A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

A History of Christian Doctrine
and dressing modestly. The Charismatic movement has
exhibited little concern for these external issues. It is
common for Charismatics to smoke, drink, attend movies,
and wear makeup, jewelry, and relatively scanty clothing.
In recent years, however, some voices in the Charismatic
movement have called for moderation and caution in
these areas, while most Trinitarian Pentecostals have
relaxed their stand.
4. Charismatics have greater fellowship across
doctrinal boundaries. Pentecostals have tended to have
fellowship along major doctrinal lines, while Charismatics
have generally said that love and unity should predominate
over doctrine. For this reason, it is common for
Charismatics of various denominations, including both
Protestants and Catholics, to have close fellowship.
Historically, Pentecostals have wondered, How can we
unite with Roman Catholics, when we emphasize justification
by faith in Jesus Christ and the sole authority of
Scripture while Roman Catholics believe in papal infallibility,
venerate the virgin Mary, worship the bread and
wine at mass as the actual body and blood of Jesus, confess
their sins to a priest, and perform acts of penance to
pay the temporal penalty for sin? How can we unite with
Protestants whose churches do not proclaim the fundamentals
of the Christian faith? How can we have close fellowship
with people who do not adopt the beliefs,
worship, and lifestyle that we believe the Bible commands?
In recent years, however, Trinitarian Pentecostals
have broadened their fellowship under the influence of
the Charismatics.
5. Most Charismatics are not dispensationalist
premillennialists, whereas Pentecostals are premillenni-
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