TRV
but if I lack love, I have become merely
blaring brass or a cymbal clanging.
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Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13 verses 1–3
Here the apostle shows what more excellent way he meant, or had in view, in the close of the former chapter, namely, charity, or, as it is commonly elsewhere rendered, love - agapē: not what is meant by charity in our common use of the word, which most men understand of alms - giving, but love in its fullest and most extensive meaning, true love to God and man, a benevolent disposition of mind towards our fellow-christians, growing out of sincere and fervent devotion to God. This living principle of all duty and obedience is the more excellent way of which the apostle speaks, preferable to all gifts. Nay, without this the most glorious gifts are nothing, of no account to us, of no esteem in the sight of God. He specifies, 1. The gift of tongues: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal, Co1 13:1. Could a man speak all the languages on earth, and that with the greatest propriety, elegance, and fluency, could he talk like an angel, and yet be without charity, it would be all empty noise, mere unharmonious and useless sound, that would neither profit nor delight. It is not talking freely, nor finely, nor learnedly, of the things of God, that will save ourselves, or profit others, if we are destitute of holy love. It is the charitable heart, not the voluble tongue, that is acceptable with God. The apostle specifies first this gift because hereupon the Corinthians seemed chiefly to value themselves and despise their brethren. 2. Prophecy, and the understanding of mysteries, and all knowledge. This without charity is as nothing, Co1 13:2. Had a man ever so clear an understanding of the prophecies and types under the old dispensation, ever so accurate a knowledge of the doctrines of Christianity, nay, and this by inspiration, from the infallible dictates and illumination of the Spirit of God, without charity he would be nothing; all this would stand him in no stead. Note, A clear and deep head is of no signification, without a benevolent and charitable heart. It is not great knowledge that God sets a value upon, but true and hearty devotion and love. 3. Miraculous faith, the faith of miracles, or the faith by which persons were enabled to work miracles: Had I all faith (the utmost degree of this kind of faith), that I could remove mountains (or say to them, "Go hence into the midst of the sea," and have my command obeyed, Mar 11:23), and had no charity, I am nothing. The most wonder-working faith, to which nothing is in a manner impossible, is itself nothing without charity. Moving mountains is a great achievement in the account of men; but one dram of charity is, in God's account, of much greater worth than all the faith of this sort in the world. Those may do many wondrous works in Christ's name whom yet he will disown, and bid depart from him, as workers of iniquity, Mat 7:22, Mat 7:23. Saving faith is ever in conjunction with charity, but the faith of miracles may be without it. 4. The outward acts of charity: Bestowing his goods to feed the poor, Co1 13:3. Should all a man has be laid out in this manner, if he had no charity, it would profit him nothing. There may be an open and lavish hand, where there is no liberal and charitable heart. The external act of giving alms may proceed from a very ill principle. Vain-glorious ostentation, or a proud conceit of merit, may put a man to large expense this way who has no true love to God nor men. Our doing good to others will do none to us, if it be not well done, namely, from a principle of devotion and charity, love to God, and good-will to men. Note, If we leave charity out of religion, the most costly services will be of no avail to us. If we give away all we have, while we withhold the heart from God, it will not profit. 5. Even sufferings, and even those of the most grievous kind: If we give our bodies to be burnt, without charity, it profiteth nothing, Co1 13:3. Should we sacrifice our lives for the faith of the gospel, and be burnt to death in maintenance of its truth, this will stand us in no stead without charity, unless we be animated to these sufferings by a principle of true devotion to God, and sincere love to his church and people, and good-will to mankind. The outward carriage may be plausible, when the invisible principle is very bad. Some men have thrown themselves into the fire to procure a name and reputation among men. It is possible that the very same principle may have worked up some to resolution enough to die for their religion who never heartily believed and embraced it. But vindicating religion at the cost of our lives will profit nothing if we feel not the power of it; and true charity is the very heart and spirit of religion. If we feel none of its sacred heat in our hearts, it will profit nothing, though we be burnt to ashes for the truth. Note, The most grievous sufferings, the most costly sacrifices, will not recommend us to God, if we do not love the brethren; should we give our own bodies to be burnt, it would not profit us. How strange a way of recommending themselves to God are those got into who hope to do it by burning others, by murdering, and massacring, and tormenting their fellow-christians, or by any injurious usage of them! My soul, enter not thou into their secrets. If I cannot hope to recommend myself to God by giving my own body to be burnt while I have no charity, I will never hope to do it by burning or maltreating others, in open defiance to all charity.
