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1Co 13:2 Mt 17:19,20; 21:21 Mr 11:22,23 Lu 17:5,6 2Co 4:13 Eph 2:8

Verse 8. Word of wisdom] In all these places I consider that the proper translation of logov is doctrine, as in many other places of the New Testament. It is very difficult to say what is intended here by the different kinds of gifts mentioned by the apostle: they were probably all supernatural, and were necessary at that time only for the benefit of the Church. On the 8th, 9th, and 10th verses, much may be seen in Lightfoot, Whitby, Pearce, and others. By doctrine of wisdom we may understand, as Bp. Pearce and Dr. Whitby observe, the mystery of our redemption, in which the wisdom of God was most eminently conspicuous: see chap. ii. 7, 10; and which is called the manifold wisdom of God, Eph. iii. 10. Christ, the great teacher of it, is called the wisdom of God, chap. i. 24; and in him are said to be contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. ii. 3.

The apostles to whom this doctrine was committed are called sofoi, wise men; (Matt. xxiii. 34;) and they are said to teach this Gospel according to the wisdom given them, 2 Pet. iii. 15.

2. By the doctrine of knowledge we may understand either a knowledge of the types, &c., in the Old Testament; or what are termed mysteries; the calling of the Gentiles, the recalling of the Jews, the mystery of iniquity, of the beast, &c., and especially the mystical sense or meaning of the Old Testament, with all its types, rites, ceremonies, &c., &c.

3. By faith, ver. 9, we are to understand that miraculous faith by which they could remove mountains, 1 Cor. xiii. 2; or a peculiar impulse, as Dr: Whitby calls it, that came upon the apostles when any difficult matter was to be performed, which inwardly assured them that God's power would assist them in the performance of it. Others think that justifying faith, received by means of Gospel teaching, is what is intended.

4. Gifts of healing simply refers to the power which at particular times the apostles received from the Holy Spirit to cure diseases; a power which was not always resident in them; for Paul could not cure Timothy, nor remove his own thorn in the flesh; because it was given only on extraordinary occasions, though perhaps more generally than many others.

5. The working of miracles, energhmata dunamewn, 1 Corinthians xii. 10.

This seems to refer to the same class as the operations, energhmatwn, ver. 6, as the words are the same; and to signify those powers by which they were enabled at particular times to work miraculously on others; ejecting demons, inflicting punishments or judgments, as in the cases mentioned under 1 Cor. xii. 6. It is a hendyadis for mighty operations.

6. Prophecy. This seems to import two things: 1st, the predicting future events, such as then particularly concerned the state of the Church and the apostles; as the dearth foretold by Agabus, Acts xi. 28; and the binding of St. Paul, and delivering him to the Romans, Acts xxi. 10, &c.; and St. Paul's foretelling his own shipwreck on Malta, Acts xxvii. 25, &c. And 2ndly, as implying the faculty of teaching or expounding the Scriptures, which is also a common acceptation of the word.

7. Discerning of spirits. A gift by which the person so privileged could discern a false miracle from a true one; or a pretender to inspiration from him who was made really partaker of the Holy Ghost. It probably extended also to the discernment of false professors from true ones, as appears in Pet. in the case of Ananias and his wife.

8. Divers kinds of tongues. genh glwsswn, Different languages, which they had never learned, and which God gave them for the immediate instruction of people of different countries who attended their ministry.

9. Interpretation of tongues. It was necessary that while one was speaking the deep things of God in a company where several were present who did not understand, though the majority did, there should be a person who could immediately interpret what was said to that part of the congregation that did not understand the language. This power to interpret was also an immediate gift of God's Spirit, and is classed here among the miracles. --10

Ver. 9. To another faith by the same Spirit , etc.] Not the grace of faith, which is common to all believers, though given by the same Spirit: but rather the doctrine of faith, and ability to preach it, and boldness and intrepidity of spirit to assert and defend it in the face of all opposition; all which are from the Spirit of God, and are more or less given to pastors and teachers, the third office in the church. Though generally this is understood of a faith of working miracles, as in ( 1 Corinthians 13:2) but the working of miracles is mentioned afterwards as distinct, unless it can be thought that this is the general name for miracles, and the rest that follow the particulars of them. To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit ; of healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases: this power Christ gave his disciples, when he first sent them out to preach the Gospel, and which he repeated when he renewed and enlarged their commission after his resurrection; and which was exercised with effect, sometimes only by overshadowing the sick with their shadows, as by Peter, ( Acts 5:15,16) sometimes by, laying hands on them, as the father of Publius, and others, were healed by Paul, ( Acts 28:8,9) and sometimes by anointing with oil, ( James 5:14).

Now these gifts were bestowed in common, by the Spirit, on apostles, prophets, and pastors, or elders of the church, in those early times: the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin version, read, �by one Spirit�.