The holiness of the Church: an analysis of Wesleyan-Pentecostal thought

Abstract

This article examines early Pentecostal discussions of holiness in relation to theindividual as well as the Church. It then moves to later discussions in the Wesleyan-Pentecostal trajectory. As a result of these examinations, it is maintained that the holiness of the Church is directly related to, if not dependent upon, personal holiness. Finally, in agreement with Daniel Castelo, it is concluded that holiness is embodied as well as anticipated in the life of the Pentecostal community.

Keywords:

• holiness
• Pentecostal
• Wesleyan-Pentecostal
• holiness of the church
• sanctification
• Bride of Christ

Notes

¹Castelo, ‘Improvisational Quality of Ecclesial Holiness’, 103.

²The term personal is used here to qualify individual. Use of personal emphasises the relational aspect, affective dimension, and involvement of the will. Individuation from community is more in view with individual.

³‘Apostolic Faith Movement’, 2.

⁴Seymour, ‘Precious Atonement’, 2.

⁵‘Millennium’, 3.

⁶Lemons, Questions Answered (n.d.; no specific publishing information but the Evangel Office in Cleveland, TN is likely).

⁷King, From Passover to Pentecost, 18.

⁸Ibid.

⁹Lemons, Questions Answered.

¹⁰Lake, ‘Sanctification and Holy Living’, 8.

¹¹There are notable exceptions. See Coulter, ‘Development of Ecclesiology in the Church of God’ and Hunter's response to Coulter's work presented at the Society for Pentecostal Studies meeting in Eugene, Oregon in March 2009.

¹²Wacker, Heaven Below, 16–17.

¹⁴Ibid.

¹³Graham, ‘We Will Sing and Preach Holiness’, 89.

¹⁵Hezmalhalch, ‘Pentecost in Denver’, 1.

¹⁶Snyder, The Radical Wesley and Patterns for Church Renewal, 76.

¹⁷Albert Outler quoted in Snyder, The Radical Wesley and Patterns for Church Renewal, 76.

¹⁸Perry, ‘Spiritual Life and Power’, 3.

¹⁹Orwig, ‘The Wedding in the Air’, 4.

²⁰Deborah (no last name), ‘Lessons from Genesis’, 3.

²²Sexton, ‘Entering the Fifth Year of Service’, 1.

²¹Sexton, ‘Pentecostal Light’, 3.

²³Piper, ‘Last Public Words’, 4.

²⁵Ibid.

²⁶Seymour, ‘Christ’s Messages to the Church’, 3.

²⁴Taylor, ‘A Good Report from South Africa’, 1.

²⁷Reynolds, ’Christ is Coming’, 7.

²⁸Bowers, ‘Towards a Twenty-first Century Ecclesiology’, 3.

²⁹Ibid., 4, 5.

³⁰Bowers, Wesleyan-Pentecostal Vision of the Christian Life, 231.

³¹Ibid., 244.

³²Ibid, 245.

³³Gause, ‘Pentecostal Understanding of Sanctification’, 2.

³⁵Ibid., 205.

³⁴Land, Pentecostal Spirituality, 128.

³⁶Gause, Living in the Spirit, 108.

³⁷Ibid., 154.

³⁸Gause, ‘Pentecostal Understanding of Sanctification’, 10.

³⁹Ibid., 15.

⁴⁰Castelo, ‘Improvisational Quality of Ecclesial Holiness’, 90.

⁴¹Ibid., 100.

⁴²Ibid., 89.

⁴³Ibid., 92.

⁴⁴Ibid., 93.

⁴⁵See Castelo's discussion of Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples as a sign of God's breaking into the world, of kenosis and incarnation, ibid., 100–2.

⁴⁶Ibid., 103.