Click to donate today!
Bible Commentaries
Verse 1
Chapter XIII
Christian Love — 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Love is superior to all extraordinary gifts. It is better than the gift of tongues, 1 Corinthians 13:1; than the gifts of prophecy and knowledge, 1 Corinthians 13:2; and than the gift of miracles, 1 Corinthians 13:2. All outward works of charity without it are worthless, 1 Corinthians 13:3. Love has this superiority, first, because of its inherent excellence, and secondly, because of its perpetuity. As to its superior excellence, it implies or secures all other excellence.
1. It includes all the forms of kindness.
2. It is humble and modest.
3. It is unselfish.
4. It sympathizes with all good, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
5. It is perpetual — all the extraordinary gifts mentioned in the preceding chapter were designed for the present state of existence, or were temporary. Love is never to cease, 1 Corinthians 13:8.
Knowledge, as a special gift, and perhaps also in the form in which it exists in this world, is to pass away. It is now the apprehension of truth as through a mirror — hereafter it will be lost in immediate vision, 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. The permanent graces are faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is Love, 1 Corinthians 13:13.
This chapter, although devoted to a single Christian grace, and therefore not to be compared with the eighth chapter of Romans, or with some chapters in the epistle to the Ephesians, as an unfolding of the mysteries of redemption, still has ever been considered as one of the jewels of Scripture. For moral elevation, for richness and comprehensiveness, for beauty and felicity of expression, it has been the admiration of the church in all ages. — With regard to the word charity, as the translation of the Greek
Superiority of Love to all Other Gifts
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become (as) sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
The gift of tongues, on which the Corinthians so much valued themselves, is mentioned first, because it was the prominent subject in this whole discussion. The tongues of men are the languages which men speak. As this is the obvious meaning of the expression, it serves to prove that the gift of tongues was the gift of speaking foreign languages. The tongues of angels are the languages which angels use. A mode of expression equivalent to ‘all languages human or divine.’ Paul means to say, that the gift of tongues in its highest conceivable extent without love is nothing. Without love I am become, i.e. the there want of love has reduced me, notwithstanding the gift in question, to a level with sounding brass; not a musical instrument made of brass, which has some dignity about it, but to a piece of clattering brass which makes a senseless noise; or, at least, to a tinkling cymbal, the lowest and least expressive of all musical instruments. Tinkling (
Verse 2
And though I have (the gift of) prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
There are three gifts here referred to, prophecy, “the word of knowledge,” and miracles. ‘Though I have the gift of prophecy, so as to understand all mysteries, and (though I have) all knowledge, and all faith,’ etc. As the particle
And all knowledge, i.e. and though I have all knowledge. By knowledge is meant the intellectual apprehension or cognition of revealed truth. It was the prerogative of the prophet to reveal, of the teacher to know and to instruct. Compare 1 Corinthians 14:6, where Paul connects revelation with prophecy, and knowledge with doctrine or teaching. And all faith, i.e. all degrees of the faith of miracles, so that the greatest wonders, such as removing mountains, could be thereby accomplished. Compare our Lord’s language in Matthew 21:21. I am nothing, i.e. worthless. Neither intellectual gifts nor attainments, nor power, without love, are of any real value. They do not elevate the character or render it worthy of respect or confidence. Satan may have, and doubtless has, more of intelligence and power than any man ever possessed, and yet he is Satan still. Those, therefore, who seek to exalt men by the mere cultivation of the intellect, are striving to make satans of them.
Verse 3
And though l bestow all my goods to feed (the poor), and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth the nothing.
Paul here advances one step further. All outward acts of beneficence are of no avail without love. A man may give away his whole estate, or sacrifice himself, and be in no sense the gainer. He may do all this from vanity, or from the fear of perdition, or to purchase heaven, and only increase his condemnation. Religion is no such easy thing. Men would gladly compound by external acts of beneficence, or by penances, for a change of heart; but the thing is impossible. Thousands indeed are deluded on this point, and think that they can substitute what is outward for what is inward, but God requires the heart, and without holiness the most liberal giver or the most suffering ascetic cam never see God. The original word (
Verse 4
Charity suffereth long, (and) is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Almost all the instructions of the New Testament are suggested by some occasion, and are adapted to it. We have not in this chapter a methodical dissertation on Christian love, but an exhibition of that grace as contrasted with extraordinary gifts which the Corinthians inordinately valued. Those traits of love are therefore adduced which stood opposed to the temper which they exhibited in the use of their gifts. They were impatient, discontented, envious, inflated, selfish, indecorous, unmindful of the feelings or interests of others., suspicious, resentful, censorious. The apostle personifies love, and places her before them and enumerates her graces, not in logical order, but as they occurred to him in contrast to the deformities of character which they exhibited.
