1 Cor. 13.
If I spoke with the tongues of men and of angels, and had not love, I should be a sounding brass, or a tinkling bell. And if I could prophesy, and knew all mysteries, and all knowledge, and had all faith, so as to move mountains, and had not love, I should be nothing. And if I give all my goods to the poor, and let my body burn, and have not love, it is of no use to me. Love is long-suffering and kind; love is not jealous; love is not self-willed; it is not puffed up; it is not unthoughtful; it does not seek its own; it is not provoked; it does not seek harm. It does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; it bears all things, it believes all things, it hopes all things, it endures all things. Love never ceases, though prophecy shall cease, and tongues shall cease, and knowledge shall cease. For our knowledge is fragmentary, and our prophesying is fragmentary. But when the perfect shall come, then shall the partial cease. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, and was wise like a child, and had childish ideas; but when I became a man, I put away what was childish. Now we see through a mirror in a dark word, but then face to face. Now I see in bits and pieces, but then I shall know even as I am known. Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but love is the greatest of these.
This epistle is written by St. Paul to quiet and humble the hopeful among Christians, especially teachers and preachers. For since through the gospel great knowledge of God and of Christ is given, along with many great gifts, as St. Paul tells us in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, some have the grace to speak. that some have the grace to speak, some to teach, some to interpret Scripture, some to govern, and so on; so that among Christians there is great wealth and treasure of spiritual knowledge and gifts, and all know publicly what God, Christ, man, conscience, sin, this and that life, devil, death, world, cross is etc.Yet few are found who have proper use for such gifts and knowledge, who let themselves be brought down and serve others with them, according to the way of love; but each one seeks his own honor, glory and benefit through it, and wants to float above and be seen before others.
(2) Even as we see the same thing in our day, where by the gospel they have learned many things, which before all the world knew not, and now are able, which before they were not able; for upon them, and among them, are cast many gifts, and make them to glory. So they go on, and think
No one wants to serve others in Christian love, but seeks fame and honor, benefit and good. And if he could make it so that he alone would be learned and proficient in the gospel and the others would all be of no use, he would gladly do so, so that he alone would be regarded as Master Klügling; and yet he pretends all the less great humility and contempt for himself, preaches love and faith; but he would be sorry that he should attack it with the slightest finger. That is why the world is full of enthusiasts and riffraff spirits, and there is no one who does not want to be everyone else's master and best; they now have a spirit much higher than those from whom they have learned. St. Paul attacks such glory-hungry spirits here and passes judgment on all of them, saying that they are neither worth anything nor have any value, even if they have such high knowledge and greater gifts that they do not let themselves down with them and use them for the benefit of others.
(3) But he does this with many words and with long speech, as with the rude and unintelligent, which elsewhere he does with short words; as, Phil. 2:4, where he says, Let them be of one mind, and let each see what is profitable for the other, and not
What is his own. He also makes such a judgment of himself as an example, if he were such a one; so that he may frighten the others the more, who are so far unequal to him, and says:
When I talked with tongues of men and angels etc.
4. that is, whoever could teach and preach in such a way, as no man or any angel, that the words would be most lovely, and the sense and understanding right and the very best, "and would not have love," that is, I would seek my honor and benefit with it, and not my neighbor's, "then I would be like a sounding ore or a ringing bell"; that is, I might want to teach others something with it, and the ears would ring full; but I would be nothing before God. For as a bell or a tinkling bell does not hear its own sound, nor is it improved by it: so such a preacher himself does not understand anything he says, and is not improved by it before God; for he knows much, but since he does not need it in love, he does not yet know how he should know, 1 Cor. 8:1, 2. Therefore much better would be a mute, who could not speak well, and yet teaches in love and humility, for he speaks as an angel, and yet seeks only his own.
And if I could prophesy.
5 "To prophesy," as follows in chapter 14, is to understand and interpret the prophets and the Scriptures through the inspiration of the Spirit; this is a fine gift. But "to know the mysteries" is to be able to interpret the Scriptures spiritually, as one speaks, by allegories; as St. Paul does Gal. 4:24, where he says: Sarah and Hagar are the two Testaments, Isaac and Ishmael are the two nations, the Jews and Christians. Item, that the bronze serpent of Moses was Christ on the cross, Joh. 3, 14. Item, that Isaac, David, Solomon and similar histories were Christ's figure. St. Paul calls this "secret", that is, hidden, secret understanding, under the outward understanding of the stories. But "knowledge" is the understanding in outward being and Christian liberty, that one knows how the conscience is to
nothing is bound etc. If then St. Paul wants to say: Whoever could read the whole Scripture in the public understanding of the Scripture and in the hidden understanding of the interpretation, and knew everything about Christian freedom and how to lead an outward life, and did not have love, that is, did not serve his neighbor with it, but sought his honor and benefit, he is lost with it and counts for nothing before God.
