Fathers

1 Corinthians 13

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If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.

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What the Fathers say

1 Corinthians 13:2

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

Then, in order that his discourse may be acceptable, he stops not at the gift of tongues, but proceeds also to the remaining gifts; and having depreciated all in the absence of love, he then depicts her image. And because he preferred to conduct his argument by amplification, he begins from the less and ascends to the greater. For whereas, when he indicated their order, he placed the gift of tongues last, this he now numbers first; by degrees, as I said, ascending to the greater gifts. …

Homily on 1 Corinthians 32 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Not simple prophecy, but the very highest, and one that knows all mysteries. Note then: concerning tongues he said that there is no benefit from them, but concerning prophecy, that it knows all mysteries and all understanding. Lest, by enumerating the gifts one by one, he seem tedious, he passed on to the fountain and source of them all – to "faith," and moreover – "all" faith. Since the moving of mountains seemed to many a great thing, he mentioned this, and not because the whole of faith can accomplish only this. …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Ignatius of Antioch

Every one that teaches anything beyond what is commanded, though he be [deemed] worthy of credit, though he be in the habit of fasting, though he live in continence, though he work miracles, though he have the gift of prophecy, let him be in thy sight as a wolf in sheep's clothing, labouring for the destruction of the sheep. If any one denies the cross, and is ashamed of the passion, let him be to thee as the adversary himself. …

Epistle of Pseudo-Ignatius to Hero, a Deacon of Antioch ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, and if I have prophecy, he shows the same about things pertaining to knowledge. But it should be noted that above he proposed four charismatic graces pertaining to knowledge, namely, wisdom, knowledge, faith and prophecy. He begins here with prophecy, saying, if I have prophetic powers, through which secrets are divinely revealed, as it says in 2 Pt (1:21): "No prophecy every came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." Secondly, as to wisdom, he adds: and understood all mysteries, …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