Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 12 · Section 3 · Subsection 14
Quest. 14. Of the distinction of the offices, here named by the Apostle in generall.
1. Chrysostome thinketh that the Apostle maketh mention of prophesying, teaching, exhorting, iterum idem docens, teaching the same thing againe, least they should be puffed vp: but the word foreign, siue, whether, so often repeated, sheweth a distinction of offices.
2. Some doe take the fowre first named, prophesie, ministrie, teaching, exhorting, for fower seuerall offices in the Church: of Prophets, which hauehave the knowledge of secrets: of Priests, that minister the Sacraments, Doctors, that teach, and Preachers, that exhort: Lyranus, Gorrhan: so likewise Rolloc taketh them for fowre distinct gifts: and these they say concerne the administation of spirituall things: the other three belong vntounto temporall: Osiander also thinketh, that by ministers are vnderstood, such as in the primitiue Church had the administration of Sacraments committed vntounto them: but it is not like, that the ministration of the Sacraments was diuided from teaching and exhorting; this were to make the Apostle a fauourer of vnpreaching ministers.
3. Some take foreign, the ministrie generally, for any Ecclesiasticall function: as whether he be a Bishop, or Presbyter, Haymo: and sometime it is taken for the calling of an Apostle, as Rom. 11.13. I magnifie my ministrie, Gryneus: and so Faius thinketh, that it comprehendeth all the offices following, which either belong to the doctrine or discipline of the Church: But if it were so generall, then the calling of the Prophets also should therein be comprehended, which the Apostle set downe before.
4. Some againe doe as much restraine this word ministrie, taking it onelyonly for the office of Deacons, who had the distribution of the almes of the Church: and here they say, in generall deacons are admonished to be diligent in their office: but afterwards, there is a particular precept giuen of simplicitie and singlenes of heart to be vsed in their ministrie, Gualter: but this were to make the Apostle commit a tautologie, that is, a needeles repetition of the same thing.
5. Wherefore I rather approoue their opinion, that thinke the Apostle first setteth down two generall kinds of functions: the one concerning instruction, which is here called prophecie, the other the administration of discipline, which is also called the ministrie: then he diuideth each of these into their seuerall parts: vntounto prophesying belongeth doctrine and exhortation: vntounto ministring these three offices, of the deacons in distributing, the Elders in gouerning, and of widowes and others which had the care and charge of the sicke: thus Martyr, Tolet, Beza, Pareus. And that these two prophesie, and ministrie, are the two generall heads of these functions that followe, these two reasons confirme it, first because the Apostle changeth his phrase of speach: after he had said, whether prophesying, &c. or an office, (or ministration:) then he proceedeth, or he that teacheth, or teaching, and so in the rest, Beza: secondly, in other places of Scripture, these two, prophesie and ministrie, are so generally taken: as 1. Cor. 14.3. He that prophesieth, speaketh to men to edifying, and to exhortation, and to comfort: here prophesying is distinguished into doctrin which edifieth, and exhortation, to the which also consolation belongeth, as a speciall kind of exhortation: likewise 1. Cor. 12.5. the Apostle saith, there are diuersities of administrations, but the same Lord: here the word foreign, ministrie, is taken generally for the seuerall administrations, that are in the Chrch: and so here generaliter dicitur, it is taken generally, though there be a speciall kind of ministrie so called also, Chrysost.