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 mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
That this great chapter is known as the “Love Chapter” is rather odd seeing as the word love is not used once in the entire chapter. God knows the word “love.” He used it over 300 times in the Bible but 28 times He chose to use the word “charity” instead of “love” and it is not an “unfortunate translation” as the so-called scholars would have us to believe (modern versions change charity to love). Those that object to the word charity in the King James Bible complain that people today think of charity as simply a handout to the poor. If we study Bible words in their context we will not need a dictionary because the Bible defines its own words. Using modern definitions for biblical terms is a great hindrance in understanding the Bible. According to the scripture, charity means much more than helping the poor because Paul said it’s possible to give away all our goods to feed the poor and yet have not charity (v.3).
The word charity, as it is used in the scripture (21 of 28 by Paul), is love of a certain spiritual quality that should be demonstrated among Christians. It is much more than an affection, it is an action. It is a love that abounds in spiritual knowledge and judgment (Phil. 1:9-11). It is contrary to human nature and can only be produced by the Holy Spirit in and through us. There are different kinds of love in the Bible and the context always determines the meaning. We DO NOT need to know Greek to understand the differences in love. Most of us have heard about the different Greek words for love; especially phileo and agape. We are told that phileo always refers to human love but agape to God’s love. Actually, those words are used interchangeably in the New Testament. Everything God wants us to know is revealed in the King James Bible because it is the perfectly preserved word of God (Ps. 12:6-7). Why would He hide things from us in the Greek? We don't know Greek and neither do most of the teachers and preachers that claim they do!
Most preachers and teachers isolate this chapter from its context and pretend that it’s just a warm and fuzzy passage on love. Actually, the passage is a rebuke. This charity chapter is sandwiched between two chapters on spiritual gifts and so in order to understand it we must consider it in light of its context (12:1; 14:1). For example, when Paul said that knowledge shall vanish away (v.8) he was not referring to knowledge in general but to the spiritual gift of knowledge. It is interesting that the church at Corinth was a carnal church full of problems and yet it came behind in no spiritual gift (1:7). Spiritual gifts were not gifts that God gave to spiritual saints who prayed through to receive them. They were supernatural manifestations that the Holy Ghost gave to every believer (12:4-11). They were to be used for the edification of believers and as for signs to the unbelieving Jews (1:22; 14:20-22). The sign gifts are no longer given because they are no longer needed:
• The complete Bible is completely sufficient for our edification (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
• Israel has been set aside in judicial blindness (Rom. 11:25). The gospel of the kingdom is not being preached in this present age and so the signs of the kingdom are not being manifested. They will be manifested again after this age in the future tribulation period when the kingdom is once again at hand.
Evidently the carnal Corinthians were competitively comparing their gifts and using them for self-promotion and glory instead of the edification of the church. They esteemed tongues (always refers to actual languages) as the best gift but Paul showed them that prophecy was better because it was more edifying (12:28-31; 14:39-40, tongues always listed last). In chapter 14 Paul laid down rules for tongue speaking and prophecy in the church (14:27-40). Just like the carnal Corinthians, those that claim to have the gift of tongues today magnify it as the best gift and are out of order in how they try to exercise it (women not permitted to speak with tongues). But we who rightly divide the word of truth know that NOBODY has the gift of tongues today because all of the sign gifts have ceased.
When spiritual gifts were in operation Paul taught the church to covet (i.e. desire, 14:1) the best gifts which would’ve been those most edifying to the church. Yet, even then he said there was a more excellent way. The gifts were good but charity was and is the best way to serve the Lord. The gifts ceased but charity remains.
The Preeminence of Charity (vs.1-3)
With God it is not just about what we do but why we do it. He tries our heart. Everything we do in the ministry must be motivated by charity or it is of no spiritual and eternal value (1 Cor. 16:14)! The things mentioned in these verses might impress men but not God! Eloquent speaking without charity is just a noise. Knowledge without charity puffs up (8:1). Could someone really give all their goods to feed the poor or even give their body to be burned without charity? Lost men have been known to do these things in a vain effort to earn salvation! Great preaching and teaching without charity is nothing. Great singing without charity is nothing. Giving great amounts of money to the ministry without charity is nothing.
A Portrait of Charity (vs.4-7)
Paul gives us 15 characteristics of charity (7 positive and 8 negative, balanced) to show us what it looks like. It is a portrait of Christ! All of these characteristics will be demonstrated in the life of a believer that is walking in charity. No wonder Paul calls charity the “bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:12-14)! We will walk in charity if we are walking in the Spirit. Our self-centered flesh cannot live this way! God is more interested in us walking in charity than talking about charity. Charity is the solution to most problems in the local church because it will cause us to put others before our self. These characteristics were lacking at Corinth because they were carnal. None of us have arrived in this area. We must continually follow after charity (14:1) and seek to abound in it (2 Thess. 1:3).
The Permanence of Charity (vs.8-13)
In these verses Paul contrasts that which is in part (spiritual gifts) with that which is perfect and shows how the former was temporary and would give way to the latter when it arrived. When we have that which is perfect we no longer need that which is in part. The big questions is, what is “that which is perfect”? Many think its referring to the rapture and our glorification with Christ. If that be true, then prophecy, healing, miracles, and tongues are still in operation today.
The gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge were about divine revelation. But what God revealed to the saints through those gifts was only in part. Contextually, then, that which is perfect must refer to the same thing that was in part: REVELATION. Paul wrote this epistle during the transitional Acts period. He had already received revelations from Christ but was anticipating more (Acts 26:16; 2 Cor. 12:1, 7). The full revelation of the mystery fulfilled the word of God (Col. 1:23-26). Regardless of when the books of Hebrews through Revelation was written (I personally think they were all written during Acts) they are in line with the prophetic kingdom program of Israel that had been spoke by the prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21). But the mystery was kept secret and hid in God since the world began until it was revealed through Paul (Rom. 16:25). With the full revelation of the mystery came the completion of God’s revelation to man. The apostle Paul had the gift of healing during the Acts period but one of the last things he said by inspiration of God proves that there came a point that he no longer had that gift (see 2 Tim. 4:20).
In vs.11-12 Paul used two simple illustrations to show how spiritual gifts must give way to God’s perfect revelation. Just as a man should no longer speak, understand, and think as a child, we who have God’s perfect revelation have no need or desire for partial gifts. Just as those who can now see their image clearly in a mirror would no longer need a darkened mirror that they used in the past, so we who rejoice in the full revelation of the mystery have no need or desire for partial gifts. Those who seek the sign gifts today are acting like children and their understanding is like a darkened mirror.
Faith, hope, and charity abide but prophecy, tongues, and knowledge have failed, ceased, and vanished away! Paul mentions these abiding virtues together at least eight times in his epistles. Charity is the greatest of these three because it energizes the other two and will outlast them. One day our faith will become sight and our hope will be realized but charity will abide forever.
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