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472
book reviews
Robert P. Menzies
Pentecost: This Story is Our Story(Springfield, mi: Gospel Publishing House, 2013).
147 pp. $14.99 paperback.
In order to dispel what he sees as misconceptions about what it means to be “Pentecostal,” in this book Robert Menzies discusses some of the distinctive positions of Pentecostalism, such as baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, and the biblical foundations that support these distinctives. Through- out the book’s five chapters, he writes with the time and experience-tested conviction of one who has seriously wrestled with the critical theological, bibli- cal, and sociological issues of Pentecostals. Menzies’ book is well-organized and academically astute, while remaining easily accessible and understandable to non-academicians.
Menzies grounds his affirmative case for Pentecostal belief and practice firmly on the Christian Scriptures; principally on the companion New Testa- ment books of Luke and Acts. Menzies writes, “It is precisely here, in Luke-Acts, where we find the central and distinctive message of the Pentecostal move- ment” (42).
In chapter one, Menzies makes clear that Pentecostals read the New Testa- ment, and specifically Luke-Acts, as their own story. In Luke’s accounts, Pente- costals tend to see the beliefs and practices of Jesus and the apostles as a pattern for their own. Countering cessationist ideas that suggest that the events Luke records are “unique and unrepeatable,” the author rejoins by pointing to paral- lels with certain Old Testament episodes. Menzies draws attention to a variety of instances where God’s Spirit is poured out on people. For example, Menzies notes parallels between Numbers 11, where the Spirit of God descends on the seventy elders, Luke 10, where Jesus commissions the seventy disciples, Luke 2, recording the Spirit’s descent on Jesus at His baptism, and Acts 2, marking the subsequent outpouring at Pentecost. Menzies argues that, just as the events of Luke-Acts reflect a continuity and continuation of certain Old Testament patterns and fulfillment of Old Testament promises, such as Joel’s prophecy regarding the outpouring of God’s Spirit on “all flesh,” likewise, there is good reason to think that the events narrated in Luke-Acts were to be continued in the lives of believers until Jesus’ return.
In chapter two, Menzies provides clear and helpful explanations of just what Pentecostals mean by “baptism in the Holy Spirit,” carefully distinguishing this “baptism” from a more general sense in the New Testament referring to salvation. He notes that Acts 2 is clear that the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was meant to equip believers for their evangelistic task of proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth. Menzies argues compellingly
© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2014 | doi: 10.1163/15700747-03603020
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that this baptism parallels the anointing of Jesus by the Spirit, who equipped him for His messianic mission. This baptism was not a cleansing for those in the upper room, but equipped them for “their prophetic mission” (60).
Chapters three and four address two important issues within the Pente- costal movement, namely speaking in tongues and the accompanying signs and wonders highlighted in Acts. Menzies observes that speaking in tongues was a common experience in the early church and a “special type of prophetic speech” (96). He also argues that these Spirit-induced episodes of exultant praise were viewed by Luke as both the necessary and inevitable consequence of being baptized in the Spirit. From this he concludes that, the practice of speaking in tongues was not a phenomenon confined to the early Christian church but was to be continued in the lives of all Christians in generations yet to come as well. The author carefully notes that, far from being a sign that a believer is part of an elite group of Christians, speaking in tongues is a con- stant reminder of the believer’s utter dependence on the power and anointing of God to accomplish the missional and prophetic task assigned to followers of Jesus.
As to signs and wonders, the writer refers readers to the many instances in Luke-Acts of the ministry of Jesus and the apostles, whose ministries were marked by both. Pointing to the testimonies of Pentecostals in many parts of the world, the author notes that an overwhelming majority attest to personally witnessing miraculous healings and other miracles (112). He correctly suggests that, these occasions serve to undergird the Pentecostal affirmations of God’s continued power and presence in our world and give us reason to celebrate God’s nearness in life-transforming ways, affirmations that are sadly missing from traditional church life.
Lastly, Menzies suggests five reasons for why he thinks Pentecostal churches are growing. First, he contends that the Pentecostal movement is marked by a unique missiological emphasis: Pentecostals affirm that all believers are part of themissio dei, and that the empowerment of the Spirit is available to all believ- ers. Second, the author notes that Pentecostals proclaim the gospel message in a clear and concise way, primarily because they see in the gospel message a clear and concise story, one (as the book’s title suggests) that is their own story. Third, Menzies points out that the Pentecostal movement has been marked by accompanying signs and wonders. A limited church structure, allowing for more flexibility and adaptation, is another important factor in the growth of Pentecostal churches. Lastly, he points to the emphasis on experience as cru- cial to Pentecostal growth, but not at the expense of biblical authority. In fact, Menzies notes that Pentecostals see experience and biblical authority as com- plementary components of a well-rounded Christian life.
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Robert Menzies has done a masterful job of laying out his case for the Pen- tecostal movement and its rightful place in the Church universal. Although the author approaches the topic from a “classical” Pentecostal position, he does not do so to exclude other Pentecostal traditions. In fact, many of his illustrations are drawn from non-Western Pentecostal areas. For non-Pentecostals, this book would serve as a valuable and reasoned account of the Pentecostal movement. For Pentecostals, it would serve as an important affirmation of what they have already come to know.
Mark D. Culham
Theology Professor, Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, Oklahoma
PNEUMA 36 (2014) 457–512
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