The Take-Away - Pentacostalism

Pentacostalism sprang from the same roots as Methodism.  John Wesley sought assurance of salvation and began to focus on EXPERIENCE being placed in addition to Scripture, Tradition, and Reason of the Three-Legged Stool.  Wesley's followers (Methodists) were known for their spiritual passion and for religious experiences that were sometimes deemed to be excessive by more traditional Anglicans.  There came a split; members of the Holiness Movement tended to be more conservative theologically than Methodists with a greater emphasis on personal piety and personal fervor/experience.

Charles Parham sought an experience like that of Acts 2 at Bethel Bible College in 1901.  Many people at that gathering spoke in tongues as they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.  Pentacostals think of speaking in tongues as normative, which means as available today as it was in the first century.  Pentacostals would say their role in church history involves going back to to the Apostolic Church.

Four Major Emphases
1.  The Baptism of the Holy Spirit - a "second work of grace" in which recipients are completely immersed in the Holy Spirit.  The evidence of this baptism is speaking in tongues (as described in Acts 2).  Pentacostals believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives Christians power for living and allows them to be used of God in a special way.
2.  A Personal Relationship with Christ - Pentacostals emphasize the emotional dimensions of their relationship with Christ.
3.  The Second Coming of Christ - Pentacostals live in expectation of Christ's imminent return.  There is a sense among many that the second coming will be within most of our lifetimes.
4.  Modern-Day Miracles and Healing - There seems to be a greater sense of expectation that God is in the "miracle-working business."


What Pentacostals Teach Us
1.  Living daily in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit to experience the fullness of the Christian life.
2.  A willingness to identify and use our spiritual gifts.  "When we use our gifts - God's gifts given to us for his purposes - we find joy in our faith" (109).
3.  Reclaiming healing power.  We can be bold in praying and to expect that God can do wonderful things to heal our bodies.

Summary of chapter = Hamilton encourages us to invite the Holy Spirit to be at work in our lives.  We can be more aware of the Spirit's guidance, power, and work.

Prayer: "Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me anew.  Guide me.  Use me.  Empower me.  Lead me.  Grant me your gifts that I might be useful to you in serving others.  In Jesus' name.  Amen" (110).

And... for a little chuckle...

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Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Baptists

John Smyth

Today's lesson from Christianity's Family Tree was about Baptists.  We were enlightened to the history and development of the Baptist denominations.

Baptists began as radical reformers with a disagreement over baptism.  These reformers rejected infant baptism and believed that individuals cannot be baptized until they can make their own personal decision to do so.  In fact, in 1609 John Smyth (often thought to be the founder of the denomination) re-baptized all adults who had been baptized as infants. 

Baptists also rejected elements of worship such as liturgy and altar tables, feeling they were "too Catholic."

Today there are 40-45 million Baptists in the world, with 33 million of those Baptists living in the United States.  There are many different branches of the denomination - American Baptist, Southern Baptist, Northern Baptist, and Independent Baptist, for example.  There is a large amount of autonomy given to each Baptist church; in fact, perhaps due to their nonconformist background, there is no governing board.  Instead, they can associate with like-minded churches into "conventions" (Southern Baptist Convention, for example).

Baptists believe that God chose every word in the Bible to be a timeless commandment, so this would be why they believe that women should not be pastors or leaders in the church.


Central Beliefs
1. The inspiration and infallibility of Scripture
2. Emphasis on a personal relationship with Christ
3. Salvation through faith alone not by works


What Baptists Can Teach Us
1. Bible Study - With time, Bible reading begins to shape who we are.
2. Missions - Sharing faith with others is important.
3. Simple Salvation Message - There is a great value in claiming the faith for yourself. For example, many people may have grown up in a Christian home or feel that they can achieve Christianity through osmosis. Taking time to accept the path to follow Jesus on your own is important and valuable.


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Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Anglicanism

Last week our section of Christianity's Family Tree focused on Anglicanism.  King Henry VIII sought an annulment from Catherine of Aragon.  The Pope excommunicated him from the Roman Catholic Church.  King Henry VIII declared that the KING should be the leader of the Church, and he developed a new group - the Catholic Church of England.  Religious chaos ensued, and Queen Elizabeth I sought to find the via media ("middle way") between Catholicism and Protestantism.  She brought forward the Book of Common Prayer.  James I thought that a new translation of the Bible was needed, and the translation that became the Bible of the via media was the King James Bible.