"Love joins us to God, does all things in concord. In love, all the chosen of God were perfected. Apart from love, nothing is well pleasing to God." "Of its perfection there is no unfolding," it is said. "Who is fit to be found in it, except those whom God counts worthy?" To the point the Apostle Paul speaks, "If I give my body, and have not love, I am sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal." If it is not from a disposition determined by gnostic love that I shall testify, he means; but if through fear and expected reward, moving my lips in order to testify to the Lord that I shall confess the Lord, I am a common man, sounding the Lord's name, not knowing Him.
This Spirit, (according to the apostle's showing, ) meant not that the service of these gifts should be in the body, nor did He place them in the human body); and on the subject of the superiority of love above all these gifts, He even taught the apostle that it was the chief commandment, just as Christ has shown it to be: "Thou shalt love the Lord with all thine heart and soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thine own self.
It is a great gift to be able to speak in different languages. To speak with the tongues of angels is even greater. But in order to show that none of this can be ascribed to merit and that every tongue is subject to the glory of God, Paul adds that a man without love is like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.Balaam’s ass spoke a human language in order to demonstrate the majesty of God, and children sang the praises of Christ in order to confound the Jews. In fact the Savior went further and declared that even stones could cry out if necessary.
Moreover, also, this is comely and useful, that a man "visit orphans and widows," [James 1:27] and especially those poor persons who have many children. These things are, without controversy, required of the servants of God, and comely and suitable for them. This also, again, is suitable and right and comely for those who are brethren in Christ, that they should visit those who are harassed by evil spirits, and pray and pronounce adjurations over them, intelligently, offering such prayer as is acceptable before God; not with a multitude of fine words, well prepared and arranged, so that they may appear to men eloquent and of a good memory. Such men are "like a sounding pipe, or a tinkling cymbal;" [1 Corinthians 13:1] and they bring no help to those over whom they make their adjurations; but they speak with terrible words, and affright people, but do not act with true faith, according to the teaching of our Lord, who has said: "This kind goes not out but by fasting and prayer," offered unceasingly and with earnest mind.
And see whence he first begins; from that which was marvellous in their eyes and great, the gift of tongues. And in bringing forward that gift, he mentions it not just in the degree they had it in, but far more. For he did not say, "if I speak with tongues," but, "If I speak with the tongues of men,-" What is, "of men?" Of all nations in every part of the world. And neither was he content with this amplification, but he likewise uses another much greater, adding the words, "and of angels,-and have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal."
Dost thou see to what point he first exalted the gift, and to what afterwards he lowered and cast it down? For neither did he simply say, "I am nothing," but, "I am become sounding brass" a thing senseless and inanimate. But how "sounding brass?" Emitting a sound indeed, but at random and in vain, and for no good end. Since besides my profiting nothing, I am counted by most men as one giving impertinent trouble, an annoying and wearisome kind of person. Seest thou how one void of love is like to things inanimate and senseless?
Now he here speaks of the "tongues of angels," not investing angels with a body, but what he means is this: "should I even so speak as angels are wont to discourse unto each other, without this I am nothing, nay rather a burden and an annoyance." Thus (to mention one other example) where he saith, "To Him every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and things on earth, and things under the earth," he doth not say these things as if he attributed to angels knees and bones, far from it, but it is their intense adoration which he intends; also here he calls it "a tongue" not meaning an instrument of flesh, but intending to indicate their converse with each other by the manner which is known amongst us.
The tongues of angels refer to the different languages spoken on earth since the destruction of the tower of Babel. As Moses says in Deuteronomy [32:8]: “God has set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of angels.” It is therefore the task of each angel to defend the distinction of nations. The tongues of men on the other hand are languages which we learn; they do not come to us naturally.
Paul chooses speaking in tongues as his example because the Corinthians thought that it was the greatest of the gifts. This was because it had been given to the apostles on the day of Pentecost, before any of the others. The tongues of angels are those which are perceived by the mind, not by the ear.
