ine essence. The
Lord is no other God than God the Father; and the Spirit is none
other than God and the Lord. But more on this topic elsewhere.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS SPECIFIED.

31. The names and nature of the spiritual gifts, the apostle here
specifies. He names wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, power to discern
spirits, capacity to speak with tongues and to interpret,
extraordinary gifts of faith, and power to work miracles. "The word
of wisdom" is the doctrine which teaches a knowledge of God,
revealing his will, counsel and design. It embraces every article of
belief and justification. The world knows nothing of this loftiest,
most exalted gift of the Spirit.

THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE.

The "word of knowledge" also teaches of the outward life and
interests of the Christian: how we are to conduct ourselves toward
all others, making a profitable use of the Gospel doctrine according
as necessity of time and person demands; it teaches us the wisest
course toward the weak and the strong, the timid and the obstinate.

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY.

The gift of prophecy is the ability to rightly interpret and explain
the Scriptures, and powerfully to reveal therefrom the doctrine of
faith and the overthrow of false doctrine. The gift of prophecy
includes, further, the ability to employ the Scriptures for
admonition and reproof, for imparting strength and comfort, by
pointing out, on the one hand, the certainty of future indignation,
vengeance and punishment for the unbelieving and disobedient, and on
the other hand presenting divine aid and reward to godly believers.
Thus did the prophets with the Word of God, both the Law and the
promises.

THE GIFT OF FAITH.

32. Paul is making mention of gifts not common to all. Only to
certain ones are they given, and the gifts in themselves are unlike.
"To another faith," he says, "to another workings of miracles, and to
another prophecy." In "faith" here the reference is not to ordinary
faith in Christ which brings justification before God and forgiveness
of sin; such faith is essentially the property of every Christian,
even if they do not possess the particular gifts here enumerated.
Paul is speaking of a particular virtue or power of the Spirit
operating in the Church, whereby certain ones can effect great and
glorious things by reason of their remarkable and confident courage;
as instanced in Paul's words later on (1 Cor 13, 2), "If I have all
faith, so as to remove mountains."