When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.
οτε ημην νηπιος ως νηπιος ελαλουν ως νηπιος εφρονουν ως νηπιος ελογιζομην οτε δε γεγονα ανηρ κατηργηκα τα του νηπιου
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Then he also shows what the difference is between the two kinds of knowledge, and that what is now lacking is not small. “When,” he says, “I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor 13:11).
“When I was a child.” After saying that, with the coming of the perfect, what is in part will be abolished, he also gives an example. By it he explains how great the difference is between present and future knowledge. Now we are like children, but then we shall be men. “I spoke as a child.” This corresponds to tongues. “I thought as a child.” This corresponds to prophecies. “I reasoned as a child.” This corresponds to knowledge. “But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” That is, in the age to come I shall have more mature knowledge. Then the small and childish knowledge that we have here will be abolished.
For we undertook to prove that the seminal cause of our composition is neither a bodiless soul nor a soulless body. Rather, from animate and living bodies there is initially born a living animate being.
Human nature, receiving it like a nurse, nourishes it by its own powers. It is nourished in both its parts, and in each part it visibly grows according to that part.
For in this artistic and manifold formation of nature, the power of the soul joined with it is immediately revealed. At first it appears weak, but afterward it shines forth together with the perfection of the instrument, as one may see among sculptors.
An artist needs to present from stone the form of some living creature. Having this purpose, he first cleanses the stone of the matter attached to it. Then, cutting away its excess parts, he approaches the intended form in rough outline by imitation.
Thus even the unskilled man guesses from what is visible the aim of the art. Taking up the work again, he brings it still closer to the desired likeness.
Then, having worked from the material a complete and exact form, he brings the art to its end. The stone, which a short time before had no shape, becomes in the artist's hands a lion, a man, or whatever else.
This happens not because the matter has been changed into this form, but because the form has been skillfully given to the matter. We shall not offend against the truth if we ascribe something similar to the soul.
For we affirm that nature, which artistically fashions everything from homogeneous matter, receives into itself the portion taken from man and creates sculptures.
As the form followed upon the gradual working of the stone, at first weak and at the completion of the work most perfect, so also in the sculpture of the instrument the form of the soul appears according to what was intended. In the imperfect it appears imperfect, and in the perfect, perfect.
It would have been perfect from the very beginning if nature had not been damaged by sin. For this reason, communion with passionate and beastlike generation caused the image of God not to shine forth in the creature at once.
Instead, by a certain path and succession, through the more material and animal properties of the soul, it leads man toward perfection.
The great Apostle sets forth a similar teaching in the Epistle to the Corinthians, saying: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things."
This is not because another soul enters the man, different from the one conceived in the child, nor because the child's understanding is cast away and a man's understanding appears. Rather, the same soul that is imperfect in the child is shown perfect in the man.
As we say of what is born and grows that it lives, so also of every being that participates in life and natural movement, no one will say that it is soulless. Yet it is impossible to affirm that such life participates in a perfect soul.
For a certain activity of soul that appears in plants does not reach the movements of sensation. Again, a certain power of soul that shows itself in irrational animals with growth does not reach perfection, because it does not contain the gift of speech and understanding.
Therefore we say that the human soul is a true and perfect soul, making itself known by every activity. If something else participates in life, we call it animate by the custom of imprecise speech.
We do not say this because a perfect soul exists in it, but because certain parts of psychic activity are noticeable in it. As we learn from Moses' mystical account of the creation of man, these appeared in him also because he became familiar with the passionate.
Therefore Paul, advising those willing to listen to attain perfection, also sets forth the way to obtain what is desired. He says that one must put off the old man and put on the new, renewed according to the image of the Creator (Col 2:22).
But let us all return to that same Godlike grace with which God created man in the beginning, saying: "Let Us make man according to Our image and according to Our likeness." To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.
As your childish thoughts were abolished before the knowledge you now possess, so our present knowledge must be destroyed before the knowledge that we shall acquire in the future.
He says this because the saints who depart this world will necessarily find what they now think upon. As the holy Apostle John the Theologian said of the Savior: “When He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2). In this world we are children in comparison with the future life. For as this life is imperfect, so also is its knowledge imperfect.
