John Chrysostom, On the Beginning of Acts

sitting. What then does he say? Those whom God has appointed in the Church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, and pastors; then gifts of healings. Have you seen the summit of the authorities? have you seen the apostle sitting on high, and no one before him, nor higher? For he says, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers and pastors; then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues. But the apostolate is not only the beginning of the other authorities, but also their foundation and root. And just as the head, sitting in the highest part of the whole, is not only the beginning and authority of the body, but also the root (for the nerves that govern the body, being born from it, and sprouting from the brain itself, and receiving the supply of spirit, thus manage the whole living being), so also the apostolate not only presides over the other gifts as a beginning and authority, but also embraces and holds within itself the roots of all. And a prophet cannot be an apostle and a prophet; but the apostle is certainly also a prophet, and has gifts of healings, and kinds of tongues, and interpretations of tongues; therefore he is the beginning and root of the gifts.

4. And that these things are so, I shall bring Paul forward to you as a witness. But first it is necessary to say what "kinds of tongues" is. What then is "kinds of tongues"? In the old days, the one who was baptized and believed immediately spoke in different tongues for the manifestation of the Spirit. For since those of that time were still rather weak, and could not see the spiritual gifts with the eyes of the flesh, a perceptible gift was given, so that the spiritual might become manifest; and the one baptized would immediately speak both in our language, and in that of the Persians, and in that of the Indians, and in that of the Scythians, so that even the unbelievers would learn that he had been counted worthy of the Holy Spirit. And the sign was perceptible, I mean such a voice; for they heard it with the sense of the body; but this perceptible sign made the spiritual and unseen grace of the Spirit manifest to all. And this sign was called "kinds of tongues." For one having one language by nature, spoke in various and different languages by grace; and it was possible to see a man, one in number, but varied 51.93 in gifts, and having different mouths, and different tongues. Let us see, then, how the Apostle had this gift, and all the others. Concerning this, he speaks thus: "I speak in tongues more than you all." Do you see how he has the kinds of tongues, and not only has it, but even with greater abundance than all the rest of the faithful? For he did not say, "I can speak in tongues" only, but also, "I speak in tongues more than you all." But the prophecy which he had, he shows through those words, speaking thus: "Now the Spirit expressly says, that in latter times difficult times will come;" and that to speak of things in latter times is prophecy, is surely clear to everyone. And again, "But know this, that in the last times difficult times will come;" and again, "But I say to you in the word of the Lord, that at his coming we who are alive, who are left, will not precede those who have fallen asleep." And this too is prophecy. Have you seen how he has kinds of tongues and prophecies? Do you wish to learn how he also has gifts of healings? But perhaps this does not even require proof from words. when we see not only the apostles, but also their garments having gifts of healings. And that he was a teacher of the Gentiles, he says this in many places, and that he cared for the whole world, and administered the Churches. When therefore you hear, "first apostles, second prophets, third pastors and teachers, gifts of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues," learn that the whole supply of the other gifts is stored up in the apostolate, as in a head. Did you not before this consider the name of the apostles to be a mere name? Behold, you now know how much depth of meaning the name has. But we have said these things, not as a display of our own power

καθίζοντος. Τί οὖν οὗτός φησιν; Οὓς μὲν ἔθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους, καὶ ποιμένας· εἶτα χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων. Εἶδες κορυφὴν ἀρχῶν; εἶδες ὑψηλὸν καθήμενον τὸν ἀπόστολον, καὶ οὐδένα πρὸ ἐκείνου ὄντα, οὔτε ἀνώτερον; Πρῶτον γὰρ ἀποστόλους φησὶ, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους καὶ ποιμένας· εἶτα χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, ἀντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, γένη γλωσσῶν. Οὐκ ἀρχὴ δὲ μόνον ἐστὶν ἡ ἀποστολὴ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρχῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπόθεσις καὶ ῥίζα. Καὶ καθάπερ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἐν τῷ ὑψηλοτέρῳ τοῦ παντὸς καθημένη, οὐ μόνον ἀρχὴ τοῦ σώματός ἐστι καὶ ἐξουσία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥίζα (τὰ γὰρ νεῦρα τὰ διοικοῦντα τὸ σῶμα ἐξ ἐκείνης τικτόμενα, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ βλαστάνοντα τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου, καὶ τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος δεχόμενα χορηγίαν, οὕτως ἅπαν οἰκονομεῖ τὸ ζῶον), οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἀποστολὴ οὐ μόνον ὡς ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐξουσία τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐπίκειται χαρίσμασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἁπάντων ῥίζας ἐν ἑαυτῇ συλλαβοῦσα κατέχει. Καὶ ὁ μὲν προφήτης οὐ δύναται εἶναι καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ προφήτης· ὁ δὲ ἀπόστολος καὶ προφήτης ἐστὶ πάντως, καὶ χαρίσματα ἔχει ἰαμάτων, καὶ γένη γλωσσῶν, καὶ ἑρμηνείας γλωσσῶν· διὸ ἀρχὴ καὶ ῥίζα ἐστὶ τῶν χαρισμάτων.

