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Charity, or love to God and man, the sum and substance
of all true religion; so that without it, the most
splendid eloquence, the gift of prophecy, the most
profound knowledge, faith by which the most stupendous
miracles might be wrought, benevolence the most
unbounded, and zeal for the truth, even to martyrdom,
would all be unavailing to salvation, 1-3.
The
description and praise of this grace, 4-7.
Its
durableness; though tongues, prophecies, and knowledge
shall cease, yet this shall never fail, 8-10.
Description of the present imperfect state of man,
11,12.
Of all the graces of God in man, charity, or love,
is the greatest, 13.
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Verse 1.
Though I speak, preceding chapter the apostle promised
to show the Corinthians a more excellent way than that
in which they were now proceeding. They were so distracted
with contentions, divided by parties, and envious of each
other's gifts, that unity was nearly destroyed. This
was a full proof that love to God and man was
wanting; and that without this, their numerous gifts
and other graces were nothing in the eyes of God; for
it was evident that they did not love one another, which is a
proof that they did not love God; and consequently, that they
had not true religion. Having, by his advices and directions,
corrected many abuses, and having shown them how in outward
things they should walk so as to please God, he now shows them
the spirit, temper, and disposition in which
this should be done, and without which all the rest must be
ineffectual.
Before I proceed to the consideration of the different
parts of this chapter, it may be necessary to examine whether
the word οτοις,
be best translated by charity or
love. Wiclif, translating from the Vulgate, has
the word charity; and him our authorized version
follows. But Coverdale, Matthews, Cranmer, and the
Geneva Bible, have love; which is adopted by
recent translators and commentators in general; among whom the
chief are Dodd, Pearce, Purver, Wakefield, and Wesley; all
these strenuously contend that the word charity, which
is now confined to almsgiving, is utterly improper; and
that the word love, alone expresses the apostle's
sense. As the word charity seems now to express little
else than almsgiving, which, performed even to the uttermost
of a man's power, is nothing if he lack what the
apostle terms οτοις,
, and which we here translate
charity; it is best to omit the use of a word in this
place which, taken in its ordinary signification, makes the
apostle contradict himself; see 1 Corinthians
13:3: Though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and
have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. That is:
"Though I have the utmost charity, and act in every respect
according to its dictates, yet, if I have not charity,
my utmost charity is unprofitable." Therefore, to shun
this contradiction, and the probable misapplication of the
term, LOVE had better be substituted for CHARITY!
The word οτοις,
, love, I have already considered at
large in Clarke's note on "Mt 22:37"; and to that place
I beg leave to refer the reader for its derivation and import.
Our English word love we have from the Teutonic
leben to live, because love is the means,
dispenser, and preserver of life; and without it life
would have nothing desirable, nor indeed any thing even
supportable: or it may be taken immediately from the
Anglo-Saxon {A.S.} and {A.S.} love, from {A.S.} and
{A.S.}, to desire, to love, to favour. It
would be ridiculous to look to the Greek verb οτοις,
for its
derivation.
Having said so much about the word love, we should
say something of the word charity, which is supposed to
be improper in this place. Charity comes to us
immediately from the French charite, who borrowed it
from the Latin charitas, which is probably borrowed
from the Greek χαρις, signifying grace or
favour, or χαρα, joy, as a benefit bestowed is a
favour that inspires him who receives it with
joy; and so far contributes to his happiness.
The proper meaning of the word CHARUS, is dear,
costly; and CRARITAS, is dearth, scarcity, a
high price, or dearness. Hence, as in times of
dearth or scarcity, many, especially the poor, must be in
want, and the benevolent will be excited to relieve them; the
term which expressed the cause of this want was
applied to the disposition which was excited in behalf
of the sufferer. Now, as he who relieves a person in distress,
and preserves his life by communicating a portion of his
property to him, will feel a sort of interest in the
person thus preserved; Hence he is said to be dear to
him: i.e. he has cost him something; and he
values him in proportion to the trouble or
expense he has cost him. Thus charity
properly expresses that affectionate attachment we may
feel to a person whose wants we have been enabled to
relieve; but originally it signified that want of the
necessaries of life which produced dearth or
dearness of those necessaries; and brought the poor man
into that state in which he stood so much in need of the
active benevolence of his richer neighbour. If the word be
applied to God's benevolence towards man, it comes in with all
propriety and force: we are dear to God, for we have
not been purchased with silver or gold, but with
the precious (οτοις,
, costly) blood of
Christ, who so loved us as to give his life a ransom for ours.
As Christians in general acknowledge that this chapter is
the most important in the whole New Testament, I shall give
here the first translation of it into the
English language which is known to exist, extracted
from an ancient and noble MS. in my own possession, which
seems to exhibit both a text and language, if
not prior to the time of Wiclif, yet certainly not posterior
to his days. The reader will please to observe that there are
no divisions of verses in the MS.
The XIII. Chapter of I. Corinthians, from an ancient MS.
Gyf I speke with tungis of men and aungels sotheli I have
not charitee: I am maad as brasse sounynge, or a symbale
tynking. And gif I schal habe prophecie and habe knowen alle
mysteries and alle hunynge or science. and gif I schal have al
feith so that I oder bere hills fro oo place to an other.
forsothe gif I schal not have charite: I am nought. And gif I
schal deperte al my goodid into metis of pore men. And gif I
schal bitake my body so that I brenne forsothe gif I schal not
have charite it profitith to me no thing. Charite is pacient
or suffering. It is benyngne or of good wille. Charite envyeth
not. It doth not gyle it is not inblowen with pride it is not
ambyciouse or coveitouse of wirschippis. It seeketh not the
thingis that ben her owne. It is not stirid to wrath it
thinkith not yvil. it joyeth not on wickidnesse forsothe it
joyeth to gydre to treuthe. It suffreth all thingis. it
bileeveth alle thingis. it hopith alle thingis it susteeneth
alle things. Charite fallith not doun. Whether prophecies
schuln be bolde eyther langagis schuln ceese: eyther science
schul be distruyed. Forsothe of the party we ban knowen: and
of partye prophecien. Forsothe whenne that schal cum to that
is perfit: that thing that is of partye schal be avoydid.
