1 Corinthians 13, Omniscience and Hyperbole?

[GoldenKingGaze]

Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and reference to self sacrifice, all knowing and angelic tongues, I challenge that this is not hyperbole or exaggeration as some think.

Particularly looking at this word of the apostle Paul exegetically. That what Paul meant then limits what what Paul and that passage can mean to us now.

Paul being an ancient man could not have meant to refer to the modern concept of "omniscience". In saying that he may have the the ability of prophecy to look into mysteries. The people he addressed at that time knew him and that he could reveal their secret thoughts, of sins and other good thoughts towards edification... when he preached to them live. That over time Paul could penetrate all mysteries with prophecy.

In the second place, Paul mentions Roman punishment that really happened, people being burned to death, and angelic languages used by men and women on Earth.

Here is the definition of Omniscience:

Having infinite understanding awareness and insight.
Possessed of universal or complete knowledge.

This definition came to exist as theology developed and is a modern idea. Not first century.

Here is part of ESV 1 Corinthians 13:
1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind

Here are some other scriptures about the same thing:
Exo_35:31 (BBE) And he has made him full of the spirit of God, in all wisdom and knowledge and art of every sort;
Job_15:8 (BBE) Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Rom 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Eph 1:8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

Col 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Point being, this is not hyperbole or exaggeration.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi @GoldenKingGaze, I believe that Paul was expressing the utmost importance of love/of our being loving towards others as Christians in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. IOW, what he is saying is that no matter how great our faith may be and/or how great our knowledge and understanding of the faith is, all that we do and say as Christians is meaningless if it is not expressed towards others through love.

Paul goes on (in v4-8a) to describe what love looks like (in a practical sense), what it is/how it should be expressed (patience and kindness being first and foremost), and even how it should 'not' be expressed and why (love never rejoices in unrighteousness because it only/always rejoices with the truth).

As for your question regarding omniscience where we are concerned, I'm afraid that I'm not following you. God alone is omniscient.

--David
p.s. - I thought I'd include the entire passage here for the sake of the discussion.

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
.​

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Hi @GoldenKingGaze, I believe that Paul was expressing the utmost importance of love/of our being loving towards others as Christians in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8). IOW, what he is saying is that no matter how great our faith may be and/or how great our knowledge and understanding of the faith is, all that we do and say as Christians is meaningless if it is not expressed towards others through love.

Paul goes on (in v4-8a) to describe what love looks like (in a practical sense), what it is/how it should be expressed (patience and kindness being first and foremost), and even how it should 'not' be expressed and why (that love never rejoices in unrighteousness because it only/always rejoices with the truth).

As for your question regarding omniscience where we are concerned, I'm afraid that I'm not following you. God alone is omniscient.

--David
p.s. - I thought I'd include the entire passage here for the sake of the discussion.

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails...
.​

Yes it is surely in the greater context of the chapter about love as beyond gifts... as the main Christian quality. In the context of chapter 12-14 spiritual gifts are in view, like prophecy and tongues prayer. The least is tongues, which even so, to add emphasis, Paul wished they all had in use.

I am focusing on the claim Paul was exaggerating and claiming in exaggeration and hyperbole, that even omniscience would not matter, without love. As some claim. But I am saying Paul had no concept of this modern word "omniscience". What it means now depends only on what he meant then, which is the gift of prophecy not omniscience. It is a list of great things to emphasise love, not hyperbole.

 

[St_Worm2]

I am focusing on the claim Paul was exaggerating and claiming in exaggeration and hyperbole, that even omniscience would not matter, without love. As some claim. But I am saying Paul had no concept of this modern word "omniscience". What it means now depends only on what he meant then, which is the gift of prophecy not omniscience. It is a list of great things to emphasise love, not hyperbole.

Hi again GoldenKingGaze, I'm never looked into that (how much Paul actually understood in this case, IOW) because it has little to do with what is being taught in Chapter 13 (except as Hyperbole to further drive home the point that he was teaching us, IMHO).

Along with gift of prophesy (or perhaps alongside of it, in context), Paul also mentions knowing "all" mysteries and knowledge, so it seems to me that he has/is expressing at least a partial sense of what omniscience is (though again, I do not believe Divine omniscience is ever the thing that's in view here).

Of course, in v9, he makes his meaning a little clearer for us, yes? (I knew that I should have posited all 13 verses from Chapter 13 above, so I went back and did so, just FYI) Here is v9.

1 Corinthians 13
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.​

--David

 

[Acts2:38]

Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and reference to self sacrifice, all knowing and angelic tongues, I challenge that this is not hyperbole or exaggeration as some think.

Particularly looking at this word of the apostle Paul exegetically. That what Paul meant then limits what what Paul and that passage can mean to us now.

