The Eternal Church by Bill Hamon

Author:Bill Hamon [Hamon, Dr. Bill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780768496864
Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers

OLD AND NEW WINESKINS

Every new restorational movement results in the establishment of many new church denominations. Neither Martin Luther, nor John Wesley, nor W.J. Seymour had any intention of starting a new movement or of breaking away from his church organization. But new truth must be poured into new wineskins. New church groups must be raised up to hold the new truths being restored to the Church. This does not mean that God forsakes the prior movement. God works with every person and group on whatever level of faith and receptivity they will function. The Lutheran and Presbyterian organizations were still getting people justified by faith while at the same time they were persecuting, opposing, and condemning the Baptist and Holiness churches. The Baptists were still getting people saved and baptized in water and the Methodists were getting people saved and sanctified while they both were at the same time condemning, rejecting, and making outcasts of the Pentecostals.

The Persecuted Become the Persecutors. It is one of the ironies of Church history that the persecuted participants of the former restorational movement became the primary persecutors of the next restored truth. The Jews persecuted Jesus, Judaism persecuted the Christians, the Catholics were the main persecutors of the Protestants, the historic Protestant churches persecuted the Holiness Movement, the Holiness Movement persecuted the Pentecostals, and the Pentecostals initially resisted and rejected the next restorational truth movement.

Rejection of a new move comes when the previous truth participants form denominations with set creeds and doctrines. The “wineskin” of denominationalism becomes set in its ways and has no flexibility to new truth. The wineskin bursts open and many people pour out and start a new church group, which will normally end up being another church organization.

Restoration Through an Unexpected Source. Also, rejection of a new truth occurs when the desired revival and restoration comes through an unexpected source, person, or at an undesirable place. Preachers of the National Holiness Movement had for years called for a “new Pentecost” that would shake the world in the 20th century with “early Church” apostolic power. Yet those who proclaim the need for a new move, revival, or restoration of truth many times reject that truth when it is restored. This is especially true when it begins with someone outside their Christian denomination or fellowship. It is very hard for ministers to accept restoration when it is accompanied with spiritual experiences, manifestations, and teachings different from or beyond their present Christian experience or doctrine.

Rebellion Against Restorational Truth Causes Division. Pentecostal denominations went through the same process that the Protestant and Holiness Movement denominations did in their day. Initially they were rejected, persecuted, and made total outcasts from the established Christian religion of their time. Gradually they gained a status of suspicious toleration and eventually were accepted by the community and general Church world.

A divine restoration of truth usually brings about a “hot war” between those who “accept” and those who “reject.” After the battle is over and almost everyone has either

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