Dancer’s Notes and Quotes

Notes from Richard Gaffin’s paper, Challenges of the Charismatic Movement to the Reformed Tradition, Part I.

1.1
Pentecost is part of the historia salutis, not the ordo salutis.

1.2
There needs to be clear understanding of the relationship between the Lord and the Spirit for sound theology of the Spirit.

1.3
1 Co 14:45
1) the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
2) The “becoming” happened at his resurrection and exaltation.
3) This verse anticipated the future action of christ in giving life.
4) there is joint action now between spirit and Christ
5) similar statements in 2 Cor 3 :17, Rom 8:2

1.4
the work of Christ and the work of the spirit are correlated closely. Eph 3:16-17

1.5
The spirit is ‘vicar’ of Christ. Jn 14:12ff.

1.6
Pentecost as part of historia salutis.
Without it there can be no salvation - the work of Christ is incomplete.
Christ ascends in order that he may be the giver of the spirit.
Pentecost demonstrates a change for Christ, not individual believers.
In this sense the before and after of Pentecost differ as night and day.
In terms of Ordo salutis, scripture does not spell this out, except by using terms like “fuller”, “greater”, “better” etc.

1.7
Maintaining the once-for-all nature of pentecost denies subsequent experience. But this is far from the truth. Baptism in the spirit happens at conversion (1 Co 12:13). Christians go on being filled with the spirit. They must not grieve the spirit.

Pentecost brings the full range of the Spirit’s activity.

1.8
Pentecost as a once-only event does not mean that there is no benefit for the new believer, any more that the once-only death of Christ has no benefit.
There is no need for a back-to-pentecost movement.