FIRST CORINTHIANS 13
INTRODUCTION. -- The chapter naturally divides itself into three parts.
I. Love Contrasted, or the Absolute Indispensability of Love.
- The first thing that Paul contrasts with love is the gift of tongues and the gift of tongues in its highest conceivable form. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels."
- The second thing Paul contrasts with love is the gift of prophecy.
- Faith, miracle-working faith, miracle-working faith in the highest conceivable form, faith so as to remove mountains.
- Magnificent giving. "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor."
Martyrdom. "If I give my body to be burned,"but have not love, it profits me NOTHING.
II. Love Described, or the Everyday Manifestations of Love.
Love has fifteen marks which are never wanting where love exists.
- The first mark of love is that it "suffers long."
- It "is kind."
- “Love envies not."
- “does not behave itself unseemly;" i.e., does not do rude, ill-mannered,
boorish things.
- “Love seeks not its own."
- “Love is not provoked."
- Love "taketh not account of evil."
- Love "rejoices not in unrighteousness."
- Love "rejoices with the truth."
- “Love bears all things."
- Love "believes all things."
- “Love hopes all things."
“Love endures all things."
III. Love Exalted, or the Peerless Pre-eminence of Love.
To sum it all up in a few words, prophecies, tongues, knowledge have their day. Love has eternity. God is Love, and love partakes of His eternal nature. "Love never fails." All other things are partial. Love is complete, perfect. There are three abiding things, faith, hope, love; but of even these three the greatest is love.