When those adorned with understanding and prudence have reached mature age, they have no need of childish knowledge. Thus the Apostle likened the knowledge given to us in the present life to the knowledge of children. The knowledge expected in the future life he likened to that of perfect men. By this he again teaches those who divide the Body of the Church not to think highly of their own knowledge.
These words of the Apostle signify his life according to the law of Moses. Then, already not as a simple man but still as one foolish, he persecuted the Church of God. Reasoning as a child and speaking as a child, he acted impiously against the Logos. He does not mean here an imperfect age, nor any definite period of time, nor the higher mystical teaching appointed for men. By children he means those subject to the law, who fear a scarecrow like children. By men he means those obedient to the Logos, who possess full freedom.
What the God-wise Paul said, “I spoke as a child, I thought as a child,” was written by him about life under the law. During that time, speaking as a child, he kept the law given to children. Thinking as a child, he persecuted the teaching of the Gospel while defending what belonged to the law. “But when,” he says, “I became a man, I put away childish things.” He did not reject the law, but proclaimed the Gospel word.
“When I was a child.” The Apostle compares the future life with maturity, with the age of a perfect man (Eph 4:13). Childhood precedes it. This is the present life.
The imperfection of our state in this life, compared with the future age, is as great as childhood is imperfect compared with manhood. “When I was a child, I spoke as a child,” which the Apostle said alluding to the gift of tongues, according to Chrysostom. “I thought as a child,” alluding to the gift of prophecy, according to the same. “I reasoned as a child,” alluding to the gift of knowledge, according to the same. “But when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
As if returning again to a comparative definition of the significance of love, the Apostle Paul shows its advantage over the others in that it is constant and eternal.
The gifts of prophecies, abilities to speak in various tongues, and forms of knowledge will lose their significance in the future life, because there everything will become manifest.
Love will not only not lose its significance, but on the contrary will attain its highest satisfaction in God and in the mutual love of all the righteous.
The Apostle does not define much about the future. Even the seer of mysteries, John the Theologian, does not define this fully when he says, "It has not yet appeared what we shall be" (1 Jn 3:2).
Yet Paul, wishing to make the thought of the transformation of our future knowledge fully accessible to the Corinthians, gives an example. In it our present knowledge is compared with childish knowledge.
Everyone knows from personal experience that childish knowledge is far different from the knowledge found in maturity.
The Apostle expresses the same thing by comparing knowledge of an object through its reflection in a mirror with direct contemplation of it. In a mirror, objects are always reflected from only one side.
But by direct sight one can see the whole object. To this the Apostle adds that then we shall know all things, as we also are known.
According to St. John Chrysostom's explanation, the meaning of these words is not that we shall know Him, God, as He knows us.
Rather, just as He Himself has now condescended to us, so we shall then attain to Him. We shall learn many things now hidden and be counted worthy of blessed converse and wisdom.
"Having said that when perfect knowledge comes, knowledge in part will cease, he now gives an example to explain this. At the same time he shows how great the distance is between present knowledge and that knowledge.
Now, in knowledge, we are like infants. Then we shall become men. 'When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant,' he says, hinting at the gift of tongues.
'As an infant I thought,' hinting at the gift of prophecy. 'As an infant I reasoned,' hinting at the gift of knowledge.
By the words, 'When I became a man, I put away childish things,' he indicates that in the future age we shall have knowledge much more perfect than the present.
It will be as much more perfect as the knowledge of a man is more perfect than the knowledge of an infant. Then this infant-like knowledge which we now have will be abolished" (Theophylact).
"For when they reach perfect age, those adorned with intelligence and prudence have no need of childish knowledge.
Thus the Apostle likened the knowledge given to us in the present life to the knowledge of children. The knowledge expected in the future life he likened to the knowledge of perfect men.
By this he again teaches those who divided the Church over knowledge not to think highly of their own knowledge" (Theodoret).
When he says, "I put away," he suggests that hardly anything from our present views, even the wisest, will remain in the future age.
Both earth and heaven will be new. The conditions of existence and mutual relations will be new. Everything will appear in another form and another meaning, and will be understood accordingly.
What will be in the future age is foretold to us through likenesses. Since likenesses are taken from the things of this age, and this age will cease, such likenesses give no real understanding in their present form.
They only arouse conjectures. This is what the Apostle says next.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 19 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS