What should our approach be towards the Oneness Pentecostals/Apostolics?
I was recently invited to a conference which turned out to be Oneness Apostolic ( I was unaware it was before arrival). Most of the women with their heads covered but other that seemed like any other Charismatic church. I was unable to stay long due to other commitments, but had I known beforehand what it was I would have serious reservations about attending.
Their Modalism or "Oneness" doctrine is greatly concerning. If you're not familiar with Modalism it essentially teaches that God manifests in 3 modes rather than the orthodox 3 persons teaching of the Trinity. While they do affirm the essential belief of the deity of Jesus, they deny His eternal sonship and basically remove all meaning from His title of son with "modes" teaching. I can't help but wonder if they are dangerously close to stepping over the line of 1 John 2:23:
No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (NIV)
Just as concerning to me is their teaching that one must be baptized in the name of Jesus and speak in tongues to be saved. I find that very hard to reconcile with the position that they are preaching the same gospel.
While I don't believe one must have a full theological grasp of the Trinity in order to be saved, I think the ground they are standing on is very unstable.
Am I in the wrong here with my reservations? Some people close to me have been having a lot of fellowship with these or similar churches lately. Should I be concerned?
I was recently invited to a conference which turned out to be Oneness Apostolic ( I was unaware it was before arrival). Most of the women with their heads covered but other that seemed like any other Charismatic church. I was unable to stay long due to other commitments, but had I known beforehand what it was I would have serious reservations about attending.
Their Modalism or "Oneness" doctrine is greatly concerning. If you're not familiar with Modalism it essentially teaches that God manifests in 3 modes rather than the orthodox 3 persons teaching of the Trinity. While they do affirm the essential belief of the deity of Jesus, they deny His eternal sonship and basically remove all meaning from His title of son with "modes" teaching. I can't help but wonder if they are dangerously close to stepping over the line of 1 John 2:23:
No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (NIV)
Just as concerning to me is their teaching that one must be baptized in the name of Jesus and speak in tongues to be saved. I find that very hard to reconcile with the position that they are preaching the same gospel.
While I don't believe one must have a full theological grasp of the Trinity in order to be saved, I think the ground they are standing on is very unstable.
Am I in the wrong here with my reservations? Some people close to me have been having a lot of fellowship with these or similar churches lately. Should I be concerned?
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