The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 415

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XIII. angels only understood Hebrew, e.nd not. A1'8maic or other languages. The words Vers. 1-13.-The supremely excellent way a.re meant to express the greatest possible of Christian love. This chapter has been climax. The most supreme powers of utter- in all ages the object of the special admira- ance, even of angelic utterance-if any of tion of the Church. Would that it had the Corinthians had or imagined that they received in all ages the loftier and more had attained to such utterance-are nothing 'l'aluable admiration which would have been in comparison with the universally possible r expressed by an acceptance of its lessons I attainment of Christian love. It is 1·emark- Tertullia.n says that it is uttered "with all . able that here again he places " tongues," the force of the Spirit" (totis Spiritus \ even in their grandest conceivable develop- -viri"bus). It is a glorious hymn or p:ean in '. ment, on the l.owest step in his climax. And honour of Christian love, in which St. Paul have not charity. It is deeply to be regretted rises on the wings of inspiration to the most \ that the translators of the Authorized sunlit heights of Christian eloquence. Like Version here introduced from the Vulgate e. the forty-fifth psalm, it may be entitled "A new translation for the sacred word "love," Psalm of Love." Valckuaer says that the which dominates the whole New Testament "oratorical figures which illuminate the as its Divine key-note. Greek possesses two chapter have been born spontaneously in an words for "love." One of these, enie, imply- heroic soul, burning with the love of Christ, ing as it did the love which springa from and placing all things lower than this Divine sensual passion, was dyed too deeply in love." ln vers. 1-3 he shows the absolute pagan associations to be capable of redemp• '/iece~sify for love; in vers. 4-7 its charac- tion into holier usage. It is characteristic teristics; in vers. 8-12 its eternal perman• of the difference between paganism o.nd ence; in ver. 13 its absolute supremacy. Chrii,tianity, that Plato's eulogy in the Ver. 1.-Though I speak with the tongues 'Symposium' is in honour of eros, not of of men and of e.ngelll. 'l'he case is merely anything resembling agape. The apostles, supposed. The tougues of men ore human therefore, wel'e corn pelled to descl'i be the languages, including, perhaps, the peculiar ideal of the gospel lifo by anotlier wo1·d, utterance of ecstatic inspiration with which which expres8ed the love of esteem and he is now dealing. It is, perhaps, with reverence e.nd sacred tenderness-the word reference to this latter result of Bpirilual agape. This word was not iudced clussic11I. exultation, at any rate in its purest and No heathen writer had used it. But the loftiest developments,,lhat be adds the words, verb agapao, corresponding to the Latin "and of augels." It is unlikely that he is diligo, and being reserved for this loftier reforrin!! to the 1·abbiuic notion that the lcintl of love, suggested at once the suh,tau-  err. xm. 1-13.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE COIU ..:-;"THIANS.