Cease Charity Ends Fail Faileth Fails Gifts Languages Love Nothing Pass Prophecies Prophecy Prophet's Stilled Though Tongues Useless Value Vanish Various Whether
13:8 {3} Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] {g} knowledge, it shall vanish away.
(3) Again he commends the excellency of charity, in that it will never be abolished in the saints, whereas the other gifts which are necessary for the building up of the church, so long as we live here, will have no place in the world to come.
(g) The getting of knowledge by prophesying.
13:8 Charity never faileth. The superiority of love over all besides is shown by its survival of all with which it is compared. It is eternal and imperishable.
Whether [there are] prophecies. The gift of prophesying shall cease. As a matter of fact, we know that it has long since done so.
Whether [there be] tongues. The gift of speaking in unknown tongues was transitory.
Knowledge. Even the supernatural knowledge, granted as a spiritual gift, is temporary. All these were only granted while the church was in an immature state.
13:8 Love never faileth - It accompanies to, and adorns us in, eternity; it prepares us for, and constitutes, heaven. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail - When all things are fulfilled, and God is all in all. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease - One language shall prevail among all the inhabitants of heaven, and the low and imperfect languages of earth be forgotten. The knowledge likewise which we now so eagerly pursue, shall then vanish away - As starlight is lost in that of the midday sun, so our present knowledge in the light of eternity.
13:8-13 Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men! Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us. To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another. Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, 1Jo 4:8,16. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.
Cease Charity End Ends Fail Faileth Fails Gifts Love Prophecies Prophecy Prophet's Stilled Tongues Useless Vanish Various Whether Word
Cease Charity End Ends Fail Faileth Fails Gifts Love Prophecies Prophecy Prophet's Stilled Tongues Useless Vanish Various Whether Word
