Chapter 12 teaches us about the different gifts which God has given to the church for the benefit of all.
Chapter 14 teaches us about the excercise of those gifts within the assembly of Christians.
Chapter 13 speaks to us about the condition of our hearts as we excercise the gifts that God has given to us.
It speaks to us of the higher priority of love over ability, and love over actions.
Chapter 13 is where the blacksmith takes the tools of chapter 12, heats, tempers, and shapes them in love, and then goes on and teaches about how to use those tools in Chapter 14.
Eros- love between the sexes; physical love; love between a husband and wife.
This is where we get the word erotic from.
This word was used in Classical Greek writings, but was kept back from being used in the N.T.
The word had been so abused by the cultures of the day, that it seems as though God would not permit that word to be used in the Holy Scriptures.
Phileo- the love of friends. Kindly, friendly affection. To be contented with, denotes having a common interest. Used in the N.T.
Agape- love that is all-absorbing, that completely dominates one’s whole being.
This type of love indicates a direction of the will, and finding one’s joy in something.
Benevolent love- an inclination to do good; expressed in acts of kindness.
Speaks of doing what is deemed as best for someone, rather than simply doing what they want.
Supreme love to God, and universal good will towards men.
God, in seeing the need of a savior for humanity, sent his only Son.
That was the need for the people of this earth, but it left God being very misunderstood by many.
Agape love , then, oftens runs the risk of being misunderstood, unappreciated, and unreturned, but it is love given for the benefit of others, not for the benefit of self.
God’s agape love was a willful choice to send His Son as a Savior, because that was what the people needed, though they might not have necessarily wanted that.
This is the word used in this chapter.
The word agape is used to describe the nature of God.
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Agape is used to describe the love that God has for us, and for that the love that we should have, and do have, for Him.
Agape is the word used to forbid the Christian to love the things of the world.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
A person can wholly devote themselves over to the things of this world, and instead of having complete and wholehearted devotion to God, they can have a complete and wholehearted devotion to the things of this world.
The Christian is warned against this.
Mat 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (possesions, earnings, material goods)
This type of benevolent, all consuming love, comes from God.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Rom 5:5 ….the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Agape love, then is one of the characteristic features of the Christian.
It is a proof of one being born-again.
It is evidence of the inward working of the Holy Spirit.
It is evidence of a person who is in fellowship with God, and knows God.
In verses 1-3, we see the unique value of love.
13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
If a person can speak in a spiritual utterance, or with great human eloquence, and they are not a person who loves, then their gifting means very little in the eyes of God.
We are warned not to substitute mere talent for love.
A sounding brass or a clanging cymbal may or may not mean anything.
A tumpet may sound a battle cry, and a call to retreat.
A cymbal may contribute to a symphony, but out of place, is offensive.
The only value of these instruments is that they are used rightly, and in their place.
They must have meanings, proper notes, and proper timing to them, or else they are more of a hindrance and distraction than anything else.
When used apart from the direction of the orchestra conductor, they not only lack I contributing to the common good, but actuall do damage to the whole.
Apart from meaning and purposed assigned to them, they are out of place when used w/o the good of others in mind.
So it is with any kind of human communication, whether spiritual, or more common.
W/o love, those things are out of place, offensive, potentially damaging, and do not contribute to the good of the whole.
W/o love, sensitivity to God, and the needs of others, would be missed, and the thing needed by the hearers may be overlooked.
That is why Paul gave such careful instructions not only about why, how, and where to use these speaking gifts,…
But also that as we use these gifts, it should be done for the benefit of others, and not for the thrill of hearing ourselves speak.
13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Gifting w/o love is a poor thing.
It is possible to have the gift of prophecy, and not have the love of God in your heart.
Prophecy is that forthtelling, or foretelling, the things of God.
It is divine, and given by God, and yet the person excercising the gift can be completely devoid of agape love.
Classic example- Balaam.
Num 23:7-12 Then Balaam uttered his oracle: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them! He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
2 Pet 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Rev 2:14 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
and though I have all faith- not saving faith, but the gift of special faith, to believe God in extraordinary circumstances.
It would be possible to have great faith in trusting God for difficult things, and yet be living a life lacking in love.
Special faith is no substitute for love.
