Lewi Petrus,
1884-1974

Lewi Petrus

Lewi Petrus was born in Sweden and was the son of a factory worker. He grew up in the Baptist Church when there were many groups gathering in homes to pray for revival. He became an evangelist (1902-04) and attended Bethel Seminary in Stockholm (1905-06). Petrus experienced a powerful inward cleansing in 1905 and, after reading a books by A. J. Gordon and Charles Finney, he began to yearn for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Lewi Petrus tells his own story

In answer to prayer, the Spirit of God began to move, especially among the Baptists. We cannot do better than to let Pastor Lewi Petrus, tell his own story:

“I had a wonderful experience in the year 1905„ The Lord cleansed my heart and then I had a great desire to be filled with God. The biography of Charles Finney showed me that there was a blessing I could receive. I read a book by Dr. A. J. Gordon, which told of-being filled with the Spirit, and I began to long for the Baptism of the Spirit.

No one ever preached on the Baptism of the Spirit at that time, and I had never seen anyone receive the fullness of the Spirit, but I understood there must be something in it. I was holding revival meetings and a few souls, from ten to twenty, were coming to the cross in the meetings; but when I saw them coming, weeping, I also saw the emptiness of my own soul and heart.

I got away from the revival meetings, threw myself on the floor in my room, and cried to God that He might fill me. I felt I was empty; I was clean, but I was not filled. Why do I speak of myself ? Because this was the first experience of thousands of others at the same time. There were thousands of others with the same experience, crying to God, ‘Give us a revival and fill us with the Holy Spirit.’

“In January, 1907, I picked up a Stockholm paper and saw the picture of a man I knew very well, Pastor Barratt of Christiania, Norway. The heading of this article was, ‘A remarkable revival has broken out in Christiania. People are talking in tongues, just as on the Day of Pentecost.’ I said to my helper, ‘I am going to Christiania tomorrow.’

When I was leaving the church, they told me that I was welcome back again, but I answered, ‘I will never come back again unless the Lord baptizes me with the Holy Spirit.’ I am not going to describe how it happened, but praise God it did happen, and a little later on there were thousands and thousands baptized in the Spirit in Sweden.

“About that time, a young man came back to his old home town in Sweden from the States. Nobody understood him, but reports were circulated that he spoke in tongues.

One day, while he was in a Baptist prayer meeting, he spoke in tongues and there was a great upheaval. But the work of the Lord continued, especially among the Baptists. A very spiritual, prominent man had been in the Baptist denomination about fifteen years and had taught the people about being filled with the Holy Spirit.

He had never seen anyone receive the Baptism of the Spirit and speak in tongues, but he believed in the Spirit-filled life, and his teaching penetrated the Baptist denomination quite a bit, and I believe that is why the Spirit of God fell among the Baptists. There was an open door, many of the people understanding something of this work.

In his own words, ‘There were thousands of others (in Sweden) at the same time crying to God, ‘Give us revival and fill us with the Holy Spirit.’” In January 1907 he read in a Stockholm newspaper of T. B. Barratt who was experiencing Pentecostal tongues in Norway. When this young zealot arrived in Oslo with such intense earnestness he soon received what he was looking for and became a Pentecostal Christian by experience.

Lewi Petrus becomes Pastor of Filadelfia

At the time he was pastor of the Baptist Church in Lidkoping (1906-11) and his entire congregation also accepted the Pentecostal message, as did numerous other churches in Sweden. On August 30th 1910, a new Baptist Church, Filadelfia in Stockholm, was formed, allowing the full freedom of the Holy Spirit in its meetings.

On January 11th 1911 Petrus was called to be its Pastor, but in April 1913 the Swedish Baptist Convention expelled Petrus and his new congregation from the convention. The reason stated was their ‘open communion’ policy, but the real issue was their Pentecostal doctrine and practice. Nevertheless, Petrus always respected his Baptist heritage, even employing a Baptist ecclesiology as the basis for the newly founded Pentecostal denomination.

