Finished Work Pentecostalism

Finished Work Pentecostalism is a major branch of Pentecostalism that locates sanctification at the time of conversion; afterward the converted Christian progressively grows in grace.^[1]^[2] On the other hand, the other branch of Pentecostalism—Holiness Pentecostalism teaches the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification as a definite second work of grace, which is a necessary prerequisite to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.^[3]^[2] Finished Work Pentecostals are generally known to have retained the doctrine of progressive sanctification from their earlier Reformed roots,^[4] while Holiness Pentecostals retained their doctrine of entire sanctification from their earlier Wesleyan roots.

The doctrine arose as one of the "new issues" in the early Pentecostal revivals in the United States. The term finished work arises from the aphorism "It's a finished work at Calvary", referring to both salvation and sanctification.^[1] Finished Work Pentecostals and Holiness Pentecostal are the two main branches of classical, trinitarian Pentecostalism.^[5] The dispute surrounding it was called the Finished Work Controversy which split the Pentecostal movement into Wesleyan and non-Wesleyan doctrinal orientations, known respectively as Holiness Pentecostals and Finished Work Pentecostals.^[5]^[6]^[7]

^ ^a ^b Leonard, Bill J.; Crainshaw, Jill Y. (5 December 2012). Encyclopedia of Religious Controversies in the United States: [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-59884-868-7. Finished Work Pentecostalism is inseparable from the influence of William Howard Durham (1873–1912). A Pentecostal minister based in Chicago, Durham was active throughout the Midwest and in parts of Canada. In 1910, he began to preach on "The Finished Work of Calvary", a message that rejected the Wesleyan understanding of sanctification as a distinct second experience of grace separate from conversion and which bestowed "Christian perfection" on the recipient.
^ ^a ^b Barrett, David B. (July 1988). "The Twentieth-Century Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal in the Holy Spirit, with its Goal of World Evangelization". International Bulletin of Missionary Research. 12 (3): 119–129. doi:10.1177/239693938801200303. ISSN 0272-6122. S2CID 149417223.
^ Synan, Vinson. The Holiness–Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 978-0-8028-4103-2, pp. 149-150.
^ James Leo Garrett, Systematic Theology, Volume 2, Second Edition, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2014, p. 395.
^ ^a ^b Anderson, Allan (13 May 2004). An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity. Cambridge University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-521-53280-8. Those who resisted Durham's teaching and remained in the 'three-stage' camp were Seymour, Crawford and Parham, and Bishops Charles H. Mason, A. J. Tomlinson and J. H. King, respectively leaders of the Church of God in Christ, the Church of God (Cleveland) and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. Tomlinson and King each issued tirades against the 'finished work' doctrine in their periodicals, but by 1914 some 60 percent of all North American Pentecostals had embraced Durham's position. ... The 'Finished Work' controversy was only the first of many subsequent divisions in North American Pentecostalism. Not only did Pentecostal churches split over the question of sanctification as a distinct experience, but a more fundamental and acrimonious split erupted in 1916 over the doctrine of the Trinity. ... The 'New Issue' was a schism in the ranks of the 'Finished Work' Pentecostals that began as a teaching that the correct formula for baptism is 'in the name of Jesus' and developed into a dispute about the Trinity. It confirmed for Holiness Pentecostals that they should have no further fellowship with the 'Finished Work' Pentecostals, who were in 'heresy'.
^ Levinson, David (1996). Religion: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-87436-865-9. The Finished Work Pentecostals believed that conversion and sanctification were a single act of grace. The Assemblies of God, created in 1914, became the first Finished Work denomination.
^ Blumhofer, Edith (1989). Pentecost in My Soul: Explorations in the Meaning of Pentecostal Experience in the Early Assemblies of God. Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House. p. 92. ISBN 0-88243-646-5.

[LeonardCrainshaw2012-1] Leonard, Bill J.; Crainshaw, Jill Y. (5 December 2012). Encyclopedia of Religious Controversies in the United States: [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-59884-868-7. Finished Work Pentecostalism is inseparable from the influence of William Howard Durham (1873–1912). A Pentecostal minister based in Chicago, Durham was active throughout the Midwest and in parts of Canada. In 1910, he began to preach on "The Finished Work of Calvary", a message that rejected the Wesleyan understanding of sanctification as a distinct second experience of grace separate from conversion and which bestowed "Christian perfection" on the recipient.

[auto-2] Barrett, David B. (July 1988). "The Twentieth-Century Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal in the Holy Spirit, with its Goal of World Evangelization". International Bulletin of Missionary Research. 12 (3): 119–129. doi:10.1177/239693938801200303. ISSN 0272-6122. S2CID 149417223.

[Synan-3] Synan, Vinson. The Holiness–Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 978-0-8028-4103-2, pp. 149-150.

[4] James Leo Garrett, Systematic Theology, Volume 2, Second Edition, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2014, p. 395.

[Anderson2004-5] Anderson, Allan (13 May 2004). An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity. Cambridge University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-521-53280-8. Those who resisted Durham's teaching and remained in the 'three-stage' camp were Seymour, Crawford and Parham, and Bishops Charles H. Mason, A. J. Tomlinson and J. H. King, respectively leaders of the Church of God in Christ, the Church of God (Cleveland) and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. Tomlinson and King each issued tirades against the 'finished work' doctrine in their periodicals, but by 1914 some 60 percent of all North American Pentecostals had embraced Durham's position. ... The 'Finished Work' controversy was only the first of many subsequent divisions in North American Pentecostalism. Not only did Pentecostal churches split over the question of sanctification as a distinct experience, but a more fundamental and acrimonious split erupted in 1916 over the doctrine of the Trinity. ... The 'New Issue' was a schism in the ranks of the 'Finished Work' Pentecostals that began as a teaching that the correct formula for baptism is 'in the name of Jesus' and developed into a dispute about the Trinity. It confirmed for Holiness Pentecostals that they should have no further fellowship with the 'Finished Work' Pentecostals, who were in 'heresy'.

[Levinson1996-6] Levinson, David (1996). Religion: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-87436-865-9. The Finished Work Pentecostals believed that conversion and sanctification were a single act of grace. The Assemblies of God, created in 1914, became the first Finished Work denomination.

[PimS1-7] Blumhofer, Edith (1989). Pentecost in My Soul: Explorations in the Meaning of Pentecostal Experience in the Early Assemblies of God. Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House. p. 92. ISBN 0-88243-646-5.

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