Question: What are the differences between what Wesley taught and what the Holiness people currently are teaching on entire sanctification?
Answer: The main differences between Wesley and the Holiness people on entire sanctification are as follows:
1) Wesley held the people in the OT could experience entire sanctification. Most holiness people teach that entire sanctification was only after the day of Pentecost.
2) Wesley didn’t hold that entire sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit were the same thing. The Holiness people teach that it is one and the same thing.
3) Wesley taught a very high standard of entire sanctification and that it was a radical change of perfect love with no carnality in the life at all. The Holiness people today hold a much lower standard where carnality can be in the life of a person that has experienced entire sanctification.
4) Wesley taught the long method and that most people would experience progressive sanctification throughout their life and entire sanctification shortly before death. The Holiness people have gone with Phebe Palmer’s shorter method (called altar theology) of claiming entire sanctification by faith, based on the thought that Christ is the altar, and if you put your life completely on the altar by faith, the altar sanctifies the gift.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Bob, have you returned to the Reformation movement? Why do you post such things against the Methodists?
July 8th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Hi George,
No I have not returned to the Reformation movement. Did you hear that somewhere and if not why would you ask such a question?
I am not sure what you are referring to when you ask why I “post such things against the Methodists”. The four points in the above article are facts not opinions. I would be happy to provide you with quotes from both John Wesley and current holiness teachers to show that is the case if you would like.
-It is a fact that Wesley taught OT believers could be entirely sanctified. Most holiness groups teach entire sanctification was post-Pentecost.
-It is a fact that Wesley held the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be different than entire sanctification. Most holiness groups teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and entire sanctification are one and the same experience.
-It is a fact that John Wesley held a very high standard of entire sanctification where there was no carnality in believers at all post-entire sanctification. The current holiness movement teaches a standard that is much lower that what John Wesley held.
-It is a fact that John Wesley taught that most people would not get entirely sanctified until close to their death. For the most part the holiness movement teaches Phebe Palmers shorter method (alter theology) to entire sanctification.
Now George of the above 4 items which of the points that I made would you disagree with?