John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 13:3

"And if I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing." — 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ASV)

And if I should expend all my possessions. This, it is true, is worthy of the highest praise, if considered in itself. But since liberality in many cases proceeds from ambition—not from true generosity—or because even the man who is liberal lacks the other aspects of love (for even liberality that is inwardly felt is only one aspect of love), it may happen that a work, otherwise so commendable, indeed has a fair appearance in the sight of men and is applauded by them, yet is regarded as nothing in the sight of God.

And if I should give up my body. He speaks, undoubtedly, of martyrdom, which is an act that is the most commendable and excellent of all. For what is more admirable than that invincible fortitude of mind, which makes a man not hesitate to pour out his life for the testimony of the gospel?

Yet even this, too, God regards as nothing if the mind lacks love. The kind of punishment that he mentions was not then so common among Christians. For we read that tyrants at that time set themselves to destroy the Church, rather by swords than by flames, except that Nero, in his rage, also resorted to burning.

The Spirit appears, however, to have predicted here, by Paul’s mouth, the persecutions that were coming. But this is a digression.

The main truth in the passage is this: since love is the only rule of our actions and the only means of regulating the right use of the gifts of God, nothing, in its absence, is approved by God, however magnificent it may be in the estimation of men.

For where it is lacking, the beauty of all virtues is mere tinsel—is empty sound—is not worth a straw—indeed, is offensive and disgusting.

As for the inference which Papists draw from this—that love is therefore of more avail for our justification than faith—we will refute it later. At present, we must proceed to notice what follows.