Neil Postman writes in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, “that we have reached the point where cosmetics has replaced ideology [or “practice”] as [a] field of expertise.”(1) The verb “cosmeticize” means, “to make something unpleasant or ugly superficially attractive.”(2) It’s common for people in our society to practice cosmetology instead ideology. If we can’t have the ideal or genuine article, then we attempt to make something look good, which is cosmetology.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul addressed the issue of Christian cosmetology, which was practiced by the first century Corinthian church, and is still being practiced by many believers and churches today. In this chapter, Paul emphasized how a church can portray the image that it’s functioning properly, but at the same time be on the path of self-destruction. If church members do Christian things like feed the homeless, or go on mission trips, and these acts are not done out of genuine love for others and with the motive of glorifying Jesus Christ, then people are just wasting their time. Paul wants us to realize that without love, God doesn’t care what we do for Him. Love is the only genuine article when it comes to serving the Lord.
We Are Nothing without Love (vv. 1-3)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
One of the characters in the play Inherit the Wind tells of something that happened to him as a little boy. He would stand outside the general store and dream of the rocking horse that stood in the window of that shop. The horse’s name was Golden Dancer. The boy said that Golden Dancer became his fantasy. He was seven years old and a very fine judge of rocking horses.
He began to say, “If I had Golden Dancer I would have everything I would ever want.” The rocking horse had a bright red mane, blue eyes, and was gold all over with purple spots. The boy said that when the sun hit the horse’s stirrups, she was a dazzling sight to see. But the boy’s family was poor, and though they knew he wanted that rocking horse, they could not afford it.
Yet one birthday he woke up and there was Golden Dancer at the foot of his bed. He couldn’t believe that his dream had come true. He said he jumped on the rocking horse and began to rock, and a terrible thing happened. It broke. It split in two. The wood was rotten. The whole thing was put together with spit and sealing wax. The boy said, “Whenever you see something bright, shining, perfect seeming, all gold with purple spots, look beneath the paint! And if it’s a lie, show it up for what it really is!”(3)
Paul wrote this chapter to the Corinthian church because he wanted to “show it up for what it really was.” Since they were having problems unifying the church, they tried to sustain it with golden things and purple spots, such as the practice of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. They had hoped that the manifestation of spiritual gifts would prove to the citizens of Corinth, and to their own church members, that God was truly alive and at work in the world.
The problem was that they were trying to build and unify the church through their own efforts instead of from a genuine concern for the people around them. They wanted the church to grow for their own glory instead of God’s glory; and if they had continued on this path, then the church would have eventually fallen apart. The only thing that would truly sustain the church was love.
In these verses, Paul portrayed the significance of love in the Christian walk. Commentator Richard Pratt states that in verse 1, Paul presented us with a hypothetical situation of an extra human ability – the tongues of angels.(4) If it were possible for a person to speak in the heavenly language of angels, then it would be as nothing without love. It would be as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. The reference here to brass is not to a beautiful brass trumpet, but to a piece of clattering brass used to beat on just as the cymbal.(5)
Back in the first century there was a big gong or cymbal hanging at the entrance of most pagan temples. When people came to worship, they hit it to awaken the pagan gods so they would listen to their prayers. Here, Paul was saying that even if he were so blessed that he could speak with the greatest of eloquence in every language, but didn’t have love, then his life was as useless as this ridiculous act of pounding on a gong to awaken nonexistent gods.(6)
When Paul mentioned “the tongues of angels” (v. 4), it’s possible that he was referring to glossolalia, or what we call “speaking in tongues.” Today, there are still churches that practice speaking in tongues. First of all, in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul said that if other people cannot understand tongues, then it’s completely useless. Secondly, some people practice tongues to glorify themselves, in order to say, “Look at what I can do. Aren’t I great!” With the wrong motive, speaking in tongues is only for show, in order to give the appearance that God is truly present within a church.
In verse 2, Paul spoke of prophecy. Prophecy can be one of two things. Prophecy in its most basic form is preaching. It is “forth-telling” or “professing” the Word of God.(7) Prophecy is also having an “understanding of all mysteries and all knowledge” (v. 2), as Paul stated; however, we don’t see this form of prophecy used as much today as it was during the first century. Paul basically said that a person can be the greatest preacher in the world, possess the most eloquent speech, and appear to have more knowledge than anyone else, but still be in want of the greatest gift of all, which is love. In 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul stated, “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies [or builds up].”
