First Corinthians 13:1-13

Continuing from chapter 12 concerning spiritual-things, Paul puts himself as the example to explain how all holy-people should behave according to a super-throwing way, instead of being jealous of one-another's different functions within the one spiritual body of Christ, the church.

I Corinthians 13:1-3:

^13:1if-ever I may utter-forth with the tongues of men and of angels but I may not have love¹, I became² copper sounding or a cymbal clanging; ^.2and if-ever I may have prophecy and I may have known² all the mysteries and all the knowledge, and if-ever I may have all the belief so-as to change-the-standing-place-of mountains but I may not have love¹, I am nothing; ^.3and-if-ever I may feed all-things (to people), the-things beginning-from me, and if-ever I may give my body over in order that I may boast but I may not have love¹, I am profited nothing.

If it should ever happen that I (Paul)…

• would utter-forth (speak) with
  • the tongues of men and the tongues of angels (it does not matter which language I would speak because it is my holy spirit-life that gives me the actual words to utter)
    • but I would not have love¹ (hold God’s kind of love while I am uttering-forth with tongues)
    • then I became and continue to be (in the figurative sense)
  • copper making a sound (bronze, brass or any metals echoing, which is not its correct operation, and therefore making a confused noise)
  • or a cymbal making a harsh metallic sound (which is not its correct operation)
    • in the walk (behavior, conduct) category.

Paul does not write that the uttering-forth with tongues becomes copper sounding or a cymbal clanging – but that he himself becomes that way in his behavior, even though he is a functioning limb in the one body of Christ.

In chapter 12 Paul has already taught us that the manifestation of holy spirit is given to each holy-person towards the-thing contributing, spiritually – the spirit will not manifest itself for any other reason. However, the holy-person uttering-forth may have other reasons and motives in his/her fleshly thinking, emotions, feelings, etc. The holy spirit-life within the speaker always does the will of God, not the will of the person – unless that person also wants to do God's will, then both the holy spirit and the holy-person are in harmony, walking and living with and for God.

The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations.

It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.

Paul continues: if it should ever happen that…

• I would have prophecy (receive God’s words via my holy spirit-life to speak-forth to, before, or in front of another person or people concerning the past, present and/or future)
• and I would know (perceive, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with my mind)
  • all the mysteries (every one of God’s secrets; a mystery contains the details that are known and can be understood by those involved in it and by those to whom it has been revealed – it is not inexplicable to those involved in it)
  • and all the knowledge (God’s personal knowledge of/about someone or something, a truly active and relative knowing, having information concerning every specific situation or circumstance),

…and if it should ever happen that…

• I would have all the belief (God's belief, the information that God gives me to believe, to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety, what He gives me to trust, to have faith-in concerning every specific situation or circumstance)
  • with the consequence and result that I would be able to change the standing place of mountains (remove them from their current position, change their location, transfer them from one place to another)
• but if I would not have Godly-love while I am doing this (as verse 1 above)
• then I am nothing (my behavior being a functioning limb is nothing of substance, not one thing deserving of reward as a result, nothing to be looked-upon by others as an example to follow);

…and if it should happen at any time that…

• I would feed people all the things beginning from me (feed them everything that starts from me, my belongings, possessions, the things in my domain, as though putting little bits of food into their mouths like a nurse would feed young-children when they are hungry)

…and if it should happen at any time that…

• I would give my body over (hand over, deliver my fleshy body alongside or beside another, to/for other people's purposes, as though to harm myself for their sakes)
  • with the purpose and result for me to boast (to speak justifiably loudly)
• but if I would not have Godly-love while I am doing this (as verse 1 above)
• then I am profited nothing (my behavior being a functioning limb is benefitting me in not one thing of substance, there is no advantage for me deserving of reward as a result of my conduct).

[Reference: Romans 5:5, 12:6 and 20, 13:8-10; I Corinthians chapters 12 and 14. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

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