Fragments of Barkley's comments are used.
One of the most important chapters in the Bible. Paul wants to show in Corinth the Christian way of life, which is more excellent than the way they live, using various spiritual manifestations of the holy spirit in them.
Paul will begin to speak to them about the most important gift of God, about the basis of the foundations of God's man, about the final result of all the efforts of the holy spirit operating in a Christian; about that, without which all the other abilities of a Christian are meaningless and will not bring him any benefit.
Paul will show them that everything that they now possess and are proud of is just stages on the path to achieving perfection, to the highest spiritual point of Christianity - GOD'S LOVE. And if a Christian does not learn to love the way God loves, there will be no part for him in God's world.
A loving Christian is the apogee of the influence of the holy spirit on a believing person, this is the ripened fruit of God's upbringing, therefore love and nothing else is the most valuable gift from God to mankind and a sure sign of a Christian.
God's love for a Christian does not come by itself. God's love needs to be learned, which is why Paul showed what God's love looks like, describing its qualities and properties, so that Christians of all times have an idea of what they need to strive for, what inner qualities they need to form in themselves with the help of the holy spirit.
So, Paul's instructions about the excellence of God's gift for the Christian - His many-sided love; we will dwell in detail on each of its facets, highlighted by the apostle:
13:1,2 Here - aboutthe futility of the most outlandish faculties that were proud in Corinth, if their use is not moved by the love of God:
since God created man in His own image and likeness, it means that the striving for perfection is nothing but the Christian's striving to have the same motives and intentions as God's.
God created everything out of love, and the motivating force in all his actions is love. This means that a Christian should also be moved by love, because for God it is important from what motives we perform this or that act:
1 If I speak in tongues ... angelic, but do not have love, then I am a ringing brass or a cymbal sounding.
Here is an exaggeration to enhance the effect of clarification in a combination of the type: “ even(in reality it is not) I fly to the moon
but not out of love for God and neighbor, there is no benefit in this for me. The same goes for the unreal " IF I move mountains" and " IF I know all the secrets”, because all this is literally impossible in reality:
2 If ... I know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that [I can] move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing.
Even if I performed all of the above most incredible miracles in reality out of a desire, for example, to become famous or out of a desire to receive some kind of reward for my deeds, then I cannot approach God and achieve perfection, because in order to approach God love - and you yourself need to try to become love.
13:3
And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but I do not have love, it does not profit me.
The same applies to the readiness to make huge sacrifices: even sacrificing one's life (the most precious thing that a person has) for the sake of, for example, getting sensations during a volcanic eruption, for the sake of sports achievements or for the sake of fulfilling the order of a military leader - it makes no sense if the donator does it not out of love for God and people.
13:4
Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud,
Paul does not describe feelings or emotions, but manifestations of God's love in concrete actions. God's love surpasses romantic, kindred and friendly, therefore it is the basis of a new world order: if God's love settles in a family, among relatives and friends, then in all eternity their relationship will not be interrupted and they will never get bored with each other.
Love is patient
- here is about patience in relationships with people, and not about undergoing some personal difficulties, for example, to endure poor health or poverty.
Patiently endure infirmities
neighbors because of imperfection in the hope that one day they can all become spiritually strong - a sign of the strength of the Christian, not weakness; God endures the imperfection of all mankind for a long time, and this is His strength: thanks to long-suffering, He will be able to raise sons and daughters for Himself from imperfect people.
A loving Christian is merciful, ready to show mercy, indulgence to misconduct and is not looking for something to punish, but is always actively looking for an opportunity to forgive the sinner and have mercy. Mercy encourages even enemies not to harm, but to help if they are in serious need.
Love does not envy
Fully agree with Barclay's characterization of envy:
There are two types of envy. One of them craves what belongs to others. Another kind of envy: she is dissatisfied with the very fact that others have what she does not have; she does not so much desire to have these things herself as to prevent others from receiving them. This is the lowest property of the human soul..
God's loving person must be far from these two:
Do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
(Ex. 20:17)
not like Cain, [who] was of the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's deeds were righteous.(1 John 3:12)
Love is not exalted A loving Christian is always ready to give in and never ready to snatch some good for himself at any cost. In addition, he never considers that someone owes him something, but he always considers himself obliged in everything and for everyone.
Not proud A loving Christian never considers himself better than others and worthy of better treatment than other fellow believers. He is always ready to admit his mistakes and apologize, not considering this as something insignificant in the Christian path. He is also always ready to forgive the guilt of those who sin against him and is always ready to take the first step towards reconciliation, even if he himself is innocent.
13:5
L love...doesn't mess around
A lover will never allow himself rudeness, rudeness, defiant behavior, shamelessness, tactlessness, disregard for God's principles, etc. A loving Christian is always gentle and kind in his fellowship, no matter what is done to him.
A lover is always afraid of inadvertently offending a person, he is tactful and attentive so as not to violate someone's rights or cause inconvenience by his actions: a loving Christian is always ready to give up his own rights for the sake of the convenience of his neighbors.
not looking for his, but seeks what is pleasing to Christ: a loving Christian will never achieve his personal goals at the cost of violating God's principles - this is one moment.
And second, a loving Christian is always more ready to give to others than to take from others; he believes that he has more obligations to everyone than rights.
