1 Corinthians 13

Playing baseball in junior college, I will never forget one player. This player was the total package. He was super fast. The guy could fly. He had tremendous speed. His dad played at a professional level. He was a middle infielder. He had extremely quick hands. Some of the quickest I have ever seen. He could turn a double play like not other. He was excellent at fielding the ground ball. The guy was super talented.

One problem...

This guy lacked work ethic. He was so talented that everything just came naturally to him. He did not have to work to get to where he was. This guy was the laziest guy on the team. When it came to put the tarp on the field or clean up after practice he would just stand around. He had all the talent you could ask for but he didn’t have a work ethic. How do you think this went for the rest of the guys on the team? It didn’t go well at all. Guys were constantly yelling at him to help out and be a part of the team.

I have no doubt the guy could have played professionally but never did because he lacked this.

Today we come to and this is one of the most popular passages of scripture. It is known as the love chapter.

We have learned about hermeneutics (The interpretation of scripture) perhaps no other passage of scripture is used out of context than this passage.

In context, this passage has so much power for the local church. Who is Paul writing too in 1 Corinthians?

He is writing to the church in Corinth.

What is this church dealing with?

The culture of the city of Corinth has come into the church and Paul is addressing this.

Chapter One divisions in the church

Some say I follow Paul or I’m with Apollos and some say I’m with Cephas and some say I’m with Christ.

Chapter three Selfishness and pride

1 Corinthians 3:3 HCSB

3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?

1 Corinthians 3:

Chapter six Lawsuits

1 Corinthians 6:6 HCSB

6 Instead, believer goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers!

Chapter 8 giving up rights for the rest of the Body

Chapter 11 Some are dressing improperly

Also in chapter 11 some are taking of the Lord’s supper and won’t wait for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Chapter 12 we talked about unity in the Body of believers among Spiritual gifts

Chapter 14 We see that he again discusses Spiritual gifts and sandwich between these two chapters and in context of the whole letter is this beautiful chapter.

1 Corinthians 13 HCSB

1 If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding 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 donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give 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 conceited, 5 does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, 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 languages, 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 indistinctly, 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.

Pray

My teammate in College had all the talent you could ask for. He could turn a double play in no time. He was so fast getting to first base. He had quick hands so this meant he could also swing the bat really quickly. He lacked one thing: Work Ethic

Imagine this in ministry. Imagine in the church a member is the total package, they can speak, they can sing, they can serve, they have it all but they lack one thing

LOVE

1 Corinthians 13:1-

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 HCSB

1 If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding 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 donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

v. 1

I speak in Human or angelic languages

This amazing speech or heavenly languages. It sounds amazing to the ears.

but don’t have love

result

Sound like a gong or clanging cymbal

Notice the contrast angelic languages contrasted with clanging symbol.

I could sound amazing but if I lack love in the Body of Christ it is all for nothing.

v.2 Prophecy

1 Corinthians 12:

1 Corinthians 12:28 HCSB

28 And God has placed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, managing, various kinds of languages.

He list prophets second and here in chapter 13 if I have this gift and understand all mysteries and all knowledge.

If you recall a lot of emphasis in this letter has been put on knowledge and wisdom because of the philosophical city of Corinth.

and have all faith but I don’t have love I am nothing

v.3 If I donate all my goods, If I give my body

If I give everything I have to feed the poor

The imagery here is piece by piece little by little I spread everything I have to feed the poor. If I disperse everything I have to feed the poor.

If I give my body to be burned

If I self mutilate myself or give of my total self so that my body is burned. I make the ultimate sacrifice of giving my body to be burned and I don’t have love I am nothing.

Spiritual gifts are useless without love. You can have all the talent in the world and if you lack love it is for nothing.

Love is elevated and the importance love in the Body of Christ is shown as essential.

Don’t make the mistake of believing we should not pursue Spiritual gifts and we should only seek to love.

Remember how he finished with chapter 12

1 Corinthians 12:

1 Corinthians 12:31 HCSB

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

Imagine what type of player this guy in college would have been if he would have had the work ethic. You combine his talent with a work ethic then lookout.

Likewise you take the gifts and talents of the church and root them in love then the church becomes an unstoppable force.

What does this love in the church look like?

We often think the opposite of love is hate. According to the opposite of love is Pride.

Notice Love does not envy it is not boastful

Love is selfless

We love people who love us. We like people who build us up. We like when people acknowledge our work. We say we love others but what we really like is when people love us and are about what we are about.

Paul writes and says Love is not selfish

Love seeks its happiness in the good of others.

Love is active

Paul uses 15 verbs here for love. Paul does not use adjectives or words to describe but he uses verbs. This is what love does and this is what love does not.

Paul is not just trying to paint a picture of what love is but he wants the Body of believers or the church to do these things and not do do some of them to show what love is.

What love is and what love is not

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 HCSB

4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, 5 does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, 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 languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

Love is patient

Patient is the opposite of short-tempered. This word is used with people rather than circumstances.

This concept is often used of God.

2 Peter 3:9 HCSB

9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

Who is this room has experienced the patience of God when it comes to yourself?

God is patient with you

Are you patient with others? Are you patient with others in the church? Are you patient in the home?

So many of you have been so patient with me over the years of pastoring this church. I have no clue what some of you were thinking when you called me to pastor this church at the age of 24.

This church has been patient with me.

Love is patient

Love is Kind

The other side of this is that love is kind. This is the only time this verb is used in the New Testament. Love is good.

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 3. In Praise of Love (13:1–13)

Love reacts with goodness towards those who ill-treat it; it gives itself in kindness in the service of others.

Love is kind to those who are unkind. Love shows good to those who don’t do good. The Corinthian church had many members who had been wronged. Love is kind to those who wrong us.

This is counter culture… we like when people get revenge.

Love does not

Love does not envy Love does not boast

Envy: a strong passion of jealousy or the like.

Love is not displeased at the success of others

Envy caused a lot of problems in scripture. Cain was envious of his brother Abel and led to murder. It was envy that caused Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery.

boasting is bragging about what we have to make others jealous

Love is not conceited

This is to be arrogant before other. Love is not arrogant before others. We like to talk about our successes and we love for people to notice our successes. Love is not arrogant.

Love does not act improperly

To act improperly is to do things with no consideration of others. This is not love. I have the right to do it and I don’t care what you think I am going to do it any way.

Remember they are giving up rights for the sake of others.

Love is not selfish

It does not insist on its own way. It’s my way or the highway. This is not love. Love is not self centered. Love leans in on others and seeks their thoughts and opinions.

Love is not provoked

Or to say it another way Love is not easily angered. A temper is a sign of a lack of love. Love is not “touchy”. How easily do you get upset? This is a sign that you lack love.

Love does not keep a record of wrongs

Love does not have an account of wrongs. Love is not out looking for things that people do wrong. Do you look for the wrong in everyone? This is not love. Do you approach church looking for everything that’s wrong? This is not love.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness

Love does not take pleasure in the misfortunes of others. Love takes no joy in any evil of any kind.

Someone flies past you on the road and later you see them pulled over and you are happy about that. That is not love.

Love rejoices in truth

Love rejoices when others do right. When someone nails what they are trying to do, love rejoices with them when they do right.

Love bears all things

Love provides cover for others

Love protects others, supports them, providing for them

Love conceals what is displeasing in another and does not drag it out into pitiless light of public scrutiny.

Love believes all things

It holds faith for others

Love hopes all things

Love does not lose hope for others

so that his soul might be saved

Love endures all things

1 Corinthians 13:9–13 HCSB

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 indistinctly, 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.

1 Corinthians 13:9-

Little boy I love you

Christ love for us