1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The following picture is not drawn at random, and, so to speak, at the good pleasure of the author. It is as closely connected with the state of his readers as the foregoing passage. It is a mirror in which the Church is called to contemplate the humiliating image of what it has become, while it beholds the state which it is called to endeavour to attain. While tracing it, the apostle has two things constantly before his eyes: on the one hand, the figure of Him who realized on earth the ideal of a life of charity; on the other, the remembered sins against charity to which the Corinthians had given way in the exercise of the fair gifts bestowed on their Church, because the use of them had not been subordinated to this cardinal virtue.

The apostle begins with the two essential features which characterize this disposition, the one negative, the other positive.

“Charity suffereth long, it is kind.”

Suffereth long, in regard to wrongs, even repeated, from our neighbour; here is the victory over a just resentment. The term μακροθυμεῖν denotes the long waiting time during which the man refuses to give way to his θυμός.

Kind, full of goodness, animated by the constant need to make oneself useful; it is the victory over idle selfishness and comfortable self-pleasing. The verb χρηστεύεσθαι, from χρηστός (χράομαι), strictly denotes the disposition to put oneself at the service of others.

In tolerandis malis, says Calvin, in regard to the former of these terms; in conferendis bonis, in relation to the latter.

There follow eight negative qualities, which unfold the contents of the former of these two terms, the μακροθυμεῖ.

Vers. 4b-6a. “Charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, charity is not puffed up, 5. doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not easily provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6a. rejoiceth not in unrighteousness.” The connection between the first four dispositions is obvious. With envy, which bears on the advantages of others, there is naturally connected boasting in regard to one's own. The word περπερεύεσθαι is of unknown origin. Perhaps it is an onomatopoeia, the reduplication of the first syllable expressing vain boasting, or perhaps it is connected with πέρα, beyond, and denotes the act of transgressing the just measure. It has also been derived from the Latin perperam (praeter operam). The ancient commentators sometimes take it for the vice of precipitancy, sometimes for that of boastfulness. Others, affectation, petulance, or frivolity (see Edwards). The most probable meaning is that of ostentation. It is easy to understand from the passages 1 Corinthians 12:14-17; 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, the application of these first two terms to the state of the Church of Corinth. The inconsiderate use of the dictum: “All things are lawful for me” (1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 10:23), serves also to explain the second. Hence the transition to inflation, as the inward source of the two preceding evils. The word φυσιοῦσθαι was used, 1 Corinthians 4:6, to denote the presumptuous self-satisfaction with which certain Corinthians were filled; comp. in general chaps. 1-4.

Vers. 5, 6a. Finally the want of propriety, ἀσχημοσύνη; forgetfulness of seemliness, respect, politeness; this term points back to the rebukes 1 Corinthians 11:5 (the demeanour of women) and 21, 22 (the conduct in the Holy Supper). We shall see in chap. 14, from the limits which the apostle sees himself forced to put to the use of certain gifts, how those who possess them set themselves above the respect due to the Church and to those who possess different and still more useful gifts.

These four terms relate rather to the abuse of gifts; the following four bear on the Christian life in general.

It is impossible on reading the phrase: seeketh not its own, to avoid recalling what was said, chaps. 8-10, of the use which many members of the Church without charity made of their spiritual liberty, showing not the least concern for the salvation of the weak, provided they might enjoy pleasures in which they thought they had a right to indulge. The term to be provoked no doubt alludes to the dissensions and lawsuits (chap. 6).

The phrase λογίζεσθαι τὸ κακόν, to reckon the evil, has been explained in the sense of suspecting evil or meditating it with a view to injuring others; but the article before κακόν seems to indicate that the evil in question is there, realized, rather than an evil to be done; and as to the first meaning, it has been remarked, not without reason (see Edwards), that it would rather require ἐνθυμεῖσθαι (Matthew 9:4). It is better, therefore, to understand: “does not rigorously take account of the wrongs it has to bear from its neighbour;” comp. 2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 4:6. Charity, instead of entering evil as a debt in its account-book, voluntarily passes the sponge over what it endures.

Finally, it feels no criminal joy on seeing the faults which may be committed by men of an opposite party. Rather than eagerly turn to account the wrong which an adversary thus does to himself, it mourns on account of it. This last proposition is the transition to the first of the five positive qualities which are afterwards mentioned.

Vers. 6b, 7. “But it rejoiceth with the truth; 7. covereth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

It is impossible to leave out of account the σύν, with, which enters into the composition of the verb συνχαίρειν (to rejoice with), and to translate simply: rejoiceth in the truth. Truth is here personified as charity itself is. They are two sisters; when truth triumphs, charity rejoices with it. We might understand by truth the preaching of salvation; but it seems more natural here to give it a general meaning, corresponding to the word unrighteousness, in the preceding proposition; the subject in question is truth in opposition to falsehood. Love chooses to see the truth coming to light and triumphing, even if it should be contrary to the opinion cherished by it, rather than to see error which might be most useful to it holding its ground.

Vv. 7 continues to develop the positive good done by charity. Here properly begins the development of the second fundamental feature of charity, the χρηστεύεται, it is kind. In four master-strokes the apostle draws in a complete and indelible manner the portrait of this angel of goodness come down from heaven. The verb στέγω (tego), to cover, might here signify, as usually in Paul's style (1 Corinthians 9:12), to bear; but it would be difficult to avoid a tautology with the fourth term, ὑπομένειν, to endure. It is better therefore to understand the word in the sense of to excuse. Charity seeks to excuse others, to throw a mantle over their faults, charging itself, if need be, with all the painful results which may follow. This conduct is explained by the following term: it believeth all things. The term believe usually refers to God; here it denotes apparently confidence in man; but in reality this confidence has for its object the Divine in man, all that remains in him of God's image. For it is this which leads charity to interpret the conduct of fellowmen rather in a good sense.

Of course this faith goes only to the point where sight arrests it by discovering distinctly the opposite of the good which it loved to suppose. But, even then, the task of charity is not at an end: where it must cease to believe, it still hopes. While recognising with pain the present triumph of sin, it cherishes the hope of the future victory of good.

And in this generous hope it does not weary; it holds on, ὑπομένει. Taking part with the Divine long-suffering, it endures with perseverance; ὑπομένειν, literally: to hold on under (a burden). Here the matter in question is not evil in general, as in the στέγει, but personal wrongs. By this last word, the apostle returns to that with which he had started: love is long-suffering, and thus he finds the transition to the third idea of the chapter: the objective permanence of charity.