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1
Corinthians Chapter Thirteen
I.
Content of the Chapter
Love is the Most Excellent Way
A. The importance of love (v.1-3);
B. The definition of love (v.4-7);
C. The excellence of love:
1. Love never fails
and yet other gifts will fail and vanish
away (v.8-12).
2. Faith
hope
and love abide
and the greatest of these is love (v.13).
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1Cor. 13:1 “Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels
but have not love
I have become sounding brass
or a clanging cymbal.”
YLT: “If with the tongues of men and of messengers I speak
and have not love
I have become brass sounding
or a cymbal tinkling;”
Literal
Meaning: “though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels”
“the
tongues of men” refer to the
languages of all the nations on the earth instead of the meaningless voice of
tongues; “the tongues of angels”
the words that only angels can speak. Paul here
does not mean that we can really speak the tongues of angels
but shows that
even “if” we have received the incomparable gift like speaking the tongues of
angels
it will still fail one day.
“But have not love
I have become sounding brass or a
clanging cymbal”
“sounding brass or a
clanging cymbal”
they utter voices
without life. This is the true picture of speaking in tongues.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The function of the church lies in gifts
(see 1Cor.12)
and the nature of the church is love. The more the gifts are
functioned without love
the more difficulties will be increased. Therefore
when the apostle mentions the spiritual gifts in the previous chapter and the
functioning of the gifts in the next chapter
he introduces the paragraph
concerning the “best gift” of love between the two chapters. Love is “the more
excellent way” of using gifts (see 1Cor. 12:31).
2) Gifts are talents and functions given by
God
and yet love is the nature and life of God. The biggest fault of believers
at
3) Love gives value to gifts and talents.
Though those who have talents and gifts in words can speak fair-sounding words
and various tongues
it is still of no value sounding brass or a clanging cymbal without love. Therefore
we shall hold the
truth in love (see Eph. 4:15 the original).
1Cor. 13:2 “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
but have not love
I am nothing.”
YLT: “and if I have prophecy
and know all the secrets
and
all the knowledge
and if I have all the faith
so as to remove mountains
and
have not love
I am nothing;”
Literal
Meaning: “and though I have the gift
of prophecy”
it means that he has the gift of prophecy and can
speak for God to preach God Himself and things of God to others.
“And understand all mysteries and all knowledge”
“all mysteries” refer to the deep
things of God (see 1Cor. 2:10); “and all knowledge” refers to the worldly and spiritual knowledge.
Here
the hyperbolic way shows that even though one has boundless knowledge
he
is still nothing.
“And though I have all faith
so that I could remove
mountains”
“all faith” refers to the faith that can do
everything (see Matt. 17:20). “Could remove mountains”
can remove the difficulty as huge as mountains.
“But have not love
I am nothing”
among the Christians
anyone who has the three
gifts ---- 1) the gift of prophecy; 2) rich knowledge about the truth; 3) all
faith; ---- he will be considered as spiritual giant and be honored by others.
However
Paul says that man who has no love is nothing
that is to say
he is of
no value before God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God does not value what is valuable in the
sight of man. What is valuable in the sight of God is not cherished by the
carnal and worldly believers. May the Lord give us right sight so that we can
judge everything according His sight.
2) Gifts
talents and faith are not “love”.
Those who have no love may have very spiritual appearance
but lack spiritual
reality. We should never judge spiritual things by appearance
but by love and
spiritual reality.
3) Love is none other than the vivid
manifestation of the God of love ---- the full Christ (see 1John 4:8).
Therefore
one can make his gifts work by Christ only
for He is the reality of
all gifts. No matter the ministry of words ---- “the tongues of men and of angels” (v.1)
“prophecy”
or spiritual knowledge
---- “all
mysteries and all knowledge”
or “all faith”
or the best works ---- “bestow
all one’s goods to feed the poor
and give his body to be burned” (v.3)
if there is not the reality of
Christ
it is still vain ---- “of nothing”. Oh
the full Christ ---- who is the
value of all.
4) Someone says that if we replace each word of
“love” in this chapter with the word “Christ” and read the whole chapter
the
meaning will be clearer.
1Cor. 13:3 “And though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor
and though I give my body to be burned
but have not
love
it profits me nothing.”
YLT: “and if I give away to feed others all my goods
and if
I give up my body that I may be burned
and have not love
I am profited nothing.”
