Gifts and Order
The Holy Spirit · 36 passages · 4 more on file · Marked debate. Read the differences · Against: Montanism
This topic includes Nicene and later writers alongside earlier voices. Dates sit on each passage.
Charismata still reported in the churches (healings, prophecy, tongues), tested by life and ordered with bishops/teachers; Montanism labeled as debate over who owns the prophetic Spirit.
- 1st century4 passages
- 2nd century13 passages
- 3rd century5 passages
- 4th century9 passages
- 5th century3 passages
- 6th century2 passages
See how this topic lines up over time
Concerning the apostles and prophets, act in this way according to the decree of the Gospel. Let every apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord. He shall not stay except one day; if there is need, also the next; but if he stays three days, he is a false prophet.
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Greek
Ὃς ἂν οὖν ἐλθὼν διδάξῃ ὑμᾶς ταῦτα πάντα τὰ προειρημένα, δέξασθε αὐτόν· ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διδάσκων στραφεὶς διδάσκῃ ἄλλην διδαχὴν εἰς τὸ καταλῦσαι, μὴ αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε· εἰς δὲ τὸ προσθεῖναι δικαιοσύνην καὶ γνῶσιν κυρίου, δέξασθε αὐτὸν ὡς κύριον.
Yet he shall not stay except one day; if there is need, also the next; but if he stays three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes out, let him take nothing except bread until he lodges; but if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
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Greek
πᾶς δὲ ἀπόστολος ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς δεχθήτω ὡς κύριος· οὐ μενεῖ δὲ εἰ μὴ ἡμέραν μίαν· ἐὰν δὲ ᾖ χρεία, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην· τρεῖς δὲ ἐὰν μείνῃ, ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστίν. ἐξερχόμενος δὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος μηδὲν λαμβανέτω εἰ μὴ ἄρτον, ἕως οὗ αὐλισθῇ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀργύριον αἰτῇ, ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστί.
Every true prophet who wants to settle among you is worthy of his food. Likewise a true teacher is himself worthy, like the worker, of his food. Therefore take every firstfruit of the produce of winepress and threshing floor, of oxen and sheep, and give the firstfruit to the prophets; for they are your high priests.
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Greek
Πᾶς δὲ προφήτης ἀληθινὸς θέλων καθῆσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄξιός ἐστι τῆς τροφῆς αὐτοῦ. ὡσαύτως διδάσκαλος ἀληθινός ἐστιν ἄξιος καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὐτοῦ.
Appoint for yourselves, then, bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord — men meek, not lovers of money, true, and proven; for they also perform for you the ministry of the prophets and teachers. Do not despise them; for they are the ones honored among you, together with the prophets and teachers.
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Greek
Χειροτονήσατε οὖν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισκόπους καὶ διακόνους ἀξίους τοῦ κυρίου, ἄνδρας πραεῖς καὶ ἀφιλαργύρους καὶ ἀληθεῖς καὶ δεδοκιμασμένους· ὑμῖν γὰρ λειτουργοῦσι καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν λειτουργίαν τῶν προφητῶν καὶ διδασκάλων.
Ignatius, also called God-bearer, to the church of God the Father and of the beloved Jesus Christ, which has been shown mercy in every gift, filled with faith and love, lacking in no gift, most God-fitting and bearing what is holy — the church that is in Smyrna of Asia — abundant greeting in a blameless Spirit and in…
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Greek
Ἰγνάτιος, ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος, ἐκκλησίᾳ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἠλεημένῃ ἐν παντὶ χαρίσματι, πεπληρωμένῃ ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ, ἀνυστερήτῳ οὔσῃ παντὸς χαρίσματος, θεοπρεπεστάτῃ καὶ ἁγιοφόρῳ, τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Σμύρνῃ τῆς Ἀσίας.
“These,” he says, “are believers, and the one sitting on the chair is a false prophet who destroys the mind of the servants of God — of the double-minded, not of the faithful.” These double-minded ones come to him as to a diviner and ask him what will happen to them;
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Greek
Ἔδειξέ μοι ἐπὶ συμψελλίου καθημένους ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἕτερον ἄνθρωπον καθήμενον ἐπὶ καθέδραν, καὶ λέγει μοι: Βλέπεις τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ συμψελλίου καθημένους; Βλέπω, φημί, κύριε.
But him we worship and adore — and the Son who came from him and taught us these things, and the army of the other good angels who follow and are made like him — and the prophetic Spirit, honoring them in word and truth, and freely handing on to everyone who wants to learn what we were taught.
