Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
All Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 13:8 Go To 1 Corinthians 13
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Do you see when he put the crown on the arch, and what of all things is peculiar to this gift? For what is, fails not? it is not severed, is not dissolved by endurance. For it puts up with everything: since happen what will, he that loves never can hate. This then is the greatest of its excellencies.
Such a person was Paul. Wherefore also he said, If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh; Romans 11:14 and he continued hoping. And to Timothy he gave a charge, saying, And the Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all....in meekness correcting those that oppose themselves, if God perhaps may give them the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:24-25
What then, says one, if they be enemies and heathens, must one hate them? One must hate, not them but their doctrine: not the man, but the wicked conduct, the corrupt mind. For the man is God's work, but the deceit is the devil's work. Do thou not therefore confound the things of God and the things of the devil. Since the Jews were both blasphemers, and persecutors, and injurious, and spoke ten thousand evil things of Christ. Did Paul then hate them, he who of all men most loved Christ? In no wise, but he both loved them, and did everything for their sakes: and at one time he says, My heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them that they may be saved: Romans 10:1; 9:3 and at another, I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for their sakes. Thus also Ezekiel seeing them slain says, Alas, O Lord, dost Thou blot out the remnant of Israel? Ezekiel 9:8 And Moses, If You will forgive their sin, forgive. Exodus 32:32
Why then says David, Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate You, and against Your enemies did I not pine away? I hate them with perfect hatred. Psalm 139:21-22
Now, in the first place, not all things spoken in the Psalms by David, are spoken in the person of David. For it is he himself who says, I have dwelt in the tents of Kedar; Psalm 120:5 and, By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept: Psalm 137:1 yet he neither saw Babylon, nor the tents of Kedar.
But besides this, we require now a completer self-command. Wherefore also when the disciples besought that fire might come down, even as in the case of Elias, You know not, says Christ, what manner of spirit you are of. Luke 9:55 For at that time not the ungodliness only, but also the ungodly themselves, they were commanded to hate, in order that their friendship might not prove an occasion of transgression unto them. Therefore he severed their connections, both by blood and marriage, and on every side he fenced them off.
But now because he has brought us to a more entire self-command and set us on high above that mischief, he bids us rather admit and soothe them. For we get no harm from them, but they get good by us. What then does he say? We must not hate, but pity. Since if you shall hate, how will you easily convert him that is in error? How will you pray for the unbeliever? For that one ought to pray, hear what Paul says: I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayer, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men. 1 Timothy 2:1 But that all were not then believers, is, I suppose, evident unto every one. And again, for kings and all that are in high place. But that these were ungodly and transgressors, this also is equally manifest. Further, mentioning also the reason for the prayer, he adds, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who wills that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, if he find a Gentile wife consorting with a believer, he dissolves not the marriage. Yet what is more closely joined than a man to his wife? For they two shall be one flesh, Genesis 2:24 and great in that instance is the charm, and ardent the desire. But if we are to hate ungodly and lawless men, we shall go on to hate also sinners; and thus in regular process you will be broken off from the most even of your brethren, or rather from all: for there is not one, no, not one, without sin. For if it be our duty to hate the enemies of God, one must not hate the ungodly only, but also sinners: and thus we shall be worse than wild beasts, shunning all, and puffed up with pride; even as that Pharisee. But not thus did Paul command us, but how? Admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be long suffering toward all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
6. What then does he mean when he says, If any obeys not our word by this epistle, note that man, that you have no company with him? 2 Thessalonians 3:14 In the first place, he says this of brethren, however not even so without limitation, but this too with gentleness. For do not thou cut off what follows, but subjoin also the next clause: how, having said, keep no company, he added, yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Do you see how he bade us hate the deed that is evil, and not the man? For indeed it is the work of the devil to tear us asunder from one another, and he has ever used great diligence to take away love that he may cut off the way of correction, and may retain him in error and you in enmity, and thus block up the way of his salvation. For when both the physician hates the sick man and flies from him, and the sick man turns away from the physician, when will the distempered person be restored, seeing that neither the one will call in the other's aid, nor will the other go to him?
But wherefore, tell me, do you at all turn away from him and avoid him? Because he is ungodly? Truly for this cause ought thou to welcome and attend him, that you may raise him up in his sickness. But if he be incurably sick, still you have been bidden to do your part. Since Judas also was incurably diseased, yet God left not off attending upon him. Wherefore, neither do thou grow weary. For even if after much labor thou fail to deliver him from his ungodliness, yet shall you receive the deliverer's reward, and wilt cause him to wonder at your gentleness, and so all this praise will pass on to God. For though you should work wonders, and raise the dead, and whatsoever work you do, the Heathen will never wonder at you so much, as when they see you displaying a meek, gentle, mild disposition. And this is no small achievement: since many will even be entirely delivered from their evil way; there being nothing that has such power to allure men as love. For in respect of the former they will rather be jealous of you, I mean the signs and wonders; but for this they will both admire and love you: and if they love, they will also lay hold of the truth in due course. If however he become not all at once a believer, wonder not nor hurry on, neither do thou require all things at once, but suffer him for the present to praise, and love, and unto this in due course he will come.
