Seeing God in 1 Corinthians 13
By Jonathan Mitchell

Paul's letter of 1 Corinthians was written to, and applied to, the covenant community located in Corinth. Christianity accepts this letter as "the Word of God," or, "the Word from God." In other words, we can view 1 Cor. 13 as being God's Thoughts about the topic of this chapter, which are about Love ('agape').

Now, in 1 Jn. 4:8, we are informed that:

"The one not habitually loving or accepting has not at any point come to know or recognize God, by personal experience, because God continuously exists being Love (or: for God is Love, Acceptance, and a Drive for Reunion)."

We surmise that Paul and John are speaking of the same Love ('agape'). Thus, we are suggesting that God can be discerned, here, in Paul's essay on Love. To facilitate our consideration of this, we will apply to God Paul's words about this Love. We are considering the possibility that Paul (using the rhetorical device of "Speech in Character) might have been speaking about God, instead of himself (in vss. 1-3) when relaying this revelation about God, which He had given to Paul. To suggest this perspective, we will insert the term "God" into Paul's text, replacing the term "I," "it," and "Love" with "[God, or He]." And so, let us consider this adjusted text:

1. If ever [God] could habitually speak (or as an indicative: If [He] continuously speaks) in or with the languages of the human groups (or: by the tongues of mankind) - or even of the agents (or: messengers) - yet [He is] not constantly having and continuously holding Love (a drive toward reunion with, unrestricted acceptance of, and full giving of Himself to, others), [God] has come to be a continuously sounding (or: blaring; booming out; resounding) [piece of] brass (or: copper; bronze) or a repeatedly clashing basin, or a continuously clanging cymbal!

2. Even if [God is] continuously holding light ahead of time (or: repeatedly has prophecy), and [He] may have seen, and thus knows, all the secrets (or: every mystery) and all the intimate knowledge (or: insight; gnosis), and if [He] now continuously possess all the faith and trust - so as to repeatedly transport mountains (or: to change the place and position of mountain after mountain) - yet does not habitually possess (or: progressively have) Love and unambiguous, unrestricted acceptance, [He is] (exists being) nothing! [cf Mk. 11:23]

3. If further [He] should dole out all [His] habitual subsistences in morsels of food - even if [He] should hand over (commit) [His] body! - so that [He] could boast [C, D and other, later MSS read: so that [He] will be burned (or, crucified)], and yet does not habitually possess and progressively have Love, [He] continues being benefited (furthered; augmented; helped; profited) in not even one thing.

[note: love (agape) - "unambiguous love;" "an ecstatic manifestation of the Spiritual Presence;" "the drive toward reunion;" "participation in the other one;" "the acceptance of the other one as a person... the power of reunion with the other person as one standing on the same ultimate ground..." - Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology III, pp 134-137; Perspectives on 19th and 20th Century Protestant Theology, p 200]

4. The Love (or: This unrestricted acceptance, etc.) [i.e., God] is habitually even-tempered, taking a long time to be in a heat of passion (is constantly long-enduring/suffering and patient; keeps on putting anger far away; continues slow to progress toward rushing emotions which cause violent breathing; continues passionately persevering unto the goal) - [He] continues being usefully kind.The Love (or: This urge toward unambiguous, accepting reunion and giving of oneself) [or, God] is not constantly boiling with jealousy and envy. The Love [God] is not continuously bragging or "showing off" - [He] is not habitually being puffed up; [He] is not conceited or arrogant.

5. [God, or Love] is not repeatedly indecent in manner or behavior (it does not continually display lack of [good] form, rudeness or improper demeanor); [He] is not habitually self-seeking (or: not constantly pursuing His own interests or rights); [He] is not continually caused to be sharp [in response] nor aroused to irritation or upset emotions; [He] is not habitually keeping account of the worthless thing, nor logically considering something of bad quality, nor counting the injury.