We are also told that our faith could be so strong as to move mountains, but we could still be lacking love. For example, we could be volunteering with the American Red Cross or Disaster Relief, and be moving mountains of mud from flooded homes, or mountains of food to feed disaster victims; but if we are doing all these things out of a sense of obligation and duty, instead of love for our fellow man, then it means nothing. James said that faith without works is dead, but works without love is deader than dead!
In verse 3, Paul said that we could give up everything we own to the poor, and do so without love. People give all the time. They give to charities, such as Adopt a Child, Save the Rainforest, Save the Whales, or the Humane Society, but does that make them believers in Christ? You see, even non-Christians know how to give. What sets believers apart from the rest of the world is the unconditional love that comes from knowing Jesus Christ, who unconditionally gave His life for us. If you give because the preacher shared a sermon on stewardship and you feel guilty, or you give in order to impress your friends or neighbors, then you are giving for the wrong reason; and it means nothing to God.
We are also told in verse 3, that we could give our body to be burned and it be done in vain. William Barclay says that Paul was possibly thinking of a famous monument in Athens called “The Indian’s Tomb.” “There [a man from India] had burned himself in public on a funeral pyre, and had caused to be engraved on the monument the boastful inscription: ‘An Indian from Bargosa, according to the traditional customs of the Indians, made himself immortal and lies here’.”(8) Barclay states, “Just possibly, [Paul] may have been thinking of the kind of Christian who actually courted persecution. If the motive which makes a man give his life for Christ is pride and self-display, then even martyrdom becomes valueless. It is not cynical to remember that many a deed which looks sacrificial has been the product of pride and not of devotion.”(9)
We can do many things for God as individuals and as a church, but if we are not serving with the intention of sharing the love of Jesus Christ, then we are fancy rocking horses put together by spit and sealing wax. We look pretty, but we are actually very fragile and easily broken.
The Fifteen Qualities of Love (vv. 4-8a)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
Paul wrote here in response to the problems that caused division within the body of Christ. He told the Corinthians they could certainly put on a show to make it appear as though the church had solved its internal problems, but that the problems wouldn’t go away until the people started practicing love. Therefore, he meticulously presented the qualities of love for the Corinthians to see, hoping it would provide them with a greater understanding of how to treat one another and serve the Lord.
Paul began by saying, “love suffers long” (v. 4), or is patient. Patience “signifies forbearance, and slowness to repay for offences.”(10) According to F. F. Bruce, in the Corinthian church people had a lack of patience for those who didn’t display spiritual gifts or spiritual knowledge.(11) Next, Paul mentioned something connected to patience. He said, “love is kind” (v. 4). Kindness is exemplified in “the form of careful rebuke designed to bring about a good result.”(12) Paul was telling the Corinthians that in correcting a spiritual problem within the church they needed to have patience and not become angry with someone and expect the individual to change overnight.
Paul said, “Love does not envy” (v. 4). “Jealousy and envy begin when admiration and desire turn to resentment of others for what they have.”(13) Some of the Corinthians had specific spiritual gifts that others did not have. Those who felt that their gifts were lesser envied those whose gifts were deemed greater. We need not envy others, but we should be thankful to God for who He has made us to be, and for what He has given us.
“Love does not parade itself” (v. 4), or does not boast, Paul said. The meaning of “boast” is “bragging without foundation.”(14) Those who had the gifts of preaching and teaching, for instance, looked down on those with seemingly lesser gifts. They bragged about how great they were. Paul then said, “Love is not puffed up” (v. 4), or is not proud. “To be proud is to be overly self-confident or insubordinate to God and others.”(15) If we exalt ourselves above others, then we are not seeking the glory that comes from above. We are instead relying on our own efforts and human appreciation, and we are destined to fall.
Paul tells us, “Love does not behave rudely” (v. 5). Richard Pratt says, “At the heart of rudeness is a disregard for the social customs that others have adopted.”(16) In 1 Corinthians 8:13, for example, Paul said, “If food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat.” He addressed the issue of how the Corinthian church ate food offered to idols, because the members didn’t want the food to go to waste. They knew it wouldn’t hurt them, but newcomers who were very superstitious were upset about this practice.
