1 Corinthians 12:9
in 1 Corinthians 12to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
KJV
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 12
Commentary
19 notes on this verseThis faith which is given by the Spirit as a grace is not just doctrinal faith but a faith which empowers activities surpassing human nature, a faith which moves mountains.… For just as a grain of mustard seed is of little bulk but of explosive energy, taking a trifling space for its planting and then sending out great branches all around, so that when it is grown it can give shelter to the birds, so in like manner the faith present in one's soul achieves the greatest things by the most summary decision.
This site's exposition
To one there is given
on 1 Corinthians 12:8-9
The list opens with two gifts of speech, the message of wisdom and the message of knowledge, logos sophias and logos gnoseos, an utterance given for the moment rather than a permanent office. Verse 9 adds faith, pistis, here a special confidence for the moment at hand, distinct from saving faith, and gifts of healing, charismata iamaton. Both words are plural in the Greek, many gifts for many kinds of healing rather than one universal healer's touch.
This site's exposition
to another faith by the same Spirit
This faith is the kind 13:2 describes, able to move mountains. Chrysostom calls it the faith of miracles and sets it apart from the faith of doctrine that every believer holds. One Spirit gives both kinds of faith, and healing gifts with them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
And now we perceive where, and how, and when the divine apostle mentions the perfect man, and how he shows the differences of the perfect. And again, on the other hand: "The manifestation of the Spirit is given for our profit. For to one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith through the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing through the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another diversities of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: and all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one according as He wills." Such being the case, the prophets are perfect in prophecy, the righteous in righteousness, and the martyrs in confession, and others in preaching, not that they are not sharers in the common virtues, but are proficient in those to which they are appointed.
Paul says this to encourage the person concerned to suppress his shyness and receive the ability to profess and lay claim to faith.
Without the spirit of faith no one will rightly believe. Without the spirit of prayer no one will profitably pray. It is not that there are so many spirits, "but in all things one and the same Spirit works, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsConstitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 8 · Written before 380.
proposed
Let not, therefore, any one that works signs and wonders judge any one of the faithful who is not vouchsafed the same: for the gifts of God which are bestowed by Him through Christ are various; and one man receives one gift, and another another. For perhaps one has the word of wisdom, and another the word of knowledge; another, discerning of spirits; another, foreknowledge of things to come; another, the word of teaching; another, long-suffering; another, continence according to the law: for even Moses, the man of God, when he wrought signs in Egypt, did not exalt himself against his equals: and when he was called a god, he did not arrogantly despise his own prophet Aaron. Nor did Joshua the son of Nun, who was the leader of the people after him, though in the war with the Jebusites he had made the sun stand still over against Gibeon, and the moon over against the valley of Ajalon because the day was not long enough for their victory, insult over Phineas or Caleb. Nor did Samuel, who had done so many surprising things, disregard David the beloved of God: yet they were both prophets, and the one was high priest, and the other was king. And when there were only seven thousand holy men in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal, Elijah alone among them, and his disciple Elisha, were workers of miracles. Yet neither did Elijah despise Obadiah the steward, who feared God, but wrought no signs; nor did Elisha despise his own disciple when he trembled at the enemies. Moreover, neither did the wise Daniel who was twice delivered from the mouths of the lions, nor the three children who were delivered from the furnace of fire, despise the rest of their fellow-Israelites: for they knew that they had not escaped these terrible miseries by their own might; but by the power of God did they both work miracles, and were delivered from miseries. […]
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 244 · Written before 458.
proposed
The faith mentioned here is not the kind given to every believer but the kind which can move mountains.