6. [God, or Love] does not continue to rejoice upon [seeing or hearing of] the injustice, nor is [He] happy about dishonesty, inequity, or lack of the qualities of the Way pointed out, yet [He] repeatedly rejoices with the Truth (or: takes delight together in Reality).

7. [Love, or, God] continuously covers all mankind; [He] is habitually loyal to all humanity; [He] constantly has an expectation for all mankind; [He] is continuously remaining under and giving support to all people. [cf 1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10] (or, [God, i.e., unambiguous acceptance] progressively puts a protecting roof over all things; [God] is habitually trusting in, and believing for, all things; [He] is continually hoping in or for all things; {He] keeps on patiently enduring all things.)

8. The Love [or: God] (or: This unrestricted, self-giving drive toward reunion, and the acceptance of another person as being on the same ground of being, despite their distorted existence, or damaged condition) never - not even once - fails (collapses or falls into decay; = becomes ineffectual; [other MSS: falls out or lapses]).

For the purpose of this part of the essay, we will presently skip the remainder of vs. 8, on through vs. 12, moving to the end of the chapter:

13. So, at the present time, Trust (or: faith; loyalty; faithfulness), Expectation (or: expectant hope) [and] Love (unrestricted acceptance which overcomes existential separation - Tillich) - these three - continue remaining and habitually dwell [with us], yet the greatest of these [is] the Love ([God's] urge toward unambiguous, accepting reunion - Tillich; self-giving - Rohr). You folks make haste to progressively run after and continuously pursue this Love [God]!

Does applying this passage to God help in our understanding of Him who is Love?

Now here is another thought: Can we hear Jesus as possibly having said the following to Paul?

"When I was an infant (a baby; a non-speaking one), I used to babble and make vocal utterances as a non-speaking infant. I used to habitually be in the frame of mind, take thought with the intellect, and understand, as a non-speaking infant (baby). I continued taking account, reasoning and logically considering things as a non-speaking infant. Yet when I had come to be an adult male, I had permanently made inactive (idled-down so as to be no longer used, and then discarded) the things which pertain to a non-speaking infant (infantile things)" (1 Cor. 13:11) [cf Lu. 2:52]

Our purpose in this essay has been to help us to see this Word of Scripture as God speaking to us, and not just as Paul writing about a high, moral and ethical ideal. Also, it is to draw our attention to that quality of Being which God is.

But how about the passage in this chapter which I had skipped? Taking this essay in a different direction, can we see Jesus saying the following to Paul, in regard to Paul's time?

[continuing vs. 8] Now, whether prophecies will from time to time be rendered useless and unproductive, or languages will occasionally stop themselves, or whether what is known from intimate or experiential knowledge (gnosis) will periodically be rendered useless and unproductive... (or: But even if [there are, or may be] situations of light ahead of time, they will be progressively idled-down to be inactive and unemployed, discarded, or nullified; even if [there are, or may be] tongues, they will keep on restraining themselves so as to leave off, or cease [speaking], and "utterances of ecstasy" will habitually pause, of themselves; even if [there is, or may be] acquaintance, insight, awareness or recognition, it will occasionally be idled-down to be inactive, unemployed, or from time to time be made ineffective, discarded, or nullified)

9. - well, you see it follows that [you] are progressively gaining intimate and experiential knowledge from out of a part (insight from a piece or a fragment; gnosis from the midst of a portion of the whole), and [you] are habitually prophesying (speaking publicly before others and sharing light ahead of time) from out of a part (a portion; a fragment; a piece of the whole) -

10. yet still (or: but), whenever the destined goal (the mature condition; the finished product; this maturity; the attainment of the purpose; this perfection; the complete) can come (would show up; should arrive on the scene), then that which is out of a part (or: the incomplete installment; the thing, or manifestation, from a piece, a portion, or a fragment; or: this partial [situation, or condition]) will progressively be rendered futile, useless and unproductive (idled-down to be inactive, unemployed or discarded). [cf Eph. 4:13-14]

May this application of "The Love Chapter" inspire further thinking about God, who inhabits Paul's words.

Jonathan

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