And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Love is the greatest because while faith is preached and hope pertains to the future life, love reigns. As John [:] says: “By this we know his love, that he laid down his life for us.” Love is therefore the greatest of the three, because by it the human race has been renewed. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
And for those who are aiming at perfection there is proposed the rational gnosis, the foundation of which is "the sacred Triad. ""Faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love."
Now abide faith, hope, charity. S. Paul in this chapter clearly teaches that faith, hope, and charity abide in this present life, but charity alone in our heavenly country. So the Fathers hold. See Gregory de Valentia, disp. qu5 de Subjecto Fidei, part2).
You will say, Irenus (ii. c47), Tertullian (de Patienti, c. xii.) understand "now" of heaven; therefore in heaven there will be, and will abide, both faith and hope.
I reply: These Fathers understand by faith all sure knowledge, such as the vision of God; by hope, a firm adherence to God, as the object of love, which is the enjoyment of God. For this is what Tertullian says: "There abide faiih, hope, love: faith which the patietice of Christ had begotten; hope which the patience of man waits for; love which, with God as her teacher, patience accompanies." But these are not to the purpose of the Apostle, as is evident.
The greater of these is charity. Greater, i.e, the greatest. So Catullus:—
"0 Hesperus, light more fair, which shin...
Charity is the bond of brotherhood, the foundation of peace, the steadfastness and firmness of unity. It is greater than both hope and faith. It excels both good works and suffering of the faith. As an eternal virtue, it will abide with us forever in the kingdom of heaven.
There will always be love in the kingdom, it will abide forever in the unity of a harmonious brotherhood. Discord cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. One who has violated the love of Christ by faithless dissension cannot attain to the reward of Christ.
When we investigate in the Scriptures (which are throughout spiritual), we are able by the grace of God to explain some of them, while we must leave others in the hands of God, and that not only in the present world, but also in that which is to come, so that God should for ever teach, and man should for ever learn the things taught him by God? As the apostle has said on this point, that, when other things have been done away, then these three, "faith, hope, and charity, shall endure.".
For faith, which has respect to our Master, endures.
For faith indeed and hope, when the good things believed and hoped for have come, cease. And to show this Paul said, For hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for that which he sees. Again, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen. Romans 8:24; Hebrews 11:1 So that these cease when those appear; but love is then most elevated, and becomes more vehement. Another encomium of love. For neither is he content with those before mentioned, but he strives to discover yet another. And observe: he has said that it is a great gift, and a still more excellent way to these. He has said, that without it there is no great profit in our gifts; he has shadowed out its image at length; he intends again and in another manner to exalt it, and to show that it is great from its abiding. Wherefore also he said, But now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. How then is love the greater? In that those pass away.
If now so great...