Eph. 4:4-8 (ESV)
4.There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call 5.one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6.one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7.But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8.Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
The gifts spoken of in Eph. 4:8-16 are just part of the gifts, some are also found in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12. It would be a good study for you, if you looked at all three of these places and find out what your gift is, it says you have one. That way you could minister to your brothers and sisters in Jesus like Romans 12:3-8 and1 Corinthians 12 says.
The ones listed in Eph. 4:11 are the ones for the leadership of the Church. Verse 12 tells us what their responsibilities are. Verses 13-16 tell us the duration of these gifts, which is the end of the Church age. And that will end at the rapture.
(Eph. 4:11-16; 11. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12. to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13. until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14. so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16. from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.)
The gifts that Paul lists in Romans are found in Rom. 12:4-8 (KJV)
4. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7. Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Very few ministers disagree with the gifts, in Romans, and their validity for the Church today. However their are some that say that a couple of the gifts listed in Eph. 4:11 are no longer valid for the Church. Particularly apostles and prophets. About apostles, some say that Acts 1:20-26 is the requirement for being an apostles. Which is true for the original twelve apostles.
However Ephesians chapter 4 was written after Jesus’ resurrection. So when He ascended to heaven, He gave gifts to men. The twelve were already apostles. It seems that the gift of apostles were given after the twelve were already apostles. As I read it, that would seem to mean the Holy Spirit would anoint others to be apostles besides just the twelve. And we have Acts 14:14 which calls Barnabas and Paul apostles.
(Acts 14:14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,)
There are other references to apostles that were not part of the original twelve, but this point is proven.
How about prophets? Jesus says that John the Baptist was the last of the old testament prophets. (Luke 7:24-26) But we find prophets in the book of Acts and that is the new covenant or the New Testament, because the new covenant started when Jesus rose from the dead.
Acts 11:27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Acts 13:1
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 21:10
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judæa a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Reading this we see that Barnabas is called an apostle and a prophet. In Ephesians chapter 4 we understand that these gifts are for the Church until the rapture. So I believe we still have all five ministry gifts among us today.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 14:29 “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.” So the Corinthian Church had several prophets which means other churches also had prophets.
Paul warns us in this verse to weigh what they say and so does Peter and John.
2 Peter 2:1 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
Now if all three warn the Church to carefully weigh what is said then there must be real apostles and prophets today.
So I beseech, search all these verses and find the gift that has been given to you by the Holy Spirit and be faithful in ministering to your brother and sisters in your Church. Approach the leaders of your Church and tell them what you believe your gift is, so everything will be done decently and in order.
MARANATHA