31b Although in the King James Version all of 12:31 is included in chapter 12, it seems as though the latter part of verse 31 fits in well with chapter 13. "...and yet I show unto you a more excellent way," Paul writes. After looking at all the spiritual gifts (charismata) there is a more excellent way (Greek - huperbolen odon; Latin - par excellence) or a superior manner in which to show the love of God. Yeager says, "Gifts are good for God is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), but love, one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23) is better. The motivation for seeking the better gifts must have love, not self-serving as the determining and compelling principle. It is appropriate to ask the Christian who is seeking the 'gift of tongues' or boasting that he already has it, why? Paul is not saying that if we have love, we do not need the gifts which are appropriate, but he is saying that our interest in the gifts should be a loving desire to be most helpful to others in the Body of Christ. The better way to get the gifts, whatever they may be, is to seek them in love" (p. 78).
13:1, 2 "Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 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 love, I am nothing." Why did Paul begin verse one with the "tongues of men and angels?" Could it be that the church at Corinth was given over to the tongues gift; could it be that tongues was Corinth's greatest problem? Why tongues of angels? Do the angels speak a different language that man on the earth? Possibly they do, but we can be assured that they understand each other; incidently the adjective unknown is never applied in the New Testament with reference to tongues. Even the languages at Pentecost were known to those who were present on that great day. Charity, in our culture could more appropriately be translated "love." Charity is usually thought of as a "kind of hand-out" or associated with some charitable institution. Paul writes that nothing can compare with love, not speaking in tongues (glossais), languages or dialects, not the gift of prophecy (propheteian) or the ability to foretell future events and the proclaiming God's Word, not understanding all mysteries (mysteria) or secrets, not all knowledge (gnosin) in the sense that science uses the term, and not all faith (pistin) making possible the moving of mountains. If an individual had all of the above-mentioned gifts and did not possess love, he would be as sounding (echon) or echoing noisy piece of brass or a tinkling cymbal (kumbalon). Paul indicates that the next gift in importance is prophecy which signifies, "that a person has become a prophet. In the preceding list of gifts, prophecy is second and tongues is last. But here Paul begins with tongue-speaking and then introduces prophecy...Paul exalts the gift of prophecy, because a prophet, in contrast with the tongue-speaker, strengthens and edifies the church (14:1 - 5)" (Kistemaker, p. 453). The implication is if an individual had all these gifts and had not charity, he is nothing (outhen), a zero, a cipher, a nonentity or without any value.
This love about which Paul writes is God's kind of love, that self-sacrificing emotion which God expresses to His human creation. Thayer writes that this kind of love is affection, good-will, benevolence (p. 4). Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says that this love "relates for the most part to the love of God...Love for God is the great and basic demand made by Jesus...Love determines the relationship between God and man, but especially between God and the people of God (pp. 37, 41, 45). Love is the strength of service. Love is the power of speech, without love speech is an impersonal instrument; without love all man does is powerless and meaningless. 3 From gifts Paul turns to sacrificial deeds; giving to the point of absolute sacrifice - even the body to death by burning. Morris says, "Lightfoot thinks of the Indian who burned himself alive at Athens, and whose tomb was a well-known sight. Whether Paul had such a case in mind or not, the general sense is clear enough. Burning stands for the worst that can happen to the body" (p. 183). Though an individual bestow (psomize) all his goods (every morsel) to feed the poor; though he gave his body to be burned (kauchesomai) and does not have love, nothing is profited by the action. Some translations have instead of the body being burned; "that I may glory" which could be a translation of the word kauthesomai. There seems to be no record of Christians being burned in the first centuries of the first millennium; however, one can call to mind the three Hebrew children of Daniel's time. Burning at the stake has taken place in much of the Christian era, especially in colonial America.
4 "Charity (Love) suffereth long (makrothumei) or is patient, is kind (chresteuetai) or gracious; charity envieth not (zeloi) or is not jealous; charity vaunteth not itself (perpereuetai) or is not boastful, is not puffed up (phusiutai) or arrogant, Were the Corinthians overflowing with love? Possibly Paul's exposition of love will make them think on their way. It is a challenge to every Christian of every age. Love is patient and gracious with people (sweet to all), not necessarily with circumstances; not jealous, nor does it boast, and it is not puffed up like a billows - "a windbag." Many of these graces are the direct result of being filled with the Holy Spirit as Ephesians 5:18 reads, "And be not drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the Spirit..." Of course these graces are mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5:22, 23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law." Love forgives seventy times seven; it does not retaliate or punish. It is the exact opposite of anger. It envies no one nor what another possesses. It boasts not nor does it talk of loving; it just loves and does not brag. Love is not puffed up but possesses sweet reasonableness. It is never greedy nor conceited.
