We shall
continue the study of First Corinthians of the New Testament.
Theme: Watch your freedom
Presumably, some of the Corinthians still participated (out of habit or for business reasons) in meals inside the pagan temples. Paul, likely in response to their letter, deals with this issue in a more total fashion.
Vv. 14-22—Eating of an idol-worship meal
(1) Paul’s admonition is not just “thou shalt not…” but "flee" (from idolatry). Why is that?
(2) In support of his admonition, Paul compares the participation (the original Greek word is koinoia, i.e. fellowship) in the idol-worship meal to that of the Lord’s Supper and the Jewish temple-worship meal of Deuteronomy 14:22-27.
a. What is the meaning, according to Paul, of participating in the cup and the bread at the Lord’s Supper?
b. What is the effect of such participation, according to v. 17?
c. What is the effect of those who eat of the sacrifice together in Deuteronomy 14?
d. Although idols are nothing, the worship of idols is in fact the worship of demons. Then in what way is the eating of the sacrifice to idols similar to that of the Lord’s Supper and the Deuteronomy meal of sacrifice?
e. What if we participate in both the Lord’s Supper and that of the meal of idol worship?
Vv. 23-33—Eating of meat sacrificed to idols (bought from the market, but not participating in the feast or meal itself)
(3) Paul states the over-riding principle in vv. 23-24 and then repeats it again as he ends this section in v. 33. What is this principle?
(4) Why is the eating of meat sacrificed to idol (bought from the market) permissible, versus eating at the feast or meal itself within the setting of idol-worship?
(5) Why would anyone raise any question or objection since it was not eaten at the idol temple?
(6) Paul raised a very good question in vv. 29-30 in that “why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience…why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?”.
a. Paul then answers his own rhetorical question in v. 31. What is his answer?
b. By refraining from eating such meat, does it really mean our freedom is being judged? Or, is this an expression of what true freedom is?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Co. 10:16)
It is quite alarming to read that some of the Corinthian believers continued to attend the feast at the temples of the idols. But given the nature of the city of Corinth, perhaps many business dealings were transacted at the feast table of these temples, and some Christian believers felt a disadvantage if they did not participate in these feasts. However, apart from the fact that they made themselves available to the temptation of prostitutes (already addressed by Paul at the end of chapter six), they were guilty of idolatry as well (10:14).
In pressing his point about the seriousness of the sin of idolatry, the Apostle Paul equates their eating at the temples of the idols with the drinking of the cup and the eating of the bread at the Lord’s Supper. This raises the question about what in fact is going on as we drink the cup and eat the bread at the Lord’s Supper—what is, in particular, the meaning of “participation”?
First, we have to understand that the Apostle Paul uses the word “participation” (which is normally translated as “fellowship”) as it carries at its core, “sharing”. But the Apostle Paul does not say that the drinking of the cup and the eating of the bread is the consumption of the blood and body of Christ. If it were the case, he would have used the term for consumption or eating or drinking.
Then, what does he mean by “participation” then? The Apostle Paul goes on to explain in v.18, “Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate at the altar?”.
Paul is referring to the temple feast in Deuteronomy 14:23:
“Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and blocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling of His Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God.”
We know that these tithes were presented at the altar, after which they would sit down and eat of them. The burnt-offering, in particular, would involve the shedding of the blood of the animals and the burning of the appropriate parts. Their eating of the feast, therefore, signifies their participation in the atonement effected by the sacrifice. There was no notion or spiritual implication that points to their drinking and eating as a re-enactment or transubstantiation of the blood so shed or the body so burnt! However, their communal meal after the offering did “affirm” the imputation of the merits of those sacrifices made on their behalf.
This is the meaning of participation that Paul uses also for our remembrance at the Lord’s Table. Our drinking of the cup seeks to affirm to us the imputation of the cleansing of the blood sacrificed by our Lord on the cross, and the eating of the bread also affirms the merit of the substitutional death of our Lord on behalf of our sin on the cross. Therefore, as much as it is not a re-enactment or transubstantiation, it affirms our sharing and unity with Christ in His sacrifice on the cross. As such, we do need to take the observance of the Lord’s Table seriously and come with “examined hearts”, recognizing this is an act of participation.