Anglicans wanted a "middle road" between Catholicism and Protestantism:

Catholicism - Bishops, priests, and deacons
                       Seven Sacraments
                       Sense of reverence and liturgy

Protestantism - Baptism makes everyone a minister of the Gospel
                         Bishops, priests, and deacons can be married and can be women

Anglican's beliefs are centered on the "Three-Legged Stool" of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason

Adam Hamilton emphasized the importance of prayer to the denomination.  Their phrase, lex orandi, lex credendi, translated from Latin as "As you pray, so you believe."  The Apostle Paul advised Christians in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."

Here's a funny meme that I found, and I thought you all would enjoy it  :-)

Also, I came across this article on the differentiation between the Anglican Church and the Episcopalian Church.  I never knew this and thought it may be helpful for you, too!



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Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Presbyterianism

 John Calvin

John Calvin, the person whose theology became a huge part of Presbyterianism, went a little farther than Luther.  He had a profound conversion experience, and, at 26, wrote Institutes of Christian Religion.  This text is the intellectual lens through which Presbyterians understand theology.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."    - Mark 12:30

Five Points of Calvinism *
1. Total Depravity - we were born into sin, fundamentally broken, and cannot save ourselves
2. Unconditional Election - some people elected (chosen) by God for eternal life and others chosen for eternal damnation
3. Limited Atonement - Jesus died for those who were chosen
4. Irresistible Grace - God will win you over if you are part of the elect
5. Perseverance of the Saints - the elect might stray from the path but never from God's grip

Strong belief in the SOVEREIGNTY of God - God's will IS going to be done, nothing happens outside God's will *

God is constantly working in our lives.  The problem exists when we are not always listening and looking.  We should pray that God would use us each day.

* While these beliefs were foundational in the theology of John Calvin, opinions have changed over the years where not all Presbyterians agree with the strict beliefs of predestination and the idea that nothing happens outside of God's will.

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Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Lutheranism

 Martin Luther

Adam Hamilton's summary of what we can take away from Lutheranism:

Lutheranism sprang from Martin Luther's dissatisfaction with the Roman Catholic Church.  He grew up in a home where religion was based on fear.  The Protestant Reformation arose as many people believed the Church needed reform.  Indulgences infuriated Luther, and he stated his rejection of many current Church practices in the 95 Theses.  Lots of other people were struggling in their beliefs also, and this message of discontent spread like wildfire.

Central beliefs of Lutheranism
1.  Priesthood of all Believers - Everyone is called to use the gifts God has given us.  All of us are called to be in ministry.
2.  The Christian's Compass - God speaks to ordinary people through the Scriptures.
3.  Justification by Faith - Luther searched for a God of mercy and determined that God is looking for us to trust Him and trust in His love.  Our right standing before God is a gift of God - NOT because of good works.  We need to live in a grateful response and trust in His love.  God affirms us and loves us.  He loves us more than we can ever believe.

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Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

The Take-Away - Catholicism

I really enjoyed Adam Hamilton's discussion of what we can learn from Catholicism:

1.  The Power of Ritual - rituals shape our soul
2.  The Power of Reverence - how we honor God
3.  The Power of the Eucharist - the focus of worship and the presence of God, a moment where we connect to Christ on the cross - we need God's grace and mercy


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Hamilton, Adam.  Christianity's Family Tree.   Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.

Christianity's Family Tree

 We have begun a study that we are very excited about: Christianity's Family Tree by Adam Hamilton. Hamilton compares the Christian family to our own extended families by exploring and providing an overview of eight different Christian denominations. He reminds us how we feel very close to some of our relatives but other relatives seem so distant we may forget how we are even connected to them in the first place! We are connected by a common patriarch - God the Father!

Everyone is welcome to join us in the Fellowship Hall during Sunday School (9:45-10:45).  We look forward to seeing you soon and learning in Christ together!

Jan. 26 - Orthodoxy - Helen

Feb. 2 - Catholicism - Kelly

Feb. 9 - Lutheranism - Marcie

Feb. 16 - Presbyterianism - Ashley

Feb. 23 - Anglicanism - Tyler

Mar. 2 - Baptists - Wendy (but depending on her recovery, let's have a back-up volunteer)

Mar. 9 - Pentecostalism - Tabitha

Mar. 16 - Methodism - Marcie