1 Corinthians 13:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See where he began, and what he placed as the first cause of all blessings. What is it? Long-suffering. It is the root of all wisdom. Therefore the Wise One says: "The patient man has great understanding, but the quick-tempered man displays folly" (Prov 14:29).

Further on, comparing this virtue with a fortified city, he says that it is stronger than one. This is an invincible weapon, an unshaken pillar, easily repelling every assault.

As a spark that falls into the sea does it no harm, but is itself immediately extinguished, so every unexpected blow quickly disappears when it strikes a long-suffering soul, and does not trouble it.

Long-suffering is firmer than anything. Point to an army, money, horses, walls, weapons, or whatever else you will: nothing can compare with long-suffering.

A man who possesses anything of that kind is often overcome by anger. He falls like a weak child and fills everything with noise and confusion. But the long-suffering man, as though abiding in a harbor, enjoys deep calm.

If you harm him, you do not move this rock. If you insult him, you do not shake this pillar. If you strike him, you do not shatter this adamant. Therefore he is called long-suffering, because he has, as it were, a long and great soul. What is long is also called great.

Meanwhile, this virtue is born of love, and it brings great benefit to those who have acquired it and use it. Do not tell me that ruined men, doing evil to the long-suffering man and not suffering evil for it, become worse.

This comes not from his long-suffering, but from those who do not use it as they should. Therefore do not speak to me of them. Remember rather more gentle people, who receive great benefit from it.

When they do evil and do not suffer evil for it, they marvel at the patience of the sufferer and receive the greatest lesson in wisdom. The Apostle, however, does not stop here, but adds other perfections of love: she, he says, "is kind."

There are people who use long-suffering not for their own wisdom, but for revenge against those who offend them, tormenting themselves inwardly. Therefore he says that love does not have even this defect. For this reason he adds, "is kind."

Those who love do not act gently toward those inflamed with anger in order to intensify the flame. They do so in order to quiet and extinguish it. They heal the wound and cure the ulcer of anger not only by courageous endurance, but also by graciousness and exhortation.

"She does not envy." It happens that someone is patient, but envious, and for this reason his virtue loses its perfection. But love is far from this as well.

"She is not puffed up," that is, she does not act rashly. She makes the one who loves prudent, dignified, and solid. Rashness belongs to those who love shamefully. One who loves with true love is entirely free from it.

When there is no anger in the heart, there can be no rashness or insolence. Love abides in the soul like a skilled farmer and does not allow any of these thorns to grow.

"She is not proud." We see that many are proud of their very virtues, that is, because they are not envious, not evil, not faint-hearted, not rash. These vices are joined not only to wealth and poverty, but also to qualities good by nature. Love entirely purifies everything.

Notice: the long-suffering man is not always kind. If he is not kind, then his good quality becomes a vice and can turn into remembrance of wrongs. But love supplies the remedy, that is, kindness, and preserves virtue pure.

Likewise, the kind man is often frivolous. Love corrects this defect too. "Love," he says, "is not puffed up, is not proud." The kind and long-suffering man is often proud, but love destroys this vice as well.

See how the Apostle presents in her praise not only what she has, but also what she does not have. On the one hand, he says, she produces virtues. On the other, she destroys vices, or rather, she does not even allow them to be born.

He did not say, "although she has envy, she conquers envy," or "although pride occurs, she tames this passion." Rather, he says: "She does not envy, is not puffed up, is not proud."

What is especially wonderful is that she does good without effort, and without struggle or resistance she raises the trophy. She does not force the one who has her to labor in order to attain the crown, but grants him the reward without toil.

For where there is no passion opposing the virtuous disposition, what toil can there be?

"Love does not envy" (ou zeloi). A man may be long-suffering and yet envious. But love has avoided this also. He said this against the envious among the Corinthians.

"Love does not vaunt itself." That is, love does not act irrationally, but makes the one who has it prudent and firm. The vaunting man is fanciful, frivolous, and foolish. This is said against the frivolous and superficial.