God’s blessing was upon Petrus and thousands joined his church’s ranks in the home church in Stockholm and across the nation. When he took on the pastorate of Filadelphia the membership was abot 70 but within a year it reached 244. The next year it rose to 438 and by 1918 it stood at 1,411. By 1926 it was 3,176 and by 1938 it reached a colossal 5, 887.

His great features

What were his outstanding features? He had a charming but simplicity in his style and a rare graciousness of spirit, but his great organising ability is beyond question. His sharp mind and strong leadership style gave a solid backbone to the Pentecostal movement throughout Scandinavia.

‘Petrus led his own congregation to become the largest in the Pentecostal world (until c. 1975) and the Pentecostal movement in Sweden to become the largest Free Church in Sweden, primarily by his ability to relate the church to all aspects of life. His holistic vision for the Christian life and the moderation, dignity, and realism of his expectations of spiritual development won him a hearing throughout Europe, North America, and the Third World.

He demonstrated to the Pentecostal world that the movement did not have to be alienated from the national culture of which it is a part.’ He was clearly seen as a Pentecostal statesman, not only in his own nation but also across the world.

He remained pastor at Filadelphia, Stockholm, until his retirement in 1958 and active in the movement until his death in 1974.

His enterprises

He also founded the Filadelia Church Rescue Mission (1911); the Filadelfia Publishing House (1912); the Filadelfia Bible School (1915); the periodical Evangelii Harold (1916); the Kaggeholms Folkhogskola (a secondary school) (1942); a national daily newspaper, Dagen (1945 ); a savings bank, Allmanna Spar-och Kreditkassen (1952); and a worldwide radio network, I.B.R.A. Radio (1955).

His writing ministry

Petrus was also a prolific author. His first book, Jesus Kommer (1912) was also the first publication of the Forlaget Filadelfia (Filadelfia Publishing House). His collected writings comprise ten volumes, not counting his five-volume memoirs and a number of books written after 1956. He also contributed widely to periodical publications. His books and essays have been translated into many languages.

Bibliography: Donald Gee, ‘Wind and Flame’ 1941 and 1967; D.D. Bundy art. ‘International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements’ 2002.

Tony Cauchi

For further research

Lewi Petrus – Wikipedia

Lewi Pethrus’ Ecclesiological Thought – a 337 page paper on his ecclesiology.

What Did Jesus Mean When He Told the Parable of the Wineskins?

Sheila Alewine

Author

UPDATEDAugust 13, 2025

The Parable of the Wineskins is recorded in three of the gospels: Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22, and Luke 5:33-39. For this article, we’ll use Luke as our base of exploration.

“And they said to Him, ‘The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.’ And He was also telling them a parable: ‘No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough’” (Luke 5:33-39).

The context is the same across all three gospel accounts. It begins when Jesus heals a paralyzed man, demonstrating His authority to forgive sins. This event astonishes many and greatly disturbs the Pharisees. Immediately after, Jesus continues His selection of the twelve by calling Levi (Matthew) to leave his job as a tax collector and follow Him.

What Is the Context of This Parable?

Excited for others to meet Jesus, Levi hosts a gathering and invites all his friends and fellow tax collectors. The Pharisees are shocked, grumbling at Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30). Jesus replies, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32).

The Pharisees have a problem with the people this new rabbi seems to prefer. Why is He choosing fishermen and lowly tax collectors instead of the pious and religious scribes and Pharisees? They go on to question the spiritual depth of these rough men by pointing out that they don’t follow the Jewish traditions of public fasting and prayers. How can they be religious scholars following the teachings of a rabbi with such inappropriate behavior?

And immediately after Jesus relates this cryptic parable about patched cloth and old wineskins, Luke tells us the Pharisees still missed the point Jesus was making, as they accused the disciples of breaking the Sabbath by picking grain to eat as they passed through the fields (Luke 6:1-5).

I’ve always heard that comparing patching an old garment with new cloth and pouring new wine into old wineskins is an analogy for the old covenant, which followed the Mosaic laws, versus the new covenant Jesus established through His blood shed on the cross. And indeed, the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ isn’t something meant to “patch up” our old life of works-righteousness.