7. And that you may clearly know how great a thing this is, hear how even Paul, going before an unbelieving judge, made his defence. I think myself happy, says he, That I am to make my defence before you. Acts 26:2 And these things he said, not to flatter him, far from it; but wishing to gain him by his gentleness. And he did in part gain him, and he that was till then considered to be condemned took captive his judge, and the victory is confessed by the person himself who was made captive, with a loud voice in the presence of all, saying, With but little persuasion you would fain make me a Christian. Acts 26:28-29 What then says Paul? He spread his net the wider, and says, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds. What do you say, O Paul? except these bonds? And what confidence remains for you, if you are ashamed of these things, and fliest from them, and this before so great a multitude? Do you not every where in your Epistles boast of this matter, and call yourself a prisoner? Do you not every where carry about this chain in our sight as a diadem? What then has happened now that you deprecate these bonds? I myself deprecate them not, says he, nor am I ashamed of them, but I condescend to their weakness. For they are not yet able to receive my glorying; and I have learned from my Lord not to put 'a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment:' Matthew 9:16 therefore did I thus speak. For, in fact, unto this time they have heard ill reports of our doctrine, and abhor the cross. If therefore I should add also bonds, their hatred becomes greater; I removed these, therefore, that the other might be made acceptable. So it is, that to them it seems disgraceful to be bound, because they have not as yet tasted of the Glory which is with us. One must therefore condescend: and when they shall have learned of the true life, then will they know the beauty also of this iron, and the lustre which comes of these bonds. Furthermore, discoursing with others, he even calls the thing a free gift, saying, It has been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer in His behalf. Philippians 1:29 But for the time then present, it was a great thing for the hearers not to be ashamed of the cross: for which cause he goes on gradually. Thus, neither does any one introducing a person to a palace, before that he beholds the vestibule, compel him, yet standing without, to survey what is within: since in that way it will not even seem admirable, unless one enter in and so acquaint one's self with all.
So then let us also deal with the heathen sort: with condecension, with love. For love is a great teacher, and able both to withdraw men from error, and to reform the character, and to lead them by the hand unto self-denial, and out of stones to make men.
8. And if you would learn her power, bring me a man timid and fearful of every sound, and trembling at shadows; or passionate, and harsh, and a wild beast rather than a man; or wanton and licentious; or wholly given to wickedness; and deliver him into the hands of love, and introduce him into this school; and you will speedily see that cowardly and timid creature made brave and magnanimous, and venturing upon all things cheerfully. And what is wonderful, not from any change in nature do these things result, but in the coward soul itself love manifests her peculiar power; and it is much the same as if one should cause a leaden sword, not turned into steel but continuing in the nature of lead, to do the work of steel. As thus: Jacob was a plain man , Genesis 25:27 dwelling in a house , and unpracticed in toils and dangers, living a kind of remiss and easy life, and like a virgin in her chamber, so also he was compelled for the most part to sit within doors and keep the house; withdrawn from the forum and all tumults of the forum, and from all such matters, and even continuing in ease and quietness. What then? After that the torch of love had set him on fire, see how it made this plain and home-keeping man strong to endure and fond of toil. And of this hear not what I say, but what the patriarch himself says: how finding fault with his kinsman, his words are, These twenty years am I with you. Genesis 31:36 And how were thou these twenty years? (For this also he adds,) Consumed by the heat in the day time, and with the frost by night, and sleep departed from my eyes. Thus speaks that plain man, keeping at home, and living that easy life.
Again, that he was timid is evident, in that, expecting to see Esau, he was dead with fear. But see again, how this timid man became bolder than a lion under the influence of love. For putting himself forward like some champion before the rest, he was ready to be first in receiving that savage and slaughter-breathing brother as he supposed him to be, and with his own body to purchase the safety of his wives: and him whom he feared and shuddered at, he desired to behold himself foremost in the array. For this fear was not so strong as his affection for his wives. Do you see how, being timid, he became suddenly adventurous, not by changing his character, but being invigorated by love? For that after this also he was timid, is evident by his changing from place to place.
But let no man consider what has been said to be a charge against that righteous man: since being timid is no reproach, for this is a man's nature; but the doing any thing unseemly for timidity's sake. For it is possible for one that is timid by nature to become courageous through piety. What did Moses? Did he not, through fear of a single Egyptian, fly, and go away into banishment? Nevertheless, this fugitive who could not endure the menace of a single man, after that he tasted of the honey of love, nobly and without compulsion from any man, was forward to perish together with them whom he loved. For if you will forgive their sin, says he, forgive; and if not, blot me, I pray you, out of Your book which you have written. Exodus 32:32
9. Moreover, that love makes also the fierce moderate, and the wanton chaste, we have no longer need of any examples: this being evident to all men. Though a man be more savage than any wild beast, no sheep so gentle as he is rendered by love. Thus, what could be more savage and frantic than Saul? But when his daughter let his enemy go, he uttered not against her even a bitter word. And he that unsparingly put to the sword all the priests for David's sake, seeing that his daughter had sent him away from the house, was not indignant with her even as far as words; and this when so great a fraud had been contrived against him: because he was restrained by the stronger bridle of love.
Now as moderation, so chastity, is an ordinary effect of love. If a man love his own wife as he ought to love, even though he be never so much inclined to wantoness, he will not endure to look upon another woman, on account of his affection for her. For love, Canticles 8:5 says one, is strong as death. So that from no other source does wanton behavior arise than from want of love.
Since then love is the Artificer of all virtue, let us with all exactness implant her in our own souls, that she may produce for us many blessings, and that we may have her fruit continually abounding, the fruit which is ever fresh and never decays. For thus shall we obtain no less than eternal blessings: which may we all obtain, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, and also the Holy Ghost, be glory, power, and honor, now and for ever, and world without end. Amen.
