How’s Your Love Life?

Introduction

Some say it is the greatest chapter on love in the Bible. It is the most read chapter in weddings. Actually it is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. The first three verses and the last five are usually left out. I got to thinking about that, and I thought it would benefit us to study the whole chapter, breaking it down over the course of 4 Sundays and try to gain insight into what love really means. However, to full understand this chapter, we need to first understand what was going on in the Corinthian church. They were glorifying the human leaders and the church was being divided. They had been given spiritual gifts in which they were abusing. We see in 1 Corinthians 13 that three separate gifts are mentioned. From the way these gifts are written about, one can assume that these were gifts that were being abused. As we study these, you will hear the importance of love.

Before we look as these abused gifts and the importance of love, let us define exactly what love means in this passage.

Eros (sexual love)

Phileo (spontaneous natural affection)

Philadelphia (brotherly love)

storge (natural affection between kinfolk)

Agape (unconditional love)

Love in this passage is derived from the Greek word agape. It is one of four words used by the Greeks to describe love. Of Greek words available, eros (sexual love) does not occur in the NT; phileō, spontaneous natural affection, with more feeling than reason, occurs some 25 times, with philadelphia (brotherly love) 5 times, and philia (friendship) only in James 4:4; storgē, natural affection between kinfolk.

By far the most frequent word is agapē, generally assumed to mean moral goodwill which proceeds from esteem, principle, or duty, rather than attraction or charm. Agapē means to love the undeserving, despite disappointment and rejection.

Some scholars have said that agape is a unique Christian concept of love. “Without it nothing that is Christian would be Christian.” Nygren

Now with this definition, lets loot at 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NIV84

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

First look at the dialogue without love.

Dialogue without Love (vs. 1)

1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV84

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

The gift being described is the use of tongues. It was a big deal in the Corinthian church and it was one that caused some problems. There were specific guidelines in the use of tongues. Basically, tongues were used as a language of prayer and worship. It is one of the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:10

1 Corinthians 12:10 NIV84

10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

As part of the worship, this gift was utilized and was most commonly used in telling, talking and testifying.

Telling

In telling, speaking in tongues were used to tell of God’s greatness. Mark 16:17

Mark 16:17 NIV84

17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

Talking

Interestingly, the Bible talks about speaking in tongues as a way of communication between God and His people.

Isaiah 28:11 NIV84

11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,

Testifying

In talking, speaking in tongues required that there would be one that interpret what the other has said. By the way, if there is no interpreter, it is not Biblical. According to Acts 2:4, speaking in tongues was an enabling of the Holy Spirit.\

Acts 2:4 NIV84

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

As you can imagine, the gift of speaking in tongues became an object of show. This eloquent discourse was abused and was being used in a prideful sort of a way, calling attention to the person utilizing it. It became a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Declaration without Love (vs. 2)

In verse two, we see a declaration without love abusing prophecy, knowledge and an incredible faith.

1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV84

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Preaching

The gift of prophecy is that type of preaching in some way. A more clear definition is that prophecy is an oral, divine message mediated through an individual that is directed at a person or people group and intended to elicit a specific response. The Bible was full of prophecies in the Old Testament, particularly preaching about the soon coming Messiah. In the New Testament, we see that it was an appointed gift for the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11

Ephesians 4:11 NIV84

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

The preaching of God’s word has always been important to the church.

Proclaiming

We also see here that there were those who could “fathom all mysteries and knowledge” with “a faith that could move mountains.” This was a type of proclaiming that took place on a regular basis. I think this would be related particularly to the realm of Christianity and perhaps specific issues related to the Christian doctrine of the early church. This is also a very important concept of the early church that relates to the teaching of God’s Word and His ways. This is mentioned in Titus.

Titus 2:1 NIV84

1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

Intellectual ability was part of this ability to proclaim.

Prophesying

Prophesying was a great gift in the Old Testament as well as the early church. It was a command of God on many instances. For example, the Lord told Amos to go prophecy.

Amos 7:15 NIV84

15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

And in Ezekiel, we see where this was done in a humanistic way instead of a Godly way:

Ezekiel 13:2 NIV84

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!

In the Corinthian church, this was still true, those prophesying out of their own imagination.

Tongue speaking, preaching, proclaiming and prophesying skills were all means of revelation but secondary in the Christian Life.

Distribution without Love (vs. 3)

Notice the idea of distribution without love.

1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV84

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Giving Out

A common trend during that day was to give possessions to the poor. Proverbs 28:27

Proverbs 28:27 NIV84

27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

The thought was to give, give, give.

Giving In

There was also an idea of giving in, seen in verse 3 in the phrase surrender. The word in Greek means to give in to the hands of another. Sometimes giving in meant giving up.

Giving Up

We see the phrase, “surrender my body to the flames” to emphasize this. There are many stories of martyrs that gave themselves up to be burned. There is a book that was first published in 1583 by John Foxe called Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It contains historically evidence of many Christians that were persecuted unto death for their faith. A more modern version of this is an organization called The Voice of Martyrs. The Voice of the Martyrs is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend the human rights of persecuted Christians. It still happens today and we certainly need to pray for those in our land that persecuted because they are Christians.

There are other translations of this phrase in verse 3 that says, “surrender my body that I may boast.” Somehow that turns the act into one of bragging about what you have done for God instead of what God has done for you.

We have the dialogue without love; we have the declaration without love, and we have the distribution without love. But, notice the emphasis and the main point of these verses.

Doing with Love

All we do in our dialogue, in our declaration, and in our distribution must be done with love, with agape. Notice again what it is like without it:

Apart from it is NOISY

Apart from it is noisy. Verse one says a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. “But I can speak in tongues and I am so spiritual.” God’s word says, “That’s awesome, but if you don’t do it in agape love, it is just noise.

Apart from it is NOTHING

Apart from it is nothing. Verse 2 says it is nothing. “But I have the gift of prophecy and I can preach the most eloquent sermons, and watch, I have enough faith to move this mountain!” God’s word says, “That’s awesome, but if you don’t have agape love, you are nothing.”

Apart from it is NEGLECT

Apart from it is neglect. Verse 2 says nothing is gained. “But I have given all this to the poor and I have stood out in the cold passing out hot chocolate and blankets.” God’s word says, “That’s awesome, but if you don’t have agape love, you have gain nothing. Your work is in vain.”

When it comes down to it, we are to act with love because we are loved. The Author and Creator of love is love Himself.

1 John 3:16 NIV84

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

How’s your love life? We can love because Jesus first loved us.

Revelation 1:4–6 (NIV84)

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.