The Church Fathers on this verse
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1 Corinthians 13:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth:

Douay-Rheims

ου χαιρει επι τη αδικια συγχαιρει δε τη αληθεια

Greek (Byzantine text)

What does 1 Corinthians 13:6 mean?

The Fathers read this verse as sharing in sorrow and joy. According to John Chrysostom, love does not rejoice when others suffer evil, but rejoices over those rightly ordered in life, counting the goods of others as its own. Tichon of Zadonsk adds that it suffers when a neighbor is wronged. Theophylact of Bulgaria applies the verse against the envious.

Summary drawn from the commentaries of the Church Fathers. Based on John Chrysostom, Tichon of Zadonsk, Theophylact of Bulgaria.

The Church Fathers on this verse

9 Church Fathers comment on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

“It does not rejoice in unrighteousness” (1 Cor 13:6), that is, it does not rejoice when others suffer evil. And not only this, but there is something much greater in it: “but rejoices with the truth.” That is, it rejoices over those who are rightly ordered in life, as Paul says: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15). Therefore it does not envy, and therefore it is not proud. It recognizes the good things of others as its own. Do you see how love makes its disciple almost an angel? If he has no anger, is pure from envy, and free from every destructive passion, then he is clearly above human nature and has reached the dispassion of the angels.

Theophylact of Bulgaria

11th centuryChurch Father

“It does not rejoice in unrighteousness.” That is, it is not glad when someone suffers injustice, violence, and insult. “But rejoices with the truth.” What is much greater, he says, it rejoices with those who are in a good state. It counts it as its own glory when truth prospers. This is said against the envious.

Basil the Great

4th centuryChurch Father

Cast away the gloom of an angry man, which you seem to show us by your silence. Receive into your heart joy, peace with like-minded brethren, zeal, and care for the firmness of the Lord’s churches.

Maximos the Greek

16th centuryChurch Father

The divine Apostle names many properties and manifestations of true and perfect love in God. Among them I consider not rejoicing in unrighteousness, but rejoicing together with the truth, to be the most revealing sign.

He is truly a faithful and most genuine friend who rejoices with all his soul at his friend's correction and progress as at his own.

Conversely, he grieves when he sees that his friend either turns aside from the saving apostolic dogmas of piety and the traditions of the Fathers, or has fallen into some worldly calamities.

Suffering together with his friend, he strives in every way to help him and to return him to his first understanding of the truth.

Tichon of Zadonsk

18th centuryChurch Father

"Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness" (1 Cor 13:6), but suffers together when a neighbor is wronged. Since it counts the well-being and misfortune of the neighbor as its own, an offense inflicted on the neighbor touches it no less than personal misfortune.

So a friend suffers when his friend endures injustice. So a mother and a child-loving father suffer when their son is harmed by violence.

"Love," says St. John Chrysostom in his homily on this saying, "does not take delight in sufferings."

"Love rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor 13:6), when it sees everything orderly and in a good condition. So the holy angels and all who are pleasing to God rejoice when sinners repent of their sins and do good works (see Lk 15:10).

Ivanov A.V.

19th centuryChurch Father

Verses 4-8. "Love is long-suffering, is kind ... love never fails." Portraying love as the highest bond of perfection, the Apostle presents it as a virtue that unites in itself the most perfect qualities.

For this reason it is suitable for every condition and relationship of man. The Apostle enumerates these qualities from both the positive and the negative side.

Of course, he does not intend to give a complete table of the properties of this all-embracing virtue. Rather, he chiefly seeks to point out those qualities which the Corinthians lacked.

These are long-suffering, mercy, freedom from envy, humility, good order, selflessness, meekness, simplicity, sincerity, condescension, trust, expectation, endurance, and finally immutability.

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"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.

Michail Cheraskov

19th centuryChurch Father

“It does not rejoice in unrighteousness,” as when others suffer some moral evil, according to Chrysostom, “but rejoices with the truth,” that is, when someone is rightly ordered in life, according to Chrysostom.

Nikanor (Kamenski)

19th centuryChurch Father

Having defined the significance of love in comparison with gracious gifts and their manifestations, the Apostle depicts the very manifestations of love. He indicates both its negative and its positive expressions.

The first quality which the loving man must have is shown in long-suffering. In it are contained the Savior's first commandments, namely self-abasement, humility, and meekness.

According to St. John Chrysostom, long-suffering is the root of all philosophy. Therefore the Wise One says, "A long-suffering man is great in understanding" (Prov 14:29).

Next mercy is indicated, that is, sympathy toward all neighbors, especially the suffering, and also toward the happy, without envy or concern for oneself.

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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).

Theophan the Recluse

19th centuryChurch Father

Unrighteousness and truth here define one another mutually. As you understand unrighteousness, so by contrast you must understand truth, and conversely.

The interpreters understand these words so variously that, if all is gathered together, one must understand every evil under unrighteousness and every good under truth.

St. Chrysostom says, "It does not rejoice when others suffer some moral evil. It rejoices over those who are well ordered in life. Or the same thing is contained here as is said elsewhere: rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15).

For this reason love does not envy, and for this reason it is not proud. It regards the good things of others as its own. Do you see how love makes its disciple almost an angel?

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For if he has no anger, is alien to envy, and is pure from every destructive passion, it is clear that he is already above human nature and has attained the dispassion of the angels."

Theodoret writes in agreement with this: "It hates what is contrary to the law, and rejoices in what is good."

Theophylact differs somewhat: "It does not rejoice when someone is wronged, offended, and harmed. It rejoices together with well-ordered people when truth prospers, counting this as glory for itself."