Ready and widespread acceptance among Christians has been given to the view that the gift of prophecy was exclusively an Old Testament manifestation, and does not belong to the Christian dispensation. GoPH 21.1
This is a mistake. The gift of prophecy is also decidedly a New Testament endowment. It was divinely given to the Church at its founding. It was expressly declared to be given for the entire duration of the Christian centuries. It is, as a “ gift of the Spirit,” an integral part of the dispensation of the Spirit. It was designed to assist in bringing the Christian church to perfection. It was known and used in the days of the apostles. And its exercise, counsel, and leadership is one of the great needs of the Christian church at this time. GoPH 21.2
It was when Jesus, having completed the work for the salvation of men that He came to earth to accomplish, returned to heaven at His ascension that He gave to His church the gift of prophecy. GoPH 21.3
The foundation for His church had been laid in the saving work of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. After that, the building of His church was to be turned over to men, led by the Holy Spirit. And these men were not qualified by any natural endowments, by any natural ability or wisdom, to successfully accomplish and bring to completion a spiritual work. So He gave them spiritual endowments. GoPH 22.1
First, the greatest of all gifts was imparted. The Spirit was given. He was to be the Head of the church on earth. He was to be the Representative of God, the Vicar of God, the Vicegerent of the Son of God among men. Through the spiritual power He would impart to men the church was to be built and completed. GoPH 22.2
And then He gave special gifts, to fit and prepare men to do His work, to qualify them for success in spiritual endeavors, to enable them to achieve His purpose on the earth. GoPH 22.3
Paul discloses the time these gifts were made; names some of the most important of the gifts; reveals the purpose of their being given; and makes known how long they were designed to remain in the church. GoPH 22.4
“When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. . . . And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.” Ephesians 4:8-15. GoPH 22.5
This passage makes it plain that the gifts were placed in the church at the time “when He ascended up on high.” GoPH 23.1
The five gifts enumerated here as having been placed in the church at the beginning are those of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. It should be noted that the gift of prophecy did not expire with the Old Testament. It was needed in the Christian church at its founding. Being needed, it was given. It was given by the Head of the church Himself. It has a vital place in the work of the church. GoPH 23.2
The purpose for which gifts were given is fourfold, as covered in this passage. “For the perfecting of the saints,” “for the work of the ministry,” “for the edifying of the body of Christ,” and “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men.” That is, these gifts were designed for perfection, for service, for edification, and for unity. They were meant to develop the interior life of Christians; to inspire to, and impart ability for, Christian activity in service for others; to bring the church to completion in its development; and to bring about unity in faith and doctrine. GoPH 24.1
As none of these objectives is yet reached, every one of the gifts designed to reach them is still needed. Not one can be allowed to depart from the church without real loss to the church. GoPH 24.2
” For the perfecting of the saints”— perfection of life, of walk, of conduct, of experience, of service, of victory over sin. We are not there yet. GoPH 24.3
“For the work of the ministry,” or, as Weymouth has it, “in order to fully equip His people for the work of serving.” To make them as active in soul-winning endeavors as it is the purpose of God for them to be; to make them skillful in speaking a word in season to the lost sinner; to equip them with spiritual power in their witness-bearing for Christ; to make their testimony powerful and efficacious; to inspire them to zeal and earnestness in Christian activity. Surely we still need all this done for us. GoPH 24.4
“For the edifying of the body of Christ.” That is, for building up the church. For building it up in the knowledge of the truth, in piety, in order that everything in the church might be well-arranged, or put in its proper place, and that the church might be complete. GoPH 25.1
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” Weymouth puts it: “So we shall no longer be babes nor shall we resemble mariners tossed on the waves and carried about with every changing wind of doctrine according to men’s cleverness and unscrupulous cunning, making use of every shifting doctine to mislead. But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ. Dependent on Him, the whole body — its various parts closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another — grows by the aid of every contributory link, with power proportioned to the need of each individual part, so as to build itself up in aspirit of love.” GoPH 25.2
These gifts, then, are to enable Christians to put on the characteristics of manhood; to come to maturity; to arrive at that firmness in religious opinion which becomes maturity of life; to hold settled religious opinions; to carefully examine what is truth and, finding truth, to adhere to it; not to yield to every passing wind of doctrine, but lovingly hold to, and speak, the truth; meanwhile growing up into Him who is our Head, even Christ, depending on Him; learning of Him; following Him; abiding in Him; and thus being brought to perfection. GoPH 26.1
These gifts were meant to help in the accomplishment of these great and glorious purposes. They were placed in the church by our Lord himself. There is not one of them but is greatly needed, now as much as ever; now, perhaps, more than ever. We cannot let one of them go without grave loss. GoPH 26.2
The time during which these gifts were meant to remain in the church is clearly stated. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” That is, it was not in God’s purpose that these gifts should be removed from the church before Christians had arrived at a state of complete unity and entire perfection. It is His design that His people shall all hold the same truth and have the same confidence in the Son of God. Even ” unto a perfect man,” the standard of that perfection being “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” GoPH 26.3
The meaning here is not the teaching of sinless perfection, but of maturity. Paul is urging his readers out of the state of childhood into a state of grown-up, mature life. The gifts were conferred on the infant church that it might be brought to maturity, that it might become strong, stable, mature, vigorous, wise, and energetic. The stature it is to arrive at is that of Christ. He was to be its standard. The measure to be reached was Christ. It was to grow, and its individual members were to grow, until it and they were like Him. And the gifts of the Spirit were to remain in the church until this great objective becomes a reality. GoPH 27.1
It is not yet a reality. All these gifts, then, including the gift of prophecy, should still be in the true church of Christ. GoPH 27.2