I grew up in a church opposed to the Pentecostal experience of the Baptism in the Spirit.  When I started university I found many Charismatics and Pentecostals there - and they didn't seem as bad as I had been told. In fact they were the brightest Christians on the campus. Eventually I had a Pentecostal experience myself. However this was not an easy path. My conservative upbringing did not allow me to deny the teaching of scripture which I was brought up with concerning the Baptism in the Spirit. The Pentecostral doctrine seemed to be full of holes and self-contradictions. As a result I spent a lot of time working through the scriptures, reading books and talking to people to try and sort out in my head what the Bible actiually taught about the Holy Spirit.

 

This book is my solution to the contradictions I encountered - not just on the Pentecostal side of the arguement. There were plenty in the conservative upbringing I had also. Most of the book is easily readible - there are a couple of places where I have to work through options in depth. Don't let them put you off.

 

I think this book answers the objections I grew up with. It has quite a different approach to anything else I have read. You may find it answers your questions also. Readers from all sides of the debate will find this book challenging. I feel it reconciles a conservative doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the Pentecostal experience without falling into the holes many other approaches fall into.

 

Outline:

Chapter 1 - Outlines the spectrum of belief on the question of the Baptism in the Spirit.

Chapter 2-4 - Outline some common ground - we all agree on this.

Chapter 5 - Shows how this common ground gave rise to the objections I grew up with. It also gives the groundwork for providing a solution to the problem.

Chapter 6-7 - Outline the Old Testament teaching on the Spirit.

Chapter 8-14 - Work through the different words referring to the work of the Spirit showing how they are related and how they differ: Regeneration, Indwelling, Filling, Baptism, Seal.

Chapter 15 - Discusses the relationship of Experience to Doctrine.

Chapter 16 - Discusses the use of Acts as a source of Doctrine.

Chapter 17 - 19 - Discusses aspects of the Doctrine and Experience of the Baptism in the Spirit.

Chapter 20 - Discusses the question of the permanence of the gifts of the Spirit.

Chapter 21 - 22 - Discusses the Gift of Tongues.

Chapter 24 - Discusses things like the Toronto Experience in the light of the teaching given earlier.

 

"Like Spring Rain" has been published by Westbow Press and is available in Hardback, paperback and Ebook formats.