And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helpers, administrators, various kinds of tongues.
All Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 12:28 Go To 1 Corinthians 12
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Thus what I spoke of before, this also he now does. Because they thought highly of themselves in respect of the tongues he sets it last every where. For the terms, first and secondly, are not used by him here at random, but in order by enumeration to point out the more honorable and the inferior. Wherefore also he set the apostles first who had all the gifts in themselves. And he said not, God has set certain in the Church, apostles simply, or prophets, but he employs first, second, and third, signifying that same thing which I told you of.
Secondly, prophets. For they used to prophesy, as the daughters of Philip, as Agabus, as these very persons among the Corinthians, of whom he says, Let the prophets speak, two or three. 1 Corinthians 14:29 And writing also to Timothy, he said, Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy. 1 Timothy 4:14 And they were much more many that prophesied. And if Christ says, The Law and the Prophets prophesied until John, Matthew 11:13 He says it of those prophets who before proclaimed His coming.
Thirdly, teachers. For he that prophesies speaks all things from the Spirit; but he that teaches sometimes discourses also out of his own mind. Wherefore also he said, Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and in teaching: 1 Timothy 5:17 whereas he that speaks all things by the Spirit does not labor. This accordingly is the reason why he set him after the prophet, because the one is wholly a gift but the other is also man's labor. For he speaks many things of his own mind, agreeing however with the sacred Scriptures.
3. Then miracles, then gifts of healings. Do you see how he again divides the healings from the power, which also he did before. For the power is more than the healing: since he that has power both punishes and heals, but he that has the gift of healings does cures only. And observe how excellent the order he made use of, when he set the prophecy before the miracles and the healings. For above when he said, To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, he spoke, not setting them in order, but indifferently. Here, on the other hand, he sets a first and a second rank. Wherefore then does he set prophecy first? Because even in the old covenant the matter has this order. For example, when Isaiah was discoursing with the Jews, and exhibiting a demonstration of the power of God, and bringing forward the evidence of the worthlessness of the demons, he stated this also as the greater evidence of his divinity, his foretelling things to come. Isaiah 41:22-23 And Christ Himself after working so many signs says that this was no small sign of His divinity: and continually adds, But these things have I told you, that when it has come to pass, you may believe that I am He. John 13:19; 14:29; 16:4
Well then; the gifts of healing are justly inferior to prophecy. But why likewise to teaching? Because it is not the same thing to declare the word of preaching and sow piety in the hearts of the hearers, as it is to work miracles: since these are done merely for the sake of that. When therefore any one teaches both by word and life, he is greater than all. For those he calls emphatically teachers, who both teach by deeds and instruct in word. For instance: this made the Apostles themselves to become Apostles. And those gifts certain others also, of no great worth, received in the beginning, as they who said, Lord, did we not prophesy by Your Name, and do mighty works? and after this were told, I never knew you; depart from Me, you that work iniquity. Matthew 7:22 But this twofold mode of teaching, I mean that by deeds and by words, no bad man would ever undertake. As to his setting the prophets first marvel not at it. For he is not speaking of prophets simply, but of those who by prophecy do also teach and say every thing to the common benefit: which in proceeding he makes more clear to us.
Helps, governments. What is, helps? To support the weak. Is this then a gift, tell me? In the first place, this too is of the Gift of God, aptness for a patron's office ; the dispensing spiritual things; besides which he calls many even of our own good deeds, gifts; not meaning us to lose heart, but showing that in every case we need God's help, and preparing them to be thankful, and thereby making them more forward and stirring up their minds.
Divers kind of tongues. Do you see where he has set this gift, and how he every where assigns it the last rank?
4. Further, since again by this catalogue he had pointed out a great difference, and stirred up the afore-mentioned distemper of those that had lesser gifts, he darts upon them in what follows with great vehemence, because he had already given them those many proofs of their not being left much inferior. What I mean is; because it was likely that on hearing these things they would say, And why were we not all made Apostles?— whereas above he had made use of a more soothing tone of discourse, proving at length the necessity of this result, even from the image of the body; for the body, says he, is not one member; and again, but if all were one member, where were the body? and from the fact that they were given for use; for to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit, says he, to profit withal: and from all being watered from the same Spirit: and from what is bestowed being a free gift and not a debt; for there are, says he, diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit: and from the manifestation of the Spirit being made alike through all; for to each one, says he, is given the manifestation through the Spirit: and from the fact that these things were shaped according to the pleasure of the Spirit and of God; for all these, says he, works the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will: and, God has set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased Him: and from the inferior members also being necessary; for those which seem, says he, to be more feeble are necessary: from their being alike necessary, in that they from the greater too needing the less: for the head, says he, cannot say to the feet, I have no need of you: from these latter enjoying even more honor; for to that which lacks, says he, He has given more abundant honor: from the care of them being common and equal; for for all the members have the same care one for another: and from there being one honor and one grief of them all; for whether, says he, one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it:— whereas, I say, he had above exhorted them by these topics, here and henceforth he uses language so as to bear them down and rebuke them. For, as I said, it behooves us neither always to exhort people nor always to silence them. Therefore also Paul himself, because he at length exhorted them, does henceforth vehemently attack them.
