Introductory remarks:
Chapter thirteen is known as the great love chapter of the New Testament. Paul will present love from God's divine viewpoint. The KJV has the word charity to describe this divine love; this does not even come close to describing divine agape love. There are three words in the Greek to describe love; (1.) Eros love, which is sexual love or lust. (2.) Philos love, which is love for man, or brother love. (3.) Agape love, which is divine love that has been given us the moment we accepted Christ as Savior. This love is, as has been taught me by my older brother David, is recognizing a relationship. Now this can be broken down with this statement: "I love other Christians based on their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, this is agape love; I love the non-believer based on my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, this is philos love; I love my wife with both agape and eros love.
"Paul says that though a man has great spiritual power it is useless if he doesn't have love. He describes the characteristics of love and says it will not fail though the gifts will. Prophecy is to provide knowledge, but when knowledge is complete then prophecy will cease" (A Survey of 1 Corinthians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: Love vv. 1-13.
Love
Verse 1, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
LGT "If with the tongues of men I speak and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or clanging cymbal."
If with the tongues of men I speak: this means different languages among men. Paul mentions this gift first because of the undue emphasis the Corinthian believers put on it. And of angels: with angelic eloquence and persuasiveness. But have not love: the KJV has "have not charity", and this falls very short by way of explanation of this word love. Charity has a diversity of meanings in today's manner of expressing ourselves. The Greek word for "love" is agape, and it means divine love. This divine love is not emotional love that responds to others actions, but it is aggressive love without expecting a return from whoever it is directed; in short, agape love can only be produced by the Holy Spirit in the spirit of the believer; and this love is recognizing a relationship among believers; I have explained it this way many times: I love other believers based on their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; I love the unbeliever based on my relationship with Jesus Christ; the believer deserves my love; the unbeliever does not deserve it, but receives it because of God's grace shed abroad in my heart; I have no ability to love, however, because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, He produces this love. I have become sounding brass: when striking a piece of brass a dull thud sound is made, unmelodic to say the least. Or clanging cymbal: this was a hollow basin of brass, which was struck by mourners for the purpose of lamenting. It was not used to make music.
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."
LGT "And if I have prophecy, and know all the mysteries, and all the knowledge, and if I have all the faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
And if I have prophecy: this is one of the teaching gifts, not foretelling of future events. And know all the mysteries: this refers to the doctrines of the New Testament that were not yet revealed in the Old Economy. All the types were fulfilled in Christ. And all the knowledge: this is also connected with the teaching ministry. And if I have all the faith: faith connected with miracles. So as to remove mountains: Christ foretold this to the apostles before He went to the cross. But have not love: this is divine love that can only be produced by the Holy Spirit; the only way a believer today is able to experience this love is through submission to the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. I am nothing: all that I do is counted as zero when it comes to future rewards. For a Believer in the Corinthian Church to possess the ecstatic supernatural gifts meant nothing if they were not accompanied by divine love; and remember both are productions of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 3, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Charity, It profiteth me nothing."
LGT "And if I give all my goods in supplying food, and if I deliver up my body in order that I may be burned, but I have not love, I am profited nothing."
And if I give all my goods: if I should use up all my possessions. The word "bestow" means to break down in small portions to give to as many as possible. In supplying food: the phrase to feed the poor is understood even though the original leaves it out. And if I deliver up my body in order that I may burned: Paul says even if he offers his body in martyrdom to be burned. But have not love: this love is not what most people think of as love. Love never fails, that is, love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and is not of the case as what most people observe. This divine love cannot be produced, nor has it ever been produced by human merit.
Verse 4, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind" charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up."
LGT "Love has patience, love is kind, is not envious, [love] is not arrogant, is not puffed up,"
Verses 4-7 explain what the value of love is, in order for the Corinthian Church to concentrate on their unity. Love has patience: that is, it is not quick to judgment. Love is kind: by patient endurance, love promotes peace and harmony among believers. Is not envious: love enables the believer to rejoice in another brother's success, and does not stoop to be jealous. Love is not arrogant: when love is put into every day experience it keeps the believer from being conceited, over-confident, and self-important. Is not puffed up: love produces in the believer the ability to not be proud and self-satisfied, but puts the welfare of his brothers and sisters before himself.
Verse 5, "Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked."
LGT "Acts not indecent, seeks not things of its own, is not quickly provoked, reckons not evil."
Acts not indecent: love is not rude, offensive, indecent and lewd. Love does not bluster (threaten or bully), but observes moderation and good manners. Seeks not things of its own: Calvin explains this phrase by describing what the soulish man craves for himself: "From this we may infer, how very far we are from having love implanted in us by natural; for we are naturally prone to have love and care for ourselves, and aim at our own advantage. Nay, to speak more correctly, we rush headlong into it. For so perverse an inclination the remedy is love, which leads us to leave off caring for ourselves, and feel concerned for our brothers, so as to love them and be concerned for their welfare. Farther, to seek one's own things, to be devoted to self, and to be wholly taken up with concern for one's own advantage." Is not quickly provoked: love is not easily excited to anger; love controls the temper and makes the believer able to view things through the eyes of logic rather than emotions. Reckons not evil: Love does not jump to conclusions, but is considerate with the motive to help others, even in anger situations. Love does not immediately think the worse possible scenario of others when they feel they have been wronged, but is able to look at the others viewpoint.
