Chris Green - Toward a Pentecostal Theology of the Lords Supper

T oward a Pentecostal Theology
of the Lords Supper

Foretasting the Kingdom

Toward a
Pen tecostal Theo l ogy
of the Lords Supper

Foretasting the Kingdom

Chris E. W. Green

CPT Press

Cleveland, Tennessee

Dedication

To Nan and Paz, for all your incredible generosity and support

Introduction

Purpose and Focus of the Study

Structure and Flow of the Argument

The Sacraments in Pentecostal Perspective(s):
A Bibliograp h ic Review

Introduction

Reading Pentecostals on the Sacraments

Conclusions

(Re) Discovering the Sacramentality of Early Pentecostalism: An Exploration of the Early Periodical Literature

Prolegomena

Wesleyan-Holiness Period icals

Finished Work Periodicals

The Bod dys and British Pentecostalism:
Confidence Magazine

Early Pentecostal Sacramentality:
Summary and Concl u sions

The Lords Supper in the Churchs Scripture

Introduction

(Re)Imagining a Pentecostal Hermeneutic

Eating the Word: Eucharistic Theology in the

Conclusions: Toward a New Testament Theology of
the Euch a rist

Toward a Pentecostal Theology of the Lords Supper:
Di s cernment and Construction

Introduction

Prescription: What is Required of Us?

Promise: What Does God Do for Us?

Presence: How Does God Do What God Does?

Praxis: What Does This Mean for Pentecostal Thought

Contributions and Suggestions for Further Research

Contributions

Implications and Suggestions for Further Study

It seems most fitting to begin a book dedicated to the Eucharist by giving thanks to those who have made it possible. So, first, I want to thank my Doktorvater , John Christopher Thomas, who has pr o vided skillful and wise direction at every stage in the process of d e veloping and completing this work. To my grandparents, Nan and Paz; my mom and dad, Robert and LaCrisa Green; my parents-in-law, Chuck and Irene Niemyer; and everyone at Divine Life Church, I want to say that I am beyond grateful for your treme n dous generosity and constant support. A special thanks is due to a host of other friends as well, including my fellow PhD students and a number of colleagues at Oral Roberts University, Southwestern Christian University, and as of this summer Pentecostal The o logical Seminary. I need to mention, in particular, Jeff Lamp and Don Vance. How many times I held them captive in heavy conve r sation for hours on end and they never failed to provide valuable affirmation and critique. Obviously, my greatest debt is to my wife, Julie, and to my kids, Zo and Clive. Over the past few years, they have reordered their lives to make room for me to devote myself to this work, and somehow they did it joyfully, always believing in me and cheering me on along the way.

The idea for this book began to germinate years ago during u n dergraduate conversations with my good f riend, Dr Doug Beacham, and gre w to form over time in worship at Divine Life Church, where we celebrated weekly Communion and devoted many times together to teaching and to prayerful study and refle c tion on the meaning of the Eucharist-event for us as a community. Without that experience, and the many mysterious effects it worked on my heart and mind, I simply would not have had the power to imagine the shape of this work and the energy necessary to co m plete it.

My work, whatever its faults, is rooted and grounded in the Pe n tecostal tradition; and though some of the roots no doubt run u n der the wall, it is intended first and foremost as a conversation starter for the Pentecostal communities. Nothing would please me more than for the book, in spite of its weaknesses and limit a tions, in some way to contribute to a renewal of Pentecostal sacr a mental thought and practice. Of course, I also hope the branches reach over the wall so that Christians of other traditions find good fruit as well.

I am honored to publish this work with CPT Press, to have it listed in the company of landmark works like John Christopher Thomas The Devil, Disease and Deliverance , Steven Lands Pentecostal Spirituality , Roger Stronstads The Prophethood of All Believers , Larry McQueens Joel and the Spirit , and Ken Archers A Pentecostal Herm e neutic . I hope my own work is received as companion to works like these.

Early Pentecostal Periodicals

AF The Apostolic Faith

CE The Christian Evangel

COGE The Church of God Evangel

LRE The Latter Rain Evangel

PE The Pentecostal Evangel

PHA The Pentecostal Holiness Advocate

PT Pentecostal Testimony

TBM The Bridegrooms Messenger

TP The Pentecost

WE Weekly Evangel

WW Word and Witness

Other

AJPS Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies

ANF A Select Library of Ante-Nicene Fathers

ATR Anglican Theology Review

BEM Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry , Faith and Order P a per No. 111 (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1982).

BNTC Blacks New Testament Commentary Series

BTC Brazos Theological Commentary Series

CPT Centre for Pentecostal Theology

DPCM Burgess, S.M. et al . (eds.), Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988).

IJST International Journal of Systematic Theology

IVP InterVarsity Press

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JEPTA Journal of European Pentecostal Theology Association

JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JPT Journal of Pentecostal Theology

JPTSup Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series

JSNTS Journal for the Study of New Testament Supplement S e ries

NIDPCM Burgess, S.M. and E.M. van der Maas (eds.), The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).

NPNF A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers

NTT New Testament Theology Commentary Series

OUP Oxford University Press

Pneuma Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies

SBL Society of Biblical Literature

SNTSMS Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas Monograph
S e ries

SVS St Vladimirs Seminary Press

SVTQ St Vladimirs Theological Quarterly

TPNTC Pillar New Testament Commentary Series

WJKP Westminster John Knox Press

The purpose of this study is to develop a distinctly Pentecostal th e ology of the Lords Supper that contributes to the larger project of revisioning Pentecostal theology . Several presuppos i tions undergird the stru c ture and flow of the argument.

First, as a living tradition, Pentecostalism can and should be r e visioned constantly without betraying itself or losing its chara c ter.

Second, in the effort to revision itself faithfully, Pentecostal th e ology should be informed by a critical conversation with the ea r liest years of the movement; for, as Walter Hollenweger first a r gued, the spirituality of early Pentecostalism represents the heart and not the infancy of the movement.

Third, it is necessary for a self-consciously Pentecostal th e ology to be as concerned with method as it is with content. For, as Terry Cross and others have contended, Pentecostal experience makes possible and so calls for the articulation of a unique the o logical methodology.

Fourth, owing to the role of Scripture in the tradition, Penteco s tal theology should be deeply biblical , rooted in and directed by the reading of the canonical scriptures. However, this affirmation alone is not enough. A Pentecostal approach to Scripture requires a he r meneutical strategy that remains at all points in keeping with the core convictions of the movements spiritual and theological trad i tion. Such a hermeneutic would include inter alia narrative sensiti v i ty, a concern for canonical context, and even go so far as to take seriously the texts effective history, including but not limited to the witness of early Pentecostal interpretations.