1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Introduction:
1. As long as there are human beings in the church, issues will arise.
2. Two key principles separate the Lord’s people from the rest:
a. Striving to live in harmony with God and our neighbors (Acts 24:16).
b. Laboring to restore the harmony when it is broken (Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-18).
3. Both of these demand we give love its proper place in our lives (Matthew 22:34-40).
Discussion:
I. The Prominence of Love
A. In 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul addressed their abuse of spiritual gifts.
B. There had to be a better way (1 Corinthians 12:31).
C. 1 Corinthians 13 sets forth the better way as love surpasses all the gifts in value (vv. 1-3).
D. Apart from being used for love’s aims, the gifts were useless to the ones exercising them.
II. The Permanence of Love
A. As useful as miraculous gifts were in their time, they had a limited scope and duration.
B. In 13:8-13, Paul further established love’s supremacy based on its durative nature.
C. Whereas all those miraculous abilities would fade when revelation was complete, love would never cease.
III. The Manifestations of Love
A. Since love is so central to faithfulness to God, it is imperative to know what it is and does.
B. The modern view of love is clearly anemic when compared to God’s description here.
C. Love is/Does:
1. Patient: “long-tempered or taking a long time to become angry” (Price); “to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others” (Thayer).
2. Kind: a present tense verb; “Paul did not describe love as kind, that is, as only an attitude; rather, he stated that love performs deeds of kindness” (Complete Bible Library).
3. Rejoices with the truth: “rejoice with, take part in another’s joy” (Thayer; cf. 12:26).
4. Bears all things: “to protect or keep by covering, to preserve” (Thayer: cf. 1 Peter 4:8; Colossians 3:14).
5. Believes all things: not gullibility but seeing the best in others until proven otherwise.
6. Hopes all things: “to put one’s expectation and trust for the future in someone or something, to hope for something to come to pass, or to expect to be able to do something” (CBL).
7. Endures all things: originally a military term meaning “sustain the assault of the enemy” (CBL).
D. Love is/does not:
1. Envious: lit. to burn with zeal; here it means to resent another for what he/she has.
2. Parade/vaunt itself: parade= “make a pompous show”, vaunt= “to make a vain display of one’s own worth or attainments” (Webster).
3. Puffed up: arrogant, proud; this inner pride is the root of parading oneself.
4. Behave rudely/unseemly: disgracefully, dishonorably (Gingrich and Danker).
5. Self-seeking: cannot coexist with love.
6. Easily provoked: opposite of long-suffering.
7. Think evil: “Taketh no account of evil” (ASV); lit. does not keep a record of wrongs done.
8. Rejoice in iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:12).
Conclusion:
1. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35)
2. I couldn’t say it better, so we will leave it at that.