Theme: Traditions honored
Although we are not too sure if this section is also Paul’s response to a specific question raised in the Corinthian’s letter, it is certainly a response to disturbances caused in their gathering, beginning with the way women pray or prophesy, followed by inappropriate behavior at the Lord’s Supper (latter part of this chapter), and the undisciplined use of tongues speaking (in chapter 14).
Vv. 1-2—Traditions
(1) Paul seldom praises this church, but he does so here, commending them to hold on to the “traditions” (the original word in Greek) that he has passed on to them, one of which he now defends. Therefore, traditions have its place, but when should it be followed, and when should it not be? (Remember that Jesus attacked many of the traditions of the Pharisees.)
(It is also important to bear in mind the ad-hoc situation in Corinth: In chapter 7, Paul had just addressed the refusal of the believing wives to continue to submit to their husbands with their bodies and some wives tried to leave them. From the context of this section, it appears that, hearing of Paul’s preaching of equality of men and women in Christ, some wives have made use of this new found equality to abolish even the distinction between men and women in appearance, which as far as we know, was not even seen as acceptable by the culture of the time.)
Vv. 3-6—Praying and prophesying (in public worship)
(2) As one leads in praying or prophesying (i.e. preaching) in public, one should be doing it as led by the Holy Spirit. One prays and preaches, therefore, with the assumed authority of God.
a. If men only cover their heads in shame or hoping not to be recognized (see Fee, 507), while women normally cover their hair in public (as a sign of modesty), what then would it signify if a man preached with head covered, while a woman preached with head uncovered? How would be it perceived especially by the non-believing world?
b. Paul’s argument in v. 3 is based on a relational analogy between MAN/CHRIST, WOMAN/MAN, CHRIST/GOD: Metaphorically, head could mean one of the following:
- Authority over
- Source of life
What is the meaning of “head” in this relational analogy that can be applied to all three relationships?
Vv. 7-12—Argument based on creation
(3) In v.7, Paul uses the word, “ought not”. What does it indicate—an obligation or truth that cannot be disobeyed?
(4) In what way is man the glory of God? In what way is woman the glory of man, especially based on vv. 8-9? What has all this to do with covering or not covering heads? (Remember, God could have created Adam and Eve at the same time, but He did not obviously for a reason.)
(5) Paul “however’ states the reality “in the Lord” in vv. 11-12. Why does Paul feel obliged to say so and why does he say, “however”?
Vv. 13-16—Argument based on nature
(6) But, Paul is appealing in vv. 13-15 to “the very nature of things” as he sees it. What might be the difference between “biblical principle” and the “nature of things” as we see it?
(7) The fact was there were women in the church that broke with what was acceptable in the society and in the church, especially while praying or preaching in the church. That would naturally cause no small controversy.
a. How should we approach customs that might hurt the image of the church?
b. How should we approach traditions that might cause divisions in the church?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For a woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God” (1 Co. 11:11-12)
I find Paul’s arguments against women praying and prophesying (i.e. teaching) in public most intriguing.
He starts out with a biblical basis that is hard to dispute and that is, “the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (11:3).
He obviously senses while no one can dispute the head of man is Christ and the head of Christ is God, not everyone automatically submits to his teaching that the head of the woman is man, even in his time. So, he appeals to the order of creation in that “For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man” (11:8-9). Based on the account in Genesis 2, it was clear that the woman was created out of the man, and that she was created as a help-mate for him. And thus, Paul draws the conclusion that “for this reason…a woman ought to have authority over her own head.” The implication, therefore, is that a woman, when she preaches and prays publicly, should show her submission and dependency. But the question is who really is the authority that she should submit to and depend upon. The answer, based on Paul’s argument so far, is clear—it is the man.
But just as we thought the answer was clear, Paul says, “Nevertheless, in the Lord…” What Paul is saying, “nevertheless”, i.e. in spite of these forgoing biblical, historical facts, everything changes in the Lord, “Woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God” (11:12). In other words, whatever previous biblical, historical facts are, they are now overruled by the fact that we are now all equal in Christ!
But that does not alter Paul’s exhortation that women should pray and prophesy with their heads covered; only that he now resorts to the logic based on the “nature of things” in 11:13-15.
