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Pentecostals/Questions Answered by Expert Tom Smith
| Subject | Date Asked |
| question | 10/31/2011 |
| Q: My question is which bible translation is the closet to the Greek that the new testament was written ... A: The translation that I prefer for being the best reflection of the original is the NKJV. ... | |
| Science vs. Religion | 5/31/2011 |
| Q: I'm currently completing an assignment about the increase of ethical dilemmas due to science and ... A: The answer is pretty straightforward. Piracy, copyright violation and hacking are all essentially ... | |
| tribulation | 3/1/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could tell me about the purpose of the great tribulations. Is it for ... A: Michelle, I was debating as to whether to say that this was two large of a question to answer or to ... | |
| obedience | 11/14/2010 |
| Q: Do Pentecostals regard doing God's Will and obeying His Commandments as important and necessary in ... A: Pentecostals are a very wide and diverse set of churches and denominations and as such regulations ... | |
| attitudes | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: Have you ever thought about what makes a woman truly virtuous? Many of us have read Proverbs 31, ... A: A virtuous woman is hard to find. You limited your search to Christian women, and yet christian ... | |
| mariage | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: This is a hypothetical question. Could a sixteen-year-old boy marry a fourteen-year-old girl in the ... A: Let me deal with the the first question first, which makes the other questions moot points. The ... | |
| pentecostal deacons | 2/23/2010 |
| Q: Pleace can you tell me about the work,responsability,ordenation and all others of the pentecostal ... A: Edwin, I could spend a lot of time in putting forward a detail summary of what the Biblical role of ... | |
| God's love vs God's wrath | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: In the Psalms, it speaks of God's love then also mentions the times that God destroyed man. Does ... A: Valerie, This is a good question and one that I hear often with variations. First let me say that ... | |
| Communion | 1/5/2010 |
| Q: Last Sunday night, the small Pentecostal congregation that I attend had communion. To my surprise ... A: Trish, This is a good question. I find many churches vary on the rules that have set in place ... | |
| Sharing of communion in pentecostal church | 12/31/2009 |
| Q: I am a born again christian and has been asked to do a talk on and share the holy communion next ... A: Damian, You did not say how long you were to speak, so I will put down some key points that I come ... | |
| water baptism | 12/27/2009 |
| Q: How do pentecostals explain 1 Corinthians 12-14? If it says by one spirit we are baptized into one ... A: Good questions, and commonly asked. Let's look at what scripture says. I will address each of your ... | |
| racism | 12/27/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering ( i am not racist) but was wondering what the bible had to say on the subject. Any ... A: Rueben, The Bible has a great deal which addresses racism. It gives absolutely to basis for racism. ... | |
| water baptism | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: How do pentecostals explain 1 Corinthians 12-14? If it says by one spirit we are baptized into one ... A: Let's look at that verse: 1 Cor 12:12-14 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one ... | |
| Difference | 12/22/2009 |
| Q: I find "saved" people or people from pentecostal church condem / critizise other religions i.e. ... A: Janine, With all due respect, by labeling a group of people as you have, you have in effect done ... | |
| Pentecostal questions | 12/17/2009 |
| Q: Blessings! Just to let you know up front, I am asking other volunteers in this category this same ... A: I would first have to caution that there are a wide number of different groups which fall within the ... | |
| divorce/remarriage | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: Am I going to hell because I got remarried after a divorce to a Christian man and there was no ... A: I could get into what scripture has to say about divorce and remarriage, but that does not seem to ... | |
| Falling away | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: I am what you would call a new believer. I don't know how to drive yet and I live at home. I am ... A: There are verses that speak of those who were in the church but were not believers. We see that even ... | |
| God's Law | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: I’m searching for a certain denomination and was hoping that by contacting you, you could help me in ... A: Craig, First, I would like to say that normally I do not answer questions when it appears fairly ... | |
| Deacons | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: Tom, You recently answered aCan a man that is divorced and remarried and their x-wife is still ... A: First, I was not making any assumptions regarding fault on anyone's part (though it may have ... | |
| Qualifacations for Deacons | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: Can a man that is divorced and remarried and their x-wife is still living be qualified to become a ... A: I would suggest that would depend upon a number of factors. First of all, was the man saved when he ... | |
| endtime | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: hello i have been pentecostal for 10 years now and i am really starting feel that we are in the ... A: Kelsey, I agree wholeheartedly. We see some many things coming together right now. Not only did we ... | |
| heaven/parents | 8/11/2009 |