11 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
"For 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 in the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing in the one Spirit." Seest thou how he every where makes this addition, saying, "through the same Spirit, and according to the same Spirit?" For he knew that the comfort from thence was great. "To another working of miracles; to another prophecies; to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kind of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues." Thus, since they boasted themselves in this, therefore he placed it last, and added, "But all these worketh one and the same Spirit." The universal medicine in which his consolation consists is that out of the same root, out of the same treasures, out of the same streams, they all receive. And accordingly, from time to time dwelling on this expression, he levels the apparent inequality, and consoles them. And above indeed he points out both the Spirit, and the Son, and the Father, as supplying the gifts, but here he was content to make the Spirit, that even hence again thou mayest understand their dignity to be the same. But what is "the word of wisdom?" That which Paul had, which John had, the son of thunder. And what is "the word of knowledge?" That which most of the faithful had, possessing indeed knowledge, but not thereupon able to teach nor easily to convey to another what they knew. "And to another, faith:" not meaning by this faith the faith of doctrines, but the faith of miracles; concerning which Christ saith, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove, and it shall remove." And the Apostles too concerning this besought Him, saying, "Increase our faith:" for this is the mother of the miracles. […]
The Medieval Church4 voices
Faith not in dogmas, but wonder-working faith, which even moves mountains (Matt. 17:20).
The gift of healing every disease and every infirmity.
Since the Holy Spirit, who is charity and is possessed through charity, is the origin of all charisms: therefore, when the Holy Spirit descended, the fullness of charisms was poured forth for the perfecting of the mystical body of Christ. And because there must be …
Now, the principles of the doctrine of salvation are the articles of faith, and in regard to this he adds: to another is given faith by the same Spirit. It is not taken here for the virtue of faith, because this is common to all …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Faith may here mean an extraordinary trust in God under the most difficult or dangerous circumstances. The gift of healing need not be wholly confined to the healing diseases with a word or a touch.
To another faith by the same Spirit,....
Several persons had their several gifts, some one, some another, all from and by the same Spirit. To one was given the word of wisdom; that is, say some, a knowledge of the mysteries of the gospel, and ability to explain them, an exact understanding of the design, nature, and doctrines, of the Christian religion.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Three classes of gifts are distinguished by a distinct Greek word for "another" (a distinct class), marking the three several genera: allo marks the species, hetero the genera (compare Greek, 1Co 15:39-41). Gifts of intellect, namely, (1) wisdom; Gifts dependent on a special faith, namely, that of miracles (Mt 17:20): (1) healings;
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But the objects of faith differ respectively. Hence, we see, saving faith does not save by its instrinsic merit, but by the merits of Him who is the object of it. healing--Greek plural, "healings"; referring to different kinds of disease which need different kinds of healing (Mt 10:1).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
To another faith - Another shall he distinguished for simple confidence in God; and his endowment is also given by the same Spirit. Many of the most useful people in the church are distinguished mainly for their simple confidence in the promises of God; and often accomplish more by prayer and by their faith in God than others do who are distinguished for their wisdom and learning.
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἑτέρῳ | hetero | to a different one | G2087 → | 97 times |
| πίστις | pistis | faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| ἐν | en | by | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | same | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πνεύματι, | pneumati | Spirit, | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἄλλῳ | allo | to another | G243 → | 155 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| χαρίσματα | charismata | gifts | G5486 → | 17 times |
| ἰαμάτων | iamaton | of healing | G2386 → | 3 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑνὶ | heni | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| πνεύματι, | pneumati | Spirit, | G4151 → | 378 times |
ἑτέρῳto a different one
heteroG2087 →97 times
πίστιςfaith
pistisG4102 →242 times
ἐνby
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
αὐτῷsame
autoG846 →5565 times
πνεύματι,Spirit,
pneumatiG4151 →378 times
ἄλλῳto another
alloG243 →155 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
χαρίσματαgifts
charismataG5486 →17 times
ἰαμάτωνof healing
iamatonG2386 →3 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthat
toG3588 →19766 times
ἑνὶone
heniG1520 →343 times
πνεύματι,Spirit,
pneumatiG4151 →378 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 2:8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
it leads to
- Romans 3:22–26
And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
- Ephesians 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
- Romans 4:16
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who…
- John 1:12–13
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
- Romans 3:22–26
Through
2 Corinthians 4:13And in keeping with what is written: “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak,
it leads to
- Psalms 116:10
I believed, therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”
- Hebrews 11:1–40
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
- Psalms 116:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 18 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Apostolic Constitutions, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 8; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 191, To Sixtus; Bonaventure, Breviloquium; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 4; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 5.11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on First Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 29; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 244; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.