It’s a rare thing these days to get a letter. I’m not talking about the junk mail of solicitations, or bills, nor the hundreds of emails we get but a genuine hand written letter from someone we care about. There is a warmth and personal touch that we get in no other medium. 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous love letters. It is the central chapter in Paul’s lengthy discussion of spiritual gifts (chaps. 12–14). Chapter 12 discusses the endowment, receipt, and interrelatedness of the gifts. Chapter 14 presents the proper exercise of the gifts, especially that of languages. In this middle chapter, chapter 13, we see the proper attitude and atmosphere, the proper motive and power, the “more excellent way” (12:31), in which God has planned for all of the gifts to operate.
Agapç (love) is one of the rarest words in ancient Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament. Unlike our English love, it never refers to romantic or sexual love, for which erôs was used, and which does not appear in the New Testament. Nor does it refer to mere sentiment, a pleasant feeling about something or someone. It does not mean cose friendship or brotherly love, for which philia is used. The King James translators carried the term charity over from the Latin and which in English has long been associated only with giving to the needy. This morning we are going to explore the fullest meaning of biblical charity, agapç love in which this chapter is the best definition of it. Love is 1)Enriching (vv. 1–3), 2) Love is Edifying (vv. 4–7), and 3)Love is Enduring (vv. 8–13).
I will only briefly touch on point one, focus on point two and only read the concluding verses of point three.
1) Love is Enriching (1 Corinthians 13:1–3)
A) ELOQUENCE WITHOUT LOVE IS NOTHING: 1 Corinthians 13:1
1 Corinthians 13:1 [13:1]If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (ESV)
In verses 1–2 Paul uses considerable hyperbole. To make his point he exaggerates to the limits of imagination. Using various examples, he says, “If somehow I were able to do or to be …
First Paul imagines himself able to speak with the greatest possible eloquence, with the tongues of men and of angels. Paul’s basic point in 13:1 is to convey the idea of being able to speak all sorts of languages with great fluency and eloquence, far above the greatest linguist or orator. That the apostle is speaking in general and hypothetical terms is clear from the expression tongues … of angels. There is no biblical teaching of a unique or special angelic language or dialect. Angels always speak in the language of the person being addressed. There is no indication that they have a heavenly language of their own that men could learn.
Paul simply is saying that, were he to have the ability to speak with the skill and eloquence of the greatest men, even with angelic eloquence, he would only become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal if he did not have love. The greatest truths spoken in the greatest way fall short if they are not spoken in love. Apart from love, even one who speaks the truth with supernatural eloquence becomes so much noise. Large, empty brass vessels were used in the theater at Corinth to amplify the voices of actors. Sound came from them, but they themselves were empty. Without love, however great our gifts, we are spiritually empty and void (Richards, Lawrence O.: The Bible Readers Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton : Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996, S. 769)
B) PROPHECY, KNOWLEDGE, AND FAITH WITHOUT LOVE ARE NOTHING: 1 Corinthians 13:2
1 Corinthians 13:2 [2]And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (ESV)
PROPHECY WITHOUT LOVE
In the beginning of the next chapter Paul speaks of prophecy as the greatest of the spiritual gifts because the prophet proclaims God’s truth to people so they can know and understand it (14:1–5). The apostle was himself a prophet (Acts 13:1) and had the highest regard both for the office of prophet and the gift of prophecy.
Continuing his hyperbole, however, Paul says that even the great gift of prophecy in prophetic powers must be ministered in love. The most gifted person of God is not exempt from ministering in love. If anything, such a person is the most obligated to minister in love. “From everyone who has been given much shall much be required” (Luke 12:48). Of all persons, the prophet should speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).
• The power behind what we say and what we do is our motive. If our motive is self–interest, praise, promotion, or advantage of any sort, our influence for the Lord will be undercut to that extent—no matter how orthodox, persuasive, and relevant our words are or how helpful our service seems superficially to be. Without the motivation of love, in God’s sight we are only causing a lot of commotion.
KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT LOVE
Just as prophecy without love is nothing, so is the understanding of all mysteries and all knowledge. Paul uses that comprehensive phrase to picture ultimate human understanding. Mysteries may represent divine spiritual understanding and knowledge may represent factual human understanding. In Scripture the term mystery always signifies divine truth that God has hidden from people at some time. Most often it refers to truths hidden to Old Testament saints that have been revealed in the New Testament (cf. Eph. 3:3–5).
• Mere knowledge, even of God’s truths, “makes arrogant”; love is the absolutely essential ingredient for edification.
1 Corinthians 8:1 [8:1]Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. (ESV)
FAITH WITHOUT LOVE
If Paul did not depreciate knowledge, even less did he depreciate faith. No one preached the necessity for faith, especially saving faith, more strongly than he. But he is not speaking here of saving faith but of the faith of confidence and expectancy in the Lord. He is addressing believers, who already have saving faith. All faith, so as to remove mountains refers to trusting God to do mighty things in behalf of His children. It especially refers to believers who have the gift of faith. Even with this wonderful gift from God—of making the impossible possible—Paul says a Christian is nothing if he does not have love.
C) BENEVOLENCE AND MARTYRDOM WITHOUT LOVE ARE NOTHING: 1 Corinthians 13:3
1 Corinthians 13:3 [3]If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (ESV)
BENEVOLENCE WITHOUT LOVE
To give away all I have, represents the one Greek word psômisô. It is derived from psômion, a mouthful, and so means “give away by mouthfuls,” i.e. “dole away.” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The Pulpit Commentary: 1 Corinthians. Bellingham, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004, S. 423)
Therefore, the term for give means to dole out in small quantities, and signifies a long–term, systematic program of giving away everything one possesses. Such an ultimate act of benevolence, giving all one has for example as some translations give the example to feed the poor, would not be a spiritual deed if not done out of genuine love, no matter how great the sacrifice or how many people were fed. Giving from legalistic obligation, from desire for recognition and praise, or as a way to salve a guilty conscience is worthless. Only love qualifies giving to be spiritual.
MARTYRDOM WITHOUT LOVE
Finally, Paul says, if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain/it profits me nothing. Execution by burning at the stake, a fate suffered by many Christian martyrs, was not begun in the Roman empire until some years later. When persecution of the early church became intense, some believers actually sought martyrdom as a way of becoming famous or of gaining special heavenly credit. But when sacrifice is motivated by self–interest and pride it loses its spiritual value.
The loveless person produces nothing, is nothing, and gains nothing.
Love is 1)Enriching (vv. 1–3), and
2) Love is Edifying (vv. 4–7),
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 [4]Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant [5]or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; (ESV)
The previous passage (vv. 1–3) focuses on the emptiness produced when love is absent. In verses 4–5 we find the most comprehensive biblical description of the fullness of love. Paul shines love through a prism and we see 15 of its colors and hues, the spectrum of love. Each ray gives a facet, a property, of agapç love. Unlike most English translations, which include several adjectives, the Greek forms of all those properties are verbs. They do not focus on what love is so much as on what love does and does not do. Agapç love is active, not abstract or passive. It does not simply feel patient, it practices patience. It does not simply have kind feelings, it does kind things. It does not simply recognize the truth, it rejoices in the truth. Love is fully love only when it acts.
1 John 3:18 [18]Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (ESV)
• As with all of God’s Word, we cannot truly begin to understand love until we begin to apply it in our lives. Paul’s primary purpose here is not simply to instruct the Corinthians but to change their living habits. He wanted them carefully and honestly to measure their lives against those characteristics of love.
A) LOVE IS PATIENT
Love practices being patient or long–suffering, literally, “long–tempered” (makrothurmeô). The word is common in the New Testament and is used almost exclusively of being patient with people, rather than with circumstances or events. Love’s patience is the ability to be inconvenienced or taken advantage of by a person over and over again and yet not be upset or angry.
Quote: Chrysostom, the early church Father, said, “It is a word which is used of the man who is wronged and who has it easily in his power to avenge himself but will never do it.” Patience never retaliates.
