Why do people lump Pentecostals and Charasmatics into the same group?

Question

There are fundamental differences between Charasmatics and Pentecostals.

1 key difference is that most Charasmatic orgs want all the benefits of the Holy Spirit without changing their lives.
Pentecostals believe that if the Holy Spirit resides in a person then they are not the same as they were before the Spirit moved in.

Answer 1

I don't know, but I think this article tells of some reasons.

Pentecostals and Charismatics

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Do you know what the differences are between "Pentecostals" and "Charismatics"? I'd like to explain that to you. Did you know Charismatics claim to be just like Pentecostals, but Pentecostals don't consider themselves to be at all like Charismatics? Sound like an enigma? If you'll bear with me a moment, let me first explain a personal experience, and then I'll follow with the scriptures that will shed light on the subject.

One time, after I had been praying for the gift of the Holy Ghost for several months, I ran into a Charismatic at a very small non-denominational fellowship (again, while I was working away from home). He told me that God had given him a gift that whoever he prayed on would receive the Holy Ghost. I was skeptical, but wanting the Holy Ghost, I went along. He laid hands on me for a while, then he prayed for me, and then he coached me into gibbering unintelligibly. When I did, he stopped me and told me I had received the Holy Ghost. I asked him where the power was ("Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" -Acts 1:8). He looked at me like he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Instead he changed the subject and assured me that from now on my walk would be closer to God. He also told me I needed to practice my "prayer language." I was more than a little let down by this empty experience. I have since heard of many Charismatics that do similar things. When I got home, my pastor asked me what was wrong. I told him about the incident, and he explained to me- "that's not the Holy Ghost, that's just gibberish." I have since received the true Pentecostal gift of the Holy Ghost, in God's time, and not at all by my or any other man's will. It is nothing like the Charismatic imitation.

Now let me explain what happened, and what the difference is, from the scriptures-

"For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman... Which things are an allegory: for... WE, brethren, AS ISAAC was, ARE the CHILDREN OF PROMISE. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." Galatians 4:22-31.

The Bible says, even in the New Testament, that "faith was reckoned to Abraham... that he might be the FATHER OF ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE, though they be not circumcised..." Romans 4:9-11; "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" Galatians 3:7.

Abraham is not our father in the way that God is our father, but Abraham set the example of faith. God promised he would give Abraham a son and make of him a great nation. But Abraham, becoming impatient with waiting on God's timing to receive his promise, reached out and took that promise by his own means. And thereby he had a son by his wife's bondmaid. But that was not the son that God had promised.

This is how Charismatics compare with Pentecostals (from my experience). Pentecostals "wait for the promise" (Acts 1:4). Charismatics reach out and take what was promised by God of their own means (I am generalizing here- there may be Charismatics that have received the true promise, but I haven't met any, nor heard of any. In the same light, there are just as likely those who claim to be Pentecostals who have only a charismatic like experience. The man-made label guarantees nothing, it is the actions that count.) Just as Abraham considered that, since God "promised" him a son, it wouldn't hurt to take matters into his own hands, so Charismatics take receiving God's promise into their own hands in the exact same manner, with the exact same reasoning and intent. But, just because the Bible says "the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39) does not mean God expects us to "take" the promise He offers by our own will. That's what Abraham did when he was wrong, not when he was right, and the Bible says that Abraham is the father of those "who also walk in the steps of THAT faith of our father Abraham..." Romans 4:12. One son, born of the will of man, and of the flesh, was the result of bad faith, and that son turned into a great nation (Arab) also. The other son, Isaac, born of promise, and born by waiting on God, was received in good faith, and is, to this day, less numerous, and persecuted and downtrodden by the son of bad faith (Gal. 4:27).

Furthermore, just as Isaac could claim to being the "real" son of Abraham, Pentecostals, claim to be the "real" children of promise- because the "born-again" experience they receive is from God, and is not received by "taking" it whenever they deem it to be just. (That's why Pentecostals declare they are not Charismatics.) To continue the allegory, just as Ishmael can and does claim Abraham as his father, so Charismatics make the claim that they are also sons of God (That's why they assume they are just like Pentecostals). But are they really the sons of promise by good faith? No. The Bible says-

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" John 1:12-13.

Receiving Christ for who He is doesn't instantly "make" anyone a son of God, but by receiving Him, just like the Bible plainly says, He gives us the "power to BECOME the sons of God,"for you must be born- "not of blood, NOR OF THE WILL of the FLESH, NOR of the WILL OF MAN, but of God². Any one, therefore, who tells you they can give, or have received, or have been born again "by the will," has disclosed to you their true heritage- they, as Ishmael, are sons born after the flesh, and are not the sons of promise.

Now consider a natural birthing process. Was anyone ever born the moment they were conceived? ("AFTER... ye heard the word of truth... AFTER ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" Ephesians 1:13.") Or was anyone ever born by their own free will through some form of merely accepting or acknowledging anything? "("Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain..." John 15:16.) If the natural birth doesn't fit the analogy of the spiritual birth, why would Jesus use it to explain being born-again? ("For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" Romans 1:20.)

