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Essay: Pentecostal Theology Paradigm of Salvation Bishop Timothy R. Carter, Ph.D (C)
Provide a Pentecostal theological paradigm of salvation that bridges the Exodus event (Passover) with the Pentecost experience.
Discussing the link between the Passover and the Pentecostal experience, Hebrews had a high reverence for God and His name. They would not even say His name. They would speak of an event in which He is involved as “It was said” instead of saying “Yahweh said.” They would say “It happened that…” to avoid saying “Yahweh did…” This was not because they were ashamed of His name, but rather had such high regard for Him they did not want to approach Him and be considered as being to forward or too direct. The theological term for this is called the “Devine Passive”. This can be seen in Acts 2:1.
Acts 2:1 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Notice the word “come (?????????)” this is a verb in the aorist passive infinitive form. This aorist passive infinitive form is very often used as a way of representing Devine Intervention. It is often a word or phrase used in place of the name of Deity. Therefore, we can see the Devine Passive used here. As good way to translate the first part of this verse “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come,” is “When the Day of Pentecost had completely reached its apex of what it promised,” for this to be explained fully we must look at Exodus, specifically the giving of the Law (Exod. 20) and the Passover (Exod. 11-13).
Observe that when God called the Hebrews out of the bondage of Egyptian slavery He gave them specific orders. They should put the blood of a slain lamb around the doorpost, eat a certain meal, and prepare themselves to leave. The announcement of the plague of death was not limited only to the Egyptian, but every home in Egypt. If they would do these things, God gave a way of escaping this plague of death, “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exod. 12:13). This is where we get the name of the celebration “the Passover” because they were under the announced sentence of death also, but, because the blood of the slain lamb was applied, the death angle passed over. In this we can see a type of prophetic redemption, the Lamb of God slain and we who have the blood applied are passed over by the death angle who brings the sentence of death, for we are not under the sentence of death, but under the blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah!
This is also the prerequisite by which they are able to leave Egypt redeemed. This blood numbers them among Yahweh’s people so that when the enemy comes after them they are protected by Yahweh’s Glory. They left Egypt to inherit Canaan. They came unto Yahweh at Sinai, where they reached in the third month after the Exodus; they remained here, for about a year learning a new way of life. A life instructed to them by the Law of Yahweh. They had spent generations in captivity. They did not know what it meant to be a nation separate from the ruling power of Egypt. They were not just separated from the bondage of Egypt but from Egypt to Canaan, unto Yahweh. Yahweh told them, “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel” (Exod. 19:6). They now need instruction as to how to live as Yahweh’s people in the land which He is giving them. It is only by the instruction of the Law that they can truly understand the redemption of the slain Passover Lamb.
This Law shows that Yahweh’s people are a unique people. When the Law is given Yahweh identifies Himself with them by revelation, He reveals Himself on Mt. Sinai. Through the ministry of Moses He shows them that they have been brought out of the terrible lifestyle they were in to no longer be identified with work animals but to be identified with Yahweh Himself. Only by showing what He has brought them to can they understand what He has redeemed them from.
We can see through these typologies that Yahweh had prophesied of the salvation through Christ. Let us look into the NT. The crucifixion of Christ is the fulfillment of Passover, Paul said “…For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7). The day of Pentecost is fifty days after the Passover, The Feast of First Fruits, and the Feast that celebration of the given of the Law of Moses. In the NT, we see the followers of Christ moving from their Passover (Crucifixion of Christ on Calvary) to their Mt. Sinai (the Day of Pentecost). Notice they did not understand their Passover; they did not know how they should live after their Passover. They needed instruction about the Crucifixion of Christ on Calvary and His resurrection. They did not know how to live as a follower of the Man once dead, now rose from the dead. It was urgent for them to have a revelation of Christ and what happened at the Crucifixion. They needed a Mt. Sinai experience. It was on the Day of Pentecost in which they begin to understand how to live this new life. It was at the Day of Pentecost when they were once again separated to be a unique people of God. They are unique in that have been saved by the blood of the Lamb of God, the NT fulfillment of the Passover promise. They are unique in that they have been filled with the promised Spirit of God, the NT fulfillment of the Mt. Sinai revelation of the Law. They are unique in that they have a new destination, Heaven the ultimate Promised Land, the real Sabbath into which God calls us.
John Kissinger [11/01/2015 6:19 AM]
In AJ Tomlinson diary, many salvations are marked with the baptist term “professed”
Charles Page [11/01/2015 3:42 PM]
profession of faith is what the elect regenerate do!
Charles Page [11/01/2015 3:44 PM]
Arminians believe you have to make a profession of faith in order to be born again.
Timothy Carter [11/01/2015 3:51 PM]
Jeremy Love what do you think about this?
Timothy Carter [11/01/2015 3:53 PM]
James Edwin Cossey we would like to have your input about this essay, please sir.
John Kissinger [11/01/2015 4:50 PM]
guess Charles is going elect bapticostal on us too?
John Kissinger [11/01/2015 7:20 PM]
actually Charles if you read the works of Jacob Arminues you will find what he really meant by the term “profession” – The Works of James Arminius, Sin against the Holy Ghost, p. 532-33 https://books.google.com/books?id=7p89AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA533&lpg=PA533&dq=Jacobus+Arminius+believed+in+profession&source=bl&ots=V1SLkElgal&sig=zDHeWtrG8wKF5BrPQMErl4hl3SI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDMQ6AEwBGoVChMIgdGsrLvwyAIVCD4mCh2vzQim#v=onepage&q=Jacobus%20Arminius%20believed%20in%20profession&f=false
