Hinn’s discussion of “Spirit-filled worship” (Chapter 6) was my favourite part. Denouncing charismatic razzmatazz on one hand and hidebound conservatism on the other, Hinn calls for worship which is “lifestyle … every moment of every day” (108–109). Worship which prioritises truth and holiness and doesn’t shy away from sin. Best of all, worship that focuses on Christ: The Holy Spirit didn’t come to put the spotlight on us, he came to put the spotlight on Christ. That is where all spirit-filled worship begins and ends … he takes the minds, hearts, and attention of believers and shifts all the focus onto Christ … Spirit-filled worship honours the spirit by making much of Jesus Christ. (118)

Costi W. Hinn’s Knowing the Spirit is a wide-ranging, easy-to-read and eminently practical introduction to a doctrine of the Holy Spirit as well as a response to the modern charismatic movement that Costi grew up with.
Hinn brings a unique perspective to the charismatic/evangelical divide. As nephew to the famous faith healer Benny Hinn and former beneficiary of the prosperity network, he knows the movement’s excesses and its self-serving theological abuses from the inside. As a convert to reformed evangelicalism, he has also witnessed enough ignorance of the Spirit in the Christian mainstream.
Responding To Misconceptions
Hinn structures his book as a response to the problems he has observed. For those who see the Spirit as an impersonal force, he opens with a robust defence of the Trinity, insisting that the Spirit is both God and a Person to whom we owe worship, praise, prayer, and relationship (Chapter 1). Against shallow experientialism that hopes for guidance and transformation through mystical encounters (e.g. tongues-speaking, stirring worship), Hinn serves up a meatier biblical spirituality: the Spirit convicts us of our sins (Chapter 2); comes to give us new life, justifies us and helps us understand Scripture, live it out and stay Christians (Chapter 3).

Knowing the Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does, and How He Can Transform Your Christian Life
Costi W. Hinn

Whether intentionally or not, many Christians today seek health, wealth, and happiness by summoning the Holy Spirit like a genie to grant their wishes. When things don’t go the way they think they should, disappointment and disillusionment abound. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
In Knowing the Spirit, author, pastor, and speaker Costi Hinn shows you why a relationship with the Holy Spirit is the most important next step on your journey as a Christian. Using clear and sound interpretation of Scripture, Costi clarifies who the Holy Spirit is–and who he isn’t–and answers some of the most important and most frequently asked questions about him.

Zondervan. 272.

In the next chapters, Hinn attempts to correct some sub-biblical understandings of biblical concepts. In Chapter 4, the question, “What does it mean to walk by the Spirit?” leads to a detailed exploration of Galatians 5:16–17. Hinn steers readers away from legalism and sinful license to the new life Paul wants for us; a life of Spirit-empowered holiness.
In Chapter 5, Hinn turns to ideas of spiritual “baptism” and “filling”, showing that the former is not a “second blessing” but a “free, God-given experience that is always linked to conversion” (94). Spirit-filling, on the other hand, is an occasional event that “provides the empowerment of the Spirit to live a faithful and godly life each day” (100).
Leaving Some Wrinkles Untouched
I wasn’t always sure that Hinn did enough work on ironing out the wrinkles in these discussions. Here are three observations.
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Written by Thomas G. Guarino |
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
From the beginning, Neuhaus and Colson hoped that, by establishing a serious theological dialogue between the two largest Christian groups in North America, ECT would advance unity and fraternity among fellow believers. Both men were concerned that religion in general, and Christianity in particular, was being increasingly relegated to the margins of public life in the United States. They maintained, to the contrary, that the gospel is indispensable for addressing the complex social, cultural, and political challenges facing the nation.

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), the groundbreaking ecumenical initiative founded by Fr. Richard Neuhaus and Chuck Colson in 1994. ECT made quite a splash in its debut, with many wondering how these two groups—frequent antagonists in the past—had now become ecumenical partners. Predictably, some saw ECT as nothing more than a pragmatic political alliance among conservative-leaning Christians. But that shopworn allegation, while still recycled from time to time, was always far from the truth. From the beginning, Colson and Neuhaus explicitly rejected the idea that ECT was based on cultural “co-belligerency.” On the contrary, both men were convinced that any fruitful ecumenical exchange must be founded on recognizing each other as brothers in Jesus Christ.
From the Catholic “side,” this was not a problem. Since the promulgation of the Decree on Ecumenism at Vatican II (1964), Catholics had been engaged in ecumenical dialogue with a wide variety of Christian churches and communities. And the council had taught that all those baptized into Christ Jesus belonged, at least in some measure, to his Church. So, few eyebrows were raised about ECT—at least from a strictly theological point of view.
But from the Evangelical side, there were rumbles of thunder. Some Evangelicals thought—and some think today—that, because of their beliefs, Catholics can never be true Christian brethren. Cultural alliances are fine, indeed desirable, but no union beyond that is possible. Even Colson spoke frankly about his original hesitations. In a 2009 interview with Christianity Today, soon after Neuhaus’s death, Colson noted that he had felt “some estrangement” when Neuhaus converted from Lutheranism to Catholicism, conceding that it was “a bit hard for me to take.” Ultimately, he reasoned that the man who had once been a brother in Christ must continue to be so.
Particularly admirable was Colson’s fortitude in pressing ahead with ECT, even when this was not a popular position in all sectors of the Evangelical world. As the current co-chair of ECT and former dean of Beeson Divinity School Timothy George has written, when this ecumenical initiative began, some Evangelicals reacted toward Colson with “anger, bombast and recrimination.” But Chuck forged ahead despite the attacks.
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In keeping with the journalistic tradition of looking back at the recent past, we present the top 50 stories of the year that were read on The Aquila Report site based on the number of hits. We will present the 50 stories in groups of 10 to run on five lists on consecutive days. Here are numbers 41-50.

