1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians: 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the epistle of St. Paul to the church at Corinth. It is on the subject of love, principally the love that Christians should have for God. In the original Greek the word agape (worshipful love) is used throughout; this was translated as charity in the King James version and then into love in more recent translations.
Common readings
The passage is one of the most common readings used in weddings. It is also sometimes used in funerals, for example Princess Diana's in 1997, where the passage was read by Tony Blair. [1]
Notable passages and cultural references
1 Corinthians 13:12 contains the phrase
For now we see through a glass, darkly.
which has inspired the titles of many works. It was adopted as the title of Ingmar Bergman’s 1961 film Through a Glass Darkly, adapted as the title of Philip K. Dick’s 1977 novel A Scanner Darkly,[2] and Sheridan Le Fanu's ghost story In a Glass Darkly. The phrase was also the inspiration for the title of the Isaac Asimov anthology Through a Glass, Clearly, the Star Trek: Enterprise two part episode In a Mirror, Darkly, and the Rolling Stones' compilation album Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2). In the film The Passion of Darkly Noon, we learn that the protagonist is named after this passage in the bible.
There are two other passages from 1 Corinthians: 13 which have been notably influential; namely, verse 11: "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" (KJV); and verse 13, in praise of the Theological virtues.
Cultural references involving the entire chapter
George Orwell's 1936 novel Keep The Aspidistra Flying quotes the King James version of the text with one alteration: the word "charity" has been replaced by "money" throughout.[3]
An abridged version of 1 Corinthians: 13, sung in Greek, forms the text of the Song for the Unification of Europe in the acclaimed film Three Colors: Blue.
The American General George S. Patton Jr. wrote a Poem called "Through a Glass, Darkly" which is spoken by an eternal soldier. The line from Corinthians is used in the third last stanza:
So as through a glass, and darkly The age long strife I see Where I fought in many guises, Many names, but always me.
Links
Full Chapter on BibleGateway.com
References
- ^ Diana's funeral (CNN) Retrieved 20-Jun-2006
- ^ Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly, Vintage Books, 1991, p. 212.
- ^ Keep the Aspidistra Flying preface (project Gutenberg) Retrieved 12-Oct-2006