1 Corinthians 13:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, lest we use a wicked action as an example, let us look at Christ in this respect, and we shall see the truth of what has been said. Our Lord Jesus Christ was spat upon and scourged by wretched slaves. He not only did not count this dishonor, but even rejoiced and reckoned it glory. He brought the thief and murderer into paradise with Himself before others. He spoke with the harlot in the presence of all His accusers, and did not count this shameful. He even allowed her to kiss His feet, to wash His body with tears, and to wipe it with her hair, all before the eyes of enemies and adversaries, because love does not behave unseemly. Therefore fathers, even if they are wiser and more eloquent than all, are not ashamed to lisp together with children. None of those who behold this condemn them. On the contrary, it seems so good a deed that it is even deemed worthy of praise. If children are wicked, they patiently try to correct them. They watch over them, restrain them from evil deeds, and are not ashamed, because love does not behave unseemly. Rather, as with golden wings, it covers all the faults of the beloved. So Jonathan loved David. Therefore, when he heard from his father the words, "You son of perverse, rebellious women" (1 Sam 20:30), he was not ashamed, though the words were filled with great reproach. They meant this: son of harlots, women madly devoted to men and surrendering themselves to every passerby, effeminate, weak, having nothing manly in yourself, and living to your own dishonor and that of the mother who bore you. What then? Was he grieved by this? Was he ashamed and did he abandon the one he loved? Quite the opposite. He even boasted in his love. Saul was then king, Jonathan was the king's son, and David was a fugitive and wanderer. Yet despite all this, Jonathan was not ashamed of his love, because love does not behave unseemly. Truly what is worthy of wonder in it is that it not only does not permit sorrow and grief when insulted, but even moves one to rejoice. Therefore Jonathan, after all this, went as though receiving a crown and embraced David. Love does not know dishonor. It even boasts in what another is ashamed of. For love, shame is not knowing how to love, or, while loving, not facing dangers and not enduring everything for the beloved. Yet when I say everything, do not think that I mean harmful things. I do not mean if someone were to help a youth in illicit love for a woman, or asked to do some other harmful thing. Such a person does not love, as I proved to you earlier by the example of the Egyptian woman. Only he loves who desires what is useful for the beloved. Whoever does not seek the good, even if he says a thousand times that he loves, is more hostile than all enemies. Thus Rebekah, once strongly attached to her son, resolved even upon theft. She was neither ashamed nor afraid of being exposed, though no small danger lay before her. Even when her son objected, she said, "Let your curse be upon me, my son" (Gen 27:13). Do you see in the woman an apostolic soul? As Paul, if it is permitted to compare small things with great, wished to be anathema for the Jews, so she was ready even to fall under a curse, if only her son might receive the blessing. She assigned the good to him, since she herself could not share the blessing with him. She was ready to take the evil upon herself alone. And she rejoiced and hastened while danger threatened. She was grieved at the delay, fearing that Esau might come before Jacob and make her wise arrangement useless. Therefore she speaks briefly, urging the young man. Without refuting his words, she expresses a thought sufficient to persuade him. She did not say, You speak in vain and fear in vain; your father is old and has no sight. What did she say? "Let your curse be upon me, my son." Only do not ruin the matter. Do not let the prey escape. Do not lose the treasure. And was not Jacob a laborer for two seven-year periods with his relative? Besides slavery, was he not also subjected to mockery after the deception? What then? Did he feel the mockery? Did he count it dishonor that he, freeborn, sprung from free parents and nobly raised, should be a slave to his relatives? This is especially insulting, when one suffers reproach from those close to him. No. The cause was love, which even made the long time short for him. "They seemed to him," Scripture says, "but a few days" (Gen 29:20). So far was he from being insulted and ashamed of his servitude. Therefore blessed Paul rightly says, "Love does not behave unseemly; it does not seek its own; it is not provoked." Having said, "It does not behave unseemly," he also shows how it does not suffer dishonor. How? It does not seek its own. The beloved is everything to it. It counts as dishonor to itself when it cannot deliver him from dishonor. If by its own dishonor it can help the beloved, it does not count even this dishonor for itself. The beloved is the same to it as its very self. Love is such that the one who loves and the beloved are no longer two separate persons, but one man. Nothing can do this except love. Therefore do not seek your own, so that you may find your own. Whoever seeks his own does not find his own. Therefore Paul also said, "Let no one seek his own, but each the other's good" (1 Cor 10:24). Each person's benefit lies in the benefit of his neighbor, and the neighbor's benefit in his. If a man buries his own gold in his neighbor's house and does not wish to go search and dig it up there, he will never see it. So here also, whoever does not wish to seek his own benefit in the benefit of his neighbor will not receive crowns. God arranged this so that we would be attached to one another. When someone urges a lazy child to follow his brother, and the child does not wish to do this by himself, he gives the brother something loved and pleasant to the child. Then the child follows him, desiring to receive it. And so it happens. In the same way, God gave what is useful to each person into the neighbor's hands, so that we might have communion with one another and not be divided. If you wish, you can see this also in us who preach. What is useful to me lies in you, and what is useful to you lies in me. For example, it is useful for you to know what is pleasing to God. But this has been entrusted to me, so that you may receive it from me. Therefore you are compelled to come to me. And it is useful for me that you become better, for I shall receive a great reward for this. But this depends on you. Therefore I need to watch over you, so that you may become better, and thus I may receive from you what is useful to me. Therefore Paul also said, "For who is our hope? Is it not you?" (1 Thess 2:19). Again, "You are my hope and joy and crown of boasting." Thus Paul's joy was his disciples, and they rejoiced in his joy. Therefore he also wept when he saw some perishing. On the other hand, their benefit lay in Paul. Therefore he also said, "For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain" (Acts 28:20). Again, "Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation" (2 Tim 2:10). The same can be seen in worldly affairs. "The wife," the Apostle says, "does not have authority over her own body," nor the husband over his, but the wife over the husband and the husband over the wife (1 Cor 7:4). So also when we wish to bind several people together, we do the same. We do not allow anyone to dispose of himself. We make a chain of them, compelling one to depend on another, and another on a third. Can you not see the same in government? The judge sits to judge not for himself, but for the neighbor's benefit. Those under authority benefit those in authority by compliance, obedience, and every other means. Soldiers take up arms for us, because they face dangers for us. We labor for them, because they receive support from us. If you say that each does this seeking his own benefit, I also say the same. Only one's own benefit is attained through another's. If the soldier did not fight for those who provide him support, no one would render him this service. Conversely, if they did not provide the soldier support, no one would defend them. Do you see how love extends to all things and orders all things? But do not be negligent in examining this whole golden chain. Having said, "It does not seek its own," the Apostle again speaks of the good things that come from love. What are these good things? "It is not provoked; it thinks no evil." See again how it not only destroys vices, but does not even allow them to receive a beginning. He did not say, Although it is provoked, it overcomes provocation. He said, "It is not provoked." Nor did he say, It does no evil, but, "It does not think" evil. It not only does not commit anything evil, but does not even devise anything bad against the beloved. Indeed, how can it do evil or be provoked when it does not even admit an evil thought? Here is the source of love.

