Authentic Fire

Michael Brown’s Authentic Fire, reviewed by John King

Dr. Michael Brown in his work Authentic Fire confronts the misinformation of Pastor John MacArthur’s outspoken zeal against all things charismatic in his book, Strange Fire. While Dr. Brown admits that on some points Dr. MacArthur is right on, his language is radically abusive in tone. And some of Pastor MacArthur’s comments are simply untrue. Brown carefully separates the message from the messenger in addressing charismatic abuse before proceeding to the good stuff: how to burn with authentic fire.

Michael Brown’s Authentic Fire, reviewed by Daniel Snape

Authentic Fire is Dr. Michael Brown’s response to John MacArthur’s book Strange Fire. MacArthur’s Strange Fire launches a scathing attack on the Christian Charismatic Movement and so it comes as no surprise that champions of the charismatic community should launch a defense to MacArthur’s assertions. Dr. Brown leads the charge with a book just shy of 420 pages that seeks to address MacArthur’s main contentions.

Michael Brown’s Authentic Fire, reviewed by Loren Sandford

In my review of John MacArthur’s Strange Fire, I pointed out what I considered to be inexcusable intellectual dishonesty regarding the Charismatic Movement and its contributions to worldwide Christianity. Blanket statements were made with little documentation or knowledge of those within the movement who have made strong intellectual, scholarly and corrective statements. MacArthur singled out rare abuses and presented them as if they characterized the entire movement.

Michael Brown’s Authentic Fire, reviewed by William De Arteaga

Authentic Fire, by Dr. Michael L. Brown, is a masterful answer to the intemperate and angry attack on Charismatic movement and Pentecostalism by John MacArthur in his work, Strange Fire. In the public launch to Strange Fire, MacArthur made clear his utter disdain for the Charismatic Movement in particular.

Highlights from Michael Brown on the Spirit

On Saturday afternoon, May 3rd, 2014, Dr. Michael Brown, spoke at Christian Assembly in Somerville, Massachusetts. He spoke to pastors and ministry leaders about the charismatic work of the Holy Spirit, drawing heavily from his recent book Authentic Fire. This seminar was sponsored by the New England District (www.ifcane.org) of the International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies.

R. T. Kendall: Holy Fire, reviewed by Craig S. Keener

In his nine-page foreword, Jack Hayford rightly titles this “a landmark book.” He also rightly highlights Kendall’s work as irenic (pp. xxi-xxii), offering a notable contrast to some works today. I did not intend my review to prove as long as Pastor Hayford’s foreword, but if readers find my review too long I should mention that its most salient features appear toward the beginning.

The False Doctrine Behind John MacArthur’s Strange Fire, by Eddie Hyatt

In his latest book, Strange Fire, John MacArthur viciously labels the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement as “a false church as dangerous as any cult or heresy that has ever assaulted Christianity.” As I have read and reread his polemic, one thing that becomes clear is that MacArthur’s entire theological outlook is guided and determined by his commitment to the Calvinistic doctrine of cessationism, i.e., the belief that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were withdrawn from the church after the death of the original apostles of Christ. This, however, is a false doctrine that cannot be substantiated by either Scripture or church history.