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Friday, December 03, 2004

1Corinthians, chapter 13, the Bible

New American Standard Version
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13
  • If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
  • If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
  • And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
  • Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
    does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
  • does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
    bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
  • Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
  • For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
    but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
  • When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
  • For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
  • But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Spanish Biblia de las Americas
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13

  • Si yo hablara lenguas humanas y angélicas, pero no tengo amor, he llegado a ser como metal que resuena o címbalo que retine.
  • Y si tuviera el don de profecía, y entendiera todos los misterios y todo conocimiento, y si tuviera toda la fe como para trasladar montanas, pero no tengo amor, nada soy.
  • Y si diera todos mis bienes para dar de comer a los pobres, y si entregara mi cuerpo para ser quemado, pero no tengo amor, de nada me aprovecha.
  • El amor es paciente, es bondadoso; el amor no tiene envidia; el amor no es jactancioso, no es arrogante;
  • no se porta indecorosamente; no busca lo suyo, no se irrita, no toma en cuenta el mal recibido ;
  • no se regocija de la injusticia, sino que se alegra con la verdad;
    todo lo sufre, todo lo cree, todo lo espera, todo lo soporta.
  • El amor nunca deja de ser; pero si hay dones de profecía, se acabarán; si hay lenguas, cesarán; si hay conocimiento, se acabará.
  • Porque en parte conocemos, y en parte profetizamos;
    pero cuando venga lo perfecto, lo incompleto se acabará.
  • Cuando yo era nino, hablaba como nino, pensaba como nino, razonaba como nino; pero cuando llegué a ser hombre, dejé las cosas de nino.
  • Porque ahora vemos por un espejo, veladamente, pero entonces veremos cara a cara; ahora conozco en parte, pero entonces conoceré plenamente, como he sido conocido.
  • Y ahora permanecen la fe, la esperanza y el amor, estos tres; pero el mayor de ellos es el amor.

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE
Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995
by:
THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION
LA HABRA, CA 90631
A Corporation Not for Profit
All Rights Reserved

LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS
Copyright (C) 1986, 1995, 1997
by:
THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION
LA HABRA, CA 90631
Sociedad no comercial
Derechos Reservados


Matthew Henry's Commentary

1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 Introduction:

  • The necessity and advantage of the grace of love. (1-3)
  • Its excellency represented by its properties and effects; (4-7)
  • and by its abiding, and its superiority. (8-13)

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
The excellent way had in view in the close of the former chapter, is not what is meant by charity in our common use of the word, almsgiving, but love in its fullest meaning; true love to God and man. Without this, the most glorious gifts are of no account to us, of no esteem in the sight of God. A clear head and a deep understanding, are of no value without a benevolent and charitable heart. There may be an open and lavish hand, where there is not a liberal and charitable heart. Doing good to others will do none to us, if it be not done from love to God, and good-will to men. If we give away all we have, while we withhold the heart from God, it will not profit. Nor even the most painful sufferings. How are those deluded who look for acceptance and reward for their good works, which are as scanty and defective as they are corrupt and selfish!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Some of the effects of charity are stated, that we may know whether we have this grace; and that if we have not, we may not rest till we have it. This love is a clear proof of regeneration, and is a touchstone of our professed faith in Christ. In this beautiful description of the nature and effects of love, it is meant to show the Corinthians that their conduct had, in many respects, been a contrast to it. Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness; it does not desire or seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Not that charity destroys all regard to ourselves, or that the charitable man should neglect himself and all his interests. But charity never seeks its own to the hurt of others, or to neglect others. It ever prefers the welfare of others to its private advantage. How good-natured and amiable is Christian charity!
How excellent would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it were more under this Divine principle, and paid due regard to the command on which its blessed Author laid the chief stress! Let us ask whether this Divine love dwells in our hearts. Has this principle guided us into becoming behaviour to all men? Are we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a call to watchfulness, diligence, and prayer.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men! Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us.
To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another.
Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, [1Jo 4:8,16]. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.

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