance. Regarding marriages, Pentecostals have a negative view of the union of a believer with an unbeliever. A couple is considered married not after receiving a marriage certificate, but after a prayer ceremony.
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Wedding is a sacred sacrament, and can only be performed by people who are sincere both with their partner and with themselves. You cannot perform this ritual only for the sake of preserving traditions or paying tribute to fashion. ...
Of course, every person on the planet knows that the Orthodox Christian religion is the most popular, therefore, the leading faith in all countries of the world in the so-called post-Soviet period. Of course, over the past few years, new movements have emerged, such as sects and denominations, which are making themselves known loudly and looking for adherents among people. One of these widely popular trends of the last decade is Pentecostals, but few modern people know who they are and what kind of religion and faith they profess?
It is important to note that experienced, competent specialists have established that the Pentecostal church is a unique religious community, which includes a variety of Christians of the evangelical faith. The basis of such faith is a certain teaching, which in ancient times was set forth in a specialized book called “The Acts of the Holy Apostles.” It is believed that after the resurrection of the Most High Jesus Christ on approximately the 50th day, on the 12th day, his Holy Spirit descended from the apostles, which looked like tongues of flame, it was such fires that were filled with the holy spirit and for the first time since that time people began to speak in different languages and dialects. At the same time, the apostles received certain gifts from the Almighty, in the form of prophecy, and began to preach the good news to all nations and every person.
In the modern 21st century, Pentecostal Christians number approximately 600 million people. That is why it is believed throughout the world that Pentecostals are the largest Protestant denomination, which ranks approximately second in number. However, it is worth noting the fact that there is no single Pentecostal congregation; therefore, there are a large number of local associations or churches.
Pentecostals - who are they, and when did this movement begin?
Historians from various world institutions have established that around 1901, the holiness movement began in the United States of America, which was fundamental to the Pentecostal congregation. At that time, a certain group of students studied various reasons for the decline of faith among people of the Protestant faith.
Based on this, the students came to the conclusion that this act was a certain consequence of the lack of one single gift of speaking in tongues among Christians. So they conducted a certain ritual so that at least one Christian in the world could receive this gift. That is why a group of students began to offer fervent prayers of praise and the deeds were accompanied by a certain laying on of their own hands. After performing such deeds, after some time one of the girls who saw the prayer spoke in a language unfamiliar to the students. After word of the ease of receiving such a gift spread throughout the world, a new movement called Pentecostalism arose and spread widely and quickly.
It is important to note an important fact that Pentecostals are some kind of oppositionists, both for the Orthodox and Catholic churches, and at the same time they are not adherents of all Protestant movements. Pentecostal adherents say that their main goal is to restore to communities some form and spirit of Christians of the apostolic age. It is from here that you can learn that the institutions of prophets, teachers, evangelists and righteous people have become developed. Many people claim that among Pentecostals there are certain healers and miracle workers, and at the same time they profess this movement to the Holy Trinity.
Pentecostals place a special emphasis in their sermons on the action of the Holy Spirit in the world, and their main dogma is the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which must be accompanied by speaking in “other tongues.” However, some authorities claim that the Holy Spirit can baptize a believer without the sign of tongues, although such are an exceptional minority. It is the Pentecostal doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit that significantly distinguishes them from other Protestant denominations.
In other acts, Pentecostalism corresponds to other Protestant dogmas. Consequently, we can say that they recognize exclusively the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and also not the veneration of the Holy Mother of God and other saints, and there are also no prayers for the dead and no worship of the holy face, non-recognition of the lawful and grace-filled priesthood. At the same time, many Pentecostals say that only the Holy Hierarch can perform the supper of marriage and baptism to the Most High.
Thus, we can say that this religious trend distorted many church sacraments, and as a result turned them into ordinary daily rituals. But this happened only due to the fact that people of this direction and faith are convinced that the Almighty cannot need any visible forms of transferring his own grace, as well as material values. But at the same time, they do not stray far from religion, therefore, Pentecostals retain some ritual acts that correspond to the new covenant, and follow certain events that are described there.
