Love, the More Excellent Way, Surpassing All Gifts (1 Corinthians 13:1–3)

First the Apostle shows: a) the superiority of love over all gifts and deeds (verses 1–3); then b) he depicts its bright face, pointing to the fullness of virtues in it and the rejection of all passions (verses 4–7); finally c) he declares that it is eternal (verses 8–13).

x) The superiority of love over all gifts and deeds (1 Cor. 13:1–3)

1 Cor. 13:1. If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Love is the inner force of life. Immersing itself in God and being filled by God, it is all God’s and pours itself out on the brethren, in whom it dwells not in thought but in heart, counting everything that concerns them as concerning itself. This is a self-crucified life, an inexhaustible source of all good. Speaking in tongues is quite an external matter, and in the natural order perhaps only memory is occupied with it, and in the order of grace not even that, for even a donkey was able to speak when it was necessary, and the Lord says stones will cry out when there is no one to declare the will of God. The one who speaks without the presence of inner life is exactly like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. The first expression denotes a single monotone sound, like striking a piece of metal or a metal object, and the second also changes of tones, but without meaning. In Greek—αλαλαζον—it babbles, but says nothing definite.

“The Apostle, in comparing gifts, placed first of all the gift of tongues, because in the opinion of the Corinthians it was more important than others. They considered it important because it was given to the Apostles before all others on the day of Pentecost at the descent of the All-Holy Spirit. He says: if I learn all human languages, and beyond that also the languages of the invisible Powers, but have no love for my neighbor, then I do not differ at all from inanimate instruments” (Theodoret). “And see what he begins with: first of all with what they considered wonderful and great, that is, with the gift of tongues, and when speaking of this gift, he represents it not as it was theirs, but far greater. He did not say: ‘If I speak in tongues,’ but: ‘If I speak in the tongues of mortals.’ What does ‘mortals’ mean?—The languages of all the peoples of the world. Not satisfied even with this increase, he adds another, much greater: ‘and of angels,’ he says. Do you see how he exalted this gift and then afterward lowered and humiliated it? He did not simply say: then I am nothing, but: ‘I am a noisy gong,’ something insensible and soulless, producing sound in vain, without purpose and without any benefit, and not only bringing no benefit to anyone, but seeming to many to be troublesome, burdensome, and unbearable” (Saint John Chrysostom).

What is the angelic language? The blessed Theodoret writes about it: “By angelic languages he does not mean sensible ones, but certain intelligible ones, in which the Angels sing praises to God almighty and converse with one another. For Isaiah heard them singing, and Ezekiel, also Daniel, Zechariah, and Micaiah heard them conversing. The divine Apostle expressed this hyperbolically, intending to show the superiority of love.” Saint John Chrysostom says: “When speaking of the angelic language, the Apostle does not attribute a body to the Angels, but expresses the following: although I were to speak as the Angels ordinarily converse with one another, without love I am nothing and even burdensome and unbearable. Similarly in another place, when he says: ‘every knee of those in heaven will bow,’ (Phil. 2:10), he does not attribute knees and bones to the Angels—far be it—but by the likeness of our worship he wishes to express the earnest worship of the Angels. So also here he speaks of language, meaning not a bodily member, but by a certain way of our conversation expressing their mutual intercourse with one another.”

1 Cor. 13:2. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

These gifts are inward and indicate a great closeness to God. Nonetheless, they do not touch the very depth of our nature, and do not signify an essential union with God. Prophecy—with full knowledge of God’s mysteries in the administration of the kingdom of grace and with full knowledge of the arrangement of the world and all creatures, in their beginning, in the course of time and in the purposes to which all is directed—even such prophecy still has its seat in the head, and when necessary, God can impart it to the mind without regard to what is taking place in the heart, just as He made a donkey speak. Consequently, even with this the innermost can be estranged from God and from neighbors, estranged from true life. Miraculous faith, moving mountains, presupposes great boldness before God; but as the works accomplished by it are external and not its own but God’s, and God by the purposes of His providence can act even through imperfect instruments without regard to them but to others, this gift too can be manifested in a completely external manner, not be a decisive assurance of an inner union with God and with the brethren in God. By the ordinary course of spiritual life one can have neither such prophecy nor such faith without perfect purity and sincere communion with God; but God, by His purposes, when necessity arises, can grant both to such persons who by their inner constitution could not have them. From this it follows that deeds of this kind are not assurances of true spiritual perfection, which is all found in love, that is, one can have these and still be without love, and consequently be nothing. The possibility of such manifestations the Lord Himself confirmed when He said: “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’” (Matt. 7:22–23). I never knew you, He will say, for “the Lord knows those who are His.” By this the Lord expressed that, despite such signs, those who performed them were not His own, and they were not His own because they did not do His will, or what amounts to the same, they did not have love. Thus the word of the Apostle accords with the word of the Lord. The Apostle’s thought is not that such gifts never indicate sincere closeness to God of those manifesting them, but that even with them the absence of such closeness is possible, and without it all is nothing.