Doesn't get irritated Nothing and no one can take a loving Christian out of a state of long-suffering and benevolence, but not because he suppresses adrenaline in himself and restrains irritation inside, but because adrenaline is not released in him. By the power of the spirit of love and reason, a Christian is able to find a sound explanation for everything that happens and justify it so that the negative is not even developed inside him.
Barkley: Irritation is always a sign of defeat. When we lose our temper, when we lose control of ourselves, we lose everything.
Thinks no evil, A loving Christian does not wear stones "in the bosom" of his neighbors and does not count their number, but discards them regardless of whether the offender deserves forgiveness or not, manages to reconcile with him or not.
Barkley:
The Greek word loieshfai, (translated in the Bible as thinks) comes from accounting. It means to enter a fact in the ledger so as not to forget it later. That is exactly what a lot of people do.
In life, it is very important to learn to forget what is better to forget. Many people nurture their hatred, constantly warming it up and refreshing it in their memory; they think about their grievances until they can no longer be forgotten. Christian love teaches to forgive and forget.
13:6 Love .. does not rejoice in untruth, a loving Christian will never rejoice at the unrighteous deeds of his neighbors or the fall of his enemies. Just as he will not rejoice in success achieved through deceit or unrighteous deeds.
Barkley: It is a strange feature of human nature that we prefer to hear about other people's failures than about their good fortune. ... Christian love is free from this human malice that rejoices at bad news about others.
but rejoice in the truth
here is not only about the joy of spreading the truth of God through the gospel.
A loving Christian always rejoices that he and fellow believers manage to cope
with all the difficulties of the path of Christ, not sinning and acting according to the truth, even if acting according to the truth is unprofitable or fraught with bad consequences for them: the devil expects that the Christian will not withstand the pressure of the wickedness of this world and will himself begin to act unrighteously for the sake of alleviating his circumstances . Therefore, when a Christian withstands all his pressures and does the right thing, his joy about the triumph of truth is boundless.
As for falling enemies, a loving Christian always wants to rise and stand on the path of God.
13:7 Love… covers everythingA loving Christian always seeks and finds a reasonable explanation for the misdeeds of others, and therefore he is not inclined either to be offended by others, or to condemn them, or to discuss, and even more so - to flaunt their mistakes and unseemly acts. He is more inclined to forgive than to blame, trying to be lenient with actions where possible. He will not remind anyone of past sins and mistakes, but will leave them in the past, just as God does ours.
Barkley: love can endure any insult, resentment or disappointment.
believes everything A loving Christian is not inclined to be suspicious of everyone and everything that happens, he is not in a hurry to attribute bad motives to those who sin against him. He is more inclined to trust his fellow believers at their word than to think badly of them. The lover does not want to think badly of people and always tries to find extenuating circumstances where they can be found.
In the congregation, fellow believers do not seek to monitor each other's personal lives, realizing that everyone has a Bible, and if someone wants to be God's and does not want to disgrace either God or His people with his unworthy behavior, then he himself will try to act in truth . Complete trust in God and each other is the foundation of a future happy human society.
Note:
according to Prov. 14:15 only a fool believes everything (" A fool believes every word").
Is there a contradiction between the words of Proverbs and Paul?
No: Proverbs 14:15 shows the state of things for this world(Solomon drew conclusions from his life experience in this age) in which lies and deceitful people flourish.
That is, according to the Parable, a loving person (trusting, building his relationship on trust) - in this age will act foolishly if he believes every word (will not be careful.)
And Paul described the inner state of a man of the new world who loves God and neighbor, and therefore builds his relationships in full confidence.
Without a trusting relationship, a new world is impossible, like any strong long-lasting family: if a family rests on love, then everyone in it completely trusts each other, because love itself is a guarantee of constancy, strength and creation of the whole family.
Whoever does not learn to love God and his neighbor will not enter the new world, even if he does not trust anyone in this century (he will not be stupid according to the parable)
And whoever learns to love will certainly fall into the new world, even if in this century he was let down and deceived many times because of his gullibility and his love (even if he looked stupid in the eyes of this world because of his love and trust in his neighbors )
hopes everythingA loving Christian is an optimist in essence, the basis for his optimism is the hope in God, so it is difficult to offend or disappoint him. He does not make hopeless judgments on anyone or anything, but he always hopes that circumstances will change for the better, that everyone is potentially able to come to God and accept Christ, just that the conditions for this must ripen. And he is ready to wait and hope that one day the conditions for the conversion of everyone will ripen.
endures everything
How much did Jesus endure from those for whom He came and for whom He tried? How much did Paul endure for the sake of preserving those whom he acquired for the church of God, and how many insults did he suffer from themselves? making efforts to endure oneself and to help others to endure.
Barkley: Verbhipomenein - one of the great Greek words. It is usually translated as endure or endure, but its meaning is ... to endure, overcome, be able to overcome and transform. This verb was defined as courageous constancy, subjected to a serious test.
13:8
Love will never end
God's love is the essence of relationships in the eternity of God's world order. Absolutely all relationships THERE will be built on this love, which is why society will be able to exist forever and its harmony will not be destroyed.
Everything that a Christian has in this world is given by God in order to develop in him the most important quality - love. For this, the meeting is organized, and various gifts of the holy spirit are distributed, and there is a call to fulfill God's commission together - everything is done by God so that people learn to love each other with God's love now, and so that in the new world they will not quarrel among themselves in all eternity
(Eph.4:11-16)
although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.