"Love," it is said, "does not boast, is not proud, does not behave unseemly" (1 Cor 13:4-5). Love does no evil to the neighbor. Where love rules, there is no Cain murdering his brother. Destroy the source of envy, and you destroy the stream of all evils. Cut off the root, and you destroy the fruit together with it.

It counts it dishonor when it does not free its neighbor from dishonor. This is against those who despised the rest. Love also is not provoked, because it does not behave improperly.

For an angry man does not preserve propriety. Love does not behave improperly because it is not provoked, that is, it does not hasten into anger. This is against those who are offended by the insults of others.

"It thinks no evil." Love, he says, while enduring every evil, is not provoked to anger. It not only refrains from doing evil in revenge, but does not even think of it.

Observe everywhere that he does not say, "Love envies, but checks itself," or, "It is provoked, but overcomes." Rather, he says that love absolutely does not allow any evil to appear even at its beginning.

So here too: it thinks no evil. This was said to the Corinthians, that they should not repay insult with insult.

Thus she is not ashamed of one clothed in rags, though she herself is adorned in purple and fine linen. Thus she is not ashamed to bend down before one lying on a dungheap, though she herself is honored with high rank.

Thus she is not ashamed to enter a foul prison, though she herself dwells in palaces. She is not ashamed to bring a stranger into her house and give him rest, even if he is poor and stinks from wounds.

