Giving And Receiving Gifts

Enim desidero, inquit, videre vos, ut aliquod tradam vobis donum spiritale ad confirmandum vos, id est, consolari in vobis per eam, quae invicem est, fidem vestram atque meam. Primo omnium discere debemus opus esse apostolicum desiderate fratres, sed non aliam ob causam, nisi ut vel conferamus eis aliquid doni spiritalis si possumus, vel si non possumus, ipsi ut accipiamus ab his. Sine hoc enim non est probabile desiderium circumeundi fratres. Quod autem dicit, ut aliquod tradam vobis donum spiritale, videtur indicare esse aliquid quod donum quidem sit, non tamen spiritale. Nam donum fidei sine dubio spiritale est, et donum sapientiae, et scientiae, et virginitatis similiter. Ubi autem dicit de nuptiis et virginitate loquens: Sed unusquisque proprium habet donum a Deo, alius sic, alius autem sic; donum quidem dicit esse nuptias, quoniam, sicut scriptum est, a Deo aptatur mulier viro; sed non istud donum est spiritale. Possunt et alia multa dona Dei dicit, ut divitiae et fortitudo corporis, ut formae decor, ut regnum terrestre. A Deo enim etiam haec donantur, sicut et Daniel dicit: Quia ipse facit reges, et commutat; sed non sunt haec dona spiritlia. Beati sunt ergo illi quibus spiritalem gratiam tradere vult Apostolus ad confirmationem fidei, ut ultra non sint parvuli, neque circumferantur omni vento doctrinae. Quod cum fit a Paulo, et ipse consolationem capit, opus suum firmum et stabile videns: et illi consolantur qui apostolicae gratiae participes fiunt. Origenes, Commentariorum In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Romanos, Liber Primus, Interprete Rufino Aquileiense Source: Migne PG 14.857b-858a

'For I desire to see you,' he says, 'that I might give you some spiritual gift for your strengthening, that is, to be comforted in you by it,  and so mutually, your faith and mine.'1 First of all we should learn that it is a part of the Apostolic work to wish to see brothers, but not for any reason unless to bring to them some spiritual gift if we are able, and if we are not able, that we shall receive something from them. Without this is it not likely there will be a wish to visit brothers. Now when he says, 'that I might give you some spiritual gift', it seems to indicate what sort of gift it might be, yet not what sort of spiritual one. For the gift of faith is without doubt spiritual, and the gift of wisdom and knowledge and chastity likewise. But where he speaks of chastity and marriage he says: 'But each one has his own gift from God, one man this, another that,' 2 he does speak of marriage as a gift, because, as it is written, 'by God a woman inclines to a man,' 3 but this gift is not spiritual.  One can speak of many gifts of God, such as wealth, and strength of body, and beauty of form, and a worldly kingdom, and indeed these are given by God, as Daniel says, 'Because he makes kings, and he changes them,' 4 but these are not spiritual gifts. Therefore they are blessed to whom the Apostle wishes to bring spiritual grace for the strengthening of faith, so that they be children no more, and be no more tossed about by the teachings of the world. 5 And when it is done by Paul, this is his comfort, that he looks upon his work as something firm and stabile, and they are strengthened who partake of the Apostolic grace. Origen, from the Commentary on the Letter of Paul to the Romans, Book 1, Translated by Rufinus of Aquileia. 1 Rom 1.11-12 2 1 Cor 7.7 3 Prov 19.14 4 Dan 2.21 5 Ephes 4.14