Paul calls the gifts spiritual because they are the work of the Spirit alone, owing nothing to human initiative.

In former times those who accepted the divine preaching and who were baptized for their salvation were given visible signs of the grace of the Holy Spirit at work in them. Some spoke in tongues which they did not know and which nobody had taught them, while others performed miracles or prophesied. The Corinthians also did these things, but they did not use the gifts as they should have done. They were more interested in showing off than in using them for the edification of the church.

Now that he is about to give them spiritual teaching, Paul recalls their former way of life. His intention is that, just as they have been worshipers of idols in the shape of statues and used to be led about by the will of demons, so now, as worshipers of God, they may walk according to the model of the law, so as to be pleasing to God.

What Paul means is that if anyone in a pagan temple was at any time possessed by an unclean spirit and began to divine, he was led away by that spirit like a man in chains and had no idea what he was saying. For it is peculiar to the soothsayer to be beside himself, to be under compulsion, to be pushed, to be dragged, to be greeted as a madman. But the prophet is not like this, because he has a sober mind and composed temper and knows exactly what he is saying.

Paul shows that there is a very big difference between Christian prophecy and pagan soothsaying. Pagans do not address the unclean spirit but are possessed by it and say things which they do not understand. The soothsayer’s soul is darkened, and he does not know what he is saying, whereas the prophet’s soul is enlightened and reveals what the prophet has learned and understood.

There are so many different kinds of spirit that without the gift of discernment, who can know which is which?

If two yardsticks are compared with each other, their straightness is in agreement. But if a distorted piece of wood is compared with a ruler, the crooked one will be at variance with the straight. Since, therefore, the praise of God is righteous, there is need of a righteous heart, in order that the praise may be fitting and adapted to it. No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in the Holy Spirit. So how can one offer due praise if one does not have the right spirit in one’s heart?

If we cannot name the Lord Jesus without the Spirit, surely we cannot proclaim him without the Spirit.

Any truth spoken by anyone is spoken by the Holy Spirit.

If no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit, what can we say about those who do name his name but do not have the Spirit? Here we have to understand that Paul was not talking about catechumens who had not yet been baptized but about believers and unbelievers.

When the demoniac Legion acknowledged Jesus as Lord, he did not do so in a believing sense, but he merely confessed his knowledge of the lordship and rule of Christ over all things.

There is no disharmony between the teaching of the only begotten Son and that of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospels, Christ the Lord taught us how great the Holy Spirit is, and the Spirit has proclaimed his lordship. No one who is truly moved by the Spirit can say that Christ is not divine.

Even if the gift bestowed on you is less than the gift bestowed on someone else, the Giver is the same, and therefore you have equal honor with him. It is the same Fountain from which you draw refreshment.

This does not pertain to the fullness nor to a portion of the Spirit, because neither does the human mind grasp God’s fullness, nor is God divided into any portions of himself. But he pours out the gift of the grace of the Spirit in which God is adored, as he is also adored in truth, for no one adores him except he who draws in the truth of his godhead with pious affection.

The Holy Spirit adapts himself to each person. He sees the dispositions of each. He sees into our reasoning and our conscience, what we say, what we think, what we believe.

We are all the one body of Christ, whose head is God, whose members we are. Some perhaps are the eyes, like the prophets. Others are more like teeth, as the apostles who passed the food of the gospel teaching into our hearts. . . . Some are hands who are seen carrying out good works. Those who bestow the strength of nourishment upon the poor are his belly. Some are his feet, and would that I were worthy to be his heel! He pours water on the feet of Christ who forgives the lowly their sins, and, in setting free the common man, he bathes the feet of Christ.

One who hears about gifts might be upset if someone else has a greater one. But when it comes to service, things are the other way round. In this case, labor and sweat are implied. Why do you complain if they have been given more to do so as to spare you?