Representatives of this religious movement perform a kind of breaking of bread on the first Sunday of each new month. It is at this moment that people remember the sacraments of the supper. The witness offers all believing parishioners one single piece of bread, which must be taken from the tray and, of course, a sip of red wine from the church cup. It is mandatory in the evening for this religious denomination to wash their feet. This act is carried out scrupulously, since Pentecostals attach great importance to this act. It is believed that the breaking of bread cannot take place without washing the feet, otherwise the act is incomplete.
Based on all of the above, it becomes clear that over the years there have been various disputes between the Viennese and neo-Ventens. They cannot decide among themselves the significance of these rituals, therefore, some religious believers accuse other religious believers of the absence of a certain grace during the breaking of bread, while others show their own pride, since they performed completely ritual acts. It is also important to note the fact that according to Pentecostal rules, foot washing is often performed only at the end of the entire service. At the end of such an act, believing men and women gather in different rooms depending on their gender and stand near a basin with warm water and wash their feet in pairs. It is important to follow a special rule, which states that you cannot wash your own feet; therefore, another person who stands with him at the pelvis must wash his partner’s feet.
According to Pentecostal law, the rite of water baptism is a kind of invisible evidence that a new member of the faith has been accepted into the church, and thereby makes an invisible and unspoken promise to serve the Almighty with a good conscience. It is also important to note that Pentecostals under no circumstances baptize small children, just as it happens in the Orthodox Christian faith, however, it is allowed to bring infants to meetings in order for the Saint to bless them.
And at the head of each Pentecostal community there is a certain Fraternal Council, which is headed by the priest of the church, and all communities are united into districts. The head of the district is considered to be the senior priest, but some heads of communities prefer to call him a bishop; since then, this term has firmly entered into the daily use of modern residents.
Modern Pentecostal Christians - who are they, what are their theological features?
Modern Christians who are Pentecostals believe that the baptism of the apostles with a certain holy spirit on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a particularly significant historical factor, but at the same time a certain phenomenon that is experienced by every believer on the planet. For a general understanding, it is worth noting that in the modern world, in many countries on the planet, Pentecostals call themselves representatives of the Evangelical Christian faith. Currently, Pentecostals believe that the only and especially important, as well as reliable, guide for a person’s life can only be the well-known Bible, since it is infallible. The Bible is also considered to be the most accessible publication to read, study and follow. All over the world, as in the old days, preachers call to believe in the Holy Scriptures, study them independently, read them and build their own life path in accordance with its rules. Currently, Pentecostals conduct various baptisms, meetings, create new innovative Sunday schools for children of other faiths, engage in charitable activities, and also participate in unknown missionary activities. That is, they play a special role in cultural, political and other activities.
Summarizing all of the above, we can say that Pentecostals have nothing to do with the Protestant Church, or even the Orthodox Christian faith, therefore Pentecostals are a kind of offshoot, the followers of which have professed the Christian evangelical faith from time immemorial. Alone, not a single person on the planet can bring himself to believe in something that is alien to him, so every religion in the world claims that the important scripture is the Bible, and how exactly you understand it is how you should live.
Pentecostalism is one of the late Protestant movements of Christianity, which arose in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. in USA. Its ideological origins lie in the religious and philosophical movement of revivalism (eng. revival- “rebirth, awakening”), which arose in the 18th century. among followers of a number of Protestant churches in the USA, England and other countries, and in the Holiness Movement that developed within the latter. Holiness Movement).
Pentecostals attach special importance to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, understanding it as a special spiritual experience, often accompanied by various emotions, at the moment of which the power of the Holy Spirit descends on the reborn believer. Pentecostals consider this experience identical to that experienced by the apostles on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ. And since this day is called the day of Pentecost, hence the name "Pentecostals".
