The Most Excellent Way: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

The Corinthians prized tongues above all. The ecstatic utterance. The angelic language.

Paul granted the premise. Tongues of men—human languages. Tongues of angels—supernatural speech. But without love—without agape—noise. Resounding gong. Clanging cymbal. Chalkos echon. Kumbalon alalazon. Sound without substance. Volume without virtue.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Gift of prophecy. The Corinthians valued this too. Fathom all mysteries. Understand everything hidden. All knowledge. Omniscience hypothetically granted.

Faith that can move mountains. Jesus' own metaphor. The faith that accomplished the impossible.

But do not have love. The condition. I am nothing. Ouden eimi. Zero. The gifts without love reduced the gifted to nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Give all I possess to the poor. Total divestment. Radical generosity. Give over my body to hardship. Or perhaps "to be burned." Martyrdom. The ultimate sacrifice.

That I may boast. The motive reveals. Boasting. Self-glory. But without love—I gain nothing. Ouden opheloumai. No profit. No benefit. Zero gain.

The most impressive acts—emptied by lovelessness.

Love is patient, love is kind.

The definition began. Not abstract but active.

Patient. Makrothumei. Long-tempered. Slow to anger. Enduring provocation.

Kind. Chresteuetai. Acting with goodness. Showing kindness. Love was not passive but active.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Does not envy. Ou zeloi. Not jealous of others' gifts or success.

Does not boast. Ou perpereuetai. Not a braggart. Not drawing attention to itself.

Is not proud. Ou phusioutai. Not puffed up. Not inflated with self-importance.

The Corinthians were envious, boastful, and proud about their gifts. Love was the antidote.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Does not dishonor others. Ouk aschemonei. Not behaving shamefully. Not acting indecently.

Is not self-seeking. Ou zetei ta heautēs. Not pursuing its own advantage. Not grabbing for itself.

Is not easily angered. Ou paroxunetai. Not provoked. Not irritable.

Keeps no record of wrongs. Ou logizetai to kakon. Not accounting evil. Not maintaining the ledger of offenses.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Does not delight in evil. No pleasure in wrongdoing. Not celebrating when others fall.

Rejoices with the truth. Sunchairei te aletheia. Sharing joy with truth. Celebrating what is true and good.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Always protects. Panta stegei. Covers. Bears. Protects from exposure.

Always trusts. Panta pisteuei. Believes the best. Extends the benefit of the doubt.

Always hopes. Panta elpizei. Looks for good outcomes. Expects the best.

Always perseveres. Panta hupomenei. Endures. Remains. Never quits.

Four "always" statements. The persistence of love. The constancy.

Love never fails.

Never fails. Oudepote piptei. Never falls. Never collapses. Permanent.

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Prophecies—will cease. Katargēthēsontai. Made inoperative. Tongues—will be stilled. Pausontai. Come to rest. Knowledge—will pass away. Katargēthēsetai.

The gifts were temporary. Love was permanent.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

We know in part. Ek merous. Partial. Incomplete. We prophesy in part. Fragmentary.

When completeness comes. To teleion. The complete. The mature. The final. What is in part disappears. The partial yields to the whole.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the childish ways behind me.

The analogy of growth. Childhood—a stage. Talking, thinking, reasoning as a child—appropriate then. When I became a man. Maturity arrived. Put the childish ways behind. Set aside. Not lost but outgrown.

The gifts were childhood. Maturity would transcend them.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

For now. The present condition. A reflection as in a mirror. Corinth was famous for bronze mirrors—distorted, unclear. We see dimly.

Then. The future. We shall see face to face. Prosopon pros prosopon. Direct vision. Unmediated sight.

Now I know in part. Partial knowledge. Then I shall know fully. Epignosomai. Full knowledge. Even as I am fully known. Complete reciprocity. As God knows us.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

These three remain. Faith, hope, love. The triad. Meno—abides, persists.

The greatest of these is love. Meizōn de touton hē agapē. Love surpasses even faith and hope.

Faith gives way to sight.

Hope gives way to fulfillment.

Love never gives way.

Love remains.

The most excellent way.

Patient. Kind.

Not envious. Not boasting. Not proud.

Not dishonoring. Not self-seeking. Not easily angered.

Keeping no record of wrongs.

Rejoicing with truth.

Always protecting. Always trusting. Always hoping. Always persevering.

Never failing.

The gifts would pass.

Love would remain.

The greatest of these.

Love.