Paul being an ancient man could not have meant to refer to the modern concept of "omniscience". In saying that he may have the the ability of prophecy to look into mysteries. The people he addressed at that time knew him and that he could reveal their secret thoughts, of sins and other good thoughts towards edification... when he preached to them live. That over time Paul could penetrate all mysteries with prophecy.

In the second place, Paul mentions Roman punishment that really happened, people being burned to death, and angelic languages used by men and women on Earth.

Here is the definition of Omniscience:

Having infinite understanding awareness and insight.
Possessed of universal or complete knowledge.

This definition came to exist as theology developed and is a modern idea. Not first century.

Here is part of ESV 1 Corinthians 13:
1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind

Here are some other scriptures about the same thing:
Exo_35:31 (BBE) And he has made him full of the spirit of God, in all wisdom and knowledge and art of every sort;
Job_15:8 (BBE) Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Rom 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Eph 1:8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

Col 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Point being, this is not hyperbole or exaggeration.

Hi again GoldenKingGaze, I'm never looked into that (how much Paul actually understood in this case, IOW) because it has little to do with what is being taught in Chapter 13 (except as Hyperbole to further drive home the point that he was teaching us, IMHO).

Along with gift of prophesy (or perhaps alongside of it, in context), Paul also mentions knowing "all" mysteries and knowledge, so it seems to me that he has/is expressing at least a partial sense of what omniscience is (though again, I do not believe Divine omniscience is ever the thing that's in view here).

Of course, in v9, he makes his meaning a little clearer for us, yes? (I knew that I should have posited all 13 verses from Chapter 13 above, so I went back and did so, just FYI) Here is v9.

1 Corinthians 13
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.​

--David

I think whats being overlooked here, is that Paul is talking about gifts and such as that they had then. "Omniscience" was not spoken of or referred to by Paul. I would like to point out 1 Corinthians 12 to help bring perspective on what Paul is talking about when you reach chapter 13.

They call chapter 13 the "Love" chapter. I would say he is comparing love with gifts. Not God like Omnisciences

 

[Acts2:38]

Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and reference to self sacrifice, all knowing and angelic tongues, I challenge that this is not hyperbole or exaggeration as some think.

Particularly looking at this word of the apostle Paul exegetically. That what Paul meant then limits what what Paul and that passage can mean to us now.

Paul being an ancient man could not have meant to refer to the modern concept of "omniscience". In saying that he may have the the ability of prophecy to look into mysteries. The people he addressed at that time knew him and that he could reveal their secret thoughts, of sins and other good thoughts towards edification... when he preached to them live. That over time Paul could penetrate all mysteries with prophecy.

In the second place, Paul mentions Roman punishment that really happened, people being burned to death, and angelic languages used by men and women on Earth.

Here is the definition of Omniscience:

Having infinite understanding awareness and insight.
Possessed of universal or complete knowledge.

This definition came to exist as theology developed and is a modern idea. Not first century.

Here is part of ESV 1 Corinthians 13:
1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind

Here are some other scriptures about the same thing:
Exo_35:31 (BBE) And he has made him full of the spirit of God, in all wisdom and knowledge and art of every sort;
Job_15:8 (BBE) Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Rom 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Eph 1:8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

Col 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Point being, this is not hyperbole or exaggeration.

Hi @GoldenKingGaze, I believe that Paul was expressing the utmost importance of love/of our being loving towards others as Christians in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. IOW, what he is saying is that no matter how great our faith may be and/or how great our knowledge and understanding of the faith is, all that we do and say as Christians is meaningless if it is not expressed towards others through love.

Paul goes on (in v4-8a) to describe what love looks like (in a practical sense), what it is/how it should be expressed (patience and kindness being first and foremost), and even how it should 'not' be expressed and why (that love never rejoices in unrighteousness because it only/always rejoices with the truth).

As for your question regarding omniscience where we are concerned, I'm afraid that I'm not following you. God alone is omniscient.

--David
p.s. - I thought I'd include the entire passage here for the sake of the discussion.

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
.​

I went around searching for commentaries. Just informational if you want to read it.

Study Guide for 1 Corinthians 13 by David Guzik


C2000 Series on 1 Corinthians 13 by Chuck Smith

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13 by Matthew Henry

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13 by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Hi again GoldenKingGaze, I'm never looked into that (how much Paul actually understood in this case, IOW) because it has little to do with what is being taught in Chapter 13 (except as Hyperbole to further drive home the point that he was teaching us, IMHO).

Along with gift of prophesy (or perhaps alongside of it, in context), Paul also mentions knowing "all" mysteries and knowledge, so it seems to me that he has/is expressing at least a partial sense of what omniscience is (though again, I do not believe Divine omniscience is ever the thing that's in view here).

Of course, in v9, he makes his meaning a little clearer for us, yes? (I knew that I should have posited all 13 verses from Chapter 13 above, so I went back and did so, just FYI) Here is v9.

