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Ephesians 4-6

1. Are the offices and gifts of apostles and prophets still being given today? (Ephesians 4:11)

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:2-5).

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his 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 (Ephesians 4:11-13).

When you read these three references to apostles and prophets in the Book of Ephesians, you cannot help but consider these offices to be unique. Ephesians 2:19-20 say that they are foundational. Ephesians 3:2-5 say that to those in these offices God has given Scriptural revelation. 

So, when we come to the third reference in Ephesians 4, we must not forget the unique nature of these two offices. In Ephesians 4:11-13 we learn that "Christ himself gave..." Therefore, the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors-teachers have the unique distinction of being given directly by Christ. Therefore, we ought not to be too cavalier in saying that any ministry of the church is given by Christ.

What is more, we are told that Christ gave these ministries "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:12). So, these offices have this purpose, whether they are temporary or enduring. 

I contend that the first two offices, that of apostle and prophet, are temporary because they (1) were uniquely foundational for the church and (2) were given to convey biblical revelation, which ended with the Book of Revelation.

While the word "apostle" can have a broad meaning of "one sent," the New Testament consistently distinguishes the apostleship of the Eleven (perhaps Twelve with Matthias) and Paul for their foundational and revelational roles. I have before argued that the power to do signs, wonders and miracles were the unique powers of these apostle and those that they laid their hands upon. So Paul also wrote in defense of his apostleship,

I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12).

With the demise of the last apostle, I believe the granting of such powers ceased. And there are indications from the latter books of the New Testament, that these signs, wonders and miracles were already on the decline (e.g. 1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20).

There is some debate on this question, and there is no Scripture that absolutely says these offices/gifts have  ceased; however, I believe the prepoderence of biblical evidence, the testimony of two thousand years of history absent these offices, as well as the unbiblical practices that passes for these offices today, strongly argue for the cessation of these gifts/offices after the New Testament era.