CHAPTER 13
1Co
13:1–13. Charity or Love Superior to All
Gifts.
The New Testament psalm of love, as the forty-fifth Psalm (see Ps 45:1, title) and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament.
The New Testament psalm of love, as the forty-fifth Psalm (see Ps 45:1, title) and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament.
1.
tongues—from these he ascends to “prophecy”
(1Co 13:2); then, to “faith”; then to benevolent and self-sacrificing deeds: a
climax. He does not except even himself, and so passes from addressing them
(“unto you,” 1Co 12:31) to putting the case in his own person, “Though I,”
&c.
speak
with the tongues—with the eloquence which was so
much admired at Corinth (for example, Apollos, Ac 18:24; compare 1Co 1:12), and
with the command of various languages, which some at Corinth abused to purposes
of mere ostentation (1Co 14:2, &c.).
of
angels—higher than men, and therefore, it
is to be supposed, speaking a more exalted language.
charity—the principle of the ordinary and more important gifts of
the Spirit, as contrasted with the extraordinary gifts (1Co 12:1–31).
sounding
… tinkling—sound without soul or
feeling: such are “tongues” without charity.
cymbal—Two kinds are noticed (Ps 150:5), the loud or clear,
and the high-sounding one: hand cymbals and finger cymbals, or
castanets. The sound is sharp and piercing.
2.
mysteries—(Ro 11:25; 16:25). Mysteries
refer to the deep counsels of God hitherto secret, but now revealed to His
saints. Knowledge, to truths long known.
faith
… remove mountains—(Mt 17:20; 21:21). The practical
power of the will elevated by faith [Neander];
confidence in God that the miraculous result will surely follow the exercise of
the will at the secret impulse of His Spirit. Without “love” prophecy,
knowledge, and faith, are not what they seem (compare 1Co 8:1, 2; Mt 7:22; Jam
2:14; compare 1Co 13:8), and so fail of the heavenly reward (Mt 6:2). Thus
Paul, who teaches justification by faith only (Ro 3:4, 5; Ga 2:16; 3:7–14), is
shown to agree with James, who teaches (Jam 2:24) “by works” (that is, by love, which is the “spirit” of faith,
Jam 2:26) a man is justified, “and not by faith only.”
3.
bestow … goods … poor—literally, “dole out in food” all
my goods; one of the highest functions of the “helps” (1Co 12:28).
give
… body to be burned—literally, “to such a degree as
that I should be burned.” As the three youths did (Da 3:28), “yielded their
bodies” (compare 2Co 12:15). These are most noble exemplifications of love in
giving and in suffering. Yet they may be without love; in which case the
“goods” and “body” are given, but not the soul, which is the sphere of
love. Without the soul God rejects all else, and so rejects the man, who is
therefore “profited” nothing (Mt 16:26; Lu 9:23–25). Men will fight for
Christianity, and die for Christianity, but not live in its spirit, which is love.
4.
suffereth long—under provocations of evil from
others. The negative side of love.
is
kind—the positive side. Extending good
to others. Compare with love’s features here those of the “wisdom from above”
(Jam 3:17).
envieth—The Greek includes also jealousy.
vaunteth
not—in words, even of gifts which it
really possesses; an indirect rebuke of those at Corinth who used the gift of
tongues for mere display.
not
puffed up—with party zeal, as some at Corinth
were (1Co 4:6).
5.
not … unseemly—is not uncourteous, or
inattentive to civility and propriety.
thinketh
no evil—imputeth not evil [Alford]; literally, “the evil”
which actually is there (Pr 10:12; 1Pe 4:8). Love makes allowances for the
falls of others, and is ready to put on them a charitable construction. Love,
so far from devising evil against another, excuses “the evil” which
another inflicts on her [Estius]; doth
not meditate upon evil inflicted by another [Bengel]; and in doubtful cases, takes the more charitable
view [Grotius].
6.
rejoiceth in the truth—rather,
“rejoiceth with the truth.” Exults not at the perpetration of iniquity
(unrighteousness) by others (compare Ge 9:22, 23), but rejoices when the truth
rejoices; sympathizes with it in its triumphs (2Jn 1:4). See the opposite (2Ti
3:8), “Resist the truth.” So “the truth” and “unrighteousness” are contrasted
(Ro 2:8). “The truth” is the Gospel truth, the inseparable ally of love (Eph
4:15; 2Jn 1:12). The false charity which compromises “the truth” by glossing
over “iniquity” or unrighteousness is thus tacitly condemned (Pr 17:15).
7.
Beareth all things—without speaking of what it has to
bear. The same Greek verb as in 1Co 9:12. It endures without
divulging to the world personal distress. Literally said of holding fast
like a watertight vessel; so the charitable man contains himself in
silence from giving vent to what selfishness would prompt under personal
hardship.
believeth
all things—unsuspiciously believes all that is
not palpably false, all that it can with a good conscience believe to the
credit of another. Compare Jam 3:17, “easy to be entreated”; Greek,
“easily persuaded.”
hopeth—what is good of another, even when others have ceased to
hope.
endureth—persecutions in a patient and loving spirit.
