Customer Reviews

Charismatic Challenge

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I am a pastor who is not charismatic, so I am somewhat sympathetic to the author's viewpoints. But I cannot recommend this book because, in my opinion, he strains the Scriptures to prove his point. We all may have agendas when we go into Scripture study, but one must arrive at conclusions the right way (with a genuine openess to the meaning of Scripture).

John MacArthur's book, "The Charmismatics," would be a much better read. MacArthur comes to similar conclusions but treats the Scriptures with fairness, not straining them.

Don't buy this book! John Napier knows absolutely NOTHING aboutCharismatic theology, but yet he tries to debunk it. He completelygives the reader stereotypes, misconceptions, generalizations, and complete prejudices of what Pentecostals believe. This book is fiction...NOT fact. He uses a verse in 1 Corinthians that talks about believers being baptized into one body (the body of Christ) by one Spirit. He uses that verse to try to completely disprove the Baptism in the Holy Spirit doctrine. However, he doesn't do a very good job of it. If he knew anything about Charismatic doctrine in the first place, he would know that Charismatics consider that verse to be talking about a different baptism. Here's the reason. In 1 Corinthians 12, it talks about believers being baptized into the body of Christ BY the Holy Spirit. In John, however, it says that Jesus (not the Spirit) will baptize us IN the Spirit (not Christ). It's reversed roles. These two can't possibly be the same baptism. It must be two separate baptisms if the Spirit baptizes us into Christ, and Christ also baptizes us into the Spirit. Two separate events, two different baptisms. The baptism that Mr. Napier is talking about in this book is what Charismatics call the believer's baptism or the baptism BY the Spirit...NOT the baptism IN the Holy Spirit. Anyway, enough with correcting John Napier's misguided definition of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Back on subject, this is an extremely bad book. If you want an HONEST study of what Charismatics REALLY believe, read a book by someone who is a Charismatic...not an anti-Charismatic like John Napier who knows absolutely nothing about what he's talking about. Recommendation: The Beauty of Spiritual Language by Jack Hayford

John Napier has done a thoroughly biblical study on the Charismatic Movement. If Jesus himself wrote a book on the Charistmatic movement, it would be quite similar to Napier's book because Napier goes to extreme links to use scripture accurately and effective. I highly recommend this book!