I Cor 13 and the Way of Love

I will give the text here in the King James Version, not because I am a regular reader of it but because this translation of I Cor. 13, like Ps. 23, has perhaps become more fixed in the Christian experience than any other. Though you can easily read it in your Bible, I think it is so powerful as to deserve another reading before a brief exposition.

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
[2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
[3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
[4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
[13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Love: The Greatest of "These"

I can think of no hour or two more usefully spent than to memorize as much of this chapter as possible. Every phrase of I Cor. 13 is so neatly crafted and emotionally evocative as to invite our internalizing it. To paraphrase Shakespeare on another subject (See Sonnet 86), if you had these phrases and words "inhearsed" in your mind, your mind would become the womb which would yield many fruitful thoughts of love and other things. The purpose of this and the next essay is to do two things: to provide a very brief exposition of the flow of this passage and then to give you the full text of three or four classic love poems/sonnets that you might find helpful to use.

I think the passage needs to be read on two levels: first, attention needs to be given to the context and flow of I Cor 13. Only after this is done should we "free" this chapter from its context and put it among the most significant love poetry in the world. Let's turn to each.

I Cor. 13: The Context and Flow

I Cor. 13 is, as it were, an "interlude" in the argument that Paul has begun in I Cor. 11 and will conclude in I Cor. 15. Paul is speaking about church order and practice in Corinth. One of the things that has most divided the church has been the proper recognition to be accorded spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12). Paul neither fully defines what such a gift is nor gives an exhaustive list of them, but he believes that they are essential to the building up of unity in the Body of Christ. Like every good gift from God, however, spiritual gifts are subject to abuse. By exalting one's ability to speak angelically (i.e., in tongues), for example, one can tend to de-emphasize what Paul considers the "higher" gifts. But even his ranking of the gifts in I Cor. 12: 27-31 shows us that he is uneasy with so much focus on gifts. Thus, he wants to show us the more "excellent way," the way which ultimately leads to the harmonious function of the body of Christ. This "way" is the way of love. Some scholars think that this poem was written on another occasion and then inserted here, since the flow of ch. 14 picks up nicely with the argument in ch. 12, but the idea perfectly captures Paul's earnest yearning for the congregation. Learning to love each other, to bear with each other, to build up each other, to stay with each other, forms the basis of life in Christ.

We can divide Paul's discussion on love into three sections: (1) Love Gives Meaning to Life (1-3); (2) Love Shapes Character (4-7) ; (3) Love Lasts (8-13). The first section stresses that even if we had all things desirable, such as every spiritual gift, or all knowledge (he could just have easily put "all wealth," and it would apply to 2007 America), or even if we manifest unparalleled generosity, we gain and are nothing without love. Love is the fundament, the ground of meaning in life. I learned this as a child when I first heard this text. I still read it as an adult, and I think the words are now "truer" to me than they were 40+ years ago. Love is the oil that allows the engine of the heart to run; the glue that links people and hearts together; the sun that allows our lives to shine. It is the most cultivable of crops, the most worthy subject of our attention, the most excellent goal toward which to direct ourselves. Let that thought wash over you, and then preach or teach it with confidence.

But, second, Paul moves on to tell us how love shapes us (4-7) or how it ought to define our character. He doesn't just leave us with a notion of romantic love, even though I will turn to that subjecct in the next essay, but he stresses what you might call the "nuts and bolts" or the "mechanics" of love. You might be able to do no better than read these verses again and then focus on one of the words, with a personal illustration. How has love been patient for you? When did you witness or were the recipient of the kindness of another? When did you, out of love, curb your desire to boast or be "recognized" for something? How has love helped you continue to "believe all things?"

Third, Paul stresses the permanence of love (8-13). I suppose he could have put this in the character-shaping list of vv. 4-7, but the permanence of love requires, as it were, its own section. You know, as we look out on our world today, a major concern many people have is what I would call their "legacy"--i.e., what they will leave to others. People have their names put on buildings or forests or gardens or other things because they don't want their contributions to be forgotten. "Legacy" concerns guide so much of our actions. Paul's point here is that the greatest legacy there is, is love. Somehow love survives all things. Can we believe that when we see the roots and fruits of sectarian violence in Iraq? Can we embrace that when ethnicity and religion still divide the world rather than are the impetus for working together? Maybe now, more than ever, we need to realize that love, both in the church and the international arena, is not such a bad idea. Acts of love last. They really do. Such acts are like the bread cast upon the waters which shall return to you some day (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

Love truly is the more, and most, excellent way. The next essay quotes some classic love poetry and Shakespearean sonnets which you might want to use in your study.

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