δʹ. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, Παῦλον ὑμῖν παραγάγω μάρτυρα. Πρῶτον δὲ ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν, τί ποτέ ἐστι γένη γλωσσῶν. Τί οὖν ἐστι γένη γλωσσῶν; Τὸ παλαιὸν ὁ βαπτισθεὶς καὶ πιστεύσας εὐθέως πρὸς τὴν φανέρωσιν τοῦ Πνεύματος διαφόροις ἐλάλει γλώσσαις. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔτι ἀσθενέστερον διέκειντο οἱ τότε, καὶ τὰ νοητὰ χαρίσματα ὁρᾷν οὐκ ἠδύναντο τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς, ἐδίδοτο αἰσθητὸν χάρισμα, ὥστε τὸ νοητὸν γενέσθαι καταφανές· καὶ ὁ βαπτισθεὶς εὐθέως καὶ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ γλώσσῃ, καὶ τῇ τῶν Περσῶν, καὶ τῇ τῶν Ἰνδῶν, καὶ τῇ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐφθέγγετο, ὥστε μαθεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἀπίστους, ὅτι Πνεύματος ἁγίου ἠξίωτο. Καὶ ἦν τὸ μὲν σημεῖον αἰσθητὸν, ἡ τοιαύτη φωνὴ λέγω· τῇ γὰρ αἰσθήσει τοῦ σώματος αὐτῆς ἤκουον· τὴν δὲ νοητὴν καὶ οὐχ ὁρωμένην τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν πᾶσι τὸ αἰσθητὸν τοῦτο σημεῖον κατάδηλον ἐποίει. Καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σημεῖον ἐκαλεῖτο γένη γλωσσῶν. Ὁ γὰρ μίαν γλῶσσαν ἔχων ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως, ποικίλαις ἐλάλει γλώσσαις καὶ διαφόροις ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος· καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν ἄνθρωπον ἕνα μὲν τῷ ἀριθμῷ, ποικίλον δὲ 51.93 τοῖς χαρίσμασι, καὶ διάφορα στόματα ἔχοντα, καὶ διαφόρους γλώσσας. Ἴδωμεν οὖν πῶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος καὶ τοῦτο εἶχε τὸ χάρισμα, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα. Περὶ μὲν τούτου οὕτω λέγει· Πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσαις λαλῶ. Εἶδες πῶς ἔχει τὰ γένη τῶν γλωσσῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔχει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πλείονος ὑπερβολῆς ἢ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες πιστοί; Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Γλώσσαις ἔχω λαλεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ, Πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσαις λαλῶ. Τὴν δὲ προφητείαν, ἣν εἶχε, δι' ἐκείνων δείκνυσι τῶν ῥημάτων, οὕτω λέγων· Τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει, ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἐνστήσονται καιροὶ χαλεποί· ὅτι δὲ τὰ ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς λέγειν, προφητεία ἐστὶ, παντί που δῆλον. Καὶ πάλιν, Τοῦτο δὲ γινώσκετε, ὅτι ἐν ἐσχάτοις καιροῖς ἐνστήσονται καιροὶ χαλεποί· καὶ πάλιν, Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ἐν λόγῳ Κυρίου, ὅτι ἐν παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι, οὐ μὴ φθάσωμεν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προφητεία ἐστίν. Εἶδες πῶς γένη γλωσσῶν καὶ προφητείας ἔχει; Βούλει μαθεῖν πῶς ἔχει καὶ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων; Ἀλλὰ τάχα τοῦτο οὐδὲ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων ἀποδείξεως δεῖται. ὅταν ἴδωμεν οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων ἔχοντα. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ διδάσκαλος ἦν τῶν ἐθνῶν, πολλαχοῦ τοῦτο λέγει, καὶ ὅτι τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀντελαμβάνετο πάσης, καὶ διεκυβέρνα τὰς Ἐκκλησίας. Ὅταν οὖν ἀκούσῃς, πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, ἀντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, γένη γλωσσῶν, μάθε ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ χορηγία τῶν λοιπῶν χαρισμάτων, ὥσπερ ἐν κεφαλῇ, τῇ ἀποστολῇ ἐναπόκειται. Ἆρ' οὐ ψιλὸν ἐνομίζετε τοὔνομα τῶν ἀποστόλων πρὸ τούτου; Ἰδοὺ νῦν ἔγνωτε πόσον βάθος ἔχει νοήματος τὸ ὄνομα. Ταῦτα δὲ εἰρήκαμεν, οὐκ οἰκείας δυνάμεως ἐπίδειξιν