In the new world order of God, neither the ability to prophesy nor speak complex foreign and spiritual languages ( about spiritual languages - see the analysis of chapter 14), nor the ability to possess special spiritual knowledge will no longer be needed: all prophecies will be fulfilled and will outlive themselves; signs and wonders to vindicate the finger of God will not be needed there; and all will acquire the same knowledge, for all will be taught by God through His heavenly government. Therefore, everything that the Corinthians were so proud of in their congregation now will be abolished in God's world.
And only love will invariably forever remain the essence of God's world order so that it is happy and can please both God the Father himself and the inhabitants of His new world order.
13:9,10
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
All the gifts that the Christian congregation has in this age - only in part, not in full, are able to show us the essence of eternity and form a Christian personality in us.
when the perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease.
When the period of the eternal day comes, in which humanity will achieve spiritual and physical perfection, then everything that was only a part of God's picture will be abolished: why does someone need just a fragment of the picture - if they can enjoy its fullness?
Why should an adult have the ability to not walk firmly on baby legs and fall, if the baby's walking is only a step towards confident walking like an adult?
Nothing.
Similarly, knowledge with prophecies, languages and other things is “baby legs”, and for the spiritual age of an adult Christ, the need for them will disappear by itself.
13:11
When I was a baby, I spoke like a baby, thought like a baby, reasoned like a baby; and when he became a man, he left the childish.
Babies have very limited knowledge and experience, and they think in terms of these limitations. The knowledge and experience of adults is many times greater than children's, so adults think differently, based on their knowledge and experience that they have acquired during growing up.
In order to explain in more detail how to understand this: everything, which will partly stop.
at the moment when perfect
- Paul gives a clear example of the difference between the perception of reality in an infant and an adult.
The baby, for example, had limited knowledge, for example, about semolina porridge, partly: he knows that he has porridge for breakfast, it is delicious, when he eats it - he stops feeling hungry. And this is enough for the baby to feel omniscient and happy at that moment.
As a baby, he does not yet know and cannot accommodate the fact that semolina, for example, does not appear out of nowhere, it is made from wheat and in order for it to get on the baby's table - many people spend a lot of effort to produce it.
But when he grows up - what he knew partly about semolina - stops, and more complete knowledge comes to him not only about porridge, but also about what its composition is, how it is produced, how it is useful, how much it costs, etc.
That is, the Christians of Corinth should have learned that everything they own from the holy spirit at the present moment is only a tiny part of what they should actually own according to God's plan. Love is the fullness of the adult age of Christ, and one must strive to acquire it (Eph. 4:11-16).
13:12
Now we see as if through a [dull] glass, guessingly, then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, just as I am known.
Through a dull glass, a person is able to see only the outlines and does not clearly see all the details of the picture.
The same is true with knowledge and spiritual vision: at the moment, being imperfect (babies) - Christians have very limited ideas about God and His intentions, about His essence and feelings, they see only a vague outline of the true picture of things. But when everyone becomes perfect, both the knowledge and the spiritual vision of God will be different for everyone, will be revealed in all the transparency and fullness of the understanding that a perfect person (adult) has.
But this is a matter for the future.
13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the love of them is greater.
And at this stage of the Christian path of this age, the main thing for a Christian is to learn that faith in God, hope for the future and love for God and neighbor are the basis of the necessary minimum for a believing "baby" of this age.
But even in this minimum there is a predominant line for a believer: this is the ability to love just as God loves.
God's love in a Christian should be his most important inner quality. Why?
Because both faith and hope, when the perfect comes and everything that they believed in and hoped for, will be abolished and will exhaust itself. Only the Christian himself and the boundless expanses of the new world in the Millennium will remain before him. And if at that moment he turns out to be a NOT LOVING person, does not learn to love the way God loves, then he risks his future:
he who does not love his brother abides in death.
(1 John 3:14)
love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God
(1 John 4:7)
he who loves another has fulfilled the law
. (Rom. 13:8)
Only loving Christians will live in eternity.
Christianity, as a religion of love, teaches every person to treat everyone around with kindness. There are many texts in the Bible calling for this, but the most famous passage is the 13th chapter of the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.
These lines are usually called the “hymn of love”, because it is in them that the whole essence and meaning of the Christian understanding of this high feeling is revealed. What did the apostle Paul mean when he talked about love? How does the Christian understanding of this feeling differ from the ordinary, worldly one? Let's try to figure it out.
Explanation of the 13th chapter of the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians
Having opened the Bible in the right place, we will see the words of the apostle about what true love should be in the Christian sense. It is noteworthy that the Apostle Paul in his youth was an ardent and passionate persecutor of Christ, in every possible way refuted His teaching. After the Divine revelation to him, he believed in the true God and began to serve with the same boldness.
Holy Apostle Paul
It was this servant of the Lord who brought together and wrote down the main 16 characteristics of love, the list of which we see in his letter to the Corinthians. According to Christian doctrine, love:
Prayers for the gift of love:
- Not exalted. True spiritual connection between people involves the natural exaltation of one's neighbor. This does not mean at all that we should humiliate ourselves and in every possible way sacrifice ourselves to our beloved. A real connection is always mutual and mutual, and it is quite natural to wish great blessings for a loved one. In a close relationship there can be no competitive spirit - each of the partners is always ready to give in, so as not to destroy close contact.