Literal
Meaning: “and though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor”
“to
feed the poor”: to hand out
material things. However
it is not done out of love
but of vanity so as to
draw one’s attraction and gain one’s praise.
“And though I give my body to be burned”
“give my body”: deliver one’s body
namely
sacrificing
one’s self; “to be burned”
it is for boasting oneself in the original. The whole sentence means that one
delivers his life for the sake of vainglory.
“But have not love
it profits me nothing”
Paul here means that the abandonment of
material things and even sacrifice of oneself are lofty moral expressions
but
they are not equal to “love”. If we have no love
anything that we have done
can profit nothing before God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Here
it clearly points that man’s good
works and God’s love are two entirely different things. God’s love must carry
good works
but man’s good works may not be out of the divine love. If we seek
the love of God
we will surely have love. If we only pursue good works
we are
at most like the moral gentlemen who have not been saved and of no value before
God.
2) The spirit of fraternity and martyrdom
may not be love
for only God Himself is the source of love. Benefaction and
denying oneself may make man boast of himself more. Only the benefaction and
denying one’s self out of love may let the constitution of “the Lord” be
increased in man.
3) We can see from verse one to three that no
matter we can say something
or know something
or do something or be willing
to bestow something
they are nothing without love. It profits nothing to men
as well as to oneself.
4) We can see from verse one to three that the
three sects in the Christianity today have their respective focal points. The
Lee’s sect puts emphasis on the gift of tongues
and the Fundamentalist focuses
on knowledge and faith
the Social Evangelist regards helping others by denying
one’s self very important. However
it profits
nothing without love.
1Cor. 13:4 “Love suffers long and is
kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself
is not puffed up;”
YLT: “The love is long-suffering
it is kind
the love doth
not envy
the love doth not vaunt itself
is not puffed up
”
Literal
Meaning: “love suffers long”
“love” in the original is the divine and
perfect love. Such love is God Himself (see 1John 4:16). Love is that the life
of God in believers manifests on man with loving-kindness. “Suffers long”
it means suffering afflictions for long
in the original.
“And is kind”
“kind”: one gives generously ---- this is the manifestation of God’s life.
“Love does not envy”
“envy”: one is jealous of
the better achievements of others.
“Love does not parade itself
is not puffed up”
“parade itself”
it is
blowing up balloons in the original
so it is self-praise to debase others;
“puff up”: be conceited;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Love suffers long”
the love of God is entirely different from that
of man. Man’s love is transient and conditional. Even the highest love of the
parents can also be changed for some reasons. However
the love of God suffers
long. He loves us unto the end forever.
2) Love can not only bear the bully treatment
of others but also give others generously. This is the way that the Lord Jesus
treats us. Love and long-suffering are the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) as
well as the testimony of the apostle Paul (see 2Cor. 6:6).
3) In the service of the church
what we most
need is the long-suffering of love and kind treatment
without which there will
be no service.
4) In the service of the church
the
differences lying in the contents and importance of the gifts may cause envy in
believers’ heart. “Love
does not envy”. The problem roots
in the lack of love.
5) Love makes one joyful for others even though
their spiritual life grows better than him and their gifts are greater than
him.
6) Self-praise and conceit are works of the
flesh
which can only excite the flesh and make the flesh puffed up and hurt
the spiritual life and destroy the church of God.
1Cor. 13:5 “does not behave rudely
does
not seek its own
is not provoked
thinks no evil;”
YLT: “doth not act unseemly
doth not seek its own things
is
not provoked
doth not impute evil
”
Literal
Meaning: “does not behave rudely”
“behave rudely”
reckless acts
referring to things that
are unworthy of the manner of Christians
namely
walking in good manner with
politeness.
“Does not seek its own”
it is not seeking one’s own gain in the
original
so it is not clinging to one’s own view. Love delivers one from his
self but drives him to seek to profit the whole assembly and others.
“Is not provoked”
“provoked”
explosive
temper; it indicates that one can control oneself and consider the feeling of
others when he is irritated by others.
“Thinks no evil”
“think”: remember in one’s
heart; one cannot forget the memories that others do wrong to us
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Does not seek its own”
this is the core of love (see 1Cor. 10:24
33). Believers should not be selfish to seek things that profit themselves
only. However
one would prefer to sacrifice himself rather than perfect
others.