In 2022 The Aquila Report (TAR) posted over 3,000 stories. At the end of each year we feature the top 50 stories that were read.
TAR posts 8 new stories each day, on a variety of subjects – all of which we trust are of interest to our readers. As a web magazine TAR is an aggregator of news and information that we believe will provide articles that will inform the church of current trends and movements within the church and culture.
In keeping with the journalistic tradition of looking back at the recent past, we present the top 50 stories of the year that were read on The Aquila Report site based on the number of hits. We will present the 50 stories in groups of 10 to run on five lists on consecutive days. Here are numbers 41-50:

The Rise & Fall of the Presbycrats

The ratification of the overtures would have been helpful and a key victory, but largely symbolic. In this sense the National Partnership was right: Overtures 23 and 37 are unnecessary (but they are neither unclear nor unloving). Everything required by these overtures is already set forth by the Westminster Standards. The problem has been an unwillingness in some presbyteries and agencies of the PCA to uphold the Standards or to interpret them according to their historic meaning.

Targeting Homosexual Officers in the PCA Again: Are We Being Too Nice?

Love is speaking truth in order to prevent sin.  As Side B homosexuality ordination has been active now for several years, it is becoming normalized.  Unless we take drastic action quickly, it will become the accepted theological view for the next generation. 

Former Georgia OPC Pastor Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting a Ugandan Minor on Missionary Trip

Eric Tuininga, 44, of Milledgeville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places before Chief U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell. Upon entry of his guilty plea, Tuininga was taken into custody pending his sentencing. Tuininga faces a maximum 30 years in prison to be followed by a term of supervised release up to life and a maximum $250,000 fine.

Report on the 49th PCA General Assembly

Overtures 15 & 29: Strengthening Character Requirements for Ordination. The Assembly voted by a wide margin to amend BCO Chapter 16 to clarifying that officers, “…must affirm the sinfulness of fallen desires, the reality and hope of progressive sanctification, and be committed to the pursuit of Spirit-empowered victory over their sinful temptations, inclinations, and actions” (Overture 29)… To amend BCO Chapter 7 to include the following language: “Men who describe themselves as homosexual, even those who describe themselves as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy by refraining from homosexual conduct, are disqualified from holding office in the Presbyterian Church in America” (Overture 15).

An Update on the Voting of the PCA BCO Amendments: The Tale So Far

As Fall fades into Winter about 38 presbyteries have given their advice and consent concerning some or all of the twelve Items sent down from the 49th General Assembly (2022) in Birmingham, AL. To change the Book of Church Order, an amendment is run through a three-part process.

Does the PCA Ordain Homosexuals? Well, “Yes, But” or “No, But”

When asked, “Does the PCA ordain homosexuals?” we cannot say, “We can neither confirm nor deny that the PCA ordains homosexuals.” We must either say, “Yes, the PCA ordains homosexuals, but men must claim celibacy from homosexual conduct in order to ordained,” or we will say, “No, but there may be men who count that amongst the temptations they resist.” Put succinctly, we will either be a “Yes, but” or a “No, but” denomination.

The ARP Session’s Authority and Responsibility Concerning Public Corporate Worship

How should the Session deal with these providential hinderances? When dealing with such rare and unavoidable circumstances, the Session must clearly be guided by biblical wisdom and principles, objective certainties, and sound reasoning, and not by speculation, worldly wisdom, and unsupported fear. The Session should lean on what is “known” rather than what is “unknown” to determine its decision. The importance of corporate worship demands that clarity, thoughtfulness, and sobriety dictate how the Session wrestles with this “solemn duty.” It should be a matter of last resort to suspend corporate worship.

The Christian Reformed Church Corrects Course

If you watched the synod delegates speak, it sounded more or less like an even split between those for and against the codifying of biblical sexuality. But what didn’t split evenly were the ages of those speaking. Often, those who argued for the welcome and inclusion of homosexual lifestyles had grey hair and wrinkles. Many of those who spoke for biblical sexuality were visibly younger.

Gay and Celibate

Only in the post-Christian, therapeutic-deistic west could a Christian think he has sacrificed everything to follow Jesus simply because he can’t indulge his sexual proclivities. Only in the post-Christian, therapeutic-deistic west could a Christian think he is suffering for the gospel because his brethren won’t play Freudian identity games with him. Only in the post-Christian, therapeutic-deistic west could a Christian believe that being afflicted with “unnatural affections” constitutes a divine call to celibacy. Only in the post-Christian, therapeutic-deistic west could a Christian believe think he’s ill-treated if his brethren won’t acknowledge the supererogatory act of a Christian doing his mere duty in warring against indwelling sin.

Clarification and Retraction re: Greg Johnson’s Book

After thinking through all of this more carefully and more clearly, I can no longer in good conscience stand by my initial endorsement of Greg Johnson’s book because of its “Side B” underpinnings and faulty anthropology (and therefore faulty theology).
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