New Apostolic Reformation

[RomaLynnStar]

Holly, I know you are very busy and please answer this when you have time, no hurry.

I know you have written extensively on this new apostolic reformation. Could you help me understand how it relates to the dominion teachings and the kingdom now teachings out there.

And do I still understand that these people are teaching that beleivers have to fix this earth, before Jesus can return, and we have to be purified and refined to white linen, before we see Jesus, and not when we see Jesus. Could up help me to see if I understand what they are saying.

And also the revivalist movement, that is associated with these, if I understand correctly that there will be a great revival before the Lord's return.

Thanks so much. And also the belief that you and Adam have about the baptism of the Holy Spirit taught in most charismatic groups???

Thanks again.

[Holly]

Hi Roma Lynn,

Good questions.

The NAR is based on dominionist teachings (a.k.a. kingdom now theology) because its proponents believe that Christians must take dominion or rulership over the earth before Christ's return.

They teach that only prophets have the God-given insights needed to defeat demonic principalities that control nations and regions and only apostles have the authority to cast out those demonic principalities, by applying the insights they get from the prophets. Once all the demonic principalities are cast out, then they can establish God's rule over the earth (the practice of spiritual mapping comes in here, though many who take part in this may not realize it).

Yes, they also teach that Christians must be purified so they will be fit to reign.

The teaching about a great end-time revival also fits into the NAR, though others who are not part of the movement believe there will be one, too. The Bible does teach that the gospel will go to the ends of the earth before Christ returns, so we can expect to see people getting saved from all over the world. However, the NAR teaches that there will be mass conversion of entire nations to Christ once the demonic principalities that are blinding them are defeated. This isn't supported by Scripture. Rather, we see a great falling away from the faith in the end times.

The Bible teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at salvation, though I think believers can experience multiple fillings with the Holy Spirit after salvation for ministry empowerment. Scripture that shows that all believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit include 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Galatians 3:27 and Romans 8:9.

The teaching that only people who speak in tongues have the baptism with the Holy Spirit cannot be supported by Scripture, and Paul specifically states that not all Christians speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30).

Hope this helps!

[RomaLynnStar]

Thanks Holly, I sent you an email with a file regarding a concern. But here is the best explanation of this from an early church before RCC set in explaining this. I struggled with that tongues thing way back when, and certainly found it to be in error, myself.


Book V, of Ireneaus Against Heresies

Chapter VI.—God will bestow salvation upon the whole nature of man, consisting of body and soul in close union, since the Word took it upon Him, and adorned with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, of whom our bodies are, and are termed, the temples.
1. Now God shall be glorified in His handiwork, fitting it so as to be conformable to, and modelled after, His own Son. For by the hands of the Father, that is, by the Son and the Holy Spirit, man, and not [merely] a part of man, was made in the likeness of God. Now the soul and the spirit are certainly a part of the man, but certainly not the man; for the perfect man consists in the commingling and the union of the soul receiving the spirit of the Father, and the admixture of that fleshly nature which was moulded after the image of God. For this reason does the apostle declare, “We speak wisdom among them that are perfect,”44764476 1 Cor. ii. 6. terming those persons “perfect” who have received the Spirit of God, and who through the Spirit of God do speak in all languages, as he used Himself also to speak. In like manner we do also hear44774477 The old Latin has “audivimus,” have heard. many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God, whom also the apostle terms “spiritual,” they being spiritual because they partake of the Spirit, and not because their flesh has been stripped off and taken away, and because they have become purely spiritual. For if any one take away the substance 532 of flesh, that is, of the handiwork [of God], and understand that which is purely spiritual, such then would not be a spiritual man but would be the spirit of a man, or the Spirit of God. But when the spirit here blended with the soul is united to [God’s] handiwork, the man is rendered spiritual and perfect because of the outpouring of the Spirit, and this is he who was made in the image and likeness of God.