The Gifts of the Spirit

The Homily of St. John Chrysostom on I Corinthians 12: 1-11

Paraphrase by, Jerry Munk

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were heathen, you were led astray to dumb idols, however you may have been moved” (I Corinthians 12:1-2).

This whole passage is very obscure, but this obscurity is the result of our own ignorance about these things, for they have now ceased to be practiced. They used to occur regularly but not anymore. This, of course, leads us to ask the question, “Why did they happen then but not now?” This, however, let us leave for another time. For the present let us simply examine what things were taking place at the time these verses were written.

[Paraphraser’s Note: A reason for the discontinuance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is given in St. John Chrysostom’s commentary on the book of Romans. Here he says, “What now can be more awful than these? For in truth the Church was a heaven then, the Spirit governing all things…but the present Church is like a woman who has fallen from her former prosperous days and in many respects retains only the symbols of that ancient prosperity…and I do not say this regarding the spiritual gifts only, for it were nothing marvelous if it were only these, but also regarding life and virtue.” From this we can conclude that although the gifts are available to all Christians at any given time, they only become operational when the heart is receptive.]

Well, what was happening then? Whoever was baptized in water would immediately speak with tongues, and not just with tongues only, because many would also prophesy while others performed miraculous works. Since they were converted from idolatry, having no formal knowledge of or training in the ancient Scriptures, they immediately received the Holy Spirit upon being baptized. But they never saw Him because the Spirit is invisible.

Because of this, God in His grace would bestow a tangible proof of His activity. Thus, one would speak in Persian, another in the language of Rome, another in an Indian dialect, while still others would speak in some other tongues. This made it obvious it actually was the Holy Spirit who was speaking through the person. This is why it is written, “Each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Just as the apostles received this sign first, so also the faithful received a similar manifestation: they would receive the gifts of tongues, but it would not always end there, for many went so far as to raise the dead, cast out devils and perform many other miracles. They would receive the gifts of the Spirit, some less and some more, But more abundant than all the other gifts was the gift of tongues.

Now this became for them (the Corinthians) a cause of great division (not because of the gift itself but from the impure motives of the individuals who received it). You see, the ones who had the greater gifts were exalted above those who received the lesser. These brethren were grieved because of this and envied those who possessed the greater gifts. Paul brings this out more clearly as he continues.

As a result of this problem, the Corinthians were receiving a fatal blow, causing the dissolution of their brotherly love. Thus, he takes great care to correct it. Now this also happened in Rome, but here it was not as serious. This is why he discusses it obscurely and briefly in his letter to the Romans, saying: “For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our service; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who fives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:4-8)

It also seems the Romans were falling into the sin of willfulness as can be gleaned from the beginning of his discourse where he says, “For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him” (Romans 12:3). Now with the Romans his comments were brief, for the disease of division and pride had not progressed very far. But with the Corinthians he demonstrated great anxiety, for the distemper had spread throughout the body.

Now this was not all that disturbed him about the Corinthians, for in the city there were many soothsayers (men and women who attempted to predict future events, a result of the extreme addiction to the customs of Greece). This, along with the rest, created great problems among them. This explains why he begins by clearly stating the difference between soothsaying and prophecy. “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:3). This is why it was important they received discernment of the spirits: so they could discern and know who spoke by a pure spirit and who by an impure.

[Paraphraser’s Note: For brevity’s sake I have deleted a lengthy passage in which St. Chrysostom discusses the sorcery and idol worship of Corinth. Although this is a most informative discourse, it is not crucial to the discussion of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The beloved saint is well-known for his tangential comments.]

“Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:4)

Paul directs his first attention to the one who is grieved because he possesses the lesser gift. What he is saying is “Are you dejected because you have not received as much as another? Well, consider it is a free gift not a debt, and this will sooth your pain.” This is why he begins, “Now there are varieties of gifts.” Notice he did not say signs or wonders but gifts. Because it is exactly that, a free gift, he prevails upon them not to grieve but rather to be thankful.

“Consider this,” he is saying, “that even if you feel yourself inferior because of what you have been given, you should know that indeed you have equal honor with the one who has received more because you have both received from the same source.” For certainly you cannot say the Holy Spirit bestowed a gift on him, but you received yours from an angel. Rather, both gifts were bestowed by the same Holy Spirit. This is why he stresses, “but the same Spirit.” So even if there is a difference in the gift, there is no difference in the giver. You are both drawing water from the same well.

“And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord” (I Corinthians 12:5).

In saying this he enriched the consolation by mentioning in this verse the Son and, in the next the Father. Notice he now calls the gifts by another name; this is designed to increase the consolation. This is why he says, “There are varieties of service but the same Lord.” Now one who hears the word “gift” but received a smaller share may perhaps grieve, but when he speaks of service, the reaction is much different. Service, you see, implies sweat and labor. “Why do you grieve,” he is saying, “if the Lord has assigned another the greater work and spared you?”

“And there are varieties of working but the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (I Corinthians 12:6-7)

“Now what,” you may ask, “is a working, and what is a service?” These are only differences in names because in themselves they are the same. For what is sometimes called a gift is also called a service or an operation. Therefore, he exhorts, “Fulfill your ministry” (II Timothy 4:5), and again in another place, “I magnify my ministry” (Romans 11:13). As he writes to Timothy, he says, “Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you” (II Timothy 1:6). Again, in this letter to the Galatians, he says, “For He who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:8). So you see, he implies there is no difference between the gifts of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Not that he confuses the persons of the Trinity, God forbid! Rather, he declares equal honor of essence. For in the gift the Spirit gives, the Father also works, similarly the Son ordains and grants it. Surely if one member of the Trinity were inferior to the other, he would not have presented it in this manner nor would this be a good way to console one who was upset.

After saying this, he comforts them in another way. He asks them to consider the measure freely given to them as profitable, even if it is not large. For having comforted them by saying it is “the same Spirit,” “the same Lord” and “the same God,” he now brings another consolation: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Thus, if one should say, “So what if it was the same Lord, the same Spirit and the same God – I have received less,” Paul’s reply is that even so, the gift was used for the common good.

Now he calls these miracles “a manifestation of the Spirit” for a good reason. For I, as a believer, know if a man has the Spirit because of his baptism; this would not be evident to an unbeliever unless he sees the miracles. Again this provides no small consolation. For even if there is a difference of gifts, the evidence is the same. Whether you have received little or much, you are equally manifest. So if you ever desire to show you have received the Spirit, you have a sufficient demonstration.

In summary, we know the Giver is one, the gift itself is a pure favor and that by it you are shown to have received the Spirit, and this is for the common good. So do not grieve or feel despised. God has not done this to dishonor you or declare you inferior to another. Rather, He wishes to spare you out of concern for your welfare. For to receive more than one is able to bear is unprofitable and is truly a cause for dejection.

“To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge, according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12: 8-9).

See how each time he makes the statement, “according to the same Spirit” and “by the one Spirit”? He did this because he knew the comfort from this was great.

“To another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (I Corinthians 12:10).

Since they always boasted in this, he placed it last and then adds :

“All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (I Corinthians 12:11)

The universal medicine of his consolation had a common root, for out of the same treasure, out of the same streams, they have all received. In accordance with this, he dwells upon this expression from time to time to equalize the apparent inequality, and thereby he consoles them. Previously he credits the Spirit, the Son and the Father as supplying the gifts. Here he simply mentions the Spirit to enable you to understand their dignity is the same.

But what is “the word of wisdom”? It is a gift which Paul had, as did John, the son of thunder.

And what is meant by “the word of knowledge”? It seems most of the faithful possessed the gift, but they could not easily teach or convey what they knew.

“And to another faith”: Now by this he is not referring to belief in right doctrine, rather the faith of miracles. Christ spoke of this saying, “…For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20). This is the faith the apostles were seeking when they said “increase our faith” (Luke 17:5), for this is the mother of miracles. But possessing the gift of miracles is not the same as having the gift of healing. The one who has the gift of healing could use his gift only to cure the sick, but the one who has power to perform miracles can also use his gift to punish. For a miracle is not for healing only but also for punishing, even as Paul inflicted blindness and Peter slew.

“To another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits.” This ability to distinguish between spirits” is to know who is spiritual and who is not – who is a prophet and who is a deceiver. As he says to the Thessalonians, “Do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast to what is good” (I Thessalonians 5:20,21). For at the time there were a great number of false prophets as the devil was striving underhandedly to substitute lies for the truth.

“To another various kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues.” For one person had knowledge of what he was saying but could not interpret the message to others while another man had received both of the gifts or the gift of interpretation alone. Now this seems to be an important gift because it was the first gift the apostles received and most of the Corinthian believers obtained it also, but the word of teaching (wisdom) was not so. For this reason he places teaching first but tongues last; for tongues and their interpretation were present on account of the word of teaching (wisdom). Indeed, so were all the rest: prophecies, working of miracles, as well as differing tongues and their interpretation. For none of the gifts are equal to the first. On account of this he has also said, “Let the elders who rule well be considered of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (I Timothy 5:17). Again he writes to Timothy saying, “Attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have” (I Timothy 4:13,14). See how once again he calls it a gift.

[Paraphraser’s Note: At this point St. John departs from the text of I Corinthians 12 to argue against a heresy prevalent among the Macedonians which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. He returns to conclude this section of his homely with the following comment.]

What Paul is saying in this passage of Scripture is this: Let us not, I beg you, be at a loss, neither let us be burdened or distressed, saying “Why have I received this and not that?” Neither let us demand account of the Holy Spirit. If you know He graciously gave this gift out of His all-knowing care, consider that from this very same care. He has also determined the measure of it. Therefore be content and rejoice in what you have received. Do not complain about it; rather, confess God’s kindness that you have not received things beyond your power.