First Corinthians 13:1-13
Continuing from ‘chapter 12’ concerning spiritual-things, Paul puts
himself as the example pointing-out to the Corinthian holy-people
(sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of the only true God).
He explains how all holy-people should behave themselves with regard to
spiritual-things according to a super-throwing way in the church,
instead-of being jealous of one-another's different functions within the
one spiritual body of Christ; all holy-people are limbs in-particular of
this one body.
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 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, either to God or giving a message from God to the
church, because it is my holy spirit-life which gives me
the actual words to utter)…
- but
I would not presently and actively have/hold love1 while I
am doing this
- then
I, being a functioning limb, became and still am 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 category.
Paul does not write that the speaking with tongues becomes copper
sounding or a cymbal clanging, but that he himself, the person doing the
speaking, becomes that way in the walk/behavior category. He has already
taught us in chapter 12 that the manifestation of holy spirit is given
to each holy-person towards the contributing, spiritually – the spirit
will not manifest itself for any other reason. The holy-person
uttering-forth may have other reasons and motives in his/her fleshly
thinking, emotions, feelings, etc, but the holy spirit-life within that
man/woman always does the will of God, not the will of the person unless
of course 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.
The word “mystery” throughout Paul’s letters means “secret.” 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.
Paul continues: if it should happen that I would have prophecy and if I
would know (perceive, see) all the mysteries (secrets) and all the
personal-knowledge (God's knowledge) available to be known, and if it
should happen that I would have all the belief (God's belief, what God
gives me to believe) with the consequence and result that I would be
able to remove mountains (change or transfer them from one place to
another)…
- but
if I would not presently and actively have/hold Godly-love while I am
doing this
- then
I, being a functioning limb, am nothing in the walk/behavior category
(not one thing, nothing of substance in so far as deserving of anything
as a result or to be looked-upon by others as an example to follow).
If it should happen that I would feed people all the things beginning
from me (all of 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 that I
would hand-over or deliver my fleshy-body to/for other people's purposes
(as though to harm myself for their sakes) which would result-in my
having a justifiable claim to speak-loudly about myself for doing this…
- but
if I would not presently and actively have/hold Godly-love while I am
doing this
- then
I, being a functioning limb, am profited (benefited, advantaged) not one
thing, in no way in the walk/behavior category.
[Reference: Romans 5:5, and 13:8-10; I Corinthians 8:1, and chapters 12
and 14.]
Verses 4-7:
.4The love1 is patient, it is
benevolent, it is not jealous, it does not vaunt itself, it does not
puff itself up, .5it is not indecorous, it does not
seek-after the-thing of itself, it is not sharpened, it does not
calculate the bad-thing, .6it does not joy on the
unrighteousness, but it joys-together with the truth, .7it
protectively-covers all-things, it believes all-things, it hopes
all-things, it patiently-endures all-things.
Paul continues teaching concerning spiritual-things by writing what the
characteristics, qualities and attributes of Godly-love are and what
they are not.
1.
love1 is patient (it is long-tempered, long-suffering, with
long-forbearance);
2.
it is benevolent (it shows itself kind, it supplies what is
appropriately needed for use in specific situations);
----
3.
it is not jealous (it is not zealous in the bad sense, it does not have
a boiling or vehement passion against);
4.
it does not vaunt itself (it does not push itself forward showing-off
itself as a braggart in a vainglorious display);
5.
it does not puff itself up (it does not inflate itself with its own
importance or anything else);
6.
it is not indecorous (it does not behave in a not-elegant,
not-well-figured, unseemly way);
7.
it does not seek-after the-thing of itself (it does not look for its own
thing, it is not self-centered);
8.
it is not sharpened (it is not whet by anyone or anything rubbing on it
stimulating or causing it to be irritated, touchy, incited, no
paroxysm);
9.
it does not calculate the bad-thing (it does not compute, count, reason
within itself anything which is bad);
10. it
does not joy on the unrighteousness (it is not joyful resting upon
injustice, it does not rejoice based on unjustness);
but…
11. it
joys-together with the truth (it is joyful, it rejoices in conjunction
with the truth which is what God says);
12. it
protectively-covers all-things (sheltering, keeping or fending off
anything which may hurt, as the roof of a house protectively-covers the
inside of that house which is concealed by the roof, thereby sustaining
and supporting all of God's spiritual things);
13. it
believes all-things (it has faith in, trusts all of God's spiritual
things, which is what Paul is in the middle of teaching here – this
phrase does not mean that it believes anything and everything, for that
would be against God's will!);
14. it
hopes all-things (it expects all of God's spiritual things to come to
pass in the future);
15. it
patiently-endures all-things (it holds-out, bears-up, stays or remains
upright relative to God and the things of God under all things).