(6) Then behold, how powerfully and yet kindly St. Paul resists the shameful vice of vain honor, that he also does not regard such high gifts, which are nevertheless exquisitely beautiful, lovely and glorious, and naturally make one proud and hopeful, and have a great standing before men. For who should not regard the Holy Spirit as dwelling in the flesh, since he seems to have such a rich understanding of the Scriptures and wisdom? Almost all of his epistles to the Corinthians are against this certain vice, for it causes great misfortune where it gets out of hand: therefore he also calls the very first of the virtues of a bishop Titus 1:7, non superbum, that he not be worthy of hope, that is, that he not exalt himself in his office and honor or understanding, and despise others against himself. But this is a marvelous thing, since he speaks:
If he had all faith, so that he could move mountains, it would be nothing where he did not have love.
7 For we hold that faith makes righteous and pure, Romans 1:17 and Romans 10:10, Acts 15:9. 15:9 But if it makes righteousness and purity, it must not be without love; but the Spirit must pour out love together with faith. In short, where there is true faith, there is the Holy Spirit; where there is the Holy Spirit, there must be love and everything. How then does he speak here as if anyone could have faith without love? To this we reply that this one saying must not dispute, nor overthrow all other sayings about faith, which alone give justification to faith. For even they themselves, the sophists, have not given to love, neither may they give to it justification; for love is a consequence or fruit of the Spirit, which comes in us by faith.
(8) So we may give three answers here. The first is that St. Paul is not speaking here of Christian faith, which naturally entails love, but of common faith in God and His power, which faith is a gift, such as speaking with tongues, prophesying, knowledge and the like. For it is to be believed that Judas, the betrayer, also did miraculous signs, who nevertheless did not have the Christian faith; John 6:70: "One of you is a devil." This faith, because it does not make one righteous and pure, lets the old Adam remain with his vice, just as the other gifts, such as reason, health, speech and wealth, do.
9 The other is that St. Paul speaks of the right Christian faith; but those who receive the same faith and thereby do miraculous signs in it, and as soon as they fall and become hopeful and lose the faith with it; for many do lift up, but do not remain, like the seed in the stony field: Soon there is a fall from faith, and the temptation of vain glory is greater and more powerful than the temptation of adversity; so that it may well be that one does miracles in the right faith, and yet as soon as he seeks and accepts glory, both fall from love and faith.
The third is that St. Paul makes love so necessary with these words that he also sets an impossible example; as if I were to say, "If you were a god and were not patient, you would be nothing; that is, patience is so necessary to divinity that God cannot be, unless he is patient; for it is impossible for God to be without patience. So this is also St. Paul's opinion, not that faith can be without love, but that love must be so necessary that even faith, which moves mountains, would be nothing without love, where it would be possible for it to be without love. I like this third answer best of all, although I do not reject the other two, especially the first. For of course the first part is also impossible, since he says, "If I spoke with the tongues of angels," since it is not possible for a man to speak with the tongues of angels.
especially because here he distinguishes between the tongues of men and the tongues of angels; indeed, angels do not have tongues, but they, the angels, speak with the tongues of men, but men may never speak with the tongues of angels.
11) As this first part must be understood: "If I spoke with angelic tongues", that is, if it were possible, as it is impossible, that I spoke with angelic tongues, and did not have love etc. So also this other piece: "If I had all faith to move mountains, and had not love," that is: If it were possible for me to have such faith without love, as it is not possible, I would be nothing. Item, that is also impossible, since he says: "If I knew all the secrets"; that must also have the opinion: If it were possible for anyone to know all the mysteries of the Scriptures, which is impossible; for John speaks at the last, that the world should not understand the books which are yet to be written; for it is an abyss which no one can reach forever. To speak in such a way is almost mean, as if I said, If I were a Christian, and yet believed not in Christ, it were nothing; if thou wert a prince, and hadst neither land nor goods, thou wert nothing.
