(1) The Lord was not talking about the conversion of a sinner, but the renewal of Israel as a people.
(2) The passage says nothing about the work of the Holy Spirit.
(3) There is nothing mentioned in the passage that could not have been accomplished by ordinary means.
(4) The very point to be proven is assumed.
2. "But their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ. But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away" (2 Cor. 3:14-16). Just what is found here to prove a direct operation of the Spirit would be difficult to say. The apostle is speaking of the Jews reading the Scriptures with a veil which blinds them. The veil was undoubtedly a false interpretation, which prevented their seeing Christ in their Scriptures. If they had not this wrong interpretation, they would see Christ and their Scriptures would be plain. As it was, they were dark and mysterious. The apostle tells what will remove the veil: "When they shall turn to the Lord," the veil shall be taken away. There is nothing in the whole passage that even hints at an immediate operation of the Spirit.
3. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). There is nothing here to even hint at a direct operation. It says the Ephesians were created in Christ Jesus (not in the Holy Spirit) unto good works. If the reader wishes to learn by what means they were so created, let him turn to chapter 1, verse 13, and he will obtain the information: "In whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,—in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." That is something to the point. They "heard the word of truth," the gospel of their salvation. Then, after they believed, they "were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." There is nothing in the passage to warrant the teaching of a special operation to enable them to believe.
4. "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14). This is relied upon to prove a direct work of the Spirit upon Lydia that she might hear and believe. The very thing to be proved is again assumed. True, the Lord opened Lydia's heart, but he didn't do so that she might "receive the word," for Paul had already preached it to her. Her heart was opened that "she gave heed to the things spoken by Paul." Before she heard Paul she had a narrow, bigoted Jewish heart. After she heard the preaching, her heart was opened to attend to the things she had heard. That is, she obeyed the gospel. Nothing about the Holy Spirit in the entire history.
5. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16, 17). As I have elsewhere shown, this passage has a private and peculiar application to the apostles, and not to the world of mankind. It specifically states that "the world cannot receive" this Comforter. That kills it as a proof-text that the world "must receive it" before it can believe. Those who affirm a direct operation of the Spirit on "the world" make a clear-cut issue with the Saviour.
6. "I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6). Those who use this to prove a special operation of the Spirit make it mean, "I have planted the word and Apollos has watered it, but God by a special work of the Holy Spirit makes the increase of the word." This is a false interpretation, as the apostle was not speaking of "the word" at all. How could Apollos "water the word"? The apostle was speaking of the congregation at Corinth, which he had planted and Apollos had tended, and which, under the care of God, had made increase. There is nothing in the passage about the Holy Spirit.
7. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word" (Acts 10:44). This has reference to God's signifying his acceptance of the Gentiles by an outpouring similar to the one on the day of Pentecost. It was purely a supernatural act, and has never been repeated since that day. But even then it would not prove the necessity of an operation of the Spirit, that men might hear the gospel and believe it. The record says "it fell on all them that heard the word." Cornelius was told by the angel to send for Peter, "who shall tell thee words whereby thou shalt be saved."