To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul says this to encourage the person concerned to suppress his shyness and receive the ability to profess and lay claim to faith. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
Without the spirit of faith no one will rightly believe. Without the spirit of prayer no one will profitably pray. It is not that there are so many spirits, “but in all things one and the same Spirit works, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” Letter , To Sixtus.
To another by the same Spirit1. S. Paul does not mean here the theological faith which all Christians have, but that transcendent faith, including the theological, which is the mother of miracles. It consists above all things in a constant confidence in God for obtaining anything and for working miracles, e.g, as Christ says, for removing mountains. This appears from chap. xiii2. Cf. S. Chrysostom.
2. Ambrose understands faith here to be the gift of an intrepid confession and preaching of the faith.
3. But best of all faith here is a clear perception of the mysteries of the faith for the purposes of contemplation and explanation; for in Romans 12:6, S. Paul says in the same way that prophets have the gift of prophecy, and ought to prophesy "according to the proportion of faith," i.e, according to the measure of the understanding of the things of faith given them by God. Maldonatus (in Notis Manusc.) says that the Apostle here means that transcendent faith possessed by but few, and w...
This faith which is given by the Spirit as a grace is not just doctrinal faith but a faith which empowers activities surpassing human nature, a faith which moves mountains… . For just as a grain of mustard seed is of little bulk but of explosive energy, taking a trifling space for its planting and then sending out great branches all around, so that when it is grown it can give shelter to the birds, so in like manner the faith present in one’s soul achieves the greatest things by the most summary decision. For such a one places the thought of God before his mind and as enlightenment of faith permits it, beholds God. His mind also ranges through the world from end to end, and with the end of this age not yet come, beholds the judgment already, and the bestowal of the promised rewards.
Do you see how he every where makes this addition, saying, through the same Spirit, and according to the same Spirit? For he knew that the comfort from thence was great.