She is not ashamed to comfort the sorrowful, even if he is very lowly. She lays aside the privilege of her title where the need of the poor requires it.

So Christ, the Son of God, hid the majesty of His Godhead beneath human flesh, so that He might more readily help our calamity. He was not ashamed of our poverty, in order to enrich us.

He whose throne is heaven and whose footstool is the earth was not ashamed to dwell in a virgin womb (Acts 7:49; Is 66:1). He who "covers Himself with light as with a garment" was not ashamed to be wrapped in infant swaddling clothes and laid in a poor cave (Ps 103:2).

The Lord and King of Heaven was not ashamed to live on earth in the form of a servant and with servants. Infinite Holiness and Righteousness was not ashamed to eat with publicans, speak with harlots, and associate with other sinners.

The Judge of all was not ashamed to stand at trial and be judged. He before whom the Seraphim stand with fear and trembling was not ashamed to accept dishonor, mockery, and spitting, to be stripped, and to be hanged among thieves.

Nothing compelled Him to humble Himself so deeply except His love for us, which we cannot comprehend, so that He might deliver us from calamity. In this way He also taught us not to be ashamed where the need of the neighbor requires help from us.

Superiors must look to this image of love and deal lovingly with their lowly subjects. They must not shrink from them, but listen to their petitions, fulfill them, and help their needs.

Pastors must not be ashamed to go after the lost and perishing rational sheep and seek them. The rich and glorious must not be ashamed to bring the poor into their homes, feed them, and give them rest.

Masters must not be ashamed to call their servants brothers. All Christians must not be ashamed to visit those sitting in prison and bound in shackles, to visit those lying on a sickbed, and to help the infirm, the aged, and the other poor.

"Love does not seek her own" (1 Cor 13:5). True love strives with joy and gladness to benefit the beloved, and to do good without any profit for itself.

In this she resembles a fruitful tree, which nourishes not itself but others with its fruits. She resembles the earth, which produces fruits not for itself but for us. She resembles the sun, which shines and warms not for itself but for us.

Or better, she follows that eternal and uncreated Love and Goodness which gives us all good things without any gain for Himself.

So holy Moses "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin" (Heb 11:24-25).

So holy Paul wrote of himself: "Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Tim 2:10).

So pious kings reign not for themselves, but for their fatherland. So good judges render judgment not for themselves, but for the people. So pastors who love Christ are covered with the miter and carry the staff in their hands not for themselves, but for Christ's sheep.

So soldiers who love God fight against the enemy not for themselves, but for the holy faith and the fatherland. Thus "love does not seek her own," but seeks the benefit of the neighbor.

Saint Paul exhorts us to this duty: "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's benefit" (1 Cor 10:24).

True love "is not provoked" (1 Cor 13:5). It does not become angry with the neighbor, even when it receives an offense from him. Others strive to repay offense for offense and evil speech for evil speech.

Love not only does not do this, but does not even have anger in the heart toward the one who offended it, as Chrysostom says in his interpretation of this passage of Scripture. Thus it not only does no evil, but does not even think evil (1 Cor 13:5).

And although at times it shows its anger, that anger is directed at sins, not at the person. It persecutes sins and strives to root them out, not those who sinned. Such anger belongs especially to pious superiors and pastors.

Such anger is righteous and reveals great love in the heart of the one who is angry, a love that seeks the brother's salvation in every way.

Such people imitate a good and skillful physician, who sometimes gives a harsh medicine to the sick man in order more readily to drive the illness out of him.

Holy Paul showed such anger, a soul burning with love for God and neighbor, when he wrote thus to the Galatians who had sinned: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?" (Gal 3:1 and following).

Such anger is necessary for pastors and superiors, who must drive away and root out the evil and corrupt character of those subject to them, as one drives away plague with fire.

Their task is to endure their own offense meekly. But when the law of God is violated and an offense is inflicted on the neighbor, they must stand firmly for this, not be silent, and restrain the violent.

"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 relates soundly to its own condition. It does good in an orderly way, without noise, not soaring high, not vaunting itself, and not becoming proudly puffed up. On the contrary, it counts all its good deeds as nothing.

Love in its essence, as defined with special clarity by John, the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ, could not yet be fully accessible to the Corinthians as beginners in Christianity.

Therefore the Apostle Paul chiefly depicts love as the rejection of all passions, and partly as the sum of perfections. This is understandable. "The good of love is for us the expected good, which enters us only after all the passions have been driven out."

St. Isaac the Syrian calls love a paradise on an island amid the sea. We are still sailing toward it. But when shall we reach it?

Further, the Apostle says that love does not behave improperly. That is, in everything that seems dishonorable, it acts with high Christian dignity.

It does not disdain anything honorable and holy, however humiliating it may appear to others. For love seeks not its own glory, but the good of the one toward whom it is directed.

Yet it does not admit anger, evil, or unrighteousness into itself. It endures and even covers the weaknesses and deficiencies of others with a word of love, without spreading them abroad.

On the contrary, love relates to everything good and true with joy, trust, and hope for the success of the good. Therefore it willingly endures every unpleasantness and obstacle encountered on the path.

Jesus Christ presented in Himself the highest image of such love. The Apostles, who dedicated their whole life to Christ Who loved them, were also examples of such love.

In particular, the Apostle Paul displayed such love. He so loved his neighbors that he was ready for their sake to be deprived even of eternal life (Rom 9:3).

But here is Chrysostom's extended word: "What am I saying, the Apostle continues, that love is not puffed up? She is so far from this passion that, even when suffering extreme calamities for the beloved, she does not consider it a dishonor to herself.

Again, he did not say, 'although she suffers dishonor, she bears it courageously,' but that she does not even feel dishonor at all. Let us look in this respect at Christ, and we shall see the truth of what has been said.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was subjected to spitting and scourging by wretched slaves. He not only did not consider this a dishonor, but even rejoiced and counted it glory.

He brought the thief and murderer into Paradise with Himself before all others. He spoke with the harlot in the presence of all His accusers and did not consider this shameful.

He even allowed her to kiss His feet, wash His body with tears, and wipe it with her hair, all before the eyes of enemies and adversaries. For love, ouk aschemonei, does not shrink from anything.

For this reason fathers, even if they are wiser and more eloquent than all, are not ashamed to babble together with children. None of those who see this condemn them. On the contrary, it seems so good a deed that it is even deemed worthy of praise."

"She does not seek her own." "Having said that she does not behave unseemly, he also shows how love does not suffer dishonor. How? She does not seek her own.

The beloved is everything for her, and she counts it dishonor to herself when she cannot deliver him from dishonor. Thus, if it is possible to help the beloved through her own dishonor, she does not count even this a dishonor to herself.

For the one who loves, the beloved is the same as himself. Love is such that the one who loves and the one loved are no longer two separate persons, but one man. Nothing can do this except love.

Therefore do not seek your own, so that you may find your own. For whoever seeks his own does not find his own. Therefore Paul says: 'Let no one seek his own, but each the other's' (1 Cor 10:24).

The benefit of each lies in the benefit of the neighbor, and the benefit of the neighbor lies in his benefit. God arranged it this way so that we would be bound to one another" (Chrysostom).

"She is not provoked," ou paroxynetai, that is, she is not grieved. When she encounters something unpleasant from the very person for whom she strives to do good, she is not grieved by it.

Or she is not grieved by the lack of success in her labors for someone's good, and she does not cease seeking means to attain her aim in this matter.

Or it is as Theodoret writes: "If she meets with something distressing from someone, she bears it magnanimously because of the fervor of the love she has within herself."

Chrysostom says the same: "See again how she not only destroys vices, but does not even allow them to have a beginning. For he did not say, 'although she is provoked, she overcomes provocation,' but, 'she is not provoked.'" She does not allow grief even to be born.

"She does not think evil," ou logizetai to kakon. She does not take evil into account. She does not even think that there is evil in another's actions. She does not see evil in evil. Others see it, but she does not.

For the one who loves all, all seem good. Just as he plans nothing for others except good, so also in the actions of others toward himself he never suspects anything evil.

Thus Theodoret says: "She excuses mistaken actions, supposing that they were not done with an evil intention."

Another thought, that she does not devise evil in revenge, will be a direct consequence of the previous one and may be seen here, but in connection with it (Theophylact).

Chrysostom understands this not as devising evil apart from injuries received, but as follows: "She not only does not do anything evil, but does not even devise anything bad against the beloved.

Indeed, how will she do evil when she does not even allow an evil thought? And here is the source of love."