We teach and confess that the promises given by Jesus to the disciples about the Holy Spirit teaching them all things, bringing everything he has said to their remembrance (John 14:25-26), guiding them into all the truth and telling them things to come (John 16:13) are spoken to them as apostles.

These promises were fulfilled when the apostles as the appointed witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:8) visibly received the power of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost with the sign of speaking in tongues they had not learned in order to prove that the Holy Ghost spoke through them(Acts 2:1ff). The works of miracles (Mark 16) confirmed this gift of speaking the infallible word of God.

Others received these gifts through the apostles, but none received them directly except Paul who was called directly as an apostle.

This is confirmed by Simon who wants to buy the power to give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (Act 8:14-19). The apostles reprove him for his offer but not for his understanding that the supernatural and visible gifts of the Holy Spirit were given though the apostles alone.

The gift of prophecy with the conforming signs of miracles and tongues is the basis for our doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures written by the apostles and their helpers who received the same gift. When others after the time of the apostles claim to have received the supernatural gifts of revelation, this is a rejection of the Scriptures of the prophets and the apostles as the sole source and norm of Christian doctrine.

This does not change the fact that God still works miracles as an answer to prayer when it is his will. But we should not seek his secret will in supernatural revelations or imagine to have charismatic gifts as signs of the Holy Spirit.

We therefore reject:

1. Every claim to prophecy or revelations from God after the death of the apostles and their assistants.
2. Every claim to the gift of speaking in tongues after the death of the apostles and their assistants.
3. Every claim to have charismatic gifts after the death of the apostles and their assistants.