The Five Systems of Ethics

#1. Cultural ethics Morals are determined by popular opinion.
#2. Situation ethics Morals are determined by what appears to be most loving.
#3. Emotive ethics Morals do not exist; judgments of right or wrong are not valid because feelings are neither right nor wrong.
#4. Behavioral ethics Morals do not exist; all human conduct is the result of genetic makeup or environment.
#5. Biblical ethics Morals are determined by the Bible, the unchanging Word of God.
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“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
(Colossians 2:8)

​The Focus Bible College Bible Conference scheduled for the 19th to the 21st has been postponed. We have had a variety of logistical prohibitions and difficulties we could not have foreseen. Our leadership is looking to find a date in October which would be deemed more suitable for the meetings in future.

​Pentecostalism arose as an identifiable movement in the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. But there had been earlier rumblings. Most notable was the experience at Charles Fox Parham’s Bible college in Topeka, Kansas, in January 1901, where first Agnes Ozman and then others in the college experienced “spirit baptism with the evidence of tongues.” In the Azusa Street mission from 1906 to 1909, under the guidance of William Seymour, thousands came to have the experience of tongues, and many others were converted to the Christian faith. Large numbers were from other parts of the United States and from foreign countries. They took their testimony back to their home churches, and in many cases the new experience broke out in these new places, so spreading the movement internationally in a few short years.

As time passed and leaders such as Frank Bartleman, William Durham, E. N. Bell, Gaston Cashwell, and A. H. Argue began to reflect and eventually to write on the new movement, the conviction settled in that tongues was both an initial evidence of Spirit baptism and a spiritual gift. All Christians would not have the gift of tongues, but all Spirit-baptized Christians would definitely speak in tongues as initial evidence. In the early days there were divergent opinions among Wesleyan Pentecostals as to the place of sanctification as an identifiable experience in light of the new perspective on Spirit baptism with tongues. Some held to a three-stage process of salvation, sanctification, and then Spirit baptism. Methodist Asbury Lowery contended that since Christ was holy and yet sought and received an anointing from the Spirit, so Christians today must also be saved, sanctified (as an identifiable second experience of grace), and only then can they be Spirit baptized for empowerment.

Eventually, though, most Pentecostals would drop sanctification as an identifiable encounter, and opt for a two-stage understanding of salvation and Spirit baptism with the evidence of tongues as the biblical model. Stanley Horton ably defends the traditional Pentecostal interpretation of tongues as initial evidence of Spirit baptism in this book. That is not, though, the end of the story. Pentecostals today are embroiled in a debate over whether Paul’s theology of Spirit baptism is the same as Luke’s. Roger Stronstad raised this question a few years ago, and William and Robert Menzies have recently offered their opinion that Luke and Paul are not in full accord.

Dennis Bennett was pastor of a large Episcopalian congregation in Los Angeles in 1960. He began to meet for Bible study with some young couples in his church. Their studies eventually brought them to a Pentecostal experience, and Dennis Bennett began to speak in tongues. Pastor Bennett informed his congregation in April 1960 and was subsequently fired from his position, though he was called to pastor a congregation in Seattle shortly thereafter. Within months many people from mainline denominations were experiencing neo-Pentecostal renewal. At first their experiences followed the pattern of traditional Pentecostalism—Spirit baptism with the evidence of tongues. Two things happened. First, most of these people did not leave their denominations but stayed, often sharing their new perspective with others in their churches. Second, over time the new “Charismatics” began to shed some of the Pentecostal trappings, including the iron-clad necessity of speaking in tongues as initial evidence. Further, as the Charismatic movement further developed, many of its leaders called into question the whole issue of Spirit baptism as subsequent to conversion. It is safe to say today that Charismatics do not have a unified set of convictions of the timing of Spirit baptism, nor on the evidence for its having occurred. Larry Hart’s essay in this volume will make clear that there are various ways to formulate this position in the current discussion.
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The final approach is one that goes back, in some ways, to Augustine and his notion that Christians receive the full benefits of salvation at regeneration. This insight was not applied to the question of the timing of Spirit baptism until that issue came under dispute in the last 200 years. In response to the rise of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, Reformed scholars have addressed this question intensely, especially in the last half-century. John Stott, Richard Gaffin, Frederick Dale Bruner, and James D. G. Dunn have written works that are considered by many Evangelicals to be standard responses to the claims of both sacramentalists and advocates of a two-stage process of salvation. Though they differ with one another in some respects (Gaffin argues that the experience of Spirit baptism is not identifiable by the recipient, while Dunn claims it is), they hold in common that Spirit baptism happens at conversion-initiation, and that Paul’s theology of Spirit baptism is the same as that of Luke. This position is represented by Walter Kaiser’s essay in the present book.

( From Perspectives On Spirit Baptism: Five Views. By ​Colle, Ralph, Dunning, H. Ray, Hart, Larry, Horton, Stanley M., Kaiser, Walter C., Jr., Brand, Chad )

Enjoy students and friends the latest addition to the Short Courses series on The Ten Parables.

Here is the latest audio lesson in our short courses series on The Ten Parables Of Jesus. It is lesson 6 on " The Parable Of The Sower And The Seed. " I trust you will be blest with this Word. I truly enjoyed ministering it to you.

We are excited to announce an upcoming Bible Conference being sponsored by Focus Bible College. Focus is partnering with three different churches who will be working together to make this event something special for everyone. 

August Bible Conference forthcoming for Focus Bible College. There will be classes, communion, fellowship and exciting evening services as well. The services will be held at Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Dates are set for August 18h Thru the 21st.

We will have more specifics going forward in early May,

Covenant of Grace Ministry & Fellowship is going to work to try to assist various ministers in their possible travel and hotel accommodations. We right now are in discussion concerning what we might be able to do financially to assist those who could use our help. It will be on a limited basis, so if you might need assistance. Please contact cgmf at cgmfinc@gmail.com or call the office at 646-926-0401.

I trust as many as possible will listen to this message. Whether you study the whole series or not, it doesn't matter. For this Word truly captures this pastor's heart and I have not sensed the anointing of God like I did ministering this Word in a long time. I am so happy to share it with you. If you never listen to any of my sermons again. Get this one!