Romans 12:17 [17]Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. (ESV)
Illustration: One of Abraham Lincoln’s earliest political enemies was Edwin M. Stanton. He called Lincoln a “low cunning clown” and “the original gorilla.” “It was ridiculous for people to go to Africa to see a gorilla,” he would say, “when they could find one easily in Springfield, Illinois.” Lincoln never responded to the slander, but when, as president, he needed a secretary of war, he chose Stanton When his incredulous friends asked why, Lincoln replied, “Because he is the best man.” Years later, as the slain president’s body lay in state, Stanton looked into the coffin and said through his tears, “There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen.” His animosity was finally broken by Lincoln’s long–suffering, nonretaliatory spirit. Patient love won out.
B) LOVE IS KIND
Just as patience will take anything from others, kindness will give anything to others, even to its enemies.
To be kind (chrçsteuomai) appears only here in the New Testament in the finite verb form. It has the idea of “useful,” i.e., inclined to be of good service to others (KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 2320)
• When Jesus commanded His disciples, including us, to love their enemies, He did not simply mean to feel kindly about them but to be kind to them.
Matt. 5:40–41 [40]And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. [41]And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (ESV)
The first test of Christian kindness, and the test of every aspect of love, is the home. The Christian husband who acts like a Christian is kind to his wife and children. Christian brothers and sisters are kind to each other and to their parents. They have more than kind feelings toward each other; they do kind, helpful things for each other—to the point of loving self–sacrifice, when necessary.
For the Corinthians, kindness meant giving up their selfish, jealous, spiteful, and proud attitudes and adopting the spirit of loving–kindness. Among other things, it would allow their spiritual gifts to be truly and effectively ministered in the Spirit, rather than superficially and unproductively counterfeited in the flesh.
C) LOVE IS NOT ENVIOUS
Here is the first of eight negative descriptions of love. Love is not envious/jealous. Love and jealousy are mutually exclusive. Where one is, the other cannot be.
• It occurs in the form of either desiring what someone else has or desiring evil for them.
Please turn to James 3
The root meaning of zçlô (“to be envious/jealous is “to have a strong desire,” and is the term from which we get zeal. It is used both favorably and unfavorably in Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 13:4 the meaning is clearly unfavorable.
James 3:14-16 [14]But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. [15]This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16]For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (ESV)
D) LOVE DOES NOT BRAG
When the loving person is himself successful they do not boast of it. One does not brag. Perpereuomai (“to brag”) is used nowhere else in the New Testament and means to talk conceitedly. Love does not parade its accomplishments. Bragging is the other side of jealousy. Jealousy is wanting what someone else has. Bragging is trying to make others jealous of what we have. Jealousy puts others down; bragging builds us up. It is ironic that, as much as most of us dislike bragging in others, we are so inclined to brag ourselves.
The Corinthian believers were spiritual show–offs, constantly vying for public attention. They clamored for the most prestigious offices and the most glamorous gifts. They all wanted to talk at once, especially when speaking esctatically.
Paul instructed them:
1 Corinthians 14:26 [26]What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. (ESV)
E) LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT
The Corinthian believers thought they had arrived at perfection. Pride and arrogance breed contention, with which the Corinthian church was filled. In such things love has no part. Arrogance is big–headed; love is big–hearted.
Proverbs 16:18 [18]Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Illustration: William Carey, often referred to as the father of modern missions, was a brilliant linguist, responsible for translating parts of the Bible into no fewer than 34 different languages and dialects. He had been raised in a simple home in England and in his early manhood worked as a cobbler. In India he often was ridiculed for his “low” birth and former occupation. At a dinner party one evening a snob said, “I understand, Mister Carey, that you once worked as a shoemaker.” “Oh no, your lordship,” Carey replied, “I was not a shoemaker, only a shoe repairman.”
F) LOVE IS NOT RUDE
Love is not rude/does not act unbecomingly. The principle here has to do with poor manners. It is not as serious a fault as bragging or arrogance, but it stems from the same lovelessness. It does not care enough for those it is around to act becomingly or politely. It cares nothing for their feelings or sensitivities. The loveless person is careless, overbearing, and often crude.
