John Chrysostom, on 1Cor 14:12

“So you also, forasmuch as you are zealous of spirits, seek to abound unto the edifying of the church.”

“"What then must be done?" saith he. Why, so far from disparaging, one ought to recommend and to teach it; as indeed himself also doth. Since after he had accused and rebuked it and shown its unprofitableness, he proceeds to counsel them; saying, "So also ye, since as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the Church." Seest thou his aim every where, how he looks to one thing continually and in all cases, the general utility, the profiting the Church; laying this down as a kind of rule? And he did not say, "that ye may obtain the gifts" but, "that ye may abound," i.e., that ye may even possess them in great plenitude. Thus, so far am I from wishing you not to possess them, that I even wish you to abound in them, only so that ye handle them with a view to the common advantage. And how is this to be done? ...”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.