If I gave all my possessions to the poor.
(12) That is, if I did all the good works that are on earth, "and yet had not love," that is, if I sought my honor and benefit in them, and not my neighbor's, I should be lost. For by the great outward works of giving body and goods, he understands all the works that may be done; for he who does such works for the sake of something, does all the others also; just as by speaking he understands all good words and doctrine, and by prophesying, knowledge, and faith, all wisdom and understanding inwardly. Now it may be that some for the sake of temporal glory risk life and limb, as the Romans and Gentiles did; but there was no love there, for they sought themselves; therefore it is as much as nothing given. And it is impossible for any man to give up body and goods, and let them burn with a will, that even here the mind must be: If
it would be possible for me to give all my possessions to the poor and let myself burn etc.
(13) Therefore the sophists' gloss is not that they freely take from this text that Christian faith is not enough to blot out sins and make righteous, but say that faith must be adorned with love if it is to make righteous. But they do not know what justification is and how to distinguish it. Justification must be there rather than love; because no one loves unless he is pious and just, and love does not make one pious, but being pious beforehand has love. For the love of faith, the Spirit, and righteousness, is the fruit and result, not the ornament and appendage; wherefore we say that faith alone maketh devout and blessed. But lest we deceive ourselves and rely on false faith, God requires that we love and prove faith, so that we may be sure that we believe rightly.
Love is long-suffering and kind.
14 Here he describes the kind of love by which one may know where true faith and love are. For no trustworthy teacher has these things in himself; therefore, though they have obtained many gifts through the gospel, yet they are without love. First, love is "longsuffering," that is, patient, not quick to anger, revenge, impatience, and to rage with its head through; but waiteth and endureth with the unrighteous and infirm until they come after. Honorable teachers can do nothing but judge, condemn, and despise; they alone can justify and exalt themselves.
15) On the other hand, "friendly", that is, it is good to deal with, does not look sour, does not avoid anyone, shows himself to everyone benevolently with words, works, gestures.
16 Third, "Love is not jealous," that is, it is not envious, nor does it resent if others are better off than it is; it does not begrudge anyone either good or honor. But trustworthy teachers are envious and disfavored, granting no one either honor or good, except themselves; although they pretend otherwise with their mouths, they are well known in deed.
17. fourth: "Love does not scold",
That is, it does not do any trick or secret evil trickery and deceit: as then arrogant and false spirits cannot leave: but acts honestly and sincerely under eyes.
(18) Fifth, "She puffeth not up," as the false teachers do, and puffeth up like an adder.
(19) Sixth, they do not sneer, as the proud do, and despise others, though they hear that they are something. And this very thing puffeth them up, and maketh them scornful, that they should not alone be all things, and hear others also praise and magnify them; but they shut up their mouths, and despise them. *)
20) The seventh: "She does not seek her own," that is, she does not seek her own goods, honor, use, house, body and life, but puts all this on her neighbor, and only sees how she can promote his use, honor, body and life.
Twenty-one: "She does not allow herself to be "embittered" by injustice and ingratitude, but is gentle. But false teachers cannot tolerate anything, and seek only their own benefit and honor to the detriment of others.
22) The ninth: "She does not think evil," that is, she is not suspicious, interprets all things for the best and accepts them simple-mindedly. But those who are proud are exceedingly suspicious, always worrying that they are not considered great enough, interpreting everything they see or hear in the worst way; as Joab interpreted the doings of Abner, 2 Sam. 3, 25. 3:25. This is a shameful vice, and it is almost difficult to deal with such people.
(23) The tenth, "She rejoiceth not in iniquity." This may have two meanings; one is when one does evil oneself and takes pleasure in it, as Prov. 2:14 Solomon says, "They take pleasure in doing evil." The people must either be completely nefarious and impudent, like whores
*Instead of this § 19, f g: "Sixthly, it does not stand unthinking, as the angry, impatient and stubborn heads do, who always and against everyone want to be right, and no one gives way, and yet everyone should give way to them: if not, then the world is inflamed, raging and raging with cries and complaints and vengeance. This follows from the blowing up and hope, of which it is now said.
Or must be the hypocrites, who do not recognize their ungodly nature; as, the heretics and mobs, who also delight in that their deception continues under the name of God and truth. But this sense, I respect, St. Paul does not mean here, but the other, namely, that the false teachers are so poisonous that they hear nothing dearer than when someone else does wrong and commits an error, and becomes a disgrace, so that they only seem beautiful and pious; as the Pharisee did in the Gospel against the poor tax collector; for love has much more compassion than with its own sin, and asks for it.
