The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts

Read Ephesians 4:7-16

In my last post, we learned that we have been called to walk in unity with each other. For the Ephesian Christians, this was quite a challenge. Not only were these Gentile converts coming out of paganism and idol worship, but they were adopting for themselves the promises God gave to the Jews. This ultimately caused friction between the Gentile converts and the Jewish converts, which the apostles solved by giving them only three rules to obey: that they abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating animals that were strangled, and from blood (Acts 15:19-20). There was wisdom in this edict because what the Gentiles had come out of (idol worship) involved all those sorts of practices.

But Paul reminds them that there is now one Lord, one faith and one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:6).

And in today's verses, we are shown how God makes that unity possible. We learn in Ephesians 4:7 that to each, "grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift." For the church to remain unified, each member was (and still is) bestowed "a measure of grace," or a gift from God, to be used by each individual to create unity within the body of Christ. So what gifts of grace were available to the early church, and are they still available to us today?

What are Spiritual Gifts
And What is Their Purpose?​​

All of the gifts were given for the following purposes:

• For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.
• For the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

How long are these gifts supposed to last?

• Until we all unite in faith and knowledge of the Son of God.
• Until we are perfected.
• Until we measure up to the stature of the fullness of Christ.
• Until we are no longer children, tossed to and fro with every kind of false doctrine.
• Until we speak the truth in love, growing up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.

So what are the gifts listed in Ephesians?

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Pastors
• Teachers

Are there more gifts than these? Yes! They are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-10, but we are dealing specifically with what is listed in Ephesians. Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 12:28 the order and importance of the gifts -  first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations and varieties of tongues. There is much to discuss on Spiritual Gifts, which I will devote attention to in the New Year. For now, the point of the gifts is clear - they were given to further enhance our unity in Christ. One perfect body (the church) is equipped to not only edify and build each other up but to equip us for the work God has called us to do. So if you doubt that you don't have what it takes to fulfill what God has called you to do, rest in the truth of these words - you have already been equipped for your particular ministry. Now, trust God and go!