The LOVE Of GOD-III—1Corinthians 13:1-13
Attention:
Lost in the Translation:
A husband & wife are at a recognized high-brow restaurant celebrating their anniversary. Looking the menu over, they were shocked to see a dish named, “hickory-smoked road-kill possum jowls in pancake syrup.” They summoned their waiter to complain.
Their waiter looks at the menu, & then looks up in shock. He says apologetically, “I am sorry that you had to witness such an outrage. We will take care of this immediately!, & Your meal will be on the house tonight!”
And the entire wait staff is hurriedly gathered together for a brief meeting.
The wife uses the break to go to the bathroom.
But just before she pushes open the bathroom door, the wife overhears the head waiter pointedly directing the wait staff to NOT use the ‘new’ menu, warning them, ““Heads-Up boys & girls! The printers forgot to translate the menu into French again!”
•Just because food has a French name(something most would not understand), doesn’t mean that it tastes good or is even good for you!
•We can be duped into believing that something is of ‘superior’ quality, when it is actually of ‘inferior’ quality & thus quite dangerous to yourself, others, & to the Kingdom of God.
In general people have a similar & genuine confusion about the meaning of love, & what it means to serve a ‘loving’ God. They suppose themselves to be ‘eating from’ the best that ‘love’ has to offer, when in reality they don’t have the first clue as to what they’re delving into.
Need:
To know & apply God’s self-giving love, so as to prevent anything less from taking it’s place in our lives.
•“Self-giving”—Giving of yourself for the sake of another or others, rather than for yourself alone.
Paul highlighted the necessity of self-giving, sacrificial love to the proper outworking of Christian living.
Self-giving, sacrificial love is essential to true Christianity.
How is that kind of love essential to the Christian faith?
*Without Self-giving, sacrificial love, the ‘living out’ of Christian faith becomes mere/empty social reforms of human endeavor....Which the world at large, jealously & ravenously devours, protects, & proffers!
1Pet. 4:8—“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”[Prov. 10:12]
1Tim. 1:5—“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, & from sincere faith,”
*This entire chapter actually describes & defines agaph love with it’s results.
Our best understanding of agaph love & the supreme example of it, is God’s agaph love toward humanity & the world, for the sake of their betterment.
God’s love& it is always a self-giving &/or sacrificial love. God’s Love cannot be accomplished by any of humanity, apart from their approaching it thru God in Christ.
So far we’ve found that:
As A Christian, the Love of God must Humble My...
1. SPEECH(:1)
2. ABILITY(:2)
Today we’ll also find that:
3—As A Christian, the Love of God must Humble My...
SACRIFICE(:3)
Explanation:(:3)
:3—“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, & though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,...but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
“Bestow...to feed” or “give to feed” or “give away in food” is a translation of a single word in the Greek—qwmizw. In the Greek sentence, there is no word present to specifically describe “the poor.” However ‘poverty’ is surely implied, as are a host of other related scenarios where the certainty of one’s next meal is threatened or is missing completely.
“Bestow...To feed/Give away in food”—qwmizw—1Aorist Active Indicative 1st Sing.—1) To feed by putting a bit or crumb(of food) into the mouth; 1a) Of infants, young animals etc.; 2) To feed, nourish; 3) To give a thing to feed someone, feed out to. Strong—To supply with bits, i.e. generally--To nourish. Used 2X--Rom. 12:20; 1Cor. 13:3.?From the base of—qwmion—A crumb or morsel(as if rubbed off), i.e. A mouthful; diminutive from a derivative of the base of qwcw—To triturate, i.e. by analogy--To rub out(kernels from husks with the fingers or hand).
Here as before(with speaking(:1), & other abilities such as prophecy, knowledge, & faith(:2)), Paul is taking abilities granted by God’s grace to an extreme, for the sake of argument. His general argument being, that God’s giftedness, spiritual giftedness, is pointless in the absence of ‘agape love.’
•So Christian, if you give of yourself at all, then you must love as God loves.
IF(“though”) I were to “bestow all my goods to feed[others]”, use up every bit of my substance—giving up all my possessions—in order to feed others(implied) of those who are needy & starving, even that action would not be commendable—it would be a useless effort/sacrifice—IF such sacrifice is executed WITHOUT God’s ‘agape love.’
•The philosophy & generosity of Philanthropy, without God’s self-giving & sacrificial love, is noteworthy. BUT philanthropy unguided by God’s ‘agape love’, ultimately misses, never reaching the fulfillment of it’s God-determined potential!
