Summary in English
Summary in English THE INDEPENDENT LOCAL CHURCH AND THE GIFTS AND MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE ECCLESIASTICAL CONCEPT OF THE SWEDISH PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT 1907– 1947.
Chapter I. From homeless congregations to Pentecostal movement, 1907–1919. The Pentecostal revival came to Sweden from the USA via Norway. It was almost immediately repudiated as heretical by the Historical Christian denominations, mainly because of its doctrine of speaking in tongues. The small Baptist Church, known as Filadelfia, became its most important centre. The church was excluded from the Baptist Society because of its so called "Open Communion", which meant that it received other Christians to Holy Communion who were not members of a Baptist church. Individuals, groups and even whole congregations began leaving their own denomination, especially the Baptist Society, in order to stay free together with the Filadelfia Church. Filadelfia, together with its pastor Lewi Pethrus, soon emerged as the leaders of these churches which existed outside the established denominations. They did not want to organize a new denomination. On the contrary they believed that Christian churches should stay together without any kind of denominational ties. Lewi Pethrus rejected all proposals to return to the Baptist Society. In his opinion every kind of organization was against the New Testament's teaching and thus unacceptable. Christian congregations were to be held together by means of the gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit. This was what he called "the Unity of the Spirit".
Chapter II. The concept of the independent local church is formed, 1919–1933. The church in the New Testament became the pattern of these congregations which consistently refused to be organized or to adopt a common constitution. The local church was the centre of their ecclesiastical concept. It was regarded as the highest religious authority. Every kind of organization was considered unbiblical. Only "the Unity of the Spirit" should prevail amongst the churches. The gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit were quite enough for unity. The belief in
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