Charismatic Christianity

Montanism was fiercely opposed and rejected by the Church, but the movement acquired a strong and authoritative defender, Tertullian, in the beginning of the third century. Tertullian has conveyed that at first the bishop of Rome approved the prophetic gifts of Montanus, Prisca and Maximillian and “gave peace” to the Montanist churches in Asia and Phrygia (“giving peace” meant fellowship both personal and ecclesiastical).  However the bishop of Rome did not send “the letter of peace” to Montanist churches, because Praxeas, who himself was considered a heretic, succeeded in changing the opinion of the Roman bishop against Montanism. Praxeas was heretical and supported the theological opinion called patripassianism. According to his teaching God Himself had become a man, suffered and died.  This meant that he was against the doctrine of the Trinity. The Bishop of Rome, Zepherius cancelled the “peace letters” for Montanists and withdraw his intent to accept the spiritual pneumatic gifts; by doing so, the Church drove out the Holy Spirit and crucified the Father.

As the church took a stand against charismatic Montanism, it also began to develop a system through which all spontaneous influence of the Holy Spirit was to be prevented and suppressed in the coming centuries. A charismatic Roman Catholic theologian, Kilian McDonnell, argues in his book, “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit”, that the Church has never been able to get back the balance between theology and charismatism after it rejected Montanism.

The Church had rejected the charismatic movement of Montanism by the end of the second century, however spiritual gifts were still being exercised throughout centuries. The following Church Fathers mention spiritual gifts in their writings: Tertullian (160 – 230) writes that only heaven knows how many people have been healed from sicknesses and evil spirits; Origen (185 – 284) says that many persons have been freed from grievous calamities, and distractions of mind, and madness and countless other ills. Origen acknowledged the value of speaking in tongues, because he connected praying in the Spirit with praying in tongues. Origen was, in fact, the first Church Father to mention the declining supernatural work of the Spirit, which he believed to be due to the lack of holiness and purity among Christians; Novatian (210 – 280) writes that “This is the Holy Spirit who places prophets in the church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, offers discrimination of spirits; and finally Cyprian (195 – 258) often experienced supernatural visions. Cyprian’s writings provide evidence that the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit was still considered a normal part of the life and ministry of the third-century church.