1 Corinthians 13

Friday, 9 January 2015

 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.  1 Corinthians 13:8

Paul now takes a new direction in his great discourse on love. He has been giving both positive and negative descriptions of love. They have been descriptions which define love and which are forever unchanging in the truth they convey. He will now contrast this with the nature of “gifts” which have been given to the individual members.

It must be remembered that this discourse on love is given based upon the previous discourse on gifts. He is specifically connecting the two issues to show the supremacy of love over that of gifts. Properly used gifts are dependent on love and will be based on love, but love is not dependent on gifts. As he closed out Chapter 12 he said, “And yet I show you a more excellent way.” The “more excellent way” is love.

And why is this true? It is true because love (which he has just been defining) “never fails.” The use of a gift is perfected in love, and when love is displayed in the use of a gift, it will always be used for the benefit of the entire body. “But whether there are prophecies, they will fail.” Prophecies, both foretelling and forth-telling, have their limits. There is a time when the gift of prophecy will be ended. There will be no more need for future prophetic utterances and there will be no need for searching the mysteries of the Bible and explaining them to others. When this time comes, love will still exist, for God is love.

Paul next tells  us that, “whether there are tongues, they will cease.” Tongues are a way of conveying information. At one time, there was but one language on earth. However, in order to effect His purposes for man in redemptive history, God divided the tongues of the people. There are now many languages and there is a need for tongues to be used to teach others the word of God, to build up those who speak a different language, and to unite churches into a cohesive body. However, some day, there will again be but one spoken language. The book of Zephaniah says that will occur among the Hebrew people during the millennium –

“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,
That they all may call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him with one accord.” Zephaniah 3:9

Eventually, all humanity will speak in one tongue again. When this occurs, there will be no need for instructing others. Tongues will cease.

Finally in this verse, Paul tells us that “whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” He speaks here of earthly knowledge. It is the knowledge possessed by the teacher who must then instruct his pupil. Again, let us remember that he is contrasting love with the possession of gifts. Teachers, scholars, pastors, etc., all possess certain knowledge which must then be shared with others in order for that knowledge to be assimilated by them. This type of knowledge will pass away. In its place will be the pure knowledge which was from before the creation of the world. There shall be no need for the “gift” of knowledge because we will be in the presence of the One in whom is all knowledge. We shall learn, for all eternity, the workings of God. Thus, the gift of knowledge “will vanish away,” but love will remain.

Life application: When all of our “gifts,” which are given by the Spirit for this earthly dispensation, are brought into the presence of the Lord, they will no longer be needed. In their place will come the perfection of all of those gifts, directly from the One who bestowed them. The wonders of heaven are beyond our ability to grasp, so let us cling to this now and share our temporary gifts in love and in harmony with those we fellowship with.

O God, because You are the Source of all things, then whatever thing I desire now originally came from You. These things are temporary, but You are eternal. And so I wait in expectation for that day when I shall see You. No greater desire can be fulfilled in my heart than that wondrous moment; a moment which will then last for all eternity. Thank You that this is possible because of the work of Jesus. All hail to You, O God, for this sure promise and this eternal hope. Amen.

Thursday, 8 January 2015

…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Continuing on with the attributes of love from the previous verses, Paul now mentions four more of them. First, it “bears all things.” This is the Greek word stegó. It means “to cover closely.” It is used in the idea of keeping water out. A well made rain-suit is designed to keep the contents within it dry. A ship’s hull is made in a way which keeps water out in order to keep it from sinking. We may wear a mask, or even a full-body suit, to cover ourselves if there are germs present. The idea here then is to not disclose the faults or troubles of others, but instead to cover them and protect them. To act in a loving manner means to bear the burdens of others willingly, keeping them tightly sealed in the process.

Love also “believes all things.” This small portion of the verse could be misread in a way which would lead an individual to a state of naiveté which is unintended. The best way to interpret Paul’s words here is that Christians should “give the benefit of the doubt” to others. When questioned about forgiveness, Jesus responded in the most gracious manner. The exchange is found in Matthew 18 –

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21, 22

However, Jesus always ties forgiveness in with repentance. Without repentance, one cannot truly forgive another anyway. And so there is a balance needed in such actions. In the case of love, there is to be an extra effort made to believe others in order to keep the bond of love alive.

