1 Corinthians 13:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

So strong in him was the foundation of love. Therefore the Apostle says, "It bears all things." By these words he expresses the power of love.

By the following words he expresses its goodness: "It hopes all things," he says, "believes all things, endures all things."

What does "hopes all things" mean? It does not despair, but expects every good thing from the beloved man. Even if he is evil, love does not cease correcting him, providing for him, and caring for him.

"It believes all things." It does not merely hope, but hopes with confidence, because it loves strongly. Even if, contrary to expectation, no good comes about, and the beloved becomes still worse, love endures this too. "It endures all things," he says.

It does not look at persons. It does not distinguish rank or kinship, nearness or distance, friendship or enmity. It does not ask who the man is who needs the fruit of love.

It does not ask whether he is a brother or not, a kinsman or not, of the same tribe or a foreigner, a friend or enemy, good or evil. Love shows the action of its warmth to whoever desires it and needs it.

The poor man is its kinsman. Love comes close wherever there is need. Human misfortune and need are like kinship for it, and draw it to themselves. Thus did the merciful Samaritan who was mentioned.

"Love believes all things." Since it is itself simple-hearted, it considers others to be the same. Since it deceives no one, it thinks the same of others, and therefore believes everyone.

For love is pure-hearted, not crafty, not flattering. Therefore, as it is itself, so it hopes concerning others and has no suspicion.

Because of this, crafty people often deceive the good, and the good endure many troubles, since they deal with everyone simply. The present world foolishly calls such people fools, because they do not know how to act craftily with it.

"Love hopes all things, endures all things." St. John Chrysostom says this about it: "What does 'hopes all things' mean? It does not despair of every good for the beloved.

If he is evil, love continues to correct him and diligently to provide for him. If its hopes for these good things are not fulfilled, and he becomes still harder, it endures this too."

"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).

Therefore the Apostle says, "It bears all things." By these words he expresses the power of love." Theodoret writes, "Because of love it endures even what is grievous."

It may also be understood thus: stege means a roof. From this comes the thought that love serves as a shelter for all. All run to it, and in it find defense and covering from every misfortune.

A roof also gives the thought of covering. Hence love covers the sins, infirmities, deficiencies, and weaknesses of others. It not only does not spread them abroad, but covers all this with a good word.

"It believes all things." "It regards the beloved as truthful" (Theodoret). "It believes everything the beloved says. It not only speaks nothing with crafty deceit, but does not even suspect that anyone else speaks so" (Theophylact).

"It hopes all things." When doing good and meeting with failure, love does not stop. It devises new means. If these do not lead to the goal, it takes up still others, and so on.

It is inspired by hope that God will finally bless this labor of love with success. Theodoret writes, "If it sees the beloved inclined toward evil, it expects a change in him for the better."

Love itself does not sit with folded hands. From its own side it uses every available means for his correction. While using them, "it does not despair, but hopes that he will finally return to what is better" (Theophylact).

"It endures all things." It willingly undertakes all labors necessary for doing good, courageously overcomes obstacles, and good-naturedly bears unpleasant things.

Whatever it meets on the path of good, it endures, having one aim: to do good to the beloved, that is, to every man. It even endures lack of success in doing good.

"If it happens that the beloved does not yield to its care and remains on his evil path, it good-naturedly endures his falls" (Theophylact).

"Whatever may be in the beloved, or from his side, nothing can tear the one who loves away from love for him" (Theodoret).

St. Chrysostom joins these three, "hopes, believes, endures," into one statement and says: "Not despairing, love expects every good thing from the beloved man.

Even if he is evil, it does not cease correcting him, providing for him, and caring for him. It does not merely hope, but hopes with confidence, because it loves strongly.

Even if, contrary to expectation, no good comes about, and the beloved becomes still worse, love endures even this."