An Exposition of Pauls Epistles, Letter 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
THE EIGHTH ARTICLE CONCERNING THE USE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
THe eighth Article of the Epistle concerning spiritual Gifts, and the right use of them, in the three next following Chapters.
Some were proud of spiritual Gifts, and despised others in comparison with themselves; Some envyed others because they had a larger measure of spiritual Gifts, most abused their gifts to discord, not to spiritual Edification: The scope of the Apostle, is, to correct these abuses, and to dehort them from them, and to set before them the right use, and that with sixteen Arguments: whereof some of them conclude one, others of them another part of their end, but all urge a prudent use of gifts.
Vers. 1. Now concerning spiritual Gifts, Brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
The Apostle comprehends all abuse, onelyonly under ignorance, or imprudence, and the right use of spiritual Gifts, under prudence: The Position which the Apostle propounds to bee proved, is this: yee ought not to behave your self ignorantly, or imprudently in the business of spiritual Gifts, but prudently.
Vers. 2. Yee know that yee were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb Idols, even as yee were led.
Argum. 1. From the comparison of their former and present state, to this sense: Not long since yee being destitute of all the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, yee were carried about after the pleasure of the Devil, that impure spirit, even as other Gentiles, into the grossest worship of dumb Idols, or into Idolatry: Therefore now being converted, and adorned with spiritual Gifts, you ought to behave your selves prudently, taking heed, that you bee not hurried about by that evil spirit, to no less hurtful enormities, in the abuse of spiritual Gifts.
Vers. 3. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Iesus accursed: and that no man can say, that Iesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Argum. 2. Those that blaspheme Christ, as they are certainly destitute of his Spirit, so certainly are all you, (who with a sincere Faith profess Jesus Christ your Lord) indued with his Spirit, or with the saving and special gift of the Holy Spirit, without which you cannot profess him with a sincere Faith: Therefore concerning other spiritual gifts, which do not necessarily accompany Salvation, yee ought not to envy each other.
Vers. 4. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit;
Argum. 3. Although there are diversities of gifts, yet all flow from the same Fountain, and one Holy Spirit: Therefore in the use of these gifts you ought to carry your selves prudently, and friendly to agree together.
Vers. 5. And th…re are differences of Administrations, but the same Lord.
Argum. 4 Administrations and Ecclesiastical offices are many, but the same Lord, whom you all ought to serve: Therefore ought you to demean your selves prudently, and promote the work of God only.
Vers. 6. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God that worketh all in all.
Argum. 5. There are divers operations, various works produced by divers men as instruments, but the same God is hee that works those works in those divers instruments: Therefore there ought to bee no debate concerning these. Hee ascribes gifts to the Holy Spirit, who distributes gifts both ordinary and extraordinary, according to the necessity of the Church, ver. 4. Hee ascribes Functions and Offices to Christ, who being Lord in his house, appoints what services hee pleases, hee calls to offices whom hee will, and makes use of those that are called, in their functions, as hee will, ver. 5. But operations, or the exercises of gifts of what kind soever, hee ascribes in this verse to God the Father, who as hee is the first beginning of all, so hee works very effectuously in all; nor therefore doth the Apostle distinguish these, as if gifts, offices, and operations, may bee so of one person, as not of all the persons, but that wee may have need, that by this distinction of gifts, offices, and operations, (which concur to the producing of the same work) wee might more easily bee led by the hand, to apprehend the distinction of persons, and unity of essence; and that wee might observe the equality of the persons of the Holy Trinity, and their unity in gifts, offices, and exercises of gifts, and observing, might all of us unanimously endeavour for the good of the Church, and the glory of God.
Vers. 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all.
Argum. 6. Spiritual gifts, or manifestations of the Spirit, to wit, in which the Spirit is manifested, are given for one end, viz. for the good and edification of the whole Church: Therefore there ought not to bee difference concerning these.
Vers. 8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdome, to another the word of Knowledge, by the same Spirit.
This hee shews by reckoning up the nine kinds of gifts, which all tend to the good of the Church. The first gift, To one is given the Word of Wisdome, whereby hee can seasonably apply sound doctrine to his Hearers, which is the gift of a Pastor. The second; To another the word of Knowledge, which is the gift of a Teacher, whereby hee can give the general doctrine and sense of the Scripture, although hee hath not the gift fitly to apply it.
