Today’s epistle consists of two parts: The first about gifts and the second is the part known as “the ode of love”. Gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to the Church that Paul calls “the body of Christ” i.e. His entity in the world and his extension in history; Paul also says that we, as individuals, are parts of this body.
The apostle names various gifts: He mentions the apostles (other than the Twelve Apostles), the prophets that are inspired by the Lord to deliver His will to the Church in their time, and then he mentions teachers that know the doctrine and explain it. Also, Paul mentions miracle makers (gifts of healing and speaking with different kinds of tongues). The first epistle to the Corinthians is one of the earliest books of the New Testament and addresses the works of the Holy Spirit in people and not the hierarchy of administrative responsibilities (bishops and deacons) as it was when established.
After that, Paul goes to what he calls the “better way than all of these” which is love, the factor that we would be nothing if it wasn’t among us. The author magnifies love and makes it superior to prophecy and to any theological knowledge and even to faith. He imagines a person feeding all the poor with his money but having no love and a person that goes to martyrdom without love; he says that these are nothing. Paul is aware that every martyr has love because he cannot go to martyrdom without it; however he mentions this image in order to make love superior to any good deed.
Then, he mentions the good things about love and its positive points and says that “love is patient and kind”. Love must always be accompanied by patience and kindness towards all people even towards an evil person. With such a person, you must have clemency and kindness and not judge him and forget his sin. With this, Paul reaches the expression “love doesn’t envy” because the Lord distributes His gifts to whomever He wants so that everyone would have his own gift. You should thank God for what He gave someone else and didn’t give you; you should feel happy for a gift He gave to someone and not to you.
Then, Paul elevates with his description and says that “love doesn’t boast and is not proud”. If you had any spiritual advantages and virtues, those would be descending to you through grace and were given to you in order to benefit people and not to brag. You cannot do anything good with your personal power, so why would you boast? It is normal for love not to “dishonor” others or harm them, and a loving person doesn’t seek what he wants but what God wants. Love isn’t “easily angered” because rage is nothingness and love cannot carry nothingness because it insults. In this sense, do not have “evil thoughts” when dealing with others. Experience people first, and then you shall reach certainty or doubt.
“Do not delight in evil” if it struck someone but “rejoice with the truth” if someone said it. You should be patient in every discomfort and believe that anyone could produce welfare and ask everything from God for all people whether they were evil or good. The apostle ends this ode by saying: “Love never fails” here and in the coming age.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “نشيد المحبة” –Raiati 27- 01.07.2012