The Corinthian Christians were models of unbecoming behavior. Acting unseemly was almost their trademark, Nearly everything they did was rude and unloving. Even when they came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper they were self–centered and offensive. “Each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk” (1 Cor. 11:21). During worship services each one tried to outdo the other in speaking in tongues. Everyone talked at once and tried to be the most dramatic and prominent. The church did everything improperly and in disorder, the opposite of what Paul had taught them and now advised them against (14:40).
• Many Christians have forfeited the opportunity for witnessing by rudeness to an unbeliever who offends them by a habit the Christian considers improper. Self–righteous rudeness by Christians can turn people away from Christ before they have a chance to hear the gospel. The messenger can become a barrier to the message. If people do not see the “gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1) clearly in us, they are less likely to see Him clearly in the gospel we preach.
G)LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY
Love does not insist on its own way/seek its own. The root evil of fallen human nature is in wanting to have its own way.
Love is not preoccupied with its own things but with the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).
Illustration: I understand that the inscription on a tombstone in a small English village reads:
Here lies a miser who lived for himself,
and cared for nothing but gathering wealth.
Now where he is or how fares,
nobody knows and nobody cares.
In contrast, a plain tombstone in the courtyard at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London reads: “Sacred to the memory of General Charles George Gordon, who at all times and everywhere gave his strength to the weak, his substance to the poor, his sympathy to the suffering, his heart to God.”
H) LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL
Please turn to 1 Peter 2
The Greek paroxunô, here translated irritable, means to arouse to anger and is the origin of the English paroxysm, a convulsion or sudden outburst of emotion or action. Love guards against being irritated, upset, or angered by things said or done against it.
1 Peter 2:21-24 [21]For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. [22]He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. [23]When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. [24]He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (ESV)
Telling our wives or husbands that we love them is not convincing if we continually get upset and angry at what they say and do. Telling our children that we love them is not convincing if we often yell at them for doing things that irritate us and interfere with our own plans. It does no good to protest, “I lose my temper a lot, but it’s all over in a few minutes.” So is a nuclear bomb. A great deal of damage can be done in a very short time. Temper is always destructive, and even small temper “bombs” can leave much hurt and damage, especially when they explode on a regular basis. Lovelessness is the cause of temper, and love is the only cure.
1 Corinthians 13:6 [6]it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. (ESV)
I) LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
Love never takes satisfaction from sin, whether our own sin or that of others. Doing wrong things is bad enough in itself; bragging about them makes the sins even worse. To rejoice at wrongdoing/in unrighteousness is to justify it. It is making wrong appear to be right.
Isaiah 5:20 [20]Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (ESV)
• We must be very careful with what we entertain ourselves with. Most of popular culture is the epitome of rejoicing in unrighteousness
J)LOVE REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH
After mentioning eight negatives, things that love is not or does not do, Paul lists five more positives. The first is a contrast with the last negative: love rejoices with the truth.
At first glance it may seem strange to contrast not rejoicing in unrighteousness with rejoicing in the truth. But the truth Paul is speaking about here is not simply factual truth He is speaking of God’s truth, God’s revealed Word. Righteousness is predicated on God’s truth and cannot exist apart from it. Love always rejoices in God’s truth and never with falsehood or false teaching. Love cannot tolerate wrong doctrine. It makes no sense to say, “It doesn’t make a great difference if people don’t agree with us about doctrine. What matters is that we love them.” That is the basic view of what is commonly called the ecumenical movement. But if we love others it will matter a great deal to us whether or not what they believe is right or wrong. What they believe affects their souls, their eternal destinies, and their representation of God’s will, and therefore should be of the highest concern to us.
2 John 1:6 [6]And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. (ESV)
1 Cor. 13:7 [7]Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
K) LOVE BEARS ALL THE THINGS
The four qualities mentioned in verse 7 are hyperbole, exaggerations to make a point. Paul has made it clear that love rejects jealousy, bragging, arrogance, unseemliness, selfishness, anger, resentment, and unrighteousness. It does not bear, believe, hope, or endure lies, false teaching, or anything else that is not of God. By all things Paul is speaking of all things acceptable in God’s righteousness and will, of everything within the Lord’s divine tolerance. The four qualities listed here are closely related and are given in ascending order.
