Song of Songs of Love (1 Corinthians 13)

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Sepulchral Chapel on the Württemberg

The Song of Songs of Love from the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians ( 1 Cor 13 : 1–13 EU ) by Paul of Tarsus is a hymn about love , where the actual description of love is in 13 : 4–8a  , from “ Love is long-suffering ”up to“ Love never perishes ”(13:13:“ Love is the greatest ”).

Text from 1 Corinthians 13

Goslar, tombstone from 2012
Faith-love-hope at the Simplon Hospice

This text is known to many people in the version of the Luther Bible , especially since this translation - in contrast to the standard translation - is almost five hundred years old:

If I spoke with the tongues of men and angels and did not have love, I would be a resounding ore or a ringing bell. And if I could speak prophetically and knew all secrets and all knowledge and had all faith so that I could move mountains, and had not love, then I would be nothing. And if I gave all my possessions to the poor and gave my body to boast, and if I did not have love, it would be of no use to me.
Love is long-suffering and kind, love is not jealous, love is not wanton, it does not puff itself up,
she does not behave improperly, she does not look for her own, she does not allow herself to be embittered, she does not attribute evil,
she does not rejoice in the injustice, but she rejoices in the truth;
she endures everything, she believes everything, she hopes everything, she tolerates everything.
Love never ceases when prophetic speaking will cease and speaking in tongues will cease and knowledge will cease. Because our knowledge is piecemeal and our prophetic speech is piecemeal. But when the perfect will come, the partial work will cease. When I was a child, I talked like a child and thought like a child and was smart as a child; but when I became a man I dismissed what was childlike. We are now looking through a mirror in a dark picture; but then face to face. Now I know piece by piece; but then I will know just as I am known.
But now there remain faith, hope, love, these three; but love is the greatest of them. ( 1 Cor 13,1ff  LUT )

This chapter follows in the standard translation (EÜ or EU; changes to the 2016 revision in italics ). The middle part describing love is more indented:

If I spoke in the tongues of men and angels, / but I would not have love, / I would be a roaring bronze or a noisy drum. And if I could speak prophetically / and knew all secrets / and had all knowledge; / if I had all the power of faith / and could move mountains with it, / but would not have love, / I would be nothing. And if I gave away all my possessions / and if I sacrificed my body to boast , / but I didn't have love, / it was of no use to me.
Love is long-suffering / love is kind. / She doesn't get excited / she doesn't brag / she doesn't puff up. It does not act improperly, / does not seek its advantage, / does not allow itself to be provoked to anger, / does not bear the evil after. She does not rejoice in the injustice, / but rejoices in the truth. She endures everything, / believes everything, / hopes everything, / withstands everything. Love never stops. /
Prophetic speaking has an end / speaking in tongues falls silent / knowledge passes. Because our knowledge is piecemeal, / our prophetic speaking is piecemeal; but when the perfection comes, / everything passes in part. When I was a child / I spoke like a child / thought like a child / and judged like a child. When I became a man / I gave up what was child in me. Now we look in a mirror / and see only puzzling outlines / but then we look face to face. Now my knowledge is piecemeal , / but then I will know through and through, / just as I was known through and through. For now there remain faith, hope, love, these three; / but the greatest of them is love. ( 1 Cor 13.1ff  EU )

Parallels

Paul gives a similar long description of love in Romans ( Rom 12 : 9-13  EU ):

The real love:
Loathing evil, clinging to good, loving one another heartily in sibling love, honoring one another more highly, not hesitating in zeal, burning in the spirit, serving the Lord, joyful in hope, patient in distress, persevering in prayer, facing the needs of the Accepting saints, giving hospitality.

Before describing love, Paul discusses the charisms . The mention of “real love” in verse 9 is followed by a series of participles (“abhorrent” etc.), followed by several imperatives from verse 14 (“bless!” Etc.).

A hymn of praise to love can already be found in the Old Testament ( Hoheslied 1ff  EU ). This "song of songs" (also called the Song of Songs or Song of Songs) comes from Solomon and describes the mutual praise of two lovers.

See also

Settings

Web links

Commons : Monuments and memorials referencing I Corinthians 13: 8  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Monuments and memorials referencing I Corinthians 13:13  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Single receipts

  1. ↑ For the translation of this section see Franz Graf-Stuhlhofer : Basis predigen. Basics of the Christian faith in sermons, plus a didactic homiletics for advanced students. Verlag für Theologie und Religionswissenschaft, Nürnberg 2010, esp. Pp. 145–147.
  2. ↑ Kulturation :: Online journal for culture, science and politics. Retrieved May 25, 2019 .