Many evangelicals just claim the biblical texts that create the expectation that if they have repented, believed the Gospel, and made a faith commitment, then they automatically have the Holy Spirit. But is this a dangerous assumption challenged by Paul's epistles?
PAUL'S EXPERIENTIAL CRITERIA FOR CLAIMING TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT: 6 TEXTS
(1) "I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the [faith] talk of these arrogant people, but their power. For the kingdom of God depends not on [faith] talk, but on power (1 Cor. 4:19-20)."
Notice that Paul wants to discover not their faith talk, but the evidence for the supernatural power of the Spirit in their lives that bears witness to their status as members of the kingdom of God. And what does Paul mean here by "power?" The answer lies in Paul's expectation of the results of his Gospel preaching:
(2) "My speech and my [Gospel] proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom, but on the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5-6)."
Here Paul is concerned not with the theological correctness and plausibility of their Gospel beliefs, but with whether their belief system is anchored to "a demonstration of the Spirit and of power." What sort of Spirit "demonstration" does he have in mind? At Ephesus the demonstration includes "speaking in tongues and prophesying (Acts 19:6)." But our next text implies that other supernatural demonstrations of the Spirit qualify:
(3) "Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing...? Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the Law, or by your hearing what you heard (Gal. 3:3, 5)."
Here the demonstration of the Spirit includes "miracles." Paul celebrates the supernatural nature of the Galatians conversion-initiation, especially the fact that they initially "experience so many things." But then this experiential relationship is replaced by "the flesh," that is, by a legalistic cerebral faith based on beliefs and, in their case, a tendency to revert to the Jewish practice of circumcision. In other words, apart from their stress on circumcision, they become like most modern fundamentalist churches.
(4) "...by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that...I have fully proclaimed the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:18-19)."
Here Paul makes it clear that a "fully proclaimed Gospel" should be attested by accompanying "signs and wonders."
(5) "People will be...holding to the outward form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid them (2 Tim. 3:5)!"
Once we grasp what Paul means by "power," the question arises whether he would consider modern evangelical churches DEA-UD and advise that modern seekers avoid them.
Put differently, how many modern evangelicals would pass Paul's idea of the self-examination "test" prescribed in 2 Cor. 13:5-6:
(6) "Examine yourselves. See whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize [experience by the Spirit] that Jesus Christ is in you."
PAUL'S EXPERIENTIAL CRITERIA FOR CLAIMING TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT: 6 TEXTS
(1) "I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the [faith] talk of these arrogant people, but their power. For the kingdom of God depends not on [faith] talk, but on power (1 Cor. 4:19-20)."
Notice that Paul wants to discover not their faith talk, but the evidence for the supernatural power of the Spirit in their lives that bears witness to their status as members of the kingdom of God. And what does Paul mean here by "power?" The answer lies in Paul's expectation of the results of his Gospel preaching:
(2) "My speech and my [Gospel] proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom, but on the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5-6)."
Here Paul is concerned not with the theological correctness and plausibility of their Gospel beliefs, but with whether their belief system is anchored to "a demonstration of the Spirit and of power." What sort of Spirit "demonstration" does he have in mind? At Ephesus the demonstration includes "speaking in tongues and prophesying (Acts 19:6)." But our next text implies that other supernatural demonstrations of the Spirit qualify:
(3) "Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing...? Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the Law, or by your hearing what you heard (Gal. 3:3, 5)."
Here the demonstration of the Spirit includes "miracles." Paul celebrates the supernatural nature of the Galatians conversion-initiation, especially the fact that they initially "experience so many things." But then this experiential relationship is replaced by "the flesh," that is, by a legalistic cerebral faith based on beliefs and, in their case, a tendency to revert to the Jewish practice of circumcision. In other words, apart from their stress on circumcision, they become like most modern fundamentalist churches.
(4) "...by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that...I have fully proclaimed the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:18-19)."
Here Paul makes it clear that a "fully proclaimed Gospel" should be attested by accompanying "signs and wonders."
(5) "People will be...holding to the outward form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid them (2 Tim. 3:5)!"
Once we grasp what Paul means by "power," the question arises whether he would consider modern evangelical churches DEA-UD and advise that modern seekers avoid them.
Put differently, how many modern evangelicals would pass Paul's idea of the self-examination "test" prescribed in 2 Cor. 13:5-6:
(6) "Examine yourselves. See whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize [experience by the Spirit] that Jesus Christ is in you."