5 "Doth not behave itself unseemly (aschemonei), rude or improper, seeketh not its own (zetei) or is not interested in advancing self, is not easily provoked (paroxunetai) or stirred up, thinketh (logizetai) or considers no evil;... Yeager says of this verse, "The text does not say that love is never provoked. It does say that the provocation does not lead to a fit of rage. Love often thinks of evil. To be otherwise is to be naive. But love does not spend all of its time in thinking about evil" (p. 85). Love is always courteous and polite; it is never rough, brusque or brutal. It does not seek its own interests. As a spark which falls into the sea hurts not the sea, but is itself extinguished, so an evil thing befalling a loving soul will be extinguished without disquietude or excitement. Love is not provoked, irritable, nor bitter; it does not have a "short fuse." Love thinks no evil; it does not keep a ledger of wrongs to repay later. 6 "Rejoiceth not in iniquity (chairei adikia) or is not glad when evil happens to someone, but rejoiceth in the truth (sugchairei aletheia) or rejoices with truth;... Those who have love in their hearts are never happy with unrighteousness or evil, for it is opposed to truth. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness; it is never glad when others go wrong. It rejoices in the truth; it is happy when others are happy. "Our sources of news tell us that the public will lap up bad and unsavory news. Christian love finds no appeal or joy in this, but instead rejoices in the Lord, who is truth, and in every evidence of Him seen in others" (Sunday School Times, October 12, 1963, p. 9). There is little good news in our newspapers today; there is plenty of bad news - murders, rapes, robberies, meanness of all kinds.
7 "Beareth (stegei) or suffers all things, believeth (pistei) or trusts all things, hopeth (elpizei) or trusts all things, endureth (hupomenei) or suffers all things." The characteristics that make for good mental health and personality equilibrium are in this verse. James 3:17 reads, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Love is like an unfolded umbrella inviting others to shelter; it covers other's faults with silence. It feels that people are innocent until proven guilty. Love does not look with suspicion upon others; it expects nothing but good things. Love is always optimistic; it remains strong through adversity. Love is never hissed off the stage by a bad actor; it has its part to play on the stage of life. Phillips translates verse 7, "Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope, it can outlast anything."
8 "Love never faileth (oudepote piptei) or does not fall; but whether there be prophecies(propheteiai) or the gift of prophecy, they shall be done away (katargethesontai), superseded, abolished or become of no effect; whether there be tongues (glossai), languages or dialects they shall cease (pausontai) or stop; whether there be knowledge (gnosis) , it shall vanish away (katargethesetai) be abolished or become of no effect." Love never fails, never fades, never withers like a flower. Love is eternally young; it is eternally fresh. Love never falls away like the pedals of a flower. Prophecies, tongues, partial or imperfect knowledge will perish; it will be replaced with greater things. These things will be rendered inoperative. Love brings on better things. As the automobile replaced the horse and buggy and as the electric light replaced the kerosene lamp, so better things are ahead for the person who loves. Paul describes the temporary character of spiritual gifts (verses 8 - 10) and gives three illustrations to illustrate that which is immature and imperfect - a child, a reflection and knowledge (verses 11, 12). In this segment, Paul stresses immaturity, imperfection and temporality...The Greek word katargein that Paul uses four times in verses 8, 10, 11 is the one which we translate 'to set aside,' or 'to pass away,' or 'to cease.' It is related to the adjective argos (idle, inactive, unproductive; see e.g., Matthew 12:36); the verb means that something is put aside or has become ineffective. Prophecies and knowledge are overtaken by fulfillment and thus are put aside, much as an adult discards things belonging to his childhood days. We discard prophecies and knowledge, because we prophecy and we know in part (verse 9)" (Kistemaker, pp. 463, 464).