As we know, the nature of things in Paul’s setting was quite different from, say, the Chinese traditional setting, where for thousands of years, Chinese men and women both wore long hair and the men often covered their heads in public. I believe what Paul is saying to the Corinthian women is that if the covering of hair in public in your society is a sign of modesty and the uncovering and shaving of your hair is seen as a disgrace, do not create any unnecessary hurdles by praying and prophesying with your heads uncovered, thus causing a scandal to the gospel which we seek to share with the world.
This attitude, after all, is in tune with the principle Paul repeatedly urges them to follow in the previous chapter, and that is “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive” (1 Co. 10:23).
Theme: The Lord’s Supper—Why Another Ritual?
It appears that having the Lord’s Supper is a central part of the meeting together of the first church and it takes place as part of a communal love-meal:
Paul is rebuking the church in Corinth about their divisions. How have their divisions played out in their observance of the Lord’s Supper. What kind of division is being reflected in their observance of the Lord’s Supper?
(1) Why does Paul remind them that Jesus set up this Supper “on the night He was betrayed”?
(2) How could Jesus give thanks for the body which was to be broken and the blood He was to shed?
(3) Both the bread and the cup are meant to be used “in remembrance” of Him:
a. What then should we remember as we eat of the bread?
b. What then should we remember as we drink of the cup?
c. Should we remember Christ’s merit or Christ Himself, or both? Is there any difference between the two?
d. Why would Jesus institute this remembrance during the setting of a communal meal? If we observe the Lord’s Supper only by ourselves, what significance would we miss?
e. Why is the Lord’s Supper also a “proclamation”? What does it mean?
(4) According to vv. 28-32, why should we have to “examine” ourselves before we take part in the Lord’s Supper? How should we examine ourselves?
(5) What should you do when you prepare yourself to partake of the Lord’s Supper the next time?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Co. 11:29)
For the longest time, I was reading and interpreting 1 Corinthians 11:27-33 with my focus on the judgment that Paul alludes to which befell the Corinthian believers and resulted in some of them being weak and sick, and in others even dying (11:30). Such kind of judgment should certainly catch our attention. I automatically assumed that it was a result of them not discerning what they eat and drink during the Lord’s Supper. But as I was able to spend time following the arguments of Paul within the context of the passage, I have come to see that I have missed the central message of Paul’s rebuke and exhortation.
The entire passage from 11:17-34 centers on the divisions of the Corinthian church and Paul is using their divisive attitude that played out in the eating of the Lord’s Supper as perhaps the most serious. As a result, Paul takes the trouble to remind them what the meanings of the observance of the Lord’s Supper are: They are both to remember the work of salvation accomplished by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus through the shedding of His blood and the breaking of His body unto death on the cross, and to remember Christ Himself. In addition to that, this remembrance is also a proclamation—a term often used in Acts to denote the proclamation of the gospel.
But the sin that Paul rebukes remains that of their divisions, and Paul points out the results of their divisions:
- The eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner (v. 27)
- Not discerning the body of Christ (v. 29)
The “body” in v.29 should refer to the church as the body of Christ, not the bread, otherwise Paul would have also mentioned the blood of Christ. As Gordon Fee points out, the more reliable manuscripts only mention the body, without “of Christ”.
Therefore, as much as we need to take the Lord’s Supper seriously, the admonition here appears to focus on eating it with a distinct realization that we are eating it as one body in Christ. If we adopt primarily an individual sense of gratitude in observing the Lord’s Supper, we miss the essence of the Lord’s Supper and of the completed work of salvation of our Lord who shed His blood and gave His life that we may become one body in Him.
This is the discernment that Paul calls us to make in both v. 29 and v. 31. Therefore, he concludes with these words to the Corinthian believers, “(W)hen you gather to eat, you should all eat together” (11:33), which also serve as a transition to his famous teaching on the Body of Christ in the next chapter.
Theme: The Body of Christ
(1) What spiritual reality is being explained by Paul in vv. 1-3?
