our translators, who, considering the passage as elliptical, have supplied in the several specifications the phrases vi^hich in each case the sense requires.
Havings therefore, gifts differing according to the grace given unto «s, i. e. as there are in the one body various offices and gifts, let every- one act in a manner consistent with the nature and design of the particu- lar gift which he has received. Whether prophecy, let us prophesy ac- cording to the proportion of faith. The first gift specified is that of 'prophecy, with regard to the precise nature of which there is no little diversity of opinion. The original and proper meaning of the Hebrew word rendered prophet in the Old Testament is interpreter, one who explains or delivers the will of another. And to this idea the Greek term also answers. It matters little whether the will or purpose of God which the prophets were called upon to deliver, had reference to present duty or to future events. They derived their Hebrew name, not from predict- ing what was to come to pass, which was but a small part of their duty, but from being the interpreters of God, men who spoke in his name. We accordingly find the term prophet applied to all classes of religious teachers under the old dispensation. See Gen. 20: 7. Deut. 18: 18; and particularly Ex. 7 : 1, " And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god unto Pharaoh ; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy pro- phet," i. e. thy interpreter. In ch. 4: 16, it is said, "He shall be a mouth to thee," which expresses the same idea. And this is also the sense of the word in the New Testament ; it is applied to any one em- ployed to deliver a divine message. Matt. 10 : 41. 13 : 57. Luke 4 : 24. 7: 26—29. John 4: 19. Acts 15: 32. 1 Cor. 12 : 28. 14: 29—32. From these and numerous similar passages it appears that the prophets in the Christian church were men who spoke under the immediate influ- ence of the Spirit of God, and delivered some divine communication re- lating to doctrinal truths, to present duty, to future events, &c., as the case might be. The point of distinction between them and the apostles, considered as religious teachers, appears to have been, that the inspira- tion of the apostles was abiding, they were the infallible and authorita- tive messengers of Christ; whereas the inspiration of the prophets was occasional and transient. The latter differed from the teachers, inas- much as these were not necessarily inspired, but taught to others what they themselves had learned from the Scriptures, or from inspired men.
The gift of which Paul here speaks is not, therefore, the faculty of predicting future events, but that of immediate occasional inspiration, »eading the recipient to deliver, as the mouth of God, the particular com- munication which he had received, whether designed for instruction, exhortation, or comfort. The apostle required that those who enjoyed this gift should exercise it according to the proportion of faith. This clause admits of different interpretations. The word rendered proportion may mean either proportion or measure, rule, standard. Classic usage is rather in favour of the former of these meanings, &c. The latter,