God's kind of love is patient, it is benevolent, it is not jealous, it
does not vaunt itself, it does not puff itself up, it is not indecorous,
it does not seek-after the-thing of itself, it is not sharpened, it does
not calculate the bad-thing, it does not joy on the unrighteousness, but
it joys-together with the truth, it protectively-covers all-things, it
believes all-things, it hopes all-things, it patiently-endures
all-things - relative-to God and the things of God.
[Reference: John 17:17; Acts 15:39, and 17:16; I Corinthians 4:6, 8:1,
9:12, and 10:24; II Corinthians 6:4-10; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:14.]
Verses 8-10:
.8The love1 never falls, but
whether prophecies they will be rendered-ineffective, whether
tongues they will stop, whether knowledge it will be
rendered-ineffective – .9for partially we know and
partially we prophesy, .10but whenever the completion may
come the-thing (which is) partial will be
rendered-ineffective.
Love1 (not any other kind of love) does
not fall at any time (it never falls down, as from a higher to a lower
place thereby being rendered-ineffective or stopping). How could it -
for love1 is God's love; it cannot fall because God does not
fall!
But…
- since there are holy-people who have prophecies via holy spirit (from
the day of Pentecost when this gift of holy spirit was first made
available and then received by mankind – Acts chapter 2), these
prophecies will (at a future time – I Thessalonians 4:13-17, and I
Corinthians 15:51-57) be rendered ineffective (caused to be inactive,
inoperative and useless);
- since there are holy-people who speak with tongues via holy spirit,
these tongues will stop (willingly come to an end, cause themselves to
cease activity);
- since there are holy-people who have personal-knowledge via holy spirit,
this knowledge will be rendered ineffective.
Again, by Paul not actually writing all of the different ways that the
gift of holy spirit within each holy-person can manifest itself towards
what is contributing in the spirit category, he emphasizes that he is
including all nine (I Corinthians 12:7-11).
Paul next gives the reason why these-things (what we holy-people have
available to us by means of our holy spirit-life) will be rendered
ineffective or stop in the future: in truth…
- we
only partially personally-know God's inner thoughts given to us at
specific times by means of holy spirit, and
- we
only partially prophesy God's words given to us at specific times by
means of holy spirit.
We don't know all of God's knowledge neither do we prophesy all of God's
prophecy, but it is by God's grace that He would reveal a certain amount
of knowledge and prophecy to us. And again, the whole manifestation of
holy spirit should be included in the reader's mind. Why does Paul write
that its manifestation is only partial? Because that holy spirit which
every Christian has within him/her is only the earnest (the token or
deposit) of the whole inheritance that we will receive in the future
which has been promised to us by God.
But at whatever time in the future the completion will come (when the
perfection of the ultimate arrival of the state of completeness which
God intends, that-which has reached God's intended fulfilling
ending-issue will come – not the ending of a departed state but its
completion), at that time the-thing which we only have partially (not
wholly) will be rendered ineffective (caused to be inactive, inoperative
and useless). At that time, what is partial will be rendered ineffective
– because we will receive what is whole (it would not make any sense to
want to remain with only part of what is available and thus incomplete,
instead of the whole of what is available – the completion!).
When the resurrected Christ comes for us then we will receive our full
inheritance, the completion of the earnest of holy spirit which all of
us holy-people have now as a gift from God by means of the Lord Jesus
Christ. After Christ gathers all of us together, we will not need the
manifestation of the earnest because we will have the completion, the
full inheritance, not only a small earnest of it. We will each have a
spiritual body like the resurrected Christ has already received from
God. We will be with our Lord Jesus Christ, and we will be with the only
true God Who is our Father.
[Reference: Romans 8:15-18; I Corinthians chapter 15; II Corinthians
1:20-22, and 5:5; Ephesians 1:13 and 14; Philippians 3:20 and 21;
Revelation 21:1-22:6.]
Verses 11 and 12:
.11When I used-to-be an infant I used-to
utter-forth as an infant, I used-to think as an infant, I used-to
calculate as an infant – when I became2 an adult-male I
rendered-ineffective2 the-things of the infant; .12for
now we observe by means of a mirror in an enigma, but then face
towards face; now I know partially, but then I will fully-know
according as also I was fully-known.
