1 Corinthians 12:28

1 Cor. 12:28. "And God hath set some in the church, first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that miracles; then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." It being so that Christians, in those days, were so generally endued with extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, it made the case of the Church then very different from what it is now. For, then, those that had these extraordinary gifts became pastors, in the exercise of those gifts, and so far as they were thereby qualified. Thus, any male member of the Church that had the gift of prophecy might do the part of a pastor, so far as the exercise of that gift extended, or in prophesying. So anyone that had the word of wisdom or knowledge, or a spirit of revelation, or doctrine, or exhortation, or gift of tongue, might do the part of pastors in the exercise of these gifts. All that had these extraordinary gifts thereby became a kind of extraordinary officers in the exercise of those gifts, and so far as that extended; and, accordingly, used to officiate in the Church. This is evident by this and 1 Cor. 14, and also Romans chap. 12. So far as any person had a miraculous gift by the immediate and extraordinary influence of the Spirit of Christ on their minds, so far were they (as Christ, who is the head and fountain of all Church-office power, and therefore when they were in the exercise of that gift) to be submitted to by the Church as if Jesus Christ himself spake and acted. For it was not they, indeed, that spake and acted, but Christ in them. Christ, by giving to them such a miraculous gift, marked out the person for such work in the Church. But it cannot be argued from hence that there are so many distinct standing offices in the Church as there were extraordinary gifts. A spirit of government, or an extraordinary and miraculous qualification for the exercise of that part of the pastor's office which consists in judging, reproving, rebuking, admonishing, etc.: he that had this gift was authorized to do this part of a pastor's work, and the Church submitted to him herein that they had discerned had this gift. For they had a discerning of spirits - among other gifts of the Spirit - among them. But this no more argues that government was a distinct standing office than that exhorting was; for some that had a gift of exhorting were in the exercise of that gift to do the part of a pastor and no otherwise: Romans 12:8, "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."

One had an extraordinary gift of the Spirit in doctrine, another in counseling and exhorting, another in reproving, admonishing, and judging of offenders, but these are only so many parts of a pastor's office, and may indeed all be referred to preaching and declaring the Word of God. All this is confirmed from Romans 12:6-8, "Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness." The Spirit in Christians, which they had in an extraordinary manner dwelling in them, sometimes directed in judging of offenders. Thus the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 5:4,

"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, in my Spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ," directs the Corinthians to excommunicate the incestuous in the name of His Spirit.

1 Cor. 13:8-12