“All”—pav—Adj.—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—All, any, every, the whole; apparently a primary word.
“Goods/Possessions”—uparconta—Verbal Participle—Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Neuter—1)Possessions, goods, wealth, property. Strong—Things extant or in hand, i.e. Property or possessions. Neuter plural of present participle active of uparcw as noun. Used 14X.
•Without ‘agape love’, there can come neither fullness of “profit” nor fullness of ‘benefit’ to myself. And though it is not stated here, IF there is no “profit” to me the giver, THEN there is a ‘lessened’(less than full) benefit(“profit”) to the receiver as well.
•Jesus said that, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”(Acts 20:35).
?Does the Holy Spirit positively effect your human spirit, so that you serve God, rather than yourself & the world?
“But”—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, and, etc.. Strong—But, and, etc.; a primary particle(adversative or continuative).
“Have”—ecw OR-- scew—Verb—1) To have, i.e. To hold—1a) To have(hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have(hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess—2a) External things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc., 2b) Used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to—4a) To be closely joined to a person or a thing. Strong—including an alternate form scew; (used in certain tenses only); a primary verb; To hold(used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).
“Not”—mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether; a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial).
“Love”—agaph—Noun Fem.—1) Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; 2) Love feasts. Strong—Love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially(plural)--A love-feast. R.H. Mounce—Agaph is selfless love, which cannot be turned in on itself. J. MacArthur—‘...one of the rarest words in Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament.’
“Profits/Profiteth/Gain”—wfelew—Present Passive Indicative 1st Sing.—1)To assist, to be useful or advantageous, to profit. Strong—To be useful, i.e. To benefit. Used 15X.?From the same as—wfeleia—Usefulness, i.e. Benefit.
“Nothing”—oudeiv, feminine--oudemia & neuter--ouden—Pronoun—1) No one, nothing. Strong—Not even one(man, woman or thing), i.e. None, nobody, nothing.?From—oude—Not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.—&—eiv—One(including the neuter [etc.] en); A primary numeral.
“And though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
Likewise(“and”), IF I were to willingly give up my right to life—to my persecutors, ethnic cleansers, racists, authoritarians, fascists, communists, or whoever—even in order to be martyred(“burned”) for my faith in Christ Jesus, it would be a useless effort/sacrifice apart from it’s being fulfilled thru the means of ‘agape love.’
There is NO personal advantage or benefit in such action without ‘agape love.’ It is a pitiful sacrifice indeed that accomplishes “nothing.” There is no benefit to the martyr even in the loss of their life. And therefore it does not honor Jesus. ‘Martyrdom’ that gives no benefit to the martyr, also gives no glory to God & is of no benefit to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
•IF there is NO “profit” to me in my sacrifice(doing without something), then ironically, I also am not envisioning any “profit” thru it in the Kingdom of God!
Ps. 56:4, 11(Ps. 118:6)—“In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”.....“In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”?The Psalmist’s sentiment is also taken up in the New Testament in Romans 8:31-39 & Hebrews 13:6.
Rom. 8:35—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
Heb.13:5-6—“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
No doubt, some believers since Christ, have sought martyrdom as a ‘noble’ way of proving themselves right, of becoming famous, of leaving a lasting legacy, or even gaining some sort of heavenly admiration/recognition.
•?Remember the disciples—brothers James & John—who, along with their own Momma, tried to make their case for heavenly position?(Mk. 10:35-41; Mat. 20:20-28)
Mk. 10:35-45(Mat. 20:20-28)—“Then James & John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand & the other on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, & be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, & with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; “but to sit on My right hand & on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James & John. But Jesus called them to Himself & said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, & their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, & to give His life a ransom for many.”
?Where is the ‘loving sacrifice’ in James & John’s argument?...It’s non-existent! they’re more concerned with recognition & power than giving themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of God!
•Also recall that later, even at the Passover turned Lord’s Supper, the disciples got into an argument as to which of them should be considered the greatest(Lk. 22:24-30).
Lk. 22:24-30—“Now there was also a dispute among them[the twelve disciples], as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, & those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, & he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat & drink at My table in My kingdom, & sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
1Pet. 5:1-4—“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder & a witness of the sufferings of Christ, & also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
“Give/Deliver/Surrender”—paradidwmi—1) To give into the hands(of another); 2) To give over into (one's)power or use—2a) To deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage, 2b) To deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death, 2c) To deliver up treacherously—2c1) By betrayal to cause one to be taken, 2c2) To deliver one to be taught, moulded; 3) To commit, to commend; 4) To deliver verbally—4a) Commands, rites, 4b) To deliver by narrating, to report; 5) To permit allow.
