1 Corinthians 12:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore he also says, "Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" (1 Cor 12:30).

As God did not give all the great gifts to all, but one gift to one and another to another, so He acted also with the lesser gifts. He did not give all things to everyone.

He did this to instill great concord and love, so that each, needing his neighbor, might be more closely united with his brother. He did the same in the arts, in the elements, in plants, in our members, and in everything generally.

One has one thing, another has another. What one has, another does not have. There is a measure, a certain distribution of gifts.

Therefore it is given to men by measure, and concord among them creates one body. Thus the hand receives one thing, that it may act, the eye another, that it may see, the ear another, that it may hear.

The foot receives something else, that it may walk. Yet there is one soul that brings all the gifts into action: in the hand, that it may act; in the foot, that it may walk.

It acts in the ear, that it may hear, and in the eye, that it may see. So also there are various gifts for believers, as though distributed among the members of the Church by measure, to each his own.

But Christ, Who gives, receives without any measure.

Those who set solitude in the desert and purity of heart as their chief aim, like Elijah and Elisha of old, sincerely cleaved to God through stillness in the desert.

In our own times blessed Antony and other followers of the same life did likewise.

Some applied the whole care of their zeal to instructing the brethren and to vigilant concern for cenobia. Such was Abba John, who recently governed a large cenobium near the city called Thmuis, in the Scetian region.

There were also certain other worthy men who, as we remember, became renowned for apostolic knowledge.

Some gladly practice the pious work of obedience in hospitality. By it, as we know, the patriarchs Abraham and Lot pleased God in former times.

Recently blessed Macarius did the same, a man distinguished by special meekness and patience. He governed a guesthouse at Alexandria, so that he was not inferior to any who dwelt in the solitude of the desert.

Some chose care for the sick. Others undertook intercession for the poor and oppressed. Others occupied themselves with teaching others, or with distributing alms to the needy.

According to their disposition and piety, they were known as great and lofty men.

Therefore it is useful and fitting for everyone, according to his chosen purpose or the grace received, to strive with full zeal and diligence to reach perfection in his chosen work.

While praising and honoring the virtues of others, he must not abandon his own once-chosen calling. He knows that, according to the Apostle, the Church is one body and has many members.

"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 remain in ministry; he who teaches, in teaching.

He who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with simplicity; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom 12:6-8).

For no members can appropriate the ministry of other members, because the eyes do not perform the duties of the hands, nor the nostrils those of the ears.

Therefore not all are Apostles, not all prophets, not all teachers. Not all have the grace of healing. Not all speak in foreign tongues. Not all interpret (1 Cor 12:29-30).

The gift of explanation, or interpretation (v. 30), was no less necessary then. Sometimes the preaching about Christ was delivered by foreigners in a language not understood by the hearers.

All these gifts and ministries are either entirely foreign to our time, such as tongues and interpretation, or belong to it only in small measure, such as prophecies, miracles, and healings.

Yet among the ministries the Apostle names teaching, helps, and administration, or, in other words, pastorship (cf. Eph 4:11). These ministries remain in the Church to this day.

They constitute the portion of the members of the Church hierarchy, or sacred authority. Orthodox pastors do not ascribe to themselves what distinguished the apostolic age, such as the gift of tongues.

Yet they do not renounce the gift of teaching and pastorship, since the Church needs these gifts and ministries in every age.

Self-deceived sectarians manage to reason in exactly the opposite way, contrary to the words of the Apostle Paul, "Are all teachers?" (v. 29). They deny pastorship and teaching, while ascribing to themselves gifts of tongues and prophecy.

By the gift of prophecy is meant the gift of divinely inspired speech, the divinely inspired explanation of the mysteries of faith and of the Church's future destinies.

Some bearers of these gracious gifts were directly appointed to their ministry, as something definite and known to all in the Church (cf. Eph 4:11). Therefore the Apostle directly names their bearers.

Other ministries were less definite, and therefore they are distinguished only by the difference of the gifts.

One must also observe that here the bearers of the gifts are indicated according to the differing height of their gifts.

According to St. John Chrysostom, by enumerating the gifts the Apostle again showed the great distinction among them. He thereby stirred the pain of those who had received the lesser gifts.

Therefore, after presenting many proofs that they were not greatly humiliated, he finally turns to them with a very strong rebuke and says, "Are all Apostles?" and so forth.

His thought is that the one who has the greater gift often lacks what you have, even though it may be lesser. As God did not give the great gifts to all, so He acted also with the lesser gifts.

He did not give all things to everyone. He did this to instill great concord and love, so that each, needing his neighbor, might be more closely united with him.

What is this? That the lesser gifts, like the greater, should equally be objects of desire, because they too have not been given to everyone without distinction.

Why, he says, do you grieve that you do not have the gift of healings? Consider that the one who has the greater gift often lacks what you have, even if it is lesser.

As God did not give all the great gifts to all, but one gift to one and another to another, so He acted also with the lesser gifts. He did not give all things to everyone.

He did this to instill great concord and love, so that each, needing his neighbor, might be more closely united with him. He did the same in the arts, in the elements, in plants, in our members, and in everything generally" (Chrysostom).