1 Corinthians 2:12

ἐλάβομεν. We cannot press the strict sense of the aorist here. See note on 1 Corinthians 2:16. The gift of the Spirit is not a single, but a continuous act. Yet it is not a completed act, which would be denoted by the perfect. See an article by the General Editor in the Expositor, 1st Series, Vol. vii. p. 258. ‘The aggressive tendency of the aorist appears in the fact that, at the present day, while the ancient perfect and pluperfect have no existence, the ancient aorist remains intact in the daily speech of the Greek race.’ Clyde, Synt. p. 70. This tendency was already in operation in St Paul’s day. Observe that ἐκ and ὑπό in this verse are both translated ‘of’ in the A.V.

εἰδῶμεν. This knowledge (see note on last verse) is the result rather of intuition than observation. The reason why the Spirit was given was that we might perceive the things outside the world of sense which God has freely given us (χαρισθέντα). See 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. We need not neglect the use of our reason, but we should not forget that in regard to the spiritual world we are endowed with a faculty whereby the conclusions of the reason may be tested and guided.