True love is always generous - Not proud. Pride is always a kind of isolation, an attempt to prove one's superiority, independence, significance. A proud person is not able to build a really deep and sincere relationship, because he does not let anyone get too close. Loving people, on the contrary, know their place in relationships, recognize the need for each other, affection for each other.
- Doesn't run amok. A loving person is always affectionate and attentive to the object of his feelings. As long as relationships are built on love, a person will by all means avoid any conflicts, quarrels, difficult showdown. As soon as there is a shortage of good feelings in a relationship, aggression immediately appears, and love reconciles everyone.
- not looking for his. The search for one's own means profit, concern only for oneself and one's problems. Such a person always calculates what certain relationships will bring him, and if the result is not in his favor, he simply refuses them. True love is very rich, it fills a person from the inside so much that he is ready to endlessly share it with others, without at all calculating what he will receive in return.
- Not irritated. Irritation is always a sign of some kind of emotional tension. Close trusting relationships presuppose the freedom of the spirit and the comfort of people; they do not lead to the accumulation of fatigue and negativity. Love does not need the release of negative feelings in the form of irritation, since it does not create any bad experiences.
- Thinks no evil. True love is always generous, it does not allow revenge, resentment, evil, hatred. Even if another person behaves badly and offends the lover, he will never respond with evil for evil. Christians are called to love their neighbor as themselves, therefore, wishing evil to others, we harm ourselves.
- Does not rejoice in iniquity. Love can be built solely on trust and great closeness of people, which completely excludes any deceit, cunning, intrigue, which are very numerous in the modern world. Only a sincere and deep feeling is able to resist the evil of the world, even after meeting with betrayal and treachery. There are many examples of such relationships in classical literature. So, the heroine F.M. Dostoevsky in "Crime and Punishment" by Sonya Marmeladova, love for Raskolnikov does not fade after she learns about his crime. She only calls him with all her might to repentance, thereby wishing him the salvation of his soul.
Paul reveals the meaning of the Christian understanding of love - Everything covers. Love is a great power that can "cover" many weaknesses of those who are deprived of this power. This does not mean that you need to justify any impartial actions of people. To cover - it means to help cure, without betraying unnecessary publicity, without disgrace to the one who stumbled. A loving person strives to make up for the lack of virtue in a loved one, since he himself is full and has an excess.
- Believes everything. Perhaps one of the most controversial places, causing a lot of controversy. On the one hand, we all want to believe our loved ones to the end and not doubt them. On the other hand, the experience of life shows that one can be very cruelly deceived in one's trust. Well, here we must admit that complete trust is always a risk. But without this risk, it is impossible to know the depth of love, because distrust and doubt destroy it. A loving person will believe to the end.
- Total hopes. This point is inextricably linked to the previous one. To hope means to see the best in others, to believe that this best exists and will definitely show itself, even if it is not noticeable now.
- never ceases. From the point of view of Christianity, love has no end, it is eternal. According to Anthony of Surozh, to say “I love you” to a person is the same as declaring to him that he will never die, that he will live forever. It is a great comfort for loving people to know that their feelings go into eternity, come into contact with it and do not fade away with the extinction of the body.
Christian Love in Marriage and Family Life
What do the words of the apostle mean in practice? Is it possible in ordinary worldly life to build such relationships that will correspond to all high biblical characteristics? Orthodoxy says yes, it is possible. And the tool for cultivating such relationships is the family.
In the first place in the hierarchy of family values should be love.
In family life, a believer learns to endure, to be merciful, to trust, and to hope. It is family life that can and should become an effective tool for spiritual uplift and growth in a person. It is impossible to imagine life in marriage without the daily self-sacrifice of each of the spouses, but this self-sacrifice must be voluntary, natural and mutual.
Read about family and marriage:
- Duties and Instructions for Husband and Wife in an Orthodox Family
According to the same Apostle Paul, a husband should love his wife as much as the Lord loved the Church. Of course, it is impossible for sinful human nature to comprehend the greatness and power of Divine love, but it is necessary to strive for these heights.
Needless to say, with such an attitude of a husband towards his wife, the concepts of mercy, long-suffering, exaltation of one's neighbor quite naturally enter life. And certainly such high marital relations cannot be combined with pride, envy, irritability, and memory of malice.
Advice! It must be remembered that deep, true marital love is not a momentary gift, but the result of long and hard work on relationships. It is impossible to know the true feeling quickly, at the very beginning of a relationship, but it can be grown after many years of faithful and honest living together.
Hymn of Love of St. Paul the Apostle
The Holy Church reads the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Chapter 13, Art. 4-13; chapter 14, art. 1-5.
13:4. Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud,
13:5. does not behave violently, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil,
13:6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
13:7. covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything.
13:8. Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.
13:9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
13:10. when the perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease.
13:11. When I was a baby, I spoke like a baby, thought like a baby, reasoned like a baby; and when he became a man, he left the childish.
13:12. Now we see, as it were, through a dull glass, guessingly, then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, just as I am known.
13:13. And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the love of them is greater.
