There is the teaching today that the Pentecostal experience is not for the modern church. The basis for this teaching is the idea that this experience was an Apostolic times phenomenon and that is passed away with the finalization of the canonization of scripture in the 300's AD. The scriptural basis for this teaching is Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 13:8: "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."

Those that teach this seem to ignore the fact that in the same sentence Paul said knowledge would vanish away. Just the opposite is true, of course. Knowledge, both scriptural and secular, has increased tremendously. This particular phrase is never talked about. The emphasis seems to be on "tongues" (or "glossolalia", in the New Testament Greek). If these were to cease with the completion of scripture, one has to wonder what they had to do with the writing of scripture in the first place. The answer is simple: Nothing! There is no record of the use of tongues having anything to do with the writing or scripture, beyond their being recorded therein.

When one considers this teaching in the light of logical thought and the whole of scripture it does not hold up. It becomes an one-legged stool. That most mainline denominations - most of whom were Pentecostal in doctrine and experience at their inception - now deny its modern day validity is disconcerting. It would seem to indicate the idea that "if I haven't experienced it, then it is not for today". The author has observed many folks in the past 60 years who have turned their back on Pentecostalism for this very reason, alone. It is comparable to saying "I have never parachuted, so parachuting must not be valid for today."

In addition, if one is going to say that something prevalent in the apostolic church is not part of the church today, one must also include other apostolic phenomena, such as healing, miracles and the like. Some have even gone to this extent.

Many, today, say the Bible is all we need; that such things as Charismata (in particular, glossolalia) are not needed today. It is true that the Bible is complete and is all truth. However, that does not close the issue. For example, the full truth of salvation is found in the bible - as Peter said, everything we need for Godliness and Holy living. Nevertheless, salvation is a dead doctrine without experience. One can believe all the Bible says about salvation but without experiencing new birth, salvation is not a reality for that individual. The same is true of other Biblical truths: Divine healing, miracles, the rapture, resurrection and such. Simply not having experienced something the Bible teaches does not negate or make it obsolete.