December 03 2025

Wednesday December 03

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Ephesians 4:7-11

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." 9 (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

Today we're looking at Ephesians 4:7-11. In these verses the Apostle Paul is talking about concerning the unity of the church that can be there because we work together as one body unified through the Holy Spirit. We endeavor to keep this unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

But interestingly, when you come to the subject of spiritual gifts in the New Testament and in the church today it can be a matter of division rather than unity. People have so many different opinions and ideas and biblical teachings that they're given about spiritual gifts that there's division in the church over the gifts. That happened in the church of Corinth. It is apparent that in this early church some believers thought because they had certain spiritual charismatic type gifts that they were more spiritual than other people. They were puffed up about it. No doubt that's why Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13, where he talked about love. Basically, he writes and tells us that the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit without the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, the gift “profits nothing”.

We should practice and exercise our spiritual gifts that we have been individually given in the spirit and motivation of love to glorify God. When we do that, we build up the body of Jesus Christ, encourage and comfort, and edify one another as we read in the three passages of scriptures that have to do especially with spiritual gifts. Remember the three main passages in the New Testament on this subject are Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 and here in Ephesians 4.

In this passage of scripture in verse 11, Paul says, "He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." Here Paul mentions not so much the gifts as the gifted men that God has placed in the church. We see that there are four of them. That is apostles, prophets, evangelists, and then pastors and teachers. When he says, "some pastors and teachers”, we believe he's speaking of one particular office or special gifting as pastors and teachers do exactly both things in that position as pastor-teacher."

It is important to remember as we look at the subject of Spiritual gifts that there are difference of opinions. I personally teach that the gifts can be divided into three categories which are, the speaking gifts, the service gifts, and the sign gifts. For examples, in the early church the speaking gifts, would have included teaching, exhortation, and prophecy. The service gifts would have included administration, giving, ministering, and mercy. The sign gifts would have included healing, miracles, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

When it comes to the giving and exercising of the sign gifts, I personally believe, (and realize that many Bible teachers and others, and some of my best friends would disagree with me when it comes to this particular category of gifts), that the sign gifts ceased with the completion of the New Testament being written. These gifts were only for the baby church. Remember in 1 Corinthians 13 when Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things”. , I believe, Paul is indicating that when we have a complete Bible that we did not need the signed gifts.

Now this doesn't mean that today somebody couldn't speak miraculously speak in another language and share the gospel to someone else. It doesn't mean that someone couldn't pray and experience a healing for themselves or for someone else. It doesn't mean that someone can't pray for a miracle and a miracle takes place. I believe all those things are still possible. But as far as a gift to a particular person who could walk into hospital and empty it because he or she has the gift of healing. I just have never met that person today. I don't believe it's necessary because we have the complete Word of God and we don’t need signs.

Again, this is my opinion, and I have great fellowship with pastors and friends who feel and believe differently about this particular subject, because we love one another and agree the main thing is that lost people need to experience salvation through Jesus Christ.

I trust this has not confused you today but that we focus on exercising our Spiritual gifts for the purpose of edifying, encouraging, and exhorting one another in the body of Christ with love and unity, and most of all to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ!

God bless!