2) Love makes one not consider him in
priority. One does not request priority or approval or praise or reward of
others ---- this is the sign of love.
3) “Is not provoked”
man may not be able to
observe or deal with things in an objective angle when he is in great wrath.
Moses smote the rock in his fury for the second time and was rebuked by God
thus could not enter into Cannon (Num. 20:2-12). This is a great example.
4) There is an excellent way to heal the bad
temper ---- to keep oneself in unselfish love.
5) “Thinks no evil”
it is like the Lord who
prays for others on the cross. In the life of the church
we may be easily
offended by others
but we should not take it into account. Otherwise
we
should be stumbled. “Forgive” (see Matt. 18:21-35) others means that one should
forget things that others own to us.
1Cor. 13:6 “does not rejoice in
iniquity
but rejoices in the truth;”
YLT: “rejoiceth not over the unrighteousness
and rejoiceth
with the truth;”
Literal
Meaning: “does not rejoice in
iniquity”
when one does wrong and goes astray
we shall have
not any pleasure in our heart.
“But rejoices in the truth”
“rejoice” is a compound in the original
which
means being joyful together and having joy with others. “Truth”
things
concerning God; one rejoices at all the good works
merits
good names and
achievements out of the truth (see Phil. 4:8). He is in no wise jealous of them
or self-contemptuous.
“Iniquity” and “truth” are
opposite. Unrighteousness is out of Satan. And truth is out of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The one who has truly manifested love in his
life will surely reject unrighteous things and feel distressed about the
unrighteousness worked by others.
2) One likes to see the faults of others and
expose the secrets of others in contentions and then look down upon and attacks
them. These are really actions that disobey love. Love makes one not delighted
at the failures of others so as to exalt him.
3) “Love” rejoices the truth. One not only has
pleasure to walk in the truth himself but is also pleased when others are
walking in truth.
4) The totality of “unrighteousness” is the
Satan. The totality of “truth” is God. Love is the manifestation of God’s life.
Therefore
the divine love will not make one rejoice because of Satan’s
unrighteousness but can make one rejoice on account of God’s truth.
1Cor. 13:7 “bears all things
believes
all things
hopes all things
endures all things.”
YLT: “all things it beareth
all it believeth
all it hopeth
all it endureth.”
Literal
Meaning: “bears all things”
there are three
aspects meanings: 1) the heart is as large as a container that can bear and
tolerate the violations of others; 2) to cover the faults of others as the
roof; 3) to become the covering and shelter of others as the roof;
“Believes all things”
“believe”: no doubt
no suspicion; one not
only believes in God but also trusts in and accepts men.
“Hopes all things”
it indicates that one abides in positive hope
instead of treating anyone or anything in a negative view or attitude or giving
up hope easily.
“Endures all things”
“endure”
it is a
military vocabulary
which means holding the position.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Bears all things”
love can cover many sins (1Pet. 4:8). When we see the weakness of brothers
we
shall cover it instead of exposing it. We often unconsciously uncover the
weakness of others. However
if we live in love
we will take heed of our words
and deeds.
2) “Believes all things”
believers who have deep knowledge of God know
the faithfulness and great power of God and believe that He has good will in
everyone
so they can wait for the works of God in science.
3) “Hopes all things”
one does not put his hope upon others or himself.
Our hope lies in God.
4) “Endures all things”
we should not pray for or wait for or bear the
members who are weak and failed all the time until God saves them.
5) Love makes one deny him
and love is for
others
so love cannot do without patience. Therefore
it is “longsuffering” at
the outset (v.4) and “enduring all things” in the end.
1Cor. 13:8 “Love never fails. But
whether there are prophecies
they will fail; whether there are tongues
they
will cease; whether there is knowledge
it will vanish away.”
YLT: “The love doth never fail; and whether prophecies
they
shall become useless; whether tongues
they shall cease; whether knowledge
it
shall become useless;”
Literal
Meaning: “love never fails”
“never fails”
it means “never devalue” or “stumble”. The whole
verse means that love abides longer than any other thing. Love never fails or
fades or vanishes or finishes
just like the eternal life of God
for love is
the manifestation of God’s love.
“Whether
there are prophecies
they will fail”
“fail”: become of none effect
be entirely
idle.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God works through the prophecies and tongues and knowledge
but they are not the manifestations of God’s life
for they are temporary and
will ease and will vanish away. Only love is the manifestation of God’s
life. And since God’s life abides forever
love will also abide forever.