Vers. 9. To another Faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
10. To another the working of Miracles, to another Prophecie, to another discerning of Spirits, to another divers kinds of Tongues, to another the interpretation of Tongues.
The third gift, is Faith, which is called the Faith of many and famous miracles, and in the following Chapter it is called all Faith. 4: Is the gift of healing Diseases, which was one kind of miracles, as the rest following. 5. The gift of working miracles, and powerfully casting out devils, and the enemies of the Church, of which wee have an example, Act. 13.11. 6. The gift of fore-telling things to come, and revealing secrets. 7. The gift of discerning impostures from the gifts of the Spirit. 8. The gift of speaking with divers kinds of Tongues. 9. The gift of Interpretation of Tongues, without the gift of speaking with those Tongues; for it will appear that some spoke with Tongues who could not interpret, and contrarily; for so it seemed good to God to distribute his gifts.
Vers. 11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally, as hee will.
Argum. 7. To the wise using of gifts. This diversity of gifts, and distribution of them, is according to the good will of God: Therefore wee must rest in his will, and use them without discord.
Vers. 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
Argum. 8. Christ Mystical, or Christ is one Body with the Church, consisting of many members, and they instructed with variety of gifts: Therefore as in the humane, so in the Mystical Body there ought to bee concord in the use of gifts.
Vers. 13. For by one Spirit are wee all baptized into one body, whether wee bee Jews or Gentiles, whether wee bee bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Argum. 9. All the faithful are joyned together in the Sacrament of Baptism, and the Lords Supper, or the union of all the Faithful into one Church, and partaking of one life, in one body, and one Spirit, is signified in the Sacraments: Therefore you ought not to disagree amongst your selves about the diversity of gifts.
Vers. 14. For the body is not one member, but many.
15. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; Is it therefore not of the body?
16. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; Is it therefore not of the body?
Argum. 10. Seeing the condition of the body requires necessarily plurality of members, and by consequence diversity, it will follow, that the meanest offices in the least gifts, are as well of the body, as the most excellent offices and gifts. And if they should exclude themselves, they would not do less foolishly, than if the foot should deny that it was the hand, or the ear deny that it was the eye; and for this cause should conclude that it is not of the body: Therefore there ought to bee no dissention amongst you, because of the diversity of gifts.
Vers. 17. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18. But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19. And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20. But now are they many members, yet but one body.
Argum. 11. Even as if the body was one member, three inconveniences would follow. (1.) The rest of the members should bee excluded, and the more noble senses, ver. 17. (2.) The change should bee made contrary to the wise dispensation of God, who hath otherwise appointed diversity of members, ver. 18. (3.) The change should bee contrary to the nature of an organical body; for the very organical body should bee destroyed, ver. 19. Because God hath made one organical body of many members, ver. 20. So in Ecclesiastical Functions, if there was but one Function, three inconveniences would ensue. 1. The other offices would bee extinct. 2. The dispensation of God would bee destroyed. 3. The Organical Church it self would bee overthrown, which now consists of many offices, united together into one body: Therefore concord and agreement is to bee regarded.
Vers. 21. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22. Nay, much more, those members of the body, which seem to bee more feeble, are necessary.
Argum. 12. As in a natural body, the superiour and more excellent members cannot bee without the inferiour, which are most necessary; therefore they are friendly each to other; so it is in Ecclesiastical functions: therefore ought they to bee assisting one to another.
Vers. 23. And those members of the body, which wee think to bee less honourable, upon those wee bestow more abundant honour, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24. For our comly parts have no need; but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
Argum. 13. As in the body natural, that there may bee an agreement, those members which are more infirm are most honoured, and necessary, by the appointment of God: so ought it to bee in Ecclesiastical functions: Therefore in the chusing of Deacons rather than Pastors, care must bee had, that other things being alike, men of the fairest fortunes, may bee elected for the adorning of this inferiour office.
Vers. 25. That there should bee no Schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one of another.
Argum. 14. As the Natural body would come to ruine by Schism, if the members should strive among themselves, and should not regard each other: So in Ecclesiastical functions: Therefore concord is to bee highly regarded.
Vers. 26. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member bee honoured, all the members rejoyce with it.