24. eleventh: "She rejoices with the truth. This passage proves that the next passage is to be understood of the malicious pleasure in another's case and sins. For "to rejoice with the truth" is nothing else than to rejoice when someone does right and acts righteously; just as love grieves when someone does wrong. But the hopeful have heartache when they see or hear that others do right. For they think that their profit and honor depend on it.
Twenty-fifth: "She tolerates everything," that is, she considers everything too good for anyone, how weak, how unjust, how foolish he is, and has compassion in it, and can do no one too much wrong. But no one can do right enough to the proud; they always find something to talk about and reproach, and cannot bear it, and should they break it from an old fence.
26 To the thirteenth: "She believes everything. He does not speak here of faith in God, but of faith among people, and wants to say this much: Love is a simple thing, it believes and trusts everyone, and considers everyone as right and bad as it is, does not presume on any evil trick or cunning, lets itself be deceived, deceived, faked and fooled, whoever wants to, and says: "Do you think that people are so evil? So, according to her heart, she deceives everyone else, and she confidently fails. But it does her no harm, for she knows that she cannot leave God alone, and he who deceives her only deceives himself. But the trusting still believe no one, and want to be undeceived.
27 To the fourteenth: "She hopes all things," that is, she does not despair of any man, however evil he may be, but always hopes for the best, and also says here: "One should hope for something better;" so that here St. Paul does not speak of hope in God either. For love is a virtue, especially directed toward one's neighbor, to do him good and to wish for him. Although it often fails in this hope, as in faith, it does not desist, rejects no man, doubts no thing; but the hopeful soon despair of everyone and reject them as unfit.
28. fifteenth: "She tolerates everything," that is, what one does to her to harm and evil, whether she lacks faith or hope, or whether one does harm to her body, goods, or honor: yet she knows that she is not harmed, but has a rich God against it. But false teachers cannot suffer anything, especially that one does not keep faith and loyalty to them.
29. sixteenth: "Love never fades," that is, it remains forever, even in that life. [Love does not grow weary," that is, it does not fade away, nor can it be prevented or overcome by people's malice or ingratitude; as the world and false saints do, who, as soon as they feel contempt or ingratitude, withdraw, and no longer want to do good to anyone, and even become brutes and lumberjacks, as the Greeks call their Timones. Love does not do this; it does not let other wickedness make it wicked or prevent it from doing good, but always continues to do good to everyone by teaching and counseling, helping and serving, even though it must take not good but evil for its service and good deeds; and thus remains steadfast, firm and immovable, lasting and remaining not only in this life on earth, but also into the next life. Therefore he adds: "if the prophecies will cease" etc. Hereby he praises love against all other gifts, as it is an eternal thing, and cannot nor shall cease, even in that life. *] But the other gifts, of which the false prophets have
*) [f g]
For prophecy and tongues and knowledge must cease, because in that life each one will see all things for himself, so that no one may teach another; so also all difference and disparity will cease, so that no knowledge or difference may be had, since God Himself will be all things in everyone, 1 Cor. 15, 28.
30 And here St. Paul breaks out to speak of the difference of this life in faith, and that in heaven of divine sound. And this is the opinion: It is one thing that we have here in this life and in that life; for it is the same God and all good that we believe here and will see there; there is no difference: but the difference is in the knowledge that we have the same God in a different way here in this life and in a different way in that life. The way in this life is that we do not see him, but believe. Now faith is an imperfect and dark seeing, for which the word is necessary, which is promoted by the ministry of preaching, by tongues and prophesying; for without the word faith cannot exist. But the manner of that life is, that we believe it not, but see it; which is a perfect knowledge, not requiring the word, nor preaching, nor tongues, nor prophecy: wherefore all these things must cease.
31 Therefore he says: "Our knowledge", that is, the knowledge in this life, "is fragmentary", that is, imperfect; for it is in faith and not in sight. "And our prophesying is also fragmentary," that is, imperfect; for it is in the word and in preaching. Although both knowledge and prophecy show no less nor lesser things than the angels see, namely, the same God. "But when the perfect shall come, then shall the fragmentary cease. And gives an example of a child against a man. For the children's play is necessary, because they are still too weak, namely, to represent office and work. So we are much too weak in this life to see God; therefore we need
is that we act on it in word and faith as it suits us.