1 Corinthians 13
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.​

--David

Paul lovingly focused on his mission and service and conversions and debates, rather than pure or abstract philosophy and theology. If he wanted he could deeply look into mysteries and ignore loving quests and choices, it would be a bit of a waste of time, but he could know more fully, pure insights. Paul was pushed for time. He only lived into his sixties. He was not at leisure, and he would prophesy practically into people's lives. Giving an individual what he or she needs. Full knowledge is not found in the Bible, but only will full revelation come when Christ returns.

 

[St_Worm2]

I think whats being overlooked here, is that Paul is talking about gifts and such as that they had then. "Omniscience" was not spoken of or referred to by Paul. I would like to point out 1 Corinthians 12 to help bring perspective on what Paul is talking about when you reach chapter 13.

They call chapter 13 the "Love" chapter. I would say he is comparing love with gifts. Not God like Omnisciences

Hi Acts2:38, I agree with you. Of course, the general sense that I get from 1 Corinthians is that there were a LOT of big problems that needed to be fixed in the Church at Corinth, among which was the Corinthian Christians' attempts use the gifts and knowledge that they received from God apart from love. We must never express the Christian faith (as ministers of/to the church/in our ministries to others) apart from love.

Happily, things seemed to improve there. See 2 Corinthians

--David

 

[St_Worm2]

I went around searching for commentaries. Just informational if you want to read it.

Study Guide for 1 Corinthians 13 by David Guzik

C2000 Series on 1 Corinthians 13 by Chuck Smith

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13 by Matthew Henry

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13 by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Thanks, I'll check them out

Thanks especially for pointing out the commentary by Chuck Smith (because I didn't realize that he'd written any)

 

[St_Worm2]

Full knowledge is not found in the Bible, but only will full revelation come when Christ returns.

I'm not sure that we will ever be privy to "full" knowledge, that the eternity to come will, in fact, be far to short of a period of time to know and understand everything that God does.

Of course, the knowledge that we now possess, as well all that we come to know in eternity, was never intended to be an end in itself, because I believe it's use will forever remain a principle means of deepening our understanding and awe of/relationship to the One who loves us and saved us as His very own

--David

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

I'm not sure that we will ever be privy to "full" knowledge, that the eternity to come will, in fact, be far to short of a period of time to know and understand everything that God does.

Of course, the knowledge that we now possess, as well all that we come to know in eternity, was never intended to be an end in itself, because I believe it's use will forever remain a principle means of deepening our understanding and awe of/relationship to the One who loves us and saved us as His very own

--David

From Near Death Experience studies, numerous reports come of people who had rapid and thorough access to all knowledge in the light of life. Still not omniscience and yet how much more a soul will have when glorified. Paul spoke of being taken up and hearing and seeing unutterable things, and his theology came out in bits in the letters and we do not know all he knew, but he regarded himself as only one seeing in a dim mirror, the truths.

 

[Radagast]

Paul being an ancient man could not have meant to refer to the modern concept of "omniscience".

Huh? Are you saying that Christian theology is a modern invention? That's simply not true.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Huh? Are you saying that Christian theology is a modern invention? That's simply not true.

Theology started being developed after Paul the apostle passed on. It has persisted into modern times. Our term Omniscience is modern and what scripture means is limited to the author's original intent.

 

[Radagast]

Our term Omniscience is modern

The term is Latin. The doctrine is Biblical.

what scripture means is limited to the author's original intent.

The Author of Scripture is God.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

The term is Latin. The doctrine is Biblical.



The Author of Scripture is God.

I am not disputing whether or not theology is Biblical. I am sure it is.

God used men to author scripture. The degree of light in the revelation of God's truth from Paul, is limited. If God were to speak directly to us, the revelation would be vastly greater. Point of this thread, partly about the revelation when Christ returns making prophecy and scripture obsolete. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12: When what is perfect comes...

 

[St_Worm2]

The degree of light in the revelation of God's truth from Paul, is limited. If God were to speak directly to us, the revelation would be vastly greater.

Hi again GoldenKingGaze, God did speak directly to us, both from on high through His prophets and His angels, as a man between His Incarnation and Ascension, and by every word that is written in the OT and the New. The Bible is composed of the "breathed" words of the Almighty .. 2 Timothy 3:16.

The human authors wrote the Bible in one sense, but God made sure that it said exactly what He wanted and needed it to say to us (the Holy Spirit superintending the entire process that included more than 40 human authors writing its various books and letters over a period of 1,500 years), so He is the true Author of the Bible in that sense, not men.

--David

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Hi again GoldenKingGaze, God did speak directly to us, both from on high through His prophets and His angels, as a man between His Incarnation and Ascension, and by every word that is written in the OT and the New. The Bible is composed of the "breathed" words of the Almighty .. 2 Timothy 3:16.