Paul teaches and explains verses 8-10 by illustration, and he uses
himself as the example: at the time when I was an infant (a minor being
under-age, immature in the physical category) I used to speak as
an infant (as a baby having received life but still without the power of
adult/mature speech and so being childish in my behavior), I used to
think (have thoughts in my mind) as an infant, I used to calculate
(compute, reckon, count) as an infant – but at the time when I became an
adult-male and I am still an adult-male (a grown man in the
physical category) I rendered the things which pertain-to the
infant ineffective (inactive, inoperative, useless) and they are still
ineffective during the everyday living of my adult life.
Corresponding to the illustration Paul has just given regarding himself
in the physical category, he continues regarding the spirit
category: in truth, at this time (the immediately-past time) we
holy-people presently and actively observe (we are mentally-aware and
contemplate, even though we may not physically see anything with our
physical eyes) spiritual-things by means of (through) a mirror.
A mirror in Paul's time-period was usually made with polished metal and
the person looking at the mirror saw the reflected rays of light
producing a reflection of the source-object whether it be the person
himself or something else, and these reflected rays of light from the
polished metal would also land-on and so light-up his face. How do we
currently observe spiritual-things? As observing by means of a mirror
which is observing in an enigma – an obscure hinting of the actual
object, a riddle, the content of-which seems to be spoken/written
obscurely to the hearer/reader and therefore it is hard to understand.
Because we have only a part of what we will have in the future, our
present observance of spiritual-things is enigmatic to us, like looking
at a blurred reflection in a mirror. Paul is not saying that our holy
spirit-life communicates obscurely to us, but, because of our
physical limitations, we do not understand the fullness of
spiritual-things at the moment.
But when the completion comes at a future time and we will receive our
complete inheritance, then (at that time) we will observe
spiritual-things face to face. We will observe looking at the object
itself. There will be nothing interfering with us concerning
spiritual-things causing obscurity, and therefore spiritual-things will
not be an enigma to us.
Paul writes again regarding himself: now (the immediately-past time) I
only partly personally know (which is a truly active and relative
knowing), but then I will have full, clear and exact personal knowledge
within myself concerning spiritual-things even as I was fully-known –
looking from the future backwards to the present time it will be in the
past-tense. God and the Lord Jesus Christ have full, clear and exact
personal knowledge concerning Paul in the spirit category which is God's
viewpoint, and in the future after Christ gathers all holy-people
together with him, Paul will also fully-know about himself in the spirit
category.
[Reference: Numbers 12:7 and 8; I Kings 10:1; John 10:14; I Corinthians
8:2, 3, and chapter 15; Galatians 4:9; II Timothy 2:19; I John 3:1 and
2; Revelation 22:3 and 4.]
Verse 13:
.13But now these three things – belief, hope,
love1 – remain, but the love1 (is)
greater of these-things.
But now – here Paul uses a different Greek word translated "now" which
emphasizes "right now" and so there is no excuse for any holy-person not
to live accordingly – but emphatically at the present time, these three
things remain (stay, they are not stopping nor are they falling, but
these three remain):
1.
belief – God's belief (that-which God believes, what He gives us to have
faith and trust in; belief is God's information that is made known to a
person to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety
concerning a specific situation or circumstance);
2.
hope – God's hope (that-which God hopes, what He gives us to expect to
come to pass in the future, His firm-anticipation concerning a future
specific situation or circumstance);
3.
love1 – God's love (as described above)…
…but the love1 is greater (comparatively more-great, larger in
quantity, quality, magnitude) of these-things (pertaining-to or
regarding these – not "than" these-things). Paul did not write that love1
is greater than belief and hope, nor did he write that it is better than
them – but he wrote that it is greater of them (just like when
the mustard seed grows then it is the greater of herbs, Matthew 13:31
and 32). God's kind of love in evidence covers a larger area; it encompasses (includes)
hope, and hope encompasses (includes) belief. All three should be active
during the life of every holy-person!
We holy-people can either love with Godly-love or not. We are either
manifesting it during our everyday living or we are not manifesting it
because it is not possible to partially Godly-love! But, we can thank
God that He has given us the ability to Godly-love! Now
it’s up to us to do what God says.
[Reference: Matthew 13:32, 22:37-39; Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:5 and 6;
Colossians 3:14; I Thessalonians 1:3, and 5:8; I Timothy 1:1 and 5;
Hebrews 11:1; I Peter 4:8; I John 2:5. 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.]
And, the continuation of this teaching concerning spiritual-things has
been put into the next chapter.