But in the context of the controversy about His disciples, perhaps Jesus was making a point about the kind of people who would accept His salvation, especially in light of His concluding remark: “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘the old is good enough’” (Luke 5:39). If the old wine is the old covenant, then this seems to suggest it’s preferable. Is this what Jesus was teaching?

3 Things We Must Do to Accept Jesus’ Teaching

In response to the criticisms raised against His disciples, Jesus provides three examples to illustrate the attitude needed to accept His teaching and receive salvation by grace.

1. We Must Know We Are Sick

Jesus welcomed the opportunity Matthew provided by opening his home to all his unsaved friends and coworkers. Matthew was just beginning to understand and believe that Jesus could be the promised Messiah. Yet his first act as a disciple was to invite others who needed to meet Him.

Unlike the outwardly pious Pharisees, Matthew’s friends and tax collectors had no illusions about their spiritual state. They did not claim to be righteous; they knew they were sinners. Jesus compared the Pharisees to sick people who thought they were healthy. Those who accept salvation must recognize their spiritual sickness and be willing to come to the Great Physician. Self-righteous people see no need to repent.

2. We Must Exchange Our Old Garments of Works-Righteousness

The old garment that needed patching was not the good and holy laws of God. Paul tells us, “the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). It was the self-righteous works that the Pharisees thought would earn their salvation. It was the traditions of men that were followed, while the commandments of God were neglected (Mark 7:1-13).

We cannot keep wearing the clothing of our good works and expect to gain salvation. “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6). God doesn’t merely put a “patch of grace” over our old lives. Instead, we trade our old life for the righteous robe of Christ’s righteousness. When Christ saves us, we “laid aside the old self…and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (Colossians 3:9-10).

Isaiah says, “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

3. We Must Be Vessels Willing to Be Filled

The Pharisees rejected Jesus because they were afraid of losing their status and influence as religious leaders. They “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt” (Luke 18:9). They attributed Jesus’ power to Satan (Matthew 12:24).

First, they tried to trap Him with insincere questions (Matthew 22:15; Luke 11:53-54), and then they planned to kill Him (Matthew 26:3-4). Despite clear evidence that He came from God, performed miracles, and spoke with authority and clarity on the Scriptures they knew so well, they determined to get rid of Him. “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:48).

In contrast, the disciples were uneducated men, not immersed in the outwardly righteous acts and traditions of the Pharisees. Certainly, they had been taught God’s laws and the ways of the Jewish faith. However, they were not so tied to the old ways that they couldn’t accept the new teachings from Jesus. They were open-minded and eager to learn. Their hearts were stirred as they listened to Him speak and saw the miracles He performed. They were not cynical or skeptical, nor so entrenched in their beliefs that they couldn’t consider the truths coming from His mouth.

The Pharisees were like the old wineskins, unable to accept Jesus’ teachings and satisfied with the old wine of their traditions and religious works. There was no space in their lives for what Jesus offered, nor did they want to be made new. The disciples, on the other hand, were like the new wineskins, open and ready to receive what Jesus offered, and ultimately to be filled with the new wine of the Holy Spirit.

John MacArthur comments on Jesus’ last statement in Luke 5:39:

“The Lord’s final illustration describes the tragedy of those who reject the gospel of grace and cling to their false system of works-righteousness. Jesus likened such people to those who are content with the old wine they have been drinking, and have no desire to taste the new. ‘No one,’ Jesus said, ‘after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ False religion deadens the spiritual senses. Far enough into the drinking experience, the drinker does not care about the taste of the wine. It is one of the chief ways that the ‘god of this world [blinds] the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Like wine drinkers sloshing their familiar drink, people stubbornly cling to their comfortable religious traditions, and have little or no interest in the new, fresh saving truth of the gospel.”

What’s Our Takeaway?

Jesus calls those who know they are spiritually sick and in need of healing from their sinful condition. Jesus calls those who acknowledge their need for His righteousness and are willing to cast aside their robes of worldly good works as well as their evil deeds. Jesus calls those who know they need to be filled and will ask to be made new.

What kind of wineskin are you?