Paul proceeds with the notion that love “hopes all things.” Rather than being gloomy and pessimistic about the future, about relationships, about finances, or any other issue, a truly loving person will demonstrate hope. God has made sure promises to His people and therefore we are to demonstrate hope in those promises, even when things seem to be falling apart around us. The reason for this is that a truly loving soul will, by their hopeful attitude, keep others afloat in the sea of hope as well. Without such an attitude, others will fall into their own gloom and depression.

Finally, Paul says that love “endures all things.” If the preceding attributes in this list last only a temporary time, then they have ultimately failed the test of love. Endurance is an ongoing and essential attribute for any display of love. To endure in love is, in and of itself, an aspect of true love. In enduring all things, complaints are avoided, help is provided, hope springs eternal, and comfort is given.

Life application: The essential thing about the love that Paul speaks of is that its attributes are volitional. They require more than just a temporary emotion, but rather they demonstrate a mental attitude which is of the will. It is as if a race is set before us and we prepare ourselves for it, start off with the right attitude, and persevere through the challenge as it unfolds before us. Such is the nature of love.

O Lord! How often love is thought of as an emotion which is separate from action. But in reading Your word, I see that it is a race, a challenge, and often a difficult sail on a stormy sea. Love requires me to be steadfast in my attitude, faithful in my relationships, and long-suffering in my demeanor. Help me to be the person that the Bible describes as truly loving. Help me to be a lamp of true love to those around me who need such a friend. Amen.

Wednesday, 7 January 2015

…does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 1 Corinthians 13:6

In this verse a contrasting thought is given. This is similar to how many of the proverbs are structured. For example –

“Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is favor.” Proverbs 14:9

This is a way of showing both a negative and a positive side of the same thing. In the case of love, it “does not rejoice in iniquity.” In other words, love doesn’t revel in that which is wicked. When someone does something perverse, harmful, or deceitful, a person who is truly loving won’t stand back and applaud what they have seen. By doing so, they will only bolster the wicked intent of the wrongdoer and propel them on to more wickedness. The only possible result of this is a bad end.

Love also doesn’t rejoice in the consequences of wickedness. When a person is punished for their wickedness, (a possible outcome of the previous scenario), there should be no reveling in their downfall, but rather mourning and a desire for their restoration. Such is the nature of a loving attitude, even towards those who have acted in iniquity.

In contrast to this is that love “rejoices” in the truth. Where there is truth, love will rejoice in it, even if it is a tough pill to swallow. If someone’s child has committed iniquity, a truly loving parent will be more satisfied in their conviction and punishment than that they “gotten away” with their wrongdoing. This doesn’t mean there is a pleased demeanor in their punishment (which would belie what Paul just said in the previous point), but that it is better to see iniquity punished than for it to continue.

Also in this thought, Paul’s words are more correctly stated that love “rejoices with truth.” In other words, love and truth are being personified. This is a common biblical way of demonstrating to us the very character of these traits in a way that we can then apply to ourselves. A good example of such personification is found in the 85th Psalm –

“Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.” Psalm 85:10

Life application: Paul’s words today, if properly applied to our lives, will often ask us to act in a nature contrary to what our initial emotions may hint at. We wish to protect those we love, even if it means keeping them from some type of correction that they deserve. But in this, we are only harming them, not truly helping them. It is better to have the consequences of one’s actions meted out than to find them in an even worse position later because they didn’t learn their lesson the first time.

Lord, the loving path to take is often the most difficult one. When someone we love needs correction, we often want to protect them from it. But in the end they will fail to learn the necessary lesson and they will be sure to repeat the same mistake again. If this happens, things may turn out even worse than before. So Lord, help us to act in true love at all times, even when it is painful or heartbreaking. We ask this that Your people will stand approved before You, mature and properly instructed in life. Amen.

Tuesday, 6 January 2015

…does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 1 Corinthians 13:5

Four more traits of the nature of true love are given from the pen of Paul in this verse. The first is that it “does not behave rudely.” If someone is truly loving toward another, there will be no improper conduct towards that person. There will be due respect for the individual regardless of societal class. There will be an attitude of care regardless of nationality. The amount of money or the type of home a person has won’t be a consideration in how that person is treated. There will always be a tone of decency and propriety in one’s conduct towards others. If these are lacking, then the true heart of love is also lacking.

