The label “Church of God” is among the more confusing contributions of the United States to denominational terminology. Several quite distinct organizations claim the name, some of these finding it necessary to resort to parenthetical additions to make clear just which Church of God they are. Most of these groups do share a common background of Pentecostal interest evident in 19th- and 20th-century America. Pentecostalism traditionally emphasizes the “second blessing” of sanctification, which is to follow sometime after the “first blessing” of justification (see Rom. 5:9). The…