1 Corinthians 13:1-13
This is certainly the most famous passage in all of Paul’s writings. Instead of his usual dense, convoluted sentences, filled with abstractions, Paul suddenly becomes lyrical, metaphorical, poetic, eloquent, as well as sublime. This “hymn to love” has probably been used in more wedding services than any other passage in scripture–even though it is not about marriage. Surprisingly, Paul never mentions God or Jesus or even the Spirit in this passage, which has made it suitable for use by the not-very-religious.
The passage is so extraordinary in its poetic power–and lack of explicit theological content–that many have wondered whether Paul actually wrote it. Perhaps he was quoting from another source. Or perhaps he wrote it, but he wrote it separately–as a work of art that he had given much attention to–and then inserted it at this point in his letter. The problem with these theories is that the themes he brings up in this passage connect perfectly with what he has previously said; the development of his thought is seamless. I do not doubt that Paul gave this particular passage time and care in its composition, but I think we must conclude that this passage represents a truly extraordinary bit of inspiration that is a natural part of the flow of the larger letter.
So to truly appreciate Paul’s point in this passage, we must read it along with chapter 12, because it is the next sublime step in his argument about spiritual gifts. In chapter 12 he wants to make it clear that all gifts exercised by believers are spiritual gifts, because all believers are inspired by the same Spirit; and all gifts are important to the operation of the church, and all believers exercising those gifts have equal dignity. The church needs plumbers as well as preachers; the church needs carpenters and care-givers; the church needs administrators, teachers, counselors, janitors, greeters, artists, musicians, and those who open their homes to travelers or the temorarily homeless. The church needs facilitators and it needs workers; it needs those who have financial resources for helping those in need. The church is comprised of an extraordinary range of gifts–all needed, all given dignity, and all flowing from the same Spirit.
But as important as all of these gifts are to the operation of the Body of Christ, they are all worthless unless exercised with love. We may have the gift of ecstatic, other-worldly prayer, but without love it’s just noise. We may have the gift of spiritual insight and deep knowledge, and have the spiritual gift of faith so that we can do miracles–but without love it’s all pointless. We may have the spiritual gift of giving to those in need, even to the point of sacrificing our own lives, but if it’s done for the sake of attention instead of for love, nothing spiritual has happened. We must act out of love or we are not spiritual at all–no matter how impressive our gifts and abilities may seem.
But what is love? Paul offers a definition: It’s not a feeling; it’s about concrete ways of viewing and treating other people. It is a commitment to care that never ends. This makes it superior to inspired preaching (prophecy) and great knowledge–because our inspired speech and knowledge are always incomplete and imperfect. Measuring how good our gifts are is childish. Love leads us to true maturity. Love leads us to the One whose essence is all about love. Trust is essential and eternal; hope is essential and eternal; but love is at the heart of it all.
As a spiritual exercise, I find it illuminating to read verses 4-7 out loud, replacing “love” with my own name. Does it fit? If not, I have work to do.
I find it instructive that Paul says we prophesy only in part. To me this means that no speaker, no preacher, no prophet should go unquestioned by the church. It is the task of the faith community to weigh and discern everything it hears–even when it is coming from a deeply respected spiritual leader. Our prophesying is never perfect. We must find God’s word for us together.
As important as the gifts of the Spirit are for the life of the church, the fruit of the Spirit are even more important (see Galatians 5:22-23). How we treat each other is closer to the purpose of the church, and the heart of God, than the abilities we exercise to make this a better world. Because it is how we treat each other that, in the end, makes the real difference.
