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1st Corinthians 13.Part IV
October 28th 2018
Milk
We left off last week with what is the best verse that describes the character traits of the Christian – in my humble opinion – verse 7 of 1st Cornthians 13 which says Godly LOVE
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
At verse 8 Paul shifts tone, so to speak, and takes us home on his treatise on Godly love, saying succinctly:
8 Godly love 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.
So back to verse 8 where he writes:
8 Agape Love 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.
At this point Paul proceeds to illustrate the value of love, explaining its permanency when compared with other valued spiritual endowments.
Why? How is Godly love of more value than the other spiritual gifts he mentioned in chapter 12 or that he mentioned here in chapter 13?
He gives us one reason here in verse 8 saying that Godly love never faileth.
The Greek translated faileth here in the King James is ek-pip-to and it means
“to drop away” specially, be driven out of its course, to be lost, to become inefficient, to be cast off, to fail, to fall (away or off) or to take none effect.
Long story short, Godly love abides forever.
Perhaps it can be said that all of the great trips and memorable events in the home or in our engagements with others – from childhood on – are remembered fondly more for the love that was present in them than the events themselves.
We might recall the fun of an event but overall, when love of parents and family, especially the agape love of self-sacrifice is present, the memories are more sacred.
Conversely, events and trips riddled with selfishness on the part of someone will be remembered with bitterness.
The truth of the matter is that genuine sacrificial love, exhibited by people around us, makes everything last in a way that is simply beautiful and life making.
In terms of an eternal investment, invest in Godly love – make it the account in which you make the most deposits – while not always fun, and you will not be disappointed with the returns in the end because such love never fails, is never lost, is never forgotten.
Apologies for the redundancy here, but long ago, when I was in me early twenties, I began a inner search for the best way to live life – with best being defined by what will provide the greatest returns over the longest period of time.
I was initially interested in crime – drug lord type of crime, or powerful and threatening gang stuff – but the risks were too high if you wanted a family.
I considered being a person who lived for the cheap – cheap hotels, cheap wine, cheap entertainments and cheap relationships – but when I encountered those who chose such a path I could see that the long term returns were not worth it either.
A long stint wandering through literature and philosophy cured me of all they offered and described, and I even saw that a life dedicated to formal education, material acquisition, or even organized religion, in the end, could not satiate my desire to pursue a well-lived life that would at least have the promise of long term returns.
It was when I discovered that the promise of returns on genuine love – of all kinds – philos love, storge love, eros love and especially agape love – were longer than any other pursuit I could take, I began, feebly (and errantly, at first) to pursue such a life and it was in large part when this single phrase sunk into my soul:
Godly love never fails.
It is of the most value in the present and future life of all people, and therefore is to be sought, because it will always abide, will not be forgotten, will not fade once the flesh ceases to thrive.
Perhaps the best way to understand the word “faileth” here (as in Godly love never faitheth) would be it never falls – and is used in places to describe the stars of heaven falling out of the sky or flowers that fall or fade.
Because it never falls it will forever exist and never fall or fail.
To me, this love will abide forever in heaven as it is who and what God is! And if we are abiding in His presence or in Him after this life, and even while in this life, we are abiding in a love that is eternally comforting, trustworthy, reassuring, peaceful, and good.
In context of chapter 12 and what is said here, the sense then is that while other endowments of the Holy Spirit would soon cease and be valueless, Godly love would abide and would always exist.
This is why Paul now goes on and says:
“But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail.”
You want a word that means the exact opposite of shall never fail used above to describe the eternality of love. We’ll its right here “kat-argay-o” and it means
to be (rendered) entirely idle, useless, abolishished, cease, destroyed, to become of no effect, to fail, to loose, to bring or to come to nought, to put away, to put down (like a star or a flower), to vanish away, to make void.
The gift of prophesy will cease, be abolished, come to naught. There shall be no further use for this gift in the light and glory of the world above, and it shall cease. God shall be the teacher. And as there will be no need of confirming the truth of religion by the prediction of future events, and no need of warning against impending dangers there, the gift of foretelling future events will be of course unknown.
Now, I want to make a gentle suggestion to you here. I suggest that due to the descriptions of what the New Testament would look like after the Old Testament is done away, that we are already in this age.
In other words, there is zero need for prophets like unto Moses anymore because God writes His laws and will and ways directly on the hearts of individuals.