Whenne I was a litil chiilde: I spake as a litil chiilde. I
understode as a litil chiilde: I thougte as a litil chiild.
Forsothe whenne I was a maad a mam: I avoydid tho thingis that
weren of a litil chiild. Forsothe we seen now bi a moror in
dercness: thanne forsothe face to face. Nowe I know of partye:
thanne forsothe I schal know and as I am knowen. Nowe forsothe
dwellen feith hoope charite. These three: forsothe the more of
hem is charite.
This is the whole of the chapter as it exists in the MS.,
with all its peculiar orthography, points, and
lines. The words with lines under may be considered the
translator's marginal readings; for, though incorporated with
the text, they are distinguished from it by those lines.
I had thought once of giving a literal translation of the
whole chapter from all the ancient versions. This would be
both curious and useful; but the reader might think it would
take up too much of his time, and the writer has none
to spare.
The tongues of men
All human languages, with all the eloquence of the most
accomplished orator.
And of angels
i.e. Though a man knew the language of the eternal
world so well that he could hold conversation with its
inhabitants, and find out the secrets of their kingdom. Or,
probably, the apostle refers to a notion that was common among
the Jews, that there was a language by which angels might be
invoked, adjured, collected, and dispersed; and by the means
of which many secrets might be found out, and curious arts and
sciences known.
There is much of this kind to be found in their
cabalistical books, and in the books of many called
Christians. Cornelius Agrippa's occult
philosophy abounds in this; and it was the main object of Dr.
Dee's actions with spirits to get a complete vocabulary
of this language. See what has been published of his work by
Dr. Casaubon; and the remaining manuscript parts in the
Sloane library, in the British museum.
In Bava Bathra, fol. 134, mention is made of a
famous rabbin, Jochanan ben Zaccai, who understood the
language of devils, trees, and angels.
Some think that the apostle means only the most splendid
eloquence; as we sometimes apply the word angelic to
signify any thing sublime, grand, beautiful, but it is
more likely that he speaks here after the manner of his
countrymen, who imagined that there was an angelic language
which was the key to many mysteries; a language which might be
acquired, and which, they say, had been learned by several.
Sounding brass
οτοις,
. That is, like a trumpet made of
brass; for although; χαλκος signifies brass, and
aes signifies the same, yet we know the latter is often
employed to signify the trumpet, because generally made
of this metal. Thus Virgil, when he represents Misenus
endeavouring to fright away the harpies with the sound
of his trumpet:-
Ergo, ubi delapsae sonitum per curva dedere
Littora, dat signum specula Misenus ab alta AEre
cavo: invadunt socii, et nova praelia tentant,
Obscoenas pelagi ferro faedare volucres. AEneid, lib.
iii. ver. 238.
Then as the harpies from the hills once more Poured
shrieking down, and crowded round the shore, On his high stand
Misenus sounds from far The brazen trump, the
signal of the war. With unaccustomed fight, we flew to slay
The forms obscene, dread monsters of the sea.-Pitt.
The metal of which the instrument was made is used
again for the instrument itself, in that fine passage
of the same poet, AEneid, lib. ix. ver. 603, where he
represents the Trojans rushing to battle against the
Volsciane:-
At tuba terribilem sonitum procul aere canoro
Increpuit: sequitur clamor, caelumque remugit. And now
the trumpets, terrible from far, With rattling clangour
rouse the sleepy war. The soldiers' shouts succeed the
brazen sounds And heaven from pole to pole their noise
rebounds. Dryden.
And again, in his Battle of the Bees, Geor., lib.
iv. ver. 70:-
-------------------------------namque morantes
Martius ille aeris rauci canor increpat, et
vox Auditur fractos sonitus imitata tubarum.
With shouts the cowards' courage they excite, And martial
clangours call them out to fight; With hoarse alarms
the hollow camp rebounds, That imitate the trumpet's
angry sounds. Dryden.
Examples of the same figure might be multiplied; but these
are sufficient.
Tinkling cymbal.
"The cymbal was a concavo-convex plate of brass, the
concave side of which being struck against another plate of
the same kind produced a tinkling, inharmonious sound." We may
understand the apostle thus: "Though I possessed the knowledge
of all languages, and could deliver even the truth of
God in them in the most eloquent manner, and had not a
heart full of love to God and man, producing piety and
obedience to the ONE, and benevolence and
beneficence to the other, doing unto all as I
would wish them to do to me were our situations reversed, my
religion is no more to my salvation than the sounds emitted by
the brazen trumpet, or the jingling of the cymbals
could contribute intellectual pleasure to the instruments
which produce them; and, in the sight of God, I am of no more
moral worth than those sounds are. I have, it is true,
a profession; but, destitute of a heart filled with love to
God and man, producing meekness, gentleness, long-suffering,
religion."
I have quoted several passages from heathens of the most
cultivated minds in Greece and Rome to
illustrate passages of the sacred writers. I shall now quote
one from an illiterate collier of Paulton, in
Somerset; and, as I have named Homer, Horace,
Virgil, and others, I will quote Josiah Gregory,
whose mind might be compared to a diamond of the first water,
whose native splendour broke in various places through its
incrustations, but whose brilliancy was not brought out
for want of the hand of the lapidary. Among various energetic
sayings of this great, unlettered man, I remember to have
heard the following: "People of little religion are
always noisy; he who has not the love of God and man
filling his heart is like an empty wagon coming
violently down a hill: it makes a great
noise, because there is nothing in it."
