1 Corinthians 13

Notes

Ver. 1. Such is the transcendent excellency and necessity of that true Christian love which, from regard to Christ, and in obedience to his commands, earnestly seeks the good of others, that though I or any other could, by the special gift of the Holy Ghost, speak all the languages of mankind with the eloquence of angels, we should be as a mere empty noise or useless show if we were destitute of this. 2. Had we the gift of prophecy, qualifying us to foretell all future events, or explain and apply all the predictions of the Old Testament; or had we the clearest insight into the sublime mysteries of the gospel or revelation, and the greatest compass of human knowledge that ever a mere creature attained ; and had we the strongest faith of miracles that we could remove mountains at pleasure; yet, without this true Christian love to God, and to men for his sake, we could not exercise these gifts for his glory and their good; nay, could have no real grace, no true Christianity. 3. And though we were so liberal as to dispose of all that we have in the world for the relief of the poor, and showed so much zeal, fortitude, and self-denial, as to suffer the most cruel martyrdom for the truths of Christ, yet if we had not sincere love to him, and his members, interests, and honour, it would be of no advantage to our spiritual or eternal happiness, but merely procure a transient and empty character among men.—4. This true Christian love of which I speak is a most amiable, generous, and operative grace: it endures injuries, affronts, and provocations, with great patience and long-suffering; it is always courteous, affable, and beneficent, ready on every account to do good; it never grudges nor murmurs at the prosperity, riches, honours, gifts, or graces of others; it never behaves with insolence, contempt, or scorn towards persons of inferior rank or attainments, nor acts rashly or perversely to the hurt of others; nor does it fill a man with proud conceit of his own person, gifts, graces, or worldly privileges. 5. It never disposes men to act anything indecent, base, vile, or unsuitable to their station, age, calling, or Christian profession; it never aims at nor pursues any private personal advantage, to the hurt of others, nor inordinately seeks after riches, honours, or pleasures, at the expense of others; it is not angry without cause, nor easily provoked with the greatest injuries, nor disposed to any unchristian resentment; it is never ready to suspect evil of others, or to put the worst construction upon their conduct ; much less does it seek to find fault, to aggravate what is really amiss, or to devise mischief of any kind. 6. It takes no pleasure in falsehood or unrighteousness, either in ourselves or others, but grieves at our and their sins and failures, and rejoices in their just and regular deportment, and in our own sincere and faithful behaviour towards God or men; and delights to see the truth of the gospel, and real, vital, and practical religion flourish in ourselves or others. 7. It covers the faults of others, as far as can be done without sin; bears their infirmities, and suffers many injuries, rather than requite them: it is inclined to believe good of every one, till it have convincing evidence to the contrary; and even where things look suspicious, it hopes the best as long as it can, and that, by the grace of God, what is wrong may be afterwards amended ; and it continues steadfast, patient, and Christianly brave, under all the hardships and ill-usage it meets with. 8, This super-excellent grace of love to God, to Christ, and to his people is never utterly lost out of the heart, and is of perpetual use in every circumstance of life in this world, and in the other it will be perfected, and shine forth in all its glory; whereas the gifts of foretelling future events, speaking with divers tongues, or of immediate inspiration in the mysteries of the gospel for the instruction of others, are only useful for a little while in the church on earth, and will be of no use at all in the eternal state. 9, 10. For even the best and wisest of us have here but a very imperfect knowledge of the divine mysteries or future events represented to us in the Word of God; but when we arrive at the heavenly state of perfection for which we are looking, hoping, and longing, all the defects which attend our own knowledge, or communication of it to others, will be removed, and we shall have as plain and extensive views of things present and future as the most perfect happiness of the most exalted creatures can require. 11, For as when we grow up to manhood we put away our childish, weak, confused, crude, and mistaken notions, and our silly and trifling manner of speaking of things, so, when we arrive at the state of perfect men in Christ, we shall correct multitudes of our present mistakes, and shall have inexpressibly more just and clear apprehensions of divine things than in our present state of childhood on earth. 12. For in this mortal state of imperfection we obtain no more through the Word and ordinances of God than an obscure, confused, and perplexing view of the mysteries of his nature, perfections, purposes, and works of creation, providence, and redemption; but in the state of glory above we shall know these matters in the most immediate, clear, distinct, perfect, and satisfying manner—like to that in which we are now known by our most familiar friends, or shall be known by God, angels, and glorified saints. 13. Not only is this Christian love preferable to every spiritual gift, but even to every saving grace; for in this present life, faith, hope, and love constantly reside in us, and ought to be exercised by us, as all absolutely necessary in our salvation; but love is the most excellent, as it relates not only to God and ourselves, but also to our neighbours: it is the evidence of true faith and hope; it is our brightest conformity to God, who is love; and when faith and hope shall, as it were, give place to immediate vision and full enjoyment, love to God, to Christ, to saints, and holy angels will for ever flame with the most disinterested and delightful ardour, as a great part of our happiness.

Ver. 5. Unseemly. In a manner unnecessarily offensive to the opinions, habits, or even the prejudices of others.—Seeketh not her own, exclusively, selfishly; but pays an equal attention to the prosperity and comfort of others.—Thinketh no evil. Does not note down or journalize, as it were, injuries received—does not impute them: that is, forgives them. C.

Ver. 7. Beareth. Rather, covers, conceals, all the errors of men that it is right to hide.—Believeth all things that have any reasonable evidence; whereas prejudice and malignity will not believe 'though one rose from the dead.' C.

Ver. 12. That glass, such as the moderns possess, was manufactured by the ancients, is now beyond dispute; the only difference being that the moderns have attained the art of rendering it more transparent. The apostle therefore intimates that spiritual objects are now seen as natural objects through a dim or dingy glass, but that they soon will be seen as distinctly as those who see each other 'face to face.'—Lord, hasten the time of this blessed vision! C.

Ver. 13. 'The foregoing passage stands alone in the writings of St. Paul, both in its subject and in its style. This epistle finds its climax here, as that to the Romans in the conclusion of ch. viii. or that to the Hebrews in ch. xi. Whatever evil tendencies he had noticed before in the Corinthian church, met their true correction in this one gift. . . . Unlike the mere rhetorical panegyrics on particular virtues which are to be found in Philo and similar writers, every word of the description tells with double force, because it is aimed against a real enemy. It is as though wearied with the long discussions against the sins of the Corinthian church, he had at last found the spell by which they could be overcome, and uttered sentence after sentence with the triumphant cry of eureka!' (Stanley). The language is beautiful, approaching the highest standard of Attic purity; the rhetorical structure is conceived with the most consummate skill; the imagery and rhythm are chaste, musical, and wonderfully impressive. None can read this noble passage without feeling that the highest human genius is here inspired with a power greater than human.—P.

Reflections.—Men may make splendid and pompous appearances in the church, and yet be destitute of real principles of grace. No gifts, however miraculous; no liberality, however extensive; no sufferings for the cause of Christ, can avail, unless they be connected with a principle of saving faith in Christ, and love to him and to his people. Marvellous is the excellency and usefulness of true evangelical love. What benevolence, meekness, patience, humility, forbearance, candour, willingness to believe and hope the best; what disinterested sympathy and generosity; what tender and friendly care it produces! It is much more durable than all spiritual gifts, and, in some sense, than its sister graces of faith and hope, which are so useful in this world. And thrice happy will it be when saints arrive at a perfect knowledge of God; and when love, for the promoting of which faith and hope were but means, shall eternally flame in all our breasts to Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as our all and in all, and towards our fellow-sharers in happiness on his account.