1 Corinthians 13:13

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 13:13

"The greatest of these." Paul has often been called the apostle of faith, in distinction from John, the apostle of love. This declaration, therefore, coming from Paul is the more valuable. No doubt what he saw of the Corinthian Christians, who disputed much concerning gifts, natural and supernatural, made the apostle specially sensible of the supreme necessity of charity. What men are—their character—is of more importance than what they have— their abilities. Paul was not the man to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 13:13

The three graces. These are faith, hope, love. I. THEIR EXCELLENCE . 1. Faith. Unites us to Christ; secures our forgiveness, justification, sanctification, final and complete redemption. It is the great power in our present life: "The just shall live by faith." 2. Hope. Brightens the present by brightening the future. In distress we have hope of deliverance; in sickness, of restoration or translation to the painless life; in sin, of holiness; in sorrow, of joy; in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 13:13

The immortality of all graces. "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three." The word "abideth" is significant, as applied to each of the three great graces. While so much must "pass away," why may faith, hope, and charity be said to abide? Because they are the dress of souls, not of bodies. They are things belonging to character, not merely to conduct. Souls pass through into new spheres of existence, taking with them all that is peculiar to them. We shall step into the eternal world... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth - “Remains” (μένει menei). The word means properly to remain, continue, abide; and is applied to persons remaining in a place, in a state or condition, in contradistinction from removing or changing their place, or passing away. Here it must be understood to be used to denote “permanency,” when the other things of which he had spoken had passed away; and the sense is, that faith, hope, and love would “remain” when the gift of tongues should cease, and the need of prophecy,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 13:13

1 Corinthians 13:13. And now In the present world; abideth In the hearts of holy persons, and influencing their lives, even all their tempers, words, and works; faith, hope, love, these three The principal and radical saving graces, of most frequent use in the Christian life, and productive of all the others. 1st, Faith, whereby we receive as infallibly true, and infinitely important, the testimony of God, contained in his word concerning things past, present, and to come; especially... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Love is greater than the gifts (13:1-13)The Corinthians were impressed with people who exercised the more spectacular gifts. Paul reminds them that no matter what gifts they have - tongues, prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, faith - if they lack love they are not merely unimportant, they are nothing (13:1-2). People may be so generous with their goods and money that in the end they themselves become poor. They may be so faithful to their duty that they sacrifice their lives. But without love they... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 13:13

abideth . Greek. meno. See p. 1511. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 13:13

But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.But now ... This means "in this present state." "If we give it any other sense, as though Paul said, 'now to sum all things up,' then we have him saying that faith, hope and love are eternal."[30] As Barclay said, the stress in this verse regards "the supremacy of love,"[31] not its permanence which was treated in 1 Corinthians 13:8 in this paragraph. "Now" in this verse meant that Paul had returned to the present... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Corinthians 13:13

1 Corinthians 13:13. And now abideth faith, &c.— "There are, then, only these three things which last, in opposition to the spiritual gifts before spoken of, which were to be of short continuance in the church. Faith, hope, love, are the sum of perfection on earth; love alone is the sum of perfection in Heaven: nay, it is Heaven itself; for ——In obedience to what Heaven decrees, Knowledge shall fail, and prophesy shall cease; But lasting charity's more ample sway, Not bound by time, nor... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 13:13

13. And now—Translate, "But now." "In this present state" [HENDERSON]. Or, "now" does not express time, but opposition, as in 1 Corinthians 5:11, "the case being so" [GROTIUS]; whereas it is the case that the three gifts, "prophecy," "tongues," and "knowledge" (cited as specimens of the whole class of gifts) "fail" (1 Corinthians 13:8), there abide permanently only these three—faith, hope, charity. In one sense faith and hope shall be done away, faith being superseded by sight, and hope by... read more

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