Last Sunday, the church celebrated Pentecost—the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church. And yet one of the great errors of contemporary Evangelicalism is the return of Enthusiasm. Not “enthusiasm” in the modern sense of excitement, but Enthusiasm in the historic Reformation sense: seeking God apart from the outward means He Himself has ordained.

Ironically, Pentecost itself refutes Enthusiasm. At Pentecost, the Spirit did not bypass the Apostolic Word. He came through it. Peter stood and preached Christ publicly, outwardly, audibly. And through that preached gospel the Spirit cut hearts, created faith, and brought sinners into Christ’s church through baptism.

The Radical Reformers wanted:
• Spirit without means
• inward immediacy
• revelation detached from Word and sacrament
• direct access to God apart from the external gospel

Luther saw the issue clearly. God deals with us “first outwardly, then inwardly.” Outwardly, He comes to us through the preached gospel, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. Inwardly, He gives the Holy Spirit, faith, and His gifts. Read more»

John Fonville | “The Return of Enthusiasm in Modern Evangelicalism: Recovering the Spirit Through the Means of Grace” | May 28, 2026

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