# Strange Fire Book Review (A Year After the Smoke Dies Down)



## Need 4 Creed (Oct 21, 2014)

Strange Fire Book Review (A Year After the Smoke Dies Down) -- originally posted here

So, having blogged fairly extensively at the time of MacArthur's Strange Fire Conference, I've finally got round to reading and finishing the book. Since I have written quite a bit about the Strange Fire Conference, this will just be a brief overview. 

Strange Fire is confrontational, controversial and constitutive, MacArthur's tone is polemical, but his motivation is pastoral. As I have said elsewhere, I have been involved with the Pentecostal and charismatic movement for most of my Christian life and even when I was actively committed to the main presuppositions of the movement, I would have agreed with many of MacArthur's observations. 

Many charismatics perceive MacArthur as being divisive, unspiritual and even heretical. However, in my view, these responses really miss the heart of the issue. In the book, MacArthur says: 

In recent history, no other movement has done more to damage the cause of the gospel, to distort the truth, and to smother the articulation of sound docrine. Charismatic theology has turned the evangelical church into a cesspool of error and a breeding ground for false teachers. It has warped genuine worship through unbridled emotionalism, polluted prayer with private gibberish, contaminated true spirituality with unbiblical mysticism, and corrupted faith by turning it into a creative force for speaking worldly desires into existence. By elevating the authority of experience over the authority of Scripture, the Charismatic Movement has destroyed the church’s immune system—uncritically granting free access to every imaginable form of heretical teaching and practice. Put bluntly, charismatic theology has made no contribution to true biblical theology or interpretation; rather, it represents a deviant mutation of the truth. Like a deadly virus, it gains access into the church by maintaining a superficial connection to certain characteristics of biblical Christianity, but in the end it always corrupts and distorts sound teaching. The resulting degradation, like a doctrinal version of Frankenstein’s monster, is a hideous hybrid of heresy, ecstasy, and blasphemy awkwardly dressed in the tattered remnants of evangelical language.

That is some statement. But we need to pause and think about it. We need to ask, is it true? If it's true, how true is it? Is it the whole truth? And so on. 

Of course, this is not how the charismatic church is usually described. It is usually described as the fastest growing segment of the Christian church; the most active in evangelism; it has been hailed as a vehicle of church unity because the common charismatic experience has united Christians from every denomination in Christendom and it is reputed to have revolutionised worship. 

Which perspective is true? 

There is truth in both statements. The movement is growing, the movement is active in mission, the movement has pioneered the way in worship and the movement has caused individuals to experience a new vibrancy in their faith. So, how do we reconcile the two perspectives? 

J.I. Packer, a supporter of the charismatic movement, once made the following statement. When I first read it, I was actively involved in an independent charismatic church. Here is what he said: 

Christian history has seen many movements of experience-orientated reaction against theology’s supposedly barren intellectualism. These movements have thought they could get on without serious theological study, and have discouraged their adherents from engaging in it. In the short term, while living on theological capital brought in from outside by their founders, they have often channelled spiritual life in an impressive way, but with the passage of time they have again and again lapsed into old errors and forms of imbalance and stuntedness which, for lack of theological resources, they are unable effectively to correct, and which prompt the rest of the church to stand back from them. 

Packer's statement can easily be applied to the charismatic movement, and it also sheds light on just how a movement can be zealous and growing yet at the same time erroneous and unhealthy. MacArthur highlights these issues effectively, so I'll point out some of the statements in his book which I thought were significant critiques. 

*MacArthur's critiques of the charismatic movement*
"The Charismatic Movement claims to exalt the third member of the Trinity. Truth be told, it has turned Him into a sideshow."

"Pentecostals and charismatics elevate religious experience over biblical truth."

"Novel doctrines, ostentatious self-promotion, and claims of fresh revelation from God (all quite common characteristics of the Charismatic Movement) are the particular signs of a false teacher."

*MacArthur's criteria for discerning whether or not something is a true work of the Holy Spirit: *

"(1) Does the work exalt the true Christ? (2) Does it oppose worldliness? (3) Does it point people to the Scriptures? (4) Does it elevate the truth? (5) Does it produce love for God and others?"

"A true work of the Spirit shines the spotlight on the Savior, pointing to Him in an accurate, exalting, and preeminent manner. False teachers, by contrast, diminish and distort the truth about Him."

"In contrast to false prophets, those who are truly empowered by the Holy Spirit place the primary emphasis on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ."

"Show me a person obsessed with the Holy Spirit and His gifts (real or imagined), and I will show you a person not filled with the Holy Spirit. Show me a person focused on the person and work of Jesus Christ—never tiring of learning about Him, thinking about Him, boasting of Him, speaking about and for and to Him, thrilled and entranced with His perfections and beauty, finding ways to serve and exalt Him, tirelessly exploring ways to spend and be spent for Him, growing in character to be more and more like Him—and I will show you a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit. We should learn what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. We should teach what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. We should seek to live lives full of the biblically defined ministry of the Holy Spirit.

"Any ministry or message that does not present Jesus Christ in a biblically accurate way is not a true work of the Spirit." 

One of the accusations that has been levelled against MacArthur's Strange Fire, is the claim that he condemns all charismatics as apostates who are doomed to hell. This is not true. MacArthur says: 

I do believe there are sincere people within the Charismatic Movement who, in spite of the systemic corruption and confusion, have come to understand the necessary truths of the gospel. They embrace substitutionary atonement, the true nature of Christ, the trinitarian nature of God, biblical repentance, and the unique authority of the Bible. They recognize that salvation is not about health and wealth, and they genuinely desire to be rescued from sin, spiritual death, and everlasting hell. Yet, they remain confused about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the nature of spiritual giftedness. As a result, they are playing with strange fire. By continually exposing themselves to the false teaching and counterfeit spirituality of the Charismatic Movement, they have placed themselves (and anyone under their spiritual care) in eternal jeopardy. For true believers, the Charismatic Movement represents a massive stumbling block to true spiritual growth, ministry, and usefulness. Its errant teachings regarding the Holy Spirit and the Spirit-inspired Scriptures perpetuate immaturity, spiritual weakness, and an unending struggle with sin. A parallel exists between those Christians who are trapped in the modern Charismatic Movement and the true believers who were part of the Corinthian church in the first century.

Many charismatic and continuations believers think that MacArthur is writing off any and every spiritual experience they have ever known. This makes it impossible for charismatic believers to take on board what MacArthur is saying. However, I think the problem is that MacArthur's position is being slightly clouded through his over-statements. MacArthur does not reject all experience, he is just seeking to correct an experience driven movement. One of the ways he does that is to re-categorise spiritual experience. MacArthur observes: 


Thus, any personal impression or fleeting fancy might be labeled “the gift of prophecy,” speaking in gibberish is called “the gift of tongues,” every remarkable providence is labeled a “miracle,” and every positive answer to prayers for healing is seen as proof that someone has the gift of healing. All of that poses a major problem, because it is not how the New Testament describes those gifts. For any evangelical pastor or church leader to apply biblical terminology to that which does not match the biblical practice is not merely confusing; it is potentially dangerous teaching for which that person is culpable.

This is a majorly important point, yet it's one that is almost lost in the midst of overwhelming rebuke. 

Here is truth, God's leading through intuition, healing as a result of prayer, and amazing circumstances that are clearly God at work, are not unique to charismatics. They are experienced by Christians everywhere. Moreover, assigning them the wrong "category" is actually harmful as it leads to false expectations, exaggeration and error. God does stuff, but this is not the same as elevating these precious and personal experiences to the level of apostolic revelation, miracles and gifting. 

