Chapter Thirteen

¹ Chapter Thirteen. Though I speak with the tongues of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. He did not at once point out to them the way, but first compares it with the gift that seemed to them to be the greater—that of tongues—and shows that this [love] incomparably surpasses it, yes, and all the other gifts besides, and then declares it worthy to be longed for. And by tongues of men he means those of the nations everywhere throughout the world. Not content with this, he sets down yet another hyperbole: And of angels, tongues; not that the angels have tongues, but wishing to indicate something greater, and that which surpasses human tongues, for this reason he spoke thus. For an angel’s tongue is the intellectual power of imparting the divine thoughts to one another; and he named it from our own organ, just as also that, Every knee shall bow, of things in heaven. For they have not bones and sinews, but he indicated their intense subjection. And I have become sounding brass; that is, uttering a sound indeed, but speaking to no purpose, and being burdensome, and benefiting no one, because of being deprived of love.

² And though I have prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all knowledge. Not prophecy simply, but the very highest, and that which knows all mysteries. And observe how, in the case of tongues, he said there was no gain at all; but in the case of prophecy, [he speaks of] the knowing of all mysteries, and all knowledge.

³ And though I have all faith. That he might not seem burdensome by speaking of each thing one by one, he came to the mother and the fountain of all, saying “all faith.”

⁴ So as even to remove mountains, I am nothing. Since to the grosser sort it seemed a very great thing to remove mountains, for this reason [he speaks of] his own [faith]—not that all faith can do this only; for to remove mountains is possible to a small part of faith, to him who has a grain of mustard seed. So then, from [prophecy] and from faith he received all the gifts; but if [they be] apart from love, I am nothing and of no account; rather, I am nothing.[1]

⁵ And though I dole out all my goods to feed the poor. He did not say, Though I give a part of my substance, but, all; and he did not say, Give, but, dole out in morsels; so that to the expenditure there is added the ministering also, done with all carefulness.

⁶ And though I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I am profited nothing. Not “that I may die,” but what is harder than all—that one be burned alive; and not even this is anything, apart from love. But one might say: How is it possible, having doled out one’s goods, [to be] without love? It is possible, then, to say that either he laid down a thing that is not, as though it were—which [he does] when he says, If an angel, or we, should preach to you a gospel other than that which you received; and yet neither he himself nor an angel was ever going to preach otherwise; and in many other places he says such things—or [the meaning is] that it is possible to give without love, whenever it comes about not through compassion toward those in need, but through the desire to please men. But it comes about with love, whenever one does this while suffering-with and being inflamed [with sympathy].

⁷ Love is long-suffering, is kind. Henceforth he goes through the marks of love, and first sets down long-suffering, the root of all virtue. For the long-suffering man is he who has a large and great soul. And since some use long-suffering not for virtue, but often, by slandering and treating with irony those who are angry against them, being in no way long-suffering, rather cause them the more to be inflamed with anger; for this reason he says, is kind, instead of, displays a kindly and guileless character—not, like those just spoken of, festering and deceitful. And these things he said touching the contentious and festering among them.

⁸ Envies not. That is, bears no ill will; for it is possible to be long-suffering, and yet to envy; but love has escaped this too. And this he said because of the envious.

⁹ Is not rash. That is, is not headlong, but renders the one who has it forbearing and steadfast; for he is light who is lifted up, light who is borne aloft. And this too [is said] toward the young and youthful-minded among them.

¹⁰ Is not puffed up. For it is possible to have the aforesaid good things, yet to be puffed up over them; but love has not this either, but along with the things mentioned it is also humble-minded. And [this is said] toward the boastful.

¹¹ Does not behave unseemly. That is, not only is it not puffed up, but even if it should suffer the most shameful things for the sake of the beloved, it does not consider the matter to be unseemliness and loss; just as Christ also, on account of his love toward us, not only accepted the dishonorable cross, but even counted it his own glory. And you may understand it also thus: Does not behave unseemly, instead of, does not insult. For nothing is more unseemly than an insolent man. And this [is said] toward the uncondescending.

¹² Seeks not its own, is not provoked. He tells the manner in which it does not behave unseemly. Because, he says, it seeks not its own advantage, but that of the neighbor; and it counts it unseemliness then, whenever it does not deliver the neighbor who is behaving unseemly. And this, while the rest look on; nor is it provoked, since it does not behave unseemly. For a wrathful man is not seemly. So that love does not behave unseemly, because neither is it provoked—that is, it does not leap up into anger. This [is said] toward those who are insulted.

¹³ Thinks no evil. Suffering all evils, he says, it is not provoked to anger; and not only does it not work evil in return, for vengeance, but it does not even reckon it. And observe everywhere how he does not say that love is jealous indeed, but prevails; or is provoked indeed, but masters [it]; but [he says] that it does not at the very outset allow any wickedness whatever to spring up; as here also: Thinks no evil. And this too [is said] toward the same persons, that they may not return insult for insult.

