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it is said. “Love is kind.” Since it is possible to be long-suffering even to the point of breaking the opponent who does not receive a response, for this reason, he says, it is kind. It is as if one might say, Not for striking the opponent, but for calming him. “Love does not envy.” Since it is possible to be both long-suffering and envious. And by this that good deed is corrupted “It does not vaunt itself.” That is, it is not rash. For it makes one prudent, and serious, and steadfast. “Is not puffed up.” It does not think great things, he says, of its good deeds, nor is it lifted up into insolence. “Does not behave unseemly; does not seek its own.” Greatly wronged and insulted, he says, they do not consider the matter an indecency. “Is not easily provoked, thinks no evil.” See again how love not only does not hold onto wickedness, but does not even allow it to form in the first place. And he did not say, Does evil, but, does not even think it “Does not rejoice in iniquity.” That is, it does not delight in those who suffer evil. “But rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things.” It rejoices with, he says, those who are well-reputed. “Hopes all things.” All good things, he says; it does not despair of the one who is loved. “Endures all things.” It does not simply hope, but believes out of loving vehemently. “Love never fails.” That is, it is not dissolved, it is not interrupted. “But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease.” For if both of these were introduced for the sake of faith, since this has been spread everywhere, the need for them is henceforth idle. But neither will loving one another cease, but it will prevail even more, both here and in the age to come. “Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come.” And what knowledge is done away with? That which is partial. For when that which is perfect is come, he says, that which is in part shall be done away. See the argument by way of an example. A sheep was slaughtered, the gates were smeared with the blood, but this knowledge, when the Son 95.680 of God, the true lamb, came and was slaughtered, is idle. “that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, in an enigma.” Instead of, an end will come, and it will cease. “But then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth.” Instead of, more clearly and more plainly. “faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Faith and hope, when the good things that were believed in and hoped for arrive, cease. But love is then greatly exalted, and becomes more vehement.

CHAPTER 14. “Follow after love.” For we have great need of a race toward it.

“But desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” Lest anyone think that for this reason he introduced the discourse on love, in order to quench the gifts, for this reason he added, saying; Desire spiritual gifts; and he makes a comparison of the gifts, and puts down that of tongues, showing it to be neither entirely useless, nor very profitable by itself. “For he that speaketh in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the Church.” To speak to God, he shows to be a great thing, but for the Church not to be edified, a small one. For this he seeks everywhere, the edification of the many. “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues.” Lest they should think that out of envy he puts down tongues, correcting their suspicion, he says this. “except he interpret, that the Church may receive edifying.” Less, he says, than prophesying is speaking with tongues; unless perhaps someone also interprets the tongues, it would not