13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
It is possible to practice acts of benefit towards others, but in your heart not be having agape love.
It is very possible to be giving to people and still have ulterior motives.
Mat 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.
It is possible to be so committed to an ideal, that you give your very life to gain it, but that is no proof of agape.
Many terrorists, soldiers, and misguided religious followers have died for causes they believed to be worthwhile.
Those types of suicides, and giving of one’s life can be very selfish in motive.
To gain something in after life; to be remembered as a hero, etc.
True acts of love seek no recognition in the giving of things, or of self.
In verses 4-7, we see the character of love
This description applies to the church at Corinth, as there were divisions and factions, as people followed individuals and personalities, and were divided from each other because of the spiritual gifts being excercised, and the differing positions in the body of Christ.
13:4 Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy; more than just jealousy, but the desire for the ill will of someone who has something that you wish you had. You are upset with their good fortune, and wish they were not so fortunate. You seek to undermine their good fortune, and their well being.
Some may have felt that their gifts were inferior. See 12:14-17
Love could remedy that problem.
love does not parade itself, – does not play the braggart
is not puffed up; – others may have thought that their gifts, and their position in the church made them superior to others.
Refers to- 1 Cor 4:6,7
13:5 does not behave rudely, Refers to 11:17-24
does not seek its own, Refers to 8:9-13
is not provoked, Not prone to violent anger; not of a character to be hasty; is able to maintain a calmness in the face of insult and injury.
Chapter 12 teaches us about the different gifts which God has given to the church for the benefit of all.
Chapter 14 teaches us about the excercise of those gifts within the assembly of Christians.
Chapter 13 speaks to us about the condition of our hearts as we excercise the gifts that God has given to us.
It speaks to us of the higher priority of love over ability, and love over actions.
Chapter 13 is where the blacksmith takes the tools of chapter 12, heats, tempers, and shapes them in love, and then goes on and teaches about how to use those tools in Chapter 14.
Eros- love between the sexes; physical love; love between a husband and wife.
This is where we get the word erotic from.
This word was used in Classical Greek writings, but was kept back from being used in the N.T.
The word had been so abused by the cultures of the day, that it seems as though God would not permit that word to be used in the Holy Scriptures.
Phileo- the love of friends. Kindly, friendly affection. To be contented with, denotes having a common interest. Used in the N.T.
Agape- love that is all-absorbing, that completely dominates one’s whole being.
This type of love indicates a direction of the will, and finding one’s joy in something.
Benevolent love– an inclination to do good; expressed in acts of kindness.
Speaks of doing what is deemed as best for someone, rather than simply doing what they want.
Supreme love to God, and universal good will towards men.
God, in seeing the need of a savior for humanity, sent his only Son.
That was the need for the people of this earth, but it left God being very misunderstood by many.
Agape love , then, oftens runs the risk of being misunderstood, unappreciated, and unreturned, but it is love given for the benefit of others, not for the benefit of self.
God’s agape love was a willful choice to send His Son as a Savior, because that was what the people needed, though they might not have necessarily wanted that.
This is the word used in this chapter.
The word agape is used to describe the nature of God.
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Agape is used to describe the love that God has for us, and for that the love that we should have, and do have, for Him.
Agape is the word used to forbid the Christian to love the things of the world.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
A person can wholly devote themselves over to the things of this world, and instead of having complete and wholehearted devotion to God, they can have a complete and wholehearted devotion to the things of this world.
The Christian is warned against this.
Mat 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (possesions, earnings, material goods)
This type of benevolent, all consuming love, comes from God.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Rom 5:5 ….the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Agape love, then is one of the characteristic features of the Christian.
It is a proof of one being born-again.
It is evidence of the inward working of the Holy Spirit.
It is evidence of a person who is in fellowship with God, and knows God.
In verses 1-3, we see the unique value of love.
13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
If a person can speak in a spiritual utterance, or with great human eloquence, and they are not a person who loves, then their gifting means very little in the eyes of God.
We are warned not to substitute mere talent for love.
A sounding brass or a clanging cymbal may or may not mean anything.
A tumpet may sound a battle cry, and a call to retreat.
A cymbal may contribute to a symphony, but out of place, is offensive.
The only value of these instruments is that they are used rightly, and in their place.
