Got Ascension Gifts?

We read in Ephesians 4:7-8, 11... But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. (NKJV)

Isn't it interesting that when Jesus, the supreme head over the church, ascended on high He saw it necessary to give all five of the gifts mentioned above to the church. Unfortunately a large portion of the church for centuries has adopted the wisdom of men concerning some of these gifts. For the most part there has been an elimination of the apostle and prophet, yet there is no reference in scripture that indicates that Jesus who gave these gifts to the church has eliminated them. Paul's letter to the church at Rome dealing with Israel's restoration say, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29 NKJV)

These gifts were given to the church for a very important purpose...
For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:12-16 NKJV)

Taking a cold hard look at the purpose of the five ascension gifts as they freely functioned in the first century church you can see why the early church had unparalleled success. It's not that they were problem free, but Acts 2:42-47 tells us that they were building community together with gladness and simplicity of heart. Now look at centuries of church history where the gift of apostle and prophet have been eliminated, through the reformation and into the present, and ask ourselves these questions...
If the church would have recognized and responded to these five gifts from Christ throughout the centuries as they did in the early church could it be possible that there would not have been any divisions and so many doctrinal differences? Could it be that the old nature that Paul further addresses believers to put off (Ephesians 4:17-23) was in fact the reason why the church had rejected and for the most part continues to reject these gifts? Why would Jesus find it necessary to give these gifts to the early church but have no reason to have them function today? Is the church today really building itself up in love? Is every believer doing their part in building up the church? Tell us what you think?

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