In light of these scriptures, and many others (that expedience precludes quoting here) I have yet to find anyone that can give sound scriptural basis that the "Accept the Lord as your personal savior, and you are thereby born-again" dogma can be held up to the light of these scriptures-

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God... Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth WHERE IT LISTETH (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but CANST NOT TELL whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" John 3:5-8. "...Spake he (Jesus) of the Spirit, which they that believe on him SHOULD receive..." John 7:39 with "(Paul) said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?..." Acts 19:2. (How can these verses not be saying that- believing DOES NOT mean automatically receiving?) So you see- "The PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" Acts 2:39.

So then, we don't automatically receive promises from God the moment He makes the promise, or the moment we request it, for the scripture says- "For ye have need of patience, that, AFTER ye have done the will of God, ye MIGHT receive the PROMISE" Hebrews 10:36. Do we then make void salvation by faith? Allow me to refer again to the father of the faithful- Abraham, for "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" James 2:21-24. For the scripture also says- "BY FAITH ABRAHAM, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, OBEYED; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" Hebrews 11:8. We don't ever see that Abraham ever said he "accepted the Lord as his personal savior" so here is another scriptural example that contradicts the "accept the Lord as your savior, and it is done" dogma. What Abraham did, was, in faith, he chose to "serve" God, and followed Him. He did not merely make an intellectual assent.

So then, Pentecostals have an actual reason to claim being "heirs to the promise" even beyond comparing themselves with Charismatics alone. (On reading this, please do me one favor- please don't assume that all Pentecostals, or their churches, are equal and the same. Claiming to be Pentecostal does not guarantee that anyone has the full truth. Just as saying one is Christian doesn't.)

Answer 2

I think it's because of the fact that Charismatics are people (across different denominations - usually of main stream churches) who have undergone a "Pentecostal" experience, namely the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's a subtle distinction.
I am a Pentecostal (Assemblies of God) and know many Charismatics who are Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopalian, etc. The Pentecostal movement is named for the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended and the people spoke in different tongues. It is related to a revival at the Asuza St Church in California.

Answer 3

Charismatics came out of the Pentecostal movement. Charismatic churches are the latest "so-called" move of God in Pentecostalism. The Pentecostal movement started in the very end of the 1890's, and has split so many times-there are more Pentecostal churches than any other in the USA. The Charismatics sprung up about 35 years ago.
I guess to answer you question-all Charismatics are Pentecostal, but not all Pentecostals are Charismatic.

Answer 4

I was in the Pentacostal church for a while and nobody ever made any distinction between that and being Charismatic. So I am wondering where you are getting your information. They are the same organization with the same leadership but just some varying ideas among them that none can agree on totally. But entirely the same group.

Answer 5

I have never heard of Charasmatics. I would like to know about them though. I have been to a few Pentecostal churches. Can you tell me what Charasmatics are?

Answer 6

Because their ignorant and haven't studied denominations to the fullest. However, there are similarities....A LOT of them. They are very closely related. "Pentecostalism is similar to the Charismatic movement, but developed earlier and separated from the mainstream church."

"The charismatic movement began with the adoption of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians —specifically what are known as the biblical charisms of Christianity: speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc.—by those within mainstream Protestant and Catholic churches. Many charismatic Christians went on to form separate churches and denominations.

Often confused with Pentecostalism (which it was inspired by), charismatic Christianity tends to differ in key aspects: most charismatics reject the preeminence given by Pentecostalism to glossolalia, reject what they consider to be legalism sometimes associated with Pentecostalism, and often stay in their existing denominations such as Roman Catholic Charismatics."

"Because of the continual cross-over between Pentecostalism and the modern charismatic movement, it is increasingly difficult to speak of charismatics and Pentecostals as being part of separate movements. Yet because neither movement is monolithic, it is also unfair to speak of them as being one movement either. The difference is primarily one of origins. Beliefs of the two groups are very similar; each movement, however, is unique in its historical beginnings. Having been conceived in unique contexts, the difference may secondarily be described in terms of contrasting church cultures evidenced through each movement's manners and customs (i.e., worship styles, preaching styles, altar ministry methods). Until a more acceptable broad nomenclature is used, it needs to be understood that both movements share a great deal in common, and yet can sometimes be clearly differentiated."

It's tough to differentiate the differences between them, but the most imporant thing to remember is that their historical beginning are a lot different...

Answer 7

It wasn't that long ago the Pentecostals was the only charismatic christian professing group.
That's probably why. Now other groups are in on that form and act of worship.

Answer 8

I'm pentecostal (protestant denomination) aren't charasmatics like catholics? Well I've never heard of both of them being put in the same group.

Answer 9

Do a web search type in Charismatic Movement and check some of the sites, I have several I can forward to you if you send e-mail address.

Answer 10

Aren't they basically the same? I was raised Baptist, but have been attending other churches as an adult. I couldn't tell you the difference between the P's and C's.

Answer 11

Sorry to burst your bubble, but not many people really care about any doctrinal differences. They're all the same anyway.

Check some video and audio links here and judge for yourself.