"It is not puffed up." One may have all the virtues mentioned above and yet be proud of them. Love has no such thing, but remains humble-minded even with the virtues mentioned. This is against the arrogant.

Thus it is a virtue before men to endure enemies. Before God, it is a virtue to love them. For God receives only that sacrifice which, before His eyes, kindles the flame of love on the altar of virtue.

But one must know that for the most part we seem patient because we cannot repay evil for evil. Yet the man who does not repay evil for evil only because he cannot is certainly not patient.

Patience consists not in outward display, but in the heart. By the vice of impatience the very nourisher of virtues, reasonableness, is disturbed. For it is written, "A long-suffering man is great in understanding" (Prov 14:29).

Love is not so. It lowers itself, sets others above itself, honors all, and humbles itself before all. It is submissive and obedient to superiors, courteous and kindly to equals, and condescending and sociable toward inferiors.

It judges itself before others, reproaches itself and not others, and yields place to everyone. The Apostle encourages us to this: "Esteem one another higher than yourselves" (Phil 2:3).

"Love is long-suffering, does not envy, does not vaunt itself." The Corinthians were plainly afflicted by defects contrary to these qualities when they divided into parties, boasted in their teachers, and went to law before pagans.

"It does not behave improperly." They also showed disorder at the love feasts.

"Love ... bears all things." In Russian, the word for love means, etymologically, to receive something as beloved, as one's own kin, inseparable from the whole, without which life would be incomplete.

Therefore in the Russian text this word is rendered by the meaningful expression "covers." That is, it endures even what is grievous, and keeps silence about deficiencies and transgressions: He agape ... ou chairei.

The Apostle sets this against those who loved going to law. "It never fails." Wishing to show the perfection of love, the Apostle proves that it is unchanging.

For every changeability and cessation is a sign of imperfection. Here the Apostle compares the other gifts and shows their relative imperfection, because they have temporal significance.

Thus prophecies will pass away, because everything will be understandable and accessible to knowledge. Various tongues will cease, because there will be no distinction among peoples or speakers. All will have one mouth and one heart.

Finally, our imperfect reason, our limited and partial knowledge (gnosis), will pass away and lose its force, because it will be replaced by full and evident knowledge.

Love is long-suffering. It bears all troubles, insults, and slanders with good courage, without yielding to movements of anger or revenge. "Long-suffering is the root of all spiritual wisdom. Therefore the Wise One says, 'A long-suffering man is abundant in understanding, but the fainthearted is exceedingly foolish' (Prov 14:29). Further on, comparing this virtue with a strong city, he says that it is stronger than one. It is an unbreakable weapon, an unshaken pillar, easily repelling every assault. As a spark falling into the sea does it no harm, but at once disappears, so every sudden offense that strikes a long-suffering soul quickly vanishes and does not disturb it. The long-suffering man, as though dwelling in a harbor, enjoys deep calm. If you harm him, you do not move this rock. If you insult him, you do not shake this pillar. If you strike him, you do not crush this adamant. Therefore he is called long-suffering, μακρόθυμος, as having a soul that is long and great, for what is long is also called great. This virtue is born of love, and brings great benefit to those who possess it and use it well. Do not tell me that ruined men become worse when they harm the long-suffering man and suffer no harm in return. This does not come from long-suffering, but from those very men who do not use it as they ought. Therefore do not speak to me of them. Remember rather the gentler men who receive great benefit from it. When they do evil and suffer no evil in return, they marvel at the sufferer's patience and receive the finest lesson in spiritual wisdom" (Chrysostom).

Love is kind, χρηστεύεται, it does good. It endures troubles from others, yet itself causes no grief to anyone. On the contrary, it counts the griefs of others as its own. Entering sympathetically into their sorrow, it strives in every way to lighten their pain. It is like oil upon wounds in every need, sorrow, and weakness of the neighbor. It does not rest until it consoles, helps, and brings peace. It suffers with all, especially with the needy and afflicted. Even toward those who cause it trouble, it strives to place a peaceful disposition in the soul. It "deals meekly with those inflamed by anger, in order to tame and extinguish it. It heals the wound and cures the sore of anger, not only by courageous patience, but also by kindness and exhortation" (Chrysostom).