I’m not suggesting that individuals can be told by God what is coming in their respective lives, like God used to tell men and women called prophets and prophetesses – but in my estimation, what Paul is describing here is not a heavenly economy that is to only be experienced when we die, but I tend to believe that he his telling his audience then and there that in the coming age, that would begin once Jesus came, love will reign and all the spiritual gifts AS THEY WERE USED IN THAT DAY would cease.
Just something to consider.
Of course, if I’m wrong (but I don’t think I am) but if I am, then what Paul is talking about is that in heaven there will be no need that the faith of God’s people shall be encouraged by prophetic utterances.
He goes on and says
whether there be tongues, they shall cease;
POW-O – they will stop.
Now think about this for a minute. God sends His holy Spirit to the heart of all believers.
God writes his laws upon the hearts and minds of all individual believers.
The lingua franca of the Christian is Godly LOVE, and the Spirit is leading all who are His . . .
What need is there for tongues in this day and age when LOVE, the universal language, speaks more than ten thousand words of an unknown tongue?
We have allowed ourselves to get all immersed in things like continued prophesy and speaking of tongues ad naseum and right here Paul seems to be saying
“there is a more excellent way” and when it comes, these things are not longer required – at all.”
Another thing to consider – which it taking us out there a little bit – but things that cause division among the people of God are NOT necessarily beneficial.
When we look to the origin of a diversity of languages it was the product of human sin that God caused a distinction in tongues – referring to the Tower of Babel, by the way.
The interpretation of Tongues was a gift to overcome the results of the division in the early church. But a more excellent way, in my estimation, is agape love.
We are going to spend the next chapter talking about tongues extensively so let’s move on from here as Paul now adds:
“whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
To fully capture what Paul meant by this lets consider the next two verses where he says:
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.
So back to verse 8, Paul speaks to knowledge. And he suggests that it too, will vanish away – the Greek word there is the same is when he speaks of prophesy – it will fall like the stars in the sky or the petals on a flower.
Now, we cannot believe that knowledge will not exist in heaven – I mean, knowing is knowing, right? – So Paul seems to be speaking of the spiritual knowledge or perhaps even the temporal knowledge humans presently possess.
It is limited, it is “in part” so he appears to be speaking of our limited knowledge on things – it will fall – and will be replaced by full knowledge.
Now, I have suggested that what Paul is describing relative to prophecy, and tongues, can be applied to people here and now, that we don’t need to wait for heaven for such things to fall and fail in the presence of Godly love but that they can fade from the faith presently when the excellency of Godly love is present.
I am going to take perhaps an even bigger leap here and suggest that the same is true with our limited knowledge that we possess here and now – it can fade and fall away in the bright glory of God’s love.
Let me explain myself a bit more.
We have partial knowledge – let’s say on the subject of the make-up of God. Many call God a Trinity. Some a binity. Some a modalistic God.
And of course every stance takes their “partial knowledge” and looks down on the partial knowledge of the other parties, right?
Well, what if we took that knowledge (which is in part) and let God’s love reign? What would that look like?
It would (and could) look like the heavenly future view that everyone think Paul is speaking about here – when I again can’t help but wonder if he is really speaking about the way things would be in the actual New Testament age.
Listen to what He says again here:
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.
Notice that Paul doesn’t say:
But “when that which is perfect is perfectly in place,” but rather “when that which is perfect is come, THEN that which is in part shall be done away.”
The question is, what does He mean when he writes, “When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away?”
Some think this is talking about heaven when perfect love will arrive.
Some think, like me, that it means, when Agape love arrives, imperfect things will fade away.
And then there is another thought which does have merit. What has ever been perfect in this world? Jesus right? Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God, God’s love – all perfect.
So perhaps when Paul says:
10 But when that which is perfect is come, he is speaking of Jesus Himself.
If that is the case, then we can say with certainty that in 70AD all spiritual gifts were done away with.
Just something to consider.
It is interesting that Paul, is speaking of a time when we speak and know in part, until that which is perfect comes, now says:
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.
I personally see this as Paul providing us with a huge insight to his purpose in writing what He has written.
See, the believers at Corinth, while blessed with an abundance of spiritual gifts, were behaving like children, fighting and infighting with one another over differences that existed between them.
