What are spiritual gifts?

The verse which describes five gifts reads as follows: "And He [the ascended Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11).

Let's notice what teaching we can find about spiritual gifts in Ephesians 4:8-16.

• The giver is Christ. In the use of the gift the one who receives the gift is responsible to the Giver.
• These gifts were given after Christ had ascended to heaven (verse 8). Therefore these gifts do not include Old Testament saints such as prophets.
• The recipients of all these gifts were men, not churches. The verse implies that He gave some to be apostles, or some as apostles, or simply He gave some apostles, etc.
• The purpose of these gifts is to perfect or equip the saints so they in turn can serve others, which will build up the body of Christ (verse 12), and to establish believers so they will not be turned aside by strange teachings (verse 14).
• These gifts will continue until "we all come in the unity of the faith." This will take place at the rapture (verse 13).