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The subject of the purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit has been raised earlier on this blog, but I’d be interested in discussing it further.

Ephesians 4:7-12 explains the reasons why the gifts were first given.

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned
it. This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”

… It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Paul here speaks of the “gifts of grace” - a concept he also writes about in Rom 12:6-8. Some of the gifts enumerated in Rom 12 and Eph 4 also appear in the two lists in 1 Cor 12 which describe the “spiritual gifts” (charismata) or “gifts of the spirit” (pneumatika). The gifts common to all 3 letters are prophesying and teaching. In addition, Romans 12 and 1 Cor 12 have 2 more in common: “leadership” and “administration” (probably the same or similar) and “contributing to the needs of others” and “those able to help others” (also probably the some).

Some gifts occur in 1 or 2 only of the 4 lists.

A comparison of these gifts reveals that no one list is complete. In my view it is inaccurate to say that there were/are 9 gifts. If we combine the lists we have the following:

1. Apostles
2. Prophets / prophesying
3. Evangelists
4. Pastors
5. Teachers / teaching
6. Serving
7. Encouraging
8. Contributing to the needs of others / those able to help others
9. Leadership / administration
10. Showing mercy
11. Wisdom
12. Knowledge
13. Faith
14. Gifts of healing
15. Miraculous powers / workers of miracles
16. Ability to distinguish between spirits
17. Tongues
18. Interpretation of tongues

So, there were at least 18 gifts, possibly more. In fact, it is possible that these lists give just a “sampling” of the gifts available and there may have been many, many more.

What was the purpose for these gifts? Paul mentions several:

(a) to prepare God’s people for works of service (Eph 4:12)
(b) so that the body of Christ may be built up (ibid)
(c) to reach unity in the faith (v13)
(d) to become mature (ibid)
(e) to attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (ibid)
(f) they are for the common good of the church (1 Cor 12:7)
(g) for service (1 Cor 12:4-5)
(h) for the strengthening of the church (1 Cor 14:3, 26)

Using language similar to Paul’s “gifts of grace” Peter says (in 1 Peter 4:10-11) “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

Under these two groupings, “speaking” and “serving”, we could name all the gifts in Paul’s lists. So Peter has the same emphasis as Paul - the gifts are for serving the church, to bring it to maturity.

Some will argue that the gifts were given in the first century to meet “special needs”. However, when we look at the Scriptural reasons why they were given (above) we see that these “special needs” still exist. The church is still immature in many places; the church is divided; we have not yet attained the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. We still need to be built up, and we will always need those who serve.

Paul makes another important point in 1 Cor 12:18 which is relevant to whether all the gifts need to be present in every church. He says: “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be”. The word translated here “arranged” (tithemi) is the same word translated “appointed” in verse 28: “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles …” and then he enumerates several gifts. God knows the needs of every church and knows which gifts they need. He provides the gifts necessary to bring each church to maturity. In my opinion (and this is just my opinion) this means that God need not provide all 18 of the gifts listed above, or He may provide gifts not on that list. He knows what we need, and He provides.

Peter says we carry out our ministeries in the body of Christ “with the strength God provides”. Paul makes the same point about the gifts of the Spirit: “there are different kinds of gifts … but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Cor 12:6). This is the work of God. The church cannot bring itself to maturity. It cannot unite itself. It cannot build itself up. We need God! And the way God does this work is “with the strength God provides”, with “His incomparably great power for us who believe” (Eph 1:19).
Having explained in chapter 12 the importance of the gifts, arranged in the body just as God wanted them to be, Paul explains that a time is coming when we will no longer need them.

“But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (Vv 8-12)

He says the gifts will pass away “when perfection comes”. The word translated “perfection” (teleios) is the same word translated elsewhere as “maturity”. In other words, when the church reaches the maturity, the unity, and the measure of Christ elsewhere written about we will no longer need the gifts because we will have something better. That perfection/maturity comes when we are changed to be “like Him” and when we will experience “the powers of the coming age” and “the heavenly gift” in such fullness that our present experience will be just a “taste” (Heb 6:4) or a “poor reflection”.