John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:7

"so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;" — 1 Corinthians 1:7 (ASV)

So that ye come behind in no gift ̔Υστερεισθαι means to lack what you would otherwise need. He means, therefore, that the Corinthians abound in all the gifts of God, so as not to lack anything, as if he had said, “The Lord has not merely honored you with the light of the gospel, but has eminently endowed you with all those graces that can help the saints progress in the way of salvation.” For he gives the name of gifts (χαρίσματα) to those spiritual graces that are, as it were, means of salvation to the saints.

But it is objected, on the other hand, that the saints are never so abundant in graces as not to feel some lack, so that they must always be “hungering and thirsting” (Matthew 5:6). For who is there that does not fall far short of perfection?

I answer, “Since they are sufficiently endowed with necessary gifts, and are never so destitute that the Lord does not relieve their need at the right time, Paul for this reason ascribes such wealth to them.” For the same reason he adds: waiting for the manifestation, meaning that he does not ascribe to them such abundance as to leave nothing to be desired, but merely as much as will suffice until they arrive at perfection.

The participle waiting I understand in this sense: “In the meantime while you are waiting.” Thus the meaning will be, “So that you lack no gift in the meantime while you are waiting for the day of perfected revelation, by which Christ our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30) will be fully manifested.”