CT reports about the Lakeland “revival,”
Recent news reports have been unable to verify any of the claims of healing, although revival officials say they have been barred from releasing complete information about the identities and conditions of people claiming to be healed due to privacy concerns and laws forbidding the release of medical records.
Am I saying that the Spirit can’t heal supernaturally, no, of course not. Am I saying that the Spirit doesn’t heal supernaturally, no, that would be arrogant. Who am I to say what the Spirit can or may do?
I am saying, however, that these cats are not apostles. They may be “super apostles” but they are not apostles and we have just as much reason to be skeptical of their claims as B. B. Warfield had to be skeptical about the claims of revivalists a century ago in Counterfeit Miracles..
It is wonderful to see them citing federal medical confidentiality laws. That’s great. Do Federal laws govern the work of the Holy Spirit? From which medical school did God the Spirit graduate? This is the bizarre thing about the neo-Pentecostalist claims to apostolic power and authority. They hold “healing” services on Wednesdays but they can’t duplicate apostolic phenomena (without radically re-defining what the apostolic company did). If they have apostolic power are they really subject to confidentiality laws?
I can see mere, mortal, ordinary Christians being being bound by such laws, but super-Christians?
Update 14 Aug 08
The AG has issued a statement. Of course, as a cessationist, it seems to me that the AG statement begins with flawed premises. Nevertheless, it is good to see them seeking to reign in extremes in the revivalist wing of evangelicalism.
Update 16 Aug 08
There’s more to the story of the end of the “revival.” (HT: Tullian). This is sad business but it raises some questions. The modern pentecostalists claim to have apostolic power and authority. They claim that they’re exercising a revived apostolic ministry. Well, does the latest outbreak of religious enthusiasm in FL look remotely “apostolic”?
You’re bang on Scott. I’ve recently come to a cessationist position myself and in so doing have come to see how damaging to the gospel are these charismatic claims to apostolic power.
Furthermore, charismatic piety with the prophetic visions and the still small voice become the de facto ruling element in one’s spiritual life, no matter what some might say about ‘second level revelation’.
It’s funny… when I read in the New Testament about people being healed, they couldn’t wait to tell the whole world. For sure if I were healed in that manner, I’d authorise my doctor to tell anyone who asked as much as he knew. But Todd Bentley can’t get anyone he’s “healed” to provide so much as a sick note.