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Verse 2. And though I have the
gift of prophecy
Though I should have
received from God the knowledge of future events, so that I
could correctly foretell what is coming to pass in the world
and in the Church:-
And understand all
mysteries
The meaning of all the types and
figures in the Old Testament, and all the unexplored secrets
of nature; and all knowledge-every human art and
science; and though I have all faith-such
miraculous faith as would enable me even to remove mountains;
or had such powerful discernment in sacred things that I could
solve the greatest difficulties, See Clarke on Matthew
21:21. and have not charity-this love to God and
man, as the principle and motive of all my conduct, the
characteristics of which are given in the following verses;
I am nothing-nothing in myself, nothing in the
sight of God, nothing in the Church, and good
for nothing to mankind. Balaam, and several others not
under the influence of this love of God, prophesied;
and we daily see many men, who are profound scholars,
and well skilled in arts and sciences, and yet
not only careless about religion but downright infidels! It
does not require the tongue of the inspired to say that
these men, in the sight of God, are nothing; nor can
their literary or scientific acquisitions give them a passport
to glory.
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Verse 3. And though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor
This is a proof that
charity, in our sense of the word, is not what
the apostle means; for surely almsgiving can go no farther
than to give up all that a man possesses in order to
relieve the wants of others. The word ψωμιζω, which we
translate to feed the poor, signifies to
divide into morsels, and put into the mouth; which
implies carefulness and tenderness in applying
the bounty thus freely given.
And though I give my body to be
burned
οτοις,
. Mr. Wakefield renders
this clause thus: And though I give up my body so as
to have cause of boasting: in vindication of which he,
first, refers to Daniel
3:28; ; Acts
15:26; ; Romans
8:32; ; Philippians
1:20. 2. He says that there is no such word as καυθησωμαι.
3. That καυχησωμαι, that I may boast, is the reading of
the AEthiopic and Coptic, and he might have
added of the Codex Alexandrinus; several Greek
and Latin MSS. referred to by St. Jerome; of
Ephraim; and of St. Jerome himself, who
translates the passage thus: Si tradidero corpus meum ut
glorier: i.e. "If I deliver up my body that I may
glory, or have cause of boasting." 4. He adds
that burning, though a common punishment in after
times, was not prevalent when this epistle was written.
Some of the foreign critics, particularly Schulzius,
translate it thus: Si traderem corpus, ut mihi stigma
inureretur: "If I should deliver up my body to receive a
stigma with a hot iron;" which may mean, If I should, in order
to redeem another, willingly give up myself to slavery,
and receive the mark of my owner, by having my flesh
stamped with a hot iron, and have not love, as before
specified, it profits me nothing. This gives a good sense; but
will the passage bear it? In the MSS. there are several
various readings, which plainly show the original copyists
scarcely knew what to make of the word οτοις,
which they
found in the text generally. The various readings are,
καυθησομαι, which Griesbach seems to prefer; καυθησεται; and
καυθη; all of which give little variation of meaning. Which
should be preferred I can scarcely venture to say. If we take
the commonly received word, it states a possible case; a man
may be so obstinately wedded to a particular opinion,
demonstrably false in itself, as to give up his body to be
burned in its defence, as was literally the case with
Vanini, who, for his obstinate atheism, was burnt alive
at Paris, February l9th, A. D. 1619. In such a cause, his
giving his body to be burned certainly profited
him nothing.
"We may observe," says Dr. Lightfoot, "in those instances
which are compared with charity, and are as good as
nothing if charity be absent, that the apostle mentions those
which were of the noblest esteem in the Jewish nation; and
also that the most precious things that could be named by them
were compared with this more precious, and were of no account
in comparison of it.
"1. To speak with the tongues of men, among the
Jewish interpreters, means, to speak the languages of the
seventy nations. To the praise of Mordecai, they
say that he understood all those languages; and they require
that the fathers of the Sanhedrin should be skilled in many
languages that they may not be obliged to hear any thing by an
interpreter. Maim. in Sanh., c. 2.
"2. To speak with the tongues of angels, they
thought to be not only an excellent gift, but to be possible;
and highly extol Jochanan ben Zaccai because he
understood them: See Clarke on 1 Corinthians
13:1.
"3. To know all mysteries and all knowledge was not
only prized but affected by them. Of Hillel, the elder, they
say he had eighty disciples: thirty who were
worthy to have the Holy Spirit dwell upon them, as it did upon
Moses; thirty who were worthy that the sun should stop
his course for them, as it did for Joshua; and there were
twenty between both. The greatest of all was
Jonathan ben Uzziel; the least was Jochanan
ben Zaccai. He omitted not (i.e. perfectly understood) the
Scripture, the Mishna, the Gemara, the idiotisms of the law,
and the scribes, traditions, illustrations, comparisons,
equalities, gematries, parables,
"4. The moving or rooting up of mountains,
which among them signified the removing of the greatest
difficulties, especially from the sacred text, they
considered also a high and glorious attainment: See Clarke on
Matthew
21:21. And of his salvation, who had it, they could not
have formed the slightest doubt. But the apostle says, a man
might have and enjoy all those gifts, be nothing in himself,
and be nothing profited by them."
The reader will consider that the charity or
love, concerning which the apostle speaks, is that
which is described from 1 Corinthians
13:4-7, inclusive: it is not left to the conjectures of
men to find it out. What the apostle means is generally
allowed to be true religion; but if he had not
described it, this true religion would have been as
various as the parties are who suppose they have it.
