THE GIDDY HEIGHTS OF AGAPE LOVE.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13.
At the end of the previous chapter Paul encouraged the Corinthians (church) to be, literally, ‘zealous’ for the best gifts (‘charismata’). ‘And yet,’ he said, ‘I show unto you a more excellent way’ (1 Corinthians 12:31). What is that ‘more excellent way?’ It is the ‘way’ of love (“agape”) (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).
This passage is a celebration of “agape” love, Christian love; a love rooted in God’s love for us (cf. 1 John 4:19). In that respect, it really starts with God: ‘God is love’ (READ 1 John 4:7-10). It is He with whom we will come “face to face,” He whom we shall “know, even as we are known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
This hymn of “agape” love clearly belongs in a church context - for example, in the context of the church in Corinth. The counterpart to the rhetorical questions of the previous chapter is found here. Instead of ‘are all?’ ‘have all?’ ‘do all?’ (1 Corinthians 12:29-30), we have “If I” do this, “have” this, “know” this, do this or that other thing “but have not love” then “I am nothing” and “it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
If we read this chapter honestly, we have to concede that it is well-nigh impossible to keep (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). That is our problem: we tend to treat a passage like this as if it were attainable on a human level. Like Israel of old, we imagine ‘all that the LORD has spoken we will do’ (Exodus 19:8).
If any person, any couple, any church imagines that they have perfectly kept ‘the royal law of love’ (James 2:8) they will find, sooner rather than later, just how wrong they are. Thankfully, we are not under law, but under grace. The law condemns, but grace empowers.
‘Love one another,’ said Jesus, ‘AS I HAVE LOVED YOU’ (John 13:34). ‘Husbands love your wives,’ teaches Paul, ‘as Christ loved the Church, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT’ (Ephesians 5:25). The path of “agape” love is a path of SACRIFICE.
Even the Spirit given, Spirit distributed, Spirit empowered spiritual gifts will cease once they have fulfilled their purpose (1 Corinthians 13:8-12). That purpose is to prove and to demonstrate what the church has been saying all along: that ‘Jesus is Lord’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3).
When “prophecies,” “tongues,” and even “knowledge” will cease (1 Corinthians 13:8), then only that other triad of “faith,” “hope,” and “love” will remain (1 Corinthians 13:13).
“The greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). So ‘pursue love’ (1 Corinthians 14:1). ‘Let all your things be done with love’ (1 Corinthians 16:14).
