Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship

Top Highlights

“The New Testament articulates at least three necessary criteria: (1) an apostle had to be a physical eyewitness of the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:22; 10:39–41; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–8); (2) an apostle had to be personally appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:2, 24; 10:41; Gal. 1:1); and (3) an apostle had to be able to authenticate his apostolic appointment with miraculous signs (Matt. 10:1–2; Acts 1:5–8; 2:43; 4:33; 5:12; 8:14; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3–4).” (source)

“Scripture expressly condemns is the ‘strange fire’ they offered. The crux of their sin was approaching God in a careless, self-willed, inappropriate manner, without the reverence He deserved. They did not treat Him as holy or exalt His name before the people.” (source)

“Jesus said, ‘When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me’ (John 15:26). So when the Holy Spirit becomes the focal point of the church’s message, His true work is undermined.” (source)

“Here’s the point: we can’t make God into any form we would like. We cannot mold Him into our own image, according to our own specifications and imaginations. Yet that is what many Pentecostals and charismatics have done. They have created their own golden-calf version of the Holy Spirit. They have thrown their theology into the fires of human experience and worshipped the false spirit that came out—parading themselves before it with bizarre antics and unrestrained behavior.” (source)

“Apostolic subcategories include: Ecclesiastical, Functional, Apostolic team members; Congregational Apostles; Convening, Ambassadorial, Mobilizing, and Territorial Apostles; Marketplace Apostles; and Calling Apostles.” (source)