ON THIS DAY (November 21): F.F. Bosworth's Early Messag...

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 ON THIS DAY (November 21): F.F. Bosworth's Early Message on Spirit Baptism 

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2019
#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters

On Nov. 21, 1915, F.F. Bosworth delivered a message at the great Stone Church of Chicago that appeared to support evidential tongues. The message came at a time when Bosworth was holding revival meetings in Dallas, Texas that drew thousands of people. It was a time when he regularly reported on miracles of healing, conversions, Spirit baptism, and other supernatural events taking place at the First Assembly of God Church. However, he later opposed the Pentecostal teaching of tongues as initial evidence, and on July 24, 1918, he resigned as an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God denomination.

Aaron T. Friesen pointed to Bosworth’s message at the Stone Church in his book, Norming the Abnormal: the Development and Function of the Doctrine of Initial Evidence in Classical Pentecostalism (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2013). He suggested Bosworth’s message at that time “seems to present Bosworth’s position as one in agreement with the initial evidence doctrine adopted by the Assemblies of God in 1916.” Friesen shared an excerpt from Bosworth’s message, which was published in the Latter Rain Evangel (February 1916) with the title, “The Promise of the Father: Rain the Remedy for a Spiritual Death.”

I have learned both from the bible and also from nine years continual observation during revivals, that if people will sufficiently yield and obey when the Spirit is poured upon them, it is their privilege to receive the Holy Ghost, “AS AT THE BEGINNING,” when on the Day of Pentecost. There are five points mentioned in the account that analyzes the experience of Cornelius and his household, in receiving the baptism, and while many fall short of this by not sufficiently yielding and obeying when the Spirit is poured upon them, it is the privilege of everyone to have an experience that can be described by the same five points that described this outpouring in the tenth chapter of Acts. The five points are these: first, “the Spirit was POURED OUT;” second, “the Holy Ghost fell on them;” third, they “spake with tongues and magnified God”; fourth, Peter says “they received the Holy Ghost,” and fifth, in Acts 11:16 Peter calls it “the baptism with the Holy Ghost.”

According to Friesen, the above excerpt shows Bosworth’s acceptance of evidential tongues. “While Bosworth allowed for the possibility that these five points may not immediately accompany all experiences of Spirit Baptism,” he wrote, “he was clear that the evidence of speaking in tongues was available to all.”

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For more information:
Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters