sf227 - A More Excellent Way (1 Corinthians 13 1-13)

1 Corinthians 13

Introduction

The Bible's simplest description of God is..."God is love" (1 John 4:8b)

Paul seeks to set the issue of spiritual gifts in the proper context, everything is conditioned by love.

1A. The Value of Love (13:1-3)

1B. Eloquence without love is nothing (13:1)

Paul uses a hyperbole here.

His point is that being able to speak all sorts of languages with great fluency and eloquence means nothing without love.

2B. Prophecy without love is nothing (13:2)

3B. Knowledge without love is nothing (13:2)

Mystery signifies divine truth that God has hidden from men at some time.

Knowledge is all the knowable facts of the universe.

4B. Faith without love is nothing (13:2)

This is not saving faith, but the faith of confidence and expectancy in the Lord.

Jonah is a good example of faith without love. (MacArthur, 334)

5B. Benevolence without love is nothing (13:3)

The term for give (psomizo) means to dole out in small quantities, and signifies a long term, systematic program of giving everything on possesses. Yet without love that is worthless.

6B. Martyrdom without love is nothing (13:3)

2A. The Virtue of Love (13:4-7)

1B. Love is patient

Suffers long; makrothumeoô; to persevere, to be patient; used almost exclusively to refer to being patient with people and not circumstances.

Patience refuses to retaliate. A lack of patience is a lack of love

2B. Love is kind

Kind; chreôsteuomai; to be kind, useful, serving, and gracious.

Kindness is love in the little things, it is active goodwill. God is the ultimate example.

Titus 3:4-6

3B. Love is does not envy

Envy, zeôlooô; to be jealous

Envy says, “I want what someone else has,” or worse, “I wish they did not have what they have.”

When love sees someone who is popular or successful it is glad for them.

4B. Love does not brag

Parade itself about, perpereuomai; from perperos (vainglorious); to boast

Love and pride do not dwell in the same heart.

5B. Love is not arrogant

Puffed up; phusiooô; from phusa to puff or blow up

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Arrogance is big-headed, love is big-hearted.

6B. Love does behave rudely

Behave rudely; ascheômoneoô; to act unbecomingly; to act rudely

7B. Love does not seek its own.

Seek; zeôteoô; to seek something deliberating

Stop thinking about what you will get and start thinking about how you can show the love of the Lord

8B. Love is not provoked

Provoked; paroxunoô; from oxunoô (to sharpen); to sharpen, fig. to stimulate, to provoke, to arouse to anger.

We should only become anger when God is offended not when only we are.

9B. Love thinks no evil.

Thinks no…; logizomai; to reckon, to consider, to calculate or reckon.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

10B. Love does not rejoice in iniquity

Iniquity; adikia; injustice, unrighteousness

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Rejoicing in sin is wrong because it is an affront to God and because of the consequences it has on the one who sins.

11B. Love rejoices in the truth

Truth; aletheia; truth; God’s reveled truth

Righteousness is predicated on God’s truth and cannot exist apart from it. Doctrine does matter!

12B. Love bears all things

Bears; stegoô; a prim. word; to cover closely (so as to keep water out), generally to bear up under

By all things Paul is referring to all things acceptable to God.

Love never protects sin but is eager to protect the sinner from harm. It does not expose or exploit, gloat or condemn.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

13B. Love believes all things

Believes; pisteuoô; to believe, entrust

Love is not suspicious or cynical. Love believes the best about a brother.

14B. Love hopes all things

Hopes; elpizoô; from elpomai to expect, to hope (for)

“As long as God’s grace is operative human failure in never final.” (MacArthur, 354.)

15B. Love endures all things

Endures; hupomenoô; to stay behind, to await, endure

A military term used of an army’s holding a vital position at all costs.

3A. The Victory of Love (13:8-13)

1B. The Gifts are temporary (13:8)

Prophecy and knowledge will be "done away," something outside will stop it.

Tongues will "cease," that is it will stop itself.

Ø This means that there will come a time and context when these gifts are no longer needed.

Ø However, love will always be needed.

2B. The Gifts are partial (13:9-12)

Ø The gifts are limited in scope and nature, they are not eternal

Ø The closer we are to Christ the clearer we see Him.

3B. Love is eternal (13:13)

Love is the greatest virtue

Love is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40)

Ø We must love sacrificially, consistently, and whole-heartedly

Love is the greatest testimony

John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Love is the greatest motivation

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

Ø It was love of Christ that motivated Peter to feed His sheep.

Love is the greatest confirmation (1 John 3:14-15)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1A. The __________________________ of Love (13:1-3)

1B. Eloquence without love is nothing (13:1)

2B. ________________ without love is nothing (13:2)

3B. Knowledge without love is nothing (13:2)

4B. _________________ without love is nothing (13:2)

5B. Benevolence without love is nothing (13:3)

6B. Martyrdom without love is nothing (13:3)

2A. The __________________________ of Love (13:4-7)

1B. Love is ______________________________

2B. Love is kind

3B. Love is does not _________________________

4B. Love does not brag

5B. Love is not arrogant (1 Corinthians 4:7)

6B. Love does behave ___________________________

7B. Love does not _______________________ its own.

8B. Love is not provoked

9B. Love thinks no evil. (Romans 4:8 )

10B. Love does not rejoice in _____________________ (Isaiah 5:20)

11B. Love rejoices in the truth

12B. Love ___________________________ all things (Proverbs 10:12 )

13B. Love believes all things

14B. Love _____________________________ all things

15B. Love endures all things

3A. The ________________________ of Love (13:8-13)

1B. The Gifts are _________________________ (13:8)