{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-152","native_reference":{"book_number":530,"chapter_from":12,"chapter_to":12,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":28,"verse_to":28},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Ambrosiaster</b>: Paul has placed the apostles at the head of the church. They may be identified with bishops, as Peter said of Judas: \"Let another take his bishopric.\" There are two types of prophets, those who predict the future and those who interpret the Scriptures. The apostles are also prophets, because the top rank has all the others subordinated to it. Even a wicked man like Caiaphas uttered prophecies on the strength of his rank, not for any virtue he might have possessed. Teachers are those who instructed boys in the synagogue, a practice which has come down to us as well.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES</i></p><p><b>Irenaeus</b>: For all the other prophets preached the advent of the paternal Light, and desired to be worthy of seeing Him whom they preached; but John did both announce [the advent] beforehand, in a like manner as did the others, and actually saw Him when He came, and pointed Him out, and persuaded many to believe on Him, so that he did himself hold the place of both prophet and apostle. For this is to be more than a prophet, because, \"first apostles, secondarily prophets;\" but all things from one and the same God Himself.<br/><i>— Against Heresies Book III</i></p><p><b>Irenaeus</b>: For this gift of God has been entrusted to the Church, as breath was to the first created man, for this purpose, that all the members receiving it may be vivified; and the [means of] communion with Christ has been distributed throughout it, that is, the Holy Spirit, the earnest of incorruption, the means of confirming our faith, and the ladder of ascent to God. \"For in the Church,\" it is said, \"God hath set apostles, prophets, teachers,\" and all the other means through which the Spirit works; of which all those are not partakers who do not join themselves to the Church, but defraud themselves of life through their perverse opinions and infamous behaviour. For where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church, and every kind of grace; but the Spirit is truth. Those, therefore, who do not partake of Him, are neither nourished into life from the mother's breasts, nor do they enjoy that most limpid fountain which issues from the body of Christ; but they dig for themselves broken cisterns out of earthly trenches, and drink putrid water out of the mire, fleeing from the faith of the Church lest they be convicted; and rejecting the Spirit, that they may not be instructed.<br/><i>— Against Heresies Book III</i></p><p><b>Irenaeus</b>: Paul then, teaching us where one may find such, says, \"God hath placed in the Church, first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers.\" Where, therefore, the gifts of the Lord have been placed, there it behoves us to learn the truth, [namely,] from those who possess that succession of the Church which is from the apostles, and among whom exists that which is sound and blameless in conduct, as well as that which is unadulterated and incorrupt in speech. For these also preserve this faith of ours in one God who created all things; and they increase that love [which we have] for the Son of God, who accomplished such marvellous dispensations for our sake: and they expound the Scriptures to us without danger, neither blaspheming God, nor dishonouring the patriarchs, nor despising the prophets.<br/><i>— Against Heresies Book IV</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Thus what I spake of before, this also he now doth. Because they thought highly of themselves in respect of the tongues he sets it last every where. For the terms, \"first\" and \"secondly,\" are not used by him here at random, but in order by enumeration to point out the more honorable and the inferior. Wherefore also he set the apostles first who had all the gifts in themselves. And he said not, \"God hath set certain in the Church, apostles\" simply, or \"prophets,\" but he employs \"first, second,\" and \"third,\" signifying that same thing which I told you of.</p><p>\"Secondly, prophets.\" For they used to whom he saith, \"Let the prophets speak, two or three.\" And writing also to Timothy, he said, \"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy.\" And they were much more many that prophesied. And if Christ saith, \"The Law and the Prophets prophesied until John,\" He saith it of those prophets who before proclaimed His coming.</p><p>\"Thirdly, teachers.\" For he that prophesieth speaks all things from the Spirit; but he that teacheth sometimes discourses also out of his own mind. Wherefore also he said, \"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and in teaching:\" whereas he that speaks all things by the Spirit doth not labor. This accordingly is the reason why he set him after the prophet, because the one is wholly a gift but the other is also man's labor. For he speaks many things of his own mind, agreeing however with the sacred Scriptures.</p><p>\"Then miracles, then gifts of healings.\" Seest thou how he again divides the healings from the power, which also he did before. For the power is more than the healing: since he that hath power both punishes and heals, but he that hath the gift of healings doeth cures only. And observe how excellent the order he made use of, when he set the prophecy before the miracles and the healings. For above when he said, \"To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge,\" he spake, not setting them in order, but indifferently. Here, on the other hand, he sets a first and a second rank. Wherefore then doth he set prophecy first? Because even in the old covenant the matter has this order. For example, when Isaiah was discoursing with the Jews, and exhibiting a demonstration of the power of God, and bringing forward the evidence of the worthlessness of the demons, he made this also as the greater evidence of his divinity, his foretelling things to come. And Christ Himself after working so many signs saith that this was no small sign of His divinity: and continually adds, \"But these things have I told you, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He.\"</p><p>\"Well then; the gifts of healing are justly inferior to prophecy. But why likewise to teaching?\" Because it is not the same thing to declare the word of preaching and sow piety in the hearts of the hearers, as it is to work miracles: since these are done merely for the sake of that. When therefore any one teaches both by word and life, he is greater than all. For those he calls emphatically teachers, who both teach by deeds and instruct in word. For instance: this made the Apostles themselves to become Apostles. And those gifts certain others also, of no great worth, received in the beginning, as they who said, \"Lord, did we not prophesy by Thy Name, and do mighty works?\" and after this were told, \"I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.\" But this twofold mode of teaching, I mean that by deeds and by words, no bad man would ever undertake. As to his setting the prophets first marvel not at it. For he is not speaking of prophets simply, but of those who by prophecy do also teach and say every thing to the common benefit: which in proceeding he makes more clear to us.</p><p>\"Helps, governments\" What is, \"helps?\" To support the weak. Is this then a gift, tell me? In the first place, this too is of the Gift of God, aptness for a patron's office; the dispensing spiritual things; besides which he calls many even of our own good deeds, \"gifts.\"<br/><i>— Homily on 1 Corinthians 32</i></p><p><b>Victorinus of Pettau</b>: \"Seven thunders uttered their voices.\" The seven thunders uttering their voices signify, the Holy Spirit of sevenfold power, who through the prophets announced all things to come, and by His voice John gave his testimony in the world; but because he says that he was about to write the things which the thunders had uttered, that is, whatever things had been obscure in the announcements of the Old Testament; he is forbidden to write them, but he was charged to leave them sealed, because he is an apostle, nor was it fitting that the grace of the subsequent stage should be given in the first. \"The time,\" says he, \"is at hand.\" For the apostles, by powers, by signs, by portents, and by mighty works, have overcome unbelief. After them there is now given to the same completed Churches the comfort of having the prophetic Scriptures subsequently interpreted, for I said that after the apostles there would be interpreting prophets.</p><p>For the apostle says: \"And he placed in the Church indeed, first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers,\" and the rest. And in another place he says: \"Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.\" And he says: \"Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head\" And when he says, \"Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge,\" he is not speaking in respect of the Catholic prophecy of things unheard and unknown, but of things both announced and known. But let them judge whether or not the interpretation is consistent with the testimonies of the prophetic utterance. It is plain, therefore, that to John, armed as he was with superior virtue, this was not necessary, although the body of Christ, which is the Church, adorned with His members, ought to respond to its position.<br/><i>— Victorinus Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"0205a435a99a49b3261d9e63fc46fb0281e62dc05f0934b636d30a0b3d34e4a9","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":152,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"3f62db488ebc51a0ee7091daf0cb6a0cc4d5cf2ce22650d32cab18ad4fd3f7c1","translator":null,"work":null}