Its All About Love

In chapter 12 Paul was discussing the gifts given us by the Holy Spirit.

The biggest take away is that we all are given a gift and are called to use it for the building up of the church.

As amazing as the gifts that Paul tells us about he ends the chapter by telling us to …

1 Corinthians 12:31 CSB

31 But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

What is this better way?

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 CSB

1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Its all about love.

As great and as necessary as the gift are it they are not tempered with love they mean nothing.

This passage is often used in weddings and there is some value in applying this in marriage but remember in Greek there are about 8 words for love - biblically eros was synonymous with “marital love” because husbands and wives were supposed to the only people having a physical relationship.

The other word would be storge (store gee) which is familial love.

Of course we phila - affectionate love between friends, pragma - practical love based on duty, obligation, philautia - self-love or how a person sees themselves - there are 2 others that I’m not mentioning because 1 is not good and the other is actual from a latin word but the final one not ,mentioned…

Agape- this is word Paul is using here - this is unconditional, sacrificial love - it is the love felt by someone willing to do anything for another, including sacrificing themselves, without expecting anything in return - it often defined as Christian love and used to describe the love God has for humanity and it is the love that drove Jesus to die for our sins.

What does this love look like?

Love is and it isn’t…

Love is patient - forbearance or the slowness to repay for offenses. Through patience there is reprieve from punishment also allowing for repentance. Patience is not the same as indifference - patience bears with an offense but indifference ignores it - if an offense is harmful or destructive to oneself or to others it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Love is kind - we understand kindness - it is soft and gentle occasionally however, kindness must take the form of a careful rebuke designed to bring about a good result.

Love is not envious - it is ok to show admiration and even to desire some of the same good things - the issue is when it turns to resentment of others for what they have.

Love is not boastful - boasting is bragging without foundation - we cannot exalt ourselves over others as if anything we have accomplished is based on our own merit and ability - we got nothing without God.

Love is not arrogant - pride - the original sin, it says that we are better and know more than other even to the point of thinking that about God.

Love is not rude - when one does not concern himself with the likes and dislikes of other he show a disrespect for them.

Love is not self-seeking - we are to put the benefits of others over our own - this does not mean ignoring our own legitimate needs.

Love is not irritable - not easily angered - if we love others we do not become angry whenever they do wrong (slow to anger) - there are times anger is appropriate - we must never allow and avoidance of anger to become indifference to the suffering of others or to the honor of God.

Love is not a record keeper - the purpose of keeping a record of wrong done to us is to use it in the future - to forgive means to let it go - this does not mean we are to allow people to abuse us.

Love does not find joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in truth - we are not to be happy when someone stumbles or is living in sin but we are to rejoice and help when they try to live according to the truth of the gospel.

Love bears all - it doesn’t seek to expose the failings of others

Love believes all - we have to give the benefit of the doubt - trust the good intentions of others.

Love hope in all - our hope is not on each other but on Christ who is always faithful so we can hope in others to keep moving forward.

Love endures all - loving others is easy when the other person does not challenge one’s affections by offending or failing - love becomes evident when it must endure trials - thinks of how much Jesus puts up with us and yet He still loves us.

Love never ends, never.

All the gifts will eventually come to and end because we will stand before God and there will no longer be a need for them.

Our spiritual gifts only give glimpses and foreshadows of the perfection that will come.

Love is eternal because God is love.

The greatest gift we can have is - love.

Love for one another.

Love for God.