Love Chapter: The Meaning of First Corinthians 13

First Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter," is often read and rarely followed. Early Christian theologian, John Chrysostom, called the “golden-mouthed” one for the eloquence of his preaching, offers these reflections on a most important portion of the New Testament. Now available in a popular contemporary English translation for the first time.

St. Paul was the first to really define love. St. John Chrysostom unpacks it.

Born in Antioch to a fairly well-educated family, John became a hermit, living a life of silent prayer. He committed most Scripture to memory. When poor health forced him to return to Antioch, his gift with words, now purified by years of silent meditation on God’s Word, came alive again. John, ordained a priest, began to preach in Antioch’s cathedral. People came and the word began to spread: this preacher is “Chrysostom,” golden-mouthed.   This has become one of my favorite books, and has helped me come to a much better understanding of Christ's selfless love that all Christians should seek to emulate in all aspects of life.  -- 5-star Amazon review

John Chrysostom (347-407) was born in Antioch to a fairly well-educated family. Early on, John became a hermit, living a life of silent prayer. He committed most of the Scripture to memory. When poor health forced him to return to Antioch, his gift with words, now purified by years of silent meditation on God’s Word, came alive again. John, ordained a priest, began to preach in Antioch’s cathedral. People came and the word began to spread: this preacher is “Chrysostom,” golden-mouthed. In 397, against his will and knowledge, he was nominated Patriarch of Constantinople, the capital of the Empire. As bishop, John Chrysostom dealt more with politics than pastoral ministry and overstepped his boundaries by removing bishops from office in Ephesus which was outside his jurisdiction. As a result of this, he was eventually exiled to a village in the Black Sea (but received much support from the Christian community) and lived out his final years in exile there.

Frederica Mathewes-Green writes mostly about the Eastern Orthodox Church. She and her family converted in 1993, and her husband, Fr. Gregory, is pastor of the church they founded near Baltimore. A widely published author of 10 books and hundreds of essays in such diverse publications as the Washington Post, Smithsonian, and the Wall Street Journal, she has been a regular commentator for NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Los Angeles Times Book Review. She is a columnist for the Religion News Service, Beliefnet.com, and Christianity Today, and a podcaster for Ancient Faith Radio. She lives with her husband, the Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, in Johnson City, TN. Their three children are grown and married, and they have fourteen grandchildren.