Analysis On Tongues Sacrament Or Sacred
Submitted by lorinan on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
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Analysis On Tongues Sacrament Or Sacred
Frank Macchia, who is a Professor of Systematic Theology at Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God, has presented an article that, if nothing else, opens the door for discussion between Pentecostals and people of other, more "Institutionalized" denominations on the work of the Holy Spirit. By presenting the view that the Spirit may be Sacramental to the Pentecostal mindset, he has forced a response to both sides. How does a person who has been raised that the Spirit is a "free-roaming" entity that cannot be bound handle the view that the Spirit may be a "Sacrament" of the Pentecostal faith? How can the Spirit fit into one's "Liturgical" order of worship, which in common view is inflexible and unmoving? Is there any way to bring the two viewpoints into resolution with each other? I hope to be able to help raise answers to these questions from the article.
In his article, Tongues as a Sign, Macchia presents a thesis that ties the significance of tongues in the Pentecostal view and the sacraments. He opens with mentioning Simon Tugwell's comment that tongues have a sacramental character. (61) Pentecostals find this hard to accept, as most Pentecostals associate the term "Sacrament" with "Institutionalization" or "Formalized" liturgical traditions. He also notes that Pentecostals view Tongues as God's presence here and now. Tugwell makes a point of mentioning that he is most at home with the sign of Tongues. (61)
While Tugwell, as a Catholic, can testify with complete authority on the use of sacraments, what do Pentecostals say? Well, according to William Samarin, tongues represent a heightened awareness of God's presence, such as what one normally finds in response to the Eucharist in sacramental communions. (61) I have always found it interesting that the Church of God, the denomination hereafter referred to as COG, lists communion, water baptism, and foot-washing as sacraments, yet one never hears them regard baptism of the...
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