14:1. Reach for love; be zealous for spiritual gifts, especially for prophesying.
14:2. For whoever speaks in an unknown language does not speak to people, but to God; because no one understands him, he speaks secrets in the spirit;
14:3. and whoever prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation and consolation.
14:4. He who speaks in an unfamiliar tongue edifies himself; and whoever prophesies edifies the church.
14:5. I wish you all spoke in tongues; but it is better that you prophesy; for he who prophesies is more excellent than he who speaks in tongues, unless he also speaks, so that the church may be edified.
(1 Cor. 13:4-14:5)
Let me remind you that the 12th, 13th and 14th chapters are devoted to the reasoning of the Apostle Paul about spiritual gifts. The problem was that the Corinthians considered themselves especially gifted, they put some gifts above others, thus they had a reason for exaltation. The Apostle Paul, as usual, tries to sober them up. When reading the 12th chapter, we reasoned that the Church is the Body of Christ and each of its parts, each member is important, necessary in this body. Accordingly, each person is filled with the Spirit, like all other Christians, so his role in this Body, the Church, is unique, and there is no point in exalting himself. On the contrary, one should always take more care of those who require care, and rejoice even more if the weak member manifests itself positively. The most important thought of the apostle Paul is found in the 13th chapter. Today we started reading the 14th chapter, which will be about speaking in tongues, this is a separate serious topic. Perhaps we will start it today, or perhaps we will talk next time, because today we have almost completely read the 13th chapter, known to many people, Christians and not only, which is often quoted in literary texts and even films. In biblical studies, New Testament theology, this passage is called the "hymn of love." Here the Apostle Paul says that all spiritual gifts, whatever they may be: knowledge, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and so on, are nothing if they are not permeated with love.
We did not read the first three verses of chapter 13 today, but I recommend that we review them today as well. In them, the apostle Paul says that whatever he possesses: I speak with the tongues of men and angels(1 Cor. 13:1), I have the gift of prophecy, and I know all mysteries, and I have all knowledge(1 Cor. 13:2) or I will distribute all my possessions and give my body to be burned(1 Cor. 13:3), if all this is without love, then it means nothing. Remember almost the same thought in Romans: love is the fulfillment of the law. On Saturday we read a passage from the 13th chapter of Romans, from the 1st to the 10th verse, and I paid special attention to the 8th, 9th and 10th verses. Love does no harm to the neighbor (Rom. 13:10), he who loves another has fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8). If a person lives in love, if the love of God abides in him, then no matter what he does, he will not harm his neighbor, he will fulfill the will of God, that is, the law. If a person is in love, then the fulfillment of the will of God becomes the natural norm of his life, and vice versa. Today's text tells us that no matter how outwardly virtuous, selfless, even ready to go to the fire, give away all his possessions, know all the secrets, have various gifts, be respected in society, and so on - if he does not have love, does not live in love, and all this is only an external form, then there will be no benefit. Therefore, the only thing a Christian is called to strive for is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, as Seraphim of Sarov said, that is, to the love of God, its energy, which a Christian is called to let through himself. To do this, you need to open your heart, not to make obstacles between yourself and God. God always goes to meet a person, but a person resists, so you need to remove this obstacle: cleanse your consciousness so that the mind, as our ascetics-ascetics say, sinks into the heart. There, in the heart, a person meets God, cognizes Divine love, lets it into himself and further spreads it to the rest of the universe: people and other creation - this is actually the goal of a person.
The apostle Paul goes on to characterize love. Of course, here are characteristics that are not exhaustive, but fundamental and important, which speak of what Christian love is. These are not emotions, not feelings, not delight and not euphoria, but love, which in Greek sounds like αγάπη [agapi] (we recently mentioned this word), that is, a certain position in life. It manifests itself in action, deeds, in perseverance, good deeds. It is really more than just something sensual, fleeting, transient, due only to biology or chemistry. Now there are arguments, articles, programs on the topic “Chemistry of Love”, which says why a person falls in love, why he gets annoyed, does something else. It also says here that Christian love is something fundamental, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit, so it won’t evaporate just like that, just as love or other feelings can evaporate.
4. Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud,
5. does not act outrageously, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil ...
Russian translation thinks no evil does not accurately reflect the meaning of the original. Love does not think evil, not in the sense that it does not think about evil, but in that it does not remember evil. If someone offends, then the loving person misses this, this evil does not touch his heart and leaves no trace of resentment; a person is still in love: resentment does not shake his love.
6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7. covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything.
8. Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.
Everything that the Apostle Paul speaks about at the beginning of the 13th chapter will pass away, and the knowledge of this world, which can be exalted, boasted, puffed up, will be meaningless. We will see God “face to face” (as will be written later), so that knowledge will be abolished, tongues and prophecies will not matter there, and love will always be relevant, because this is the essence of Divine energy, Divine nature. By and large, the main manifestation of God, at least known and open to us, is love.
I remind you of the need for you and me to read the word of God every day, because it contains great joy, consolation and instruction. God bless you all!
Priest Mikhail Romadov
We hear the word "love" all the time these days. Some people call this concept bodily intimacy, others - ardent passion, but for Christians it is important to know what the apostles said about love, and how much their understanding of this virtue differs from that common now.
