Pentecostal? Baptist?

Question

What is the main difference between pentecoste and baptist faiths? My boyfriend is pentecostal and i am baptist. I am going with him to his church on Sunday. I know that they speak in tongues... What else should I expect? I would prefer an answer from someone of the pentecostal faith!
Thanks in advance!
~Britany~

Answer 1

Pentecostals believe in the gifts of the spirit; healing, decerning of spirits, prophecy, tongues, ect.. The powers given to the diciples after pentecost are at the fore front of their beliefs. Many petecostals still believe that salvation is not assured. A constant state of prayer and forgiveness is necessary because once you backslide you must atone quickly. They are rather charasmatic in the worship as in uplifted hands and sometimes dancing or "dancing in the spirit". I think the thing that will shock you most is the way they pray. You know, when the preacher says, "let us pray" the pentecostals will ALL begin praying out loud with the preacher and it can get loud in a hurry. The music is usualy good and uplifting with several instruments involved. Other than these few things, Pentecostals are very similar to Baptists. The order of the service is the same and the service ends with a call to the unsaved to approach and receive salvation. Often times the call at the end of the service will include the backsliders and this group will probably be many regular members. They will pray with the preacher, deacons, or other older members and it will get loud again. Sometimes (always after the salvation call) the preacher will ask if anyone wants to receive the Holy Spirit and a similar ceremony will take place. Like a prayer for salvation, but louder and with unknown tongues. I grew up in such a church though I am now non denominational. Remember, it will get loud at times!

Answer 2

Britany,

I'm not pentecostal, but I do have friends who are. I don't know what type of pentecostal church you are going to attend, but it isn't like your typical Baptist service. The singing will be boisterous, and joyous. You might think it loud. The preaching will be different in style as well. Worship is just as boisterous as the singing. There probably will be more than a few who raise their hands in worship. Most of the time when some one is speaking in tongues in the worship service it is a private prayer between themselves and God, so I respect that as their worship. I wouldn't be surprised if a few jump or dance, or run the aisles, but even pentecostals tend to save that for Sunday evening.

Other than that, I suppose the only true difference is the stance on Trinity or no Trinity.

Answer 3

Pentecostals believe in the gifts of the Spirit. Many times, baptists say that the Holy Spirit stopped using us to bring healing and deliverence to people, and that people no longer can lay hands on the sick and see them instantly healed. But the Bible does say that anyone who believes will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. Mark 16:17-18 - "These signs will follow those who believe...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Sometimes at a pentecostal church the manifestation of the Spirit of God will come upon them and they may begin speaking in tounges. If you have never experienced this yourself, you might think it is really weird at first, but God sometimes uses tounges when you don't know what to pray. In the Bible, people also spoke in tounges when the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

Answer 4

I am Pentecostal. Pentecostals baptise by fully emersing people in the water instead of sprinkling the water. And when baptising they do it in Jesus name. Not Father Son Holy spirit. Because there is only one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4 KJV
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord :
Baptists believe that speaking in tongues just for the people that lived when it became new. Which the Bible said was for EVERYBODY
Acts 2:38-39 KJV
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For 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.
And the fact that people say that speaking in tongues should just bespeaking in languages that are spoken in the world and not.. -for lack of a better word- gibberish.
Acts 2:6 KJV
...because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Answer 5

Pentecostals speak in toungues among other things. BUT wait, there are Pentecostal Baptist. . .they are the snake handlers and acid drinkers. . .very small, and getting smaller, sect. Relatives of mine.

Answer 6

Baptist like to hold people underwater until they "come around" to their way of thinking.