They must have meanings, proper notes, and proper timing to them, or else they are more of a hindrance and distraction than anything else.
When used apart from the direction of the orchestra conductor, they not only lack I contributing to the common good, but actuall do damage to the whole.
Apart from meaning and purposed assigned to them, they are out of place when used w/o the good of others in mind.
So it is with any kind of human communication, whether spiritual, or more common.
W/o love, those things are out of place, offensive, potentially damaging, and do not contribute to the good of the whole.
W/o love, sensitivity to God, and the needs of others, would be missed, and the thing needed by the hearers may be overlooked.
That is why Paul gave such careful instructions not only about why, how, and where to use these speaking gifts,…
But also that as we use these gifts, it should be done for the benefit of others, and not for the thrill of hearing ourselves speak.
13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Gifting w/o love is a poor thing.
It is possible to have the gift of prophecy, and not have the love of God in your heart.
Prophecy is that forthtelling, or foretelling, the things of God.
It is divine, and given by God, and yet the person excercising the gift can be completely devoid of agape love.
Classic example- Balaam.
Num 23:7-12 Then Balaam uttered his oracle: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them! He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
2 Pet 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Rev 2:14 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
and though I have all faith- not saving faith, but the gift of special faith, to believe God in extraordinary circumstances.
It would be possible to have great faith in trusting God for difficult things, and yet be living a life lacking in love.
Special faith is no substitute for love.
13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
It is possible to practice acts of benefit towards others, but in your heart not be having agape love.
It is very possible to be giving to people and still have ulterior motives.
Mat 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.
It is possible to be so committed to an ideal, that you give your very life to gain it, but that is no proof of agape.
Many terrorists, soldiers, and misguided religious followers have died for causes they believed to be worthwhile.
Those types of suicides, and giving of one’s life can be very selfish in motive.
To gain something in after life; to be remembered as a hero, etc.
True acts of love seek no recognition in the giving of things, or of self.
In verses 4-7, we see the character of love
This description applies to the church at Corinth, as there were divisions and factions, as people followed individuals and personalities, and were divided from each other because of the spiritual gifts being excercised, and the differing positions in the body of Christ.
13:4 Love suffers long and is kind;
love does not envy; more than just jealousy, but the desire for the ill will of someone who has something that you wish you had. You are upset with their good fortune, and wish they were not so fortunate. You seek to undermine their good fortune, and their well being.
Some may have felt that their gifts were inferior. See 12:14-17
Love could remedy that problem.
love does not parade itself, – does not play the braggart
is not puffed up; – others may have thought that their gifts, and their position in the church made them superior to others.
Refers to- 1 Cor 4:6,7
13:5 does not behave rudely, Refers to 11:17-24
does not seek its own, Refers to 8:9-13
is not provoked, Not prone to violent anger; not of a character to be hasty; is able to maintain a calmness in the face of insult and injury. Refers to 6:1-11
thinks no evil; plots no evil, not disposed to finding fault
13:6 does not rejoice in iniquity,
Does not rejoice in the sins of self, or in the sins of others. Refers to 5:1-13
Many people enjoy finding fault, or hearing of faults and sins in other people’s lives.
Love does not have a mailicious pleasure in hearing the reports of naother man’s sins or failings.
The Christian should grieve over the sins, shortcomings,and faults of others
Read 2 Samuel 1:17-24
but rejoices in the truth; love rejoices in the virtue, piety, and goodness of others.
Love does not rejoice in the vices of others, but in the virute of others.
Rejoices in the success of others, in regards to the advancement of the kingdom of God.
thinks no evil; plots no evil, not disposed to finding fault
13:6 does not rejoice in iniquity,
Does not rejoice in the sins of self, or in the sins of others. Refers to 5:1-13
Many people enjoy finding fault, or hearing of faults and sins in other people’s lives.
Love does not have a mailicious pleasure in hearing the reports of naother man’s sins or failings.
The Christian should grieve over the sins, shortcomings, and faults of others
Read 2 Samuel 1:17-24
but rejoices in the truth; love rejoices in the virtue, piety, and goodness of others.
Love does not rejoice in the vices of others, but in the virute of others.
Rejoices in the success of others, in regards to the advancement of the kingdom of God.