1 Corinthians 13:11

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.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

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.

BSB

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.

KJV

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

ASV

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.

BBE

When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.

Original Greek

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ὅτε hote When G3753 ἤμην ēmēn I was G1510 νήπιος nēpios a child G3516 ἐλάλουν elaloun I was speaking G2980 ὡς hōs like G5613 νήπιος nēpios a child G3516 ἐφρόνουν ephronoun I was thinking G5426 ὡς hōs like G5613 νήπιος nēpios a child G3516 ἐλογιζόμην elogizomēn I was reasoning G3049 ὡς hōs like G5613 νήπιος nēpios a child G3516 ὅτε hote when G3753 δὲ de now G1161 γέγονα gegona I became G1096 ἀνήρ anēr a man G435 κατήργηκα katērgēka I have done away with G2673 τὰ ta the [things] G3588 τοῦ tou of the G3588 νηπίου nēpiou child G3516

The early church

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child; but now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things." Next he points out also how great is the distance between the two, and that our deficiency is no small one.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on 1 Corinthians

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 8–13

Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men! Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us. To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another. Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, 1Jo 4:8, 16. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.

Read Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 13 →

Cross-references

4

Topics

ChildrenWisdom

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.