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λέγεται. «Χρηστεύεται ἡ ἀγάπη.» Ἐπειδὴ ἔστι μακροθυμεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ διαῤῥῆξαι τὸν ἐναντίον ἀποκρίσεως μὴ τυγχάνοντα, τούτου χάριν, φησὶ, χρηστεύεται. Ὅμοιον δὲ ὡς εἰ λέγοι, Οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ πλῆξαι τὸν ἐναντίον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ καταπραῦναι. «Οὐ ζηλοῖ ἡ ἀγάπη.» Ἐπειδὴ ἔστι καὶ μακρόθυμον εἶναι καὶ βάσκανον. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐκεῖνο διαφθείρεται τὸ κατόρθωμα «Οὐ περπερεύεται.» Τουτέστιν, οὐ προπετεύεται. Καὶ γὰρ συνετὸν ἐργάζεται, καὶ βαρὺν, καὶ βεβηκότα. «Οὐ φυσιοῦται.» Οὐ φρονεῖ μέγα, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασιν, οὐδὲ εἰς ὕβριν ἐπαίρεται. «Οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ· οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς.» Τὰ μεγάλα, φησὶ, ἀδικούμενοι καὶ ὑβριζόμενοι, οὐκ ἀσχημοσύνην τὸ πρᾶγμα ἡγοῦνται. «Οὐ παροξύνεται, οὐ λογίζεται, τὸ κακόν.» Ὅρα πάλιν τὴν ἀγάπην οὐ κρατοῦσαν τῆς κακίας μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀφεῖσαν αὐτὴν συστῆναι τὴν ἀρχήν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐργάζεται τὸ κακὸν, ἀλλ', οὐδὲ λογίζεται «Οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ.» Τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἐφήδεται τοῖς κακῶς πάσχουσι. «Συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει.» Συνήδεται, φησὶ, τοῖς εὐδοκιμοῦσιν. «Πάντα ἐλπίζει.» Πάντα χρηστὰ, φησίν· οὐκ ἀπογινώσκει τοῦ ἀγαπωμένου. «Πάντα ὑπομένει.» Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐλπίζει, ἀλλὰ πιστεύει ἐκ τοῦ σφόδρα φιλεῖν. «Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ἐκπίπτει.» Τουτέστιν, οὐ διαλύεται, οὐ διακόπτεται. «Εἴτε δὲ προφητεῖαι καταργηθήσονται, εἴτε γλῶσσαι παύσονται.» Εἰ γὰρ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ἕνεκεν τῆς πίστεως εἰσενήνεκται, ταύτης πανταχοῦ διασπαρείσης, ἀργεῖ τούτων ἡ χρεία λοιπόν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν ἀλλήλους παύσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπικρατήσει μειζόνως, καὶ ἐνταῦθα, καὶ εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα. «Εἴτε γνώσεις καταργηθήσονται. Ἐκ μέρους γὰρ γινώσκομεν, καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν. Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον.» Καὶ ποία γνῶσις καταργεῖται; ἡ μερική. Ὅταν γὰρ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, φησὶ, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. Ὅρα δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος τὸν λόγον. Ἐσφάζετο πρόβατον, ἐχρίοντο τῷ αἵματι αἱ πύλαι, ἀλλὰ αὕτη ἡ γνῶσις, ἐλθόντος τοῦ Υἱοῦ 95.680 τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ ἀμνοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, καὶ σφαγέντος, ἀργεῖ. «Τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. Ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος. Ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνὴρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. Βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου, ὡς ἐν αἰνίγματι.» Ἀντὶ τοῦ, πέρας ἥξει, καὶ στήσεται. «Τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον. Ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους. τότε δὲ ἐπιγινώσκομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. Νῦν δὲ μένει.» Ἀντὶ τοῦ σαφέστερον καὶ τρανότερον. «Πίστις, ἐλπὶς, ἀγάπη, τὰ τρία ταῦτα· μείζων δὲ τούτων ἡ ἀγάπη.» Ἡ μὲν πίστις καὶ ἐλπὶς, τῶν πιστευθέντων καὶ τῶν ἐλπισθέντων ἀγαθῶν παραγινομένων, παύεται. Ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη τότε μέγα ἐπαίρεται, καὶ γίνεται σφοδροτέρα.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ι∆ʹ. «∆ιώκετε τὴν ἀγάπην.» Καὶ γὰρ δρόμου σφόδρα ἡμῖν εἰς αὐτὴν χρεία.

«Ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ πνευματικὰ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα προφητεύητε.» Ἵνα μή τις νομίζῃ, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης εἰσήγαγεν λόγον, ἵνα σβέσῃ τὰ χαρίσματα, τούτου χάριν ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Ζηλοῦτε τὰ πνευματικά· σύγκρισιν δὲ ποιεῖται τῶν χαρισμάτων, καὶ καθαιρεῖ τὸ τῶν γλωσσῶν, οὔτε πάντη ἄχρηστον, οὔτε σφόδρα ὠφέλιμον καθ' ἑαυτὸ δεικνύς. «Ὁ γὰρ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις λαλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀκούει· πνεύματι δὲ λαλεῖ μυστήρια. Ὁ δὲ προφητεύων, ἀνθρώποις λαλεῖ οἰκοδομὴν καὶ παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν. Ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ, ἑαυτὸν οἰκοδομεῖ· ὁ δὲ προφητεύων, Ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ.» Τὸ μὲν λαλεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, μέγα δείκνυσιν, τὸ δὲ μὴ οἰκοδομεῖσθαι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, μικρόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ πανταχοῦ ζητεῖ, τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῶν πολλῶν. «Θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις, μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα προφητεύητε. Μείζων γὰρ ὁ προφητεύων, ἢ ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσαις.» Ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν ὅτι βασκαίνων αὐτοῖς καθαιρεῖ τὰς γλώσσας, διορθούμενος αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπόνοιαν, τοῦτό φησιν. «Ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ διερμηνεύῃ, ἵνα ἡ Ἐκκλησία οἰκοδομὴν λάβῃ.» Ἔλαττον, φησὶ, τοῦ προφητεύειν τὸ γλώσσαις λαλεῖν· εἰ μή τις ἄρα καὶ διερμηνεύῃ τὰ γλώσσας, οὐκ ἂν