My Unrefined Treatment of Light Doctrine

[Chateau d'If]

Earlier today, I watched the videos of Lee Stoneking teaching Light Doctrine. I am very familiar with it because although my childhood pastor was a very strict water/Spirit preacher, he extended a measure of mercy and grace to Christian Apologists, pre-twentieth century, who were ignorant of Pentecostal theology.

He did so by teaching what he termed Progressive Light Doctrine. He believed that God restored the Apostolic Church bit by bit over the centuries culminating with the revelation of the New Issue in 1913. He taught that men like Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Edwards, Wycliffe and other Protestant reformers were saved because they "walked in the Light they had at the time."

Of course, he did not extend the same mercy and grace to his contemporaries in other Christian denominations, even though they believed exactly as did the Protestant reformers he so admired. Although his stance seemed inconsistent, he reasoned that the men of his day were without excuse because the fullness of truth had come, and all light had been revealed.

Of course, I am a product of my environment and had always believed as he taught until recently.

I changed my soteriology because of this passage.

Romans 3:19-28 NLT

[I]Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.


I now believe that there was no need for progressive revelation because faith in Christ has been present in every generation, without fail, since the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The believing church has, in fact, had elements of Apostolic practice restored. But penitent sinners have been restored to right relationship with God through faith in Jesus, for two millenniums, in an unbroken chain of succession.

[Chateau d'If]

Many modern water/Spirit proponents believe that Jesus words in Matthew 16:18 are proof that there was no need for Progressive Light. They say that the church never needed restoration because the doctrine the UPCI teaches has existed in an unbroken chain, throughout history, from Pentecost to present.

These men are working to separate themselves from the very pioneers responsible for the doctrine they now believe and teach. To do so, they must prove their doctrine of an unbroken chain is true, so they grasp at every historical straw they can find. It's standard operating procedure for them to find some obscure sect that practiced one of the two measurable steps in their soteriology - baptism and/or speaking in tongues.

Although they have been minutely successful in identifying sects who practice one of these steps, they have been completely unable to find anyone who believed and preached their exact doctrine, with identical emphasis, in any portion of history, pre-1913.

Additionally, many of the men who formed their current doctrine did not emphasize it with the present vigor. They preached all three steps, yet believed in justification by faith. Baptism and Spirit infilling were subsequent to salvation, and proceeded from salvation.

[Hoovie]

Wow. Perhaps your soteriology has changed beyond only the "light" doctrine? Or am I reading too much into your final statement?


Fwiw I believe my own pastors would agree with the way you were taught, and possibly extend it to today as well- though not from the pulpit.

[Chateau d'If]

All of this leads me to believe that error begets error.

Instead of reading from the Word, these men read into the Word.

Over time, their doctrine becomes more strange, exclusive, and damning.

I recently read a blog in which a highly respected UPC minister placed Howard Goss in Hell. In various other blogs he has distanced himself from Topeka, Azusa and the early twentieth century Pentecostals.

It seems the "old paths" are being rejected for a new Apostolic Identity. One which disrespects our Wesleyan roots.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Chateau d'If

...

I now believe that there was no need for progressive revelation because faith in Christ has been present in every generation, without fail, since the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The believing church has, in fact, had elements of Apostolic practice restored, but penitent sinners have been restored to right relationship with God, through faith in Jesus, for two millenniums in an unbroken chain of succession.

[UnTraditional]

Originally Posted by Chateau d'If

I now believe that there was no need for progressive revelation because faith in Christ has been present in every generation, without fail, since the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The believing church has, in fact, had elements of Apostolic practice restored, but penitent sinners have been restored to right relationship with God, through faith in Jesus, for two millenniums in an unbroken chain of succession.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9)

[DAII]

Teary eyed.

[Chateau d'If]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

Wow. Perhaps your soteriology has changed beyond only the "light" doctrine? Or am I reading too much into your final statement?


Fwiw I believe my own pastors would agree with the way you were taught, and possibly extend it to today as well- though not from the pulpit.

Yes, it has.

I want to add one last thought I gleaned from Romans 3.

"This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus."

Faith in Jesus Christ pre-dates his birth.

Those who "sinned in times past" are those Old Testament saints who believed in Christ without a revelation of His name. They had faith in Him before He was born.

This extraordinary forward-looking faith justified them in the same way our backward-looking faith does.

Paul's words reveal what we've known, but rarely speak: Jesus is the fulcrum upon which all of history rests. He is truly the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Nothing has ever justified sinful man but faith in Jesus.

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow
no other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

[Hoovie]

Praise God!

[Chateau d'If]

Originally Posted by UnTraditional

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9)