Love suffereth long, i.e. is long-minded, or slow to be roused to resentment. It patiently bears with provocation, and is not quick to assert its rights or resent an injury. It is kind, i.e. is inclined to perform good offices; is good-natured. The root of the verb (
Verse 5
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Doth not behave itself unseemly, i.e. does nothing of which one ought to be ashamed. Its whole deportment is decorous and becoming. Seeketh not her own; is disinterested, 1 Corinthians 10:33. Is not easily provoked, i.e. is not quick tempered; or, does not suffer itself to be roused to resentment. And, therefore, it thinketh no evil, or rather, it does not think evil. This may mean,
1. It does not plan or devise evil. But the expression is (
2. It does not impute evil, i.e. attribute evil motives to others, or is not suspicious. The sense is good in itself, but not so suitable to the connection as,
3. It does not lay the evil which it suffers to the charge of the wrong-doer. Instead of being resentful, it is forgiving.
Verse 6
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
The general sentiment of this verse is, that love does not sympathize with evil, but with good. It rejoiceth not in iniquity, i.e. in any thing which is not conformed to the standard of right. The word is usually translated unrighteousness; but this is not to be limited to injustice, but includes all forms of moral evil. Truth is often used antithetically in Scripture to unrighteousness, as it is here. Romans 1:8 comp. John 3:21; 1 John 1:6, and other passages, in which men are said to do the truth. Hence it is commonly interpreted in such cases as meaning righteousness. ‘Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but it rejoices together with (
Verse 7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Beareth all things. This may either mean, bears in silence all annoyances and troubles, or covers up all things (as
Verse 8
Charity never faileth: but whether (there be) prophecies, they shall fail; whether (there be) tongues, they shall cease; whether (there be) knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Love never fails, i.e. it endures for ever. It is not designed and adapted, as are the gifts under consideration, merely to the present state of existence, but to our future and immortal state of being. Whether there be prophecies, or be it prophecies, they shall fail, i.e. be done away with. The gift shall cease to be necessary, and therefore shall not be continued. Be it tongues, etc., i.e. the gift of tongues shall cease. Be it knowledge, it shall vanish away, i.e. cease to exist. It is the same word as that used above in reference to prophecies. It is not knowledge in the comprehensive sense of the term that is to cease, but knowledge as a gift; as one of the list of extraordinary endowments mentioned above, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11. Knowledge, considered as the intellectual apprehension of truth, is, as the apostle immediately states, hereafter to be rendered perfect. But the
Verse 9
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
This is the reason why knowledge and prophecy are to cease. They are partial or imperfect, and therefore suited only to an imperfect state of existence. The revelations granted to the prophets imparted there glimpses of the mysteries of God; when those mysteries stand disclosed in the full light of heaven, what need men of those glimpses? A skillful teacher may by idiagrams and models give us some knowledge of the mechanism of the universe; but if the eye be strengthened to take in the whole at a glance, what need men of a planetarium or of a teacher? The apostle employs two illustrations to teach us the difference between the present and the future. The one is derived from the difference between childhood and maturity; the other from the difference between seeing a thing by imperfect reflection, or through an obscure medium, and seeing it directly.
Verse 10
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
This is the reason why knowledge and prophecy are to cease. They are partial or imperfect, and therefore suited only to an imperfect state of existence. The revelations granted to the prophets imparted there glimpses of the mysteries of God; when those mysteries stand disclosed in the full light of heaven, what need men of those glimpses? A skillful teacher may by idiagrams and models give us some knowledge of the mechanism of the universe; but if the eye be strengthened to take in the whole at a glance, what need men of a planetarium or of a teacher? The apostle employs two illustrations to teach us the difference between the present and the future. The one is derived from the difference between childhood and maturity; the other from the difference between seeing a thing by imperfect reflection, or through an obscure medium, and seeing it directly.
