13 1 He showeth that there are gifts so excellent, which in God’s sight are not corrupt, if Charity be away: 4 and therefore he digresseth unto the commendation of it.

Though [a]I speak with the tongues of men and [b]Angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass, or a [c]tinkling cymbal.

And though I had the gift of prophecy, and knew all secrets and all knowledge, yea, if I had all [d]faith, so that I could remove (A)mountains, and had not love, I were nothing.

And though I feed the poor with all my goods, and though I give my body, that I be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1 He reasoneth first of Charity, the excellency whereof he first showeth by this, that without it, all other gifts are as nothing before God which thing he proveth partly by an induction, and partly also by an argument taken of the end, wherefor those gifts are given. For to what purpose are those gifts, but to God’s glory, and the profit of the Church, as is before proved? so that those gifts, without Charity, have no right use.
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:1 A very earnest kind of amplifying a matter, as if he said, If there were any tongues of Angels, and I had them, and did not use them to the benefit of my neighbor, it were nothing else but a vain and prattling type of babbling.
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:1 That giveth a rude and no certain sound.
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:2 By faith, he meaneth the gift of doing miracles, and not that faith which justified, which cannot be void of Charity as the other may.

Bible Gateway Recommends