2. Here is good ground in the context to make us think that the apostle here spoke of distinct church officers, and not only of distinct gifts. For, 1. In the similitude of a natural body (whereunto here the church is compared) he speaks of distinct members, having distinct offices, ver. 4. "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office." 2. In his accommodation of this similitude, he speaks not only of gifts, but also of offices according to which these gifts are given, which he calls _grace_, ver. 6, (as was noted.). This grace given, or this office given of grace, is branched out, first, into two general heads, viz. _prophecy_ and _ministry_, ver. 6, 7. Then these generals are subdivided into the special offices contained under them, viz.: Under prophecy the teacher, _he that teacheth_; and the pastor, _he that exhorteth_; under ministry the deacon, _he that distributeth_; and the ruling elder, _he that ruleth_. Now there is in the text just ground for this resolution of the text, in making prophecy and ministry generals, and all the rest special kinds of officers; forasmuch as prophecy and ministry are expressed abstractly, _whether prophecy_, (not, whether we are prophets;) _whether ministry_, (not, whether we are deacons, ministers:) and both prophecy and ministry are put in the accusative case; and both of them have relation, and are joined unto the participle of the plural number _having_, intimating that divers do share in prophecy, pastor and teacher; divers in ministry, deacon and ruling elder. But all the other are expressed concretely, and in the nominative case, and in the singular number, and to every of them the single article is prefixed, translated He--_He that teacheth--He that exhorteth--He that giveth--He that ruleth_. Hence we have great cause to count prophecy and ministry as generals; all the rest as special offices under them.