(2) In beginning his famous teaching on the Body of Christ, Paul opens with pointing out that each of us (within this Body of Christ) has these three things: Gifts, services (opportunities to serve in various capacities), and function (working as brought about by the Spirit).
a. Does it mean that if we have gifts, we will immediately have opportunities to serve using them? Why or why not?
b. Does it mean that if we are given the opportunities to serve, we will be able to yield our function? Why or why not?
(3) Who gives us gifts? Who gives us the opportunity to serve? Who works through us to make us yield our proper function? And what is the ultimate purpose of all these?
(4) So, what should our attitude be toward our gifts?
a. Do we all have some kinds of gifts?
b. How can we find out?
c. What attitude should we have in using our gifts?
(5) So, what should our attitude be toward our “service” or opportunities to serve?
a. What if we have gifts and the church does not give us the opportunities to serve?
b. What should our attitude be when the opportunity arises?
c. What should we do, if the opportunity does not appear to fit our desired gift(s)? What is the ultimate question should we ask? (see v. 7)
(6) From the list of gifts that Paul has given in vv.8-10, ask yourself honestly, which one do you desire most and why?
(7) According to v.11, do you think we can “ask” God to give us certain gifts that we prefer?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.” (1 Co. 12:11)
From time to time, I have come across believers who sit on the sideline without getting involved in serving the Lord. These are what we like to call Sunday Christians.
Some, I know, have been deeply hurt, possibly in another church. They have sworn never to get involved in church politics which, in their own interpretation, means never getting close to any other brothers or sisters in Christ, let alone serving in any capacity in the church. It is not that they do not realize or recognize their gifts, but rather they have simply given up using them. Even though they know very well that their gifts have been given by the Holy Spirit, they, however, are determined to bury them in the ground. I wonder if they understand that although their past hurt is real, nonetheless, to bury God-given gifts will still result in the verdict of Luke 19:22.
Others are waiting for the right ministry to get involved in. It is not that they are not given gifts, but they prefer a certain ministry over others:
- A seminary graduate sees himself only suitable for church-planting as a pioneer; as a result he will not consider any offers for pastoring an existing church. As far as I know, after many years, he is still looking for a church-planting opportunity which to date has never come.
- There are those who see themselves as having the gifts of teaching and leading Bible Study, but the church has never offered them any such opportunity. They feel discouraged and put the blame entirely on the church, while sitting on the sidelines doing nothing else for the church.
- There are also those who are not gifted in a certain language but insist that they have a heart to reach out to that particular people group. And so they force their way into the ministry of this people group. After many years, it is obvious that they do not have the gift of mastering the language of that group, and they feel hurt, depressed and rejected.
The truth of the matter is that they have never understood I Corinthians 12:4-6 where Paul says, “There are different kinds of gifts…service… (and) working.” That is to say, even if you think you have been given a certain gift, it does not automatically mean that the service, i.e. the opportunity of using the gift will be opened to you; and even if you are given the opportunity to use your gift to serve in a God-given opportunity, it does not necessarily mean that it will work out for you, or that you will reach the result that you hope to achieve. Whether it is the gift, the opportunity or the result, it is completely determined by the Holy Spirit.
Chances are you have misunderstood your gifts, even though the aptitude test that you have taken has told you otherwise. Even if you recognize your gifts correctly, God cares more about your heart than your gift, and the waiting is to train you humility and obedience.
Chances are there are more urgent roles that God wants you to fill, and although you might not be the most gifted, you are needed to fill the void and, if you are willing, God will allow you to grow in the kind of gift that is needed for the ministry. This, I have seen happen time and again, even in my own life.
So, with the exhortations given by Paul in this passage, we should come to understand these things:
- We all have gifts and such gifts are dictated by the Holy Spirit.
- We should wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to open up doors for the use of our gifts, and if the Holy Spirit opens a door for us to serve, we’d better obey—irrespective of our gifts.
Finally, as we serve, it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly be used for the common good of the body.
Theme: Can we grow on our own?
(1) The Biblical writers often use the literary tool called “inclusio”, to begin and end a certain idea with the same or similar phrase or statement. Can you find such a usage in v. 12, v. 14, v. 20 and v. 27? With the “inclusio” in mind, the subdivisions are quite clear:
(2) Vv. 12-14—In likening the church as a body of Christ,
a. What does Paul say about how we are born again?
b. What does Paul say about how this new life is to function?
c. What title can you give to this subdivision?
