Yehowah (the “proper name” of God the Father) is a God of order.
As such, He wants worship to be done in an orderly manner.
In the Book of Leviticus, He told Moses specifically to make the Tabernacle so long, so wide, so high, of these materials, in this order, etc., etc. He specified the types of animals to be sacrificed, the proper manner, the meanings behind it, etc. He specified the recipe for the blending of ingredients for the incense, and said to use no other. At this point, somebody will blurt out, “Yeah, but we’re no longer under the Law.” Oh, really…?? Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)
So, although we do have “freedom in Christ”, we are not to go about worship or evangelism in some silly, random manner. If people are jumping around in church like a bunch of seven-year-olds at the side window of the ice-cream truck, then something is amiss. Would those same people do that if Jesus was standing right there in front of them? I doubt it. Our earthly bodies cannot handle viewing Him in all the splendor of His majesty. But, if we could see Him, then we would either “stand at attention” in awe or we would fall to the ground in worship.
As the Bible passages above make clear, not only our worship gatherings, but also the operation of our Holy Spirit gifts should be done in an orderly manner. And, there is a rank structure for these gifts. The same God that taught the Israelites how to organize into military divisions and march into the Promised Land also taught the early Christians how to organize churches and march on through the centuries.
Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, chapters 11-14, and especially chapter 14, describe in some detail the need for order in worship gatherings. Those chapters also contain some “how to” instructions, and yet they leave much room for freedom in Christ. But, we should not exercise our freedom in a manner that causes non-believers to disdain Christianity. For example, if people living a mile away from a church must file lawsuits to get the pastor to turn down the music volume, then that pastor has brought the Faith into disrepute. That is not the way to win souls to Jesus, and it is not the way to exercise our Holy Spirit gifts.
Excessively loud music, screaming, “twitching and twerking”, “snake handling”, and other extreme forms of behavior are not orderly. They are not acceptable at the Ancient Future Scriptural Online Church. (Nor, in my opinion, should they be acceptable at any church.) Such behavior exemplifies “sowing discord among the brethren” — something that God says He “hates”. Loudspeakers and amplifiers did not exist in the First Century, but this passage about speaking in tongues seems applicable.
Of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the topic of speaking in tongues seems to spark the most controversy. It shouldn’t, but it does. Section 5 of our Doctrine page gives some foundational insights regarding speaking in tongues, and so I won’t bother repeating it here. (If you have not already read it, then it would be helpful to read it now before proceeding.) The biggest controversy regarding speaking in tongues is the “saved / not saved” controversy — which I refer to as a spiritual “litmus test”. Nowhere in the Holy Bible does it specify that all Christians will speak in tongues. And so, I find it very abrasive when someone walks up to a new believer and tries to convince them that they are “not really saved” unless they speak in tongues. (I’m sometimes tempted to tell such speakers that they are “not really saved” unless they can call down fire from Heaven. Hmmmmm….) Those self-important people should also note that, of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the ranking in the Holy Bible lists tongues last.
At this point, even though it is also mentioned on our Doctrine page, a word about “cessationism” is necessary. I believe in divine healing — as should every Christian. But, if you are a pastor, and if you are teaching your flock that the gifts of the Holy Spirit somehow “ceased after the Book of Acts was written” (or after the last apostle died, or any other variation of that heresy), then you are being a hypocrite if you stand at the pulpit and pray for the healing of Mrs. SoAndSo that is in the hospital. You cannot have it both ways. Healing is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, if the gifts ceased, then all of the gifts ceased. (Oh, but wait. If you don’t pray for Mrs. SoAndSo, then all of her friends will stop putting money in the collection plate. Hmmmmm….)
Jesus said that believers will do “greater things than these” (John 14:12). That is because the Holy Spirit gives us power. I have not (yet…) called down fire from Heaven, nor have I prayed and stopped a raging storm. But, if the circumstances were right, and with enough faith, I believe that I could do those things. And, so should you. But, the power given to us by the Holy Spirit should not be approached lightly. To do so is to mock God.
In summary, the position of AFSOC regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit is based upon, and copies, what is written in the Holy Bible. No more, no less. Period.
