Making A Distinction

 

The Charismatic Paradigm

This paradigm views the Bible as an introduction to who God is and who Jesus is, and to the promises of God, but not as the source for determining authorization on every religious subject.

The charismatic paradigm teaches that God gives the miraculous guidance of the Holy Ghost (some charismatics insist that the phrase "Holy Spirit" is inappropriate) and that this personal guidance is the standard for determining God's will. This paradigm places emphasis on the subjective experiences of the believer as a standard for determing God's will

The authority paradigm teaches that the Bible was revealed by the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) and that it is His instrument for accomplishing His purposes. Just as a carpenter has tools that he uses, and a surgeon has tools that he uses, so also, the Holy Spirit wields the Bible as His sword to convict and convert.

The authority paradigm also teaches that the Bible is our only objective source of authority and that the believer will experience subjective emotions as a result of the piercing nature of the Holy Spirit's sword but that those subjective feelings are not intended by God to be a standard of authorization. To learn more about this aspect of the Authority Paradigm visit the "How We Acquire Knowledge" webpages.

Examples of the Charismatic Paradigm include
Various Pentecostal denominations and the "Assemblies of God" denomination.

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