Article July 18, 1942 Issue

Bible Notes

[The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in these columns can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons. The Notes in this issue are related to the Lesson-Sermon designated to be read in Christian Science churches on August 2, 1942.]

"Charity" (I Cor. 13:1)—The Greek word "agape," which is uniformly rendered "charity" in our Common Version, in this verse and elsewhere in this chapter has the literal meaning of "love," and is thus translated in almost all modern versions of the Scriptures. In fact, it may be noted that in the early seventeenth century, when the Authorized Version was first published, "charity" was employed as a synonym for "love," following the usage of the Latin "caritas"—though today "charity" is more commonly used to describe "almsgiving."

"I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (I Cor. 13:1)—The Greek word translated "tinkling" usually implies a louder, more insistent sound than is suggested by this rendering, and, as Souter suggests, may be more closely represented by such words as "clanging" or "clashing." Then, too, the term rendered "brass" means more exactly "copper" or "bronze," and was often used to denote some sort of instrument, probably in this instance a "gong" made of this metal. Goodspeed suggests: "I am only a noisy gong or a clashing cymbal;" and Weymouth (Fifth Edition): "I am a blaring trumpet or a claning cymbal."

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