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Summarized Bible Commentary

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Contents: Love, the supreme gift of the Spirit, and its governing power over other gifts.

Characters: Paul.

Conclusion: Love alone can give value to any service rendered in Christ's name, and it is therefore the supreme gift of the Spirit, to be coveted and prayed for above all others. Faith trusts and appropriates, hope expects, but love expresses Christ and blesses men.

Key Word: Love, 1 Corinthians 13:1 (charity).

Strong Verses: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Striking Facts: Jesus Christ was the supreme expression of the love of God and His divine love and compassion is the gift of the Spirit to believers who will be yielded to Him. Thinking of Jesus as «love» (for God is love) substitute the name Jesus in place of «charity» and notice the force of the text. Can you say «Christ liveth in me?»

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See also 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER XIII. _Charity, or love to God and man, the sum and substance of all_ _true religion; so that without it, the most splendid eloquence,_ _the gift of prophecy, the most profound knowledge, f...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THOUGH I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN - Though I should be able to speak all the languages which are spoken by people. To speak foreign languages was regarded then, as it is now, as a rare and valuab...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. THE NEED AND SUPERIORITY OF LOVE. CHAPTER 13 __ 1. The Preeminence of Love. (1 Corinthians 13:1 .) 2. Love described in its characteristics. (1 Corinthians 13:4 .) 3. Love never faileth; its Pe...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 CORINTHIANS 13. ALL GIFTS AND SACRIFICES ARE WORTHLESS WITHOUT LOVE, WHICH IS SUPREME AND INCOMPARABLE. The chapter falls into three divisions: (_a)_ superlative gifts and costliest surrenders are v...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE HYMN OF LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) 13 I may speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but if I have not love, I am become no better than echoing brass or a clanging cymbal. I may have the gi...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THOUGH. If. App-118. SPEAK. App-121. MEN. App-123. CHARITY. love. App-135. SOUNDING. Greek. _echeo._ Only here and Luke 21:25 (roaring). BRASS. Greek. _chalkos._ See Matthew 10:9;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    1 Corinthians 12:31 Ch. 1 Corinthians 13:13. The Excellencies of Love _and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way_ Literally, AND FURTHERMORE I SHEW YOU AN EMINENTLY EXCELLENT WAY, i.e. the way of l...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the tongues of men_ i.e. the languages of mankind. See notes on ch. 14. _and of angels_ The Rabbis (see Lightfoot _in loc_.) speak of the languages of angels. It is possible that St Paul may be refer...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    1 Corinthians 12:31 to 1 Corinthians 13:13. THE EXCELLENCIES OF LOVE ΚΑῚ ἜΤΙ ΚΑΘ' ὙΠΕΡΒΟΛῊΝ ὉΔῸΝ ὙΜΙ͂Ν ΔΕΊΚΝΥΜΙ. AND MOREOVER I SHEW YOU A WAY OF SUPERLATIVE EXCELLENCE. This, St Paul would have us un...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ἘΆΝ. EVEN SUPPOSE I WERE TO. ΚΑῚ ΤΩ͂Ν�. The Rabbis (see Lightfoot _in loc._) speak of the languages of angels. It is possible that St Paul may be referring to this notion. And he himself also speaks ...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-3:_ The Corinthian brethren were having problems dealing with spiritual gifts. Paul said the solution to the problem would be that they should pursue love, ...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΈΆΝ (G1437) с _conj._ Это слово вводит условие, которое возможно: "предположим, что" ΓΛΏΣΣΑΙΣ _dat. pl. от_ ΓΛΏΣΣΑ (G1100) язык. _Instr. dat._ ΛΑΛΏ _praes. conj. act. от_ ΛΑΛΈΩ (G3956) говорить. _Co...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 1985 THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY 1 Corinthians 13:1. 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....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THOUGH I SPEAK, &C.— St. Paul having told the Corinthians, in the last words of the preceding chapter, that he _would shew them a more excellent way_ than the emulous producing of their gifts in the a...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    BUTLER'S COMMENTS SECTION 1 Giftedness Without Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) 13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I hav...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    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. The New Testament psalm of love, as the 45th Psalm (see its title) a...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    13 The body of Jesus, or of the Lord, denotes His physical frame. The body of Christ, however, is quite a distinct thought. Christ, or the Anointed, is a title rather than a name. It suggests official...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    TONGUES] the gift the Corinthians most valued. HAVE NOT CHARITY] do not use the gift in a spirit of love. SOUNDING BRASS] i.e. merely so much noise....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    _(e) Spiritual Gifts (ii) The most excellent Gift of Charity_ In this chapter we enter into the purest atmosphere and breathe the most fragrant odours. Passing from the previous Chapter s with their t...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    SERVANTS OF CHRIST 1 CORINTHIANS _HILDA BRIGHT_ CHAPTER 13 LOVE 13:1-13 1. THE ABSENCE OF LOVE 13:1-3 V1 Suppose that I speak in the languages of people and *angels. If I have no love, I am onl...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    XIII. (1) THOUGH I SPEAK... — The more excellent way is “Love.” Without it all moral and intellectual gifts are valueless. If there be love — the love of God, and the love of our brethren — in our hea...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 18 CONCERNING SPIRITUAL GIFTS This Epistle is well fitted to disabuse our minds of the idea that the primitive Church was in all respects superior to the Church of our own day. We turn page a...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    This _way_ will be described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, but first its _necessity_ must be proved: this is shown by the five parl [1961] hypotheses of 1 Corinthians 13:1 ff., respecting _tongues, prophec...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    to 1 Corinthians 13:3. § 42. THE WAY TO CHRISTIAN EMINENCE. Carefully and luminously Paul has set forth the manifoldness of the Holy Spirit's gifts that contribute to common life of the Church. _All_...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE ONE ESSENTIAL FOR ALL 1 Corinthians 13:1 With what wonder his amanuensis must have looked up, as the Apostle broke into this exquisite sonnet on love! His radiant spirit had caught a glimpse of t...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The apostle dealt with love, its values (verses 1Co 13:1-3), its virtues (verses 1Co 13:4-7), and its victory (verses 1Co 13:8-13). The values of love are discovered in the fact that, apart from it, a...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    The Power of Love Being able to speak the languages of men, or even angels, produced nothing but a hollow sound without meaning if love was absent, according to Paul. It should be remembered that ange...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Though (1) I speak with the tongues of men and of (a) angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a (b) tinkling cymbal. (1) He reasons first of charity, the excellency of which...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _A tinkling cymbal. Which may give notice, and be beneficial to others, but not to itself. (Witham) --- Without charity, both towards every individual, and especially towards the common body of the Ch...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    1 Corinthians 13:1-3 . Without love, the most eminent gifts confer no real worth on their possessor....

