Another thing the cessationists believe is that prophecy is not for today because it has ceased with the apostolic age. Just as they do not believe tongues is for today, they discard all forms of prophecy.

They base their beliefs on 1 Corinthians 13:8 which says, "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away"( NIV).

A contextual reading of this text shows that Paul the apostle was only talking about the eternal nature of love and temporal nature of these gifts. In the church( referring to period of time from pentecost to rapture), the gifts of the Holy Spirit will not cease. They will continually manifest.

Truly, the gifts of prophecy and tongues will not last for all eternity because when we cross into glory, we won't need them again. We'll be basking in God's glory and love but the church age will keep seeing the manifestation of these gifts because they are for us in the now.

The cessation of prophecy and tongues has not occured because as long as Spirit-filled believers are on earth, the church will need the manifestation of those gifts. The gifts are tools for our benefits and for winning our world to Jesus.

As a missionary, I have seen the Holy Spirit at work among newly reached tribes, distributing his gifts among them. These are people who might not have seen the manifestations of these gifts before on t.v. or hear it on radio. The Holy Spirit and his works are real.