1 Corinthians 13:1

If. speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,. am become sounding brass, or. clanging cymbal.

Before Paul specifically points out the more excellent way (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), he must first demonstrate its necessity. Paul had just shown in chapter 12 that all the gifts are necessary, all are honorable in their proper use, and all are given by God. But for the Corinthians. peril surrounded the spiritual gifts. The danger of using them selfishly. The way described in this chapter is also. "way of escape" from misusing the gifts.

'with the tongues of men' -this must be what the gift of "tongues" consisted of in these Chapter s. (1 Corinthians 12:30) Paul mentions this gift first, for this is the gift they were tending to elevate above all others and abuse in the process. 'Mentioned first because of the exaggerated importance which the Corinthians attached to this gift.' (Vincent p. 262)

Therefore: The tongues of First Corinthians Chapter s 12-14, are the same gift as described in Acts 2:6; Acts 10:46. The ability to speak in. human language, which you had never learned. (Acts 2:7)

'and of angels' -Some have used this phrase to prove that the tongues of chapter 14 were "angelic" languages.

Points to Note:

1. Verse. begins with the word "If". 'Paul doesn't suggest that tongue-speakers spoke with the language of angels. He is saying: "even if..".' (McGuiggan p. 174)

This is. supposed case. 'If. can speak the languages of men and even of angels.' (Gspd) Paul's point is, 'Let us supposed that my tongue-speaking ability included every language on the planet (which it didn't-1 Corinthians 14:18), and even the language of heaven, tongue-speaking at it's most marvellous height, exhausting the languages of earth and heaven...even in such. case, the absence of love on my part, would make even such exalted tongue-speaking pointless. How much more then is loveless limited tongue-speaking (the gift they possessed-1 Corinthians 14:18), in vain.

2. In each of these illustrations, Paul cites the highest possible degree. (1 Corinthians 13:2 'know all mysteries..all faith, so as to remove mountains..(1 Corinthians 13:3)..give all my possessions..')

The point being, that if the highest possible manifestation of tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, benevolence and sacrifice are rendered pointless by lovelessness, then so are all lower degrees of the same things.

3. I'm not sure where any one got the idea that angels spoke in ecstatic utterances. When angels spoke in the Bible, they used intelligent speech. (Luke 1:13; Luke 1:26)

4. Paul heard the type of speaking used in heaven. And it wasn't ecstatic utterances. (2 Corinthians 12:4)

5. The logic of Paul's argument would demand, that if one claims they speak in. "heavenly language", then they first must have mastered the languages of men. For speaking in the tongues of angels would constitute the highest degree of tongue-speaking ability.

Therefore: Modern day groups that claim to speak in "heavenly languages" can be tested. If they really are speaking with the "tongues of angels", then they can prove it by first speaking the full range of human languages.

'but have not love' -'all loveless abilities, endowments, sacrifices are, from the Christian point of view, simply good for nothing.' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 896)

Point to Note:

1. Loveless acts may benefit someone (1 Peter 1:15). But it doesn't benefit the person engaged in it.

2. God is concerned about the "means" behind the end product!

No, the end doesn't justify the means.

3. Jesus taught the same truth in such passages as: (Matthew 6:1; Matthew 16:1; Matthew 17:1; Matthew 18:1)

Fee has something interesting to say at this point, 'Because of the lyrical nature of this section, it is easy to think of love as an abstract quality. That is precisely to miss Paul's concern...Love is not an idea for Paul, not even. "motivating factor" for behavior. It is behavior. To love is to act; anything short of action is not love at all.' (p. 628) (John 14:15; 1 John 3:17)

4. More is under consideration here than just "the right motivation". Rather, not only to these acts need to be motivated by love, but the person doing them, their whole life needs to embrace the biblical ethic of love, in these areas and others. To be motivated to pray to God out of love, is pointless, if I'm treating my brother or spouse in. loveless way. (Matthew 5:23; 1 Peter 3:7)

'It is not. matter of these things or love, or even these things motivated by love, but these things by. person whose whole life is otherwise also given to love. If not, that person's life before God adds up to zero.' (Fee p. 629)

5. Having. spiritual gift, coming into contact with the Holy Spirit in. miraculous sense, didn't automatically instill love in. person's life. The Corinthians "had the Spirit", but they didn't have true love, in fact, they didn't even have "warm, fuzzy feelings for each other"! Even in the day and age of spiritual gifts, love was learned in the same way it is learned today. God revealed it in His word and Christians were meant to practice and apply it in their lives. God doesn't miraculously impart love!

**There was no spiritual gift called, "the gift of love".

'I am become' -'It is put vividly, "I am already become." (Robertson p. 176)

'sounding brass, or. clanging cymbal' -Now men might still be impressed with. loveless speaker. Many of the Jews had been impressed with the loveless Pharisees. (Matthew 6:2) But this is God's view of such. speaker, and in the end, the only view that matters.

'The characteristic of heathen worship, especially the worship of Dionysus and Cybele, was the clashing and the clanging of cymbals and the braying of trumpets. Even the coveted gift of tongues was no better than the uproar of heathen worship if love was absent.' (Barclay p. 131)

'But let's not hear the preacher brag or the loveless speaker, let's not see him strut. He's as offensive as the rattling of garbage-can lids. Without love, the most inspired teaching/speaking is noise! THAT'S GOD'S VIEW OF IT.. (McGuiggan p. 174)