Love
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
This chapter shows us three things about Love
In vv 1-3 we are shown the primacy of love…in other words love overshadows everything. Without love our words, our gifts, our knowledge, and even our faith means nothing. These things are worthless without love.
In vv 4-7 we are shown the perfection of love. We are show love in action. There are fifteen characteristics of love in these verses. Each characteristic is a verb in the present tense.
In other words, Love is action, Love is something you do, not something you say.
In vv 8-13 we are shown the permanence of Love.
What I want to focus on tonight is vv 4-7. I want us to look at these fifteen characteristics.
I want us to see that as we go forward in seeking a Vision for Parkersburg Baptist Church that it must contain love. If we go forward in ministry for the sake of ministry, it will mean nothing.
Paul was telling the church at Corinth and he is telling the church today that love must overshadow everything we do in the body of Christ.
He is telling us how to have perfect love in vv 4-7 by giving us these characteristics. He is also telling us at the end of this chapter that the right kind of love, will last forever.
Let’s read vv 4-7 once again.
I want you to notice something about these verses. All of the characteristics are sandwiched between patience.
Suffering long in v4:
Transliterated: makrothumeo ; Pronounced: mak-roth-oo-meh’-o
from the same as 3116 ; TDNT 4:374 ; v
Trans. & freq. in the AV — be patient 3 times , have patience 2 times , have long patience 1 time , bear long 1 time , suffer long 1 time , be longsuffering 1 time , patiently endure 1 time ; 10 occurrences of Greek word in AV
1. to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart
a. to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles
b. to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others
1. to be mild and slow in avenging
2. to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish
At the end of verse 7 ( endureth all things)
Transliterated: hupomeno ; Pronounced: hoop-om-en’-o
from 5259 and 3306 ; TDNT 4:581 ; v
Trans. & freq. in the AV — endure 11 times , take patiently 2 times , tarry behind 1 time , abide 1 time , patient 1 time , suffer 1 time ; 17 occurrences of Greek word in AV
1. to remain
a. to tarry behind
2. to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee
a. to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ
b. to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments
How many of us need patience? I know I do. If we are going to truly have the love of God in our hearts, we must have patience.
The Characteristics of Love
1. Charity suffereth long (v4). This is talking about patience with people. I find myself at times not having patience with people. If I am to express God’s love in my life, then I must have patience.
2. is kind (v4)…Love must be kind.
Transliterated: agape ; Pronounced: ag-ah’-pay
from 25 ; TDNT 1:21 ; n f
Trans. & freq. in the AV — love 86 times , charity 27 times , dear 1 time , charitably+ 2596 1 time , feast of charity 1 time ; 116 occurrences of Greek word in AV
1. brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
2. love feasts
If someone is unkind to you do you feel like they love you? I know I don’t. I also know that there is a such thing as tough love, and I also feel that after being given a dose of tough love and responding in the right direction, that you would feel that the person dishing out the tough love was kind, because they had your best interest at heart.
3. charity envieth not (4): When envy is present, love in most cases is not. Envy, jealousy often leads to hatred and anger. To have agape love you can’t be envious.
4. charity vaunteth not itself (4):
Transliterated: perpereuomai ; Pronounced: per-per-yoo’-om-ahee
Trans. & freq. in the AV — vaunt itself 1 time ; 1 occurrence of Greek word in AV
1. to boast one’s self
2. a self display, employing rhetorical embellishments in extolling one’s self excessively
5. is not puffed up (4): in other words, love is not proud. It doesn’t go around telling everybody what it has done. Matthew 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.
6. Doth not behave itself unseemly (5): unbecomingly. Love does not behave in a way other than how it was meant to. Love is not ill-mannered as some translations put it.
7. seeketh not her own (5): Love is not self seeking or self centered. It does not do things with an ulterior motive. Again we can go vack to Matthew 6.
8. is not easily provoked (5): I think this one is a problem for a lot of people. When we get saved, and have God’s love in our hearts, it is time for us to stop wearing our feelings on our shoulders.
We are an emotional people and all to often allow our emotions instead of God’s love in our hearts have first place in our dealings with others.
We get our feelings hurt and walk around with our heads hung or start badmouthing someone or just complain all the time. I heard a preacher make the comment “that from the womb to the tomb, some people ain’t nothing but gloom”.
I have felt like I have fallen into that category a lot in recent months. I have talked with a confidant and a prayer partner about a lot of situations in my life.