27. Now yee are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Argum. 15. As amongst the superiour and inferiour members of the body, there is a sympathy in joy and grief, so it ought to bee amongst the Governours and Ministers of the Church: Therefore the greatest accord: Hee gives the Reason of it, Because yee (saith hee) are the body of Christ, and members in particular, i. e. such as ought as members to agree with the whole body, the Church, and amongst your selves: And here is the common Apodosis of the whole similitude, taken from the body, from vers. 12. to this 27. verse.
Vers. 28. And God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Now in order hee reckons up the Ministers of the Church, as much as might bee sufficient to restrain the ambition and envy that was among the Corinthians; The Authority of Paul by name, and of the other Apostles was prejudiced, by the subtil and Eloquent Doctors amongst the Corinthians (as is manifest in the second Epistle.) Therefore hee asserts the dignity of the Apostles in the first place, as those that were appointed of God to lay the foundation of all the Churches. Concerning the Evangelists and Prophets extraordinary, either there was no question amongst them, or the dignity of the Ministers of the Gospel extraordinary, being asserted in the vindication of the Apostolical office, concerning the authority and dignity of the Evangelists and Prophets extraordinary (whose Ministery was common to all the Churches, and subservient to the Apostles) it was manifest and apparent enough.
Secondly, Hee determines concerning Prophets (by which name (as shall appear, chap. 14.) hee understands Pastors) who applied in their Sermons the doctrine to usefulness, whose gift was the word of wisdome, as verse 8.
In the third place hee names Teachers, who although they were not eloquent and prudent for the application of the doctrine to all the uses of the Church, yet they had a word of knowledge, that they were able to apply the general Doctrine to the capacity of the Church: These are the functions which were imployed in the Word and Doctrine, and therefore the more eminent.
In the fourth place, hee sets down those, who in the Primitive Church, for the confirmation of the faithful, were indued with a power of working miracles, signs and wonders of all kinds, in great measure.
Fifthly, Hee sets down those who had power miraculously to heal diseases, in whom the gift was more straightned and restrained to this one kind.
After this sixthly, hee names ordinary offices and gifts, viz. helps, or the office of Deacons, whose work it was to see to the maintenance of Ministers, and the necessities of the Saints, and the dispensation of the publick revenues of the Church: which office, though it may seem the meanest, it appears to bee in no small account, and imposed not upon men of inferiour ranck, but upon those that were of tryed fidelity, and the more able, or men of fairest estate, as vers. 22, 23, 24. And that for the necessary use of it; for without the help of this office, the work of the Ministery would bee much hindered, for had there not been helps or Deacons, who undertook the care of collecting the stipends, that the Ministers might more freely attend the work of the Lord: It is necessary that the Ministers with the Levites, Nehem. 13. to whom a designed portion was not given, should betake themselves to their fields, and their work, or secular businesses, and also to Law-sutes, being debarred of their due allowance, they might lose their zeal of labouring in the Lords Vineyard, or the fruit of their labours.
After these (unless perhaps there was no difference touching these inferiour offices) the Apostle is not solicitous any further about the order; Hee names Governours, or Ruling Presbyters, who take notice of the peoples manners, and as presidents with the Pastors and Teachers, with the Ecclesiastical Assembly attend to the removing of scandals.
In the last place hee sets down the gift of tongues, to wit, solitary, with which any one either spake that which hee could not interpret, in a language known to the people, or could interpret it, but could not speak in an unknown tongue; which gift, because above others it caused admiration, it seemed to bee affected among the other Corinthians, and to bee matter of boasting to the rest.
Vers. 29. Are all Apostles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30. Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
By all which fore-cited, hee sharply corrects and reproves the ambition and envy of inferiours, as if they would all have the most eminent gifts, and the more excellent functions, which was most unreasonable, as the interrogations repeated to the peircing of their consciences shew.
Vers. 31. But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Argum. 16. Of Exhortation, that there bee no evil emulation about their gifts, their ambition might bee better laid out, by coveting the most excellent gifts, to wit, saving, or such as accompany salvation, which kind of gifts first of all is Christian Charity, by which saving Faith is effectual (whereof hee promises to speak:) Therefore evil emulation concerning gifts and Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Offices, is to bee taken heed of.