| Knowledge - Has it ceased?
An argument often used against the doctrine of the cessation of the gifts is that the passage that says tongues will cease also says that prophecy and knowledge will pass away. They state then that since knowledge has not ceased to exist, the rest of the gifts must also still be available. The error in their reasoning comes from their inability to make the distinction between the gift of knowledge and knowledge itself. It is obvious from Scripture that the gift of knowledge is not required to gain all knowledge. Let us look at Scripture to see how this gift was something distinctly different than the ability to access knowledge under normal circumstances.
The first point we should make note of is that the gift of knowledge did not become available until the day of Pentecost in Acts. Each one of the spiritual gifts were a unique ability first given to the apostles when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts chapter 2. Until this time, no one had been permanently baptized with the Holy Spirit and no one had any of the gifts of the Spirit. To suggest that if the gift of knowledge has ceased then all knowledge has ceased must also mean that until the gift of knowledge was given there was no access to any knowledge before that time. So according to this reasoning Solomon, Moses, Abraham, David, or any other person in the Old Testament had no access to knowledge since they did not have the spiritual gift of knowledge. This is simply ridiculous. We know that not only was knowledge obtainable but they were instructed in the Old Testament about how to find knowledge.
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Classic Christianity
by Bob George
In this great book, Bob George talks about the wonderful Christian life that Jesus provided for us when He set us free from the bondage of the Law. He teaches how we can live our lives in the great liberties and grace that Jesus has provided and has given to us as believers. This book will show what it means to be led by the Spirit of God through the searching of God’s word. This is a tremendous book for those who have just put their trust in Christ, as it reveals the true classic Christianity taught in the Word of God.
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