Just as a faculty of the human body will be idle when the causes that stir it into activity are not present, so with the soul. The eyes will not perform their functions except through the light or the brightness of day. The ears will not comprehend their task when no voice or sound is heard. The nostrils will not be aware of their office if no odor is detected. It is not that the faculty is lost because the cause is absent. Rather the employment of the faculty comes from the cause. It is the same with the soul of man. If the soul has not breathed in the gift of the Spirit through faith, even though it will continue to possess the faculty for understanding, it will not have the light of knowledge. The one gift, which is in Christ, is available to everyone in its entirety, and what is present in every place is given insofar as we desire to receive it and will remain with us insofar as we desire to become worthy of it. This gift is with us even to the consummation of the world. This is the consolation of our expectation. This, through the efficacy of the gifts, is the pledge of our future hope. This is the light of the mind, the splendor of the soul. For this reason we must pray for this Holy Spirit.

Paul is emphatic in asserting that the distribution of gifts is not to be attributed to human causes as if they were achievable by men. The varied gifts of the Holy Spirit and the grace of the Lord Jesus are the work of one and the same God. The grace and the gift cannot be divided according to the persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but must be understood as constituting the one work of the undivided unity and nature of the Three.

There is a fourfold meaning in the words that lie before us: There is the same Spirit in the varieties of the gifts. There is the same Lord in the varieties of ministries. There is the same God in these varieties. And there is a manifestation of the Spirit in the bestowal of what is profitable.

Gifts, service and working all amount to the same thing in the end, for they are different forms of the same ministry.

Each person receives a gift so that, governing his life by divine constraints, he may be useful both to himself and to others while presenting an example of good behavior.

Whatever measure of the Spirit has been given to you, it is for your benefit, so there is no reason to complain of what seems like a small gift.

Since no one has the capacity to receive all spiritual gifts, but the grace of the Spirit is given proportionately to the faith of each, when one is living in community with others, the grace privately bestowed on each individual becomes the common possession of the others. . . . One who receives any of these gifts does not possess it for his own sake but rather for the sake of others.

Even in our time grace is given to those who are deemed worthy of holy baptism, but it may not take the same form as it did in those days.

In other words, he is given knowledge not by book learning but by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

Wisdom refers to the knowledge of divine things, and knowledge to human science.

The utterance of wisdom means understanding what God has said through the prophets and evangelists and communicating this to those who are listening. The utterance of knowledge is the revelation of things which have been forgotten, which someone learns for the first time and then shares with others.

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.

Paul says this to encourage the person concerned to suppress his shyness and receive the ability to profess and lay claim to faith.

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.

The faith mentioned here is not the kind given to every believer but the kind which can move mountains.

According to Paul, prophecy is not only through the Father and the Son but also through the Holy Spirit. On this account the office is one, the grace is one.

In the distribution of spiritual gifts, it is also added that discernment of spirits is given to some. It is a spiritual gift, therefore, by which the spirit is discerned, as the apostle says: Test the spirits, if they are from God.^[1]

To interpret is to interpret faithfully by God’s gift the sayings of those who speak in tongues or in writing.

The Corinthians boasted of their speaking in tongues, which is why Paul put it last in his list.

These gifts were given to women as well as men, as the Acts of the Apostles makes plain.

Let us assert of the Holy Spirit only what is written. Let us not busy ourselves about what is not written. The Holy Spirit has authored the Scriptures. He has spoken of himself all that he wished, or all that we could grasp. Let us confine ourselves to what he has said, for it is reckless to do otherwise.

The universal medicine of his consolation stems from the same root, from the same treasure, the same stream. Therefore Paul occasionally dwells on this expression so as to level out apparent inequalities and console them.

The Spirit spoke also in the patriarchs and the prophets, and finally the apostles then began to be more perfect after they had received the Holy Spirit. Thus there is no separation of the divine power and grace, for although there are varieties of gifts, yet there is the same Spirit.

Here Paul is comforting those who received the lesser gifts, pointing out that they too come from the Holy Spirit.

It belongs to God’s justice that he divides and to his power that he divides according to his will or because he wishes to give to each one what he knows will be of profit.