“Burned”—kaiw—Future Passive Subjunctive 1st Sing.—1) To set on fire, light, burning; 2) To burn, consume with fire. Strong—apparently a primary verb; To set on fire, i.e. Kindle or by implication--Consume. Used 12X.
“But”—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, and, etc.. Strong—But, and, etc.; a primary particle(adversative or continuative).
“Have”—ecw OR-- scew—Verb—1) To have, i.e. To hold; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—To hold(used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition), including an alternate form scew; (used in certain tenses only); a primary verb.
“Not”—mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether; a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial).
“Love”—agaph—Noun Fem.—1) Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; 2) Love feasts. Strong—Love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially(plural)--A love-feast. R.H. Mounce—Agaph is selfless love, which cannot be turned in on itself. J. MacArthur—‘...one of the rarest words in Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament.’
“Profits/Profiteth/Gain”—wfelew—Present Passive Indicative 1st Sing.—1)To assist, to be useful or advantageous, to profit. Strong—To be useful, i.e. To benefit. Used 15X.?From the same as—wfeleia—Usefulness, i.e. Benefit.
“Nothing”—oudeiv, feminine--oudemia & neuter--ouden—Pronoun—1) No one, nothing. Strong—Not even one(man, woman or thing), i.e. None, nobody, nothing.?From—oude—Not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.—&—eiv—One(including the neuter [etc.] en); A primary numeral.
Argumentation:
Mat. 6:1-4—“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues & in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; & your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
•Not letting “your left hand know what your right hand is doing”, describes service to God that is born of Him & is from your heart of hearts, rather than doing deeds born of reasoning & for personal gratification or recognition!
•CONSIDER This: Many Christian Americans readily submit our charitable deeds to ‘tax-deductible’ status. Our church Treasurer makes sure that, as a member of this church, you are afforded the opportunity to include with your tax information, your ‘tax-deductable charitable giving’ to & thru the church.
•Now there’s nothing wrong with using the yearly deductions the government offers to get more bang for your buck. That is a blessing, which we as Americans are afforded by a government that is still supportive of ‘charitable work’ whether it’s thru the church or elsewhere.
•HOWEVER, IF we begin to consider which particular ministries we can get the biggest tax-break on, or even those ministries we get the most recognition for, then we have begun the process of removing ‘agape love’ from our deeds, haven’t we??•And to give largely or solely for the sake of ‘a tax-break’, means that ‘the governmentally allowed categories & amounts’ for the tax-break, are in control rather than God. Making your ‘so-called sacrifice’ is FAR FROM GODLY!
Mat. 5:20—“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes & Pharisees[the legalistically religious lost], you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Lk. 18:18-25—“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father & your mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” “So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have & distribute to the poor, & you will have treasure in heaven; & come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
?What ‘rich-ness’ do you have, that prevents or keeps you from ‘loving’ as God loves?
Illustration:
Examples of UN-HUMBLED—VERSUS—HUMBLED SACRIFICE Sacrifice:
*Protesting Issues—VERSUS—Honoring God in Christ beyond mere ‘issues.’
*The ‘Tide’ brand ‘Washer-Dryer Truck’ for disaster-relief—VERSUS the Samaritan’s Purse aid with clothes cleaning for disaster victims.
*The County or State Health Dept. Mobile Dental unit—VERSUS—the Florida Baptist Convention ‘Mobile Dental unit’
*The ‘Red Cross’ mandate to aid—VERSUS—Medical Missions.
•All of the latter actions above(:1-3), can be done ‘FOR’ ‘the Kingdom of God’; OR...those same actions can be done ‘BY’ ‘the God of the Kingdom’, being governed, transformed, & empowered by the higher ‘al-titude’ of God’s self-giving, sacrificial love.
Heb. 12:1-4—“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary & discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
Application:
?IS your SACRIFICE Humbled or brought into submission to God thru His ‘agape love’ working in you?
?As a Christian, does the Love of God keep you Humble?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
“Heads-Up boys & girls! The printers forgot to translate the menu into French again!”
Action:
As A Christian, the Love of God must Direct/Guide/Humble My...
3. SACRIFICE(:3)--•God’s Love must guide charity & martyrdom.
1. SPEECH(:1)--•God’s Love must guide what I say & how I say it.
2. ABILITY(:2)--•God’s Love must guide how I share my knowledge.
Pt#s 3 only! presented 02/28/2021am
1BCCbelle
206 SE Ave. A(Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