This, I think, is where the confusion comes in and where many charismatics get off on the wrong direction. They can have genuine experiences, but these experiences are given the wrong theological category, consequently doctrines are developed which end up doing more harm than good. If I have one critique of MacArthur's Strange Fire, it is simply this, he could have emphasised this more. To do so would have helped bridge gaps with genuine charismatics who have had genuine spiritual experiences. In other words, it is possible that people have had valid experiences, but they have understood those experiences through the wrong theological lenses. Consequently, God's guidance through personal impression is elevated to the status of prophecy -- this is disastrous and it is one of the main reasons why there is so much false prophecy within the charismatic church. It also explains why sometimes personal impressions are incredibly spot-on -- quite simply it was what has historically been defined as a 'remarkable providence', in other words, God bringing about his plans in an unusual manner. However, the very fact it is remarkable is a clue that we should not expect it is the norm 

So, one year on, having benefited from the conference and eventually getting round to reading the book, I would say that the message of Strange Fire is essential. MacArthur has, at personal cost, raised his voice at a time when the Word of the Lord needs to be heard.


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## JimmyH (Oct 21, 2014)

Really appreciate the review. I haven't read the book, but I did watch some of the conference. My first three months in church, at the age of 37, were in an Assemblies Of God congregation. I had resolved to give it three months before I came to a decision to continue, or to leave church. After three months of being very turned off by the demonstrations of 'gifts of the Spirit' disrupting services, I moved to a Bible Baptist church and never looked back. From my experience, limited though it was, I think Pastor MacArthur is spot on.


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## Need 4 Creed (Oct 21, 2014)

Sounds like you made a discerning choice. I, on the other hand, after cautiously working through some questions, jumped right in. It was twelve years or so before I swam out again.


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## whirlingmerc (Oct 21, 2014)

I did hear the Strange fire talks and would largely agree, about 90% of the way. Nancy Guthrie definitely worth listening to

I have been disappointed not a few times by TBN and I don't think they get it. Sometimes they have a good speaker sometimes good music... too often too immature.. Right now there is some kind of kick where Jan Crouch was said to be praying to God saying 'thank you... and God stops her and says... no... thank YOU JAN" I think that shows a fundamental misunderstanding of God's grace and glory. Another TBN person about a month ago had another "no... thank YOU JAN" revelation and I changed the channel.

One interesting discussion between a black Pentacostal Pastor son and a black reformed pastor in on You tube Pastor Saiko Woods (Reformed) & Pastor Fred Price Jr (Word of Faith) sit down to have a candid, FACE to FACE conversation concerning the teachings of Word of Faith & Reformed Theology. as W.A.R. standing for something like Word of Faith and Reformed discussion. I was impressed by how civilly they discussed the issues WAR part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXGng28f4MQ WAR part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06yH7xUy3iY


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## Pilgrim (Oct 21, 2014)

MacArthur (who I like, in general) can be fairly said to lack nuance at times in describing opposing views. But one need only look at subsequent events to see that the book and conference are substantially correct in their assertions. And his critics are often guilty of reading him in the worst possible way, as you note with the supposed assertion of his that he said all charismatics are reprobate. 

If the more solid "Reformed charismatics" (or more solid evangelical charismatics in general who aren't into charismania) would "take out their own trash," there wouldn't be as much need for a Strange Fire conference. But most of them appear to be so afraid of "Quenching the Spirit" that they can't even bring themselves to denounce the likes of Todd Bentley!


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## Need 4 Creed (Oct 21, 2014)

whirlingmerc said:


> I did hear the Strange fire talks and would largely agree, about 90% of the way. Nancy Guthrie definitely worth listening to
> 
> I have been disappointed not a few times by TBN and I don't think they get it. Sometimes they have a good speaker sometimes good music... too often too immature.. Right now there is some kind of kick where Jan Crouch was said to be praying to God saying 'thank you... and God stops her and says... no... thank YOU JAN" I think that shows a fundamental misunderstanding of God's grace and glory. Another TBN person about a month ago had another "no... thank YOU JAN" revelation and I changed the channel.
> 
> One interesting discussion between a black Pentacostal Pastor son and a black reformed pastor in on You tube Pastor Saiko Woods (Reformed) & Pastor Fred Price Jr (Word of Faith) sit down to have a candid, FACE to FACE conversation concerning the teachings of Word of Faith & Reformed Theology. as W.A.R. standing for something like Word of Faith and Reformed discussion. I was impressed by how civilly they discussed the issues WAR part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXGng28f4MQ WAR part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06yH7xUy3iY



Will check out W.A.R as that sounds interesting.