Let the reader also observe that, not only the things which
are in the highest repute among the Jews, but the things which
are in the highest repute among Christians and Gentiles are
those which the apostle shows to be of no use, if the
love hereafter described be wanting. And yet, who can
suppose that the man already described can be destitute of
true religion, as he must be under an especial influence of
God; else, how, 1st, could he speak all the languages of
men? for this was allowed to be one of the extraordinary
gifts of God's Spirit. 2. He must have Divine teaching to know
the language of angels, and thus to get acquainted with
the economy of the invisible world. 3. Without immediate
influence from God he could not be a prophet, and
predict future events. 4. Without this he could not
understand all the mysteries of the Divine word,
nor those of Providence. 5. All knowledge, suppose this
to be confined to human arts and sciences, could not be
acquired without especial assistance. 6. And without the most
powerful and extraordinary assistance, he could not have a
faith that could remove mountains, or miraculous faith of any
kind: and the apostle supposes that a man might have all these
six things, and not possess that religion which could
save his soul! And may we not say that, if all these could not
avail for salvation, a thousand times less surely cannot. How
blindly, therefore, are multitudes of persons trusting in that
which is almost infinitely less than that which the
apostle says would profit them nothing!
The charity or love which God recommends, the apostle
describes in sixteen particulars, which are the following:-
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Verse 4. (1.) Charity suffereth
long
οτοις,
, Has a long
mind; to the end of which neither trials, adversities,
persecutions, nor provocations, can reach. The love of
God, and of our neighbour for God's sake, is
patient towards all men: it suffers all the weakness,
ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; and
all the malice and wickedness of the children of this world;
and all this, not merely for a time, but long,
without end; for it is still a mind or
disposition, to the end of which trials,
difficulties, waits God's time of accomplishing his gracious
or providential purposes, without murmuring or repining; and
bears its own infirmities, as well as those of others, with
humble submission to the will of God.
(2.) Is kind
οτοις,
. It is tender and compassionate in itself, and
kind and obliging to others; it is mild, gentle,
and benign; and, if called to suffer, inspires the sufferer
with the most amiable sweetness, and the most tender
affection. It is also submissive to all the dispensations of
God; and creates trouble to no one.
(3.) Charity envieth
not
ουζηλοι. Is not grieved because another
possesses a greater portion of earthly, intellectual, or
spiritual blessings. Those who have this pure love rejoice as
much at the happiness, the honour, and comfort of others, as
they can do in their own. They are ever willing that
others should be preferred before them.
(4.) Charity vaunteth not
itself
ουπερπερευεται. This word is
variously translated; acteth not rashly, insolently; is
not inconstant, Greek, Latin, or Arabic.
Bishop Pearce derived it from the latter language; and
translates it, is not inconstant. There is a phrase in
our own language that expresses what I think to be the meaning
of the original, does not set itself forward-does not
desire to be noticed or applauded; but wishes that God may be
all in all.
(5.) Is not puffed
up
ουφυσιουται. Is not inflated with
a sense of its own importance; for it knows it has nothing but
what it has received; and that it deserves nothing that it has
got. Every man, whose heart is full of the love of God, is
full of humility; for there is no man so humble as he whose
heart is cleansed from all sin. It has been said that
indwelling sin humbles us; never was there a greater
falsity: PRIDE is the very essence of sin; he
who has sin has pride, and pride too in proportion to
his sin: this is a mere popish doctrine; and, strange to tell,
the doctrine in which their doctrine of merit is
founded! They say God leaves concupiscence in the heart of
every Christian, that, in striving with and overcoming it from
time to time, he may have an accumulation of meritorious acts:
Certain Protestants say, it is a true sign of a very gracious
state when a man feels and deplores his inbred
corruptions. How near do these come to the Papists, whose
doctrine they profess to detest and abhor! The truth is, it is
no sign of grace whatever; it only argues, as they use it,
that the man has got light to show him his corruptions;
but he has not yet got grace to destroy them. He is
convinced that he should have the mind of Christ, but he feels
that he has the mind of Satan; he deplores it, and, if his bad
doctrine do not prevent him, he will not rest till he feels
the blood of Christ cleansing him from all sin.
True humility arises from a sense of the fulness of God in
the soul; abasement from a sense of corruption is a widely
different thing; but this has been put in the place of
humility, and even called grace; many, very many, verify the
saying of the poet:-
"Proud I am my wants to see; Proud of my humility."
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Verse 5. (6.) Doth not behave itself
unseemly
οτοις,
, from α,
negative, and σχημα, figure, mein; love never
acts out of its place or character; observes due decorum and
good manners; is never rude, bearish, or
brutish; and is ever willing to become all things to
all men, that it may please them for their good to
edification. No ill-bred man, or what is termed rude or
unmannerly, is a Christian. A man may have a natural
bluntness, or be a clown, and yet there be nothing
boorish or hoggish in his manner. I must
apologize for using such words; they best express the evil
against which I wish both powerfully and successfully to
declaim. I never wish to meet with those who affect to
be called "blunt, honest men;" who feel themselves above all
the forms of respect and civility, and care not how many they
put to pain, or how many they displease. But let me not be
misunderstood; I do not contend for ridiculous
ceremonies, and hollow compliments; there is surely
a medium: and a sensible Christian man will not be long
at a loss to find it out. Even that people who profess
to be above all worldly forms, and are generally stiff
enough, yet are rarely found to be rude, uncivil, or
ill-bred.
(7.) Seeketh not her
own
οτοις,
. Is not desirous of her
own spiritual welfare only, but of her neighbour's also: for
the writers of the Old and New Testament do, almost every
where, agreeably to their Hebrew idiom, express a
preference given to one thing before another by an
affirmation of that which is preferred, and a
negative of that which is contrary to it. See
Bishop Pearce, and see the notes on 1 Corinthians
1:17;; 10:24,33.
Love is never satisfied but in the welfare, comfort, and
salvation of all. That man is no Christian who is
solicitous for his own happiness alone; and cares not how the
world goes, so that himself be comfortable.
(8.) Is not easily
provoked
οτοις,
. Is not
provoked, is not irritated, is not made sour or
bitter. How the word easily got into our
translation it is hard to say; but, however it got in, it is
utterly improper, and has nothing in the original to
countenance it. By the transcript from my old MS., which
certainly contains the first translation ever made in
English, we find that the word did not exist there, the
conscientious translator rendering it thus:-It is not
stirid to wrath.
