CHAPTER VIII CHRISTIAN LIFE IN THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 207 603 610 611 by Paul. The speaking with tongues is an involun- for the sheep. 9. The gift of Miracles is the power tary psalm-like prayer or song, uttered from a spiritual possessed by the apostles and apostolic men, like Stetrance, and in a peculiar language inspired by the Holy phen, to heal all sorts of physical maladies, to cast out Spirit. The soul is almost entirely passive, an instrument demons, to raise the dead, and perform other similar on which the Spirit plays his heavenly melodies. This gift works, in virtue of an extraordinary energy or faith, by has, therefore, properly, nothing to do with the spread word, prayer, and the laying on of hands in the name of of the church among foreign peoples and in foreign lan- Jesus, and for his glory. These miracles were outward creguages, but is purely an act of worship, for the edification dentials and seals of the divine mission of the apostles in primarily of the speaker himself, and indirectly, through a time and among a people which required such sensible interpretation, for the hearers. It appeared, first, indeed, helps to faith. But as Christianity became established in on the day of Pentecost, but before Peter’s address to the the world, it could point to its continued moral effects as people, which was the proper mission-sermon; and we the best evidence of its truth, and the necessity for outmeet with it afterwards in the house of Cornelius and in ward physical miracles ceased. the Corinthian congregation, as a means of edification 10. Finally, the gift of Love, the greatest, most prefor believers, and not, at least not directly, for unbeliev- cious, most useful, most needful, and most enduring of ing hearers, although it served to them as a significant all, described and extolled by St. Paul in the thirteenth sign,604 arresting their attention to the supernatural pow- chapter of 1 Corinthians with the pen of an angel in the er in the church. vision and enjoyment of the God of infinite love him605 6. The gift of Interpretation is the supplement of self.612 Love is natural kindness and affection sanctified the glossolalia, and makes that gift profitable to the con- and raised to the spiritual sphere, or rather a new heavgregation by translating the prayers and songs from the enly affection created in the soul by the experience of the language of the spirit and of ecstasy606 into that of the un- saving love of God in Christ. As faith lies at the bottom derstanding and of sober self-consciousness.607 The pre- of all charisms, so love is not properly a separate gift, but ponderance of reflection here puts this gift as properly in the soul of all the gifts, guarding them from abuse for the first class as in the second. selfish and ambitious purposes, making them available 7. The gift of Ministry and Help,608 that is, of special for the common good, ruling, uniting, and completing qualification primarily for the office of deacon and dea- them. It alone gives them their true value, and without coness, or for the regular ecclesiastical care of the poor love even the speaking with tongues of angels, and a faith and the sick, and, in the wide sense, for all labors of which removes mountains, are nothing before God. It Christian charity and philanthropy. holds heaven and earth in its embrace. It “believeth all 8. The gift of church Government and the Care of things,” and when faith fails, it “hopeth all things,” and souls,609 indispensable to all pastors and rulers of the when hope fails, it “endureth all things,” but it “never church, above all to the apostles and apostolic men, in fails.” As love is the most needful of all the gifts on earth, proportion to the extent of their respective fields of la- so it will also outlast all the others and be the ornament bor. Peter warns his co-presbyters against the temptation 610 1 Pet. 5:1-4. to hierarchical arrogance and tyranny over conscience, 611 χάρισμα ἰαμάτων, δύναμις σημείων καὶ τεράτων. of which so many priests, bishops, patriarchs, and popes 612 The Revision of 1881 has substituted, in 1 Cor. 13, have since been guilty; and points them to the sublime “love” (with Tyndale, Cranmer, and Geneva Vers.) for “charexample of the great Shepherd and ity” (which came into James’s Version from the Vulgate Archbishop, who, in infinite love, laid down his life through the Rheims Vera.). This change has given great of-
603 1 Cor. 14:1-5. 604 σημειον. 1 Cor. 14:22. 605 ἑρμηνεία γλωσσων. 606 Of the πνευμα. 607 Of the νους. 608 διακονία, ἀντιλήψεις. 609 κυβερνήσεις, gubernationes.
fence among conservative people. It may indeed involve a loss of rhythm in that wonderful chapter, but it was necessitated by the restricted meaning which charity has assumed in modem usage, being identical with practical benevolence, so that Paul might seem to contradict himself in 13:3 and 8. The Saxon word love is just as strong, as musical, and as sacred as the Latin charity, and its meaning is far more comprehensive and enduring, embracing both God’s love to man and man’s love to God, and to his neighbor, both here and hereafter.
