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CRI Web: www.equip.org Tel: 70 4 .8 8 7 . 82 00 Fax: 70 4 .8 8 7 . 8299 1 CHRISTIANRESEARCHINSTITUTE P.O.Box 85 00, Charlotte,NC28271 Article : D O147 ONENESSPENTECOSTALI SM : HERESY,NOTHAIRSPL ITTING FarFroma“MootPoint,”theNatureoftheTrinity is EssentialChristianDoctrine Thisarticlefirstappearedin CRI’snewsletter ChristianResearch REPORT ,volume 11 ,number1( 1998 ).Forfurther informationortosubscribeto CRI’scurrentnewsletter goto: http://www.equip.org TheJune1997issue of Charisma featuresanarticlebyexecutiveeditorJ.LeeGradyentitled,“TheOther Pentecostals,” 1 reportingontheestimated17millionOnenessPentecostalsworldwidewith2.1millionin theUnitedStates. 2 GradycallsPentecostalisma“housedivided. ” 3 WhileTrinitarianandOnenessPentecostalsaliketrace theirrootsbacktotheAzusaStreetRevivalofl906, 4 OnenessPentecostalshavebeen“separatedfrom theirbrethrenbyanastydoctrinalfeudthatsplitfamiliesandchurches.” 5 Todayyoungerleade rsinthe Onenessmovementhopetoendthefeudandleadtheirmovementintothemainstreamchurch. 6 Itisdisturbingenoughtoreadthat17millionOnenessbelieversarefollowingatheologythatrejectsthe biblicaldoctrineofthetrinity. 7 Evenmoretr oublingisthearticle’ssuggestionthatamongmany evangelicalsthisOnenesserrorisnotterriblysignificant!” PAPERINGOVERDIFFER ENCES AfterdiscussingtheOnenessrejectionofTrinitarianlanguage,Gradyusesthephrase,“Tosplitdoctrinal hairseve nfurther,...”tointroduceOneness’insistenceonbaptisminJesus’nameonly. 9 WhileOneness Pentecostalsmaybe“toosectariantomix withotherevangelicals,”hewrites,“theyaretooorthodoxto becomparedwithMormonsorJehovah’sWitnesses.”Grady concludes,“Noonereallyknowswhattodo withthem.” 10 Heproceedstojuxtaposestrikingcommentsbytwoleaders,onefromeachcamp.Trinitarianscholarand ex - OnenessfollowerGregoryBoydisquotedassaying,“Ifyoudenytheeternalityofthethreep ersonal waysGodisGod,youunderminetheveryessenceofChristianity.” 11 OnenessleaderT.F.Tenneystates,“WedonotdenytheFather,theSonortheHolySpirit....Webelieve JesusChristiswholly,fully,absolutely,andcompletelyGod.Butnoone isgoingtoputusintheposition ofsayingthattherearethreeGods.” 12 Gradythenoffersanobservationonourtimes,seeminglywithoutrecognizingitsdevastating ramifications:“TheargumentoverwhetherGodisthree - in - oneorone - in - threeisamoot pointforthe averagelayman,whotendstoviewthedoctrineofthetrinityasanunexplainablemystery.” 13 Grady impliesthattheChurchshouldbemoreconcernedwithotherissues. ConcerningthebaptismalviewofthemostrigidOnenessPentecostals,hes tates,“Itisonthisissue, theologianssay,thatOnenessPentecostalshavedrifteddangerouslytowardspiritualelitismand heresy.” 14 Indeed,theOnenessviewofbaptismislethallyflawed.