Yeager says of this verse, "What precisely does Paul mean when he says that prophecies and knowledge will 'be superseded,' ' be replaced,' 'fail,' and 'vanish away?' What is this perfection that is to come? We must also understand the phrase ek merous in verses 9 and 10" (p. 87). The word katargethesetai used twenty-seven times in the Greek New Testament has several meanings, some of them are as follows: abolish, bring to naught, destroy, do away, make of none effect, make void, make without effect, be done away with, and vanish away. These are the things that will happen to prophecies, tongues, knowledge, etc.
9, 10 "For we know in part (merous), and we prophesy in part (merous). But when that which is perfect (teleion), fully developed or completed is come, then that which is in part shall be done away (katargethesetai)." Of what is Paul writing when he states "when that which is perfect is come?" Some interpret love or some other fruit of the Holy Spirit as the thing that is perfect; some interpret it as heaven. Yeager says, "Paul both approves and disapproves of the gifts. They were good in their time era and in pursuit of their purpose. Two were due to be phased out, one was to cease, while the others were to continue to bless the Body of Christ even after the New Testament was completed. They are bad when they tarry after they have outlived their usefulness to compete with to teleion" (pp. 98, 99).
11 "When I was a child (nepios) or baby, I spoke (elaloun) or conversed as a child, I understood (ephronoun) or was as wise as a child, I thought (eloyizomen) or calculated as a child; but when I became a man, I put away (katergeka) or made inoperative childish things." Most mature adults have experienced what Paul experienced. As a child, all of us had childish speech, childish thoughts and childish ways. Mature manhood superseded these childish things. Paul concluded that many of the gifts (prophesy, tongues and special knowledge) are superseded by more mature concepts when God's complete revelation was made through the Greek New Testament.
12 "For now we see in a mirror (esoptrou) or glass, darkly (ainigmati) or dimly; but then, face to face (prosopon) or eye to eye; now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known. " "A mirror of Paul's day was fashioned of polished metal and at best gave a very imperfect reflection, so one saw only indistinctly" (Sunday School Times, October 12, 1965, p. 9). The revelation of God was incomplete, in fact, there is a possibility when Paul wrote I Corinthians the Gospels had not been written, or at least they had not been circulated. So the revelation of God had not been completed; however, the revelation was completed with John the Revelator when he wrote the book of Revelation. No further revelation has been given by God since the Revelation in spite of what the followers of Mary Baker Eddy and Joseph Smith, as well as some other cultists, may say. When the Revelation was written partial knowledge gave way to total knowledge or revelation. God's Ultimate Textbook has not been revised, nor will It ever need revision.
13 "And now abideth (meizon) faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." One day, at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ faith will give way to sight and hope will be realized, and the greatest of all concepts will remain - LOVE. All the gifts of prophecies, linguistic ability, special knowledge, healing, helps and administrations all had their day only to be superseded by LOVE. Love is eternal for God is love (I John 4:8). Yeager says, "Since love is the remedy for all ills (I Corinthians 13:4 - 7) it is obviously a better way (huperbolen odon I Corinthians 12:31). Better than what? Better than the exercise of the gifts of which the Corinthians had become so inordinately proud that love was in scant evidence. Love far exceeds the other gifts in producing the victorious life while the church is still in the world, but Paul does not say that love will be greater than faith and hope in eternity" (p. 104).
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The better way of love can be illustrated by an article by J. C. Massee, in this way: "During one of the battles of the Civil War, a confederate drummer boy with a canteen filled with water picked his way back and forth over the silent battlefield whereon lay the dead and dying of both armies. He came to a man who had fallen from loss of blood and excess of pain. Lifting his head, he poured into his lips a few drops of cooling water, bathed his face, and changed his position. In the midst of his ministering the wounded Federal soldier opened his eyes, looked upon the other, and whispered: 'The uniform of an enemy, but the heart of a Christian'" (Sunday School Times, October 12, 1963, p. 14).
This illustration says it all, "When Dr. Doddridge asked his little daughter, who died so early, why everybody seemed to love her, she answered, 'I cannot tell, unless it is because I love everybody.' This was not only a striking but very judicious reply. It accords with the sentiment of Seneca, who gives us a love-charm. And what do you suppose the secret is? 'Love ,' says he, 'in order to be loved.' No being ever yet drew another by the use of terror and authority" (B. I., Volume XLlII, p. 219).
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