Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
1 Corinthians
Book: 1 Corinthians
Chapter: 13
Overview:
The necessity and advantage of the
Grace of
Love.
(1-3) Its
excellency represented
By its properties and effects;
(4-7) and
By its abiding, and its superiority.
(8-13)
1-3 The excellent way had in view in the close of the former
Chapter, is not what is meant
By Charity in our common use of
the
Word,
Alms giving, but
Love in its fullest meaning; true
Love
to
God and
Man. Without this, the most glorious
Gifts are of
No
account to us, of
No esteem in the sight of
God. A clear head
and a
Deep understanding, are of
No value without a benevolent
and charitable
Heart. There may be an open and lavish
Hand,
where there is not a liberal and charitable
Heart. Doing good to
others will do none to us, if it be not done from
Love to
God,
and good-will to men. If we give away all we have, while we
withhold the
Heart from
God, it will not profit. Nor even the
most painful sufferings. How are those deluded who look for
acceptance and reward for their good
Works, which are as scanty
and defective as they are corrupt and selfish!
4-7 Some of the effects of
Charity are stated, that we may know
whether we have this
Grace; and that if we have not, we may not
Rest till we have it. This
Love is a clear proof of
Regeneration, and is a touchstone of our professed
Faith in
Christ. In this beautiful description of the nature and effects
of
Love, it is meant to show the
Corinthians that their conduct
had, in many respects, been a contrast to it.
Charity is an
utter enemy to selfishness; it does not desire or seek its own
praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Not that
Charity
destroys all regard to ourselves, or that the charitable
Man
should neglect himself and all his interests. But
Charity never
seeks its own to the hurt of others, or to neglect others. It
ever prefers the welfare of others to its private advantage. How
good-natured and amiable is
Christian Charity! How excellent
would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it
were more under this Divine principle, and paid due regard to
the command
On which its blessed Author laid the chief stress!
Let us ask whether this Divine
Love dwells in our hearts. Has
this principle guided us into becoming behaviour to all men? Are
we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a
Call
to watchfulness, diligence, and
Prayer.
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.