To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
All Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 12:9 Go To 1 Corinthians 12
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
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 which enables its possessors to give a ready assent to Divine things; for the faith which works miracles seems to be included in the "working of powers" mentioned in the next verse, as Toletus, amongst others, rightly points out at Romans 12:6.
