Hey Joab,
Well I don't believe that John Salza operates in the charismatic gifts, especialy tongues. Let me just say why I believe that, becasue after I logged off a little while ago, this was really bothering me. I prayed hard, to put it mildly. hehe
okay so here is what the Lord revealed to me about it.
John said something that really shows where he is at in understanding the gift of tongues. He said:
okay so listen to what I believe that the Lord revealed to me: So if John has the gift of tongues, he must think that he is one of the holiest people! lol
So either he has the gift of tongues and the gift of pride or he doesn't have the gift of tongues. lol I think he just doesn't have the gift and is trying to teach something he hardly understands.
I don't think that he knows what is really understood about who can and who does receive the gift of tongues.
There are a few other things that I found on the site that bother me about his teaching on tongues. Don't get me wrong, I have used his website many times in helping to understand the teachings of the early church fathers and he has some good quotes there, but I think him trying to teach about tongues would be not getting it from the horses mouth.
It is kind of like asking a non-catholic to tell you what it is like being catholic. lol, maybe some truth would be there, but of course that truth would have some bias and misunderstanding.
Now you can ask a faithful catholic what it is like being catholic and you will probably get a better result.
Nowadays, everybody is a scholar. Even on things they have only read about! That is why I believe that the author of the site has a bias against tongues. He says some other things that are harmful to someone who is looking into the renewal too, and I guess I wouldn't recommend him to be a teacher on charismatic gifts. I don't know how deep that bias goes, but the fruit of reading his page could make someone not want to go to a prayer meeting. He speaks some fear into his readers on the gift of tongues, but there is no fear needed. Maybe discernment, but not teaching with fear.
I understand what your saying completely. I relate it entirely to the negatives I have seen in Pentacostal Churches and a couple of times even in the ccr and found it spot on about St Pauls warnings to the Corinthians. I would only recommend it for that purpose which is what I did.
That being said I do not think it negates the ccr in that it speaks about an important part of the truth that anyone involved with the ccr should be aware of to avoid confusion who God is not the author of.
The ccr is not perfected in structure and remains susceptable to what St. Paul teaches about the Corinthians as I have felt and seen it for myself which I must say left me personally confused over it for years as well as others I know who I consider very holy people.
I don't see anything said there instilling fear in me except the warnings of St. Paul where I think the focus should be.
I know this is something you must come to terms with but remember God isn't the author of confusion or contradictions. Only by coming to understand the warnings of Paul is the ccr going to attain the structure and protection of the Church it needs. Especially for the poorly orginized groups that get off the truth.
Sorry to seem a bit at odds tonight. Have you seen the time?
Peace brother.
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