1 Corinthians 12:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When he said, “To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge” (1 Cor 12:8), he was not arranging the gifts in order, but speaking without distinction. “To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit” (1 Cor 12:8-9). Do you see how everywhere he adds, “by the same Spirit”? He knows that the great consolation lies in this.

“To one is given through the Spirit,” δια του πνεύματος, “the word of wisdom.” Such a word John the Theologian had, and Paul himself also. Notice also that the preposition δια, “through,” is used here of the Spirit. “To another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit.” Many of the believers had this. They possessed knowledge themselves, but could not teach others. For wisdom, σοφία, teaches, being a certain clarity, σαφεία, since it reveals even what is hidden. Everywhere he mentions one and the same Spirit, in order to comfort, as has been said many times, the one who received less.

When Paul speaks of the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge, wisdom must be referred to knowledge of divine things, and knowledge to human things.

That is, prudence is given not from books, but from the radiant fire of the Holy Spirit. Thus such a man has an enlightened heart, is prudent, and can discern what to avoid and what to follow.

By “the word of wisdom” the Apostle means not eloquence, but true doctrine. The divine Apostle himself received its grace, as did the divinely wise Evangelist John, the most divine Peter, chief of the apostles, and blessed Stephen, the first of the martyrs. For fishermen who lived by the labor of their hands, and who did not know letters, could not have dared to speak and write publicly, or fill their words and writings with the greatest possible power, had they not received true wisdom from the divine Spirit. Others among the believers had knowledge of the divine dogmas, but were not able, like them, to speak to the people. This too was a gift of the grace of the Spirit.

The word of wisdom is the ability to understand what was spoken in the wisdom of God by the prophets and evangelists, and to hand it on to the hearers. The word of knowledge is the revelation of what is hidden, which someone who does not know learns first from the knowledge of grace and communicates to others.

The Apostle enumerates nine kinds of spiritual gifts. Among them he places first the word of wisdom, as the capacity to penetrate the depths of the mysteries of God.

It is the word of revelation of the fundamental truths of Christianity. This gift belongs above all to the Apostles and prophets (1 Cor 2:7).

"To another the word of knowledge." This is the capacity to understand revealed truths, and is proper to all Christians (Rom 15:14; 1 Jn 2:27).

The first knows the truths of faith through direct revelation. The second knows them through scholarly investigation.

Next is faith, miracle-working faith, able even to move mountains (Mt 17:20; 1 Cor 13:2).

However, it may also mean faith that saves by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).

By these words of the Apostle the truth is not removed that among Christians there are both pastors and flock, those who govern and those who are subject. For although all who truly believe in Jesus Christ as Lord show through this that they have the Holy Spirit (v. 3), nevertheless the activities of the Spirit are very diverse, and His gifts are manifold (vv. 4-5). Some gifts belong to the flock and to those under authority, while others belong to pastors and leaders.

"To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom," that is, the word that Paul had, and that John, the son of thunder, had, and so forth (Saint Chrysostom).

Wisdom is taken here as the whole body of revealed truths of the Christian faith. The word concerning it is the exposition of these truths.

Although offered by the mouth of a man, it acts with invincible and conquering power, truly as the word of God (1 Thess 2:13; Lk 21:15; 24:19; Acts 6:10).

This gift belongs in a preeminent degree to the extraordinary messengers of God, the divinely inspired Apostles and prophets.

The Apostle Paul himself clarifies the essence of this gift elsewhere (1 Cor 2:6-8; Eph 1:6, 21; 2:4-5; Col 2:23).

"To another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit." What does "word of knowledge" mean?

The enumeration of the gifts is complete, and it proceeds according to their kinship and distinction, in order to show their diversity and fullness.

The first gift indicated by the Apostle is wisdom, that is, the fullest possible understanding of Christianity, joined with the capacity to proclaim it to all. The second is simple knowledge.

The third is faith, able even to move mountains (Mt 17:20). The fourth is the gift of healing the sick.

The fifth is power not only to heal and show mercy, but also to inflict punishments (1 Tim 1:20). The sixth is prophecy.

The seventh is the ability to distinguish true Spirit-bearers from false ones, and the power to convict the latter. The eighth is the gift of speaking in various tongues.

Such is the diversity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

"What does 'word of wisdom' mean? It is the word that Paul had, and that John, the son of thunder, had.

And what is 'word of knowledge'? It is what many of the believers had. They possessed knowledge, but were unable to teach and readily communicate to another what they themselves knew" (Saint Chrysostom).

"By 'word of wisdom' the Apostle means not eloquence, but true teaching. Its grace was received by the divine Apostle himself, by the God-wise Evangelist John, and by Peter, the most divine chief of the Apostles.

It was also received by blessed Stephen, the first of the martyrs.