Pentecostals believe that the power a believer receives through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is manifested outwardly by speaking in “other tongues” (glossolalia). A specific understanding of the phenomenon of “speaking in other tongues” is a distinctive feature of Pentecostals. Pentecostals believe that this is not a conversation in ordinary foreign languages, but a special speech, usually incomprehensible to both the speaker and the listener - however, real-life languages that are unknown to the speaker are also considered a manifestation of this gift. This is a gift given by God for a person’s communication with the Holy Spirit, as 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 and other places in the Bible speak about it.
Subsequently, the Holy Spirit endows the believer with other gifts, of which Pentecostals especially highlight the gifts of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and interpretation of tongues. See 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.
Pentecostals recognize two sacraments - water baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion). Some of them understand the sacraments symbolically rather than sacramentally. The following rites are also recognized: marriage, blessing of children, prayer for the sick, ordination, and sometimes washing of feet (during communion).
Story
The Pentecostal movement arose at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in an atmosphere of searching for an answer to the threat of liberal Christianity. It appeared as a result of the merger of several earlier movements, but quickly acquired quite characteristic and independent features.
John Wesley
The beginning of the process that culminated in the emergence of Pentecostalism should be considered the activity of the outstanding 18th century preacher John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church. Firstly, it was Methodism that became the theological and social context in which Pentecostalism was born a century and a half later [ source?] . Secondly, it was during Wesley's sermons, according to some accounts, that phenomena similar to Pentecostal experiences began to occur (although Wesley himself did not encourage them) [ source?] :
Charles Finney
The next stage in the prehistory of the Pentecostal movement is associated with the name of the famous 19th century preacher Charles Finney. He believed at the age of 21 and became known as a preacher of repentance and revival. He preached for 50 years in the USA, England and Scotland and converted thousands of souls to Christ. He argued that a person must experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He had this experience and for the first time, truly used this term. Here's how he describes it:
“Clearly and distinctly, surrounded by a wonderful radiance, the image of Jesus Christ clearly appeared before my soul, so that I think that we met face to face. He did not say a word, but looked at me with such a look that I fell to the dust before Him, as if broken, I sank to His feet and cried like a child. How long, bowing, I stood in adoration I don’t know, but as soon as I intended to take a chair near the fireplace and sit down, the Spirit of God was poured out on me and pierced me all over; filled spirit, soul and body, although I had never heard of D.’s baptism with the Saint, much less expected it, and did not pray for anything like that.” [source?]
And one more quote:
“I received a powerful Baptism of the Holy Spirit without the slightest expectation, without having the slightest thought about it. The Holy Spirit descended on me in such a way that it seemed to permeate my body and spirit, like a stream of flowing love, like the breath of God. No words can describe the love that was poured into my heart. I cried loudly with joy and happiness and was finally forced to express my feelings in a loud cry.".» [ source?]
Dwight Moody (Moody)
Another person who played a very important role was Dwight Moody. Lived in the second half of the 19th century. At the age of 38 he began his first evangelistic campaign. In 71, he began to pray to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and a few days later experienced the desired state. “I can only say one thing: God revealed himself to me, and I experienced such great pleasure in His love that I began to beg Him to stay longer in His hand.” He founded the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago and appointed as director of this institute a man named Torrey, who gave great attention to this subject in his sermons and preached constantly on it. After Moody's sermons, communities were created where people prophesied, spoke in other tongues, performed healings and other miracles, although he did not emphasize this.
Holiness Movement and Keswick Movement
The Keswick "Higher Life" movement, which became widespread thanks to several American preachers of the "saints movement" (H. W. Smith and W. E. Boardman). In speaking of the “second blessing,” they shifted the emphasis from Wesley's “purity of heart” to “empowerment for service,” and they also talked a lot about divine healing, which is one of the most necessary gifts of the church.
Healing movement
Charles Fox Parham
The beginning is associated with Charles Parham. He was a priest and, reading Acts, came to the conclusion that Christians had a secret that they had lost. Parham understood perfectly well that one could not find a solution, and it was also not possible for any single person to solve this problem. He decided to organize a Bible school, where he should become the director and its student, so that in such a composition he would seek this good. In Topeka, Kansas, he bought the Stone's Folly house and wrote an invitation; 40 students responded.