The most famous text in which the apostles talk about love is chapter 13 of 1 epistle to the Corinthians of the apostle Paul. The famous "hymn of love" - 13 verses, which lists the signs of true love as the highest Christian virtue: striving for Truth, resistance to unrighteousness, longsuffering, mercy, hope, the ability to forgive and endure any difficulties, lack of pride and desire for evil and irritation.
The Apostle Paul says that love is the main thing a Christian should strive for:
If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but have no love, then I am a ringing brass or a resounding cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing.
And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but I do not have love, it does not profit me at all (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Note that the apostolic concept of love does not coincide with how many understand love in the modern world. For us, “loving” a person often means using him, “feasting on him like strawberries and cream,” as Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh said. After such a “eating”, a person is necessarily thrown away - relationships collapse, families break up, and instead of love and happiness, only suffering is obtained.
The Apostle Peter in two epistles offers a recipe for true love, in which there is no place for quarrels and insults: Most of all, have fervent love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
Love, according to the apostle Peter, is not a way to get pleasure from another person, not a mechanism for using it, but an opportunity to forgive insults, help others and overcome conflicts.
At the same time, the apostolic understanding of love is not at all like boring moralizing about “how important it is to be good.” Love is an end, not a means to an end.
Love is the best way to know God and the opportunity to feel like "children of God - the Apostle John in the First Epistle says a lot about the fact that Christians are not only obliged to love their neighbor, but in fact they cannot help but do it. Lack of love is a sinful distortion of human nature that can be overcome with the help of Christ: Nobody has ever seen God. If we love each other, then God abides in us, and His love is perfect in us. (1 John 4:12)
For the apostle John, the meaning of love is also in doing the commandments.
As you can see, when speaking about love, the apostles almost never mention intimate relationships. This topic is mentioned in the New Testament either in connection with marriage and relationships between spouses, or when talking about sins. In the Scriptures, bodily intimacy is not something valuable in itself - in marriage it becomes one of the most significant expressions of love, deepening and expanding the love between a man and a woman. In the case of “strawberries and cream”, bodily intimacy becomes what finally destroys this love, grinds it down and narrows it down.
Love as a Christian virtue, according to the apostles, is a much broader and more important concept than any closeness between people.
This tradition has continued since. One of the most famous parables about the Christian understanding of love is told by Abba Dorotheos: “Imagine a circle drawn on the ground, the middle of which is called the center, and the straight lines going from the center to the circumference are called radii. Now consider: suppose that this circle is the world, and the very center of the circle is God; the radii, i.e. straight lines going from the circumference to the center are the paths of human life.
So, as far as the saints enter inside the circle, wishing to draw closer to God, to the extent that, as they enter, they become closer both to God and to each other; and how much they approach God, so much they approach each other; and how much they approach each other, so much they approach God.
So understand also about removal. When they move away from God and return to the external, it is obvious that to the extent that they proceed from the center and move away from God, they move away from each other to the same extent; and how much they move away from each other, so much they move away from God.
Such is the nature of love: insofar as we are outside and do not love God, so far each one is removed from his neighbor. If we love God, then as much as we draw closer to God with love for Him, so much we unite with love and with those close to us; and how much we unite with our neighbor, so much we unite with God.
What is the meaning of spiritual gifts without love? (1–3). High creature of love (4–7). The eternal unchanging existence of love, and love alone (8–13)
. Without love, even the highest spiritual gifts will not bring any benefit to those who possess them.
. If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, then I am a ringing brass or a resounding cymbal.
Here is the gift of tongues Ap. puts in the first place, because it goes from the least valuable to the most useful. - "Tongues of men and angels", i.e. if I praise God either in ordinary human language, or in this case rising to angelic praise... The latter, of course, must be understood as “spiritual” praise, because angels are spirits and have no language (Bl. Theodoret, Theophylact). - "Love". To denote the concept of "love" in Greek, there are two words: αγάπη and έρως. The latter denotes passionate love, which seeks its satisfaction in the beloved being. On the contrary, the first word denotes such love, which is much more disinterested than the first, which strives to give happiness to the beloved being. At Ap. Paul here αγάπη means mainly love for one's neighbor, but since the basis of this love is in love for God, love for one's neighbor also takes on the character of non-self-interest, purity and freedom, qualities that are characteristic of love for God. – Was it possible to have the gift of tongues and not have love at the same time? Maybe. And now it happens that a person who has embarked on the path of faith soon withdraws into himself, indulges in mystical contemplation, at the same time losing interest in the duties of active Christian love. He goes into a special sentimentality, talks a lot about the greatness of Christianity, like a real poet, and at the same time is completely indifferent to the suffering of his unfortunate brethren. Such a person goes gradually back in spiritual terms and becomes like a piece of "copper", which makes a ringing noise when struck, or like a "cymbal" - a simple copper bowl, which in the East was sometimes used as a musical instrument. Souls in copper and cymbal - no!
. If I have gift prophecy, and I know all mysteries, and I have all knowledge and all faith, so that can and move mountains, but have no love, then I am nothing.