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## Need 4 Creed (Oct 21, 2014)

Pilgrim said:


> MacArthur (who I like, in general) can be fairly said to lack nuance at times in describing opposing views. But one need only look at subsequent events to see that the book and conference are substantially correct in their assertions. And his critics are often guilty of reading him in the worst possible way, as you note with the supposed assertion of his that he said all charismatics are reprobate.
> 
> If the more solid "Reformed charismatics" (or more solid evangelical charismatics in general who aren't into charismania) would "take out their own trash," there wouldn't be as much need for a Strange Fire conference. But most of them appear to be so afraid of "Quenching the Spirit" that they can't even bring themselves to denounce the likes of Todd Bentley!



Spot on. I've been disappointed with J Piper in this regard. His support of the charismatic movement has led to lack of correction.


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## lynnie (Oct 22, 2014)

Appreciated this. Very well thought out and written. I would describe myself as a Calvinist continuationist, but when I look at the charismatics I know, to a great extent their understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit and "having the Holy Spirit" is limited to a small list of gifts ( which plenty of times are false anyway, esp the so called prophets out there). The work of the Holy Spirit which is so broad in our personal lives and in the church, and meant to be so focused on scripture ( I mean, the HS wrote the bible), is so badly grasped by the very group that claims to have more of the Holy Spirit than the cessationists.

It is a pity that so many among the Reformed tend to be leery of any of the "extraordinary providences" we see all through church history, and in dismissing the possibility of such things being genuine, they drive away charismatics. I am grateful for the ones like Grudem, Piper, Poythress, Storms, etc, for their position on these subjective things of the holy spirit, even while strongly holding to objective scripture and a lot of Reformed theology. It is a hard balancing act.


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## Rich Koster (Oct 22, 2014)

I saw the DVD series, parts 1 & 2. I realize there were several people with several seminars, but what they had to say could have been condensed. Some generalizations that were made were a really vague, but wide reaching shotgun blast, that should have been dealt with with a sniper's bullet. The bad teaching from the Kansas City Prophets is not the same as The Word of Faith heretics. A distinction between Charismania (Todd Bentley, Mike Bickle, C Peter Wagner) and Charismatics should always be maintained. However, I thought the part about the Kundalini anointing was spot on.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 22, 2014)

Need 4 Creed said:


> Put bluntly, charismatic theology has made no contribution to true biblical theology or interpretation; rather, it represents a deviant mutation of the truth. Like a deadly virus, it gains access into the church by maintaining a superficial connection to certain characteristics of biblical Christianity, but in the end it always corrupts and distorts sound teaching.



I wonder if Mac's hero, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, would agree.

I do plan to read the book, and the rebutting book (_Strangers to Fire_, when they fall in my lap per divine providence.

Chris,


> If the more solid "Reformed charismatics" (or more solid evangelical charismatics in general who aren't into charismania) would "take out their own trash," there wouldn't be as much need for a Strange Fire conference. But most of them appear to be so afraid of "Quenching the Spirit" that they can't even bring themselves to denounce the likes of Todd Bentley!



While I don't consider myself a "Reformed Charismatic" (more of one who is skeptical of cessationist claims, or rather a gentle continuationist), you have a point. Driscoll's antics at that conference gave Mac the debate.

I would like to see Mac do a point-by-point interaction with Sam Storms, Wayne Grudem, and JP Moreland on these issues. In Charismatic Chaos, which admittedly is a dated book, we all got a good chuckle at the claims of "God raising my chicken from the dead" or "God healing my flat tire." I do suspect, however, that Moreland and Storms bring the game to a whole new level and aren't the wacky TBN views.


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