Lesson 20: Understanding United Pentecostalism

Steve was raised Roman Catholic and went to mass every week as a child. As a teenager he began to drop out of religious practice and got involved in worldly things. He met a girl in high school that invited him to her church. The worship style included loud music, dancing, speaking in tongues, and shouting which amazed him with its contrast to Catholic worship styles. He began to get interested in the dynamic preaching and music.

Read John 14 aloud together. Write a paragraph that summarizes this scripture passage. What interaction do we see between members of the Trinity? Write a list of statements. 

Introduction to United Pentecostalism

The United[1] Pentecostal church claims 36,000 churches in 203 nations, and a membership of 3,000,000 people.[2] The organization was formed in 1945 by the merging of two Pentecostal denominations. Their doctrines originated in the Pentecostal revivals that began in 1901.

The United Pentecostal Church is distinguished from other Pentecostals who believe in the Trinity or do not practice baptism. They do not associate with the “Faith Movement” (covered in a lesson in this course).

Foundational Doctrines

The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (From the “Articles of Faith” of the United Pentecostal Church).

United Pentecostals believe in the Bible as the final authority. They emphasize the term apostolic because they believe they teach the same doctrines as the apostles. They try to follow the example of the church in Acts.

They do not believe in the Trinity.[3] They believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three manifestations of God. They believe that in Old Testament times God was spirit, then in the incarnation took on humanity. They do not believe that the Father and Son are two persons. They believe that God as Spirit was the father of Jesus, but they are the same person.

Their view of Christ and the Holy Spirit is different from most cults that deny the Trinity. Because they believe that Jesus is the same person as God the Father, they do believe in the deity of Christ. They believe that where the Holy Spirit is mentioned as a person in the Bible, he is God in action.

They profess to believe the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith, provided completely by the sacrifice of Christ. This is different from cults who must invent a different gospel because they don’t believe in the deity of Christ.

► What is the difference between the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the United Pentecostals in their denial of the doctrine of the Trinity?

They believe that a person is not saved until he has experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit. They believe that the evidence of the filling of the Spirit is always the gift of tongues. If a person has repented of sin and put his faith in Christ, he still is not saved until he is filled with the Spirit and speaks in tongues.

They believe that Christians must be baptized in the name of Jesus, and not with a Trinitarian statement. They believe that baptism in the name of Jesus is necessary for salvation. If a person joins them after being baptized with Trinitarian statements, that person must be baptized again.

► According to the United Pentecostals, what things must happen for a person to be saved?

Beliefs about Christian Living

The United Pentecostals believe that physical healing is provided in the atonement, and they emphasize praying for the sick, but they understand that it is not always God’s will to heal in every case.

They believe in a conservative lifestyle. They do not believe in jewelry or cosmetics. They are against impure entertainment, and do not want their members to have televisions. The women do not wear pants and do not cut their hair.

They believe that a Christian is supposed to live a life of victory over sin, and do not believe that a person continues as a Christian if he goes back to a life of sin. They emphasize the power of the Holy Spirit to enable a life of victory.

They do not believe in self-defense against violence or serving in the military in any role where one might have to fight.

They practice ceremonial foot washing because Jesus commanded the disciples to wash one another’s feet (John 13:14-15).

[1] “He [the devil] champions the unity of God, the omnipotent Creator of the world, only to make of that unity a heresy. He says that the Father himself descended into the virgin, was himself born of her, himself suffered; in fact, that he himself was Jesus Christ.”
- Tertullian, Against Praxeus

[2] Reported in 2014

[3] “Their doctrine [the Sabellian heretics] is that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one and the same being, in the sense that three names are attached to one substance.”
- Epiphanius (Bishop in AD 375), Against Heresies

We should not say that a person is not saved just because he believes the doctrines of United Pentecostalism. It is possible that he does believe the Gospel and has repented of his sins and put his faith in Christ.

The Handbook of Doctrine provides biblical evidence for the Trinity in section

(8) God is a Trinity.

The most foundational error of United Pentecostalism is their denial of the Trinity, though it does not undermine the gospel the same as cults that deny the deity of Christ.

The problem for fellowship with United Pentecostals is that they do not believe others are Christians without speaking in tongues and being baptized in the name of Jesus.

The Bible says that every believer has the Spirit (Romans 8:9). A person cannot truly repent and put his faith in Christ without the help of the Spirit. Even if a person has not yet experienced a special infilling of the Holy Spirit, he has the Spirit.

Steve left the Catholic church and joined the United Pentecostal Church. He continued to drink and smoke and did not live a Christian life. At some point he had an experience when he believed that he received the Holy Spirit, and other people told him that he spoke in tongues. He knew that he really had not spoken in tongues, but he wanted to be accepted so he pretended that it was true. He continued to live in sin with no real change. He later was saved and experienced a change of life but did not speak in tongues. He became a teacher and preacher at his church, but had doubts about the doctrine. He eventually left the church and went to one that believes in the Trinity and does not speak in tongues.

Now read John 14 again. Write a paragraph explaining the message this passage has for a follower of United Pentecostalism.