Love also doesn’t “seek its own.” Instead of self-gratification, there will be a desire to look out for the benefit of others. How often do we attempt to ingratiate ourselves with someone who is well-known or who possesses a certain talent so that we can seem more esteemed in the eyes of another! This isn’t true love, but rather it is identification with someone for personal benefit. To seek the well-being of others for the sakes of their well-being, without any regard for self, shows that the heart is properly directed in that relationship.

Love is also “not provoked.” Some translations say “easily provoked” but this statement is in the absolute sense and so adding the adverb gives a false sense of Paul’s intent. True love overlooks faults, mistakes, misunderstandings, and the like. Rather than being offended or exasperated, love will stand firm and remain strong through the offenses which come from time to time. Love will not allow itself to be provoked.

Finally, Paul tells us that love “thinks no evil.” Instead of looking for others’ actions as suspect, and rather than finding “evil intent” in how people present themselves, love will accept the approaches of others in the best possible light unless there is a sound reason to consider them differently. This is not a naive attitude towards others, but it is giving them the benefit of the doubt in their conduct and actions.

Life application: There are times when we are to carefully consider the actions of others as being suspect. The Lord Jesus told us to be as “wise as serpents” in our interactions. And yet, we need to balance these considerations with a loving attitude. Because we cannot read the hearts and minds of others, we should give them the opportunity to demonstrate their faithfulness without being rude or curt in the process.

Lord, its hard to know the motives of others and misunderstandings can often arise which may cause unnecessary friction. Help me to be wise in my dealings with others, giving them the benefit of the doubt while at the same time not being naive in blindly accepting people who may have evil intent. Its a tough path to walk, but I know that with Your wisdom I will be ready to meet each person with the tools necessary to evaluate them in a loving way. So be with me in this I pray. Amen.

Monday, 5 January 2015

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 1 Corinthians 13:4

Starting in this verse, Paul will provide a host of the characteristics of love. Some will be passive, some will be active. Some will be positive, while others will be negative. They will provide contrasts, and they will provide parallel thoughts. By understanding love from these various angles, the perfections of love will be all the more evident, and those things which detract from love will be highlighted as well.

He is providing this list for the benefit of those in Corinth (and thus of us) particularly because several of these aspects have already been noted among the believers in this epistle. There has been jealousy, in-fighting, divisions, and a puffed-up attitude which he has had to correct. By defining true love, he will highlight what does and doesn’t meet the description.

And so his list begins with “Love suffers long and is kind.” Suffering is a passive action; being kind is an active one. Suffering long is something that requires perseverance, while being kind requires continued attention. He next says that “love does not envy.” If someone achieves something great, those who exhibit love will not be jealous of their accomplishment, even if it is something they themselves had strived for. Rather than envy, rejoicing will be demonstrated.

Paul next says that “love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.” Parading is showing off. If one truly loves, there is no need to put that love into the spotlight of life. Rather, the very nature of love is evident without ostentation. Being puffed up indicates pride and boasting. If we do something for another person in a true spirit of love, there is no need to sound out the deed for others to see. There will also be no desire to hold that deed over the person, reminding them of what was accomplished for them. Rather, the deed is rendered and it is not brought up again by the doer.

Life application: A life which is truly loving will demonstrate that state in a volitional manner. Even when tensions exist, they will continue to willingly place the perfections of love before those things which would be a hindrance to them. Occasionally coming to 1 Corinthians 13 and contemplating its words is a good way to always keep these precepts at the forefront of one’s mind.

Heavenly Father, Your word describes love in detail and how to be loving toward others. But it also shows us this by example, especially in how You deal with Your creatures. Your pure love is on display from the first moments of man’s walk on earth, right through to the promises which are given for all eternity yet to come. And all of it is centered on the giving of Your Son to show us Your very heart. Help me to be like Christ in my love towards others – firm in hating sin, compassionate towards the repentant, and willing to forgive when forgiveness is due. Thank You for hearing my prayer.  Amen.