I. What Love Isn’t Vs. 1-3
A. Eloquence Is Not Love V. 1
1. Tongues- a language or dialect. A means of verbal communication.
2. Tongues of men
a. Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues…
b. See Acts 2:1-12. “Other (heteros) tongues”. Human language unknown to the speakers but spoken to God as praise.
3. Tongues of angels- See 1 Corinthians 14:1-5. Apparently, a non-human language.
4. Paul may have listed tongues first because it seems like such a spectacular gift, and one where a person could become puffed up and seem spiritual; but eloquence of any kind without love is just noise. Our communication is to be done with agape love.
B. Prophecy, Knowledge, And Faith Are Not Love V. 2
1. In verse 1, Paul spoke of the gifts of the tongue; now he speaks of gifts of the mind, intellect, and soul. Those intangible parts of us that God can use.
2. These gifts are incredibly valuable and beneficial within the Body of Christ, but they can be practiced without any love towards the people whom they are to benefit.
3. In Numbers 23:7-12, we read about the King of Moab who hired Balaam to prophesy doom over the Israelites, but he was unable to do so, though he tried. Instead, he told the king how to set a snare for the Israelites. He had a God ordained gift, but no love.
C. Generosity And Martyrdom Are Not Love V. 3
1. Jesus warned about giving without love.
Matthew 6:1, 2 Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
2. It is possible to die for a cause, but only hope that you are well remembered.
3. God does not reward that kind of motivation, though one would give his life.
II. What Love Is And Does
A. What Love Is Vs. 4-8a
1. 4Love suffers long and is kind-to suffer long, but with kindness, not resentment.
2. love does not envy-doesn’t resent someone’s good fortune, wishing it was yours.
3. love does not parade itself-love does not play the braggart.
4. is not puffed up-to feel superior, to be arrogantly proud.
5. 5does not behave rudely-love doesn’t behave improperly.
6. does not seek its own- love isn’t selfish, but is others centered.
7. is not provoked-not prone to violent anger; maintain calmness in insult or injury.
8. thinks no evil-not a fault finder; not one who plans evil or revenge.
9. 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth-don’t enjoy finding fault or hearing of other people’s failures.
10. 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things
11. 8Love never fails-love doesn’t lose its power or effectiveness.
B. What Love Does Vs. 8b-10
1. V. 8-Paul speaks of some of the wonderful gifts that God has given to His church.
a. These gifts are useful for evangelism, instruction, edification, but they will not be needed in Heaven. They are spiritual gifts to be used while we are here on Earth.
b. But the need for those gifts will end when we are in God’s presence.
2. V. 9-In our pilgrimage on Earth, we do have a certain degree of knowledge and we do speak forth the word of God (prophesy) to a limited degree.
a. We are able to partially understand the things and ways of God here and now.
b. We are able to describe those things in a limited fashion here and now.
3. V. 10-When I am in God’s presence, I will not need prophecy or tongues, and I will reach the maximum of my ability to understand God.
a. There are some Christian churches that are called Cessationist churches.
b. They don’t believe that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today.
c. They interpret “that which is perfect” as referring to the completion of the Bible.
d. They reason that since we have the Bible, those supernatural gifts are no longer needed. I disagree.
e. 1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the prot of all…
f. I believe that the church still needs to be profited by the exercising of those gifts through God’s people.
4. Paul seems to be making the following application:
a. Some of the Corinthians felt better than others within the church.
b. Paul explained that none of us should feel superior because of the gifts and ministries that we have. It’s all by God’s design.
c. Also this: those gifts will be unneeded when “that which is perfect has come”. Those gifts that caused spiritual pride will one day pass away, but love will never pass away
d. Therefore, love is more important than gifting.
III. Moving On To Maturity Vs. 11-13
A. Outgrowing Spiritual Immaturity V. 11
1. Paul used an illustration that we all understand.
2. Children say childish things, they have limited understanding, and immature thinking.
3. They put misplaced importance on unimportant things.
4. But when they grow up, their value system changes.
5. This seems to be pointed at the Corinthians, and their childish behavior in exalting gifting and calling over the supremacy of love.
B. Paul’s Mature Conclusion Vs. 12, 13
1. We have limited understanding and limited appreciation of spiritual things now, partly because we cannot see truth as clearly as we will one day.
2. It is as though we are looking through a dirty window or looking at a dirty mirror.
3. We can see some things now, but not as clearly as will when we are in God’s presence.
4. V. 12-Know, known-to know by experience.
a. Christians experience some of God now, but not as much as we will in the future.
b. Part of our life with God in this life is assumed, imagined, supposed, etc.
c. We read the Bible and try to imagine some things that we have not experienced.
d. But in Heaven, it will be all in real time, and all by experience.
5. V. 13-One day, faith and hope will no longer be needed, because we will be in Heaven.
6. But love is the greatest because it will be eternally experienced.
1:4-8 They were enriched in so many ways. A blessed, gifted, equipped church.
1:10-13 Divisions in the church. They followed their favorites Christian leaders.
Paul- The elderly father figure. The founder of the church.
Apollos- gifted in speech, from Alexandria, where eloquence was highly valued.
Cephas/Peter- the one who walked on water. Big personality, fiery as one of the 12.
1:26-29 They gloried in men. Instead, they should glory in the Lord.
3:1-4 They loved to follow their favorite church leaders. Celebrity pastors.
3:18-23 They gloried and boasted in men. It was worldly wisdom, and a worldly value system.
4:1,6 They needed to change their way of thinking regarding who and what they boasted in.
5:1-13 They not only tolerated sexual immorality in their church, but they also boasted about their “tolerance”.
6:1-11 They were suing each other in secular courts of law. Instead, they should have settled disputed within the church, by appealing to wise, mature Christian leaders.
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
6:12-20 They ate food at pagan temples where religious prostitution took place.
7:1-40 Principles of marriage.
8:1-13 Eating food sacrificed to idols. Some did so, not being concerned about fellow Christians to whom such an act was a stumbling block. They were more concerned with eating a good steak than with the emotional/spiritual well-being of other Christians.
9:1-27 They became critical of Paul their founding pastor.
10:1-33 They were not careful about eating meat sacrificed to idols. Some of them ate that meat at the pagan temples and were tempted sexually when they did so.
11:17-22 They were divided among themselves during their Agape feasts. They rich people ate scrumptiously, while the poor ate poorly. Some of them were getting drunk at these meals.
They did not discern the solemnity of communion, and God was disciplining them through illness and premature death.
12:1-30 They needed instruction on spiritual gifts. They exalted some gifts (and people) over others.
Some people felt unimportant and not a part of the Body.
Others felt exalted and believed that they did not need the weaker members of the church.
Read 12:15-26; 27-31