The New Testament, printed in 1547,4to., the first year of
Edward VI., in English and Latin, has simply, is not
provokeed to angre. The edition published in
English in the following year, 1548, has the same rendering,
but the orthography better: is not provoked to
anger. The Bible in folio, with notes, published the next
year, 1549, by Edmund Becke, preserves nearly the same
reading, is not provoketh to anger. The large folio
printed by Richard Cardmarden, at Rouen, 1566, has the
same reading. The translation made and printed by the command
of King James I., fol., 1611, word easily, which might
have been his majesty's own; and yet this translation was not
followed by some subsequent editions; for the 4to. Bible
printed at London four years after, 1615, not only retains
this original and correct reading, it is not provoked
to anger, but has the word love every where
in this chapter instead of charity, in which all the
preceding versions and editions agree. In short, this is the
reading of Coverdale, Matthews, Cranmer, the
Geneva, and others; and our own authorized version is
the only one which I have seen where this false reading
appears.
As to the ancient versions, they all, Vulgate, Syriac,
Arabic, AEthiopic, Coptic, and Itala, strictly follow the
Greek text; and supply no word that tends to abate the
signification of the apostle's οτοις,
, is not provoked;
nor is there a various reading here in all the
numerous MSS. It is of importance to make these observations,
because the common version of this place destroys the meaning
of the apostle, and makes him speak very improperly. If
love is provoked at all; it then ceases to be
love; and if it be not easily provoked, this
grants, as almost all the commentators say, that in special
cases it may be provoked; and this they instance
in the case of Paul and Barnabas, Acts
15:39; but I have sufficiently vindicated this passage in
my note on that place, and given at large the meaning of the
word παροξυνω; and to that place I beg leave to refer the
reader. The apostle's own words in 1 Corinthians
13:7, are a sufficient proof that the love of which he
speaks can never be provoked. When the man who
possesses this love gives way to provocation, he loses
the balance of his soul, and grieves the Spirit of God. In
that instant he ceases from loving God with all his soul,
mind, and strength; and surely if he get embittered
against his neighbour, he does not love him as himself.
It is generally said that, though a man may feel himself
highly irritated against the sin, he may feel
tender concern for the sinner. Irritation of any
kind is inconsistent with self-government, and consequently
with internal peace and communion with God. However favourably
we may think of our own state, and however industrious we may
be to find out excuses for sallies of passion, God is, Love
is not provoked; and if I have not such a love, whatever
else I may possess, it profiteth me nothing.
(9.) Thinketh no
evil
οτοις,
. "Believes no evil
where no evil seems." Never supposes that a good action may
have a bad motive; gives every man credit for his profession
of religion, uprightness, godly zeal, his conduct or in
his spirit inconsistent with this profession. His heart
is so governed and influenced by the love of God, that he
cannot think of evil but where it appears. The original
implies that he does not invent or devise any
evil; or, does not reason on any particular act or word
so as to infer evil from it; for this would destroy his
love to his brother; it would be ruinous to charity and
benevolence.
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Verse 6. (10.) Rejoiceth not in
iniquity
οτοις,
. Rejoiceth
not in falsehood, but on the contrary, rejoiceth in the
truth: this meaning αδικια has in different parts of the
Scriptures. At first view, this character of love seems to say
but little in its favour; for who can rejoice in
unrighteousness or falsity? But is it not a frequent case that
persons, who have received any kind of injury, and have
forborne to avenge themselves, but perhaps have left it to
God; when evil falls upon the sinner do console themselves
with what appears to them an evidence that God has avenged
their quarrels; and do at least secretly rejoice that the
man is suffering for his misdeeds? Is not this, in some sort,
rejoicing in iniquity? Again: is it not common for interested
persons to rejoice in the successes of an unjust and
sanguinary war, in the sackage and burning of cities and
towns; and is not the joy always in proportion to the
slaughter that has been made of the enemy? And do these call
themselves Christians? Then we may expect that Moloch
and his sub-devils are not so far behind this description of
Christians as to render their case utterly desperate. If such
Christians can be saved, demons need not despair!
(11.) But rejoiceth in the
truth
αληθεια. Every thing that is opposite
to falsehood and irreligion. Those who are filled with the
love of God and man rejoice in the propagation and extension
of Divine truth-in the spread of true religion, by which alone
peace and good will can be diffused throughout the earth. And
because they rejoice in the truth, therefore they do not
persecute nor hinder true religion, but help it forward with
all their might and power.
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Verse 7. (12.) Beareth all
things
οτοις,
, This word is also
variously interpreted: to endure, bear, sustain, cover,
conceal, contain. Bishop Pearce contends that it should
be translated covereth all things, and produces several
plausible reasons for this translation; the most forcible of
which is, that the common translation confounds it with
endureth all things, in the same verse. We well know
that it is a grand and distinguishing property of love
to cover and conceal the fault of
another; and it is certainly better to consider the passage in
this light than in that which our common version holds out;
and this perfectly agrees with what St. Peter says of charity,
1 Peter
4:8: It shall cover the multitude of sins; but
there is not sufficient evidence that the original will fully
bear this sense; and perhaps it would be better to take it in
the sense of contain, keep in, as a vessel does liquor;
thus Plato compared the souls of foolish men to a
sieve, and not able,
οτοις,
, to contain any thing
through unfaithfulness and forgetfulness. See
Parkhurst and Wetstein. Some of the
versions have στεργει, loveth, or is warmly
affectioned to all things or persons. But the true import
must be found either in cover or contain. Love
conceals every thing that should be concealed; betrays
no secret; retains the grace given; and goes on to
continual increase. A person under the influence of this love
never makes the sins, follies, faults, or imperfections of any
man, the subject either of censure or conversation. He
covers them as far as he can; and if alone privy
to them, he retains the knowledge of them in his own
bosom as far as he ought.