Verse 6. "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."
LGT "Rejoices not at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth."
Rejoices not at unrighteousness: love shuns with hatred all unrighteousness. This phrase brings to my mind Romans 1:32: "Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do they do the same but have pleasure in them that do them." But rejoices with the truth: here Paul turns to the positive side of love, after demonstrating the negative of what love is not. Love does not rejoice over the sins and faults of other believers, but rejoices when it sees another believer act in a way pleasing to God. As I listen occasionally to the TV Evangelists, I rejoice when I hear them teach sound doctrine, which is rare, but have pity when they seek wealth and fame, instead of teaching sound doctrine.
Verse 7, "Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
LGT "Covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Covers all things: the verb "beareth" gr. stegei, means to cover as a roof; so it means to protect as does a roof; it keeps out resentment as the roof keeps out the rain. See 1 Peter 4:8, "because love covers a multitude of sins." Believes all things: love is not suspicious. When Paul says "all things", he naturally means all things that are true and in order. "The consequence will be, that a Christian man will reckon it better to be imposed upon by his own kindness and easy temper, than to wrong his brother by an unfriendly suspicion." (Calvin). Hopeth all things: knowing that "all things work together for the good of the ones who love the Lord." Endures all things: love does not strike back at every disorder, but bears patiently all things, knowing that our Lord is in control. Love takes persecution with patience, and does not seek vengeance, knowing that "vengeance belongs to the Lord."
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."
LGT "Love never fails: but whether prophecies, they shall be done away: whether tongues, they shall cease: whether knowledge, it shall be done away."
As I study this verse, I ask you to keep in mind that Paul is writing to the first apostolic church before the Word of God was complete, and made available to the masses. Love never fails: this is an absolute statement for all times, that is, before the New Testament, and after the completion of the New Testament. The verb "fail" means to fall under siege; love cannot be conquered, for God is the essence of love. But whether prophecies, they shall be done away: as the Word of God is now completed, we have no need for the inspired teachings of Holy Spirit gifted teachers. Whether tongues, they shall cease: Paul was giving the church heads-up, that the Supernatural gifts of the Spirit were temporal, and that they were only for the benefit of the apostolic church, which only had the Old Covenant. The Holy Spirit was at that very moment writing the New Covenant through Paul and other apostles. Whether knowledge, it shall be done away: knowledge they received by special revelation by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we now receive through the Inspired Word of God. The knowledge of the truth did not cease, only the method they had in receiving this knowledge; so what Paul is writing is, the special gift of knowledge is done away with.
Verse 9, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part."
LGT "For in part we know, and in part we prophesy:"
In order to understand the context of these verses is to understand the exclusive use of the pronoun "we." Paul here is referring to those first Christians in the apostolic Church. The Word of God had not yet been given in its completion, so Paul refers to it as in part. All the supernatural Holy Spirit imparted gifts ceased at the completion of the Scriptures.
Verse 10, "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
LGT "But when that which is perfect may come, that in part shall be done away."
But when that which is perfect may come: the object "perfect" gr. teleion, can either be masculine or neuter; however, if you believe as I do, that one cannot separate the Lord from His Word, it makes perfect sense that the object "perfect" is referring to the Word of God. Some expositors like to make the word "perfect" refer to the Lord's second coming, but to me this only muddles the context. Only the first church knew doctrine in part, until the apostles delivered it in God's time. That in part shall be done away: this can only refer to the spiritual gifts; for what could it refer; even though they only had part of the Scriptures, they could not be referred to as imperfect. The gifts, however, were imperfect, in that they were only for a brief time, not to be perpetuated. I am not saying the gifts themselves were imperfect, only the purpose for which they served was very brief. The Word of God is eternal.
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."
LGT "When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant: Now that I have become a man, I have put away the things of the infant."
Here in this verse Paul describes the infant church that would grow to maturity under the Word of God. The supernatural gifts were necessary for the edification of the first church; now all the church needs is the Word of God. The church is not perfect, but His Word is, and is able to bring us all to perfection, which I doubt will ever happen in this life; we are perfect positionally, but certainly not experientially. When I see Him, then, "I will know even as I am known."
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 I am known."
LGT "For now we see by means of a mirror obscurely, but then face to face: now I know in part, but then I shall know according as also I have been known."
Now Paul takes us into eternity. For now we see by means of a mirror: In the ancient world mirrors were made of polished metal, so to see a friends face in a mirror was quite different from seeing them face to face. All that we receive is by faith, and we are able only to understand through these eyes of faith, which in my case is blurred by the things of this world. But then face to face: when I see my Savior face to face I will know even as I am known. Now I know in part: this process of learning Bible Doctrine is a daily struggle, and none of us have a perfect knowledge of His Word. But then I shall know according as also I have been known: it will be a wonderful day when I know myself as He knows me; but even better; I will know Him as He really is, not by my blurred human vision and understanding.
Verse 13, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
LGT "And now abides faith, hope, love, these three things: but the greater of these [is] love."
When we see the Lord our faith will be realized, and hopes fulfilled. We will not have a need for either one when we are perfected; however, love that is produced by the Father is eternal. We are one with the father through the Lord Jesus Christ positionally, but then we will be joined together forever. God is love, and this will be the theme for all eternity, for it will take eternity for us to learn of His greatness.
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