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1 Corinthians 13:1. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, then I am a ringing brass or a sounding cymbal. The Apostle did not immediately show them the way, but first compared it with the gift that they considered great, that is, with the gift of tongues, and shows that this path is incomparably superior to this gift and even to all other gifts, and then proves its desirability. By “human languages” he means the languages ​​of all the peoples of the universe. Not content with this, he adds another advantage: languages, he says, “angelic”. He said this not because angels have tongues, but to indicate something better and more excellent than human tongues. For by the language of angels is meant their mental power to convey divine thoughts to each other. And he called it so in the likeness of our instrument of speech, as well as the expression “every knee of those in heaven bowed” (Phil. 2:10) denoted their most zealous submission; for they have no bones. “Then I,” he says, “are a ringing brass,” that is, I make a voice, but I speak in vain, and I disturb others, but I bring no benefit to anyone, because I have no love. 1 Corinthians 13:2. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge. Not a simple prophecy, but the highest, and knowing all the secrets. Note: he said about tongues that they are of no use, but about prophecy that it knows all mysteries and all understanding. So that, while listing the gifts one by one, it would not seem burdensome, I would move on to the spring and source of all of them - to “faith”, and, moreover, to “all”. 1 Corinthians 13:2. So that I can move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. Since the rearrangement of mountains seemed to many to be a great deed, I mentioned it, and not because all faith can do only this. For the Lord attributes the removal of mountains to a small amount of faith when he says: “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed” (Matthew 17:20). See how he embraced all the gifts by prophecy and faith. For miracles are either in words or in deeds. He did not say: if “I do not have love,” then I am small and poor, but: “I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3. And if I give away all my property. He did not say: if I give away part of my property, but: “all”, and did not say: if I give away (δω), but: “I will distribute” (ψωμίσω), so that the loss will be accompanied by helpfulness, and the most caring one at that. 1 Corinthians 13:3. And I will give my body to be burned, but I do not have love, it does me no good. He did not say: if I die, but he represents the most cruel thing of all, that is, burning alive, and says that this is useless without love. Another will say: how can you give away property without love? This can be answered in two ways. Or: the apostle assumed the impossible to be possible, just as in the words: “even if we, or an angel from heaven, preached to you a gospel other than what we preached” (Gal. 1:8–9); for neither he himself nor the angel thought to preach otherwise. This is how it is expressed in many other places (Rom. 8:39). Or: you can give without love, namely, when it happens not out of compassion for those in need, but out of people-pleasing. This happens with love when someone does it out of sympathy and ardent love. 1 Corinthians 13:4. Love is patient and merciful. From here he begins to list the signs of love, and first among them he puts long-suffering - the root of all wisdom. For he who has a long and great soul is patient. But since some use long-suffering not for wisdom, but often, laughing at their offenders and pretending to restrain themselves, as if long-suffering people, bring them to even greater irritation in anger: then he says that love is “merciful,” that is, it shows a meek and kindly disposition, and not like the mentioned people, feigned and malicious. He said this about those among the Corinthians who loved to argue and secretly quarrel among themselves. 1 Corinthians 13:4. Love does not envy (ου ζήλοι). Another may be long-suffering, but envious. But love avoided this too. He said this about those who were envious among the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 13:4. Love is not exalted. That is, love does not act foolishly, but makes the one who has it prudent and firm. A dreamy, frivolous, stupid person is exalted. This is said about the frivolous and superficial. You can have all the above virtues, but be proud of them. But love does not have this, but even with the mentioned virtues of humility. This is against the arrogant. 1 Corinthians 13:5. Does not commit outrages (ουκ άσχημο νεΐ). That is, love not only is not proud, but even if it experiences extreme distress for its beloved, it will not consider this shameful and inglorious for itself, just as Christ, out of love for us, not only endured the dishonorable crucifixion, but also attributed it to His glory. You can understand it this way: it does not behave outrageously, that is, it does not offend; for there is nothing more shameful than an offender. This is against those who are not condescending to others. 1 Corinthians 13:5. Doesn't look for his own, doesn't get irritated. He explains how love does not experience dishonor: because, he says, it does not seek its own benefit, but its neighbor’s, and considers it dishonor when it does not free its neighbor from dishonor. This is against those who despised others. Love “does not get irritated” because it does not act outrageously. For an angry person does not observe decency. Love does not act outrageously, because it is not irritated, that is, it does not rush to anger. This is against those who are offended by the insults of others. 