(13.) Believeth all
things
οτοις,
. Is ever ready to
believe the best of every person, and will credit no
evil of any but on the most positive evidence; gladly receives
whatever may tend to the advantage of any person whose
character may have suffered from obloquy and detraction; or
even justly, because of his misconduct.
(14.) Hopeth all
things.
πανταελπιζει. When there is no
place left for believing good of a person, then love
comes in with its hope, where it could not work
by its faith; and begins immediately to make allowances
and excuses, as far as a good conscience can permit; and
farther, anticipates the repentance of the
transgressor, and his restoration to the good opinion of
society and his place in the Church of God, from which he had
fallen.
(15.) Endureth all
things.
πανταυπομενει. Bears up under all
persecutions and mal-treatment from open enemies and professed
friends; bears adversities with an even mind, as it submits
with perfect resignation to every dispensation of the
providence of God; and never says of any trial, affliction, or
insult, this cannot be endured.
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Verse 8. (16.) Charity never
faileth
οτοις,
. This
love never falleth off, because it bears,
believes, hopes, and endures all things; and
while it does so it cannot fail; it is the means of
preserving all other graces; indeed, properly speaking,
it includes them all; and all receive their perfection from
it. Love to God and man can never be dispensed with. It is
essential to social and religious life; without it no
communion can be kept up with God; nor can any man have a
preparation for eternal glory whose heart and soul are not
deeply imbued with it. Without it there never was true
religion, nor ever can be; and it not only is necessary
through life, but will exist throughout eternity. What were a
state of blessedness if it did not comprehend love to God and
human spirits in the most exquisite, refined, and perfect
degrees?
Prophecies-shall
fail
Whether the word imply
predicting future events, or teaching the truths
of religion to men, all such shall soon be rendered useless.
Though the accurate prophet and the eloquent, persuasive
preacher be useful in their day, they shall not be always so;
nor shall their gifts fit them for glory; nothing short of the
love above described can fit a soul for the kingdom of God.
Tongues-shall cease
The miraculous gift of different languages, that soon
shall cease, as being unnecessary.
Knowledge-shall vanish
away.
All human arts and sciences, as being
utterly useless in the eternal world, though so highly
extolled and useful here.
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Verse 9. For we know in
part
We have here but little knowledge even
of earthly, and much less of heavenly, things.
He that knows most knows little in comparison of what is known
by angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect. And as we
know so very little, how deficient must we be if we
have not much love! Angels may wonder at the
imperfection of our knowledge; and separate spirits may wonder
at the perfection of their own, having obtained so much more
in consequence of being separated from the body, than they
could conceive to be possible while in that body. When Sir
Isaac Newton had made such astonishing discoveries in the laws
of nature, far surpassing any thing that had been done by all
his predecessors in science from the days of Solomon; one of
our poets, considering the scantiness of human knowledge when
compared with that which is possessed by the inhabitants of
heaven, reduced his meditations on the subject to the
following nervous and expressive epigram:--
Superior beings, when of late they saw A mortal man explain
all nature's law, Admired such wisdom in an earthly
shape, And show'd our NEWTON as we show an ape.
These fine lines are a paraphrase from a saying of Plato,
from whom our poet borrows without acknowledging the debt. The
words are these: οτοις,
.
"The wisest of mortals will appear but an ape in the
estimation of God." Vid. Hipp. Maj. vol. xi. p. 21. Edit.
Bipont.
We prophesy in part
Even the sublimest prophets have been able to say
but little of the heavenly state; and the best
preachers have left the Spirit of God very much
to supply. And had we no more religious knowledge than we can
derive from men and books, and had we no farther instruction
in the knowledge of God and ourselves than we derive from
preaching, our religious experience would be low indeed. Yet
it is our duty to acquire all the knowledge we possibly can;
and as preaching is the ordinary means by which
God is pleased to instruct and convert the soul, we should
diligently and thankfully use it. For we have neither reason
nor Scripture to suppose that God will give us that
immediately from himself which he has promised to convey only
by the use of means. Even this his blessing makes
effectual; and, after all, his Spirit supplies much
that man cannot teach. Every preacher should take care
to inculcate this on the hearts of his hearers. When you have
learned all you can from your ministers, remember you have
much to learn from God; and for this you should diligently
wait on him by the reading of his word, and by incessant
prayer.
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Verse 10. But when that which is
perfect
The state of eternal blessedness;
then that which is in part-that which is
imperfect, shall be done away; the imperfect as
well as the probationary state shall cease for ever.
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Verse 11. When I was a
child
This future state of blessedness is
as far beyond the utmost perfection that can be attained in
this world, as our adult state of Christianity is above our
state of natural infancy, in which we understand only as
children understand; speak only a few broken articulate words,
and reason only as children reason; having few ideas, little
knowledge but what may be called mere instinct, and that much
less perfect than the instinct of the brute creation; and
having no experience. But when we became men-adults,
having gained much knowledge of men and things, we spoke and
reasoned more correctly, having left off all the manners and
habits of our childhood.
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Verse 12. Now we see through a
glass, darkly
οτοις,
. Of
these words some literal explanation is necessary. The
word εσοπτρον which we translate a glass, literally
signifies a mirror or reflector, from εις, into, and
οπτομαι, I look; and among the ancients mirrors were
certainly made of fine polished metal. The word here
may signify any thing by which the image of a person is
reflected, as in our looking, or look in glass.
The word is not used for a glass to look through; nor
would such an image have suited with the apostle's design.
The οτοις,
or mirror, is mentioned by some of the
most ancient Greek writers; so Anacreon, Ode xi. ver.
1:-
(λεγουσινα. . . .).
The women tell me, Anacreon, thou art grown old; Take thy
mirror, and view How few of thy hairs remain.
And again, in Ode xx. ver. 5:-
(εγοδ. . . ).
I wish I were a mirror That thou mightst always look
into me.
