This issue marks the twenty-third time we have published a supplement under the auspices of the Christianity Today Institute. Founded in 1986 to provide a forum for addressing issues more deeply than is possible in the four to five pages we normally allot an article, the institute has brought together 130 scholars and church leaders to discuss everything from sex to redaction criticism.
The participants always go at it in a lively fashion, but no fists have ever been raised. So when we began planning this supplement on the Holy Spirit’s power (p. 24), we wondered if our injury-free record would hold.
Once again, our worries were put to rest almost from the moment our guests walked into the meeting room. Not only was the formal discussion congenial, but during meals and breaks, these Christian leaders with varying views of the Spirit’s power seemed more eager to learn than fight.
There was even some good humor. During a fairly tense discussion in which John Wimber claimed he occasionally saw words written on a person’s forehead, Stuart Briscoe covered his forehead and asked if John had seen anything during the meeting. And when an interpretation of Scripture was being debated, Charles Ryrie offered to provide everyone with the Ryrie Study Bible so they could understand it!
Perhaps the greatest statement about the Holy Spirit was made by the event itself. If our spiritual leaders can set aside the natural desire to be right, perhaps the rest of us can also enjoy the supernatural gift of harmony.
LYN CRYDERMAN, Senior Associate Editor