The human authors wrote the Bible in one sense, but God made sure that it said exactly what He wanted and needed it to say to us (the Holy Spirit superintending the entire process that included more than 40 human authors writing its various books and letters over a period of 1,500 years), so He is the true Author of the Bible in that sense, not men.

--David

I believe God's word is infallible truth. Although the copies have some small errors. People range in their thoughts of who Jesus is from an inspired man, to God and rightly some the God-man. Some think of the word as inspired others of it as perfect absolute truth straight from God Himself... The Jews gave some words more weight than others. I recall to me the greatest parts are when the word come straight out of the pillar of fire, about the coming Messiah. Jesus on Earth grew, and seemed to grow in knowledge, but said it was kept from him, as to when the second coming would be. Kenosis is why. Now that Jesus conquered death and is glorified he knows the day and hour of his return.

Jesus did things in life as a person, a man, so we could do the same things. Looking to the same Father in Heaven to imitate him.

When Jesus returns, prophecy will cease and we may not look down into Bibles. A greater revelation will be all around all people. Prophecy would be like a candle under the sun. So I quoted 1 Cor 13:9-12.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Paul the apostle himself had his revelation of God, and anointing teaching him. He saw and heard situations, he obeyed God and wrote first Corinthians... He knew what he was writing, it does not have a special meaning he was unaware of. What he meant, and in that time and culture, and what the readers understood, is all the books mean. Our latter terms like omniscience, as you say, from Latin, is taken from quotes all over scripture. I am sure Paul was not exaggerating to suggest he could even have omniscience, but was referring to over using prophecy. Prophecy to its' full extent is nothing without love.

 

[DamianWarS]

Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and reference to self sacrifice, all knowing and angelic tongues, I challenge that this is not hyperbole or exaggeration as some think.

Particularly looking at this word of the apostle Paul exegetically. That what Paul meant then limits what what Paul and that passage can mean to us now.

Paul being an ancient man could not have meant to refer to the modern concept of "omniscience". In saying that he may have the the ability of prophecy to look into mysteries. The people he addressed at that time knew him and that he could reveal their secret thoughts, of sins and other good thoughts towards edification... when he preached to them live. That over time Paul could penetrate all mysteries with prophecy.

In the second place, Paul mentions Roman punishment that really happened, people being burned to death, and angelic languages used by men and women on Earth.

Here is the definition of Omniscience:

Having infinite understanding awareness and insight.
Possessed of universal or complete knowledge.

This definition came to exist as theology developed and is a modern idea. Not first century.

Here is part of ESV 1 Corinthians 13:
1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind
...
Point being, this is not hyperbole or exaggeration.

If Paul was using hyperbole so was Christ. Paul connects "prophetic powers" to "understand all mysteries and all knowledge" which is what you pick up on, but he also connects "all faith" to "so as to remove mountains" amoung others. I'm sure you recall Mat 17:20 where Christ says "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

one common problem with both of these passages is there's no record (that I'm aware of) where a mountain is moved by faith. So either Christ and Paul are using hyperbole or they are drawing on the idea that through God there is an infinite amount of power. Since we know that the latter is true the problem is not the amount of power but rather combining the power with acts that are not birthed out of love.

So which part is the hyperbole? the amount of power or the power with the wrong focus? I suggest it is the latter as Christ himself says that nothing is impossible with God Paul is only using similar ideas to bring attention to a different point which is the need of love not the amount of power. I would say the more difficult thing to accept is power from the HS without love, but the unlimited potential should be uncontested.

 

[SkyWriting]

Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and reference to self sacrifice, all knowing and angelic tongues, I challenge that this is not hyperbole or exaggeration as some think.

Particularly looking at this word of the apostle Paul exegetically. That what Paul meant then limits what what Paul and that passage can mean to us now.

Paul being an ancient man could not have meant to refer to the modern concept of "omniscience". In saying that he may have the the ability of prophecy to look into mysteries. The people he addressed at that time knew him and that he could reveal their secret thoughts, of sins and other good thoughts towards edification... when he preached to them live. That over time Paul could penetrate all mysteries with prophecy.

In the second place, Paul mentions Roman punishment that really happened, people being burned to death, and angelic languages used by men and women on Earth.

Here is the definition of Omniscience:

Having infinite understanding awareness and insight.
Possessed of universal or complete knowledge.

This definition came to exist as theology developed and is a modern idea. Not first century.

Here is part of ESV 1 Corinthians 13:
1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind

Here are some other scriptures about the same thing:
Exo_35:31 (BBE) And he has made him full of the spirit of God, in all wisdom and knowledge and art of every sort;
Job_15:8 (BBE) Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?

Rom 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Eph 1:8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

Col 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Point being, this is not hyperbole or exaggeration.

Paul was struck blind for 3 days by Jesus. This happens to all true believers. Right?