Verse 11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
When I was a child; not an infant, but as opposed to one of mature age, a child. I spake as a child. This does not refer to the gift of tongues as something childish, but simply to the mode of speaking characteristic of children. I understood as a child, rather, I felt and acted as a child; otherwise too little distinction is made between this and the next clause. I thought as a child. My language, feelings and thoughts were all childish. The words (
Verse 12
For now we see, through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
This is a confirmation of what precedes. Our present knowledge is imperfect, for we now see through a glass. These words admit of three interpretations.
1. The preposition (
2. It may have its local sense, through. Then, assuming glass (
3. We see as through a mirror; the optical impression is that the object is behind the mirror, and the spectator seems to look through it. The ancient mirrors were of imperfectly polished metal, and the reflection which they gave was very obscure. Darkly, literally, in an enigma. This may be taken adverbially, as by our translators, we see enigmatically, i.e. obscurely; or the idea may be that we see divine things as it were wrapped up in enigmas.
We do not see the things themselves, but those things as set form in symbols and words which imperfectly express them. The reference seems to be to Numbers 12:8. Of an ordinary prophet God said, “I will make myself known unto him in a vision, and speak to him in a dream;” but of Moses he says, “With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark sayings,” i.e. in enigmas. (The Septuagint version is
Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then shall I know even as I am known, i.e. perfectly. As we are required to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, Matthew 5:48, so we may be said to know even as we are known. We may be perfect in our narrow sphere, as God is perfect in his; and yet the distance between him and us remain infinite. What Paul wishes to impress upon the Corinthians is, that the gifts in which they so much prided themselves, were small matters compared to what is in reserve for the people of God.
Verse 13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these (is) charity.
The words and now may either indicate time, now, during the present state; or they may be inferential, now, i.e. since things are so, rebus sic stantibus. In the latter case, the sense is, ‘Since these extraordinary gifts are to pass away, faith, hope, and love abide.’ The former are temporary, the latter are permanent. The only objection to this interpretation arises from the apostle’s speaking of faith and hope abiding in a future state, whereas elsewhere, Romans 8:24; 2 Corinthians 5:7; and Hebrews 11:1, faith and hope seem to be represented as pertaining only to our present state of existence, and as being hereafter merged, the one in sight, and the other in fruition. This apparent inconsistency arises from the comprehensiveness of the terms. The state of mind indicated by faith and hope as now exercised, will not continue in the future life; but the state of mind, so to speak, of the saints in heaven, may be designated by these same terms, because confidence and expectation will continue for ever. Faith in one form, ceases when merged in sight; but in another form it continues; and the same is true of hope. Or perhaps the same idea may be more correctly expressed by saying that some exercises of faith and hope are peculiar to the present state, while others will never cease. Certain it is that there will always be room even in heaven for confidence in God, and for hope of the ever advancing and enlarging blessedness of the redeemed.
If, however, (
The greatest of these is love. In what sense is love greater than faith? Some say, because it includes, or is the root of faith and hope. It is said that we believe those whom we love, and hope for what we delight in. According to Scripture, however, the reverse is true. Faith is the root of love. It is the believing apprehension of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that calls forth love to him. Others say, the ground of superiority is in their effects. But we are said to be sanctified, to be made the children of God, to overcome the world, to be saved, by faith. Christ dwells in our hearts by faith; he that believes hath eternal life, i.e. faith as including knowledge, is eternal life. There are no higher effects than these so far as we are concerned. Others say that love is superior to faith and hope, because the latter belong to the present state only, and love is to continue for ever. But, according to the true interpretation of the verse, all these graces are declared to abide. The true explanation is to be found in the use which Paul makes of this word greater, or the equivalent term better. In 1 Corinthians 12:31, he exhorts his readers to seek the better gifts, i.e. the more useful ones. And in 1 Corinthians 14:5, he says, ‘Greater is he that prophesies, than he that speaks with tongues;’ i.e. he is more useful. Throughout that chapter the ground of preference of one gift to others is made to consist in its superior usefulness. This is Paul’s standard; and judged by this rule, love is greater than either faith or hope. Faith saves ourselves, but love benefits others.
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Hodge, Charles. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13". Hodge's Commentary on Romans, Ephesians and First Corintians. https://www.studylight.org/
the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany