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1Co 12:28. Ἐν, in) So, ἐν, in [the body], 1Co 12:18, occurs with the same verb set.-πρῶτον, first) The apostles, not Peter apart from them, are in the first degree; the others follow them, according to the nature of their office, their time, their dignity, their usefulness.-προφήτας, prophets) Act 13:1.-τρίτον διδασκάλους, thirdly, teachers) Teachers hold a high place, and are preferred to those very persons, who work miracles. Under prophets and teachers are included also evangelists and pastors; comp. Eph 4:11.-ἔπειτα, then) The other classes are not distinguished by members [fourthly, etc., as first, secondarily].-δυνάμεις, powers) The abstract for the concrete, and also in the following terms.-ἀντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, helps, governments [κυβέρνησις properly is the piloting of a ship]) They hold governments, who take the lead [the helm] in managing the church. Helps, are those who, though they are not governors, yet exercise a certain power and influence, by which the others are supported; comp. 1Co 13:3. These two offices are not again taken up at 1Co 12:30. Princes, as soon as they adopted the Christian faith, claimed for themselves the office of helps and governments; but at the beginning those who stood first in authority, prudence, and resources in the church, defended and governed it. Government is occupied with external things; therefore the Spirit reckons it as occupying an inferior place.-ἑρμηνείας γλωσσῶν, interpretations of tongues) The expression does not seem to be a gloss spuriously introduced from 1Co 12:10,[114] for ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν is there in the singular number, and it is repeated in 1Co 12:30. The want of the connecting particle [the asyndeton] is equivalent to the closing formula, etc., or et cetera.
[114] The margin of the second edition, with the Gnomon, is more favourable to the fuller reading, than the larger edition and the Germ. Ver.-E. B.
All the oldest MSS. and Versions read γένη γλωσσῶν only. Hilary 967 alone has “genera linguarum vel loquendi vel interpretandi.”-ED.