The Body and its Members
They were hastening to their own banquets, which they were performing with great expense in the church, as if they were rebuking those who had no need, because while others were hungering, they themselves were feasting; for envying the fellowship, they deprived others of their own sight.
Concerning 1 Cor 12:1–2, he now speaks of the energies of the Holy Spirit, which he distributes to each according to his merit, such as to one to evangelize, and to another to prophesy, and to another something else. But through the phrase 'you are led toward the idols,' he demonstrates the greatest difference between prophecy and divination. For in the idols, the possessors do not act soberly by the impure spirit, but are carried up by an impure spirit, proceeding by a non-voluntary will; for this is made clear by the words 'you are led' and 'you are being brought along.' He says, therefore: you know the energy of the impure spirit from which you suffer, but the energy of the Holy Spirit possesses the pure energy. Consequently, the diviner darkens the soul and does not know what he says, but the prophet's soul becomes brighter, and having learned what he did not know, he speaks the things revealed to him. The demon, as an enemy, darkens the soul, but the Spirit, as a benefactor, enlightens the soul as it approaches, which he leads upward.
Regarding 1 Cor 12:3, for all blasphemies against Christ are worked by the evil one who thunders at the soul. This, therefore, he says, to secure those who claim to be God-bearing and who speak against Christ. Since even the legion and the Pythia were naming the Lord Jesus, we do not say that he who says this speaks perfectly—for there are many lords called righteous—but rather he lacks the confession of the lordship and sovereignty of Christ over all. Perhaps they said this while being tested, as the devil had brought him to the mountain. Therefore, he does not receive their testimony as if they were unworthy and being tested.
Regarding 1 Cor 12:8–10, the word of wisdom is to understand the things spoken in wisdom of God in prophets and evangelists and to present them to those hearing; the word of knowledge is the revelation...
The height of those hidden things, which one learns in the first place from grace without even knowing, and he says: faith is merely to believe the proclamation; for it is not simply hearing this that constitutes faith, but to receive the things spoken with faithfulness. Discernment of spirits exists because divination has imitated prophecy in that the Holy Spirit seems to foretell in the same way, and He has granted the discernment of these things so as not to be led astray.
Regarding 1 Cor 12:12, he depicts Christ as being composed of many members from the whole body, thereby showing the church through Christ; for since it has been said that Christ is the head of the church and the church is the body of Christ, and He named the church Christ, He shows the lesser from the greater. Regarding 1 Cor 12:14, he says this so that the more humble ones are not overlooked in the church; for even if someone is lesser by nature, he contributes to the commonality of the church. Regarding 1 Cor 12:27, he did not say members from members, but many members from one member; for the head is a member of the whole body. He did not say from members, but from a member; for the head is one member, who is Christ, the head of the church. Since he mentions members and a body, he begins from the more honorable of the other members after the head, namely the apostles. And 'prophet' he says refers to those in the church, not those in the Law. Third, 'teachers'. Do not marvel if a teacher is set before those performing healings and powers; for the signs are so that knowledge may be believed, and knowledge is provided through the teachers. 'Will take hold of'—he says this elsewhere: the one presiding with zeal. 'Governments' refers to the ecclesiastical administrations.
Christ is the head of the church, and by 'member' he says the apostles are second members. He says not those in the Law, but those of the church. Because of this, he shows that they thought highly of the gift of tongues, but also in the other gifts. He shows therefore that the greatest is love; for those indeed are gifts and...
Greek
