1 Corinthians 13:11
in 1 Corinthians 13When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.
KJV
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 13
Commentary
16 notes on this verse"When I was a child"—that is, fresh from committing to memory the first elements of the divine Word—"I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But now that I have become a man"—that is, and am hastening to attain the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ—"I have put away the things of a child."
This site's exposition
When I was a child
on 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
When I was a child, I talked like a child, and the figure explains the passing of the partial, childhood outgrown when the mature state of verse 10 arrives. Verse 12 fixes the time: Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror, di esoptrou en ainigmati, then we shall see face to face. Face to face means unmediated presence, and to know fully, even as I am fully known, is knowledge no book on a shelf confers.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"When I became a man," again Paul says, "I put away childish things." It is not incomplete size of stature, nor a definite measure of time, nor additional secret teachings in things that are manly and more perfect, that the apostle, who himself professes to be a preacher of childishness, alludes to when he sends it, as it were, into banishment; but he applies the name "children" to those who are under the law, who are terrified by fear as children are by bugbears; and "men" to us who are obedient to the Word and masters of ourselves, who have believed, and are saved by voluntary choice, and are rationally, not irrationally, frightened by terror.
In this life we are children, compared with what we shall become in the next life. For everything in this life is imperfect, including knowledge.
"When I was a child," he says, "as a child I spake, as a child I understood; but when I became a man, those (things) which had been the child's I abandoned: " so truly did he turn away from his early opinions: nor did he sin by becoming an emulator not of ancestral but of Christian traditions, wishing even the precision of them who advised the retention of circumcision.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child; but now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things." Next he points out also how great is the distance between the two, and that our deficiency is no small one.
And the expression, "When I was a child, I thought as a child, I spoke as a child," points out his mode of life according to the law, according to which, thinking childish things, he persecuted, and speaking childish things he blasphemed the Word, not as having yet attained to the simplicity of childhood, but as being in its folly. "When I became a man," again Paul says, "I put away childish things." It is not incomplete size of stature, nor a definite measure of time, nor additional secret teachings in things that are manly and more perfect, that the apostle, who himself professes to be a preacher of childishness, alludes to when he sends it, as it were, into banishment; but he applies the name "children" to those who are under the law, who are terrified by fear as children are by bugbears; and "men" to us who are obedient to the Word and masters of ourselves, who have believed, and are saved by voluntary choice, and are rationally, not irrationally, frightened by terror.
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
And the expression, "When I was a child, I thought as a child, I spoke as a child," points out his mode of life according to the law, according to which, thinking childish things, he persecuted, and speaking childish things he blasphemed the Word, not as having yet attained to the simplicity of childhood, but as being in its folly.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Having said that with the coming of the perfect "that which is in part" will be done away with, he at the same time presents an example by which he explains how great the difference is between present and future knowledge. For now we are …
Then when he says: When I was a child, he clarifies what he had said above: first, he clarifies the major, namely, with the coming of the perfect the imperfect ceases; secondly, he clarifies the minor, namely, that knowledge and prophecy are imperfect (v. 12). …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In our present state we are mere infants in point of knowledge, compared to what we shall be hereafter. I put away childish things - Of my own accord, willingly, without trouble.
When I was a child I spake as a child,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
When I was a child - The idea here is, that the knowledge which we now have, compared with that which we shall have in heaven, is like that which is possessed in infancy compared with that we have in manhood; and that as, when we advance in years, we lay aside, as unworthy of our attention, the views, feelings, and plans which we had in boyhood, and which we then esteemed to be of so great importance, so, when we reach heaven, we shall lay aside the views, feelings, and plans which we have in this life, and which we now esteem so wise and so valuable.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
When . . . a child-- (1Co 3:1; I spake--alluding to "tongues." understood--or, "had the sentiments of." Alluding to "prophecy." I thought--Greek "reasoned" or "judged"; alluding to "knowledge." when I became . . .
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
When I was a child - This future state of blessedness is as far beyond the utmost perfection that can be attained in this world, as our adult state of Christianity is above our state of natural infancy, in which we understand only as children understand; speak only a few broken articulate words, and reason only as children reason; having few ideas, little knowledge but what may be called mere instinct, and that much less perfect than the instinct of the brute creation; and having no experience. But when we became men-adults, having gained much knowledge of men and things, we spoke and reasoned more correctly, having left off all the manners and habits of our childhood.
Modern Voices1 voice
The mature Christian seeks to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτε | hote | When | G3753 → | 103 times |
| ἤμην | emen | I was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| νήπιος, | nepios | a child, | G3516 → | 15 times |
| ἐλάλουν | elaloun | I was speaking | G2980 → | 294 times |
| ὡς | hos | like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| νήπιος, | nepios | a child, | G3516 → | 15 times |
| ἐφρόνουν | ephronoun | I was thinking | G5426 → | |
| ὡς | hos | like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| νήπιος, | nepios | a child, | G3516 → | 15 times |
| ἐλογιζόμην | elogizomen | I was reasoning | G3049 → | 40 times |
| ὡς | hos | like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| νήπιος· | nepios | a child; | G3516 → | 15 times |
| ὅτε | hote | when | G3753 → | 103 times |
| γέγονα | gegona | I became | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἀνήρ, | aner | a man, | G435 → | 216 times |
| κατήργηκα | katergeka | I have done away with | G2673 → | 27 times |
| τὰ | ta | the [things] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νηπίου. | nepiou | child. | G3516 → | 15 times |
ὅτεWhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
ἤμηνI was
emenG1510 →2333 times
νήπιος,a child,
nepiosG3516 →15 times
ἐλάλουνI was speaking
elalounG2980 →294 times
ὡςlike
hosG5613 →500 times
νήπιος,a child,
nepiosG3516 →15 times
ἐφρόνουνI was thinking
ephronounG5426 →
ὡςlike
hosG5613 →500 times
νήπιος,a child,
nepiosG3516 →15 times
ἐλογιζόμηνI was reasoning
elogizomenG3049 →40 times
ὡςlike
hosG5613 →500 times
νήπιος·a child;
nepiosG3516 →15 times
ὅτεwhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
γέγοναI became
gegonaG1096 →667 times
ἀνήρ,a man,
anerG435 →216 times
κατήργηκαI have done away with
katergekaG2673 →27 times
τὰthe [things]
taG3588 →19766 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
νηπίου.child.
nepiouG3516 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 14:20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
- Matthew 18:3
“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 2:6
Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
- 2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
- 1 Peter 2:2
Through
Ecclesiastes 11:10So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- 2 Timothy 2:22
Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
- Ecclesiastes 1:2
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Basil of Caesarea, CONCERNING FAITH; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on First Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 34; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; R. C. Sproul, Love and Maturity: What the Corinthians Got Wrong; Tertullian, On Modesty; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.