Paul said, “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Paul said that sometimes we must be willing to humble ourselves and be patient with those who don’t have our understanding, instead of flaunting our spiritual knowledge before them. Flaunting our knowledge will only drive a person away from the church.
Next we read, “Love does not seek its own” (v. 5), or is not self-seeking. “Paul probably had in mind here the practice of always putting oneself in first place without due consideration of others.”(17) We also read, “Love is not provoked” (v. 5), or it is not easily angered. Once again, we have a reference to the Corinthian’s reaction to those who were young in their faith. If someone sins we must not become angry with the person, but we must have patience and love for that individual.
“Love thinks no evil” (v. 5). The NIV says, “Love keeps no records of wrongs.” “People who love others do not keep meticulous records of offenses. They offer forgiveness time and again.”(18) “Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (v. 6). We should never take joy in seeing another Christian stumble into sin. In the Corinthian church someone who was jealous of another would have loved to see that person fall, for it would ruin his or her reputation. Instead of rejoicing when someone falls, we should rejoice when God uses someone for His glory.
Paul said, “Love bears all things” (v. 7). The NIV says, “Love always protects.” “Paul meant that love bears with many offenses and does not stop loving even under the strain of difficulties imposed by others.”(19) We read next, “Love believes all things” (v. 7), of which the NIV says, “Love always trusts.” In other words, “Love gives the benefit of the doubt.”(20) Without trust in a relationship, there would only be suspicion, and suspicion leads to resentment on both sides.
We also read, “Love hopes all things” (v. 7). “Loving someone requires maintaining a measure of optimism on that person’s behalf.”(21) We should never give up when things look bleak in a person’s walk with God, but we should always have hope, and we should always lift the person up in prayer. We then read, “Love endures all things” (v. 7), or love always perseveres. “Loving someone is easy when the other person does not challenge one’s affections by offending or failing. Love’s quality becomes evident when it must endure trials.”(22)
Closely related to enduring all things; and also last, but not least in our list of fifteen qualities; we read that “love never fails” (v. 8).
Time of Reflection
Are we, as individuals and as a church, practicing love or cosmetology? In this passage, Paul showed us the essence of love. As you have reflected on each of the qualities of love, you have probably been evaluating your own walk with Christ, and the church’s walk with the Lord. Do we, as individuals and as a church, exemplify these qualities of love? If not, then we are held together only by spit and sealing wax, and we will soon fall apart under the weight of growth and change.
I want to urge you this morning to get your life right with the Lord. If you call yourself a Christian, then make sure that you truly show the love of Christ to everyone you meet, and in every relationship you have. If you have failed in this area, then ask the Lord for His forgiveness.
In John 15:13-14, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” If we obey Christ, we are considered His friend; and therefore, He will lay down His life for us. Jesus laid down His life on the cross and died for the sins of all who choose to believe in Him. The act of obedience that leads to receiving eternal life is to believe in Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. James declared, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23). If you will put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and believe in Him, then you will be considered His friend; and it will be accounted to you for righteousness with the heavenly Father.
NOTES
(1) Roger Lovette, “What Matters Most,” The Minister’s Manual 2001 (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000), 368.
(2) Simon and Schuster Collegiate Dictionary (Prentice-Hall, 1999). On CD ROM.
(3) Ibid., “The Gift That Does Not Fail,” 370.
(4) Richard L. Pratt, Jr. 1 and 2 Corinthians, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2000), 228.
(5) Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (New York: Hodder and Stoughton, 1857), 266.
(6) Melvin M. Newland, The Most Excellent Way, a sermon preached at Central Christian Church, Brownsville, Texas. Taken from the Internet August 2001 at http://www.sermoncentral.com.
(7) G. Campbell Morgan, The Corinthian Letters of Paul (Westwood, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell, 1947), 163.
(8) William Barclay, The Letter to the Corinthians, The Daily Study Bible (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954), 119.
(9) Ibid., 119.
(10) Pratt, 229.
(11) F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 261.
(12) Pratt, 230.
(13) Ibid., 230.
(14) Ibid., 230.
(15) Ibid., 230.
(16) Ibid., 231.
(17) Ibid., 231.
(18) Ibid., 231.
(19) Ibid., 232.
(20) Ibid., 232.
(21) Ibid., 232.
(22) Ibid., 233.