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SUMMARY
First Corinthians 13:1 powerfully introduces the foundational truth that even the most extraordinary human eloquence and divine spiritual manifestations are rendered utterly meaningless and devoid of true value if they are not motivated, permeated, and expressed through genuine, self-sacrificial love. This verse serves as the arresting opening to Paul's profound discourse on the supremacy and nature of divine love, establishing it as the indispensable essence of all authentic Christian expression and spiritual efficacy.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul employs several potent Literary Devices to convey his message. The phrase "tongues of men and of angels" is a clear example of Hyperbole, an exaggeration used for emphasis. By imagining the most exalted form of speech, Paul underscores that even such a supreme ability is worthless without love. The core of the verse relies on a powerful Metaphor, comparing a person speaking without love to "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." This auditory imagery vividly portrays emptiness and discord. These instruments produce loud noise but lack melody, harmony, or intrinsic beauty. This Metaphor effectively communicates that spiritual gifts, when devoid of love, are mere clamor—impressive to the ear perhaps, but spiritually hollow and ultimately unproductive. The entire verse also functions as a Conditional Statement, setting up a stark contrast between impressive spiritual manifestations and the indispensable requirement of love, highlighting love's absolute supremacy.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse lays the theological cornerstone for understanding that God's primary attribute is love, and therefore, love must be the animating force behind all Christian life and ministry. It asserts that true spirituality is not measured by outward displays of power or eloquence, but by the inward reality of a heart transformed by and overflowing with divine love. Without this love, even actions performed in God's name, or with supernatural enablement, become hollow and ineffective in His eyes. This perspective reorients the church's priorities from self-aggrandizement through gifts to self-giving through love, reflecting the very nature of God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
First Corinthians 13:1 serves as a timeless and convicting mirror for every believer and every church. It compels us to look beyond the superficial and to examine the deepest motivations of our hearts. Are our words, our actions, our service, and even our most fervent spiritual expressions genuinely rooted in a selfless, Christ-like love for God and for others? This verse challenges the human tendency to prioritize performance, recognition, or impressive displays over the quiet, consistent, and often costly work of love. It reminds us that true spiritual impact and eternal value are not found in what we do or what gifts we possess, but in the spirit of love with which we do it. It calls us to cultivate a heart of agápē, recognizing that without it, our lives, however outwardly successful or spiritually gifted, risk becoming nothing more than a resonant but empty noise in the symphony of God's kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "tongues of men and of angels" mean?
Answer: "Tongues of men" refers to the miraculous ability to speak in various human languages without having learned them, as seen on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:4-11. "Tongues of angels" is generally understood as a hyperbole, an exaggerated expression to emphasize the highest possible, even heavenly or divine, form of communication. Paul is not necessarily saying that humans literally speak angelic languages, but rather that even if one possessed the most exalted and supernatural communicative ability imaginable, it would still be worthless without love. It highlights the ultimate insignificance of the gift itself compared to the character of the giver.
Why does Paul use the imagery of "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal"?
Answer: This imagery is a powerful metaphor to convey emptiness and discord. "Sounding brass" likely refers to a large gong or a resonant bronze instrument, while a "tinkling cymbal" refers to a small, clanging percussion instrument. These instruments produce loud noise but lack melody, harmony, or intrinsic beauty. Paul uses them to illustrate that spiritual gifts or eloquent speech, when devoid of love, are like mere clamor—loud and noticeable, but ultimately hollow, meaningless, and spiritually unproductive. They may attract attention but fail to edify, build up, or truly glorify God. This contrasts sharply with the harmonious and edifying purpose of spiritual gifts when exercised in love, as described in 1 Corinthians 14:26.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
First Corinthians 13:1 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the embodiment of the agápē that Paul extols. Jesus did not merely speak with eloquence; His entire life was a living demonstration of self-sacrificial love. From His humble birth to His obedient life and, supremely, to His death on the cross, every word and deed was permeated by divine love. The very essence of the Gospel is that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Christ's sacrifice was not a performance or a display of power for its own sake, but the ultimate act of agápē to reconcile humanity to God (Romans 5:8). He commanded His followers to love one another as He loved them (John 13:34-35), making love the distinguishing mark of His disciples. Therefore, when Paul declares that even angelic speech is nothing without agápē, he implicitly points to Christ, in whom all true spiritual power and expression are rooted in perfect, divine love, transforming empty noise into life-giving truth and redemptive action.