Stegô (to bear) basically means to cover or to support and therefore to protect. Love bears all things by protecting others from exposure, ridicule, or harm. Genuine love does not gossip or listen to gossip.
Even when a sin is certain, love tries to correct it with the least possible hurt and harm to the guilty person. Love never protects sin but is anxious to protect the sinner.
Proverbs 10:12 [12]Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
Illustration: During Oliver Cromwell’s reign as lord protector of England a young soldier was sentenced to die. The girl to whom he was engaged pleaded with Cromwell to spare the life of her beloved, but to no avail. The young man was to be executed when the curfew bell sounded, but when the sexton repeatedly pulled the rope the bell made no sound. The girl had climbed into the belfry and wrapped herself around the clapper so that it could not strike the bell. Her body was smashed and bruised, but she did not let go until the clapper stopped swinging. She managed to climb down, bruised and bleeding, to meet those awaiting the execution. When she explained what she had done, Cromwell commuted the sentence. A poet beautifully recorded the story as follows:
At his feet she told her story,
showed her hands all bruised and torn,
And her sweet young face still haggard
with the anguish it had worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity,
lit his eyes with misty light.
“Go, your lover lives,” said Cromwell;
“Curfew will not ring tonight.”
L) LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS
In addition to bearing all things, love also believes all things. Love is not suspicious or cynical. When it throws its mantle over a wrong it also believes in the best outcome for the one who has done the wrong—that the wrong will be confessed and forgiven and the loved one restored to righteousness.
Love also believes all things in another way. If there is doubt about a person’s guilt or motivation, love will always opt for the most favorable possibility. If a loved one is accused of something wrong, love will consider him innocent until proven guilty. If he turns out to be guilty, love will give credit for the best motive. Love trusts; love has confidence; love believes.
Galatians 6:1 [6:1]Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (ESV)
M) LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS
Even when belief in a loved one’s goodness or repentance is shattered, love still hopes. When it runs out of faith it holds on to hope. As long as God’s grace is operative human failure is never final. God would not take Israel’s failure as final. Jesus would not take Peter’s failure as final. Paul would not take the Corinthians’ failure as final. There are more than enough promises in the Bible to make love hopeful.
• The parents of backslidden children, the spouse of an unbelieving marriage partner, the church that has disciplined members who do not repent—all hope in love that the child, the spouse, or the erring brother or sister will be saved or restored.
• Love refuses to take failure as final. The rope of love’s hope has no end. As long as there is life, love does not lose hope. When our hope becomes weak, we know our love has become weak.
Illustration: There was a dog who stayed at the airport of a large city for over five years waiting for his master to return. Employees and others fed the dog and took care of him, but he would not leave the spot where he last saw his master. He would not give up hope that someday they would be reunited. If a dog’s love for his master can produce that kind of hope, how much longer should our love make hope last?
N) LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS
Hupomenô (“to endure”) was a military term used of an army’s holding a vital position at all costs. Every hardship and every suffering was to be endured in order to hold fast.
Love holds fast to those it loves. It endures all things at all costs. It stands against overwhelming opposition and refuses to stop bearing or stop believing or stop hoping. Love will not stop loving.
Stephen lovingly bore the ridicule and rejection of those to whom he witnessed. Their taunts would not make him stop believing they would believe, and their stones would not make him stop hoping they would be saved. He died praying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60). Like his Lord, he loved to the end even the unloving enemies who put him to death. His love endured.
Love bears what otherwise is unbearable; it believes what otherwise is unbelievable; it hopes in what otherwise is hopeless; and it endures when anything less than love would give up. After love bears it believes. After it believes it hopes. After it hopes it endures. There is no “after” for endurance, for endurance is the unending climax of love.
Love is 1)Enriching (vv. 1–3), 2) Love is Edifying (vv. 4–7), and
3)Love is Enduring (vv. 8–13).
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 [8]Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9]For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10]but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. [11]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 gave up childish ways. [12]For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. [13]So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (ESV)
(Format Note: Outline from Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. 1 Co 13:1. Some Base commentary from: MacArthur, John: 1 Corinthians. Chicago : Moody Press, 1996, c1984, S. 327 )