Ap. goes from one talent to another, higher. - "Prophecy" - see. - "I know all the secrets". This is the explanation for the expression: "gift of prophecy". The prophet knew the secrets of the Divine economy about our salvation, but, of course, far from everything. Ap. now makes possible the existence of a prophet who knows "all" secrets. And such a person, in his opinion, was "nothing" if he did not have love in himself! - "I have all knowledge". This is the gift of "knowledge" - see. If someone had such a gift in its "full" scope, but did not have love, then again such a person would be "nothing". “And all faith” is the gift of miraculous faith. Cm. . - "Rearrange Mountains", i.e., to destroy all obstacles that stand in the way, no matter how great they are. - So, a person can say everything, know everything, be able to do everything, but all this for him personally is of no use if he does not have love in him. For the Church, for the community of believers, these gifts are useful, but they do not save those who possess them (cf.).
. And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but I do not have love, it does not profit me at all.
Ap. moves to actions that seem to be based on love. - "I will give away all the property"- this is "Gift of Help"(see) in its highest manifestation. - "I will give my body to be burned", that is, I will go to martyrdom for Christ. – The history of Christianity testifies to the possibility of such facts. Eg. about one presbyter of the "Lives of the Saints" they say that he, going to martyrdom for Christ, did not want to forgive one of his enemies, who asked him for forgiveness. It is clear that such a person did not have “love” in himself and, perhaps, for this reason, he could not stand the test and renounced Christ just before being raised to the scaffold. - "It doesn't do me any good". In the eyes of God, such actions have no value, because the one who performs them thinks only of himself and seeks glory from people.
. So, love is the best way, because without it even the highest gifts do not benefit the person who possesses them. Now Ap. proves the highest dignity of love in the opposite way. - he says, - without which everything else is nothing, brings with it everything that makes a person virtuous. She is the mother of all virtues.
. Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, is not proud,
"Love endures". Ap. lists fifteen properties of love. "Long-suffering" is found in relation to various insults that are inflicted on a person by his neighbors. - "Merciful"(χρηστεύεται ), that is, constantly striving to render a service to one's neighbor. - "Love does not envy". From here begins the enumeration of eight negative definitions of the concept of love (until the expression of the 6th verse: "but rejoice in the truth"). These definitions reveal the content of the concept of "long-suffering" and are closely related to each other. So who has envy to the advantages that the other has, exalted speaking of his own virtues, proud, that is, the whole is filled with a sense of complacency, despises others (cf.).
. does not behave violently, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil,
"Doesn't mess around". By “outrageousness” (ασχημοσύνη ) one must understand the lack of courtesy, courtesy, which was noticed among some Corinthians, for example, in the fact that they sometimes did not allow people who had more useful gifts for the Church to speak at liturgical meetings, speaking all the time themselves. In general, the four definitions of love that have been mentioned now mean abuse spiritual gifts. The next four have more to do with the Christian life in general. - "Not looking for his own". Each of us has his own rights, but he who loves his neighbor completely forgets about these rights and cares only that others be satisfied. is to give and to serve (Drummond, The Greatest in the World, p. 21). Some Corinthians thought otherwise (see ch. VI and VIII).
"Not irritated". We tend to look at a quick-tempered, irritable disposition as an innocent weakness ... Meanwhile, this innocent, in our opinion, weakness occupies a middle place in Ap's analysis of love. Paul. And this is understandable: nothing can harden life to such an extent, sow enmity, destroy the most sacred family ties, deprive men of their masculine, calm dignity, women - true femininity, children - affectionate sincerity, as the so-called errors of character, gloomy, quick-tempered , irritable disposition (Drummond). - “Does not think evil”, that is, does not impute to others the evil done to her. At the heart of this attitude towards others is the belief that no one wants to intentionally harm someone; loving trusts other people.
. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
"Does not rejoice in iniquity". It happens that people of a party that is hostile to us make certain blunders that leave a certain stain on them. A Christian does not rejoice when he sees such shortcomings in others. - "But rejoices in the truth". From here begins the enumeration of the five positive properties of love. here, like love, personified. They are like sisters; if truth triumphs, then love also rejoices with it. Even when this truth is at odds with our beloved opinions, love welcomes it.
. covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything.
“He covers everything”, that is, he forgives everything, covering with his cloak all the shortcomings of his neighbor. But at the same time, of course, in the name of justice, love, in necessary cases, already takes upon itself all the unpleasant consequences that may arise from such an attitude towards the misdeeds of people. - “Believes everything”, that is, he always trusts people, hoping that the best feelings in no one can die out forever. This trust serves as the basis for covering other people's shortcomings and vices. - "Hopes of Everything". It happens that there is no place left for faith in the recovery of a person in the soul of a lover: sad reality destroys this faith. But even then, with the fall faith or confidence in the correction of a neighbor, the heart of a lover does not leave hope that good must win in the end. - "Tolerates everything." , in this hope for the correction of man, does not get tired and patiently endures all sorrows.
. Spiritual gifts disappear, but love remains forever - this is the main idea of this section. Even the most important virtues after love - faith and hope - will undergo some changes, and only love will always be unchanged.
. Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished.
