To whom was the Spirit promised?

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

I’ve often heard Evangelicals quote John 14:26 as a scriptural defense for stating that we need no external authority but the Holy Spirit to guide us. He will will teach us everything. There is no need for a Magisterium or Pope. All I need is my Bible and the Holy Spirit. Yet if we look closer at the event where this took place we get a different picture.

John only states that this occurred at the last supper. He doesn’t give any other details as to who all the participants were. So, by taking just the Gospel of John it would be easy to assume that Christ was speaking to a number of his disciples. However, if we look at the same event in the other three Gospels we get a much clearer picture.

The Apostle Mark states that Jesus came with the twelve. It doesn’t take a theology degree to understand that he meant the Apostles. But lets just assume he meant a vague group of 12 individuals. Promising to send the Holy Spirit to this group could either mean that only they were given this promise or that they are symbolic for all who would follow Christ.

And when it was evening he came with the twelve.
(Mark 14:17)

Matthew states that Christ sat with the twelve disciples. We’ll this is a bit more descriptive. We now know that the twelve were disciples. So, this could lead us to believe that any disciple might be the recipient of this promise.

When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; (Matthew 26:20)

Luke, however, is very specific. He states that Jesus was with the apostles during this Passover meal. Not merely a group of disciples or individuals but a hand picked group to which he specifically taught and revealed that which he intended to pass on while he was gone.

And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. (Luke 22:14)

These twelve, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, would be given the job of spreading the good news. They would later, by the laying on of hands, grant that same authority onto others who would carry on where and when they could not. It was to this group of twelve that the promise of the Holy Spirit would be given. Why? They would be the teachers, the leaders of the new Church. They would need not only the guidance to teach what Christ taught infallibly but to also do it with authority; not merely an earthly authority but a divine authority. They would need to be able to guide the Church in situations not specifically addressed by Christ (as at the first council where the circumcision of gentiles was discussed). But the Church didn’t simply end when the last Apostle died. It continued on. And that same Church, under new leadership, had the same need for guidance and ordained authority as the Apostles did. If the hand picked and taught twelve needed divine help how much more would their successors?

Heresies would come and go but the Church has continued through the centuries. Then as now she remains under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and will continue to do so till the Bridegroom returns for her. She continues to teach and guide her members with the same authority and truth given to the Apostles.