…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7
As we bring this study of what love is and does to a close, Paul gives us a quartet of positive attributes concerning the behavior of love. Each step along the way, we see love addressing all the issues of life. If we embrace it in its biblical sense, love will create the best life on this earth culminating in eternal life with the Lord. In the context of 1 Corinthians, the disunity they were suffering demanded the attitudes and actions true, biblical love generates if they would resolve these issues. This remains true of all our current issues.
These four attributes of love work in harness. The first and the fourth have to do with patiently enduring difficulties in life. The second and third are catalysts for the pursuit of said endurance. Love bears all things. The word used here has a couple of significant uses, both of which apply to the circumstances in view. The first is to keep confidential or pass over a wrong in silence. It means that when we are wronged, we neither gossip nor pop off over it. As much as possible, we keep it between the two of us (cf. Matthew 18:15-20). This does not imply turning a blind eye to wrongs done, but it indicates an attitude devoid of intent to retaliate and/or harm the one who originally wronged us. The second indicates the willingness to bear up in the face of difficulties. With the next two attributes in view, it seems most of what Paul is addressing is wrongs done by our peers.
Love believes all things and hopes all things. These two have to do with the mindset we hold towards those who may have wronged us or otherwise made things difficult for us. At first glance, it may appear that this is indicative of gullibility, as if we should just believe whatever one presents. However, this will not square with other passages of
Scripture which plainly call for a critical evaluation of the things people present (Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). The thrust of this attribute is that love assumes the best about others until they prove otherwise. A cynical view of others is antithetical to Christian love. This can be difficult, especially when someone has done wrong or what we perceive to be wrong. We must remember though, even the best among us is prone to falling. Before we believe the worst about someone, we must practice Matthew 18:15-20 to learn their true intentions. Then and only then do we determine their intentions are amiss.
Love hopes all things indicates a mindset that is convinced that the offending party will rise to the occasion when properly informed and challenged. As a former teacher of mine said, “People will generally do as well as they are taught and challenged.” If we believe the best of others, we will live in hope that they will in fact prove our belief in them right. Though some will inevitably let us down, we must continue in the same belief and hope. Often, we will find that things turn out as they should if we do these things. If they do not, we know we did our part, and we know the Lord is pleased with us for so doing.
Love enduring all things is very similar to love bearing all things and suffering long (vs. 4). The distinction in meaning is most likely in this word’s emphasis on duration. The word is a compound Greek word hupomenei from hupo: under and menei to remain. When taken together, it means to remain under. In this case, to remain under a weight of any sort while others may go away from it (BDAG). Those who love in the way the Lord does are not quick to run from heavy situations, though we all have a natural inclination to do so.
When we bundle all these attributes of love together, we become people who are given to the selfless pursuit of the good of all. To accomplish this task, we must be patient, kind, positively inclined towards one another, willing to endure hardships without giving up, all because we love as the Lord would have us to love.