Two Camps of Christianity?

Lately, I’ve been pondering the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I’m confounded with two schools of thought in Christianity. I’m noticing patterns of these two “camps” in the figures, friends and even family who call themselves Christian, particularly on social media.

The Experiential Spiritualist Christians

One school of thought touts that we should exercise the gifts of the Spirit. It preaches to fan into flame a hunger to experience God and “hear” His voice. It’s more charismatic, traditionally. I read articles from those people prophesying and calling anyone willing to be used by the Lord to open their ears and hear. I read comments in these social media posts that are passionate in their nature: “Amen,” “Hallelujah!” and such. I want to listen and believe, and my heart holds out for the promises they proclaim to be true in my own life. My heart and spirit are encouraged to listen and read their proclamations. However, from this standpoint, I contemplate the serious blasphemy that can be so hard to determine if one is not careful. I just think of the varying spectrum of famous televangelists and how some created a remnant of followers fixated on their prospects of prosperity.

The Logical Scripturalist Christians

On the other hand, it appears I’m also faced with another school of Christian thought. It warns its followers that to be of God, we must test it through the filter of God’s word, the Bible. “Experience” is peripheral and almost fantastic, and any message from God should come from the Bible, straight out of Scripture. It presumes any extra-commentary and proclamations, prophecies and spiritual nuances like that are unfounded. I’m drawn to the reasoning and logic behind this camp. However, I’m troubled that in guarding against any prophetic voices, we muffle our ears to the amplified and articulated voice of God, in a precautious effort to “be not deceived.”

Personally, The Strongest Christians I’ve Known

In making up my mind and heart, I reflect on the Christians I have known in my life personally who have been closest to the Lord. One thing is true of them: they don’t quench the Spirit of God in their lives. No, they press into that experiential and quite tangible aura of the Living Person of Jesus Christ. Another thing, they don’t hesitate to call upon Him. They acknowledge His grace, goodness, and love in their own lives. Then they share that passion with others, regardless if you are a fellow believer or not. In addition, they live by the God of the Bible, and practice and live out their faith in a very genuinely expressed way. You know they love the Lord by their words and actions.

The Struggle Is Real

So much of my internal debate about these two camps of Christianity has been weighing on my mind and heart lately! The power of God is the Gospel message of Jesus that changes and transforms lives…through experience. Doesn’t 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 reference this paradox? “And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (Italicized and bolded mine.) 

Am I just confused then? Are they not two camps but actually one – two vitally important parts to one another? That with the one we love God with our whole heart and soul, and the other we love Him with our whole mind? It’s not two “camps” or “schools of thought,” is it?

Is It One, The Other, Or Both?

I fully believe in the reality of the supernatural, as my God is Spirit and beyond the physical, like He states in the Scripture. I understand that the spiritual transcends our physical, and can surpass the logical. I also fully believe in the foundation of a Biblically scriptural reality. But am I discerning correctly that they stand apart? Am I deceived to think that God works through only one or the other?

What do you think?