What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

I see folks on AFF often make slurrying, derogatory remarks about Charismatics. What is a Charismatic? Are they all the same?

Are there any "good" Charismatics? Are any of them saved? Are they really filled with the Holy Spirit?

Granted there are Charismatics that I don't want to be connected with or to! But guess what; there are Pentecostals that I don't want to be associated with either! Apostolics that I do not want to be a part of! So what?

Are we being too judgmental when we lump all Charismatics together? Is our "brush" too big?

What's wrong with this definition?

char·is·mat·ic   [kar-iz-mat-ik]
–adjective
1. of, having, or characteristic of charisma.
2. characterizing Christians of various denominations who seek an ecstatic religious experience, sometimes including speaking in tongues and instantaneous healing.

What are we guilty of if we speak evil of any denomination that God approves of? Should it concern us how we speak about "others?" God fills them with the Holy Ghost and then we spend our time speaking evil of them! Will we stand in judgement for these actions?

Just....
Been Thinkin'

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

So, by this definition, are Pentecostals Charismatics, or are Charismatics just trying to act Pentecostal? :hmmm

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

In general I do not use Charismatic in a disparaging fashion.

However, I cannot identify with this at all: "...who seek an ecstatic religious experience"

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Why? Just wondering. Please explain so I can understand what you are saying. Thanks.

BT

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Not certain but I think a Charismatic looks like this......





:shockamoo

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Ha Ha. Very good! :thumbsup

BT

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Well, we probably each have our little private interpretation of what Charismatic is.

This is from Merriam-Webster online

Main Entry: charismatic
Function: noun
Date: 1951

: a member of a religious group or movement that stresses the seeking of direct divine inspiration and charisms (as glossolalia or healing)


This is pretty much my understanding. A person is charismatic if he/she believes in the charismata or gifts of the Spirit. This would include just about anyone who was not a cessationist (one who believes the gifts of the Spirit were just temporary for the early church and have since passed away) and would include those of us who consider ourselves Apostolic or Pentecostal. To me the terms Apostolic, Pentecostal, and Charismatic are pretty much interchangeable.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Guess its all in the circle you run in...in my parts it is used to describe someone who is practicing on how to use the gifts of the spirit without actually relying on the spirit...not a compliment at all.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Charismatic:

Todd Bentley
Toronto Blessing
Brownsville
Pulpits splitting
TBN
Rodney Howard Brown


A charismatic is someone I'm not!:mad:

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

I don't necessarily disagree. Just explain the things that turn you off or what about these examples above that make you "not a Charismatic."

BT

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Fibber! I have seen you talk to Bentley about Toronto whilst in Brownsville splitting a pulpit on TBN which Rodney Howard Brown was hosting. What a liar you are NOW!!!

:bliss

:thumbsup

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

It is difficult to pin down, just like nailing down "Pentecostal."

But historically, "charismatic" refers to those who are not theologically Pentecostal, but those who began to welcome the charismata (gifts of Spirit) in their congregations, without making changes in anything else. In other words, these were the Baptists, Methodists, Presbytarians, Catholics, etc that began to participate in this "renewal" of the Charismatic gifts.

Pentecostalism refers more to the early 20th Century movement, and one that in general viewed the Spirit as something we encounter, believed in glossolalia (some groups believing tongues were the exclusive evidence of the Holy Spirit), identified with pre-millennial views, and on and on. Great books on this are out there, which mostly are history.

In perspective of Restorationism, if the renewal of Spirit is the significant measuring stick, all who believe in the charismata are in a broad category called "Pentecostal/Charismatic."

Many Classical Pentecostals use the word "charismatic" as a label to write other brothers off. It's a pejorative term, referring to a lower class of Christian, one who is delusional and one who doesn't have a zeal for Jesus as much anymore.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Because seeking an ecstatic religious experience is quite simply not something I do.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Good post! Thought provoking! :thumbsup

BT

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Do you have them, but just do not seek them or do you not have any ecstatic religious experiences?

Interesting.

BT

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

BT,
I been thinkin and that is one crazy looking photo that catches my attention glaring at me, every time I see one of your posts- LOL





I very much agree with the last pragraph of Jeffery's last post.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Over the years I have tried to find what the line between Charismatic and Pentecostal is... heres the best answer I can come up with.

Pentecostals believe that tongues is the initial sign on of the baptism of the Spirit. They also come from the groups that were formed around the Azuza street experience / Topeka, Kansas / and the early pentecostal camp meetings.


Charismatics believe that tongues is one of many evidences of being filled with the spirit. They came from whats called the "second wave" of people who were filled in the 50-80s from a variety of traditions like catholic, mainline evangelical, jesus people/hippie, and non-denominational.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

There are definitely two definitions of charismatic.. the one that people within the Pentecostal/Apostolic culture use as a disparaging label, and the actual definition in the dictionary.... which ironically describes those people within the Pentecostal/Apostolic Culture:

char-is-mat-ic - adjective

1. of, having, or characteristic of charisma.
2. characterizing Christians of various denominations who seek an ecstatic religious experience, sometimes including speaking in tongues and instantaneous healing.

-noun
3. a Christian who emphasizes such a religious experience.

Given this, people who make up their own definitions for words are never going to be in agreement with everyone else (ie- dictionary.com)

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

I would agree with this being what most "Pentecostals" think!

If you start down that slippery slope of not abiding by the clothing rules - you are "going charismatic" by your church peers.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Charismatic - it's what we get called all the time by people in the organization that we left.

It's SO not who we are.:blah:blah:blah

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Well, let's see.....I don't kick people in the stomach like Todd Bentley, I don't bark like a dog and laugh like a hyena like the Toronto airport folks, I don't shake for 6 months straight and endless draw attention to myself rather than Christ like the folks in Brownsville, I don't claim my pulpit split in half like Tommy, I don't sell red healing hankies for $500, promise Beemers to every viewer and claim 400 billion souls like TBN, and I've never experienced holy laughter like the complete fraud Rodney Howard Brown.

How's that!:heeheehee

I'm not totally sure what the absolute definition of a "Charismatic" is, but I know that when the word is spoken, it is associated with the list I just gave.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Good response. And I'm aware that all those things are going on and I want no part of them either. But, does anyone know of any "Charismatics" that don't fall into those categories? Are there "any" Charismatics that you would associate with and fellowship?

BeenThinkin

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Saw some pictures on Facebook of folks doing worship service in your new church, pretty cool. Looked like you guys were having a good time :)

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

Its just a term, just like Pentecostal is a term. In fact AOG churches that I visit (which are the definition of Pentecostal for most of mainstream america) for the most part have little in common with UPCI churches in the way they do their approach to ministry, music styles, and attitude. And we are only separated from them by less than 80 years of history, we used to be the same.

The spectrum of spirit filled churches is as wide as the type of catholic churches from nation to nation and diocese to diocese.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

A form of godliness but denying the power therof.

Thats a good discrpition. Some have "tounge" classes to teach how to speak in tongues.

People like BennyHinn show what todays "charismatics" are.

Claim to be spirit filled, but have no power of God. Majority embrace trinity doctrine & baptism.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

I hear the word used for people who have left "the ark." And yes, it's been used to describe me (after I left said "ark") ... but it's not what I am.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

IT depends, its easy to take 1 bad example and tar thousands of churches.

When I was in Houston I sometimes went to the Lakewood service on Saturday evening just to catch a vision of how big a church can get and to raid their literature rack to get ideas on design and such for the church I was helping at.

They have a once a month class that teaches people how to receive the Holy Spirit (Ghost). I was planning on attending it, based on how it read in the brochure it discussed tongues being the initial sign, the difference between the initial utterance and its usage as a private prayer language vs. interpretation of tongues. It was a 90 minute class... based on the stylus of it.. it seemed pretty well rounded.

I don't see the difference between that and the later lessons of Search for Truth that discuss the exact same issues.

Re: What Is A "Charismatic?"
 

UltraCon do any of them speak in real, genuine Holy Ghost tongues? How do "YOU" know they "claim to be filled?" but have no power of God. SO ALL OF THE CHARISMATICS ARE JUST LIKE BENNY HINN? How do you know this?

Shouldn't this put you in an Ultra-judgmental class instead of UltraCon?

BeenThinkin