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    Journals Pneu 11 1 Article-P113 14-Preview

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    Billy Unido Gabuay
    This document discusses the development of the Assemblies of God's position on sanctification. It describes how leaders from Wesleyan and Reformed theological backgrounds influenced the early Pentecostal movement's views, with the Wesleyans believing in a "second blessing" experience of sanctification and the Reformed advocating that sanctification occurs at conversion. By 1914, these two perspectives divided the movement. The Assemblies of God would later aim to take a middle position, but it was initially vague and threatened the vitality of their theology.

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    Journals Pneu 11 1 Article-P113 14-Preview

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    Billy Unido Gabuay
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    This document discusses the development of the Assemblies of God's position on sanctification. It describes how leaders from Wesleyan and Reformed theological backgrounds influenced the early Pentecostal movement's views, with the Wesleyans believing in a "second blessing" experience of sanctification and the Reformed advocating that sanctification occurs at conversion. By 1914, these two perspectives divided the movement. The Assemblies of God would later aim to take a middle position, but it was initially vague and threatened the vitality of their theology.

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    This document discusses the development of the Assemblies of God's position on sanctification. It describes how leaders from Wesleyan and Reformed theological backgrounds influenced the early Pentecostal movement's views, with the Wesleyans believing in a "second blessing" experience of sanctification and the Reformed advocating that sanctification occurs at conversion. By 1914, these two perspectives divided the movement. The Assemblies of God would later aim to take a middle position, but it was initially vague and threatened the vitality of their theology.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    43 views2 pages

    Journals Pneu 11 1 Article-P113 14-Preview

    Uploaded by

    Billy Unido Gabuay
    This document discusses the development of the Assemblies of God's position on sanctification. It describes how leaders from Wesleyan and Reformed theological backgrounds influenced the early Pentecostal movement's views, with the Wesleyans believing in a "second blessing" experience of sanctification and the Reformed advocating that sanctification occurs at conversion. By 1914, these two perspectives divided the movement. The Assemblies of God would later aim to take a middle position, but it was initially vague and threatened the vitality of their theology.

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    of 2

    113

    The Assemblies of God Statement on Sanctification


    (A Brief Review by Calvin and Wesley)

    Dennis Leggett*

    Introduction
    John Calvin and John Wesley were at the 1916 General Council
    of the Assemblies of God. Well, at least some of their theological
    "descendants" were. The seventeen point (now sixteen) "Statement of
    Fundamental Truths" that enunciated the theology of the Assemblies of
    God was formulated at that council. The influence of these two theolo-
    gians can be recognized throughout the "Statement." At points their
    influence is obvious, but there are points where one is hard pressed to
    ' identify either of them with much confidence.
    One eddy of these two converging rivers is in the Assemblies of God
    statement on sanctification. I would like to give a brief account of the
    development of the Assemblies of God position on sanctification,
    evaluate that statement from the point of view of both Calvin and
    Wesley, and finally, offer a few suggestions to clarify the doctrine and
    practice of the Assemblies of God.

    Development of the Assemblies of God Position


    E. S. Williams, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God
    (1929-49), is quoted as saying,
    I feel that the weakness in our movement when it comes to preaching
    sanctification, is that the doctrine is taught so vaguely that many fail to
    get sight of something definite which they may have in their own lives.
    Since Pentecostal theology tends to be communicated primarily through
    preaching and oral tradition, this vagueness was, and continues to be, a
    threat to the vitality and spirituality of the Assemblies of God.2
    Around the turn of this century, a great revival of the work of the
    Holy Spirit was fanned to flame in the United States.3 During the early

    *Dennis Leggett serves as Assistant Professor of Youth Ministries and Bible


    at Northwest College of the Assemblies of God in Kirkland, Washington.

    lquoted in P. C. Nelson, Bible Doctrines (Ft Worth: Southwestern Press, 1943)


    p. 115. Williams goes on to say "While we know sanctification is progressive, I
    would like to see more emphasis put upon a present experience as we take our posi-
    tion in the Lord." Williams was reared in a Holiness church and was an Apostolic
    Faith minister prior to joining the Assemblies of God in 1914.
    2R. P. Spittler, "Pentecostal and Charismatic Spirituality," in Dictionary of Pente-
    costal and Charismatic Movements. S. M. Burgess and G. B. McGee, eds. (Grand
    Rapids: Regency/Zondervan
    11 Publishing House, 1988), 804-809. See discussion of
    "Onhty."
    3E. L. Blumhofer, "Assemblies of God," Dictionary of Pentecostal and
    114

    stages of this revival, much of the leadership was provided by those


    from the Holiness groups. As a result, there was a definite Wesleyan
    view evident in the teaching on sanctification. As the revival contin-
    ued, a number of Baptists, Presbyterians, and others from Reformed
    backgrounds, experienced the Spirit baptism and began to identify
    themselves with the growing Pentecostal movement.4 As Pentecostal
    and Holiness groups began to organize and coalesce, there arose a
    polarizing doctrinal disagreement regarding the issue of sanctification.
    Those of Wesleyan/Holiness backgrounds held that sanctification
    was a second, instantaneous, crisis experience in Christian growth.
    This "second blessing" cleansed the believer from "inbred sin," eradi-
    cated the sin nature, and prepared the person for the "third work of
    grace," the Holy Spirit baptism. Most contended that entire sanctifica-
    tion, or "perfection," was possible in this life.
    Reformed theology's most vocal Pentecostal representative at this
    time was William H. Durham, Pastor of Chicago's North Avenue
    Mission. Durham embraced the Pentecostal experience during a visit to
    the Azusa Street revival in 1907. He felt that the Holiness position on
    sanctification was unscriptural and without validation in experience. In
    1910, in a sermon at a Pentecostal convention in Chicago, Durham set
    forth what would become known as "The Finished Work of Calvary"
    teaching.5 He asserted that those converted to Christ were both justi-
    fied and sanctified at conversion. Consequently, an additional cleans-
    ing experience was not needed, or to be sought. Rather, an ongoing
    obedient and overcoming life would provide progressive evidence of
    the accomplished work of Christ.
    By the time the leaders of the growing Pentecostal movement called
    for a "General Council" to be convened at Hot Springs, Arkansas
    during April of 1914, these two views of sanctification dominated and
    divided the movement.6 Though some of these leaders sought to deal
    with doctrinal issues at this conference, the common distrust of denom-
    inations among the conferees produced only an informal fellowship
    with no formal doctrinal statement.

    Charismatic Movements. S. M. Burgess and G. B. McGee (eds.); G. B. McGee, "A


    Brief History of the Modern Pentecostal Outpouring," Paraclete, 18:2 (Spring,
    1984); W. W. Menzies, Anointed to Serve, Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing
    House, 1971, and, V. Synan, The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement in the United
    States Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971, offer historical
    accounts of this revival.
    4Menzies, Anointed to Serve, 74-75.
    5See E. L. Blumhofer, "The Finished Work of Calvary," Paraclete. 18:4, (Fall
    1984), 17-21, and, C. Brumback, Suddenly From Heaven (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel
    Publishing House, 1961), Chapter 9.
    6Menzies, Anointed to Serve, 74-76, and, Synan, The Holiness Pentecostal Move-
    ment, 47, 63, 76.

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