1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians: 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. It is on the subject of love, principally the love that Christians should have for everyone. In the original Greek the word αγαπη ("agape" - worshipful love) is used throughout. This was translated as "charity" in the King James version; but the word "love" is preferred by most other translations, both earlier and more recent. Authorship is generally attributed to Paul of Tarsus. [ [http://www.theologywebsite.com/nt/corinthians.shtml New Testament Study Helps: Paul's Letters to the Corinthians] at [http://www.theologywebsite.com/ theologywebsite.com] ]

Historical and literary context

1 Corinthians illuminates the early church's efforts to define itself, not only in terms of doctrine, but also allegiance to spiritual leaders such as Peter, Paul, Apollos and Jesus. [Latourette, Kenneth Scott, "A History of Christianity, Volume 1: Beginnings to 1500", p. 114, © 1975 Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., ISBN 0-06-064952-6] Who is a "real Christian" and who is not is a major theme. A significant portion of the preceding chapter (1 Corinthians 12:1-10) focuses on the issue of spiritual gifts, and there appears to have been interpersonal conflicts based upon the possession of such gifts, including speaking in tongues or prophecy. [Henry, Matthew, [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc6.vii.xiii.html "Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation)": First Corinthians Chap. XII] , Public domain, Library of Congress call no: BS490.H4, at [http://www.ccel.org/ Christian Classics Ethereal Library] ] Paul tells his audience that they may have all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but unless they first have love, these gifts mean nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Description of "agape"

A description of "agape", the concept of selfless love, forms a major passage in this Epistle's thirteenth chapter, running from verse 4 to the end.

According to the author, "agape":
* "(verse 4)":* is longsuffering (i.e. tolerant, patient):* is kind:* is free of jealousy, envy and pride
* "(verse 5)":* does not display unseemly behavior:* is unselfish:* is not touchy, fretful or resentful:* takes no account of the evil done to it [outwardly ignores a suffered wrong]
* "(verse 6)":* hates evil:* is associated with honesty
*"(verse 7)":* protects:* trusts [implying faith in God and trusting in righteousness] :* hopes:* perseveres
* "(verse 8)":* triumphs
* "(verse 13)":* is greater than either faith or hope

"Through a Glass, Darkly"

1 Corinthians 13:12 contains the phrase:βλεπομεν γαρ αρτι δι εσοπτρου εν αινιγματιwhich is rendered in the KJV as:"For now we see through a glass, darkly."which refers to mirrors, [ [http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/words.pl?book=1Cr&chapter=13&verse=12&strongs=2072&page= Entry: εσοπτρον] ("espotron" - Strong's 2072), retrieved from [http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.html blueletterbible.org] ] not lenses. It has inspired the titles of many works.

Other notable passages

There are two other passages from 1 Corinthians: 13 which have been notably influential.

Firstly, verse 11: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things" (KJV).

Secondly, verse 13, in praise of the Theological virtues:

:νυνι δε μενει πιστις ελπις αγαπη τα τρια ταυτα μειζων δε τουτων η αγαπη:"And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." (NRSV)

Ritual use

The passage has appeared in Christian wedding liturgies, including the Book of Common Prayer. Sometimes it is read in funeral services as well, as when Prime Minister Tony Blair read the passage at the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. [ [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/diana/mourns/funeral/ Diana's funeral (CNN)] Retrieved 20 June 2006]

Cultural references

*George Orwell's 1936 novel "Keep The Aspidistra Flying" quotes the King James version of the text with the word "charity" replaced by the word "money". [ [http://worldebooklibrary.com/eBooks/Adelaide/o/o79k/chap0.html Keep the Aspidistra Flying preface (project Gutenberg)] Retrieved 12 October 2006]
*The Latin motto of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada is "Nunc cognosco ex parte" ("Now I know in part").
*The passage is often quoted in "Elmer Gantry" (1960), a film by Richard Brooks based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis. The film, set in Prohibition-era America, tells the story of a roguish traveling salesman who becomes a revivalist preacher.
*Krzysztof Kieślowski's film "" (1993) draws many images and themes from 1 Corinthians 13, including allusions to appearances ("seeing through a glass") and musical sounds. The "Song for the Unification of Europe" at the center of the story sets an abridged version of the original Greek text.
*In the film "The Mission" by Roland Joffé, the character Rodrigo Mendoza reads from 1 Corinthians 13:11 on his journey towards reformation.
*Quoted within E.T.A. Hoffmann's grotesque short story, Der Sandmann, "Possibly, also, you will come to believe that real life is more singular and more fantastic than anything else and that all a writer can really do is present it as 'in a glass, darkly.'
*Verses 11 and 12 are quoted in the movie "Ghost in the Shell".
*The name of the novel/film "A Scanner Darkly" is derived from a slightly different translation of verse 13. see also|Through A Glass Darkly
*Quoted in the film "A Walk to Remember"
* The Bob Dylan song, "Watered Down Love" from the album "Shot of Love" quotes 1 Corinthians 13, several times, and is about living without it.
* In the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother", Barney refers to 1 Corinthians 13, which Marshall recites, and Lily then adds to their list of "Wedding Cliches We Won't Do At Our Wedding"
* In "", Captain Picard quotes the words "for now we see through a glass darkly" in regarding a clone of himself that went down an evil, genocidal path. Two of the main themes of the movie are growing up to become better than you are now, and the effect of sacrificial love.
* This is quoted in the Bethesda Softworks game "Oblivion" as a quest names Through a Nightmare, Darkly [http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Through_A_Nightmare%2C_Darkly]
* This is quoted by Admiral Pellew to Commander Hornblower in Episode 7 - Loyalty. of the series of the same name "Hornblower". In the context of Pellew reflecting on his relationship with Hornblower over a number of years from his first meeting Hornblower as a young Midshipman to his present rank of Commander
*Thrice, "Moving Mountains" is much based on -1 Corinthians 13:1-3

External links

* [http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=55879385 Full chapter at Oremus (NRSV and KJV)]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13 Full Chapter at BibleGateway.com (NIV)]

References