THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
This whole passage is very obscure. Its obscurity comes from our ignorance of the matters involved and from the disappearance of events which then occurred but no longer occur now. Why, then, do they no longer occur now? See how the cause of the obscurity has given us occasion for another question. Why did they occur then, but not now? Let us leave this for another time, and now speak of what occurred then. What, then, occurred at that time? When someone received baptism, he suddenly began to speak in different tongues. Not only in different tongues, but many even prophesied, and some performed other, still greater signs. Those who came from idolatry knew nothing clearly, since they were not even acquainted with the Old Testament books.
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Yet after baptism they immediately received the Holy Spirit, Whom they did not see, for He is invisible. Therefore grace gave a certain sensible proof of the Spirit's activity. One suddenly began to speak in Persian, another in Roman, a third in Indian, and another in some other tongue. For outsiders, this served as a testimony that the Holy Spirit was active in the speaker. Therefore the Apostle says, "But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profit" (1 Cor 12:7), calling His gifts the manifestation of the Spirit. As the Apostles first received this sign, so believers also received the same gift of tongues. And they received not only this, but much else besides. Many raised the dead, cast out demons, and performed many other such miracles. Some, however, had fewer gifts, and others more. The gift of tongues was the most common among them. This became the occasion for discord among them, not because of the nature of the matter, but because of the folly of those who received the gifts. Those who had received greater gifts exalted themselves over those who had received less. These others grieved and envied those who had received more, as Paul himself shows later. By violating mutual love in this way, they received a mortal wound, which he strives with great care to heal. The same thing happened in Rome, though in another way. Therefore in the Epistle to the Romans he also touches on this subject, but in a veiled and brief manner. He says: "For as in one body we have many members, but not all the members 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 to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the measure of faith; if ministry, let us continue in ministry; he who teaches, in teaching" (Rom 12:4-7). That they also fell into pride because of this, he hinted at in the beginning, when he said: "By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. Rather, think soberly, according to the measure of faith which God has assigned to each" (Rom 12:3). Thus he spoke with the Romans, among whom the sickness of discord and pride was not great. Here he speaks with greater force, because the sickness was much stronger. Nor was this alone causing turmoil among them. There were also many diviners among them, since their city still clung to pagan customs. This, among other things, also offended and troubled them. Therefore here the Apostle first shows the difference between divination and prophecy. For this reason they also received the gift of discerning spirits, so that they might distinguish and know who speaks from the pure Spirit and who from an impure spirit. It was impossible to explain the words spoken from the words themselves. Prophecy bears witness to its truth not when it is uttered, but when it is fulfilled. It was not easy to recognize who truly prophesied and who lied. The impure spirit was harming those who prophesied by raising up false prophets, who also seemed to foretell the future. Nor was it possible to prove the truth of what was said before the prediction had been fulfilled. Objections could easily be made, for only the end shows who lies and who speaks the truth. Therefore, so that the hearers would not be deceived even before the end, the Apostle gives them a sign. Even before fulfillment, this sign helped them distinguish the one from the other. Beginning his discourse from this point, he then turns to the gracious gifts and resolves the dispute that had arisen from them. First, concerning the diviners, he says: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant." He calls the signs spiritual because they are the activities of one Spirit, and human effort contributes nothing to their accomplishment. Beginning to speak about this, he first shows, as I said, the difference between divination and prophecy. He says: "You know that when you were Gentiles, you were led away to mute idols, however you were led." The meaning of his words is this. In the temples of idols, when someone was possessed by an impure spirit and uttered oracles, he was dragged by the spirit as if led and bound. He was not conscious at all of what he was saying. It is characteristic of a diviner to be in ecstasy, to suffer compulsion and violence, to be carried away, and to rage like one possessed. The prophet is not like this. He speaks everything with a sober soul and a sound mind, knowing what he says. Thus distinguish the diviner and the prophet even before the fulfillment of what is said. And see how the Apostle removes every suspicion here. He summons them themselves as witnesses, since they knew this from experience. What I say is not false, he says. I am not slandering the Gentiles or inventing charges against them as their enemy. You yourselves are witnesses to this. You know how, when you were Gentiles, you were then led and carried away. But if someone considers even them suspicious as witnesses, because they are believers, then I will prove this to you also by the testimony of outsiders. Listen to Plato, who says in the Apology of Socrates: "Seers and diviners say many good things, but they themselves do not know at all what they say." Listen also to another poet, who says the same thing. When someone, by various rites and sorceries, introduced a demon into a man, then that man began to utter oracles. While uttering them, he tore and mangled himself, unable to bear the demon's violence. In this way he could tear himself apart and perish. To such sorcerers he said: "Release me; a mortal can no longer endure the god king." And again: "Untie my garlands, sprinkle my feet with pure water, and wipe away the marks, so that I may go." All this and the like, for much more could be said, proves the compulsion by which demons are held and made to serve. It also proves the violence suffered by people who once handed themselves over to them and at that time lost sound judgment. So too the Pythia. I find it necessary now to speak of another shameful practice of theirs, though it would be better to be silent about it. It is unseemly for us to speak of this. Yet to see their shamelessness more clearly, it must be mentioned. From this you may understand how mad and ridiculous are those who resort to sorcerers. This woman, the Pythia, they say, sat on Apollo's tripod with her legs spread apart. Then the evil spirit, penetrating from below and entering her through the generative parts, drove her into ecstasy. She loosened her hair, began to rave, foamed at the mouth, and in such ecstasy uttered frenzied words. I see that you are ashamed and blush as you hear this. Yet they even boasted in such shamelessness and madness! Therefore, alluding to all this and similar things, Paul said: "You know that when you were Gentiles, you were led away to mute idols, however you were led." Since he was speaking to those who understood the matter, he does not set everything out in detail, so as not to burden them. He merely reminds them and brings everything to mind, then immediately leaves it and hastens to his subject. What does "to mute idols" mean? Diviners went to them as if being led. But if idols are mute, how did those men make use of them? Why did the demon lead them, like captives and prisoners, to the statues? Among other reasons, he did this to make the deception plausible. So that people would not think the idol was a mute stone, he tried to bind them to the idols. Then what belonged to the former would be ascribed to the latter. But with us it is not so. The Apostle, however, does not explain our case, that is, what concerns the prophets. This was known to the Corinthians, and among them were prophets who prophesied as they ought, with reason and complete freedom. They had authority to speak and not to speak. They were not compelled, but together with honor they preserved their will. For this reason Jonah fled. For this reason Ezekiel drew back. For this reason Jeremiah refused. God did not compel them by force, but counseled, persuaded, and threatened, without darkening their reason. It is characteristic of a demon to produce derangement, frenzy, and great darkness. It belongs to God to enlighten and to teach consciously what must be taught. This is the first difference between a diviner and a prophet!