How can you ever tire of reading this passage? I think it's the simplest, truest, most profound thing ever written by a human being. I have read it literally thousands of times, and it still reduces me to tears. It was read at a friend's daughter's wedding over the weekend, and I was a blubbering fool. I'm nearly always a basket case at weddings anyway (including my own, many years ago ... but that's another story) ... throw in Corinthians 13, and I'm useless for hours. I tell my friends that whenever I attend a wedding, hurry and buy stock in Kleenex ...
I don't like it. Well, I do, but not in the same way other people do. When it is read at weddings, it is taken out of context. Love that two people share ni a relationship can be agape, but it is almost always never as perfect as Paul has it. My finacee and I are not using it. John 11:35; often rendered as "Jesus wept" I'd say is more powerful. 1 Corinthians 13 arries all of this emotional baggage from its overuse at weddings. I don't mean to be overly critical, but I am a bit of a cynic when it comes to these Romantic visions of Christianity.
It's probably one of the best things in St.Paul. I can't see why it should be considered particularly suitable for weddings though.
I don't think I said anything about a "romantic vision of Christianity". I was simply saying that I love this passage. That's all. I can't see why it should be considered particularly suitable for weddings though. You don't think a monumental statement about love is suitable for weddings?
I don't think it's about romantic love between man and woman but something much more universal. You have to look at the whole of ch.13 to get the meaning.
Too bad all the people who include this wonderful passage as part of their wedding vows didn't consult you first. They must not have "got" the meaning, either.
I was giving my opinion. I am sorry you do not agree [well, not really. We are all entitled to our opinions] and seem to have taken some sort of offence. This verse really just doesn't do anything for me emotionally. By "Romantic christianity" I mean a Christianity that is all bluebells and gumdrops and everything is so nice and perfect. Christianity is a messy messy religion. I think the best thing St Paul wrote was "If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?". Who cannot love a little bit of "where would be the smelling?"
Do many couples combine eros and agape love in their relationship? No. Is that combination a formula for success in marriage? Absolutely. If not everyone at a ceremony gets the subtle nuances of the imperfect translation from Greek to English, whose fault is that?
I agree with you, it is truly amazing! As for using it at a wedding, I don't see why not, why shouldn't you feel this way toward your mate? If you should try to feel this way toward all mankind, why shouldn't you make a special effort to apply it in your own home, toward your own family?
Is it overused? Yes. Is it one of the most important passages in the bible? Yes. I completely agree with you caliente. It's beautiful.
I also agree. Amidst persecution from the Romans, the fact that not only 1 Corinthians 13, but the whole Bible has lived on for us to read and live by is an amazing thought. Paul was dealing with a heavily divided church in Corinth, who needed to hear the truth about Love. Paul tempers his reprimand with the most important thing (actually the last four chapters of 1 Corinthians are amazing). The greatest of these is Love.
