Knowledge and Love

It leaves behind. For the creation of the world's form shows that it is not the world itself that passes away, but rather the form of present life is being transformed, from corruption to incorruption: the cities, the walls, the laws, the agriculture, and the crafts. For these are like a certain form superimposed upon this life which undergoes change. Through this, the brevity of human life is made manifest, so that men might come to repentance, having wasted their lives and having despised the end of temporary things. And if it is good for those who possess marriage to have it as those who do not possess it, how much better is virginity? Let neither the sorrows of this life cast you down, nor let the things that seem like joys over-exult you; for all things here are temporary and do not stand. Form and a certain shape—like the cities, laws, agriculture, crafts, and trades of the world, of which there is much need—being changed from corruption into incorruption, shows therefore that not the world passes away, but the present form of the world.

He showed through this why he said, 'But I desire for you,' so that you might not empty your cares in things that do not remain. The following demonstrates this even more clearly. He provided the reason for which virginity is preferred to marriage; not because of the bed or the abstaining from the bed, but because the mind, which is filled with the cares of marriage, is occupied in godliness. I want you to be without anxiety, so that you might not empty your cares by being distracted by the needs of life that do not remain. Therefore also virginity is preferred to marriage, not because of the abstaining from the bed, but because it occupies the mind in piety.

Some suppose that he says he is acting unseemly regarding himself, whereas if anyone thinks he acts unseemly regarding his own virginity, it is not so. The following demonstrates this: for he says, 'So that he who divorces does well, and he who does not divorce does better.' But no one divorces himself, but is given by another.

It is better for this blessed one to remain in this state, for the one is for bodily rest, but the other is for a more perfect piety. This is stated for comparison: it is indeed blessed if she is married and has the protection of a man, but more blessed if, casting aside marriage, she is not married but occupies herself with God.

Since the Corinthians were eating things sacrificed to idols, saying that to us it is nothing to eat things sacrificed to idols—for we sanctify them by the name of Christ and eat—he shows that they alone will not be equal to the wise in knowing this, and says: we know that we all have knowledge. Thus, what you know, I know; but what you suffer, I do not suffer. This, that you know and I know, is not what must be considered; but what I know, that it is necessary not to eat because of the weak, this you do not know, but I know. Why then are you puffed up by a knowledge that does not possess as much as my knowledge? He proceeds: if anyone thinks he knows something among you, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know. Immediately, what I know, you do not yet know. But if anyone loves God, he has been known by Him. We, as far as we have become accustomed as humans to know, do not yet know anything. And what is the blessed thing? To love God and to be known by Him, not because He ignores those not loving, but because He makes the lovers His own; for knowledge is taken even unto making one's own, just as ignorance is unto making one a stranger, such as that which was said by the Lord, 'You went away, I never knew you.'

Since the Corinthians were saying: there is no idol, therefore we do not consider the sacrificial things, eating in the name of Christ rather than being harmed, he shows that not they alone as wise will be equal to this, but also others, that there is nothing sacred; so that what one knows, one knows, but what one suffers, one does not suffer. Such knowledge indeed puffs up and harms, if you know your own things, not to mention the other, that love builds up, for it is necessary for you because of love.