Saint John Chrysostom expressed such thoughts on this passage: “The Apostle does not stop at the gift of tongues, but points also to the other gifts, and having shown their worthlessness without love, then begins to describe its image. And since he wished to gradually strengthen his discourse, he ascends from lesser to greater; what he placed last when enumerating the gifts, that is, the gift of tongues, he now places first, ascending, as I said, from lesser to greater. Having spoken of tongues, he immediately passes to prophecy and presents this also in the superlative degree. For as there he pointed not only to tongues but to the tongues of all people, and even to the tongues of Angels, and then said that this gift without love is nothing, so here he speaks not only of prophecy but of prophecy of the highest degree. Having said: ‘if I have prophetic powers,’ he adds: ‘and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,’ presenting this gift also in the superlative degree.”

“Then the Apostle proceeds to the other gifts, and lest he seem burdensome by enumerating them separately, he points to the mother and source of all of them, and again in the superlative degree: ‘and if I have’ he says ‘all faith.’ Not satisfied with this, he adds also what Christ recognized as great: ‘so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.’ See how here again he humiliated the gift of tongues. From prophecy he shows great benefit, namely—knowledge of mysteries and all understanding, equally from faith an important work, namely—the removal of mountains, but about the gift of tongues he only mentioned it and said nothing more about it. Note also how in a few words he encompasses all gifts, that is, in prophecy and faith; this is because miracles are contained either in words or in deeds. He attributes to faith the moving of mountains, not because all faith could produce only this, but because to crude people this seemed great because of the weight of mountains. The Apostle thus exalts the subject, and the meaning of his words is as follows: if I have all faith, if I could even move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing.”

1 Cor. 13:3. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

From gifts the Apostle passes to the very high forms of ascetic labors—distribution of possessions and surrender to burning. The Apostle regards them as works performed in an external manner, in which the inner disposition may not correspond to the dignity of the external. One can distribute everything without love, and resolve to die, also without having love. If God looks at the heart and values works by it, and the value of all works comes from love, then it may be that even deeds of this kind will have no value before God, that is, will bring no benefit. The Apostle’s thought is not to say that such deeds are worthless, but that all their value comes from love; and it is not also that one could love and not perform such deeds when required. He has one thought—to present through such comparisons that it is love alone that gives value to all gifts and to all deeds, and that as soon as it is absent, all is nothing.

Saint John Chrysostom says: “What an emphatic speech! And here he presents everything in the superlative degree. He did not say: if I give away half my possessions, or two or three parts, but: ‘all my possessions.’ He did not say: give away, but ‘distribute’ ψωμισω (to feed someone with one’s own hands), expressing besides the use of wealth, the very zealous service. Also he did not say: if I die, but again he expresses it emphatically, presents the cruelest death, that is, to be burned alive, and says that even such a death without love is not an important matter. But the full force of the Apostle’s words will be revealed when I bring the testimony of Christ about almsgiving and death. What testimony?—To the rich man Christ said: ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven’ (Matt. 19:21); also, when discussing love of neighbor, He said: ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (Jn. 15:13). From this it is evident that even in God’s eyes such love is the highest. But I affirm, says Paul, that if we lay down our souls even for God, and not merely lay them down, but also be burned, then we will have no benefit if we do not love our neighbor. There is nothing surprising in that gifts without love bring no benefit—they are even below a good life; because many who possessed gifts will be punished as wicked, for example, those who prophesied in the name of Christ, cast out demons, and performed many miracles, like Judas the traitor. So there is nothing surprising that gifts need love; but that the very exemplary life means nothing without it, this may seem an exaggeration and cause confusion, especially when Christ attributes great dignity to these two virtues, that is, freedom from greed and martyrdom. Why then does he speak thus? What is to be said about this?”

“Either that Paul supposes the impossible possible, as he ordinarily does when he wishes to say something extraordinary; for example in the epistle to the Galatians he says: ‘Even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed’ (Gal. 1:8). Neither he himself nor an angel could certainly have done this; but in order to depict the matter in the most emphatic manner, he supposes what will never happen. He does the same thing here as well. So either this is to be said, or…” But let us take this second thought from Theodoret, who expresses it more briefly, yet in accord with Saint John Chrysostom. He says: “It is necessary to know that the righteous Judge looks not only at a righteous deed, but also at the purpose of this deed. Many do very much for human glory.”

How it is possible to suffer without love, an example of this was given by a certain Sapriky, priest of Antioch. He was in the most friendly relations with a certain layman Nicephorus. Later they fell out over something, and very much. Nicephorus, however, soon came to his senses and sought reconciliation, but without success. In this state they were overtaken by persecution in the reign of Valerian. Sapriky was seized; he stood firm in the faith and for this was tortured in various ways, and finally was sentenced to beheading. Nicephorus, learning of this, hurried after him and asked for reconciliation; but he refused him. At that the grace departed from him, and he denied Christ the Lord at the very moment when he had already bent his head under the sword. Behold, he suffered, and was ready for everything, but did not have love; and he received no benefit from his sufferings (see Lives of the Saints, February 9).