SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:8
¶ La caridad nunca se pierde; mas las profecías se han de acabar, y cesarn las lenguas, y la ciencia ha de acabar;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 13:8
Verse 8. (16.) Charity never faileth] h agaph oudepote ekpiptei? This love never falleth off, because it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things; and while it does so it cannot fail; it is the means of preserving all other graces; indeed, properly speaking, it includes them all; and all receive their perfection from it. Love to God and man can never be dispensed with. It is essential to social and religious life; without it no communion can be kept up with God; nor can any man have a preparation for eternal glory whose heart and soul are not deeply imbued with it. Without it there never was true religion, nor ever can be; and it not only is necessary through life, but will exist throughout eternity. What were a state of blessedness if it did not comprehend love to God and human spirits in the most exquisite, refined, and perfect degrees? Prophecies-shall fail] Whether the word imply predicting future events, or teaching the truths of religion to men, all such shall soon be rendered useless. Though the accurate prophet and the eloquent, persuasive preacher be useful in their day, they shall not be always so; nor shall their gifts fit them for glory; nothing short of the love above described can fit a soul for the kingdom of God.
Tongues-shall cease] The miraculous gift of different languages, that soon shall cease, as being unnecessary.
Knowledge-shall vanish away.] All human arts and sciences, as being utterly useless in the eternal world, though so highly extolled and useful here.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. Charity never faileth , etc.] It may fail as to the exercise of it, as other graces do; it may be left, but not lost; the fervour of it may be remitted and abated; it may wax cold through the prevalence of sin; it may be greatly damped by the growth of error and heresy, which eat as do a canker; and may be much obstructed by an anxious and immoderate care and concern for worldly things; which are very pernicious to all the branches of vital religion and powerful godliness, and particularly love to God, Christ, and the brethren: but this grace never fails as to its principle; it is an immortal and an incorruptible seed; it lives throughout the most violent temptations, as in Peter; and under the greatest desertions and sorest afflictions, still there is an affection for God; Christ is he whom such a soul loves; and the saints are the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight: and it also continues as to its use, and will do so, when faith and hope will loose theirs, even in the other world; for faith will be changed into vision, and hope into enjoyment; but love will be the same, only act in a higher sphere, and to a greater degree, and in a perfect manner: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail ; by which are meant, either the predictions of future events, not that they shall fail in their accomplishment, but they shall be no more, because they will all be accomplished; or else the gifts of explaining the prophecies of the Old Testament, and of preaching the doctrines of the Gospel, will be no more, because there will be no need of them in a state of perfection: whether there be tongues they shall cease ; not but that, in the resurrection, that member of the body, the tongue, will be restored as the rest, and be everlastingly employed in celebrating the perfections of God, in singing the hallelujahs of the Lamb, and in joining with angels and other saints in songs of praise to the eternal Three; but the gift of speaking with divers tongues will cease, indeed it has already; nor will there be any use for such an extraordinary gift in the other world; when probably, and as it is thought by some, there will be but one language, and that the Hebrew language; as the whole earth was of one language and speech before the confusion at Babel: whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away ; that is, the word of knowledge, peculiarly given by the spirit to some persons only; or that peculiar gift of knowledge of divine things, by which some are qualified to be instructors of others; the present means both of communicating, and of obtaining and increasing knowledge by the preaching and hearing of the word, will be no more used: and besides, imperfect knowledge of every sort will disappear, it will become perfect; that knowledge which is in part will be done away, when perfect knowledge takes place; for so we are taught to explain it by the following words.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-13 - Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthian prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lastin as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future tha of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men! Thus shall we think of our most valued gift of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confuse now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be see as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds an darkness that hide the face of God from us. To sum up the excellence of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assent thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on futur happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowe up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believ and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another. Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, 1Jo 4:8, 16. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
η 3588 T-NSF αγαπη 26 N-NSF ουδεποτε 3763 ADV εκπιπτει 1601 5719 V-PAI-3S ειτε 1535 CONJ δε 1161 CONJ προφητειαι 4394 N-NPF καταργηθησονται 2673 5701 V-FPI-3P ειτε 1535 CONJ γλωσσαι 1100 N-NPF παυσονται 3973 5695 V-FDI-3P ειτε 1535 CONJ γνωσις 1108 N-NSF καταργηθησεται 2673 5701 V-FPI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Faileth (ekpipei). Falls off (ek) like a leaf or flower, as Jas. i. 11; 1 Peter i. 24. In classical Greek it was used of an actor who was hissed off the stage. But the correct reading is piptei falls, in a little more general sense, as Luke xvi. 17. Love holds its place.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
13:8 {Love never faileth} (he agape oudepote piptei). New turn for the perpetuity of love. piptei correct text, not ekpiptei, as in #Lu 16:17. Love survives everything. {They shall be done away} (katargeqesontai). First future passive of katargew. Rare in old Greek, to make idle (argos), inoperative. All these special spiritual gifts will pass. It is amazing how little of human work lasts. {They shall cease} (pausontai). Future middle indicative of pauw, to make cease. They shall make themselves cease or automatically cease of themselves.
