1All gifts, however excellent, without charity are worth nothing. 4The praises of charity, 13and its preference to faith and hope.
1THOUGH I speak with the 1tongues 2of men and of 3angels, and have not charity,a I am become as 4sounding 5brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1 Or, languages.
2 That is, which some men in the world were able to speak.
3 The angels, which are spirits, Heb. 1:14, have properly no tongues, as we have, but this must be understood of the excellence and multitude of languages, which even the angels might be able to speak when they are with men.
a love*
4 Or, resounding.
5 That is, a brazen instrument, wherewith men make a great noise without pleasantness or substance.
2Andb though I have the gift of 6prophecy, and understand all 7mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all 8faith, so that I could 9remove mountains,c and have not charity, 10I am nothing.
b Mat. 7:22; Rom. 12:7.
6 See of this gift, Rom. 12:7, and 1 Cor. 12:10.
7 See also of this gift, 1 Cor. 12:8, 10.
8 Namely, to work all kinds of miracles. See 1 Cor. 12:9, 10.
9 That is, should do one of the greatest miracles, such as it would to transfer a mountain from one place into another.
c Mat. 17:20; 21:21; Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6.
10 That is, thus the gifts were not profitable and beneficial to me for salvation.
3And though I bestow all my goods 11to feed the poor, and though I give my body 12to be burned, and 13have not charity, it 14profiteth me nothing.
11 The Greek word signifies to cut bread in pieces or morsels to feed someone.
12 Namely, for Christ’s name and truth; which is the greatest work of christian stout-heartedness.
13 That is, did not do that out of love for God’s glory, and to edify the congregation thereby, and confirm it in the truth, but out of ambition or other necessities and insights.
14 Or, would yield me no profit.
415Charityd16suffereth long, and is 17kind; charity envieth not; charity 18vauntethe not itself, is not 19puffed up,
15 That is, a man who has sincere love.
d Prov. 10:22; 1 Peter 4:8.
16 That is, endures by the grace of the Holy Spirit the reproaches and injuries offered unto it, and refrains wrath and desire of revenge.
17 That is, inclined and ready to do good to everyone, even to enemies.
18 Or, boasts perversely, rashly, vainly, namely, in words or in deeds.
e boast.
19 That is, proud, ambitious, highly conceited of itself, and despising others.
5Doth not behave itself 20unseemly, seekethf not 21her own, is not easily 22provoked, 23thinketh no evil;
20 Or, improperly.
f 1 Cor. 10:24; Philip. 2:4.
21 Gr. the things which are its own; that is, the things which concern its own advantage, but the welfare of its neighbor and of many.
22 Namely, to wrath, passion and desire of revenge.
23 That is, considers not in its mind how it shall do its neighbor any evil from desire of revenge. Or, suspects no evil in the actions of its neighbor, out of mistrust or evil suspicion, or imputes no evil.
6Rejoiceth not 24in iniquity, butg rejoiceth 25in the truth;
24 Or, about iniquity, namely, when anyone does what is unjust, or also when injustice is done to any man.
g 2 John verse 4.
25 Or, with the truth, that is, when anyone does, or is done to anyone, what is just and proper.
726Beareth all things, 27believeth all things, 28hopeth all things, 29endureth all things.
26 Or, suffereth; for, the Greek word signifies both. But forasmuch as afterward in the same verse is spoken of endurance, therefore the word to bear is better used here, seeing this is also a proper work of love, Prov. 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8. Or, it taketh all things in the good sense and unto the best.
27 Namely, which are somewhat credible and not manifestly false, namely, concerning the actions of his neighbor, construing them always to the best as long as the contrary does not appear.
28 Namely, of God, that He will deliver and assist him, Job 13:15, and of men, that they have not meant, spoken or done so evil, or that, being fallen, they will rise again.
29 That is, suffers all injuries done to it for the sake of peace, without revenging itself.
8Charity 30never 31faileth: but whether there be 32prophecies, they 33shall fail; whether there be 34tongues, they 35shall cease; whether there be 36knowledge, it shall vanish away.
30 That is, it neither ceases in this life to bring forth these fruits, nor shall it cease in that to come, but always abide and be perfect, although not always employed in the same kind of operations.
31 Gr. never falleth off, or, have taken none effect, as Rom. 9:6.
32 See 1 Cor. 12:10.
33 Namely, as well in this life, when that gift shall cease, as it came to pass after the apostles’ times, as in that to come, in which the foretelling of things future shall not be necessary.
34 Or, languages, see 1 Cor. 12:10.
35 Namely, even as the prophecies.
36 Namely, that imperfect knowledge which we now obtain by the ministry of the Word in this life, as is declared in the following verses.
9For 37we know 38in part, and we prophesy in part.
37 Namely, now in this life.
38 Not that we do not know now all that is necessary for us to salvation, John 16:13; 1 Cor. 1:5; 2 Tim. 3:15, but the apostle speaks thus in respect and in comparison of the knowledge which we shall have of Divine things in the life to come; unto which, this our knowledge which we now have, is to be accounted but a little part.
10But when that which is 39perfect 40is come, then that which is 41in part shall be done away.
39 That is, the perfect knowledge of Divine things, as much as a mere man shall be able to comprehend, and shall be needful for us to perfect joy and salvation.
40 Which shall be first in the life to come.
41 That is, this imperfect knowledge. See verse 8.
1142When I was a child, I spake as a child, I 43understood as a child, I 44thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away 45childish things.
42 The apostle compares the knowledge which we have now in this life to the knowledge which little children have; and the knowledge which we shall have in the life to come to the knowledge of adults. There is such a difference between both, and yet much greater.
43 Or, I considered, I thought.
44 That is, considering things with mine understanding.
45 That is, that small, inferior and childish knowledge, which was in me.
12Forh46now we see through a 47glass, 48darkly; but 49then5051face to face: 52now I 53know in part; but 54then shall I know even as also I 55am known.
h 2 Cor. 3:18.
46 Namely, as long as we are in this life.
47 That is, between our present knowledge, and that which we shall have after this life, is such a difference, as there is when one sees the image of another’s face in the mirror, and when he beholds the face itself.
48 Gr. in a riddle, that is, there is likewise such a difference, as when one propounds anything obscure in the manner of a riddle, and when he does the same with plain, proper and clear words.
49 Namely, in the life to come.
50 Or, then see. That is, know, namely, God and all Divine things.
51 That is, clearly and perfectly. See 1 John 3:2.
52 Namely, in this life.
53 That is, even I myself, although I am an apostle and was taken up into the third heaven, and there heard unutterable words, 2 Cor. 12:4.
54 Namely, in the life to come.
55 Namely, of God, Who knows me perfectly, loves me, acknowledges me for His (own), and through this His love shall give me the same knowledge.
13And 56now 57abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the 58greatest of these is charity.
56 See verse 12.
57 That is, we have need that all these three virtues be and abide in us. For without faith we cannot be justified, and it is impossible to please God; and without hope, faith cannot stand, and by love, faith must be operative.
58 Gr. greater, namely, because faith and hope shall cease in the life to come, because then we shall actually enjoy and possess the good things which we now believe and hope for; but love shall abide forever, and be perfect. See verse 8.