We know this was the case because all the way back in the first chapters of this very epistle Paul said:
1st Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Paul now says, in relation to spiritual gifts being much less excellent than Godly love,
“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”
This says to me that what he is describing here about Godly love IS possible for them then and there – that they can put away childish traits of strife and envyings and divisions and in choosing genuine love can be as men (or adults).
Again, this is all possible when they allow love to come to town, or that which is perfect.
The word child here describes a babe but of an specific age. Paul refers to the time when he was a child that could speak.
When I was a child I spake as a child – and he explains what he means by this by adding:
“I understood as a child,” and “I thought as a child.”
Obviously Paul’s point is that when he was a child lacking understanding and information he spoke imperfectly – he spoke with the naivete and articulation with which children speak.
As children we place our focus on things that are unimportant in the scheme of things in the adult world, we have views and understanding that are of little value, and we engage in childish squabbles as a result. A result of what?
If thinking as a child and having the understanding of a child.
I believe Paul is likening his juvenile years to the attitudes and behaviors of the Corinthians.
They were babes and continued to engage with each other as babes – fighting over who is first, who has the bigger cookie, who had the toy first.
Very selfish. Very self-centered. Which is all very natural.
Child Development folks suggest that a process happens with most infants. At birth they suggest that a babe has no idea that it is a self or an autonomous individual. It thinks that its will is the same as the will of all things around it. That the face of the mother smiling is itself smiling, and the thought of the universe (if it could perceive a universe) is the thoughts of the baby.
In this way infants often have a wonderful peaceful experience because many of them have all their needs pacified, and in these immediate pacifications, they believe their hunger or discomfort is immediately known to the universe and therefore met.
And the world is the oyster of the babe.
It has no ability to understand that its wants are different from the wants of the rest of the world.
In time the infant begins to realize that the world around it – Mom and Dad and the toys and blankets and diapers do not automatically respond to its wants and needs. As a means to communicate its personal discomforts the infant will cry, sometimes in frustration – and especially when it is hungry but is not fed, or when it is tired but the rest of the world does not sleep.
This is the theory.
At some point in time an infant comes to realize that the world around it is separate from itself. This realization is enhanced in experiences like when it discovered its own hand. I am thinking move toy dangling over my head, but it does nothing. I’ve seen it move and heard its beautiful music but when I want it to move and sing it won’t! So the infant cries until it gets what it wants from the actions of others.
Then something miraculous happens – the babe begins to discover that he or she IS, in fact, an individual separate from the world around it.
It catches a glimpse of its own hand. It thinks that the heck. It says come to me hand – and it awkwardly and spastically does!
Even into the mouth. And there is a squishy thing in my mouth that can feel the shape of my hand. I think, move hand and hand moves!
“I am in control of things in this world,” or perhaps, “I can control things! With this thing that moves when I tell it to.”
It notices that when it cries people come running. That when it grabs things people either let him keep what he grabbed . . . or not.
And the process of individuation, and independence continues from that point forward on out (hopefully) into adulthood.
But for a long long long time we are all stuck in thinking that we are the Kings and Queens of our domain, that we are the center of the universe and we see the world in this fashion, to some extent or another, until we learn the value of sharing and waiting, and the needs of others.
And along the way there are rules and laws and guidelines to guide us all.
They are fine. They are good and work but Paul here makes the point that all of these things were part of when He was a child, then He thought as a child and when He understood the world around Him like a child does.
But then he transitions to another phase in his life, saying
But when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Contextually, I would suggest that Paul is calling prophesy, tongues, and part-knowledge childish things here – and in the context of this chapter is saying that Men and women – the mature in the faith are such by the Godly LOVE they exhibit in their lives.
Just as children have limited knowledge and understanding, so are those believers who chose to operate and act and treat each other based on part-knowledge, and tongues, and other spiritual gifts.
Those things are minor league. They are the tools of Christian children – and will lead to Christians doing what children naturally do because of their limited views – they cry, and throw tantrums, and get angry, and won’t share, and all the rest of it.
But when I became a Man (meaning when I learned about and then chose Godly love over all other things) I put AWAY childish things – things that are not fully developed like the perfect love of God is fully developed – and began to operate in spiritual maturity . . .
I began to believe all things, and bear all things, and hope all things, and endure all things.
Men and women in the faith do that. Children in the faith endure little, bear little, hope for little and believe in little.
