When I was studying for the ministry in the Assemblies of God, the
course of Church History, one of the study questions was "Although the
text doesn't say it, this group was the result of an early Charismatic
revival". The answer was Montanists, and the thought that they looked
at an early heresy as a precursor was one factor in my leaving the
Assemblies of God. Of late, I've had occasion to do some research into
the Montanists, and I've decided to do a comparison between them,
Catholic Charismatics, and the Assemblies of God.
I’m
taking the information from the Wikipedia article, which itself
contains copious footnotes. By “Charismatics”, I refer to Catholic
Charismatics, faithful to the Magisterium.The Assemblies of God is a
Trinitarian Pentecostal denomination. Other Trinitarian Pentecostal
denominations would differ from it on the basis of issues which divide
various non-Trinitarian Protestant denominations (church governance,
free will vs. predestination, historic white vs. historic
African-American, etc), and thus, the observations would equally apply.
It
must be remembered that prophecy was not frowned upon in the early
Church: Jerome 385, Letter 41.2: "we tell them [Montanists] that we do
not so much reject prophecy—for this is attested by the passion of the
Lord—as refuse to receive prophets whose utterances fail to accord with
the Scriptures old and new".
Montanists:
One source reports that Montanists claimed their revelation direct
from the Holy Spirit could supersede the authority of Jesus or Paul or
anyone else.
Charismatics: Faithful to the Magisterium
Assemblies: No. The Assemblies (and all Pentecostals I've ever met) hold the Bible above Charismata.
Montanists:
The Montanist prophets did not speak as messengers of God but were
described as possessed by God while being unable to resist.
Charismatics: One is able to resist.
Assemblies: One is able to resist.
Montanists:
A prophetic utterance by Montanus described this possessed state: "Lo,
the man is as a lyre, and I fly over him as a pick. The man sleepeth,
while I watch." Thus, the Phrygians were seen as false prophets because
they acted irrationally and were not in control of their senses
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: again, no.
Montanists:
In On the Resurrection of the Flesh, Tertullian wrote that the Holy
Spirit through the New Prophecy cleared up the ambiguities of scripture.
The new prophecies did not contain new doctrinal content, but mandated
strict ethical standards. To the mainstream church, Montanists
appeared to believe that the new prophecies superseded and fulfilled
the doctrines proclaimed by the Apostles.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: lacking tradition, the assemblies only look to scripture. And, again, the charismata take second place to scripture.
Montanists:
The power of apostles and prophets to forgive sins. Adherents also
believed, as did other Christians, that martyrs and confessors also
possessed this power.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: Like all protestants, the Assemblies look only to God for the forgiveness of sins.
Montanists: They recognized female bishops and presbyters.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies:
The understanding of the ministry is different than the Catholic - non
sacramental - therefore most arguments against female clergy would not
apply. The Assemblies do have some (few) female clergy. I know of no
women as district superintendent (the administratively functional
equivalent of a bishop)
Montanists: Women and girls were forbidden to wear ornaments, and virgins were required to wear veils.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies:
In the first half of the 20th century, Pentecostals tended to be quite
puritanical in regards makeup and jewelry. This is no longer the case.
Virgins have never been required to wear veils.
Montanists:
Their prophets dyed their hair, stained their eyelids, and were
allowed to play with tables and dice and lend on usury. At that time,
dyed hair and eye make-up was used by harlots; the mainstream Church
forbade it. The Church also forbade usury.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: Nope
So,
it would seem that comparing Charismatics to Montanists is, at best,
mistaken. Any comparison between the Assemblies (and Pentecostals in
general) and the Montanists is a bit of a stretch, and the similarities
are not specific to Pentecostals, but to Protestants and/or
Fundamentalists in general.
When I was studying for the
ministry in the Assemblies of God, the course of Church History, one
of the study questions was "Although the text doesn't say it, this
group was the result of an early Charismatic revival". The answer was
Montanists, and the thought that they looked at an early heresy as a
precursor was one factor in my leaving the Assemblies of God.Of late,
I've had occasion to do some research into the Montanists, and I've
decided to do a comparison between them, Catholic Charismatics, and the
Assemblies of God.
I’m taking the information from
the Wikipedia article, which itself contains copious footnotes. By
“Charismatics”, I refer to Catholic Charismatics, faithful to the
Magisterium.The Assemblies of God is a Trinitarian Pentecostal
denomination. Other Trinitarian Pentecostal denominations would differ
from it on the basis of issues which divide various non-Trinitarian
Protestant denominations (church governance, free will vs.
predestination, historic white vs. historic African-American, etc), and
thus, the observations would equally apply.
It must
be remembered that prophecy was not frowned upon in the early Church:
Jerome 385, Letter 41.2: "we tell them [Montanists] that we do not so
much reject prophecy—for this is attested by the passion of the Lord—as
refuse to receive prophets whose utterances fail to accord with the
Scriptures old and new".
Montanists: One source
reports that Montanists claimed their revelation direct from the Holy
Spirit could supersede the authority of Jesus or Paul or anyone else.
Charismatics: Faithful to the Magisterium
Assemblies: No. The Assemblies (and all Pentecostals I've ever met) hold the Bible above Charismata.
Montanists:
The Montanist prophets did not speak as messengers of God but were
described as possessed by God while being unable to resist.
Charismatics: One is able to resist.
Assemblies: One is able to resist.
Montanists:
A prophetic utterance by Montanus described this possessed state:
"Lo, the man is as a lyre, and I fly over him as a pick. The man
sleepeth, while I watch." Thus, the Phrygians were seen as false
prophets because they acted irrationally and were not in control of
their senses
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: again, no.
Montanists:
In On the Resurrection of the Flesh, Tertullian wrote that the Holy
Spirit through the New Prophecy cleared up the ambiguities of
scripture. The new prophecies did not contain new doctrinal content,
but mandated strict ethical standards. To the mainstream church,
Montanists appeared to believe that the new prophecies superseded and
fulfilled the doctrines proclaimed by the Apostles.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies:
lacking tradition, the assemblies only look to scripture. And, again,
the charismata take second place to scripture.
Montanists:
The power of apostles and prophets to forgive sins. Adherents also
believed, as did other Christians, that martyrs and confessors also
possessed this power.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: Like all protestants, the Assemblies look only to God for the forgiveness of sins.
Montanists: They recognized female bishops and presbyters.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies:
The understanding of the ministry is different than the Catholic - non
sacramental - therefore most arguments against female clergy would not
apply. The Assemblies do have some (few) female clergy. I know of no
women as district superintendent (the administratively functional
equivalent of a bishop)
Montanists: Women and girls were forbidden to wear ornaments, and virgins were required to wear veils.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies:
In the first half of the 20th century, Pentecostals tended to be quite
puritanical in regards makeup and jewelry. This is no longer the
case. Virgins have never been required to wear veils.
Montanists:
Their prophets dyed their hair, stained their eyelids, and were
allowed to play with tables and dice and lend on usury. At that time,
dyed hair and eye make-up was used by harlots; the mainstream Church
forbade it. The Church also forbade usury.
Charismatics: Nope
Assemblies: Nope
So,
it would seem that comparing Charismatics to Montanists is, at best,
mistaken. Any comparison between the Assemblies (and Pentecostals in
general) and the Montanists is a bit of a stretch, and the similarities
are not specific to Pentecostals, but to Protestants and/or
Fundamentalists in general.
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