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am only a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” Hitherto the apostle had put the gift of tongues at the end of each of h...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    II. THE WAY PAR EXCELLENCE. CHAP. 13. This chapter has been called a hymn. In tone indeed it is truly lyrical, especially in the first verses. Charity is poetically personified. In this respect the pa...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) 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 myst...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS This is a short, but interesting Chapter on Love. The Apostle speaks in the highest Commendation of it, and declares that it will abide forever....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    As usual, the introductory words (1 Corinthians 1:1-3) of the epistle give us no little intimation of that which is to follow. The apostle speaks of himself as such "called [to be] an apostle of Jesus...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The division of the Chapter being so absurd, I could not refrain from changing it, especially as I could not conveniently interpret it otherwise. For what purpose did it serve to connect with what goe...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Nevertheless there was something more excellent than all gifts. They were the manifestations of the power of God and of the mysteries of His wisdom; love, that of His nature itself. They might speak w...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THOUGH I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN,.... That is, of all men, all languages that men anywhere speak, or have been spoken by them. The number of these is by some said i to be "seventy five"; but the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 1. _Though I speak with the tongues_] The Corinthians gloried m...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Though_, &c. The apostle having observed in the last verse of the preceding chapter, (with which this chapter is closely connected,) that he would show them _a more excellent way_, that is, a way mor...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    CHARITY; love to God and to men. SOUNDING BRASS; empty and worthless. As love to God and to men is the best gift which God bestows, all should most earnestly desire and cherish it in themselves and i...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    A PSALM OF LOVE. The high worth of love:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Verses 1 Timothy 3 of this chapter show the necessity of love; verses 4 to 7 the characteristics of love; and verses 8 to 13 its permanence. And in the first section, verse I deals with what I speak;...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    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), h...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    OLBGrk; 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 All gifts, how excellent soever, without charity are nothing worth. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4 The praises of charity, 1 Corinthians 13:13

  • McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries

    This chapter has been admired by all ages, but, unfortunately, it has been practiced by none. In it Paul shows that love is superior to all extraordinary gifts, both by reason of its inherent excellen...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book IV God counts worthy? "To the point the Apostle Paul speaks, "If I give my body, and have not love, I am sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal."[172] Tertullian A...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Corinthians 13:1 Though G1437 speak G2980 (G5725) tongues G1100 men G444 and G2532 angels G32 but G1161 h

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ALL 'SPIRITUAL' ACTIVITY IS DEVOID OF VALUE IF LOVE IS LACKING (13:1-3) 'If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding bronze, or a clanging cymbal.' We no...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    LOVE MUST LIE AT THE ROOT OF ALL WE DO ESPECIALLY OUR MINISTRY TO THE CHURCH (13:1-13). Paul now deals with what must lie behind the use of spiritual gifts, if they are to be truly spiritual. And in s...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    1 Corinthians 13:1. THOUGH I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN. The gift of tongues seems to have been largely possessed and eagerly exercised in the Corinthian church. AND OF ANGELS who doubtless have...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    WITH THE TONGUES (ταις γλωσσαις). Instrumental case. Mentioned first because really least and because the Corinthians put undue emphasis on this gift. Plato (_Symposium_, 197) and many others have w...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    ANGELS See note, (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _ CHARITY That is, love; and so in (1 Corinthians 13:2); (1 Corinthians 13:3); ...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    1 Corinthians 12:31 ; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 St. Paul has been treating of spiritual gifts as they then existed in the Church of tongues, of prophecy, and the like. They were things to be courted and atta...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    1 Corinthians 13:1. _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._ If there be no love to God, and no love to man,...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    1 Corinthians 12:1. _Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led._ Although the mem...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    The apostle having spoken of the adornings of the church, which is the body of Christ, proceeds now to treat of her internal glory; and that glory is charity, for without this, all other endowments ar...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGES. The Corinthians thought the ability to speak in _strange tongues_ was God's greatest gift to them, If Paul can speak every human language and even speak the language of angels,...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _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._ CHARITY Each of the apostles had a predominant feature of character....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 CORINTHIANS—NOTE ON 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 TONGUES... ANGELS. See note on 12:10. Tongues is probably mentioned first because the Corinthians have used and emphasized it without love ...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    CHAPTER 13 SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTER i. He points out that of all gifts and graces, charity is the first, and that without charity no gift or virtue is of any use. II. He enumerates (ver. 4) the sixt...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ 1. THESE NEED BE VERY FEW; the language of the chapter is of the simplest, the thought inexhaustibly full. 2. Note, Paul, not John, writes this chapter on LOVE. 3. The “I” is not s...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 _The supremely excellent way of Christian love. _This chapter has been in all ages the object of the special admiration of the Church. Would that it had received in all...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn to the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians. The thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians actually begins with chapter 12. Paul was talking in chapter 12 about the various gifts of the Holy Spiri...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 12:16; 1 Corinthians 12:29; 1 Corinthians 12:30; 1 Corinthians 12:8;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Tongues. Mentioned first because of the exaggerated importance which the Corinthians attached to this gift. Angels. Referring to the ecstatic utterances of those who spoke with tongues. Charity [α γ...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY 1 Corinthians 13:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1. The love of God. The great love of God verse is John 3:16. Another great love verse is Romans 5:8. The whole Bible is, however, one st...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Though I speak with all the tongues — Which are upon earth, and with the eloquence of an angel. And have not love — The love of God, and of all mankind for his sake, I am no better before God than the...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Here our apostle begins. comparison between gifts and graces, and shows how much more excellent and desirable the saving graces of the Spirit are, than all those pompous and miraculous gifts, in which...

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