"Love will never end". These words contain the theme of the next section. - "The Prophecies Will End". Here, of course, of course "gift of prophecy", which many Christians of the first and second centuries had (and "The Teaching of the 12 Apostles"). Since then, this gift in its original form no longer exists and, one might say, has turned into a "gift of preaching." In time, however, precisely with the advent of the kingdom of glory, even in this last form it will become superfluous. Who really needs to be preached to in the next life? The good have already achieved bliss, and the evil will lose the ability to correct. - "Tongues Silence" More precisely: "calm down." This state of feverish excitement, which seemed so attractive to the Corinthian Christians, would end. It may be assumed that this gift of tongues soon turned into religious poetry and music, but even these arts will have no place in the glorious kingdom of the Messiah. - "Knowledge will be abolished", i.e. knowledge of how special a gift received only some persons will cease to exist, because, as the prophet says (), everyone will know the Lord from small to large.
. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
Ap. indicates the reason why the said gifts should come to an end. Prophecy could reveal only certain features of the picture of the future, just as those who had the gift of knowledge could understand only certain aspects of the history of the dispensation of our salvation. Meanwhile, in order to understand any particular point well, it is necessary to clearly imagine the whole: only complete knowledge is true knowledge, and a person cannot achieve this complete knowledge in real life. - About the gift of tongues. Here Ap. does not say: its cessation, as presupposing an ecstatic state, cannot be the subject of a question for him. Who really constantly being in God, living in God—that is how all believers will live in the kingdom of glory, and some are living even now—he does not need this special means, which is ecstasy, in order to come into communion with God from time to time.
. when the perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease.
The cessation of gifts does not entail the impoverishment of the spirit of the Church. On the contrary, it will then achieve perfection in everything. Future knowledge will differ from the “gift of knowledge” both in its breadth and ease of acquisition, because we will see everything, as it were, from a central point, from where everything, the entire object, can be seen quite clearly.
. When I was a baby, I spoke like a baby, thought like a baby, reasoned like a baby; and when he became a man, he left the childish.
Ap. explains by comparison why the imperfect must give way to the perfect. As a person grows, so does it. Here and there the law of development and transformation operates equally. As soon as the abilities for a higher form of activity develop, the former disappears of itself. In expressions: "spoke, thought" and "reasoned" Ap. makes allusions to the three gifts mentioned above - the "gift of tongues" (spoke), "gift of prophecy"(thought - more precisely: felt, strove (φρονεῖν) and “the gift of knowledge” (reasoned). The gift of tongues is likened to the first babble of a baby, who expresses his joy, which inspires him with the feeling that he lives. The gift of prophecy, which rushes to distant future, corresponds to the ardent aspiration of the child who dreams of the future as a time of joy and happiness.Finally, the gift of knowledge, which strives to know the divine truth, corresponds to the naive ideas of the child about the outside world.— "Left the infantile". Just as a young man with some pride renounces his childhood views, so with a feeling of inner satisfaction a mature person renounces the dreams of his childhood and youth in order to fulfill the task of his life that he has set for himself. Christians will also look at spiritual gifts when the glorious time of reigning with Christ comes for them (Christians).
. Now we see through dim glass, guessingly, then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, just as I am known.
Explaining what he used in verse 11. comparison, Ap. says that in real life we comprehend the divine only in its reflection, as we see our face in a mirror. But our mirrors reflect the face well, and in ancient times they did not give a clear reflection, because they were made of metal ( "through the dark glass"- translation is not correct. Expression: δι εσόπτρου means: through a mirror, in a mirror). - “Guessingly” (εν αινίγματι) i.e. in dark, indistinct outlines that give only an approximate idea of things. This definition is closest to the gift of prophecy. The Spirit of God evoked in the soul of the prophet such images and pictures in which the divine thought was expressed. To understand these images, the prophet had to focus on them with all the power of his attention (cf. 1 Pet. 1ff.). This explanation is confirmed by the similarity of the expression used by the Apostle with the expression of the book. Numbers about Moses, to whom he made himself visible (έν ειδει), and not in an obscure outline ( not in fortune– δι αινιγμάτων – Nus. XIÏ6–8).
"Now I kind of know". These words are closely related to the "gift of knowledge". Instead of “I know,” one should say: “I know” (γινώσκω), which means gradualness and difficulty in achieving knowledge about divine things. - "And then I will know". The verb used here (επιγνώσωμαι ) designates knowledge as already fully acquired. - "Just as I am known". Ap. equates even this future knowledge of God with what it has of us: it will have the character of immediacy, full clarity. However, of course, there can be no complete identity between our knowledge and God's (I. Zlat.).
. And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the love of them is greater.
"And now they are". Ap. ahead said that spiritual gifts must eventually end their existence. Now he points out what will never be destroyed and what, traces, is worth striving for. These are the three most important virtues of Christianity - faith, hope and love. These three virtues ("these three"), and not those three gifts - tongues, prophecy and knowledge - have an eternal existence. Of course, "faith" and "hope" cannot all remain in the same state: the first will pass into vision (), and the second into possession (). But in any case, the spiritual development of a person, even in a state of glorification, cannot be thought of as completely finished - it will continue. "from glory to glory"(), and this requires both faith and hope, and these transitions from faith to vision will be repeated many times in the future life. - "But the love of them is greater", i.e., above all in this trinity of virtues precisely because she herself is divine. One cannot say of God that He believes and hopes, but one can say that He loves. belongs to His very being. Love is the end, and faith and hope are the means to that end. “Love,” says Schlatter (Der Glaube im N. T. 3. S. 373), “is more than faith, because it relates to it as a whole to a part, as a completion to a beginning, as a fruit to a root.”
