A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

A History of Christian Doctrine
of the Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit. They
trusted in God for protection and deliverance, cast out
demons when they encountered them, and enjoyed the
assistance of angels, but the Book of Acts does not reveal
any use of the elaborate spiritual warfare strategies that
some teachers propound.
Kingdom Now
Another belief of some Charismatics is the Kingdom
Now doctrine, also known as dominion theology, which is
essentially the same as the “manifest sons of God” teaching
of the Latter Rain. Proponents include Earl Paulk,
Bob Mumford, and Bill Hamon. They proclaim that,
instead of looking for a rapture, the church needs to possess
the earth now, before the Lord comes, and establish
His visible kingdom for Him. The church must gain control
over society, including the government and the economic
system, in order for the Lord to return.
This view is closely associated with Christian
Reconstructionism, a movement within conservative
Calvinism. It is based on a postmillennial eschatology
which states that the church should take over the institutions
of society and operate them according to the laws of
the Old Testament. In this way the church will
Christianize the world and usher in the Millennium. 314
The Bible teaches, however, that the hope of the
church is the coming of Lord and that He will personally
establish His kingdom on earth. (See Luke 21:27-31;
Titus 2:13; Revelation 19-20.) We are to exert a positive,
godly influence upon this world, but it is not our home.
Our Lord’s kingdom is not of this world; we are but
strangers and pilgrims here (John 18:36; I Peter 2:11).
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