Love does not envy gifts, outward prosperity, distinctions, success in affairs, or any good and advantage that another has over itself. This is contrary to its nature. Its essence is to desire and do only good to others, and every kind of good. Therefore it does not seek to be happier than others, but that all may be happy with the fullest happiness possible. Before a good set before it, it will let everyone pass ahead, so that all may taste it. It does not care whether any share falls to itself, provided all others receive it.

Love does not boast, οὐ περπερεύεται. It does not carry itself away. The boastful man allows much rashness in words, judgments, manners, dealings, and actions. He acts offhandedly, certain that everything proceeding from him is splendid and must leave others only in amazement and praise. He hovers about, resting on nothing. Therefore he can produce or advise nothing useful. He interferes in everything with his own opinion and leaves nothing behind but confusion. Love does not hover so. It acts quietly, observing and making sure where, what, and how it can do something useful. Then it does it without noise or display. Chrysostom says: "Love does not boast, that is, it does not act lightly. It makes the one who loves prudent, dignified, and solid. Boastful levity belongs to those who love with carnal love. But the one who loves with true love is completely free from this. Love, dwelling in the soul like a skilled farmer, does not allow any such evil thorn to grow in the field of the heart." Theodoret writes the same: "The one who loves agrees to act rashly in nothing." Oecumenius says: "It does nothing rashly. For περπερός is πρόπετης." The same thought appears in Theophylact: "Love does not act rashly, but acts inwardly recollected and attentive. Περπερός means hovering, μετεωριζόμενος, light in thoughts, words, and deeds."

Love is not proud, οὐ φυσιοῦται. It is not puffed up, from φυσάω, to blow or inflate, as a bubble. Whatever perfections love possesses, it thinks that it has nothing better than others. However much good it has done in its circle, it does not think that it has done anything. A mother tending children, however much she labors over them, regards herself as though she had done nothing. When she does something again, she acts as though beginning for the first time. So too is love. "It does not think much of its good qualities" (Oecumenius). "It does not exalt itself over the brethren" (Theodoret). "But it is humble-minded, though it possesses lofty perfections" (Theophylact). "We see that many are proud of their very virtues, that is, that they are not envious, not malicious, not fainthearted, not senseless. These vices are joined not only to wealth and poverty, but even to qualities good by nature. Love completely purifies everything" (Chrysostom).

Gathering under one view all the qualities mentioned so far, Chrysostom observes the following: "Notice: the long-suffering man is not always merciful. If he is not merciful, then his good quality becomes a vice and may turn into remembrance of wrongs. But love, by providing the medicine, namely mercy, keeps this virtue pure. Likewise, the merciful man is often light-minded, but love corrects this defect also. The merciful and long-suffering are often proud, but love destroys this vice too. On the one hand, it produces virtues. On the other, it destroys vices, or rather, does not allow them to arise. The Apostle did not say, for example, that although love has envy, it conquers envy. Nor did he say that although it has pride, it tames this passion. He says, 'It does not envy, it is not proud.' What is especially marvelous is that it does good without effort, and raises the trophy without struggle or resistance. Whoever has it is not compelled by it to toil in order to attain the crown. It gives him the reward without toil, because where there is no passion opposing the virtuous disposition, what labor can there be?"

This final word of Chrysostom is remarkable, concerning the doing of good without toil and without hindrance from the passions. Love is the negation of all the passions, and it dwells in the heart after they have been driven out. In some, this expulsion is accomplished by the Holy Spirit immediately after conversion, at the moment of regeneration. At the same time, He pours perfect love into the heart. Now we come to awareness of Christian obligations rather long after Baptism. By then the passions, though mortified in regeneration, have had time to revive and rise up with force. Therefore, before the heart is filled with complete love, we must still fight the passions and overcome them, so that we may do every good thing without hindrance. For us, the good of love is a hoped-for good. Saint Isaac the Syrian calls love paradise, set on an island in the midst of the sea. We are still sailing toward it. Oh, that we might reach it!