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to remember that, at this revelation, to those who had "so run", the award of an
incorruptible crown would be given.
The hope of the church during the period of the Acts was the coming of the Lord as
set forth in Matt. 24: and in the Revelation, and, closely associated with this phase,
we find, in I Cor. 1: 3-7, a strong emphasis upon supernatural gifts.
Spiritual gifts.
The apostle thanks God for the rich enduement received by the Corinthians: "That in
everything ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge" (I Cor. 1: 5).
The word logos, translated here "utterance", refers to the spiritual gifts detailed in
I Cor. 12: 8: "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom: to another the word of
knowledge, by the same Spirit." "All knowledge" is linked with prophecy, the
understanding of all mysteries, and the faith that removes mountains (I Cor. 13: 2). And
in verse 8, in association with prophecies and tongues, "knowledge" is among the gifts
that shall vanish away. The apostle speaks of these gifts not only as an enrichment, but
as a confirmation: "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you" (I Cor. 1: 6).
This confirmatory character of spiritual gifts is found in other passages, for example, in
Heb. 2: 3, 4:--
"Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard Him, God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders, and with
divers miracles, and distributions of holy spirit (the gifts, not the Give), according to His
own Will."
Again, in writing a subsequent letter to the Corinthians, the apostle refers to this same
thing:--
"Now He which confirmeth (the same word as in I Cor. 1: 6) us with you in Christ,
and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit
in our hearts" (II Cor. 1: 21, 22).
While the inward "seal and earnest" is found in Eph. 1: 13, 14, the external anointing
and confirmation belong to this earlier period which is governed by the hope of Israel.
The spiritual gifts are not to be separated from the hope of the Lord's coming; they are
essentially connected with it: "So that ye come behind in no gift: waiting for the
revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 1: 7).
"Till He come."
The hope of the church as expressed in I Cor. 1: cannot be different from that of the
same church mentioned in I Cor. 11: No details concerning the Lord's coming are given
in the latter chapter because it is only introduced to convey the thought of the continued
remembrance of the Lord's death "till He come". That this coming, however, is the
revelation of the Lord already referred to in I Cor. 1: 7, is indicated by its close
proximity to the same spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:). If it is argued from I Cor. 11: 26 that as
the Lord has not come, we must still observe the Supper, could it not also be argued from