The Corinthian Catastrophe

by George E. Gardiner

An outstanding exposition that contrasts scriptural principles with charismatic practices based on the experience of the church at Corinth. Also available in Spanish!

Genres: Theology

62 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1974

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

While on some minor theological subjects I would disagree, I found this book to be insightful and helpful to my understanding of the modern day charismatic boom. In particular, the last chapter proved immensely helpful in understanding the groups of people in the charismatic movement. The author does a phenomenal job of articulating the Scriptures and comparing it with experiences of the modern day movement!

[Jon Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best little book on speaking in tongues out there.

[Russell Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good short little read for the cessationist position. Good writing and clear enunciation of the problems associated with modern charismatics. The author makes several points essential to an appropriate understanding of this issue. I recommend it to anyone embroiled in the current conflict or even a generic interest in the various views.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this as a college student in the early 80’s. A good, albeit brief, defense of the cessationist position.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

When people leave their religious traditions, there can be some bitterness in the process of trying to justify their change and negatively paint what they may perceive as wasted years following the wrong beliefs [1]. This particular book is written by someone who left the Charismatic movement, famed for its speaking of tongues, and one can tell that the author is still bitter about the experience. One wonders if it was wise to give the author a platform to vent his spleen out on his former coreligionists under the guise of writing yet another book about 1 Corinthians [2]. To be sure, this book is not quite as edifying as it should be, and indeed is not filled with the sort of patient if frustrated love that Paul had when writing his own troubled congregation in Corinth. As a writer who frequently vents frustrations in my writing, I can understand how the author wanted to cope with his anger by writing, and that having changed his beliefs he wished to warn others about the beliefs he had held for so long, but this book does not make for a pleasant read. When people vent their spleen, it does not make for the most enjoyable material to read and examine, after all.

The contents of this book are organized somewhat haphazardly, based on, it would appear, the author's own emotional state rather than a systematic review of the book and its materials. This short book of just over 50 pages has a few chapters, starting with a personal introduction of the author and his background, a discussion of Corinth and its church, of the correction of the Spirit, of what happens when love controls (something the author appears to know little about, as the spirit of love and charity is nowhere to be found in this volume), of various matters of what Paul said and the sign of the tongues, and then a discussion of what is going on in Corinth. The author shows pessimism that the Church in Corinth endured at all, although we know at least a generation after Paul that there was a church that served as the audience of a letter from someone named Clement. Overall the author has plenty of axes to grind, but his most consistent point is that the speaking of tongues was of comprehensible languages (which I agree with upon a fair reading of Acts) and that the sign was for unbelievers as Paul says, rather than a way to draw attention to the supposed spiritual state of the individual believer.

Besides our own shared problems with possible demon possession as well as doctrinal error related to spiritual enthusiasm among the Charismatics, there is little else that I have agreement with from this author. The fact that the author still believes in the importance of unbiblical doctrines as a dividing line between those the author considers to be Christians and those he does not shows that the author has not gained as much understanding about God's ways as he may have thought. He certainly does not appear to regard the Holy Days with the proper degree of respect. Nor does the author appear to show love to his former brethren, and one cannot imagine him writing as Paul did in his letter to the Romans that he could wish himself accursed so that his former brethren could enter into salvation. No hint of that love finds itself here, only a self-righteous condemnation of those who the author used to fellowship with for beliefs that they once shared. Now that is a Corinthian catastrophe indeed. It is to be deeply doubted whether it was wise for a publisher to let this author demonstrate his lack of love for his former brethren in the way that they did. This book shows no close resemblance to anything Christian, even if it warns against something that is deeply troubled. One can hate evil without hating fallen sinners and people under various delusions and self-deceptions, like the author himself.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...

[Jacob · Rating 1 out of 5]

This booklet is written from the perspective of a more cessationist framework. Gardiner does ask for graciousness where he is unduly critical, and having come from a Pentecostal background is careful to try and respect those with whom he disagrees.

I did not find Gardiner’s argument compelling. I readily admit my own biases, however, the arguments posed in this book are not exegetically comprehensive. This is meant to be the fruits of exegetical work from 1 Corinthians 12-14. Having love be the guiding and driving force as the centre of this three chapter discourse is exegetically faithful, however, on other occasions Gardiner’s conclusions seem to stem from biases that have been constructed from Systematic and Historical choices, some of which are not as widely agreed upon. Some of the presuppositions that Gardiner builds on are not as logically obvious to the reader as is stated throughout the book. At the same time, Gardiner is not as generous with what he considers to be the alternative perspectives. The constraints of a project like this are that, when trying to limit your argument to a booklet size, aspects of the wider argument are often left out for the sake of brevity.

Gardiner’s conclusion that the seeking of charismatic experiences as never being harmless (p. 55) seems greatly reductionistic of a global phenomenon that has many shades and forms. Because charismaticism has such a wide array of forms that are manifested across all sorts of traditions (Reformed, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, etc.) it seems a bit unfair to write all pursuits of charismatic experiences off as unhelpful. Gardiner’s experiences with tongues during messages may well have never added anything to the meetings in which the use of tongues was utilized (p. 53), however, this is just as much a sort of appeal to experience.

[Lee Button · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, brief exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14. Gardiner was raised in a Pentecostal environment but his personal study of these chapters brought him new insight on the charismatic appeal. He explains clearly from the text why he turned away from Pentecostalism. This is an old book but not dated and still selling in many used book outlets.

[Chris (thebookaholic) Padgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an older read as well. At the time I found it very intense and well supported, with only a few personal jabs from the author. Greek linguistic support. Controlled by fruits not gifts.

[Nicholas Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book and gives a good framework to discuss, needs to be updated as some arguments are out of date and seems to over-conclude on some passages, but overall a good book.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent little book about the "sign" gifts.