In Exodus
38:8, we meet with the term looking glasses; but
the original is maroth, and should be translated
mirrors; as out of those very articles, which we
absurdly translate looking GLASSES, the brazen
laver was made!
In the Greek version the word εσοπτρον is not found but
twice, and that in the apocryphal books.
In the book of the Wisdom of Solomon, chap. 7:26, speaking
of wisdom the author says: "She is the brightness of
the everlasting light, οτοις,
, and the
unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of
his goodness."
In Ecclus. xii. 11, exhorting to put no trust in an
enemy, he says: "Though he humble himself, and go
crouching, yet take good heed and beware of him, and thou
shalt be unto him, ωςεκμεμαχως εσοπτρον, as if thou hadst
wiped a looking glass, (mirror,) and thou shalt know
that his rust hath not altogether been wiped away." All
these passages must be understood of polished metal,
not of glass, which, though it existed among the Romans
and others, yet was brought to very little perfection; and as
to grinding and silvering of glass, they
are modern inventions.
Some have thought that the apostle refers to something of
the telescopic kind, by which distant and
small objects become visible, although their surfaces
become dim in proportion to the quantum of the
magnifying power; but this is too refined; he appears
simply to refer to a mirror by which images were
rejected, and not to any diaphanous and
magnifying powers, through which objects were
perceived.
Possibly the true meaning of the words οτοις,
, through a glass darkly, may be found among
the Jewish writers, who use a similar term to express nearly
the same thing to which the apostle refers. A revelation of
the will of God, in clear and express terms, is
called by them aspecularia maira, a clear or
lucid glass, or specular in reference,
specularibus lapidibus, to the diaphanous
polished stones, used by the ancients for
windows instead of glass. An obscure
prophecy they termed aspecularia dela naharia,
"a specular which is not clear."
Numbers
12:6: If there be a prophet-I the Lord will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and I will speak unto him
in a dream; Rab. Tanchum thus explains: "My Shechinah
shall not be revealed to him, beaspecularia maira, in a
lucid specular, but only in a dream and a vision."
On Ezekiel
1:4,5: And I looked, and behold a whirlwind-a great
cloud, and a fire unfolding itself, Sohar
Chadash, fol. 33, says: "This is a vision beaspecularia
dela nahara, by an obscure or dark specular."
From a great variety of examples produced by Schoettgen it
appears that the rabbins make a great deal of difference
between seeing through the lucid glass or
specular, and seeing through the obscure one.
The first is attributed only to Moses, who conversed with God
face to face, i.e. through the lucid specular;
and between the other prophets, who saw him in dreams
and visions, i.e. through the obscure specular.
In these distinctions and sayings of the ancient Jews we must
seek for that to which the apostle alludes. See
Schoettgen.
The word αινιγματι, which we render darkly, will
help us to the true meaning of the place. The following is Mr.
Parkhurst's definition of the term and of the
thing: "αινιγμα, from ηνιγμαι, the perfect
passive of ισυιττω, to hint, intimate, signify
with some degree of obscurity; an enigma, in which
one thing answers or stands in correspondence
to, or as the representative of, another, which is in
some respects similar to it; occurs 1 Corinthians
13:12: Now-in this life, we see by means of a
mirror reflecting the images of heavenly and spiritual
things, οτοις,
, in an enigmatical manner,
invisible things being represented by visible, spiritual by
natural, eternal by temporal; but then-in the eternal
world, face to face, every thing being seen in itself,
and not by means of a representative or similitude."
Now I know in part
Though I have an immediate revelation from God concerning
his great design in the dispensation of the Gospel, yet there
are lengths, breadths, depths, and heights of this design,
which even that revelation has not discovered; nor can they be
known and apprehended in the present imperfect state. Eternity
alone can unfold the whole scheme of the Gospel.
As-I am known.
In the same manner in which disembodied spirits know and
understand.
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Verse 13. And now {in this
present life} abideth faith, hope,
charity
These three supply the place of
that direct vision which no human embodied
spirit can have; these abide or remain for the
present state. Faith, by which we apprehend spiritual
blessings, and walk with God. Hope, by which we view
and expect eternal blessedness, and pass through things
temporal so as not to lose those which are eternal.
Charity or love, by which we show forth the
virtues of the grace which we receive by faith in living a
life of obedience to God, and of good will and usefulness to
man.
But the greatest of these is
charity.
Without faith it is
impossible to please God; and without it, we can not partake
of the grace of our Lord Jesus: without hope we could
not endure, as seeing him who is invisible; nor have
any adequate notion of the eternal world; nor bear up
under the afflictions and difficulties of life: but great and
useful and indispensably necessary as these are, yet
charity or love is greater: LOVE is
the fulfilling of the law; but this is never
said of faith or hope.
IT may be necessary to enter more particularly into a
consideration of the conclusion of this very important
chapter.
1. Love is properly the image of God in the
soul; for God is LOVE. By faith we
receive from our Maker; by hope we expect
a future and eternal good; but by love we resemble
God; and by it alone are we qualified to
enjoy heaven, and be one with him throughout eternity.
Faith, says one, is the foundation of the
Christian life, and of good works; hope rears the
superstructure; but love finishes, completes,
and crowns it in a blessed eternity. Faith and
hope respect ourselves alone; love takes
in both GOD and MAN. Faith helps, and hope
sustains us; but love to God and man makes us obedient
and useful. This one consideration is sufficient to
show that love is greater than either
faith or hope.
2. Some say love is the greatest because it
remains throughout eternity, whereas faith and
hope proceed only through life; hence we say
that there faith is lost in sight, and
hope in fruition. But does the apostle say so?
Or does any man inspired by God say so? I believe not.
