1 Corinthians 13

The Greatest of These is Love

We are now at 1 Corinthians 13. As I said last week, it is one of the most famous and quoted scripture passages in the Bible. Often done at weddings, it is known as the love chapter. In this chapter, Paul lays out his argument. The “better way” he mentioned in the previous verse is love. Not just any kind of love either – specifically agape or God’s love. In this study we will explore why love is the better way and why we can’t walk as a believer without it. Keep in mind the previous chapters’ context, which was the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Since this is a letter that did not originally have chapter and verse, Paul is continuing his thought.

Vs. 1-3 If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Has anyone ever been to a symphony or band concert? I have been to many, and I love to sit back and listen to the beautiful music of Mozart, Copland, Bach or Mauler. One of my favorite concerts was in London sitting in the balcony of St. Martin-in-the-fields. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #3 rose from the stage in gorgeous harmony and I gloried in it’s beauty. But what if it had been a gong and a bass drum banging without rhythm or harmony? What then? Would I have been as impressed? Not really. Yes, I would have loved the beautiful surroundings of the church, but the clanging sound of the gong and drum would have been less than impressive. In fact, I would have left (quickly) feeling out of sorts and unsatisfied. In the same way, without love, the gifts are just a gong and drum banging away in a beautiful space where everyone is fleeing to get away from the ghastly sound. The church must walk in love, serve in love, use the gifts in love and speak in love. There is nothing to gain if we do not have love.

Vs 4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Paul then spells out just what agape love is. For this I have done a bit of a word study. I know, I know, so many Greek words here! But, I think you will find it really helps to understand the deeper meanings of these words and thus, helps us understand the deepness of God’s love for us, and the deepness of the love we need to show. So let’s begin. First love is patient. The Greek word for patient is makrothumeó, which means to extend a long time or way. In order to love, our patience must be extended a long way out. Psalm 86:15 says, “But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth. “In the same way, we are to show that same compassion and graciousness to those around us. The next word is love is kind. The Greek word for kind is chrésteuomai, which is one word that means both kind and good. It’s not just about being kind to someone, but it denotes showing one’s self useful or benevolent. A kindness that creates relationship. Next we find that love is not envious. The Greek word for envy is zēlóō. It is a interesting word that is actually onomatopoetic. This is a word that evokes the actual sound of the thing it refers to, kind of like the word tick-tock sounding like a clock. In this case, it sounds like boiling water. So the word means to boil over or to be jealous. Are you jealous of the gifts given to others? I know I can be at times. The thing I have found about jealousy over the years it it incapacitates us and we don’t use the gifts we have been given. Next, love is not boastful. The Greek word for boastful is perpereuomai, which means to act as a braggart, or someone who needs all the attention. Do you know someone like that? Love cannot be about me, me me. The gifts are given for those receiving the love, not so you can say “see what I have!” It’s like a husband who buys flowers for his wife. Did he do it because he loves her or to score points? Love is also not conceited. The Greek word for conceited is phusioó which means to puff or blow up. That is a great picture word. It’s reminds me of the phrase “his heads so big he can’t fit through the door!” Love does not acting improperly. The Greek word for not act improperly is aschémoneó, which means to lack proper form and so is thought of as unseemly or indecent. We must ask the question, “are we using the gifts God has given us in the proper way?” Do we respect those around us? Next we find that love is not selfish. The Greek word for not selfish is actually two words. First zéteó, which means to seek and then heautou, which means him/herself. Put together it is to seek for one’s self. It is similar to bragging and wanting all the attention, but goes deeper because you are only thinking of what you can get from someone else. Next we find that love does not provoke. The Greek word for not provoked is paroksýnō which is from pará, “alongside” and oxys, “a sharp edge”. So it means to jab someone and stimulate their feelings. Several years ago, I was at a friends house eating dinner. I knew he had a strained relationship with his dad, but it was then when I discovered why. The father knew every single button to push, and he pushed them a little jab at a time, until my friend couldn’t take it anymore. I think it can be easy to push people’s buttons – it’s like a lot of clanging cymbals! Finally, love doesn’t keep records of wrongs. Interestingly, the Greek word for keeps records of wrongs is logízomai which is the root of the word logic. It means to compute or “take into account”. Do you know someone who keeps records of all the things you’ve done wrong? It’s not someone you want to be around very much. As we look at these in the context of the gifts of the spirit, we see these gifts are to be used out of the same love as the One who bestowed them on us in the first place.

The words above deal with who are you, and how do you express love to others. There will be some things you may need to work on. I know I could use some work on my patience at times! The next few deal with where your heart is, or more specifically who’s your heart is. Do you govern your own heart, or does God direct your ways? Are you allowing God to show you how to use the gifts He’s given you, or do you use them in a selfish manner? Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Do you seek after righteousness? Do you rejoice in the truth? It says you find no joy when you are unrighteous. God calls us into a deeper relationship with Him, one that seeks after righteousness and truth. When we begin to do this, then we find we can do the next four things. First, do you bear all things? The Greek word is stegó and refers to placing things under a roof to cover. God shows us his tremendous love by being our shelter and refuge. In the same way, we are to cover others – be their protection. Second we are to believe all things? The Greek word pisteuó is to have faith in and to entrust. Have you entrusted your heart to the one who will never let you down? In the same way, can others trust that you will use God’s gifts for Him? Third is to hope in all things. The word hope in Greek is elpízō. It is word describing the active waiting for God’s fulfillment in your life through the power of His love. We can put our hope in God because He will fulfill us. We will be fully satisfied in Him. We can trust that He will empower us with the gifts we need at the right time. Finally endure all things. The Greek word is hypoménō and it means to remain under the load. God is steadfast and will never leave us nor will He ever forsake us. Are we as steadfast? I believe the only way we can be these last four things is to walk deeply with God. It is only through His power that we can truly love as He loves and walk as He walked. And that is what He is calling us to do. The two most important commandments are these: Love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul and mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. We cannot do the 2^nd commandment unless we do the 1^st. Last, I want to point out that each of these end with the phrase “all things”. There is no room to say, endure until… or believe unless… And this is why we can end with Love never ends. God’s love will never come to an end. But there are things that will.

Vs 8-10 But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.

All these other things will come to an end one day. There will not be a need for prophecies or languages or knowledge. But – there will always be love. God is eternal and His love is never ending. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son… His love was shown further on the cross in His willingness to die for us. Right now, we only know in part and right now we have a need for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are demonstrations of the love of God to us and to those around us. But there will come a day when they are no longer needed. When is that? When we are in the presence of the One who is Perfect and who’s love is everlasting. Until then, there is a need for the gifts we have been given. As long as there is a need for them, there is also a call for us to use them in love – just as Christ first loved us.

Vs 11-13 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain:faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Finally, Paul puts things into perspective. Right now, we have a need for the gifts, but that will not always be the case. This is not to say that as we mature as Christians we can put away the gifts. No, until the Lord comes, we will need the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is showing us that we see things in part – as in a mirror. In this day and age, this phrase may not make much sense. Mirrors now are crystal clear and we can see a true image, but, back in Paul’s day, mirrors were not so clear. Interestingly, the city of Corinth was famous for producing some of the best bronze mirrors in antiquity, but at their best, they couldn’t give a really clear view of things. It was always going to be somewhat distorted. We have these wonderful gifts and, used in love, we can show the world the love of God. But – it will only be when we are face to face that we will truly see God’s all encompassing love. In fact, 1 John 3:2 tells us when we get to heaven, we shall see Him as He is. When all is said and done, the gifts will pass, my body will pass, today will pass, but faith, hope and love will never pass. They will remain for all time – and the greatest of these is love.