Some may contend that Peter, under the influence of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, promised an uninterrupted continuation of the gifts of the Spirit from the day of Pentecost onward to the return of Christ. This is based upon the words of Peter in Acts 2:38, 39, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the Promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are Afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
When Peter states that the “promise is unto you,” does he mean the promise of salvation, or the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit? This is questionable. The promise of salvation and the remission of sins is certainly for believers of all ages, including the present one. But it may be that Peter meant the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit with its divine manifestations and diversities of gifts. Christ referred to the Holy Spirit as the “promise of my Father.” (Luke 24:49. Acts 1:4, 8. Peter spoke of “the promise of the Holy Spirit.” which had been shed forth on the Apostles. Acts 2:33. So for the sake of argument, let us suppose that Peter meant the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Would not Peter’s words then indicate that all believers since then would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? It might seem so if it were not for some facts which indicate otherwise. In the first place, history does not bear out this interpretation of Peter’s words. If all believers since the days of the Apostles were to receive the Holy Spirit, we should see the gifts of the Holy Spirit in effusion, today. But, do we? A believer might well ask, “Why don’t I receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?”
From experience, I have seen and heard many naturally talented speakers and expositors, but none who even faintly suggest that they have a divine gift of the Holy Spirit. However learned they may seem to be, their words come from their knowledge of Bible teaching and not direct from God through His Spirit. All they say must be tested by Scripture. This would not be so if all believers since Pentecost were to receive the Holy Spirit.
In the second place, Paul prophesied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit gifts would not continue indefinitely, but would in time cease to exist. He declared in I Cor. 13:8, “Love never faileth,” that is, it will never fade out or, come to an end. In contrast, Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail,” or pass away. Prophecy was the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose. Prophecy was one of the Spirit gifts. I Cor. 14:1. I Cor. 12:10. I Cor. 13:2. A prophet was one who was inspired to preach and teach the divine will.
“Whether there be tongues, they shall cease,” or come to an end. Speaking in tongues by the Spirit was the utterance of the Truth in a language that was not previously known by the speaker. Acts 2:4-11. “Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away,” or cease to be. Knowledge was one of the Spirit gifts. I Cor. 12:8. This was the Spirit-given power to express knowledge and understanding.
Spirit Gifts Fulfill Their Purpose
All the Spirit gifts would in time have accomplished their purpose and be superseded. Having fulfilled their purpose, they would then no longer be essential to the ecclesias. I Cor. 13:10. In their infant stages, the gifts of the Spirit were essential to the formation and establishment of the ecclesias. But when they would reach a degree of maturity, the Spirit gifts would be “put away.” I Cor. 13:11. When this stage would be reached, faith, hope, and love would remain. We are living in this stage. But the greatest of these is love, because love will continue when hope and faith will be replaced with sight and reality.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit gifts were given to men to qualify them for the “perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying (or building up) of the body of Christ,” to form it eventually into a “perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Eph. 4:8-13. There was no New Testament at this time. When the word of God was completed, with the addition of the New Testament to the Old Testament, there would be no need of the Spirit gifts. It seems then, that when the Apostles and their contemporaries were deceased, the Holy Spirit gifts would cease, or be withdrawn from the ecclesias. Since that time there has been a dry period. God Himself prophesied that such a time would come. Amos 8:11. Mic. 3:6,7.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One