Pentecostal (Apostolic) Q&A

Ask any questions you have and I will do my best to answer them.

What does the "Apostolic" mean?

What is the/a belief in Pentecostalism that distinguishes it from other denominations?

Countess wrote:What does the "Apostolic" mean?

We identify ourselves with the Apostles doctrine of the New Testament

Countess wrote:What is the/a belief in Pentecostalism that distinguishes it from other denominations?

One would be the belief that you must be baptized in Jesus name.

What does a normal service look like for you?

Define normal.

We usually have several songs, testimony service, and the message. Ultimately, we follow the leading of the spirit so there's not really a schedule or something like that.

In what ways do you practice the Apostle's doctrines?

War Doctor wrote:In what ways do you practice the Apostle's doctrines?

We follow what was laid out in the early church. The preaching of repentance, water baptism in Jesus name, and infilling of the Holy Ghost. We also believe in speaking in tongues like the apostles.

Why is baptism just in Jesus' name? What about the rest of the Trinity?

If you don't have a Gift of the Spirit, are you a Christian?

What is your source for your Apostolic doctrines?

Isaiah the Ox wrote:Why is baptism just in Jesus' name? What about the rest of the Trinity?

The apostles understood that there wasn't a trinity. When Jesus gave The Great Commission, he said to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  Jesus said in John 10:30 that I and my father are one. The only name given for the Father is Jesus because he that hath seen me hath seen the father. Jesus also said the the comforter would be sent in his name. Based on that, the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is Jesus.

Isaiah the Ox wrote:If you don't have a Gift of the Spirit, are you a Christian?

I'll preface this by saying that I don't condemn anyone to hell, I say these things based on my scriptural study. However, if you can't show the love of God then his Spirit isn't working in you. And you must have the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God.

Isaiah the Ox wrote:What is your source for your Apostolic doctrines?

The teachings of Acts and Paul's epistles to the church. We still teach what the early church taught before we started branching into our own denominations.

When did people start branching into different denominations?

War Doctor wrote:When did people start branching into different denominations?

The first denomination after the original church that the apostles started was the Catholic church that was started in 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea. The mode of baptism was also changed around this time when The Great Commission was reworded in Matthew.

So writings from before 325 belong to the Apostolic doctrines?

War Doctor wrote:So writings from before 325 belong to the Apostolic doctrines?

Basically. The Catholic church started changing up what was actually written after that time. If you study out the Hebrew translation of Matthew 28:19 it says Go and teach them to carry out all things which I have commanded you forever. When Paul wrote Colossians, he said to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus.

I read a lot of writings from before 325 about the Trinity, do you think there were just individual heretics writing about the Trinity? 

Also I wonder what you think of this quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch in 108 AD? 

Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be, even as wheresoever Christ Jesus is, there is the catholic church.

Who do you consider your bishop today?

I'd have to study into it more. Do you have any writings in particular that come to mind? In terms of someone over the Apostolics as a whole, there isn't someone like the pope or anything like that.

That's not what a bishop is, the bishop as seen in this letter of St. Ignatius is the head of the local church and together with all the other bishops make up the Church: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.v.ii.vi.html 

So I wonder who like that you have today?

The closest thing to that would be my pastor.

So which of the Apostolic Fathers is your favorite to read?

I'd have to say Paul.

How about favorite Apostolic Father not from the New Testament?

War Doctor wrote:How about favorite Apostolic Father not from the New Testament?

What do you mean? Preacher?

I mean these early bishops who wrote around the same time as the New Testament who were very influential on the early church and Apostolic teachings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Fathers

I'm not familiar with any of them.

What do you mean by the "Love of God"?

If Jesus is the only Being of God, how can He be in heaven and in human form at the same time? Why did Jesus pray to Himself in the Garden if He was Himself? Who is the "us" in Genesis 1:26? And finally, why are the disciples told to baptize believers "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"? It says "and" not "or."

Isaiah the Ox wrote:What do you mean by the "Love of God"?

Like being able to forgive people who treat you wrong even if you didn't do anything. Caring for those that others would ignore is another example.

Isaiah the Ox wrote:If Jesus is the only Being of God, how can He be in heaven and in human form at the same time?

It was the Spirit of God dwelling in man. Kind of like when he dwells in our hearts but is also in heaven as he is omnipresent.

Isaiah the Ox wrote:Why did Jesus pray to Himself in the Garden if He was Himself?

He was human just like the rest of us and when he prayed it was the flesh (Jesus as a man) praying to the Spirit.

Isaiah the Ox wrote: Who is the "us" in Genesis 1:26?

It was God talking with the angels.

Isaiah the Ox wrote:And finally, why are the disciples told to baptize believers "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"? It says "and" not "or."

Well, as I mentioned before, that's not what it actually said if you go back and check the original translation. But even, if that was the translation, they understood that the name to be used was Jesus. And there is no other name under heaven, Given among men whereby we must be saved.