¹⁴ Rejoices not in iniquity. That is, is not gladdened, whenever someone is wronged, and is abused, and suffers ill.

¹⁵ But rejoices with the truth. But, what is far greater, he says, it rejoices together over those who are well-esteemed; and whenever the truth prospers, it counts this its own glory. And this [is said] toward the envious.

¹⁶ Bears all things. Both insults, and blows, and death; for this its long-suffering bestows upon it, which he said belonged to it. And this [is said] toward those who are plotted against.

¹⁷ Believes all things. Whatever the beloved may say; and it neither speaks anything festering itself, nor supposes that another speaks [so].

¹⁸ Hopes all things, endures all things. It does not despair, he says, of the beloved, but ever hopes that he will advance to the better. And this he said toward those who despair. But if, even having hoped, it should fail, that one remaining in his wickedness, it nobly bears his shortcomings; For it endures all things. And this [is said] toward those who easily fall apart from one another.

¹⁹ Love never fails. That is, never misses the mark, but sets all things aright; or, what is better, instead of: it is not dissolved, is not cut off, never ceases, but abides even in the age to come, while all the others are done away, as he will say next.

²⁰ But whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether tongues, they shall cease. Having enumerated the offshoots of love, again he exalts it in another way also, by saying that both prophecy and tongues shall then have an end, but that love is abiding and unending. For if both the prophecies and the tongues, because faith has been received within, the truth being everywhere spread abroad, will reasonably be idle as superfluous—both now, but most of all then.

²¹ Whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. If knowledge is going to be done away, are we then going to pass our time in ignorance? God forbid; rather the word speaks concerning the partial knowledge, as he himself also interprets this. The partial knowledge shall be done away, the perfect [knowledge] dawning, namely, that which is according to the life to come. For we shall no longer know [only] so much, but far more; for instance, that God is [the God] of all things, we know now; but how, we know not; and that a virgin gave birth, we know; but how, not yet; but then we shall know something more than these things.

²² When I was a child. Having said that, the perfect having come, that which is in part is done away, now he brings also an example, through which he shows how great is the interval between the present knowledge and that which shall be then. For now we are like children; but then we shall be men.

²³ I spoke as a child. As regards the tongues, [is] this I spoke.

²⁴ I thought as a child. This [is] as regards the prophecies.

²⁵ I reasoned as a child. This [is] as regards the knowledge.

²⁶ But when I became a man, I did away with the things of the child. That is, when in the age to come I shall have the more manly knowledge, then shall be done away the knowledge resembling that of children, which we have here. He adds therefore:

²⁷ For now we see through a mirror, in a riddle. He makes clear what was said about the child, and shows that our knowledge now is somewhat dim, but later will be more distinct. For now we see through a mirror, he says. Then, since the mirror shows the imitation of the thing reflected more in outline [than the reality], he added, In a riddle, showing with hyperbole that the present knowledge is most partial.

²⁸ But then face to face. Not that God has a face, but [signifying] through this the clearer and more manifest knowledge, and that which is unveiled.

²⁹ Now I know in part; but then I shall fully know, even as I also was fully known. In a twofold way he pulls down their inflation, showing both that the present knowledge is partial, and that it is not from ourselves. For it was not I, he says, who knew God, but he made me known. As, then, now he himself knew me, and himself ran toward me, so I shall run toward him then more greatly than now; just as one sitting in darkness, so long as he does not see the sun, does not himself run toward the beauty of the ray, but it shows itself, whenever it shines; but when he has received its splendor, then he himself also pursues the light. This, then, is the [meaning of] Even as I also was fully known; not that we shall know him so exactly [as he knows us], but that, just as he ran toward us now, so we shall hold to him then. Or [it is] as if someone, finding a well-born infant exposed, comely in form, and himself recognizing it, should take it up, and deem it worthy of care, and rearing it nobly, should at the last enrich it with wealth, and bring it into the palace; and the child, so long as it was an infant, would perceive none of these things, nor recognize the loving-kindness of the one who took it up; but when it was grown to manhood, then it would recognize the benefactor, and love him worthily. Behold, through the example what was shadowed over in the saying has been illumined for you.

³⁰ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. There are indeed tongues, and prophecies, and [kinds of] knowledge, even if they are dim; yet, faith being set in all, as has been said above also, they shall be wholly idle; faith, however, hope, love, are more abiding than these (for this is what he signifies by saying, And now abide, indicating the abidingness of the three); and of these themselves love is the greatest, since it extends also into the age to come.

³¹ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three. Here, he says, faith, hope, love are more abiding. For the faith of the preaching, as has been said, being spread abroad everywhere, the tongues and the prophecies and the rest of the gifts shall cease. But faith—that concerning the things to come, the judgment and the recompense—and the hope of the rewards, and love toward one another, shall abide until the age to come.

³² But the greatest of these is love. And again, of these more abiding excellences love is the greatest. For when the consummation has come, faith and hope shall cease; but love shall abide, becoming mightier and more intense.