Silent Sanctuary: Theological Implications of Churchome's Position on Charismatic Gifts

written by a member of the WCB

Contemporary Tensions in Pneumatological Expression

Within contemporary Christianity, few theological tensions manifest as visibly as those surrounding charismatic expressions of faith, particularly the practice of glossolalia or "speaking in tongues." Prominent ministries like Churchome, under the leadership of celebrity pastor Judah Smith, have reportedly adopted theological positions that minimize or discourage charismatic expressions, reflecting broader divides within modern evangelicalism. This position, while aligned with certain Protestant traditions, raises significant questions about biblical interpretation, ecclesiastical authority, and spiritual formation in contemporary church contexts.

Historical Context and Biblical Foundations

The practice of speaking in tongues occupies a central position in New Testament accounts of early church experience. From Pentecost's inaugural manifestation (Acts 2) to Paul's nuanced instructions regarding orderly worship (1 Corinthians 12-14), the biblical record presents glossolalia as an authentic, if sometimes complicated, expression of spiritual empowerment. Paul explicitly instructs believers not to "forbid speaking in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:39), while simultaneously providing guidelines for its appropriate expression within corporate worship contexts.

Theological Frameworks in Tension

Modern approaches to charismatic gifts typically reflect three primary theological frameworks. Cessationist perspectives argue that certain spiritual manifestations were limited to the apostolic age and ceased with canon closure or church establishment. Continuationist views maintain that all spiritual gifts remain available to contemporary believers. Cautious-continuationist positions acknowledge the ongoing possibility of charismatic experiences while emphasizing prudent discernment and regulated expression. Ministry contexts like Churchome that discourage tongues-speaking typically operate from either cessationist presuppositions or pragmatic concerns about accessibility and cultural relevance.

Implications for Spiritual Formation

When influential ministries adopt positions that discourage or prohibit charismatic expressions, significant implications for spiritual formation follow. Believers inclined toward experiential spirituality may find their religious experiences invalidated or marginalized, potentially hindering authentic spiritual development. Pneumatological frameworks that limit Spirit manifestation to particular expressions risk creating artificial boundaries around divine activity. Conversely, environments without appropriate theological guidance for charismatic experiences may foster spiritual confusion or immature expressions.

The Challenge of Ecclesiastical Authority

Celebrity-pastor movements inherently concentrate theological authority in prominent personalities, sometimes prioritizing their interpretive perspectives over broader ecclesiastical traditions. When leaders like Judah Smith adopt positions limiting charismatic expression, questions naturally arise regarding the source and scope of such authority. Within Protestantism's emphasis on individual biblical interpretation, what authority properly determines acceptable parameters for spiritual expression? How should believers navigate tensions between personal experience, pastoral guidance, denominational tradition, and biblical interpretation?

Five Theological Concerns for Thoughtful Engagement

1. Biblical Hermeneutics: Anti-charismatic positions often employ hermeneutical frameworks that read New Testament charismatic expressions as historically limited rather than normatively descriptive, raising questions about consistent interpretive methodology.

2. Ecclesiological Implications: When churches restrict certain spiritual gifts, they implicitly define ecclesiological boundaries around particular theological positions rather than broader historic formulations of Christian orthodoxy.

3. Spiritual Experience Validation: Restricting charismatic expression potentially invalidates the authentic spiritual experiences of millions of global Christians for whom such practices represent genuine encounters with divine presence.

4. Global Christianity Perspective: Anti-charismatic positions often reflect Western rationalistic approaches to faith that contrast with robust pneumatological expressions characteristic of rapidly growing Global South Christianity.

5. Theological Anthropology: Different approaches to charismatic gifts often reflect divergent understandings of human capacity for divine encounter, raising fundamental questions about theological anthropology.

Five Considerations for Contemporary Believers

1. Examine Scriptural Witness Comprehensively: Evaluate positions on charismatic gifts based on thorough engagement with all relevant biblical texts rather than selective citation or cultural preference.

2. Consider Historical Christianity: Recognize that authentic Christian spirituality has historically encompassed both ordered liturgical expression and spontaneous charismatic manifestation across various traditions.

3. Evaluate Experiential Evidence: Consider the consistent testimony of believers across cultural and historical contexts who report authentic spiritual formation through charismatic experiences.

4. Prioritize Christian Unity: Maintain fellowship across pneumatological differences while engaging respectfully with diverse interpretations of charismatic phenomena.

5. Seek Balanced Expression: Pursue pneumatological understanding that neither quenches legitimate spiritual expression nor elevates experience above scriptural authority.

Finding Balance in Contemporary Practice

For believers navigating these tensions, several practical approaches offer constructive engagement. First, distinguish between core doctrinal issues and secondary theological perspectives, recognizing that positions on charismatic gifts typically fall into the latter category. Second, develop theological frameworks that maintain both biblical fidelity and experiential authenticity, avoiding false dichotomies between intellectual and experiential dimensions of faith. Third, pursue spiritual communities that combine sound theological instruction with openness to diverse expressions of spiritual gifting.

Beyond Binary Positions

The most constructive approach to charismatic gifts transcends simplistic acceptance or rejection, instead pursuing nuanced theological engagement that honors biblical testimony, historical continuity, and authentic spiritual experience. Churches flourishing amid contemporary challenges often maintain pneumatological positions that neither mandate nor prohibit charismatic expression, instead providing theological frameworks for discerning authentic spiritual manifestations while maintaining orderly worship.

Toward Theological Maturity

As contemporary believers navigate the complexities of charismatic expression in contexts influenced by celebrity pastors like Judah Smith, the path toward theological maturity involves neither uncritical acceptance of all spiritual manifestations nor wholesale rejection of charismatic experience. Rather, it requires careful biblical exegesis, thoughtful theological reflection, appropriate historical awareness, and humble openness to divine activity that may transcend denominational categories or personal preference.

In a fragmented religious landscape where entertainment value and personal charisma often overshadow theological substance, believers must develop discernment that evaluates ministry positions not merely by their cultural accessibility or leadership personality, but by their faithfulness to Scripture's witness and their capacity to foster genuine spiritual formation. This discernment, applied to questions of charismatic expression, guides believers toward communities where both Word and Spirit receive appropriate honor, avoiding the twin dangers of rigid cessationism and undiscerning spiritualism.

The future vitality of evangelical faith depends significantly on developing theological approaches that maintain both biblical fidelity and spiritual vitality—frameworks that neither quench the Spirit's authentic work nor embrace every spiritual manifestation uncritically. In this balanced approach lies the path toward Christian maturity that honors both divine revelation and divine activity in contemporary experience.