Barrett on love, and other things

CK Barrett comments on 1 Corinthians 13

We see but 'through a glass darkly':

Even in the Gospel man does not fully know God, and he ought not to deceive himself into thinking that he does; but God knows him, and this is the all-important truth, for when God knows, recognizes, man, he acts on our behalf...Man's knowledge is not only dependent on God's gracious initiative, it is at best partial.

But that, of course, doesn't reckon with faith, hope and love, which overcome imperfect knowledge. Barrett makes the interesting point that love is superior to faith and hope because God himself never needs to have faith or hope: these are human responses to divine words and acts. It is otherwise with love:

Love is an activity, the essential activity, of God himself, and when men love either him or their fellow-men they are doing (however imperfectly) what God does. (p. 311)