The Charismatic Gifts in the New Testament and the Early Church

Instructor:  Peter W. Dunn, PhD

 

Course Description:  The practice of charismatic gifts in the Christian church has seen a major resurgence since about the beginning of the twentieth century.  This course will survey the charismatic gifts as found in the literature of the Early Church, namely the New Testament, Christian apocryphal literature and the writings of the Church Fathers.  This survey will be done with an eye towards the practice and understanding of the charismatic gifts in the church today.

 

The Instructor:  Dr. Dunn is a professor of Church History and New Testament at Bangui Evangelical School of Theology (BEST), the director of the Barnabas Venture for the development of theological education in French-speaking Africa, and a member of Emmanuel Anglican Church, Richvale.

 

A provisional outline:

1,1

Introduction:  Cessation of Charismata (Augustine paper; review of Kydd); Jewish Backgrounds (Elijah prequel, paper on messianism in Judaism) and John the Baptist

1,2

The charismatic gifts in the ministry of Jesus

2,1

The charismatic gifts in the Acts of the Apostles

2,2

The charismatic gifts in Paul’s letters

3,1

The charismatic gifts in the Book of Revelation

3,2

The charismatic gifts in Christian apocryphal literature (Acts of Paul paper)

4,1

The charismatic gifts in the Didaché and the letters of Ignatius of Antioch

4,2

The charismatic gifts in Martyrdom Texts (Polycarp, Perpetua)

5,1

The charismatic gifts and the Montanist controversy

5,2

The charismatic gifts and Monasticism: Antony, Simon Stylites, Columban (ca. 540-640)

6,1

Charismatic Hermeneutics

6,2

Conclusions

 

Assignments:  Written assignments are to be about 1/2-1 page (single-space, single-sided, in 12 TimesNewRoman or in handwriting).

Session One:  Read the Gospel of Luke (esp. chs. 1-4; 7.18-35; 10.1-24; 11.1-13; 24.44-53) ; Matthew 3.1-17; 11.1-15; and 24.1-51; Mark 6.14-29.  No written assignment.

Session Two:  Read Acts (esp. chs. 1-5, 8 [see optional paper]-10, 18-19); 1 Corinthians (esp. 12-14); Romans (esp. 8, 12); Ephesians (esp. 4-6).  Write on one of three subjects:

            (1) What are the types of charismatic gifts in the Book of Acts and what seems to be their function?

            (2) What are the types of charismatic gifts in the selected readings from Paul’s letters and what seems to be their function.

(3) Compare and contrast the reception of the Spirit in Romans and in the Acts of the Apostles.

Session Three:  Read the Book of Revelation and the Acts of Paul (in Handout).  Write on one of two subjects:

            (1) What is the purpose of the prophecy of the Book of Revelation?  (Answer only from what the Book of Revelation tells us about its purpose).

            (2) What are the types of charismatic gifts in the Acts of Paul and what seems to be their function?

Session Four: Read the Didaché (in Handout) and either (1) Maryrdom of Polycarp or (2) the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas (in Handout).  Write on one of two subjects:

(1) Make a list of leadership positions as portrayed in the Didaché.  Describe each position and note the relation of these offices to the charismatic gifts of the Spirit.

            (2) Consider the role of prophecies/visions in the the martyrdom of Polycarp or the passion of Perpetua.

Session Five:  Read selected texts on Montanism (in Handout).  Athanasius, Life of Antony  or Jonas of Bobbio, Life of Columban .  Write on one of the following subjects: 

(1) The miracles and deeds of the monks are often seen as fantastic, exaggerated and legendary.  In your view, do you think that is a correct assessment?

(2) What may be learned about the practice of charismatic gifts from a reading of Patrick, Antony or Columban?

            (3) Describe the prophetic gifts amongst the Montanists, as suggested by the selected sources on Montanism.

Session Six:  No assignment (time to make up an missed assignment).

 

Secondary Resources

 

Dennis and Rita Bennett.  The Holy Spirit and You.   Plainfield, New Jersey:  Logos International, 1971.

Stanley Burgess, ed.  The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements.  Rev. and Expanded.  Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2002.

Stanley Burgess.  The Holy Spirit:  Ancient Christian Traditions.  Peabody, Mass.:  Hendrickson, 1984.

Gordon Fee.  God’s Empowering Presence:  The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul.  Peabody, Mass.:  Hendrickson, 1994.

Michael Green, I believe in the Holy Spirit.  Rev. and expanded.  London:  Hodder & Stoughton, 1985.

Walter J. Hollenweger. Pentecostalism.  Peabody, Mass.:  Hendrickson, 1997.

Bill Jackson.  The Quest for the Radical Middle:  A History of the Vineyard.  Cape Town, South Africa:  Vineyard International, 1999.

Ronald A. N. Kydd, Charistmatic gifts in the Early Church.   Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1984.  (See my review).

Ladd, George E., A Theology of the New Testament.  Revised and expanded, by R. T. France.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1993.

Roger Stronstad, Charismatic Theology of St. Luke.  Peabody, Mass.:  Hendrickson, 1984.

Benjamin B. Warfield. Counterfeit Miracles .  London:  Banner of Truth Trust, 1918.  Now available at.

John Wimber and Kevin Springer. Power Evangelism.  London:  Hodder & Stoughton, 1985.  Power Healing.  San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1987.