Failure in understanding and knowledge won’t let them. But the presence of mature faith and love allows for it all.
Verse 12 Paul adds more information to his example, saying
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.
STOP
Paul here makes use of another illustration to show the imperfection of our knowledge here. Compared with what it will be in the future world, it is like the imperfect view of an object which we have in looking through an obscure and opaque medium, compared with the view which we have when we look at it “face to face.” The word glass here (esoptron) means, properly, a mirror, a looking-glass. The mirrors of the ancients were usually made of polished metal, Ex 38:8 Job 37:18. Many have supposed, (see Doddridge, in loc., and Robinson’s Lexicon,) that the idea here is that of seeing objects by reflection from a mirror, which reflects only their imperfect forms. But this interpretation does not well accord with the apostle’s idea of seeing things obscurely. The most natural idea is that of seeing objects by an imperfect medium, by looking through something in contemplating them. It is therefore probable that he refers to those transparent substances which the ancients had, and which they used in their windows occasionally; such as thin plates of horn, transparent stone, etc. Windows were often made of the lapis specularis, described by Pliny, (xxxvi. 22,) which was pellucid, and which admitted of being split into thin laminae or scales, probably the same as mica. Humboldt mentions such kinds of stone as being used in South America in church windows.–Bloomfield. It is not improbable, I think, that even in the time of Paul the ancients had the knowledge of glass, though it was probably at first very imperfect and obscure. There is some reason to believe that glass was known to the Phenicians, the Tyrians, and the Egyptians. Pliny says that it was first discovered by accident. A merchant vessel, laden with nitre or fossil alkali, having been driven on shore on the coast of Palestine near the river Belus, the crew went in search of provisions, and accidentally supported the kettles on which they dressed their food upon pieces of fossil alkali. The river sand, above which this operation was performed, was vitrified by its union with the alkali, and thus produced glass.–See Edin. Ency., art. Glass. It is known that glass was in quite common use about the commencement of the Christian era. In the reign of Tiberius, an artist had his house demolished for making glass malleable. About this time, drinking vessels were made commonly of glass; and glass bottles for holding wine and flowers were in common use. That glass was in quite common use has been proved by the remains that have been discovered in the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii. There is, therefore, no impropriety in supposing that Paul here may have alluded to the imperfect and discoloured glass which was then in extensive use; for we have no reason to suppose that it was then as transparent as that which is now made. It was, doubtless, an imperfect and obscure medium, and therefore well adapted to illustrate the nature of our knowledge here, compared with what it will be in heaven.
Darkly. Marg., in a riddle, en ainigmati. The word means a fiddle, an enigma; then an obscure intimation. In a riddle, a statement is made with some resemblance to the truth; a puzzling question is proposed, and the solution is left to conjecture. Hence it means, as here, obscurely, darkly, imperfectly. Little is known; much is left to conjecture: a very accurate account of most of that which passes for knowledge. Compared with heaven, our knowledge here much resembles the obscure intimations in an enigma compared with clear statement and manifest truth.
But then. In the fuller revelations in heaven.
Face to face. As when one looks upon an object openly, and not through an obscure and dark medium. It here means, therefore, clearly, without obscurity.
I know in part. 1Co 13:9.
But then shall I know. My knowledge shall be clear and distinct. I shall have a clear view of those objects which are now so indistinct and obscure. I shall be in the presence of those objects about which I now inquire; I shall see them; I shall have a clear acquaintance with the Divine perfections, plans, and character. This does not mean that he would know everything, or that he would be omniscient; but that in regard to those points of inquiry in which he was then interested, he would have a view that would be distinct and clear–a view that would be clear, arising from the fact that he would be present with them, and permitted to see them, instead of surveying them at a distance, and by imperfect mediums.
Even as also I am known. In the same manner, (kaywv,) not to the same extent. It does not mean that he would know God as clearly and as fully as God would know him; for his remark does not relate to the extent, but to the manner and the comparative clearness of his knowledge. He would see things as he was now seen and would be seen there. It would be face to face. He would be in their presence. It would not be where he would be seen clearly and distinctly, and himself compelled to look upon all objects confusedly and obscurely, and through an imperfect medium. But he would be with them; would see them face to face; would see them without any medium; would see them in the same manner as they would see him. Disembodied spirits, and the inhabitants of the heavenly world, have this knowledge; and when we are there, we shall see the truths, not at a distance and obscurely, but plainly and openly.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, Godly love, these three; but the greatest of these is Godly love.