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Greek
ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνόν τε καὶ παρ’ αὐτοῦ υἱὸν ἐλθόντα καὶ διδάξαντα ἡμᾶς ταῦτα, καὶ τὸν τῶν ἄλλων ἑπομένων καὶ ἐξομοιουμένων ἀγαθῶν ἀγγέλων στρατόν, πνεῦμά τε τὸ προφητικὸν σεβόμεθα καὶ προσκυνοῦμεν, λόγῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ τιμῶντες, καὶ παντὶ βουλομένῳ μαθεῖν, ὡς ἐδιδάχθημεν, ἀφθόνως…
…knowing that still day by day some are being discipled into the name of his Christ and leaving the way of error, who also receive gifts, each as they are worthy, being enlightened through the name of this Christ: for one receives a spirit of understanding, another of counsel, another of strength, another of healing…
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Greek
γινώσκων ἔτι καθʼ ἡμέραν τινὰς μαθητευομένους εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπολείποντας τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς πλάνης, οἳ καὶ λαμβάνουσι δόματα ἕκαστος ὡς ἄξιοί εἰσι, φωτιζόμενοι διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ τούτου· ὁ μὲν γὰρ λαμβάνει συνέσεως πνεῦμα, ὁ δὲ βουλῆς, ὁ δὲ ἰσχύος, ὁ δὲ…
For among us even until now there are prophetic gifts; from which you yourselves ought also to understand that what of old was in your nation has been transferred to us.
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Greek
Παρὰ γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ μέχρι νῦν προφητικὰ χαρίσματά ἐστιν, ἐξ οὗ καὶ αὐτοὶ συνιέναι ὀφείλετε, ὅτι τὰ πάλαι ἐν τῷ γένει ὑμῶν ὄντα εἰς ἡμᾶς μετετέθη.
And among us it is possible to see both females and males who have gifts from the Spirit of God. So it was not because he was lacking in power that it was prophesied the powers numbered by Isaiah would come upon him, but because they were no longer going to be beyond him.
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Greek
Καὶ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ θηλείας καὶ ἄρσενας, χαρίσματα ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ ἔχοντας. Ὥστε οὐ διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐνδεῆ δυνάμεως ἐπεπροφήτευτο ἐλεύσεσθαι ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς κατηριθμημένας ὑπὸ Ἡσαΐου, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἐπέκεινα μὴ μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι.
For some truly and firmly drive out demons, so that those cleansed from the evil spirits often even believe and are in the church. Others also have foreknowledge of things to come, and visions, and prophetic utterances. Others heal those who are sick by the laying on of hands, and restore them to health.
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Greek
Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δαίμονας ἐλαύνουσι βεβαίως καὶ ἀληθῶς, ὥστε πολλάκις καὶ πιστεύειν αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους τοὺς καθαρισθέντας ἀπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων, καὶ εἶναι ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Οἱ δὲ καὶ πρόγνωσιν ἔχουσι τῶν μελλόντων, καὶ ὀπτασίας, καὶ ῥήσεις προφητικάς.
But others, so that they may frustrate the gift of the Spirit which in the last times according to the Father’s good pleasure has been poured out on the human race, do not admit that form which is according to John’s Gospel, in which the Lord promised that he would send the Paraclete;
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For some of them saw the prophetic Spirit and his operations poured out into all kinds of gifts; but others saw the coming of the Lord and the administration that is from the beginning…
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God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers. Where the gifts of the Lord are placed, therefore, there one ought to learn the truth — among those with whom there is the succession of the church from the apostles, and what is sound and blameless in way of life, and what stands…
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Just as we also hear of many brothers in the church who have prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak in all kinds of tongues, and bring the secrets of people into the open for benefit, and explain the mysteries of God.
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Greek
καθὼς καὶ πολλῶν ἀκούομεν ἀδελφῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, προφητικὰ χαρίσματα ἐχόντων, καὶ παντοδαπαῖς λαλούντων διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος γλώσσαις, καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς φανερὸν ἀγόντων ἐπὶ τὸ συμφέρον, καὶ τὰ μυστήρια τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκδιηγουμένων.
But now we receive some portion from his Spirit, toward perfection and preparation for incorruption, gradually becoming accustomed to receive and carry God — which the Apostle also called a pledge… If therefore, now having the pledge, we cry “Abba, Father,” what will it be when, rising, we see him face to face…?
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To one is given through the Spirit a word of wisdom, to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith in the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings in the same Spirit, to another workings of powers, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to…
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Greek
πάλιν τε αὖ ἑκάστῳ δίδοται ἡ φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. ᾧ μὲν γὰρ δίδοται διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, ἑτέρῳ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων, ἄλλῳ…
Hear now how he also announced that gifts would come after Christ was received into heaven: “He ascended on high… he gave gifts to the sons of men” — that is, the grants which we call charismata.
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For because we acknowledge spiritual gifts, we have also been granted to receive prophecy after John. There is today among us a sister who has obtained gifts of revelations, which she suffers in the Spirit through ecstasy in the church amid the Lord’s solemnities.
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But the Phrygians, taking the beginnings of their heresy from a certain Montanus and Priscilla and Maximilla, thinking the women to be prophetesses and Montanus a prophet, suppose that they speak rightly about the origin and fashioning of the whole, and they have not taken up things about Christ in a foreign way;
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Greek
Οἱ δὲ Φρύγες ἐκ Μοντανοῦ τινος καὶ Πρισκίλλης καὶ Μαξιμίλλης τὰς ἀρχὰς τῆς αἱρέσεως λαβόντες, προφήτιδας τὰ γύναια νομίζοντες καὶ προφήτην τὸν Μοντᾶνον, τὰ δὲ περὶ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς ἀρχῆς καὶ δημιουργίας ὀρθῶς λέγειν νομίζουσι, καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν οὐκ ἀλλοτρίως προσειλήφασιν…
This is the one who strengthened their minds and thoughts, who distinguished the gospel mysteries, who was in them the illuminator of divine things — by whom, confirmed for the Lord’s name, they feared neither prisons nor chains;
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For to prophesy and to cast out demons and to do great powers on earth is indeed a lofty and wonderful thing; yet whoever is found in all these does not obtain the heavenly kingdom unless he walks by keeping to the observation of the right and just path.
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…of whom some crept through Asia and Phrygia like venomous reptiles, boasting of Montanus as the Paraclete, and of the women from him, Priscilla and Maximilla, as having become prophetesses of Montanus.
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Greek
ὧν οἱ μὲν ἰοβόλων δίκην ἑρπετῶν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ Φρυγίας εἷρπον, τὸν μὲν δὴ παράκλητον Μοντανόν, τὰς δ’ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γυναῖκας, Πρίσκιλλαν καὶ Μαξίμιλλαν, ὡς ἂν τοῦ Μοντανοῦ προφήτιδας γεγονυίας, αὐχοῦντες.
…in which writing he shows that a prophet ought not to speak in ecstasy… Going further in the same place he lists those who have prophesied according to the New Covenant, among whom he numbers a certain Ammia and Quadratus, saying: But the false prophet is in a kind of ecstasy, which is followed by license and…
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Greek
ἐν ᾧ ἀποδείκνυσιν περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν προφήτην ἐν ἐκστάσει λαλεῖν… ὑποκαταβὰς δ’ ἐν ταὐτῷ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην προπεφητευκότας καταλέγει, ἐν οἷς καταριθμεῖ Ἀμμίαν τινὰ καὶ Κοδρᾶτον, λέγων οὕτως· ἀλλ’ ὅ γε ψευδοπροφήτης ἐν παρεκστάσει, ᾧ ἕπεται ἄδεια καὶ ἀφοβία, ἀρχομένου…
When those around Montanus and Alcibiades and Theodotus in Phrygia were then first putting out among many the opinion about prophesying — for very many other marvelous works of the divine gift were still at that time being performed in various churches, and this was giving many people faith that those men also…
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Greek
Τῶν δ᾽ ἀμφὶ τὸν Μοντανὸν καὶ Ἀλκιβιάδην καὶ Θεόδοτον, περὶ τὴν Φρυγίαν ἄρτι τότε πρῶτον τὴν περὶ τοῦ προφητεύειν ὑπόληψιν παρὰ πολλοῖς ἐκφερομένων· πλεῖσται γὰρ οὖν καὶ ἄλλαι παραδοξοποιΐαι τοῦ θείου χαρίσματος εἰσέτι τότε κατὰ διαφόρους ἐκκλησίας ἐκτελούμεναι, πίστιν παρὰ…
For some drive out demons firmly and truly, so that those cleansed from the evil spirits often themselves believe and are in the church; others have foreknowledge of things to come and visions and prophetic utterances; others heal the sick by laying on of hands and restore them to health;
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δι’ ὃ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐκείνου ὀνόματι οἱ ἀληθῶς αὐτοῦ μαθηταί, παρ’ αὐτοῦ λαβόντες τὴν χάριν ἐπιτελοῦσιν ἐπ’ εὐεργεσίᾳ τῇ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων, καθὼς εἷς ἕκαστος τὴν δωρεὰν εἴληφεν παρ’ αὐτοῦ.