After reading this verse, and I mean really reading it, I have found that I have been wearing my feelings on my sleeves, and that I have been walking around in a gloomy state.
Probably looking at times to my family and maybe even to many of you, like I have been living on a diet of sour kraut and dill pickles.
I have not been truly thankful for what God has been doing. All I was focusing on was what I perceived to be the bad in my life. Not knowing that all along, God has been preparing me for something more.
I believe that 2003 was a year of testing, trials and learning, to prepare and reward for a glorious 2004 in Christ Jesus.
9. thinketh no evil (5): Love does not go around keeping a record of the wrongs done to it. If you have the love God wanted you to, it won’t let you go around keeping a record.
Love will not allow you to keep a hidden agenda of revenge or retribution. Romans 12:19 says, Vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord.
It is God who should take care of the wrongs done to us. We should follow the example of Christ. He went all the way to the cross turning the other cheek.
PART II January 21, 2004
Two weeks ago we began looking at the characteristics of love that Paul gave us in I Corinthians 13:4-7.
To refresh our minds on what we were covering, I want us to see that as we go forward in seeking a Vision for Parkersburg Baptist Church that it must contain love. If we go forward in ministry for the sake of ministry, it will mean nothing.
Paul was telling the church at Corinth and he is telling the church today that love must overshadow everything we do in the body of Christ.
He is telling us how to have perfect love in vv 4-7 by giving us these characteristics. He is also telling us at the end of this chapter that the right kind of love, will last forever.
We covered the first nine, characteristics and they were,
1. Charity suffereth long
2. is kind
3. envieth not
4. charity vaunteth not itself
5. is not puffed up or proud
6. does not behave unseemly or unbecomingly
7. seeketh not her own—is not self centered
8. is not easily provoked
9. thinketh no evil
10. Rejoiceth not in iniquity (6): Love will not allow us to rejoice in sin or as the NIV puts it rejoice in evil. I in recent weeks have come to really question someones attitude towards others.
Someone has had the misfortune of being evicted and the person in question has rejoiced at their being evicted. Granted, the people evicted were constantly disturbing the peace, fighting and Lord knows what else behind closed doors.
But does that give a Christian the right to rejoice at them being thrown out of their house right before Christmas?
The eleventh characteristic that Paul gives us concerning love is that it rejoices in the truth (6b).
Why do you think that love rejoices in the truth? Why should love rejoice in the truth?
Jesus said, I am the way the TRUTH and the life, no man cometh unto the father but by me.
Love when it rejoices in the truth is in effect rejoicing in Jesus.
The twelfth characteristic is that love beareth all things (7a). I think that this can be exemplified in many marriages and some churches. Give example of Donald’s last church in Roxboro. Treasurer embezzling etc.
That is true Christian love. I believe that is an example of the love of God in the body of Christ. To be able to accept one who has offended the whole body, to forgive and make things right.
The thirteenth characteristic is that love believeth all things. What is this telling you? Why does love believe all things?
Love always trusts. There has to be a certain level of trust when you love someone. If you break that trust, you can kill a relationship. Studies have shown that if trust is broken in a marriage it can take up to seven years to rebuild it.
Characteristic fourteen is that love always hopes. Love gives one hope. Our love for Christ gives us the hope of eternal life. Our love for our spouse gives us hope for our lives being happy. Etc.
And lastly again, here is patience. Characteristic number fifteen is that love endureth all things.
At the beginning of this passage, love is patient with people and the offenses they may cause. At the end of the passage, love is patient during the circumstances that affect our lives.
Love endures. Love stands tall at the end of a terrible day.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Matthew Henry)
Some of the effects of charity are stated, that we may know whether we have this grace; and that if we have not, we may not rest till we have it.
This love is a clear proof of regeneration, and is a touchstone of our professed faith in Christ. In this beautiful description of the nature and effects of love, it is meant to show the Corinthians that their conduct had, in many respects, been a contrast to it.
Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness; it does not desire or seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Not that charity destroys all regard to ourselves, or that the charitable man should neglect himself and all his interests.
But charity never seeks its own to the hurt of others, or to neglect others. It ever prefers the welfare of others to its private advantage. How good–natured and amiable is Christian charity!
How excellent would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it were more under this Divine principle, and paid due regard to the command on which the apostle Paul laid its chief stress!
Let us ask whether this Divine love dwells in our hearts. Has this principle guided us into becoming behaviour to all men? Are we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a call to watchfulness, diligence, and prayer.