(3) Vv. 15-20—As Paul talks about the inseparability of each part of the body, he uses the analogy of foot against hand, ear against eye. Let’s apply this to the body of Christ:
a. Why would a member, upon comparing with another member, say or feel that he or she does not belong or does not want to belong to the same body (or church)?
b. What kind of mistake is being made by such a member of the body?
c. What title can you give to this division?
(Note: The answer to (a) can be out of inferiority or dislike; and the answer to (b) can be that we fail to look from the perspective of the body as a whole—we never realize that apart from being part of the body, we are nothing!)
d. What is meant by “just as He (God) wanted” (v.18)? What does this entail?
(4) Vv. 19-27—As Paul reinforces his emphasis on the corporate entity of believers, he continues with his analogy of the eye against hand, head against feet:
a. Why, in this case, would a member, upon comparing with another member, feel that the other member is not needed?
b. Paul seems to agree that certain members of the body might truly be “weaker”, or “less honorable”. Then, why waste time and effort to treat it with “special modesty” from your perspective? What is the answer given by Paul in v. 25?
c. How can we put it into practice?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored every part rejoices with it.” (1 Co. 12:26)
I believe most Christians, if not all, acknowledge the reality of us being one body in Christ, because as people born of the same Spirit and saved by the same blood of Christ, we do have blood-relations. As such, we cherish our blood relations with our brothers and sisters in Christ in a way that the world sometimes does not understand; and the world, unfortunately, includes those of our own families who have yet to know Christ. While our tie to our biological family is tight naturally, our tie with our brothers and sisters in Christ are eternal. How then shall we live out this reality of being one body in Christ?
I am glad to see a revival in the church of their concern for persecuted Christians around the world. News of the persecution of Christians make headlines at times in the media; there are more responses to the sending of under-cover missionaries to what is now called Creative Access countries with prudence and effective team-strategies; and it appears that more churches regularly pray for these missionaries and persecuted Christians in these areas. The church is living out the reality of one body in Christ and the reality that “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.”
However such a reality is sometimes missing within the local churches. We may share the suffering of those “parts” which are far away, but we sometime care less about those “parts” we see every week in the church. We are really like porcupines that find ourselves too close for comfort. Many new believers especially, enthusiastically draw close to the community of believers, only to be poked by their needles and hence withdraw for good from their fellowship. However, the reality of one body in Christ is exactly to be lived out within close quarters. It is because we are in Christ that we are to learn the way of Christ’s love which is beautifully depicted by Paul in chapter 13 of I Corinthians. Without the commitment to stay close together in fellowship and service, one cannot truly learn of Christ’s love.
Church fights are unavoidable, because we are only sinners saved by grace. But reconciliation is a must if we are to preach the gospel of reconciliation far and near.
Theme: Living Out What a Church Is
(1) Compare the list of gifts in v. 28 to the earlier list given in vv. 8-10. What has been added to this latter list?
(2) While we may agree that most gifts on the list are called spiritual gifts, how would you classify the gifts of administration and helping, given that they are also from God?
(3) Which of the above gifts do you think you have been given? If yours do not fall into the above list, what might they be? Are you satisfied with the gifts that God has given you?
(4) But Paul urges us not to desire these gifts as much as those “greater gifts” (v.31). What are these greater gifts and of them which is the greatest? (See 13:13)
(5) Chapter 13 is a familiar chapter, let’s briefly consider the following within the context of serving in the church:
a. Paul is highlighting the futility of the visible gifts that are normally greatly admired by believers—tongues, preaching, biblical knowledge, faith and sacrificial giving of oneself. What if you really possess one of these gifts, but without love. Apart from being nothing, what kind of a person or Christian would you become?
b. From vv. 4-8a, Paul lists in detail many ways one can measure love. How different is this love from that of the world?
c. Christ obviously exemplifies agape love. See if you can categorize these measures into sub-groups that reflect Christ’s kind of love for us.
(6) Given what you have considered in the last two chapters of 1 Corinthians, what is the most important mark of a church?
(7) Try to paraphrase v.7 in your own words.