| Q: Both my parents have gone on to be with the Lord.do you think when I finally make it, I will be able ... A: Melanie, All indications from scripture are that, yes, we will know family and friends who are in ... | |
| about hair | 7/29/2009 |
| Q: is it necessary to cut the hair for the lady...? A: There is nothing in scripture which specifies how long or how short a woman's hair must be, other ... | |
| Pants | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: does obeying the one law from Deuteronomy 22:5 go against Galations 5:3-4 ? I was raised as a ... A: Kalista, That is an interesting question, and no I do not believe that these are opposing ... | |
| sexual impurity | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: I am a 35 year old guy and have been saved since end of 2006. I have been married and divorced ... A: Good question. Masturbation itself is not a sin according to scripture. The passage commonly used ... | |
| Gifts of the Holy Spirit | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: Can you please explain how the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit should operate in the church today. A: They should operate the way that they did in the 1st century. I see a few problems with the way in ... | |
| bible school | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: my niece is attending an Apostolic Church with her father and his family. My niece attended a ... A: Certainly. I would say that this is a good summary of the essentials (though I might not be in ... | |
| bible school | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: my niece is attending an Apostolic Church with her father and his family. My niece attended a ... A: First, we need to be clear whether our faith is in our denomination or in the word of God and in the ... | |
| baptism of the spirt | 6/4/2009 |
| Q: please help me with this, do you have to have the baptism of watwe and spirit to get to heaven. i ... A: Good question. First, lets separate these into two questions and deal with them individually. 1) ... | |
| Dating | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: I would like to know whether it is acceptable for a woman who is separated from her husband to date. ... A: Yes, it is for life: Matt 19:6-10 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what ... | |
| baptism in Jesus name | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: While I do baptize in Jesus name, I find it hard accept that everyone not baptized in Jesus is not ... A: I agree. In the early church, Jews would have known the Messiah as Yeshua, and the name changes in ... | |
| Throne and Lamb | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: according to Pentecostals Who is sit on the Throne in Revelation 4:10 and who is the lamb in ... A: I will address these as three different questions: 1) Who is sitting on the Throne in Revelation ... | |
| salvation | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: I am a born again penecostal. do you believe that the way a women dresses (appearance) will affect ... A: Kasssandra, It is not clear what verse you are thinking of when you refer to "Holiness outside", ... | |
| salvation | 8/1/2008 |
| Q: I am a born again penecostal. do you believe that the way a women dresses (appearance) will affect ... A: Agreed, but that is not what will affect your salvation. I know that this passage does not relate ... | |
| salvation | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I am a born again penecostal. do you believe that the way a women dresses (appearance) will affect ... A: No, not at all. What affects your salvation is receiving the true gospel of salvation, and the true ... | |
| Tongues | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: I attend a Pentecostal Church, but have to ask the question, do you have to speak in tongues to be a ... A: Good question. I agree with your view of tongues. Many Pentecostal churches believe in variations ... | |
| differences | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: different between christianity and Pentecostal A: Pentecostalism is a branch of Christianity, though Pentecostalism covers a very broad range of ... | |
| Miracles/faith healing. | 12/6/2007 |
| Q: Tom Are the miracles performed by Peter Youngren real or staged? Many of these preachers have been ... A: First, the Word-Faith movement itself is based upon false premises. I would suggest checking out ... | |
| oneness of God | 9/2/2007 |
| Q: tom my question is do you believe that Jesus was God or that God lived in Christ as a spirit ... A: Brian, I could literally write a very thick book answering this question, so providing an ... | |
| Challenge of TRUTH - 5 -Questions only | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: Christian Greetings in sweet and precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I ... A: First, let me make a few points: - I do now have nor claim any of the titles that you have given ... | |
| oneness of God | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: tom my question is do you believe that Jesus was God or that God lived in Christ as a spirit ... A: Brian, Jesus is God. I can give much in the way of evidence from scripture for that position and ... | |
| Frustration | 8/10/2007 |
| Q: I am a Christian girl from Illinois. I am not Pentecostal, but I have some questions in regard to my ... A: I can sympathize with your frustration. Whether or not Pentecostals are actually the worst or ... | |
| when should pentacostal children partake in Holy Communion | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: pentacostal children partake in Holy Communion A: When they have been saved through receiving Christ as Saviour. Pentecostalism is not a single ... | |
| question | 6/19/2007 |
| Q: i was baptised catholic went to catholis school received 1st holy communion and confirmation i now ... A: There is no quick and easy answer to this question. Pentecostalism is not a single denomination, but ... | |
| Is there a universal aspect to God as well as a personal aspect | 4/18/2007 |
| Q: I'm trying to reconcile what seems to be a confusing aspect to having faith in something and it ... A: Interesting question. Let me try to address the individual points that you have raised. 1) By ... | |
| language | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: Was the Bible originally written in Greek or Latin? Either way, since no one currently fluently ... A: It is not a matter of accuracy, but of precision. Greek and Hebrew are very precise languages, ... | |
| language | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: Was the Bible originally written in Greek or Latin? Either way, since no one currently fluently ... A: The Bible was originally written in ancient Greek and Hebrew. No part of the Bible was originally ... | |
| Is God and his creation one or seperate | 3/27/2007 |
| Q: I am a Christian and look to the Bible as my source of truth. I hear a lot of people talk about how ... A: Lori, What you are hearing is a form of pantheism - the belief that God is everything. What those ... | |
| Easter | 3/22/2007 |
| Q: The word Easter is mentioned once in the KJV version of the Bible. Can you tell me the book and ... A: I could not tell you historically the reason for thyme choice of the words. the reality is that both ... | |
| Unpardonable Sin | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: I wonder if you can help me with a question.( I have also sent this to another expert but then i ... A: Put your mind at ease. First point that I always make when discussing this is that if you are ... | |
| Word-Faith | 10/30/2006 |
| Q: What is your opinion on Word-Faith? For or against? A: The Word-Faith movement is based upon a number of unBiblical assumptions. For example, the basic ... | |
| Revelation | 10/20/2006 |
| Q: Well, if He guides us even down to the level of our personal decisions, then why do we even need a ... A: The personal guidance is on day to day decisions. He does not give new revelation on doctrine, and ... | |
| Revelation | 10/19/2006 |
| Q: Well, sure, I don't think anyone doubts that His guidance has ceased, as in providing us with a ... A: I have actually debated professing Christians who deny that God guides us, so unfortunately there ... | |
| Revelation | 10/19/2006 |
| Q: Do you believe God speaks directly to us today or did His revelation to man cease with the New ... A: I am not going to try to speak for any church or denomination, but rather to speak to what I read in ... | |
| Tongues | 10/15/2006 |
| Q: Why should I believe that the tongues spoken in Pentecostal churches is genuinely supernatural and ... A: This is a very good question and should be an area studied by more Christians. First, no one should ... | |
| Baptism in the Holy Ghost | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: Do you believe that all men are commanded to be Baptized in the Holy Ghost in order to be saved? A: I would agree that all who are saved are baptized in the Holy Spirit, but, no man was not commanded ... | |
| Generational Curses | 9/18/2006 |
| Q: Do you know where this doctrine of generational curses came from? I know which Old Testament verses ... A: It is based it upon a mis-understanding of this passage: Ex 20:4-6 4 "You shall not make for ... | |
| salvation | 8/24/2006 |
| Q: I have been baptised in Jesus yet I am told that one must be baptised in the holy ghost and speak in ... A: What is you have been told is not consistent with scripture. First, with respect to the Holy Ghost, ... | |
| satan | 8/19/2006 |
| Q: Can you please explain what Pentecostals believe about Satan? It seems like they blame him for ... A: I agree that often Christians will blame Satan for everything and often use Satan to avoid personal ... | |
| Computers | 7/24/2006 |
| Q: I have been told by one of our employees that he dose not use the company e-mail because it is ... A: As a general statement, no there is no such belief amongst Pentecostals. That being said, the term ... | |
| church | 7/3/2006 |
| Q: How would you answer a Catholic who says that his Church is the only one with legitimacy because it ... A: This is a huge topic. I will try to deal with it in a short space, but feel free to contact me via ... | |
| Relationship | 7/3/2006 |
| Q: Well, that's all fine and dandy, but you still don't explain what it means in concrete terms. ... A: The relationship existed in the OT also and nothing that I said was intended to suggest that the ... | |
| Relationship | 6/30/2006 |
| Q: I've been hearing a lot lately about having a "relationship" with Jesus. My first reaction was that ... A: Let me start by saying that I with you agree that prayer and worship are a key part of the ... | |
| prayer | 6/26/2006 |
| Q: What do Pentecostals mean when they say that they pray to God for guidance on some question and that ... A: This is not something believed solely by Pentecostals, but rather is a belief found throughout ... | |
| Bible References | 5/20/2006 |
| Q: I have been told over again that in order to pray effectively, I need to locate passages in the ... A: You will not found any such notion anywhere in scripture. Prayer is communication with God. Pray ... | |
| I know that Pentecostals believe... | 2/16/2006 |
| Q: I know that Pentecostals believe in faith healing, but what exactly does that entail? Does that mean ... A: The belief in faith healing varies amongst OPentecostals. Pentecostalism is not one belief, but ... | |
| 3 eternal modes | 12/3/2005 |
| Q: Is the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost existent Together as different modes in eternity. A: This is an interesting question and entire boioks have been written on the topic. I will attempt to ... | |
| Acts 2:22 | 11/2/2005 |
| Q: i have looked in the greek dictionary for the difference in meaning of the three following words: ... A: Sorry for the dealy in responding. The term “signs and wonders” is found in 19 places in the Bible, ... | |
| Sin | 10/23/2005 |
| Q: A Pentecostal relative whose son was recently killed is blaming himself, because he believes God is ... A: This is taught by some Pemtecostals, but certainly not all. It is called "generational sin", and ... | |
| John VI , 41-58 | 9/2/2005 |
| Q: How should we understand the above? A: Good question. Let's go back to verse 26 of John 6 to see the context: 26 Jesus answered them and ... | |
| Sola Scriptura | 6/27/2005 |
| Q: You mention in your profile that you believe, "that the Bible is our sole authority on matters of ... A: Some examples are: Deut 4: 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye ... | |
| Money | 5/30/2005 |
| Q: How can I find out where my donations go with these churches I see on TV. I think that most are very ... A: It depends very much on the individual ministry. The basic guideline would be that if there is any ... | |
| biblical inquiry | 5/10/2005 |
| Q: Greetings in Jesus' name! I have a single male friend who met a lady in the internet; the girl is ... A: I believe that this is directly address in scripture by the Apostle Paul: 1 Cor 7:10-16 10 Now to ... | |
| Baptism | 4/30/2005 |
| Q: I would like to know what happens to those who are not baptised and die, like babies, or those who ... A: There are a number of questions embedded into your question. First, your question appears to assume ... | |
| The nature of Sin | 1/20/2005 |
| Q: I am currently working on a personal project about the nature of Sin. I am the artist and co-author ... A: In my view, nothing is more importanty in the Bible than the topic of sin, it's effect and hjow we ... | |
| TONGUES | 1/4/2005 |
| Q: WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON MARK 16:17? I SAW SOMETHING THAT SUGGESTS THAT THIS VERSE MAY NOT BE ORIGINAL ... A: I have heard this claim that Mark 16:17 is not in the original but I have never seen anything which ... | |
| laughter movement in the church | 8/22/2004 |
| Q: Where is it found in the word of God that in the end times That the Holy Spirit in the end times ... A: It is not found anywhere in scripture and indeed is contrary to scripture. Isa 29:9-10 9 Pause and ... | |
| Holy Spirit | 8/8/2004 |
| Q: My husband and I are searching for a church home. We both are born again Christians who have ... A: Sandra, Speaking in tongues is one possible sign of the baptism but is neither the only sign nor ... | |
| women preachers | 6/30/2004 |
| Q: Is it wrong biblically to allow women to preach or be pastors? A: This is an interesting question. We do not have a lot in scripture regarding this, but I do believe ... | |
| Which Church? | 4/30/2004 |
| Q: But left only with the Bible, with no living teaching authority (the apostles are dead), we are left ... A: First, just to make it clear, it appears that you have a specific position on this matter that you ... | |
| Which Church? | 4/29/2004 |
| Q: In looking for a church, what should I be looking for? The Bible says Jesus founded a church while ... A: I provided you with a link to a guide regarding the essentials. Here again is the link: ... | |
| Which Church? | 4/26/2004 |
| Q: In looking for a church, what should I be looking for? The Bible says Jesus founded a church while ... A: First, I agree that the Bible says that Jesus founded one church, singular, when he was on earth and ... | |
| the Bible alone? | 4/21/2004 |
| Q: You have probably been asked this many times, but I still would like to hear an answer. In your ... A: Yes, I have been asked this before. A book could be written on this topic, and no doubt there are ... | |
Pentecostals
Answers by Expert:
Tom Smith
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am able to answer a wide range of questions regarding doctrines and movements within Pentecostal churches, including Word-Faith, Laughter and others.
Experience
I have attended a number of Pentecostal churches in the past and was previously a member of a local pentecostal church council, as well as missions coordinator. Have studied and researched various movements for several years and maintain a website on this topic.
Organizations
Apologetics Coordination Team (http://op.50megs.com/act/) Network of Christian Apologists in Calgary (http://www.whyjesus.ca)
Publications
Website, accessible by means of http://discern.ca or http://www.religioninfo.org; and
Audio files of talks at Last Days Bible Conference available at http://ldbc.ca
Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.)
I have been a lifelong student of the Bible. In addition, I have been saved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and believe in the truth of God's Holy word in the Bible as the inerrant and infallible word of God. I have been a believer for over 43 years. Other qualifications include:
- Former member of the counril of a local church
- Speaker at the "Last Days Bible Conference" and other functions.
- Researcher into religious movements and cults (maintain website with information on some of these movements and cults)
- Member of the Apologetics Coordination Team
I hold to the view that the Bible is inerrant and infallible, and I belief that the Bible is our sole authority on matters of faith and doctrine (Sola Scripture, Sola Fide).
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