And he also writes that prophetic gifts shone in the church even up to his own time; and he mentions John’s Apocalypse, saying clearly that it is the apostle’s…
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Greek
Γράφει δὲ καὶ ὡς ὅτι μέχρι καὶ αὐτοῦ χαρίσματα προφητικὰ διέλαμπεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, μέμνηταί τε τῆς Ἰωάννου Ἀποκαλύψεως, σαφῶς τοῦ ἀποστόλου αὐτὴν εἶναι λέγων.
The most impious Manes… dared to say that he himself was the Paraclete whom Christ promised to send. But the Savior, knowing beforehand, said to the apostles: “You stay in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.” What then?
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Greek
ὁ δυσσεβέστατος Μάνης… ἐτόλμησέ τε εἰπεῖν, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἴη ὁ Παράκλητος, ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο Χριστὸς ἀποστέλλειν. Ἀλλ’ ὁ Σωτὴρ προειδὼς εἶπε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις· Ὑμεῖς δὲ καθίσατε ἐν τῇ πόλει Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἕως οὗ ἐνδύσησθε ἐξ ὕψους δύναμιν.
Is the ordering of the church not clearly and without contradiction worked through the Spirit? For he himself, it says, gave to the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, helps, governances, kinds of tongues.
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Greek
Ἐκκλησίας διακόσμησις οὐχὶ σαφῶς καὶ ἀναντιρρήτως διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργεῖται; Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἔδωκε, φησί, τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους, ἔπειτα δυνάμεις, ἔπειτα χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, ἀντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, γένη γλωσσῶν.
For it was not possible to give proof of the things said on the spot — prophecy does not furnish the test of its own truth at the time it is spoken, but at the time of the outcome… And the prophet is not like the diviner, but with sober mind and self-control and composure, knowing what he utters, he says everything.
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Greek
Διὸ καὶ διακρίσεις ἔλαβον πνευμάτων, ὥστε διακρίνειν καὶ εἰδέναι, τίς μὲν ὁ πνεύματι φθεγγόμενος καθαρῷ, τίς δὲ ὁ ἀκαθάρτῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτόθεν οὐκ ἦν παρασχεῖν τῶν λεγομένων τὴν ἀπόδειξιν· προφητεία γὰρ οὐκ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ, ᾧ λέγεται, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἐκβάσεως παρέχεται τῆς…
If someone was baptized, he immediately spoke in tongues — and not in tongues only, but many also prophesied, and some displayed still more powers.
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Greek
Τί δήποτε γὰρ τότε μὲν ἐγίνετο, νῦν δὲ οὐκέτι; … Τί οὖν τότε συνέβαινεν; Εἴ τις ἐβαπτίσατο, γλώσσαις εὐθέως ἐλάλει, καὶ οὐ γλώσσαις μόνον, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ καὶ προεφήτευον, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἑτέρας πλείους δυνάμεις ἐπεδείκνυντο.
Because what that signified has been fulfilled… The church then was in one house; it received the Holy Spirit: it was in a few people, yet it was in the tongues of the whole world.
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On the miracles which were done so that the world might believe in Christ, and which do not cease to be done when the world has believed. “Why,” they ask, “do those miracles you preach as having been done not happen now?” I could indeed say they were needed before the world believed, so that the world might believe……
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Likewise, what I said — “Those miracles were not permitted to last into our times, lest the soul always seek visible things, and the human race grow cold by habit toward things at whose novelty it once burned” — is true in a sense.
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Recently in the province of Samnium a certain venerable man named Mena lived a solitary life… He possessed almost nothing for his use except a few beehives. When a certain Lombard wanted to plunder them, he was first corrected by that man’s word, and at once was tormented by an evil spirit before his feet.
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If we attend to visible things, we must believe so; but if we weigh invisible things, it is clear that it is a greater miracle to convert a sinner by the word of preaching and the comfort of prayer than to raise a dead body in the flesh.
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Other passages filed here (4)