And now abideth. Remains, (menei). The word means, properly, to remain, continue, abide; and is applied to persons remaining in a place, in a state or condition, in contradistinction from removing or changing their place, or passing away. Here it must be understood to be used to denote permanency, when the other things of which he had spoken had passed away; and the sense is, that faith, hope, and love would remain when the gift of tongues should cease, and the need of prophecy, etc.; that is, these should survive them all. And the connection certainly requires us to understand him as saying that faith, hope, and love would survive all those things of which he had been speaking, and must therefore include knowledge, (1Co 13:8,9) as well as miracles, and the other endowments of the Holy Spirit. They would survive them all; would be valuable when they should cease; and should, therefore, be mainly sought; and of these the greatest and most important is love. Most commentators have supposed that Paul is speaking here only of this life, and that he means to say that in this life these three exist; that “faith, hope, and charity exist in this scene only, but that in the future world faith and hope will be done away, and therefore the greatest of these is charity.”–Bloomfield. See also Doddridge, Macknight, Rosenmuller, Clarke, etc. But to me it seems evident that Paul means to say that faith, hope, and love, will survive all those other things of which he had been speaking; that they would vanish away, or be lost in superior attainments and endowments; that the time would come when they. would be useless; but that faith, hope, and love would then remain; but of these, for important reasons, love was the most valuable. Not because it would endure the longest, for the apostle does not intimate that; but because it is more important to the welfare of others, and is a more eminent virtue than they are. As the strain of the argument requires us to look to another state, to a world where prophecy shall cease and knowledge shall vanish away, so the same strain of argumentation requires us to understand him as saying, that faith, and hope, and love will subsist there; and that there, as here, LOVE will be of more importance than faith and hope. It cannot be objected to this view that there will be no occasion for faith and hope in heaven. That is assumed without evidence, and is not affirmed by Paul. He gives no such intimation. Faith is confidence in God and in Christ; and there will be as much necessity of confidence in heaven as on earth. Indeed, the great design of the plan of salvation is to restore confidence in God among alienated creatures; and heaven could not subsist a moment without confidence; and faith, therefore, must be eternal. No society–be it a family, a neighborhood, a church, or a nation; be it mercantile, professional, or a mere association of friendship–can subsist a moment without mutual confidence or faith; and in heaven such confidence in God MUST subsist for ever. And so of hope. It is true that many of the objects of hope will then be realized, and will be succeeded by possession. But will the Christian have nothing to hope for in heaven? Will it be nothing to expect and desire greatly augmented knowledge, eternal enjoyment, perfect peace in all coming ages, and the happy society of the blessed for ever? All heaven cannot be enjoyed at once; and if there is anything future that is an object of desire, there will be hope. Hope is a compound emotion, made up of a desire for an object and an expectation of obtaining it. But both these will exist in heaven. It is folly to say that a redeemed saint will not desire there eternal happiness; it is equal folly to say that there will be no strong expectation of obtaining it. All that is said, therefore, about faith as about to cease, and hope as not having an existence in heaven, is said without the authority of the Bible, and in violation of what must be the truth, and is contrary to the whole scope of the reasoning of Paul here.
But the greatest of these is charity. Not because it is to endure the longest, but because it is the more important virtue; it exerts a wider influence; it is more necessary to the happiness of society; it overcomes more evils. It is the great principle which is to bind the universe in harmony; which unites God to his creatures, and his creatures to himself; and which binds and confederates all holy beings with each other. It is therefore more important, because it pertains to society, to the great kingdom of which God is the head, and because it enters into the very conception of a holy and happy organization. Faith and hope rather pertain to individuals; love pertains to society, and is that without which the kingdom of God cannot stand. Individuals may be saved by faith and hope; but the whole immense kingdom of God depends on Low. It is, therefore, of more importance than all other graces and endowments; more important than prophecy and miracles, and the gift of tongues and knowledge, because it will SURVIVE them all; more important than faith and hope, because, although it may co- exist with them, and though they all shall live for ever, yet LOVE enters into the very nature of the kingdom of God; binds society together; unites the Creator and the creature; and blends the interests of all the redeemed, and of the angels, and of God, INTO ONE.