1 Corinthians 13:5. Thinks no evil. Love, he says, enduring all evil, is not irritated by anger, and not only does not do evil in revenge, but does not even think about it. Look everywhere, he doesn’t say: love envyes, but stops, gets irritated, but overcomes: but, he says, she resolutely does not allow any evil to appear, even at the beginning of it, - as here: “does not think evil.” And this was said to the Corinthians so that they would not repay offense with offense. 1 Corinthians 13:6. Does not rejoice in untruth. That is, one does not have fun when someone suffers injustice, experiences violence and insult. 1 Corinthians 13:6. And he rejoices in the truth. But, he says, what is much more important, he rejoices with those who are in a good opinion, and counts it as glory to himself when the truth succeeds. This is against the envious. 1 Corinthians 13:7. Covers everything. And insults, and beatings, and death. This property gives her her inherent long-suffering. This is against those who mean evil. Whatever her beloved says; for she herself does not say anything feignedly, and does not think that another would say so. 1 Corinthians 13:7. He hopes everything, endures everything. Love, he says, does not despair of the beloved, but hopes that he always ascends to the best. This is said to the despairing. If, beyond expectation, it happens that her loved one remains in evil, she bears his shortcomings courageously. For she, she says, “endures everything.” This is for those who easily fall into hostility. 1 Corinthians 13:8. Love never fails. That is, he never deviates from the goal, but brings everything to fruition; or, what is better, it is not interrupted, not stopped, never ceases, but continues in the next century, when everything else will be abolished, as the apostle will further say. 1 Corinthians 13:8. Although prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silent. Having listed the creations of love, he again exalts it in a different way, namely, he says that both prophecy and tongues will end, and love will remain constantly and indefinitely. For if prophecies and tongues exist so that faith can be accepted more conveniently, then, as faith spreads everywhere, naturally, they will cease, as unnecessary, in the present century, and especially in the future. 1 Corinthians 13:9–10. And knowledge will be abolished. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; But when that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease. If knowledge is abolished, will we really live in ignorance? Not at all! But he says that knowledge will be abolished “in part” when perfect knowledge comes, that is, characteristic of the future life. For then we will no longer know as much as we know now, but much more. For example, we know even now that God exists everywhere, but we don’t know how; We know that the Virgin gave birth, but we don’t know how. Then we will learn something more and more useful about these secrets. 1 Corinthians 13:11. When I was a baby. Having said that with the coming of the perfect, “that which is in part” will be abolished, at the same time he provides an example by which he explains how great the difference is between present and future knowledge. For now we are like babes, but then we will be men. 1 Corinthians 13:11. He spoke like a child. This corresponds to languages. 1 Corinthians 13:11. I thought like a child. This is in accordance with the prophecies. 1 Corinthians 13:11. He reasoned like a child. This corresponds to knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:11. And when he became a husband, he left behind the child. That is, in the next century I will have more mature knowledge; then the small and infantile knowledge that we have here will be abolished. Then he continues. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Now we see as if through a glass darkly, darkly. He explains what was said about the baby, and shows that our current knowledge is somehow dark, but then it will be clearer. For, he says, we see now in the mirror. Then, since the mirror quite clearly shows the object reflected in it, he added: “fortune-telling” in order to most accurately show the incompleteness of this knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Then face to face. He says this not because God has a face, but in order to show through this the clarity and visibility of knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known. Doubly humiliates their pride, showing that current knowledge is incomplete, and that it is not our own. It was not I, he says, who knew God, but He Himself knew me. Therefore, just as now He Himself knew me and He Himself condescended to me, so I will reach Him then much more than now. Just as someone sitting in darkness, until he sees the sun, does not himself strive for its beautiful ray, but the ray shows itself to him with its radiance, and when he receives the radiance of the sun, then he himself strives for the light. So, the words “just as I am known” do not mean that we know Him as He knows us, but that just as He has condescended to us now, so we will reach Him then. Similarity: someone found an abandoned child, noble, plausible; for his part, he recognized it, raised it and took it to himself, took care of it, raised him nobly, finally, bestowed it with wealth and brought him into the royal chambers. A child, while he is young, does not feel any of this, and is not aware of the philanthropy of the face that raised him. But when it matures, it immediately recognizes its benefactor and loves him worthily. Here is an example to explain what is hiddenly expressed in what was said. 1 Corinthians 13:13. And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but love is the greatest of them all. There are also gifts of tongues, prophecy and understanding, although they are illusory, but with the spread of faith among everyone they will be completely abolished. Faith, hope and love last longer than them (for this is meant by the words: “but now they remain,” that is, the duration of these three); but even of them, love is greater, because it continues in the next century. You might be interested in: