For years, the Charismatic movement and its sympathizers have deflected criticism of its obvious failings by arguing that, real as those failings may be in places, there is still something of value within the total movement worth protecting. It was a defense that grew particularly loud in the lead up to the Strange Fire conference.

But is that true?

Are there faithful, biblical elements unique to Charismatic belief that are worth isolating and preserving from the scrap heap? That’s the question at the heart of Phil Johnson’s sermon “Is There a Baby in the Charismatic Bathwater?”

Examining the movement’s fruit, Phil identifies no special reason for optimism:

The Charismatic movement, from its very inception, has produced a relentless parade of scoundrels far exceeding anything you’d find in any non-Charismatic circles. For a movement that claims they are the only ones who get what it truly means to be a Spirit-filled believer, charismatics as a group suffer from a stunning, and I would say pathological, scarcity of the fruits of genuine sanctification.

But his criticism goes much further than the charlatanism and corruption that characterize Charismatic leaders. Phil drills down and debunks perhaps their most cherished doctrine—prophecy. Through detailed analysis of common Charismatic practices, he eliminates any possibility that the biblical gift of prophecy persists today. He goes on to point out that their claim to prophecy has left the entire movement riddled with lies and confusion.

Phil’s indictment is not exclusive to outspoken charismatics—he also rightly condemns those within Reformed circles who want to remain “open but cautious” when it comes to the modern exercise of the apostolic gifts. Phil shows how these non-cessationists are just as complicit in the widespread deception still underway. Commenting on how one prominent theologian incongruously defended the prophetic gift of a known phony, Phil says,

I think it summarizes pretty well why I think the whole mess needs to be thrown out altogether. Because here are the very best theologians in the Charismatic movement, and after all the spiritual disaster that has stemmed from this teaching, they continue to justify the practice of encouraging people to proclaim prophecies that are unverified and unverifiable, and which frequently prove to be dead wrong. That is a sinful gullibility, and it fosters more sinful gullibility, and, therefore, it undermines true faith. And confusion about whether God has really spoken or not is the most dangerous threat to faith I can imagine.

It’s not hard to see how the acceptance of failed prophecy undercuts God’s Word. If modern prophets can get the message wrong, who is to say that Scripture itself is inerrant—or even relevant? Such doubts about the authority and perspicuity of Scripture are the direct result of Charismatic prophets and those who provide cover for their deceptions. As Phil explains, “It’s a serious threat to the cause of truth and the advance of the gospel. It’s as serious as the Gnosticism and the home-brewed heresies of the second and third centuries.”

So is there anything worthwhile for us to glean from the Charismatic movement? Phil concludes, “Go ahead and throw out the bathwater—that’s a century’s worth of sludge in the bottom of the sink. It’s not a baby; it’s time to clean the sink.”

Watch Phil Johnson's message "Is There a Baby in the Charismatic Bathwater?":

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