It described, as we might guess from the word itself, erotic love. c. Prophecy, knowledge, and faith to do miracles are likewise irrelevant apart from love. Without love, a person may speak with the gift of tongues, but it is as meaningless as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Therefore, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are appropriate for the present time, but they are not permanent. It does not have to have the limelight or the attention to do a good job, or to be satisfied with the result. While Paul recognizes the importance of the spiritual gifts and their place in the Christian’s life, he tells that there is something superior to these gifts. The city of Corinth was famous for producing some of the best bronze mirrors in antiquity, but at their best, they couldn’t give a really clear vision. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. b. True, the verb with prophecies is in the passive voice (believers are the implied agents), while the verb with tongues is interpreted as the active voice. He specifies, 1. i. Real love “never supposes that a good action may have a bad motive… The original implies that he does not invent or devise any evil.” (Clarke). Even those who do not like Paul, for whatever reason, still love this chapter because love is good. The Apostle Paul spent 18 months there on his Second Missionary Journey and established a … iii. It is love that loves even when it is rejected. Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. John MacArthur claims, “tongues ceased in the apostolic age and that when they stopped, they stopped for good.” But this passage doesn’t tell us “tongues will stop by themselves,” and it tells us tongues will cease only when that which is perfect has come. Love can always stand with and on truth, because love is pure and good like truth. e. Love… endures all things: Most of us can bear all things, and believe all things, and hope all things, but only for a while! Who can listen to a preacher drone on and on, and say they only prophesy in part? c. Face to face: Paul uses this term to describe complete, unhindered fellowship with God. 1 John 3:2 tells us when we get to heaven, we shall see Him as He is. Also, Philippians 2:4 carries the same thought: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. But even if the rich young ruler had done what Jesus said, yet had not love, it would have been of no profit. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. He came from a humble place; he was a shoe repairman when God called him to reach the world. of Love never fails. We won’t need to hope in the coming of Jesus once He comes. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. His love showed itself in not having a big head about himself. All rights reserved. He it is who shall rivet our gaze, absorb our thoughts, enchain our affection, and move all our sacred passions to their highest pitch of celestial ardour. Love denies herself, sacrifices herself, that she may win victories for God, and hers shall be no tinsel crown.” (Spurgeon), b. Love… bears all things: The word for bears can also be translated covers. Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (Read 1 Corinthians 13:8-13) Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. They are imperfect gifts for an imperfect time. f. Now I know in part: The gifts of the Holy Spirit are necessary and appropriate for this present age, when we are not yet fully mature, and we only know in part. We couldn’t handle this greater knowledge on this side of eternity. Clarke describes the heart which does not envy: “They are ever willing that others should be preferred before them.”. Though I give my body to be burned: Even if I lay my life down in dramatic martyrdom, apart from love, it is of no profit. If you tear it apart too much, you lose the beauty. The more excellent way Paul has spoken of is the way of love. In Paul’s day, many Jews believed angels had their own language, and by the Spirit, one could speak it. Once again it will thus be helpful to read my comments for the Second Sunday of Epiphany with their introduction to the Corinthian themes that underlie the argument here. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. g.] ought to be estimated, exercised, and elevated, according to love and its standard. It is important to understand the difference between the words, and why the apostle Paul chose the Greek word agape here. 1. The ancient preacher John Chrysostom said this is the word used of the man who is wronged, and who easily has the power to avenge himself, but will not do it out of mercy and patience. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting repayment. c. Love… believes all things: We never believe a lie, but we never believe evil unless the facts demand it. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. d. Love… does not behave rudely: Where there is love, there will be kindness and good manners. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. a. i. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. It might be described as the highest love of which man, without God’s help, is capable of. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. God does not have faith in the way we have faith, because He never has to “trust” outside of Himself. According to Alan Redpath, we get our English word agony from agape. d. Whether there are tongues, they will cease: Many who believe the miraculous gifts ended with the apostles (such as John MacArthur) claim since the verb will cease is not in the passive, but in the middle voice, it could be translated, tongues will stop by themselves. But through 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, God shows us a more excellent way forward. This isn’t love; it is pride looking for glory by the appearance of love. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. . g. Love… thinks no evil: Literally this means “love does not store up the memory of any wrong it has received.” Love will put away the hurts of the past instead of clinging to them. In the spiritual sense which Moses had a face to face relationship with God, we can have a free and open relationship with God. According to the context, it can’t be anything else. Compiled & Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete), California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. When we are in heaven, faith and hope will have fulfilled their purpose. In Exodus 33:11, it says the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. “You must have fervent charity towards the saints, but you will find very much about the best of them which will try your patience; for, like yourself, they are imperfect, and they will not always turn their best side towards you, but sometimes sadly exhibit their infirmities. It doesn’t mean I will be all knowing as God is, but it means I will know Him as perfectly as I can. "Paul"s central section [ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7] uses anaphora (repetition of the first element) extensively. Read commentary on this popular Bible verse and understand the real meaning behind God's Word using John Gill's Exposition of the Bible. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. Chapter 13. There will be no more barriers to our relationship with God. We choose to believe the best of others. “Love is never satisfied but in the welfare, comfort, and salvation of all. The reference to tongues of… angels shows that though the genuine gift of tongues is a legitimate language, it may not be a “living” human language, or may not be a human language at all. Their analysis sounds scholarly, but is disregarded by virtually all scholars of ancient Greek. c. That which is perfect: Paul says when that which is perfect has come, then the gifts will be “discontinued.” But what is that which is perfect? iv. I n the middle of the Apostle Paul’s exposition on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 to 14 is the often quoted chapter on love: 1 Corinthians 13. Instead, we pursue faith, hope, and love. It isn’t an issue of love versus the gifts. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. It cannot eject the evil, and what does it do but cover it with a precious substance extracted out of its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. T… But we will always love the Lord and each other, and grow in that love through eternity. c. Love is kind: When we have and show God’s love, it will be seen in simple acts of kindness. i. Fortunately, we don’t need to choose between faith, hope, and love. What an amazing thing it would be to have faith that could work the impossible! It gives because it loves; it does not love in order to receive. Oh, that we could do so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians, so that pearls of patience, gentleness, long-suffering, and forgiveness might be bred within us by that which has harmed us.” (Spurgeon). ii. It is a love that loves without changing. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. a. Among Christians, the worst pride is spiritual pride. God does not have hope the way we have hope, because He knows all things and is in complete control. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Many Christians believe the Christian life is all about sacrifice – sacrificing your money, your life, for the cause of Jesus Christ. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Love never fails: Paul addresses the over-emphasis the Corinthian Christians had on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. b. The Way of Love. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. When I was a child, &c. — The difference between our present and future conceptions of spiritual things may be illustrated by the knowledge of a child compared to that of a man. THE HYMN OF LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) 13 I may speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but if I have not love, I am become no better than echoing brass or a clanging cymbal. There are busybodies abroad who never spy out a fault in a brother but they must hurry off to their next neighbour with the savoury news, and then they run up and down the street as though they had been elected common criers. Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The reading for this Sunday continues to build upon the vision of community developed in the previous two Sundays. It refers to sexual love. i. Eros was one word for love. However, none of those things, precious as they are, make heaven really “heaven.” What makes heaven really heaven is the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord, and to know just as I also am known will be the greatest experience of our eternal existence. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. “Preaching is essentially a merging of the gifts of teaching and exhortation, prophecy has the primary elements of prediction and revelation.” (Farnell, cited in Kistemaker). iii. (1-3) Its excellency represented by its properties and effects; (4-7) and by its abiding, and its superiority. “But when will that perfection come? poor--literally, "dole out in food" all my goods; one of the highest functions of … Today, when we look in a good mirror, the image is clear. The apostle here gives thirteen notes of a charitable person.” (Poole). The ancient Greek word for perfect is telos. © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Proud member What do you really want more of? But in the ultimate sense, it will wait until then, when we are united with Jesus in glory. When hurt, it does not say, “It will be this way forever, and even get worse.” It hopes for the best, and it hopes in God. c. Each thing described in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 is a good thing. a. It says that God loved the world and that is why HE sent Jesus to die for the World. How this is we cannot tell: some of the schoolmen say, it is by way of impression: that way God, indeed, communicates his mind sometimes to his people, making secret impressions of his will upon their minds and understandings.” Poole was not correct in his suggestion that angels can’t speak – in many places in the Bible, angelic beings speak, both in heaven, and on earth. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. i. The word has little to do with emotion; it has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another. Charity, or love to God and man, the sum and substance of all true religion; so that without it, the most splendid eloquence, the gift of prophecy, the most profound knowledge, faith by which the most stupendous miracles might be wrought, benevolence the most unbounded, and zeal for the truth, even to martyrdom, would all be unavailing to salvation, 1 … Though not finished with the subject of spiritual gifts, Paul pauses in his discourse to show that the central theme of Christian life is not gifts but love. First Corinthians 13:1–3 makes the point that without love the gifts are worthless. It doesn’t give up. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Does it sound totally ridiculous or just a “little” far-fetched? Who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. It destroys enemies by turning them into friends. Yet, even with that kind of faith we are nothing without love. Could a man speak all the languages on earth, and that with the greatest propriety, elegance, and fluency, could he talk like an … 2. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. c. There is a reason why Paul put this chapter in the midst of his discussion of spiritual gifts. Without love, it profits me nothing. These reminders were suspended from the roofs of their huts to keep alive the memory of the wrongs, real or imagined. Typically, part of the 1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. i. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. We can all bear some things, we can all believe some things, we can all hope some things, and we can all endure some things. Love keeps its distance from envy, and does not resent it when someone else is promoted or blessed. Sometimes we make the great mistake of letting go of what is best for something else that is good, but not the best. There is no other way to understand the reference to tongues of… angels. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. There are those who are prophets, and there are those who speak in tongues. d. Have not love: Paul uses the ancient Greek word agape. (Colossians 1:4-5), vi. 13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. We shall see Jesus.” (Spurgeon). But the way tongues is used here shows it can, and usually does, refer to a supernatural language by which a believer communicates to God. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Verses 4–7 describe the nature of love, in language designed to point out how little the Corinthians are measuring up. But love is so valuable, so important, that apart from it, every other good thing is useless. It seems like a lot more than a part! . When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. We long to be with loved ones who have passed before us and whom we miss so dearly. “Lest the Corinthians should say to the apostle, What is this love you discourse of? One writer tells of a tribe in Polynesia where it was customary for each man to keep some reminders of his hatred for others. Moses had not – and could not – see the actual face of God the Father in His glory. “If your brethren are angry without a cause, be sorry for them, but do not let them conquer you by driving you into a bad temper. i. Paul is not trying to say that if we are spiritually mature, we will not need spiritual gifts. i. ii. ii. . John Calvin thought the will cease spoke of the eternal state. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. It also says that God is Love. Εὰν, if) All the gift s [although they may be, in the highest degree, delightful, extensive, and useful.—V. (Galatians 5:5-6), iv. Either way, Paul brings an important truth along with 1 Peter 4:8: And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”, i. If God’s love is in us, we will show longsuffering to those who annoy us and hurt us. This view sees a strong parallel between 1 Corinthians 13:10 and Ephesians 4:13: "until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." Bragging is an outward manifestation of pride. Even if this translation is correct, it does nothing to suggest when tongues will cease. a. But it is a sin to be provoked, and it isn’t love. This letter is either lost or it may be in 2 Corinthians6:14–7:1. Tongues are good, prophecy and knowledge and faith are good, sacrifice is good. Love is the best measure. The necessity and advantage of the grace of love. Some believe the burning referred to here is not execution, but branding as a criminal or as a slave for the sake of the gospel. a. Let us fear the sins of Israel, if we would shun their plagues. goods . But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. But the face to face Paul speaks of here is the “real” face to face. It should all come back to faith, hope, and love. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Sacrifice is important, but without love it is useless, it profits me nothing. i. Heaven is precious to us for many reasons. i. Today, Christians all over the world know who he was and honor him. William Carey is thought by many to be the founder of the modern missionary movement. Paul wants the Corinthian Christians to remember that giftedness is not the measure of maturity, the display of love is. It is nothing but empty noise. 2 Up until this point in the letter, much of Paul’s discussion about speaking in tongues, prophesy, knowledge, and insight has affirmed these as ingredients of Christian worship and life. 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