1 Corinthians 13 (Nasb)

Corinth was destroyed about 146 BC and was rebuilt by Julius Caesar in about 46 BC. They’re a mix of Italians, Jews and Orientals. Latin was the official language, but koine Greek was spoken. It was a maritime city, and was famous for bronze and tile as well. About 600,000 people lived there, which is about the size of Milwaukee or Albuquerque. Statues to 100s of gods lined the streets and there were hundreds of white robed priests. Some of the gods were Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite and Dionysus. It was one of the most sinful cities. Chapter 5 mentions incest. Chapter 7 is about staying celibate, perhaps because he thought the end was coming soon. Chapter 8 is about food offered to idols. (c/o Corinth: Problems of an Urban Church by Rev. Robert Hetico)

“Paul was addressing the Corinthians corporately, not as individuals.” (Jack Deere, Surprised by the Voice of God, p. 241)

Don’t forget the Old Testament has a lot of major (big books) prophets and minor (small books) prophets. Here are some examples:

Deuteronomy 29:29 - “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Job 15:8 - “Do you hear the secret counsel of God, and limit wisdom to yourself?”

Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.”

Psalm 25: 14 “14 The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him”. Will we keep His secrets?

1 Corinthians 13 Verse 1. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love (Strong’s #27, whole chapter, 116x in NT, Paul used it 75x), I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. We need a balance of the gifts and fruit in

Galatians 5:22– love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

Verse 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

“Prophecy is declaring the heart throb of God to His Church for the purpose of edification. It is not a skill or aptitude or talent. It is the actual speaking forth of words given by the Spirit in a particular situation and ceases when the words tease (James Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit, p. 229).

Dunn, in his book Jesus and the Spirit (p. 233), suggests that discernings of spirits forms a pair with prophecy and should not be thought of as an independent gift, but rather a test for prophetic utterance and a control against its abuse. It certainly is this, but it appears that it may have a broader application." (c/o John Wimber)

Verse 3 And if I give (like bread crumbs) all my possessions to feed the poor (like asceticism , and if I surrender my body to be burned (like the martyrs in Dan 3, etc.; early manuscripts “that I may boast”) but do not have love, it profits me nothing. There are about 10000 martyrs/ year per the BBC.

Here is a famous marriage passage:

Verse 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag (is humble) and is not arrogant (vs. assertive)

Verse 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

Verse 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

Verse 7 bears (or covers, like a roof) all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Verse 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there (are words of) knowledge, it will be done away. (There is no need for them in heaven.)

Verse 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

Verse 10 but when the perfect (mature) comes, the partial will be done away.

Verse 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [d]became a man, I did away with childish things. (Have we?)

Verse 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly (like a riddle), but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Grudem, PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School– The Gift of Prophecy notes

There was an Old Testament death penalty “for false prophecies than also included an encouragement to serve other gods.” P. 24