Paul is here attributing to the Holy Spirit what he earlier attributed to all three persons.^[1] Because they are of one nature and power, the Three do what the One does. There is only one God, whose grace is distributed to individuals as he wishes, not according to the merits of any particular person but for the upbuilding of his church. All those things which the world wants to imitate but cannot, because it is carnal, may be seen in the church, which is the house of God, where they are granted by the gift and instruction of the Holy Spirit.

Notice that Paul does not say according to the will of each and every member but according to the will of the Spirit.

One and the same rain comes down on all the world, yet it becomes white in the lily, red in the rose, purple in the violets and hyacinths, different and many-colored in manifold species. Thus it is one in the palm tree and another in the vine, and all in all things, though it is uniform and does not vary in itself. For the rain does not change, coming down now as one thing and now as another, but it adapts itself to the thing receiving it and becomes what is suitable to each. Similarly the Holy Spirit, being One and of one nature and indivisible, imparts to each one his grace according as he will. The dry tree when watered brings forth shoots. So too does the soul in sin, once made worthy through repentance of the grace of the Holy Spirit, flower into justice. Though the Spirit is one in nature, yet by the will of God and in the name of the Son, he brings about many virtuous effects. For he employs the tongue of one for wisdom, illumines the soul of another by prophecy, to another he grants the power of driving out devils, to another the gift of interpreting the sacred Scriptures. He strengthens the self-control of one while teaching another the nature of almsgiving, and still another to fast and humble himself, and another to despise the things of the body. He prepares another for martyrdom. He acts differently in different persons, though he himself is not diverse.

For not everyone has all of them, but some have these and others those, although each has the Gift himself by whom the things proper to each one are divided, namely, the Holy Spirit.

For the prophetical gifts remain with us [Christians], even to the present time. And hence you [Jews] ought to understand that [the gifts] formerly among your nation have been transferred to us.

Likewise we hear of many brethren in the Church who possess prophetic gifts and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages and who bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God.

Paul talks about Christ when perhaps he might well have said the church. In doing so, he raises the level of discourse and appeals more and more to the hearers’ sense of awe.

Paul is pointing out that just as the body has many members, some of which are more important than others, so it is with the church also. But every member is necessary and useful.

You are all one in Christ Jesus. It is not that some are enlightened gnostics and others less perfect spirituals. Everyone, putting aside all carnal desires, is equal and spiritual before the Lord.

There is one work because there is one mystery, there is one baptism because there was one death for the world. There is a unity of outlook which cannot be separated.

Paul is teaching that we should not treat anyone with contempt, nor should we regard anyone as perfect.

He who formed the body is one, and the body which he formed is also one.

Those who are experts in such matters say that the virtues are not separate from each other and that it is not possible to grasp one of the virtues properly without attaining to the rest of them, but where one of the virtues is present the others will necessarily follow.

The unity of the body consists in the fact that its many members supply the things which the other parts lack.

Paul says this in order not to overlook the humbler members of the church. For even if someone is lesser by nature, he still belongs to the body of the church.

This means that a weak brother cannot say that he is not a part of the body simply because he is not strong.

Paul is saying that the person who is slightly inferior should not for that reason think that he is unnecessary to the body.

Note that Paul couples the foot with the hand, which is mounted a little above it, and the ear with the eye likewise. This is because we are prone to envy not those who are far above us but those who are only a little bit above.

Even if the body had only its most important member, it would still be useless without the others.

God has placed each part of the body where he has chosen, so we must not enquire any further as to why he has done it the way he has. For even if we could come up with ten thousand explanations, we would never find one better than this—that it pleased the Creator to make it the way he chose.

If everyone in the church were equal, there would be no body, because a body is governed according to the difference in the functions of its members.

The diversity in the members of the body unites for the purpose of ensuring that the body fulfills its potential.

If there were not great diversity among you, you could not be a body. If you were not a body, you could not be unified. If you were not one, you would not be equal in honor. It is because you are not all endowed with the same gift that you are a body.

If the eye is healthy and one can see clearly, what joy will it have if the other members of the body are missing? How would it appear to be perfect without the hands, the feet or the other parts of the body?

The person who is greater in rank or dignity cannot do without those who are lower. For there are things which a humbler person can do which an exalted one cannot, just as iron can do things which gold cannot. Because of this, the feet perform an honorable function for the head.

The greater gifts cannot do without the lesser ones, because if even the lesser ones are harmed, the body will not function properly. What is lower than the foot? Or what is more honorable or necessary than the head? But the head, however important it is, is not self-sufficient, nor can it do everything by itself. If that were so, there would be no need to have feet.

The church has real eyes: its teachers and leaders who see in sacred Scripture the mysteries of God. . . . It also has hands, effective persons who are not eyes but hands. Do they plumb the mysteries of sacred Scripture? No, but they are powerful in works. The church has feet: those who make official journeys of all kinds. The foot runs that the hand may find the work it is to do. The eye does not scorn the hand, nor do these three scorn the belly as if it were idle and unemployed.

No matter how elevated a person may be, if he has no one under him, his rank is worthless. The greatest emperor still needs an army.

Because our feet are lowly and lacking in dignity, we adorn them with shoes. It is clear that our private parts, which are thought to be shameful, cover themselves with respectability by avoiding public display, so as not to obtrude irreverently. Likewise, some of the brothers who are poor and unseemly in their dress are nevertheless not without grace, because they are members of our body. They go about in dirty little garments and barefoot. Though they may look contemptible, they are more to be honored because they usually lead a cleaner life. What men find despicable, God may find quite beautiful.

Just as it is good to use evils well, so it is honest to use the unseemly well. Not because of the beauty of the divine work, but because of the ugliness of lust, the apostle calls these members of the body unseemly. The chaste are not bound by a necessity to depravity, for they resist lust lest it compel them to commit unseemly acts. Yet not even honorable procreation can exist without lust. In this way in chaste spouses there is both the voluntary, in the procreation of offspring, and the necessary, in lust. Honesty arises from unseemliness when chaste union accepts, but does not love, lust.

We do not have to add anything to those whose eagerness for expertise and respectability is obvious—the honor due to them is given already. But an exhortation is necessary regarding the despised and lowly, to ensure that due honor is given to them, so that they may be seen as useful. Otherwise, if these people are despised, they will become more negligent about themselves.

Nothing in us is dishonorable, seeing that it is God’s work. What is there in us which is less esteemed than our genitals? Nevertheless, they enjoy greater honor, and even the very poor, who may be completely naked otherwise, cannot allow those parts to be uncovered.

Aren’t the hairs of your head certainly of less value than your other members? What is cheaper, more despicable, more lowly in your body than the hairs of your head? Yet if the barber trims your hair unskillfully, you become angry at him because he does not cut your hair evenly. Yet you do not maintain that same concern for unity of the members in the church.

With those among whom harmony is not secured, however, the bond of peace is not preserved, mildness of spirit is not maintained, but there is dissension, strife and rivalry. It would be a great piece of audacity to call such persons members of Christ or to say that they are ruled by him. It would be the expression of an honest mind to say openly that the wisdom of the flesh is master there and wields a royal sovereignty.

Paul is saying that the human body is so organized that all its members are necessary, and because of this, all are concerned for one another. One cannot exist without the other, and parts which are thought to be inferior are usually more necessary. No one ought to be despised as useless.

Paul points out that if division in the body is to be avoided, greater attention must be given to the lesser parts, so that they will not be harmed or feel excluded. If they were badly treated they would be destroyed, and their destruction would be the ruin of the body.

I suffer with, I grieve with our fellow believers who, having lapsed and fallen by the impetus of persecution, drawing part of our hearts with them, have brought a like sorrow on us with their wounds.

Our sufferings are such as to have reached even to the limits of our inhabited world. When one member suffers, all the members suffer along with it.

Sharing all things in common, both good and bad, is the only way to achieve complete communion.

Suppose you had a disjointed finger. Would you not tremble in all your limbs? Would you not hurry to the doctor to have the finger set? Surely, then, your body is in good condition when all its members are in agreement, the one with the other. Then you are considered healthy, and really are well.

Far be it from us to refuse to hear what is bitter and sad to those whom we love. It is not possible for one member to suffer without the other members suffering with it.