Faith and hope will as necessarily enter into
eternal glory as love will. The perfections of God are
absolute in their nature, infinite in number, and eternal in
their duration. However high, glorious, or sublime the soul
may be in that eternal state, it will ever, in respect to God,
be limited in its powers, and must be improved
and expanded by the communications of the
supreme Being. Hence it will have infinite glories in the
nature of God to apprehend by faith, to
anticipate by hope, and enjoy by
love.
3. From the nature of the Divine perfections there must be
infinite glories in them which must be objects of faith
to disembodied spirits; because it is impossible that they
should be experimentally or possessively known
by any creature. Even in the heaven of heavens we shall, in
reference to the infinite and eternal excellences of God,
walk by faith, and not by sight. We shall
credit the existence of infinite and illimitable
glories in him, which, from their absolute and
infinite nature, must be incommunicable. And as the
very nature of the soul shows it to be capable of eternal
growth and improvement; so the communications
from the Deity, which are to produce this growth, and effect
this improvement, must be objects of faith to the pure
spirit; and, if objects of faith, consequently
objects of hope; for as hope is "the
expectation of future good," it is inseparable from the nature
of the soul, to know of the existence of any attainable
good without making it immediately the object of desire
or hope. And is it not this that shall constitute the
eternal and progressive happiness of the immortal spirit; viz.
knowing, from what it has received, that there is infinitely
more to be received; and desiring to be put in possession of
every communicable good which it knows to exist?
4. As faith goes forward to view, so
hope goes forward to desire; and God continues
to communicate, every communication making way for
another, by preparing the soul for greater enjoyment, and this
enjoyment must produce love. To say that the soul can
have neither faith nor hope in a future state is
to say that, as soon as it enters heaven, it is as happy as it
can possibly be; and this goes to exclude all growth in
the eternal state, and all progressive manifestations
and communications of God; and consequently to fix a
spirit, which is a composition of infinite desires, in a state
of eternal sameness, in which it must be greatly
changed in its constitution to find endless gratification.
5. To sum up the reasoning on this subject I think it
necessary to observe, 1. That the term faith is here to
be taken in the general sense of the word, for that belief
which a soul has of the infinite sufficiency and goodness of
God, in consequence of the discoveries he has made of himself
and his designs, either by revelation, or immediately
by his Spirit. Now we know that God has revealed
himself not only in reference to this world, but in
reference to eternity; and much of our faith is
employed in things pertaining to the eternal world, and
the enjoyments in that state. 2. That hope is to
be taken in its common acceptation, the expectation
of future good; which expectation is necessarily founded
on faith, as faith is founded on knowledge. God gives a
revelation which concerns both worlds, containing exceeding
great and precious promises relative to both. We
believe what he has said on his own veracity;
and we hope to enjoy the promised blessings in both worlds,
because he is faithful who has promised. 3. As the
promises stand in reference to both worlds, so also must the
faith and hope to which these promises stand as
objects. 4. The enjoyments in the eternal world are all
spiritual, and must proceed immediately from God himself. 5.
God, in the plenitude of his excellences, is as
incomprehensible to a glorified spirit, as he is to a spirit
resident in flesh and blood. 6. Every created, intellectual
nature is capable of eternal improvement. 7. If seeing God as
he is be essential to the eternal happiness of beatified
spirits, then the discoveries which he makes of himself must
be gradual; forasmuch as it is impossible that an
infinite, eternal nature can be manifested to a created and
limited nature in any other way. 8. As the perfections of God
are infinite, they are capable of being eternally
manifested, and, after all manifestations, there must
be an infinitude of perfections still to be brought to view.
9. As every soul that has any just notion of God must know
that he is possessed of all possible perfections, so these
perfections, being objects of knowledge, must be
objects of faith. 10. Every holy spirit feels itself
possessed of unlimited desires for the enjoyment of
spiritual good, and faith in the infinite goodness of
God necessarily implies that he will satisfy every desire he
has excited. 11. The power to gratify, in the
Divine Being, and the capacity to be gratified,
in the immortal spirit, will necessarily excite continual
desires, which desires, on the evidence of
faith, will as necessarily produce hope, which
is the expectation of future good. 12. All possible
perfections in God are the objects of faith; and the
communication of all possible blessedness, the object of
hope. 13. Faith goes forward to apprehend, and
hope to anticipate, as God continues to discover
his unbounded glories and perfections. 14. Thus discovered and
desired, their influences become communicated, love
possesses them, and is excited and
increased by the communication. 15. With respect to
those which are communicated, faith and hope
cease, and go forward to new apprehensions and
anticipations, while love continues to
retain and enjoy the whole. 16. Thus an
eternal interest is kept up, and infinite blessings, in
endless succession, apprehended, anticipated and
enjoyed.
6. My opinion that faith and hope, as well as
love, will continue in a future state, will no doubt
appear singular to many who have generally considered the two
former as necessarily terminating in this lower world; but
this arises from an improper notion of the beatified state,
and from inattention to the state and capacity of the soul. If
it have the same faculties there which it has
here, howsoever improved they may be, it must acquire
its happiness from the supreme Being in the way of
communication, and this communication must necessarily
be gradual for the reasons already alleged; and if
gradual, then there must be (if in that state we have any
knowledge at all of the Divine nature) faith
that such things exist, and may be communicated; desire
to possess them because they are good; and hope that
these good things shall be communicated.
7. I conclude, therefore, from these and a multitude of
other reasonings which might be brought to bear on this
subject, that faith and hope will exist in the
eternal world as well as love; and that there,
as well as here, it may endlessly be said, the greatest
of these is love. With great propriety therefore does the
apostle exhort, Follow after love, it being so
essential to our comfort and happiness here, and to our
beatification in the eternal world; and how necessary faith
and hope are to the same end we have already seen.
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Copyright Statement
The Adam Clarke Commentary is a derivative of an
electronic edition prepared by GodRules.net.
Bibliography
Information
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary
on 1 Corinthians 13". "The Adam Clarke Commentary".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=1co&chapter=013>.
1832.
|
