1 Corinthians 13:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He did not say, "If I speak with tongues," but, "If I speak with the tongues of men" (1 Cor 13:1). What does "of men" mean? The tongues of all the peoples of the inhabited world.

Not content with this enlargement, he adds another, much greater one, and says, "and of angels, but have not love, I am sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."

Do you see how he exalted this gift, and how afterward he cast it down and overthrew it? He did not simply say, "Then I am nothing," but, "I am sounding brass," something insensible and soulless.

How is he sounding brass? He makes a sound, but vainly, to no purpose and without any need. Moreover, besides bringing no benefit, he seems to many disturbing, burdensome, and unbearable.

Do you see how one who lacks love is likened to soulless and insensible things?

When speaking of an angelic tongue, the Apostle did not attribute a tongue to angels. Rather, he expresses this: even if I speak as angels usually converse among themselves, without it, that is, love, I am nothing.

I am even burdensome and unbearable. Likewise, elsewhere, when he says, "Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth should bow to Him" (Phil 2:10), he does not attribute knees and bones to angels.

May it not be so. By the likeness of our worship, he wishes to express the angels' zealous worship. So also here he speaks of a tongue, meaning not a bodily organ.

By a manner of conversation known to us, he expresses their mutual conversation among themselves.

Then, so that his words may be accepted more readily, he does not stop at the gift of tongues. He points also to the other gifts.

After showing their insignificance without love, he then sketches its image. Since he wished to intensify the discourse gradually, he ascends from lesser to greater.

What he placed last when enumerating the gifts, namely the gift of tongues, he now places first, ascending, as I said, little by little from lesser to greater.

Likewise, by the phrase "every knee should bow, of those in heaven" (Phil 2:10), he signified their most zealous submission, for they do not have bones.

"I am," he says, "sounding brass." That is, I make a sound, but speak in vain. I trouble others, yet bring no benefit to anyone, because I do not have love.

For even the donkey spoke in human language to Balaam, the son of Beor, in order to reveal the greatness of God (Num 22:28). Little children cried out praise to the glory of God, putting the chief priests and scribes to shame (Mt 21:15-16).

The Savior showed that not only they, but even stones can cry out to the glory of God in condemnation of the Pharisees (Lk 19:40).

It abhors no one: neither believer nor unbeliever, neither stranger nor sinner, neither fornicator nor unclean person. On the contrary, it loves sinners, the weak, and the negligent.

It suffers, grieves, and weeps for them. Even more, it has greater compassion for wicked and sinful people, imitating Christ, Who called sinners and ate and drank with them.

Therefore, showing what true love is, He teaches us, "Be good and merciful, as your heavenly Father is." As He sends rain upon the evil and the good, and commands the sun to rise upon the righteous and the unrighteous (Mt 5:45), so those who have true love love all, pity all, and pray for all.

Some give alms and, trusting in this alone, commit many sins. They hate many and defile their bodies with unclean desires. Such people deceive themselves, hoping only in the alms they suppose they are giving.

Whoever gradually approaches the perfect measure of love, but has not yet reached the point of becoming love's prisoner, is still under fear. Warfare and falling threaten him.

If he does not guard himself, Satan overthrows him.

Question: In what sense does the Apostle say, "If I have all knowledge and all prophecy," and "speak with the tongues of Angels, I am nothing"?

Answer: We must not understand this as though the Apostle were nothing. Rather, in comparison with that love which is perfect, these gifts are still small. Whoever stands on this degree falls, but whoever has love cannot fall.

I tell you that I have seen people who had all the gifts and became partakers of the Spirit, yet because they did not attain perfect love, they fell.

A certain nobleman renounced the world, sold his property, and freed his slaves. Being prudent and intelligent, he had already become renowned for an honorable life. Meanwhile, giving himself over to self-conceit and arrogance, he finally fell into dissipation and countless evils.

Another, during persecution, delivered his body and became a confessor. Later, when peace came, he was released and held in honor. His eyelids had been damaged because he was tormented in dense smoke.

When this celebrated man was called to prayer, he took bread and gave it to his servant. His mind came into such a state as though he had never heard the word of God.

Another delivered his body to torment during persecution. He was suspended and scraped, then cast into prison. A certain nun served him in faith, and, drawing close to her while he was in prison, he fell into fornication.

See, then, why they fell: this rich man who sold his possessions, and this man who delivered his body to torment.

There was also another prudent ascetic who lived with me in one house and prayed with me. He was so rich in grace that, praying beside me, he was moved to compunction, because grace was boiling within him.

The gift of healings had been given to him. He not only cast out demons, but also healed by the laying on of hands those bound hand and foot and suffering severe illnesses.

Then, becoming negligent, praised by the world, and taking pleasure in himself, he became proud and fell into the very depth of sin.

See how even one who had the gift of healing fell. Do you see how those who have not come to the measure of love fall?

But whoever has attained love, being bound and intoxicated by it, is plunged and carried captive into another world, as though not sensing his own nature.

Each angel was to protect the nation entrusted to him, so that nothing would be lost or perish. Therefore the Apostle calls the difference of tongues angelic tongues.

One should know that, just as David calls it the bread of angels (Ps 78:25), not because angels eat it, so the Apostle calls them angelic tongues, not because angels converse in them.

As by the bread of angels we understand bread delivered by the command of angels, not bread that angels ate, but bread that angels ordered to be delivered, so by angelic tongues we understand the differences of tongues over which angels were appointed.

A human tongue is a learned language, since it is introduced, not natural but artificial. By human tongue he means the language of rhetoric, grammar, philosophy, thought, prose, art, and discussion.

It is clear that the instruments of such sounds are insignificant. But this is not enough. Even the most perfect and spiritual expressions of thought, such as angelic ones, cannot give true dignity to soulless speech.

If someone, like the prophet Isaiah, Daniel, and others, heard the noetic doxology by which the Angels hymn God and converse among themselves, and could convey the beauty of their speech in human words, yet without any expression of love, then even in that case this gift would not be lofty in comparison with the gift of love.

Love is the gift of the inward spiritual power of life, whereas verbal transmission of thoughts is an external matter.

According to St. John Chrysostom, "The Apostle, speaking of an angelic tongue, does not attribute bodies to the Angels. Rather, he expresses this: even if I speak as Angels usually converse among themselves, without love I am nothing, and am even burdensome and unbearable."

One who speaks without the presence of inner life is truly sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. The first expression denotes a monotone sound, like a blow on a piece of brass or a brass object.

The second denotes changes of tone, but without meaning. In Greek, αλαλαζον means babbling, saying nothing definite.

"When comparing the gifts, the Apostle placed the gift of tongues first of all, because in the Corinthians' opinion it was more important than the others.

They considered it the most important because it was given to the Apostles before all the others on the day of Pentecost, at the descent of the All-Holy Spirit.

He says: if I know all human tongues and, beyond this, the tongues of the invisible Powers, but do not have love for my neighbor, then I differ in nothing from lifeless instruments" (Theodoret).

"See where he begins: first of all with what they considered wondrous and great, that is, with the gift of tongues. Speaking of this gift, he presents it not as they had it, but as much greater.

He did not say, 'Though I speak with tongues,' but, 'Though I speak with human tongues.' What does 'human' mean? The tongues of all the peoples of the inhabited world.

Not content with this enlargement, he adds another, much greater one: 'and angelic,' he says. Do you see how he exalted this gift, and how afterward he cast it down and humbled it?

He did not simply say, 'Then I am nothing,' but, 'I have become sounding brass,' something insensible and soulless, making sound in vain, without purpose and without any benefit.

Not only does it bring benefit to no one, but to many it seems disturbing, burdensome, and unbearable. Κυμβαλον also means a rattle" (Chrysostom).

What is the angelic tongue? Blessed Theodoret writes of it: "By angelic tongues he means not sensible tongues, but certain noetic tongues.

By them the Angels hymn the God of all and converse among themselves. For Isaiah heard them singing. Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Micah also heard them conversing.

The divine Apostle expressed this by way of hyperbole, intending to show the superiority of love."

Chrysostom says: "When speaking of an angelic tongue, the Apostle does not attribute bodies to the Angels. Rather, he expresses this: even if I speak as Angels usually converse among themselves, without love I am nothing.

I am even burdensome and unbearable. Likewise, elsewhere, when he says, 'Every knee in heaven should bow to Him' (Phil 2:10), he does not attribute knees and bones to Angels. May it not be so.

By the likeness of our worship, he wishes to express the Angels' zealous worship. So also here he speaks of a tongue, meaning not a bodily member.

By a manner of conversation known to us, he expresses their mutual conversation among themselves."