1 Corinthians 12:10

Miracles are mighty works (Gr. dynameis) that alter the natural course of events. Probably all types of miracles beside healings are in view. God gave the ability to do miracles to His Son and to some Christians in the early church to signify that He was with them and empowering them (cf. Luke 4:14 to Luke 9:50; Galatians 3:5; Hebrews 2:4). Luke’s Gospel, in particular, presents Jesus as teaching and then validating His teaching by doing miracles. Acts shows the apostles doing the same thing.

Prophecy has a four-fold meaning in the New Testament. Prophets foretold future events. They also declared things known only by special new revelation from God. Third, they uttered under the Spirit’s prompting some lofty statement or message in praise of God, or a word of instruction, refutation, reproof, admonition, or comfort for others (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:4; 1 Corinthians 13:9; 1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Corinthians 14:3-5; 1 Corinthians 14:24; 1 Corinthians 14:31; 1 Corinthians 14:39). Fourth, they led in worship (Exodus 15:20-21; 1 Chronicles 25:1). Evidently the first and second of these abilities passed out of existence with the composition of the last New Testament books. The last of the New Testament books that God inspired was probably Revelation, which most likely dates from about A.D. 95. [Note: See Mark L. Hitchcock, "A Defense of the Domitianic Date of the Book of Revelation" (Ph.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary), 2005.]

"First, although prophecy was an especially widespread phenomenon in the religions of antiquity, Paul’s understanding-as well as that of the other NT writers-was thoroughly conditioned by his own history in Judaism. The prophet was a person who spoke to God’s people under the inspiration of the Spirit. The ’inspired utterance’ came by revelation and announced judgment (usually) or salvation. Although the prophets often performed symbolic acts, which they then interpreted, the mainstream of prophetic activity, at least as it came to be canonized, had very little to do with ’ecstasy,’ especially ’frenzy’ or ’mania.’ For the most part the prophets were understood only too well! Often the word spoken had a futuristic element, so in that sense they also came to be seen as ’predicters’; but that was only one element, and not necessarily the crucial one." [Note: Fee, The First . . ., p. 595.]

The ability to distinguish between spirits was apparently a gift of discernment. It enabled a person to tell whether a propounded prophecy was genuine or counterfeit, namely, from the Holy Spirit or a false spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). Thus it had a relationship to prophecy similar to that between interpretation and tongues. [Note: Keener, p. 101.]

The gift of tongues, about which Paul would say much more in chapter 14, was the ability to speak in one or more languages that the speaker had not learned. However the languages do not seem limited to human languages (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1). Nevertheless they were intelligible with interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:10-14). They were not just gibberish. The New Testament writers did not consider the ecstatic utterances of pagans or Christians that were other than languages to be manifestations of the Spirit’s gift of tongues.

It should be noted . . . that only tongues is included in every list of ’gifts’ in these three chapters [1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:28-30; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Corinthians 14:6; 1 Corinthians 14:26]. Its place at the conclusion of each list in chap. 12, but at the beginning in 1 Corinthians 13:1 and 1 Corinthians 14:6, suggests that the problem lies here. It is listed last not because it is ’least,’ but because it is the problem. He always includes it, but at the end, after the greater concern for diversity has been heard." [Note: Fee, The First . . ., p. 572. Cf. idem, "Tongues-Least of the Gifts? Some Exegetical Observations on 1 Corinthians 12-14," Pneuma 2 (1980):3-14.]

The person with the ability to interpret tongues (languages) could translate what a tongues-speaker said accurately so others present could know the meaning of what he or she said. Presumably some Christians with the gift of tongues also had the gift of interpreting tongues so they could explain what they had said.

"With the possible exception of faith, all these gifts seem to have been confirmatory and foundational gifts for the establishment of the church (cf. Hebrews 2:4; Ephesians 2:20) and were therefore temporary." [Note: Lowery, "1 Corinthians," p. 533.]