1 Corinthians: 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. It is on the subject of love, principally the love that Christians should have for everyone. In the original Greek the word αγαπη (agape - worshipful love) is used throughout. This was translated as charity in the King James version; but the word love is preferred by most other translations, both earlier and more recent. Authorship is generally attributed to Paul of Tarsus.^[1] The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... AgapÄ“ (IPA: or IPA: ) (Gk. ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In Christian theology charity, or love (agapÄ“), is the greatest of the three theological virtues... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ... For other uses, see Love (disambiguation). ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ...

Historical and literary context

1 Corinthians gives us an understanding of the early church seeking to define itself, not only in terms of doctrine, but also allegiance to spiritual leaders such as Peter, Paul, Apollos and Jesus.^[2] Who is a "real Christian" and who is not is a major theme. A significant portion of the preceding chapter focuses on the issue of spiritual gifts, (1 Corinthians 12:1-10) and there appears to have been inter-personal conflicts based upon the possession of such gifts, including speaking in tongues or prophecy.^[3] Paul tells his audience that they may have all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but unless they first have love, these gifts mean nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) “St Peter” redirects here. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... Apollos (Απολλως; contracted from Apollonius) was an early Jewish Christian, who is mentioned several times in the New Testament. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ...

Description of agape

A description of agape, the concept of selfless love, forms a major passage in this Epistle's thirteenth chapter, running from verse 4 to the end. An epistle (Greek επιστολη, epistolē, letter) is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons, usually a letter and a very formal, often didactic and elegant one. ...

According to the author, agape is:

• (verse 4)

• longsuffering
• kind
• free of envy and pride

• (verse 5)

• without unseemly behavior
• unselfish
• tolerant
• free of suspicious thoughts

• (verse 6)

• associated with honesty

• (verse 7)

• enduring
• trusting

• (verse 8)

• triumphant

• (verse 13)

• greater in value than either faith or hope

"Through a Glass, Darkly"

1 Corinthians 13:12 contains the phrase

βλεπομεν γαρ αρτι δι εσοπτρου εν αινιγματι

rendered in KJV, The King James or Authorized Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible first published in 1611. ...

"For now we see through a glass, darkly."

which refers to mirrors,^[4] not lenses, and which has inspired the titles of many works, including the novel/film A Scanner Darkly, whose name is derived from a slightly different translation of the passage. A mirror, reflecting a vase. ... A Scanner Darkly is a 1977 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. ...

See also: Through A Glass Darkly

Through A Glass Darkly is an abbreviated form of a much-quoted phrase from the Christian New Testament in 1 Corinthians 13. ...

Other notable passages

There are two other passages from 1 Corinthians: 13 which have been notably influential.

Firstly, verse 11: "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" (KJV).

Secondly, verse 13, in praise of the Theological virtues: The three Theological Virtues listed in the Bible are: Faith (πίστις) Hope (ἐλπίς) Love (or alternatively: Charity) (ἀγάπη) They occur in the Bible at 1 Corinthians 13:13: And now abideth faith, hope, and love, even these three: but the chiefest of these is love. (Geneva Bible, 1560). ...

νυνι δε μενει πιστις ελπις αγαπη τα τρια ταυτα μειζων δε τουτων η αγαπη

"And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." (NRSV)

This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Ritual use

The passage has appeared in Christian wedding liturgies, including the Book of Common Prayer. Sometimes it is read in funeral services as well, as when Prime Minister Tony Blair read the passage at the funeral of Princess Diana (1997). ^[5] Nuptial is the adjective of wedding. It is used for example in zoology to denote plumage, coloration, behavior, etc related to or occurring in the mating season. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... For the novel, see A Book of Common Prayer. ... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor, née Spencer) (1 July 1961–31 August 1997), commonly, but incorrectly, known as Princess Diana, was for fifteen years the wife of HRH The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

Cultural references

• George Orwell's 1936 novel Keep The Aspidistra Flying quotes the King James version of the text with the word charity replaced by the word money.^[6]
• The Latin motto of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada is Nunc cognosco ex parte ("Now I know in part").
• The passage is often quoted in Elmer Gantry (1960), a film by Richard Brooks based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis. The film, set in Prohibition-era America, tells the story of a roguish traveling salesman who becomes a revivalist preacher.
• Krzysztof Kieślowski's film Three Colors: Blue (1993) draws many images and themes from 1 Corinthians 13, including allusions to appearances ("seeing through a glass") and musical sounds. The Song for the Unification of Europe at the center of the story sets an abridged version of the original Greek text.
• Hackers (film) 1 Corinthians 13:11.

Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 [1] [2] – 21 January 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Book cover Keep the Aspidistra Flying, first published 1936, is a grimly comic novel by George Orwell. ... Trent University is a liberal arts and science oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. ... Nickname: Motto: Dat natura, elaborant artes (Nature Provides, Industry Develops) Map of Ontario with Peterborough indicated with a red dot Coordinates: Country Canada  Province Ontario  County Peterborough County Established 1819 - Scotts Plains Incorporated as town 1850 - Peterborough Incorporated as city July 1, 1905 Government  - Mayor Paul Ayotte  - MP Dean... For information on the UK singer Elmer Gantry, aka Dave Terry, see Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera Elmer Gantry is a 1927 novel by Sinclair Lewis. ... Richard Brooks (May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was a Hollywood film writer, director, and (occasionally) producer. ... This article is about the literary concept. ... Sinclair Lewis Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 — January 10, 1951) was an American novelist and playwright. ... The term Prohibition, also known as A Dry Law, refers to a law in a certain country by which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. ... Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski   (June 27, 1941 Warsaw, Poland – March 13, 1996 Warsaw, Poland) was an influential Oscar-nominated Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for his film cycles Three Colors and The Decalogue. ... Blue is the English language title of the 1993 French language film, Trois Couleurs: Bleu (available with English subtitles). ... Hackers is a 1995 film that follows the misfortunes of the young hackers Dade Murphy (Crash Override/Zero Cool, played by Jonny Lee Miller), Kate Libby (Acid Burn, played by Angelina Jolie) and their friends. ...

External links

• Full chapter at Oremus (NRSV and KJV)
• Full Chapter at BibleGateway.com (NIV)

References