An evaluation of claims to the charismatic gifts

by Douglas Judisch

The Sola Scriptura rule demands that no extrabiblical consideration enter into the exegesis of a biblical passage to judge or mitigate its intended meaning. Prof. Judisch adheres to the same principle in this monograph on the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are now generally called the charismatic gifts and which are being claimed today by so many Christians in mainline denominations, as well as in traditionally Pentecostal groups. Prof. Judisch evaluates these claims not by his own experience, nor by the experience of others,nor by a psychological or sociological assessment of what is occurring today in various churches, but by the sacred Scriptures. Prof. Judisch has indeed much to offer to the current discussion of charismatic phenomena. His conclusions correspond closely to those of Luther and other Reformation fathers, his approach is fresh and original.

96 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Darin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, well-researched, and completely accurate. An absolute diamond in the rough. It corrects a very common (false) teaching of the Church with devastating effectiveness. Get a copy however you can.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book! Judisch does a great job showing the Biblical passages that deal with the charismatic gifts and talking about what they mean in their contexts. His quote at the end from the Smalcald Articles basically sums up the point he makes with this little book: "Accordingly, we should and must maintain that God will not deal with us except through His external Word and Sacrament. Whatever is attributed to the Spirit apart from such Word and Sacrament is of the devil." It's very well-written and well-researched. It's well worth the effort it takes to track down.

[Ned A. Moerbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and concise yet thorough, this book is a gem. Anyone who has ever been puzzled by how to respond to claims of special revelations, speaking in tongue, or other so-called charisma, needs to read this book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. A good read for anyone wanting to learn how to properly read a text critically.

[Alexlancaster1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb work of scholarship. This should be required reading in Lutheran schools.