What does the word charismatic mean?

The Greek word from which we derive the modern word Charismatic is translated in the Bible of the King James version and in the translation of the New King James version as "gifts" (Romans 11:29, 12: 6, 1 Corinthians 12: 4, 9, 12:28, 30 - 31). In general, its meaning is that anyone who is a true Christian and who exercises one of the many gifts that the Spirit of God can do is charismatic.

The apostle Paul used this term in 1 Corinthians 12 to designate the supernatural gifts made available to individuals through the power of the Holy Ghost. These are often cited as charismatic gifts of Christianity.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each for the benefit of all. For one, a word of wisdom. . . knowledge . . . wedding ring . . . healing. . . miracles. . . prophecy. . . and in another, various languages. . . But the same Spirit works in all these things, dividing separately for each as God himself desires (1 Corinthians 12: 7 - 8, 11)

In the middle of the 20th century a new variation of Christianity was born, called the charismatic movement, which emphasized the practice of "visible" gifts (speaking in tongues, healings, etc.). It also focused on "baptism of the Spirit" as an identifying sign of conversion.

Although the charismatic movement started in the main Protestant churches, it soon spread to others such as the Catholic Church. In recent times, many leaders of the charismatic movement have been convinced that the manifestation of supernatural power (e.g., alleged healings, freeing a person from the influence of demons, spoken languages, etc.) can and must be an integral part of their evangelistic endeavors. .

When applied to religious groups such as churches or teachers, the word Charismatic generally implies that those involved believe that all the gifts of the New Testament (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, etc.) are available today for believers.

Furthermore, they believe that every Christian should expect to experience one or more of them on a regular basis, including manifestations such as speaking and healing of languages. This term is also applied in secular contexts to indicate a non-spiritual quality of strong personal appeal and persuasive powers (such as a politician or public speaker).