The ecstatic gifts (verse 1 ) are worthless. Equally so are
the teaching gifts (prophecy, knowledge of mysteries, all
knowledge). Crasis here in kan=kai ean. Paul is not condemning
these great gifts. He simply places love above them and essential
to them. Equally futile is wonder-working faith "so as to remove
mountains" (h(9373)te or(8820)methistanein) without love. This may have
been a proverb or Paul may have known the words of Jesus ( Mt
17:20 21:21 ). {I am nothing} (outhen eimi). Not outheis,
nobody, but an absolute zero. This form in h rather than d
(ouden) had a vogue for a while (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 219).
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