ἴδια αὐτῶν δεῖπνα ἐπείγοντο, ἅπερ πολυτελῶς ἐποίουν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὥσπερ ἐλέγχοντες τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων τὴν ἔνδειαν, διότι ἄλλων πεινώντων αὐτοὶ ἐμέθυον· φθάνοντες γὰρ τὴν κοινωνίαν ἀπήλαυον τῶν ἰδίων ὄψων. 1 Kor 12,1–2 Πνευματικὰ λέγει νῦν τὰς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐνεργείας ἃς ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν διερεῖ, οἷον τῷ μὲν εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, τῷ δὲ προφητεύειν, καὶ ἑτέρῳ ἕτερον. διὰ δὲ τοῦ εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα ἀνήγεσθε δείκνυσι διαφορὰν προφητείας καὶ μαντείας μεγίστην. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς εἰδώλοις οὐ νήφουσιν οἱ κάτοχοι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ πνεύματι, ἀλλ' ἀνάγονται ὑπ' ἀκαθάρτου πνεύματος οὐκ αὐθαιρέτῳ γνώμῃ πορευόμενοι· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ διὰ τοῦ ἀνήγεσθε ἀπαγόμενοι. φησὶ γοῦν· τὴν μὲν τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου πνεύματος ἐξ ὧν ἐπάσχετε ἴστε ἐνέργειαν, τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καθαρὰν ἔχει τὴν ἐνέργειαν. διὸ ὁ μὲν μάντις σκοτοῦται τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ὃ λέγει, τοῦ δὲ προφήτου ἡ ψυχὴ φωτεινοτέρα γίνεται καὶ μαθοῦσα ἃ οὐκ ᾔδει λέγει τὰ ἀποκαλυφθέντα αὐτῇ. ὁ οὖν δαίμων ὡς ἐχθρὸς σκοτεῖ τὴν ψυχήν, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ὡς εὐεργετικὸν φωτίζει προσερχόμενον τῇ ψυχῇ, ὅπερ δεικνὺς ἐπάγει. 263 1 Kor 12,3 Πάντων γὰρ τὰ βλάσφημα εἰς Χριστὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐνεργεῖται τοῦ θολοῦντος τὴν ψυχήν. τοῦτο οὖν λέγει ἀσφαλιζόμενος τοὺς προσποιουμένους θεοφορεῖσθαι καὶ κατὰ Χριστοῦ λαλοῦντας. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ λεγεὼν καὶ ἡ πυθομάντις ὠνόμαζον τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν, οὐ λέγομεν ὅτι ὁ τοῦτο λέγων τελείως λέγει–εἰσὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ κύριοι λεγόμενοι δίκαιοι–ἀλλὰ τὸ ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν ἐπὶ πάντων κυριότητα καὶ δεσποτείαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ἴσως δὲ ὅτι καὶ πειρώμενοι τοῦτο ἔλεγον ὡς ὁ διάβολος ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ ὄρος. διὸ οὔτε ὥσπερ ἀναξίων καὶ πειραζόντων καταδέχεται τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν μαρτυρίαν. 1 Kor 12,8–10 Λόγος σοφίας τὸ καὶ νοῆσαι τὰ ἐν σοφίᾳ θεοῦ εἰρημένα ἐν προφήταις καὶ εὐαγγελισταῖς καὶ παραστῆσαι τοῖς ἀκούουσιν. λόγος γνώσεως ἡ ἀποκάλυψις τῶν λανθανόντων ἃ μανθάνει τις μὴ εἰδὼς ἐν πρώτοις παρὰ τῆς τῆς χάριτος καὶ λέγει. πίστις τὸ πιστεῦσαι μόνον τῷ κηρύγματι· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἁπλῶς τοῦτο πίστις ἀλλὰ τὸ δέξασθαι πιστῶς τὰ εἰρημένα. διάκρισις πνευμάτων, ἐπειδὴ μεμίμηται ἡ μαντεία τὴν προφητείαν ἐν τῷ καὶ αὐτῇ δοκεῖν προλέγειν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ τούτων τὴν διάκρισιν δέδωκεν διὰ τὸ μὴ πλανᾶσθαι. 1 Kor 12,12 Τῷ ὅλῳ σώματι ἐκ πολλῶν συγκειμένῳ μελῶν ἀπεικονίζει τὸν Χριστόν, διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν δηλῶν· ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς εἴρηται τῆς ἐκκλησίας κεφαλὴ καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία σῶμα Χριστοῦ, Χριστὸν δὲ ὠνόμασεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος τὸ ἔλαττον δηλῶν. 1 Kor 12,14 Τοῦτο λέγει, ἵνα μὴ τοὺς ταπεινοτέρους ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ περιορῶσιν· κἂν γὰρ τῇ φύσει ἐλάττω τις ᾖ, ἀλλὰ τῷ κοινῷ τῆς ἐκκλησίας συμβάλλεται. 1 Kor 12,27 Οὐκ εἶπεν μέλη ἐκ μελῶν, ἀλλὰ μέλη πολλὰ ἐκ μέλους ἑνός· μέλος γὰρ ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ ὅλου σώματος. Οὐκ εἶπεν ἐκ μελῶν, ἀλλ' ἐκ μέλους· ἓν γάρ ἐστιν μέλος ἡ κεφαλή, ὅς ἐστι Χριστός, ἡ κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Ἐπειδὴ μελῶν μέμνηται καὶ σώματος, ἄρχεται ἀπὸ τοῦ τιμιωτέρου τῶν ἄλλων μελῶν τῶν μετὰ τὴν κεφαλήν, τῶν ἀποστόλων. προφήτας δὲ λέγει τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, οὐ τοὺς ἐν νόμῳ. τρίτον διδασκάλους. μὴ θαυμάσῃς εἰ πρὸ τῶν τὰς ἰάσεις καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις ἐπιτελούντων τέθειται διδάσκαλος· τὰ γὰρ σημεῖα ἵνα πιστευθῇ ἡ γνῶσις, ἡ δὲ γνῶσις διὰ τῶν διδασκόντων παρίσταται. ἀντιλήψεις. τοῦτο ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· ὁ προϊστάμενος ἐν σπουδῇ. κυβερνήσεις· αἱ διοικήσεις αἱ ἐκκλησιαστικαί. 264,ξολ2 Κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας Χριστός, μεθ' ὃ μέλος δεύτερα μέλη φησὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους. Οὐ τοὺς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λέγει, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν ὅτι μέγα ἐφρόνουν ἐπὶ τῷ χαρίσματι τῶν γλωσσῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις χαρίσμασιν. δείκνυσιν οὖν ὅτι τὸ μέγιστον ἡ ἀγάπη ἐστίν· ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ χαρίσματά ἐστιν καὶ
About this text
A passionate defense of Christian unity and identity in a divided church, exploring the meaning of being called by Christ.
Original English Translation of Severianus of Gabala’s In epistulam i ad Corinthios — new OET from PG 65 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.