Biblica - Vol 90 (2009) Malone, Andrew S., Burn or Boast? Keeping the 1 Corinthians 13,3 Debate in Balance (2009)

The textual variant of 1 Corinthians 13,3 continues to attract debate. Recent surveys argue that there is a modicum of interest in preferring “boast” over the traditional “burn”. This short note demonstrates that support for “boast” is far more widespread than may be realised. Yet, at the same time, a number of recent philological studies demonstrate that “burn” may not be as grammatically inadmissible as is sometimes claimed. The note suggests that the debate is far from won for either option.