Lapp 1Patrick Lapp, Box #323Dr. Kay TronsenResearch Writing 03Bethel: Hyper or HereticalWorship is an integra part o! the "hristian i!e. #o$e%er, $orship, as &escri'e& in the (cript)res, is a 'roa& ter*, an& the a%en)e an& stye o! $orship is not spee& o)t in cear ter*s. The greatest expanation o! $orship co*es !ro* +es)s, #i*se!, in +ohn ,-2,. #e sai&, ./o& is spirit, an& those $ho $orship hi* *)st $orship in spirit an& tr)th0 1The #oy Bi'e2. 3ne o! the t$o, tr)th, is pretty easy to 4)anti!y, especiay !or e%angeica "hristians. 5or e%angeica "hristians, sola scriptura, or (cript)re aone, is the stan&ar& o! tr)th that they ho& !or their $orship. #o$e%er, tr)th is not the ony co*ponent !or e!!ecti%e $orship. "hristians *)st aso $orship in the (pirit. This is the &i%i&ing point 'et$een e%angeicas an& charis*atics. The e*phasis an& !oc)s gi%en to the (pirit 'y charis*atics ca)se *any har&core !)n&a*entaist to s4)ir* in their seats. 5or *ost !)n&a*entaist, the Wor& o! /o& is the ony a)thority o! /o&, an&that anything o)tsi&e o! the Wor& o! /o& is to 'e teste& an& scr)tini6e& to the highest &egree 'y the Wor& o! /o&. 7%en tho)gh this .&octrine o! the (pirit0 ca)ses &i%ision, it is o!ten $ithin the recogni6e& 'o)n&aries o! the co**)nity o! !aith. 8s ong as the 'asic tenants o! the !aith, s)ch as inerrancy o! (cript)re, &eity o! "hrist, Trinitarian nat)re o! the /o&hea&, an& atoning &eath o! +es)s "hrist on the cross, is )phe& than $e can toerate the &i!!erences an& are happy to &$e ino)r o$n &eno*inationa ca*ps. #o$e%er, since the t)rn o! the 21st cent)ry, there has 'een a arge *o%e*ent to$ar&s extre*e charis*aticis*, or hyper9charis*aticis*. 8t the !ore!ront o! this *o%e*ent is Bethe "h)rch, ocate& in Re&&ing, "ai!ornia.Lapp 2Bethe is a %ery pop)ar ch)rch, ')t not !or its preaching an& teaching, ')t !or its $orship*)sic. Bethe :)sic, +es)s ")t)re, an& co*ponents o! the t$o ha%e in%a&e& the ch)rch $ith $hat see*s to 'e heart!et, spirit9!ie& yrics. #o$e%er, )pon researching Bethe, ; !o)n& a pethora o! contro%ersies reate& to their &octrine an& practice. :any artices ; rea& cassi!ie& the* as a c)t, an& acc)se& Bi +ohnson, the ea& pastor, as 'eing a !ase prophet. ;n ight o! the three e%i&ences o! Bethe stepping o)tsi&e o! ortho&oxy, *ainy their theory o! the atone*ent, spit9&eity o! "hrist, an& the $ork o! the #oy (pirit, ; conc)&e, 'y &e!inition, that Bethe sho)&'e consi&ere& a "hristian c)t.5irst, an exa*ination o! the &e!inition o! "hristian c)ts is in or&er. Water :artin, a Baptist *inister an& a teacher o! Bi'ica Theoogy, "o*parati%e Reigion, an& 8poogetics, &e!ines a c)t as s)ch, .")tis*, in short, is any *a2. (ince ortho&oxy in an& o! itse! is a h)ge s)' 1The #oy Bi'e2. +es)s ne%er pro*ise& it $o)& 'e easy. Dr. /era& Hreean& *a&e this co**ent, ./o& *ay not $ant )s to 'e heathy, $eathy, an& $ise, ')t he &oes not $ant )s sick, poor, an& st)pi& neither.0 /o& &oes o%e an& care a'o)t )s an& #e sti per!or*s *iraces to&ay, ')t it is not a$ays his $i to hea.Lapp BThe next *a22. There are certain texts !ro* the 3& an& Je$ Testa*ent that co)& 'e )se& to pro%e this pheno*enon. The *ost nota'e o! these is in +ohn 1@-19I $here +es)s ca)ses the Pharisees an& chie! priests &ra$ 'ack an& !a to the gro)n& 1B)rgess >D02. This ho$e%er is in no $ise connecte& $ith the #oy (pirit in the text an& con%ersion &i& not take pace, since Lapp 10they contin)e& $ith +es)s= arrest an& cr)ci!ixion. Pa)=s re%eation on the roa& to Da*asc)s is aso an exa*pe that schoars $i )se. #o$e%er, this $as not nor*ati%e, $hich is pro'a'y $hy L)ke retes it t$ice 1B)rgess >D02. This 4)ote pretty *)ch s)*s )p the position, .5ro* an experientia stan&point, it is )n4)estiona'e that thro)gh the cent)ries "hristians ha%e experience& a psychophysica pheno*enon in $hich peope !a &o$n. ;t is e4)ay )n4)estiona'e that there is no 'i'ica e%i&ence !or the experience as nor*ati%e in "hristian i!e0 1B)rgess >D09>D12. (o in ight o! the three e%i&ences o! Bethe stepping o)tsi&e o! ortho&oxy, *ainy their theory o! the atone*ent, spit9&eity o! "hrist, an& the $ork o! the #oy (pirit, ; conc)&e, 'y &e!inition, that Bethe sho)& 'e consi&ere& a "hristian c)t. Water :artin a&&s to his &e!inition o! a "hristian c)t $ith eight other criteria, t$o appy &irecty. These are the t$o- pro*ise instantspirit)a, e*otiona, an& *ateria hep an& then !ai to &ei%erK 'rag o! their exc)si%e .&i%ine0 re%eations an& cai* extra9'i'ica a)thority 1:artin, Martin Speaks Out on the Cults 2B2. Bethe=s heaing con!erences pro*ise instant heaing an& an ecstatic enco)nter $ith "hrist, ')t in*any cases, ca)se &isappoint*ent an& &epression. "oncerning the secon& criterion, Bethe cai*s that e%ery 'eie%er can recei%e *o&ern re%eation. Bi +ohnson, in an artice tite& .#o$ &o ; recei%e re%eation,0 says, .The !oo$ing is a ist o! practica s)ggestions !or those $anting to gro$ in re%eation !ro* /o&0 1+ohnson, .#o$ Do ; Recei%e Re%eationC02. #e then goes on to gi%e eight things, ony one o! $hich has anything to &o $ith (cript)re, an& that one in%o%es ony *e&itating on (cript)re. (o ho$ &oes this a!!ect o)r %ie$ o! Bethe=s *)sicC +)st a cari!ication, ; a* not Tr)th. .The Dr)nken De)sion o! #ei&i Baker.0 3nine %i&eo cip. 'ou$u(e) Fo)T)'e, D Jo%. 201,. We'. D :ay, 201B. ()ri, Fas*een. .(a)ghter o! the (heep.0 3nine %i&eo cip. 'ou$u(e. Fo)T)'e, > Jo%. 2012. We'. D :ay, 201B. Haotton, Kris. .The /oo&, Ba&, G Ngy.0 #ethel Church. iBethe, 201B. We'. D :ay, 201B:artin, Water. Martin Speaks Out on the Cults. "ai!ornia- Hision #o)se, 1D@3. Print.:artin, Water Raston. Rise of the Cults. "ai!ornia- Hision #o)se, 1D@0. Print