2) “Love never fails”. The end of what is
enjoined is love
and all the gifts will be unto love. Only this love will
abide forever in the perfect age in the future.
3) Nothing is longer than love
for even when
the prophecies and tongues have ceased
love has still not ceased and will
never cease. Nothing is wider than love
for only love bears all things (v.7)
and can cover many sins. Nothing is higher than love
for only love can be
added to love (see 2Pet. 1:7). God’s love is great unto the heavens ---- there
is love on the earth as well as in the heavens. Nothing is deeper than love
only love can edify man and penetrate deeply into man’s hearts.
4) All the gifts are “limited” (v.9)
“will cease…will vanish away”;
only Christ of love “abides” forever (v.13). “Never fails”
it indicates that
Christ is the ultimate goal of all gifts. God sets Christ as the goal and gives
all the gifts. When the fullness of Christ has perfectly fulfilled
the works
of all the gifts have also been achieved. What ultimately abide are no longer
gifts
but the full Christ!
5) Since love is Christ Himself
it is the full
manifestations of Christ of love from verse four to seven.
1Cor. 13:9 “For we know in part and we
prophesy in part.”
YLT: “for in part we know
and in part we prophecy;”
Literal
Meaning: “in part”: partial;
Enlightenment
in the Word: one should not
criticize or judge in the church according to his partial knowledge.
1Cor. 13:10 “But when that which is
perfect has come
then that which is in part will be done away.”
YLT: “and when that which is perfect may come
then that
which in part shall become useless.”
Literal
Meaning: “but when that which is
perfect has come”
“perfect” is opposite to “in part” in verse nine.
It can also be translated as “the mature”
which is opposite to “the child” in
verse eleven. “Has come”
it refers to the coming age: the approaching of the
age of the kingdom.
“Then that which is in part will be done away”
“in part”
it indicates that the degree
function and value
of the gifts ---- the prophecies and tongues and knowledge
mentioned in verse eight ---- are in part. “Be done away”
when all have been perfect
all the gifts are of
none effect.
Enlightenment
in the Word: if we compare all
that in this age with that in the coming one
the former is in part and the
latter is perfect (the whole number) concerning the quantity. And besides
as
to the quality
the former is immature and the latter is mature.
1Cor. 13:11 “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.”
YLT: “When I was a babe
as a babe I was speaking
as a babe
I was thinking
as a babe I was reasoning
and when I have become a man
I have
made useless the things of the babe;”
Literal
Meaning: “when I was a child”
it means that when
we believers live in this age
our performances in many aspects are still very
childish since we are still not mature.
“I spoke as a child
I understood as a child
I thought as
a child”
the words of a
child are naive and thoughts are shallow and mind is simple and innocent.
“But when I became a man
I put away childish things”
“became a man”
it means that the perfect time has come (see
v.10); “put away”
it is the same word as “vanish away” in verse eight.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The gift of tongues is not only the smallest
gift among all the gifts but is also as childish as things that the child is
fond of. Therefore
we shall not pursue tongues but the growth of life.
2) All the gifts are for the purpose of
childish believers. And they are of none effect when believers have been
full-grown up in the coming age. Today
we are still spiritual babes
so we
have childish views upon gifts. When we are fully grown up
we will naturally
put away childish things.
3) Gifts are things of children ---- it is not
only tongues but also prophecies. Only walking in love is the thing of
full-grown man.
4) Love is the manifestation of God’s love.
Therefore
the pursuit of love can make us grow more speedily in life. The
pursuit of the gift of tongues does not foster our growth of life but even
makes us linger about the phrase of babes.
1Cor. 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror
dimly
but then face to face. Now I know in part
but then I shall know just as
I also am known.”
YLT: “for we see now through a mirror obscurely
and then
face to face; now I know in part
and then I shall fully know
as also I was
known;”
The Background: “see
in a mirror
dimly”
man in the old
age used the polished metal (generally) as mirror. The images reflected from
the mirror are probably vague figures (see James 1:23).
Literal
Meaning: “for now we see in a mirror
dimly”
“see in a mirror”
some Bible
exegetes say it is “seeing through a window”. The windows in the old age were
not glass windows
so the line of sight of man inside would be blocked and
things man saw through the windows were dim
just like guessing riddles.
