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Observe here, how the apostle enumerates and reckons up the several sorts and kinds of spiritual gifts, which were at that time plentifully poured forth upon the ministers and members of the church of Christ, which begat astonishment and admiration; and of these extraordinary gifts our apostle reckons up nine sorts or kinds, which were found in the primitive church in his days, as they here follow:
1. One had the word of wisdom; that is, the revelation of the gospel, which is called the manifold wisdom of God: this was the gift of the apostles, to whom extraordinary measures of divine wisdom were first given, to reveal the mysteries of the gospel to the pagan world.
2. Another had the word of knowledge; that is, a special ability to interpret the mystical senses and veiled meanings of the scripture, and also to foretell remote and future things. Thus St. Paul told the centurion before the shipwreck, that not a man in the ship should be lost, Acts 27 : and Agabus foretold the famine, and St. Paul's imprisonment, Acts 11.
3. To another faith; by which some understand supernatural courage and confidence, with which God did endow them, when he called them to extraordinary sufferings or services; accordingly we read, in the Acts of the Apostles, with what invincible courage and resolution poor men appeared before the Jewish and heathen tribunals, and with what astonishing presence, both of body and mind, they bore the name of Jesus before the kings and people of the earth. Others by faith here understand miraculous faith, that is, a supernatural confidence, and firm assurance, wrought by the Holy Spirit in the minds of some, in the apostle's time, by which they were certain that they could do such a miracle before they do such and such a miracle before they undertook to do it; and the greatest apostle durst never undertake to do a miracle, but when he was assured by the Spirit that he could do it: and indeed it was requisite for Almighty God, by some secret preceding impression of mind, to let the teachers of the gospel know when he would assist them in working miracles, lest they should attempt to work when they could not, and so discredit Christ's doctrine, their own authority, and dishonour the name of God: and therefore it is observable, that the gift of faith here is set immediately before the gift of healing and working miracles, because it consisted in an antecedent impulse to both.
4. The next miraculous gift is the gift of healing; that is, a power of curing all diseases both of body and mind, without the help of physic, through the name alone of Jesus Christ.
5. The gift of miracles; under which is comprehended the power of silencing and casting out devils, inflicting disease and death on the bodies of incorrigible sinners, as on Elymas and Ananias: also the more wonderful power in raising the dead.
6. The gift of prophecy; that is,
(1.) The prediction or foreknowledge of things to come. Thus Agabus foretold by the Spirit a famine, Acts 12 and this gift was sometimes exercised by foretelling who would be fit persons to do God service in the church; thus, According to the foregoing prophecies concerning thee, neglect not the gift that was given thee by prophecy. 1Ti_1:18; 1Ti_1:14
(2.) Others by prophecy understand preaching and expounding the scriptures by divine inspiration, praising God by inspired hymns and psalms, and also praying unto him in public assemblies by inspired prayers; for in the apostle's time there was a miraculous gift of preaching, praying, and singing, in which the Spirit did in an extraordinary manner assist some persons; which with other extraordinary gifts is long since ceased.
7. The gift of discerning spirits; that is, either,
First, a power of quick and sure discerning, whether men pretending to the Spirit spake from God, or not; or a supernatural sagacity to discern between the impulses of satanical spirits, and divinely- inspired persons.
Secondly, a spirit of discerning whether such or such persons be best qualified for such an office in the church, and accordingly choosing them out for that work. Thus Act_13:2-3 the Holy Spirit in the prophet said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
Or, lastly, by this power of discerning spirits, the apostles could tell very much of the inward purposes of men's hearts and thoughts; so Peter discerned the heart of Ananias, and the thoughts of Simon Magus.
8. The gift of tongues, that is, an ability to speak divers kinds of languages, unlearned and untaught. To which was added,
9. The gift of interpreting those languages: for these two gifts did not always go together: some could speak divers languages, that could not interpret them; others could interpret them that could not speak them; for, say some, the gift of strange tongues was usually accompanied with such strange raptures, that the person affected could not use his understanding in an ordinary way, so as to interpret and explain his own inspriations, in the audience to which he spoke; which he spoke; which was the reason why the Spirit did usually reveal to others, who stood by, and understood not the inspired languages, the matter which was spoken.
Thus are the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated by the apostle, which were bestowed upon the primitive church, whose infant state required all this extraordinary assistance; but as the church grew up, Almighty God, like a wise nurse, weaned her by degrees from these miraculous gifts, till at last arriving at her full stature, he left her, as parents leave their children when grown to be men, to subsist without these extraordinary helps and supplies.