The Berlin Declaration (1909)

The undersigned brothers raise their voice in warning against the so-called Pentecostal movement.

1. After serious joint examination of extensive and reliable material, before the Lord we have come to the following conclusion:

a) The movement stands in an inseparable connection with the movement of Los Angeles – Christiania – Hamburg – Kassel – Großalmerode. Attempts to deny this connection fail in the face of the facts before us.

b) The so-called Pentecostal movement is not from above, but from below; it has many phenomena in common with spiritism. Demons are at work in it, which, cunningly guided by Satan, mix lies and truth in order to seduce the children of God. In many cases, those who supposedly possessed spiritual gifts ("Geistbegabte") have later proved to be possessed.

c) We must not be led astray from our conviction that this movement is from below by the personal faithfulness and devotion of individual leading brothers and sisters, nor by the healings, tongues, prophecies, etc., that accompany the movement. Such signs have often been connected with similar movements before, e.g. with Irvingism, indeed even with "Christian Science" and spiritism.

d) The spirit in this movement produces spiritual and physical manifestations of power; nevertheless it is a false spirit. It has unmasked itself as such. The ugly phenomena, such as falling down, facial twitching, trembling, screaming, repulsive loud laughter, etc., occur this time too in the meetings. We leave undecided how much of this is demonic, how much is hysterical or psychological — such phenomena are not wrought by God.

e) The spirit of this movement introduces itself by means of the word of God, but pushes it into the background through so-called "prophecies." Compare 2 Chronicles 18:18-22. In general there lies a great danger in these prophecies; not only have blatant contradictions come to light in them, but here and there they bring brothers and their entire work into slavish dependence on these "messages." In the manner of their transmission, the latter resemble the messages of spiritist mediums. The transmitters are mostly women. In various places within the movement this has led to women, indeed even young girls, standing in a leading position at the center of the work, contrary to the clear instructions of Scripture.

2. To recognize such a movement as given by God is impossible for us. It is of course not excluded that in the meetings the proclamation of the word of God bears fruit through the power inherent in it. Inexperienced brothers and sisters let themselves be deceived by such blessings of the word of God. These, however, change nothing about the deceptive character of the whole movement, compare 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 and 14.

3. The congregation of God in Germany has reason to bow down deeply over the fact that this movement was able to gain acceptance. All of us include ourselves under this guilt because of our shortcomings and failures, especially also in intercession. The lack of biblical knowledge and grounding, of holy earnestness and watchfulness, a superficial understanding of sin and grace, of conversion and rebirth, an arbitrary interpretation of the Bible, the delight in new, exciting phenomena, the tendency toward exaggeration, but above all also self-exaltation — all of this has paved the way for this movement.

4. In particular, however, the unbiblical teaching of the so-called "pure heart" has become fateful for many circles and has furthered the so-called Pentecostal movement. It concerns the error that "indwelling sin" is supposedly eradicated in a graced and sanctified Christian. We hold fast to the truth that the Lord wants to and can keep his own from every stumbling and falling (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Jude 24-25; Hebrews 13:21), and that they have power, through the Holy Spirit, to rule over sin. But a "pure" heart that goes so far that one, even amid God-given, continual keeping, need no longer humbly say with Paul, "I am conscious of nothing against myself, but I am not thereby justified," is something no human being ever receives on this earth. Even the most advanced Christian must bow before God, who alone is judge over the true state of hearts, compare 1 Corinthians 4:4. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," 1 John 1:8. In truth the believer receives, in Christ, a spotlessly cleansed heart; but the false teaching that the heart in itself can attain a state of sinlessness has already brought many children of God under the curse of insincerity toward sin, has deceived them about sins that still lie in their thought life, in their omissions, or in their falling short of God's high commandments in their lives. One cannot be admonished enough to keep an eye for sin that is not clouded by a man-made holiness or by an imagined teaching about the removal of the sin nature. Lack of bowing down over one's own sin closes the way to new blessings and brings one under the influence of the enemy. Sad experiences in the present show that where people claim to have attained a state of sinlessness, the believer can come to the point of no longer being able to admit an error, let alone confess it. A further sad consequence of false holiness teaching is the devaluation, connected with it, of biblical, God-willed married life, in that in some places marital relations between husband and wife are presented as incompatible with true holiness, compare Genesis 1:28 and Ephesians 5:31.

5. In the so-called "Pentecostal movement," Pastor Paul stands publicly before the public as leader in Germany. He is at the same time the chief representative of the unbiblical teachings rejected above. We love him as a brother and wish to serve him and the group of his followers in truth. It is painful for us to have to take a public stance against him. There has been no lack of discussions with him and of admonitions within a narrower and wider circle of brothers. Since everything proved fruitless, we must now, for his sake and for the sake of God's cause, declare the following: we, the undersigned brothers, can no longer recognize him as a leader and teacher in the congregation of Jesus. We commend him in love, faith, and hope to the correcting grace of the Lord.

6. We believe that there has only been One Pentecost, Acts 2. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who will remain in the congregation of Jesus forever, compare John 14:16. We are clear that the congregation of God has again and again received, and needs, renewed visitations of grace by the Holy Spirit. To every individual believer applies the apostle's admonition: "Be filled with the Spirit!" Ephesians 5:18. The way to this is, and remains, complete fellowship with the crucified, risen, and exalted Lord. In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, from which we receive grace upon grace. We do not expect a new Pentecost; we wait for the returning Lord.

We hereby ask all our brothers and sisters, for the sake of the Lord and his cause, which Satan wants to destroy: keep yourselves away from this movement! But whoever among you has come under the power of this spirit, let him renounce it and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance. Do not lose heart in the struggles that some of you may then perhaps have to go through. Satan will not give up his dominion cheaply. But be assured: the Lord carries us through! He has already set many free and wants to give you the true equipping of the Spirit.

Our firm confidence in this difficult time is this: God's people will emerge from these struggles blessed! You too, dear brothers and sisters, who stand shaken before the facts our words confront you with, may say this to yourselves. The Lord will give light to the simple and humble and will strengthen and keep them. We rely on Jesus, the chief Shepherd. If everyone gives the Lord and his word the place that is due to them, he will carry the work of his Spirit, which he has begun so graciously in Germany, through to its glorious, God-willed goal. We rely on him who says: "Leave my children and the work of my hands committed to me!" Isaiah 45:11 (literal translation).

Berlin, September 15, 1909.

56 signatories follow, along with the remark:

Statements of agreement with the above declaration are requested to be sent to
Pastor Wittekindt, Weringerode a. Harz, Papental 15.