In December, Parham had to leave for a conference and gave an assignment to his students. Upon his return, he discovered that the students of the school, independently reading the book of Acts, came to the same conclusion: in the 5 cases described in Acts, when they were first baptized, speaking in tongues was recorded.
- 1. On the day of Pentecost
- 2. In Samaria
- 3. In Damascus
- 4. In Caesarea
- 5. In Ephesus
The Miracle of Glossolalia
Parham suggested praying to receive such a baptism from God with the sign of tongues. The next day they prayed all morning in the congregation until noon, and all day there was an atmosphere of anticipation in the mansion. At 7 pm on New Year's Eve 1900, student Agnes Ozman remembered the laying on of hands.
This is one of the dates that Pentecostals view as one of the original dates in the history of their movement. They point to that day as the first, since the days of the early church, when the baptism of the Holy Spirit was demanded, when speaking in tongues was expected as the original evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Charles Parham was very happy that he would now preach everywhere. But he did not reach the middle of Kansas. He was not accepted anywhere, having met with hostility the very idea of speaking in tongues. In America, unregenerate Christians were so cruel to the holiness movement that they caught people going to meetings and beat them with sticks. Charles Parham was unable to continue working at the school, this Stone mansion was sold and nothing further worked out for him.
Welsh Awakening 1904-1905
The revival in Wales developed according to a rather unusual, uncharacteristic scenario, showing the following situations: the conversion of people who had previously had no interest in it to the active Christian faith [ source?], the absence of court cases (to the point that the city authorities symbolically presented white gloves to the judges - as a sign of their freedom from direct work), the taverns were empty, no more curse words were heard [ source?], reading pulp novels sharply declined, football clubs (whose games were accompanied by aggression and fights) were disbanded [ source?], the city's theatrical society left due to a sharp decline in public interest in the theater [ source?] . Until December 1904, there were 70 thousand Christian believers; by May 1905 there were already 85 thousand [ source?] .
In the middle of the last century, the “Holiness Movement” arose, they affirmed the relationship between the new birth and sanctification. People began to become interested in the power of God to act more powerfully in the church. In many cases, according to believers, the power of the Holy Spirit acted in ways that were later adopted and articulated in the Pentecostal movement.
This is the state of the Church in which the Pentecostal movement emerged.
Waking up on Azusa Street
In 1903, Parham moved to Eldorado Spenes and a turning point occurred in his ministry. According to Pentecostals, when he began to preach and pray for the sick, many of them were actually healed. Word spread about him as a selfless person. For example, at one of the meetings, a woman named Mary Arthur, who had lost her sight as a result of two operations, began to see after Parham’s prayer.
Five years later, in Houston, Kansas, Parham announced the opening of a second school. William Seymour, an ordained black minister, came to this school. At the beginning of 1906, Seymour travels to Los Angeles, where he meets preacher Frank Bartelman, who managed to prepare the ground for the coming revival. On April 9, 1906, during one of Seymour's sermons, God began to baptize those listening with the Holy Spirit. He opens the Apostolic Faith Mission at 312 Azusa Street. This place, for a certain time, became the center of the Pentecostal movement. The Azusa Street Revival lasted 3 years (1000 days).
The Norwegian clergyman of the Episcopal Methodist Church, Thomas Ball Barat, having become acquainted with Pentecostal teaching in the United States, was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He brought the message of Pentecostalism to Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Pentecostalism received the strongest resistance in Germany. What happened at the meetings of Pentecostal preachers was perceived as the work of Satan, and, as a reaction, members of some evangelical churches signed the “Berlin Declaration” in 1910, which stated that the Pentecostal movement originated not from God, but from the devil. It was equated with occult things. Germany found itself closed to the Pentecostal movement for a long time.
In the 1930s, a man named David Du Plessis (who was nicknamed "Mr. Pentecost") met with a famous Pentecostal preacher, Smith Wigglesworth, who told him that a powerful revival associated with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit would soon visit the traditional churches, and he will have to participate in it. In 1948, while Du Plessis was preparing for a Pentecostal conference, his car was hit by a train. He ended up in the hospital, where he allegedly heard the voice of God: “The time I spoke about has come. I want you to go to other traditional churches."
This was the first step towards the emergence of the charismatic movement.
Oneness Pentecostals
Among Christians of various directions, there are often followers of the doctrine of the uniqueness of God (In brief: there is only one God the Father, and Jesus was only his incarnation, the Holy Spirit is not a person, but a force). In the history of Pentecostalism in Russia, there are also believers who agree with this teaching, the so-called “Smorodinians” (from the surname of the community leader, Smorodin). Other names: “Evangelical Christians in the spirit of the apostles”, “Oneness”.
Pentecostal movement in Russia
History of the movement
The first news of the baptism in the Holy Spirit (in the understanding of Pentecostals) penetrated into Russia through Finland and the Baltic states, which were then part of the Russian Empire. The first Pentecostal preachers there were Thomas Baratt (Norway) and Levi Petrus (Sweden). It is known that in 1910 there were already Pentecostal communities in Estonia. Thomas Baratt, preached in St. Petersburg in 1911. This was the very first wave coming from the north. However, many people associated with this movement, after meeting with Andrew Urshan, a representative of the so-called. "Only Jesus" teachings adopted the Unitarian concept (they did not believe in the Trinity). All people who were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit they rebaptized “in the Name of the Lord Jesus.” They are known as Oneness or Evangelical Christians in the Apostolic spirit.
Further impulse came from the west through the Bible School in Danzig (Germany), (Poland). Gustav Schmidt, Arthur Bergholz, Oskar Eske preached in western Ukraine. Schmidt churches still exist there (their peculiarity is that they do not have the ritual of “washing the feet”). This school belongs to the Assembly of God - one of the largest Pentecostal organizations in the world.
The main direction of Pentecostalism in Russia, excluding the times of perestroika, is associated with Ivan Voronaev and Vasily Koltovich. Voronaev was born in Russia, but after he joined the Baptist Church he was forced to go abroad due to persecution by Orthodoxy. In the USA he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and in 1919 he founded the first Russian Pentecostal church in New York. In 1920 he came to Bulgaria, where in a short time (together with Zaplishny) he founded about 18 communities. In 1924, the Union of the Evangelical Faith already numbered 350 communities and 80 thousand members. The community of the city of Odessa (where Voronaev had moved by that time) consisted of 1000 members. In 1929, new legislation on religious associations was adopted, many believers were arrested, and communities became illegal and began to gather secretly, as they continued to gather until the collapse of the USSR.
Current situation
Currently, there are three main associations operating in Russia:
- Russian Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (RCFEC)
- United Church of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (UCFEC)
- Russian United Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (ROSHVE)
These three associations have the same historical roots. The division of a single society began in 1944 on the basis of forced (by the state authorities) registration of communities and unification with the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christian Baptists (Baptists). Communities that did not agree to the new registration conditions continued their activities underground and were therefore subject to persecution.
There are serious differences in the theological doctrines and practical understanding of Christianity among traditional Pentecostals and charismatics; some of the differences are reflected in the articles liberalism in Christianity and conservatism in Christianity.
In 1995, part of the communities led by S.V. Ryakhovsky separated from the OCHCE and the Russian United Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith was created, which, in fact, became the main association of charismatic churches in Russia.
There is also a Union of Independent Pentecostal Churches and separate independent congregations.
Pentecostals from the Charismatic Union are more active in the social sphere than conservatives. For example, according to an article on the Russian Archipelago website, the Nizhny Novgorod local Church “Loza,” which belongs to the charismatic “branch” of Pentecostalism, provides assistance to orphanages, boarding schools, helps the hematology fund, and conducts children’s camps for everyone.