“But then face to face”
“face to face”
look on the Lord with unveiled face (see 1Cor. 3:18; 1John 3:2)
which
indicates that we see all spiritual things clearly
no longer dimly.
“But then I shall know just as I also am known”
“know”
know just as I am known by the
Lord
so it is knowing like the Lord who knows all.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It seems that we know many spiritual things
today
but we actually we do not really know them or know in part. We have only
some incomplete and fragmentary knowledge. However
when the Lord comes back
we will see Him face to face and will have complete and thorough knowledge
about the Lord and all spiritual things.
2) What is most important is not seeking the
external objective knowledge but obtaining subjective experience and knowledge
of the Lord through the intimate face-to-face fellowship with the Lord
everyday. Such experience and knowledge can help us grow in life.
1Cor. 13:13 “And now abide faith
hope
love
these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
YLT: “and now there doth remain faith
hope
love -- these
three; and the greatest of these love.”
Literal
Meaning: “and now abide faith
hope
love”
“faith” is receiving things of God (John 1:12) and substantiating of
them (Heb. 11:1). “Hope” is to make the things of God received and substantiated by faith as the goal of our patience
expectation and pursuit (
“These three
but the
greatest of these is love”
there are three
reasons for the fact that love is the greatest one among these three: 1) love
is the origin of believing all things and hoping all things (see v.7); 2) faith
and hope are characteristics of man
but love is the nature of God; 3) love is
the bridge linking faith and hope.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Faith
hope and love can not be separated
and yet are inter-related with one another. The whole spiritual way of us is
relevant to them. Faith is the foundation of our spiritual way. Hope is the
glorious goal of the way. Love is the provision on the way that makes us go
ahead no matter what difficulty we are experiencing. Therefore
love is the
greatest one.
2) Love is not “worked” by man
but “lived” out
in life. The life of love is in the spirit of believers. Therefore
if we live
through the life in our spirit
we will naturally bear fruit of live.
3) Love is to believe all things and hope all
things (see v.7). True and perfect faith and hope are only in true and perfect
love.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lesson
The Comparisons between
Gifts and Love
A. If one has gifts but no love
he is nothing
(v.1-3).
B. Gifts are transient but love never fails
(v.8).
C. Gifts are in part but love is perfect
(v.9-10a).
D. Gifts will cease but love abides forever
(v.10b-13).
The Nature of Love
A. The dual characteristics of love:
1. Passive and active ---- love suffers long and is
kind (v.4a);
2. Toward others and toward oneself ---- love does not envy; love
does not parade itself
is not puffed up (v.4b);
3. Unrighteousness and the truth ---- does not rejoice in
iniquity
but rejoices in the truth
(v.6);
B. Four “no”s of love (v.5):
1. Do not behave rudely;
2. Do not seek its own;
3. Be not provoked;
4. Think no evil;
C. Four “all”s of love (v.7):
1. Bears all things;
2. Believes all things;
3. Hopes all things;
4. Endures all things;
The Contents of Love
A. To man ---- love suffers long and is kind; love
does not envy; does not seek its own; thinks no evil
(v
B. To oneself ---- love does not parade itself
is not
puffed up; does not behave rudely; is not provoked
(v.4b;
C. Nature ---- does not rejoice in iniquity
but
rejoices in the truth (v.6);
D. Sphere ---- bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things
(v.7);
E. Time ---- love never fails (v.8a);
The Comparisons between the Nine Fruit of
the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and the Manifestations of Love
A. Love ---- does not envy; does
not seek its own (v.4b
5b);
B. Joy ---- rejoices in the truth; hopes all
things (v.6b
7b);
C. Peace ---- thinks no evil; bears
all things (v
D. Long-suffering ---- suffers long; endures
all things (v
E. Kindness ---- kind (v.4b);
F. Goodness ---- does not behave rudely; does not rejoice in iniquity (v
G. Fidelity ---- believes all things; never fails
(v.7b
H. Meekness ---- is not provoked (v.5b);
I. Self-control ---- love does not parade itself
is not
puffed up (v.4c);
Love is a Way of More Surpassing Excellence
A. The importance of love (v.1-3);
B. The definition of love (v.4-7);
C. The excellence of love:
1. Love never fails
and all other gifts will
cease (v.8-12);
2. And now abide faith
hope
love
these three; but the greatest of these is love (v.13);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou