A New Apostolic Reformation?

A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement

R. Douglas Geivett, Holly Pivec

• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781683591757
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

This critique provides a framework for understanding and interpreting the widespread but little-known New Apostolic Reformation movement. As the authors state in the preface: We write this book with two major goals in mind. First, to give people an idea of the sheer size and reach of the NAR movement. And second, to systematize its key teachings and practices and evaluate them on the basis of Scripture and careful reasoning. In our judgment, the NAR perspective crosses these boundaries [that is, certain broad parameters, revealed in Scripture and practiced in the historical orthodox church], and it does so in part because of flawed theology rooted in a flawed understanding of Scripture.

"We wish to warn readers about a possible confusion: Some critics have linked the NAR movement with mainstream Pentecostalism and charismatics. We do not do this. In fact, it is our contention that the NAR movement deviates from classical Pentecostal and charismatic teachings. This movement has emerged out of independent charismatic churches and, thus, has gained a foothold in many of those churches in varying degrees. But we do not argue for cessationism, the view that the miraculous gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 are no longer active in the church. Whether the miraculous gifts are ongoing has no bearing on the arguments of our book."

A New Apostolic Reformation?

A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement

R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec

A New Apostolic Reformation? A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement

© 2014 by R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

LexhamPress.com

First edition by Weaver Book Company

All rights reserved. You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Lexham Press for permission. Email us at [email protected]

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Print ISBN 9781683591740

Digital ISBN 9781683591757

Cover art: Mark Dobratz

Cover design: Frank Gutbrod

Editorial, design, and production:

{ In a Word } www.inawordbooks.com

/edited by Rick Matt/

To the Church, the Bride of Christ

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1. What Is the New Apostolic Reformation?
   Not New Teachings
   The Future of NAR
   Summary
2. Massive Size and Growing Political Influence
   A Massive Movement
   A Growing Political Force
   Summary
3. Mainstreaming the New Apostolic Reformation
   NAR and Christian Media
   NAR and the Internet
   NAR and Academia
   NAR and Influential Evangelicals
   NAR and Youth
   Summary
4. NAR Apostles: The Generals
   Defining Apostles
   Pentecostal View:
   The Present-­Day Ministry Function of Apostle
   NAR View: The Present-­Day Office of Apostle
   Summary
5. NAR Apostles: A Closer Look
   The Functions of NAR Apostles
   Limits of an Apostle’s Authority
   Arguments and Scriptures Used to Support
   NAR Teachings on Apostles
   Summary
6. Apostles in the Bible: The Twelve and Paul
   Definition of an Apostle
   The Twelve
   The Apostle Paul
   Summary
7. Apostles in the Bible:
   The Other Apostles and False Apostles
   The Other Apostles
   False Apostles
   Summary
8. NAR Apostles Compared to the Bible’s Apostles
   Office or Function?
   Inadequate Scriptural Support for the NAR Position
   Summary
9. Testing NAR Apostles
   An Appearance from Christ
   A Specific Commission by Christ
   The Performance of Miracles
   Support in Scripture for Any New Teachings and Practices
   Quality of Life and Ministry
   Summary
10. NAR Prophets: The Secret Intelligence Agents
    Defining Prophets
    Pentecostal View: The Present-­Day Gift of Prophecy
    NAR View: The Present-­Day Office of Prophet
    The Nature and Scope of a Prophet’s Authority
    Summary
11. NAR Prophets: A Closer Look
    The Functions of NAR Prophets
    Limits of a Prophet’s Authority
    Scriptures Used to Support the NAR Office of Prophet
    Summary
12. Prophets in the Bible
    Definition of a Prophet
    Old Testament Prophets
    New Testament Prophets
    False Prophets
    Summary
13. NAR Prophets Compared to the Bible’s Prophets
    The Present-­Day Gift of Prophecy
    The Present-­Day Office of Prophet
    Other Functions of NAR Prophets
    Guarding Against False Prophets
    Summary
14. Testing NAR Prophets
    The Fulfillment Test
    The Orthodoxy Test
    The Lifestyle Test
    Two Other Proposed Tests
    NAR Leaders’ Unbiblical Tests for Prophets
    Summary
15. Strategic-­Level Spiritual Warfare
    An Overview of Strategic-­Level Spiritual Warfare
    Spiritual Mapping
    Prayerwalking
    Identificational Repentance
    Workplace Apostles
    The Seven Mountain Mandate
    Summary
16. A Biblical Analysis of Strategic-­Level Spiritual Warfare
    Spiritual Mapping
    Prayerwalking
    Identificational Repentance
    Workplace Apostles
    The Seven Mountain Mandate
    Summary
17. Unifying the Forces through Apostolic Unity
    The NAR view of Apostolic Unity
    NAR’s Apostolic Unity Compared to Christian Unity in the Bible
    Summary
18. A Miracle-­Working Army: NAR Teaching on Miracles
    Unprecedented Miracles
    The Activation of Miraculous Gifts through the Reception of New Truths
    Loosing Judgments and Becoming Immortal
    Summary
19. A Biblical Analysis of a NAR Miracle-­Working Army
    Unprecedented Miracles
    The Activation of Miraculous Gifts
    through the Reception of New Truths
    Loosing Judgments and Becoming Immortal
    Summary
    Conclusion
20. The Great Chain of Prophets
    Links in the Chain
    Waiting for the Next Link
21. Todd Bentley’s Commissioning and Apostolic Decrees
22. Prominent NAR Networks
    International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (ICAL), formerly the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA)
    Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE)
    Revival Alliance
    United States Reformation Prayer Network
    Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network
    Other Apostolic Prayer Networks in the United States

Bibliography

Preface

by Holly Pivec

Frequently, I am asked, “What spurred your interest in researching the New Apostolic Reformation movement?”

In 2003, I was managing editor of Biola Magazine at Biola University. In that capacity, I would receive correspondence from the magazine’s readers. One day, a particular e-­mail message piqued my interest. The message was from a former Biola student. She was concerned about a new religious movement of alleged apostles and prophets that had become influential in her city. She contacted the university hoping to find someone with a book responding to this movement’s teachings. Since I had not heard of the movement she described, I could not have imagined then that, more than a decade later, I would be writing that book, along with my coauthor, Dr. Doug Geivett.

But my launch into researching the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR, pronounced nahr) began that day with a Google search. I wanted to see if I could find any information about the movement she described. Was I surprised! My simple search yielded webpage after webpage of inf...