32. "We see now through a mirror and a dark word, but then with face into face." Faith is like a mirror and a dark word, he says; for in the mirror is not the face itself, but an image of it, which is like it: so in faith is not the clear face of eternal Godhead, but an image of it, created by the word. And a dark word indicates something else, for it reads: thus, faith shows something brighter than it itself feels; but in that life mirror and darkness, faith and showing, will be absent, and both God's face and our face will be uncovered against each other freely and clearly. "But now I recognize," he says, "in bits and pieces, but then as I am recognized," that is, God now recognizes me perfectly, brightly and clearly, and there is no dark cover before me; but I have a dark cover before him. As he now recognizes me most brightly, so I will also recognize him most brightly without a cover, because the cover will not be removed from him, but from me, because he has none before him.
Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest is love.
(33) Here the sophists have committed a masterly crime, and have made faith very small in comparison with love, because St. Paul says that love is greater than faith and hope; they do, as is their way, blindly fall on the letters with their mad understanding, and take out one piece, leaving the other all, and do not see the opinion of St. Paul. St. Paul's opinion, where and to what he points the greatness of love, by the words that go with it and before it. For no one will deny that he speaks here of the continuance and cessation of love and other gifts, and not of dignity or power. To speak of dignity is not faith alone, but also the word greater than love: "For the word is God's power, which makes all believers blessed," Rom. 1:16, nor must it cease; so the love of the word is fruit and work, nor will it remain. And faith possesses God Himself,
is able and has all things; nor must he cease: and love giveth and doeth good to his neighbor, as a consequence of faith, and yet shall abide.
(34) Now that love is greater than faith and hope, it is said according to truth, that it endures longer and forever, while faith is much shorter and smaller than it is temporal. Just as I may say, Christianity is greater on earth than Christ. By this I do not mean that Christianity in itself is better and more worthy than Christ, but that it is longer and wider spread on earth than Christ was, who was only three years in a small place, so Christianity has been from the beginning, as wide as the world is. So love is also longer and wider than faith and hope; for faith has to do only with God in the heart, in this life; but love has to do with God and all the world eternally. Nevertheless, just as Christ is inordinately better, more worthy and more precious than Christianity, even though he is smaller and a single person, so also faith is better, more worthy and more precious than love, even though it is shorter and deals with a single God.
35 But St. Paul sets such store by love, that he overthrows false teachers, and brings to nought the glory of faith and gifts without love; as if to say, If ye have not love, which is eternal, all other things, of which ye glory, are corruptible, and so shall be lost. For even though the word of God and spiritual gifts are eternal, the outward ministry and sound of the eternal word and the outward custom and distinction of gifts will cease, so that your glory and hope must become ashes. Therefore it remains that faith justifies by the word and brings love. But both word and faith cease, and righteousness and love, obtained thereby, remain for ever; as a building, through the backbone of a man, is built.
The armor remains, but the armor ceases.
(36) Now here, behold, what a little word is love, and how soon it is called; but who would have looked for so much exquisite virtue and kind in the one virtue against so much unrighteousness, which St. Paul here ascribes to love? I mean that love is called praised and painted; that is, written of the virtues and vices, better than the Gentiles. There he has presented them a form of which all false teachers must be ashamed, who say much about love and do not find one of these pieces in themselves. It is truly great stings and storms against the false teachers, as often as he calls a virtue of love. For in praising love in this way, and in indicating its nature in this way, he wants to have it fall short at the same time and in all cases, as those who do not have any; so that you may put a little bell by each piece and say, "But you do much differently.
Now it is almost strange that such teachers, who do not have love, still have such high gifts as speaking with tongues, prophesying, knowledge of the mystery, having faith, giving away goods and being burned, as he has told here. For we see here what abominations there are where love is not, namely, that they are hopeful, envious, puffed-up, impatient, mistaken, mischievous, poisonous, malicious, scornful, bitter, disfavored, suspicious, selfish, ambitious, contemptuous people, as St. Paul here ascribes and gives them? Not otherwise, for as I have said. He sets an impossible example, and rather wants to show with it, because they are without love, that they have none of the gifts right, but only present the appearance and name of them. So that he might take away their appearance and name, he speaks of them as if he admits that they are such, when they are not.