what follows to have been the case with the Corinthians. Paul says, 14, 23, the meetings for worship in Corinth, if all spoke with tongues, would be so confused as to make strangers think they were mad.
2. And though I have (the gift of) prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove moun- tains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
There are three gifts here referred to, prophecy, "the word of knowledge," and miracles. 'Though I have the gift of prophecy, so as to understand all mysteries, and (though I have) all knowledge, and all faith,' &c. As the particle idv, though, by which the distinction of gifts is indicated in the context, is here omitted, the first two clauses are commonly combined. ' Though I have the gift of prophecy, so as to un- derstand all mysteries, and so as to possess all knowledge.* There are two objections to this. The passage literally reads, * that I may know all mysteries and all knowledge ; ' so that the words masteries and knowledge grammatically depend on (ciSw), I may know. But this would make Paul use an unex- ampled phrase, ' to know knowledge.' Something, therefore, must be supplied, and it is as natural to borrow from the con- text the words, though I have, as simply, that I may have. And secondly, Paul distinguishes between prophecy and know- ledge as distinct gifts, v. 8 and 12, 8-10. The understanding or apprehension of mysteries, and not the possession of know- ledge, in its distinctive sense, was the result of the gift of prophecy. Mysteries are secrets, things undiscoverable by human reason, which divine revelation alone can make known. And the gift of prophecy was the gift of revelation by which such mysteries were communicated ; see 14, 30. All onyste- ries, therefore, here means, all the secret purposes of God relating to redemption. This limitation is required by the context. Paul intends to say, that though he was the recipi- ent of all the revelations which God ever designed to make concerning the plan of salvation and the kingdom of Christ, without love he would be nothing.
And all knowledge, i. e. and though I have all knowledge. By knowledge is meant the intellectual apprehension or cogni- tion of revealed truth. It was the prerogative of the prophet