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Co. 13:7)
Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians is often called the Psalm of Love and rightfully so. A famous Christian singer was once invited to hold a concert in a communist country, and she knew that they would not allow her to openly share her faith through her songs. So she decided to sing a song with the lyrics of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Yes, not one time were the words, God or Christ, mentioned in the lyrics, but at the end of her performance, one person from the audience came forward and said, “I have never heard of such kind of love before. It has to come from heaven.” Indeed, it came from heaven, because the Apostle Paul is describing agape love which is embodied by the incarnate Christ.
Christ, with His incarnation and death, has demonstrated what selfless love is: It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, and it is not self-seeking—“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).
His is a forgiving love that is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrong—even while suffering immense pain on the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!” (Lk. 23:34)
But His is no doting love, but a principled love that does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. This was why He was crucified, because He relentlessly attacked the sins of the Pharisees, the Scribes and the Priests.
And His is a lasting love that never fails: “having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (Jn. 13:1).
Allow me to paraphrase the last part of this great Psalm of Love:
- It always protects (the original word means to cover): Love always seeks to cover the short-comings of the other person instead of broadcasting them.
- It always trusts: Love does not second-guess the motive or intention of the other person.
- It always hopes: Love always remembers the good and overlook the bad in the other person.
- It always perseveres: When deeply hurt, love says, “It is still far from being the last straw!”
Theme: The Greatest Gift
(1) What kind of love would fail and why?
(2) What kind of love would never fail?
(3) Why does Paul, from among all gifts, single out prophecies, tongue-speaking and knowledge to compare their temporariness (impermanence) with love?
(4) While the Corinthians appeared to take pride in these three gifts, what are you proud of in your service to the Lord?
(5) Why would prophesying cease one day?
(6) Why would tongues cease and be still one day?
(7) When shall we know fully and why?
(8) What does “when perfection comes” mean? When will it be?
(9) What two analogies does Paul use to describe our imperfection? How appropriate is each?
(10) Look up Job 19:25-27 and 1 John 3:2 as a reminder of that day that Job and John looked forward to. What will that day mean to you?
(11) How then will you compare the gifts of prophecies, tongue-speaking and knowledge to faith, hope and love?
(12) Paul urges us to desire these greater gifts (12:31). How can you pursue them?
(13) Why is love still the greatest of the three?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“And now, these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Co. 13:13)
As Paul brings the Psalm of Love to a conclusion, as an “inclusio” he echoes the transitional statement in 12:31: “But eagerly desire the greater gifts”. As a prelude to the Psalm of Love, Paul purposely excludes tongue-speaking, prophesying, faith and sacrifice without love from the greater gifts (13:1-3), and reintroduces these greater gifts at the end as gifts that the Corinthians should desire. But in listing these three gifts, faith, hope and love, they are to remain together with love being the anchor—the greatest of the three. I think we all understand why love is the greatest, because when we see Christ, both faith and hope will reach their destiny, but love definitely continues in God’s heavenly kingdom, because God is love.
While no Christians will doubt Paul’s conclusion, it appears that we still like to pursue other gifts, especially that of knowledge, as the preferred gifts. Perhaps, we should heed Paul’s reminder that we just really know in part and that only when perfection comes, i.e. when we see Christ, “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (13:12). Allow me; therefore, share with you the insight of an early church father, Gregory Nazianzen (4th Century) in this respect with you:
“What God is in nature and essence, no man ever yet has discovered or can discover. Whether it will ever be discovered is a question which he who will may examine and decide. In my opinion it will be discovered when that within us which is Godlike and divine, I mean our mind and reason, shall have mingled with its Like, and the image shall have ascended to the Archetype, of which it has now the desire. And this I think is the solution of that vexed problem as to ‘We shall know even as we are known’. But in our present life all that comes to us is but a little effluence, and as it were a small effulgence from a great Light. So that if anyone has known God, or has had the testimony of Scripture to his knowledge of God, we are to understand such an one to have possessed a degree of knowledge which gave him the appearance of being more fully enlightened than another who did not enjoy the same degree of illumination; and this relative superiority is spoken of as if it were absolute knowledge, not because it is really such, but by comparison with the power of that other..”
(The Second Theological Oration 28.XVII)