8.
never faileth—never is to be out of use; it
always holds its place.
shall
fail … vanish away—The same Greek verb is used
for both; and that different from the Greek verb for “faileth.”
Translate, “Shall be done away with,” that is, shall be dispensed with at the
Lord’s coming, being superseded by their more perfect heavenly analogues; for
instance, knowledge by intuition. Of “tongues,” which are still
more temporary, the verb is “shall cease.” A primary fulfilment of
Paul’s statement took place when the Church attained its maturity; then
“tongues” entirely “ceased,” and “prophesyings” and “knowledge,” so far as they
were supernatural gifts of the Spirit, were superseded as no longer required
when the ordinary preaching of the word, and the Scriptures of the New Testament
collected together, had become established institutions.
9,
10. in part—partially and imperfectly. Compare
a similar contrast to the “perfect man,” “the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ” (Eph 4:11–13).
10.
that which is in part—fragmentary and isolated.
11.
When … a child—(1Co 3:1; 14:20).
I
spake—alluding to “tongues.”
understood—or, “had the sentiments of.” Alluding to “prophecy.”
I
thought—Greek “reasoned” or
“judged”; alluding to “knowledge.”
when
I became … I put away—rather, “now that I am become a
man, I have done away with the things of the child.”
12.
now—in our present state.
see—an appropriate expression, in connection with the
“prophets” of seers (1Sa 9:9).
through
a glass—that is, in a mirror; the
reflection seeming to the eye to be behind the mirror, so that we see it
through the mirror. Ancient mirrors were made of polished brass or other
metals. The contrast is between the inadequate knowledge of an object gained by
seeing it reflected in a dim mirror (such as ancient mirrors were), compared
with the perfect idea we have of it by seeing itself directly.
darkly—literally, “in enigma.” As a “mirror” conveys an image to
the eye, so an “enigma” to the ear. But neither “eye nor ear” can
fully represent (though the believer’s soul gets a small revelation now of)
“the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1Co 2:9). Paul
alludes to Nu 12:8, “not in dark speeches”; the Septuagint, “not
in enigmas.” Compared with the visions and dreams
vouchsafed to other prophets, God’s communications with Moses were “not in
enigmas.” But compared with the intuitive and direct vision of God hereafter,
even the revealed word now is “a dark discourse,” or a shadowing forth by
enigma of God’s reflected likeness. Compare 2Pe 1:19, where the “light” or candle
in a dark place stands in contrast with the “day” dawning. God’s word is called
a glass or mirror also in 2Co 3:18.
then—“when that which is perfect is come” (1Co 13:10).
face
to face—not merely “mouth to mouth” (Nu
12:8). Ge 32:30 was a type (Jn 1:50, 51).
know
… known—rather as Greek, “fully
know … fully known.” Now we are known by, rather than know,
God (1Co 8:3; Ga 4:9).
13.
And now—Translate, “But now.” “In
this present state” [Henderson].
Or, “now” does not express time, but opposition, as in 1Co 5:11, “the
case being so” [Grotius]; whereas it
is the case that the three gifts, “prophecy,” “tongues,” and
“knowledge” (cited as specimens of the whole class of gifts) “fail” (1Co 13:8),
there abide permanently only these three—faith, hope, charity. In
one sense faith and hope shall be done away, faith being
superseded by sight, and hope by actual fruition (Ro 8:24; 2Co 5:7); and
charity, or love, alone never faileth (1Co 13:8). But in another sense, “faith
and hope,” as well as “charity,” abide;
namely, after the extraordinary gifts have ceased; for those three are necessary
and sufficient for salvation at all times, whereas the extraordinary gifts
are not at all so; compare the use of “abide,” 1Co 3:14. Charity, or
love, is connected specially with the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of the
loving union between the brethren (Ro 15:30; Col 1:8). Faith is towards
God. Hope is in behalf of ourselves. Charity is love to God
creating in us love towards our neighbor. In an unbeliever there is more or
less of the three opposites—unbelief, despair, hatred. Even hereafter faith
in the sense of trust in God “abideth”; also “hope,” in relation to ever
new joys in prospect, and at the anticipation of ever increasing blessedness,
sure never to be disappointed. But love alone in every sense “abideth”; it is
therefore “the greatest” of the three, as also because it presupposes “faith,”
which without “love” and its consequent “works” is dead (Ga 5:6; Jam 2:17, 20).
but—rather, “and”; as there is not so strong opposition between
charity and the other two, faith and hope, which like it also “abide.”
Excerpt from:
A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
Visit www.e-sword.net
