What’s Wrong with Songs that Worship the Holy Spirit?
(Part 1: Questions People Ask About the Holy Spirit)
There are not a lot of worship songs directed to the Holy Spirit. The Bible never says we would worship the Holy Spirit, but is it okay?
What Questions do you (or Others) Have About the Holy Spirit?
I am writing a series on my blog called called “Questions People Ask about the Holy Spirit” (#HSQuestions). You can see current posts in the series here. Can you help me out by submitting your questions below? Thanks! (Feel free to share a link to this form with other people as well!)
Should Pentecostals talk about the Spirit on Pentecost Sunday?
Pentecost Sunday is coming soon. Did you even know? If you are Pentecostal, probably not. Yet, I have heard some Pentecostals complain when their pastor hasn’t mentioned Pentecost on Pentecost Sunday. Is this a problem? Not Liturgical Most Pentecostal churches I know aren’t liturgical. The closest they come to following the liturgical calendar is celebrating Christmas and Easter. […]
History of the PAOC Statement of Faith
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) is in a process of reviewing and refreshing its Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths (SOFET). You can find a copy of the most recent, 2014, statement here. The PAOC’s SOFET has seen many changes. Some of these changes reflect reaffirmations of previous beliefs, while some reflect changing beliefs […]
Demons Have No “Legal Rights”
Some people claim that the devil or demons have “legal rights” over people. For example, Derek Prince claims that if we (including Christians) have any unconfessed sin, then “in that area we do not have the full legal rights of redemption. Satan still has a legal claim in that area…. He has a legal right […]
3 Ways People Misunderstand Tongues as “Initial Evidence” of Spirit Baptism
Classical Pentecostals typically affirm that “the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.”[1] I frequently encounter Christians, including those from Pentecostal churches, who misunderstand the intent of the “initial evidence” doctrine. Some people object to the initial evidence doctrine by saying that there […]
PAOC Clergy on Tongues and Spirit Baptism: Changing Views
Yesterday I had a journal article published: “Changing Conceptions of Speaking in Tongues and Spirit Baptism Among Canadian Pentecostal Clergy,” with Adam Stewart and Kevin Shanahan. Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity 7 (2016): 1-24. In the same volume, you can find responses to my article from PAOC General Superintendent David Wells, Randy Holm, and Van Johnson, […]
Update: Recent Publication Available Online
Update to my previous post. The following publication is now available to read online at googlebooks (it’s free!). Andrew Gabriel. “Pneumatological Insights for the Attributes of the Divine Loving,” in Third Article Theology: A Pneumatological Dogmatics, edited by Myk Habets, 39-53. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Academic, 2016.
You Don’t Have to Say Something to Become a Christian
“What do I need to do to become a Christian?” I asked my theology class this question today. Thankfully, no one said “invite Jesus into your heart.” Nevertheless, I was struck that their answers largely assumed that Christians have to say something to be saved—for example, say a prayer where you confess your sin, […]
Mental Health as an Indicator of Your Relationship with God?
Does having anxiety/depression mean that you are not good with God? (asked by a student) Very unlikely. First, if the answer were “yes,” this would mean that mental health is only a spiritual issue, which it is not. Rather, our mental health is shaped by “a complex interplay of genetic, biological, personality and environmental factors” […]