Love Never Fails
Notes
Transcript
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
The loving disciple John, whom the HS used to pen the Gospel of John, often referred to himself as the “disciple, whom Jesus loved” knew what manner of love Jesus acted upon.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
As we read through 1 Corinthians 13, Christ, our Saviour, is personified.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not [Christ], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not [Christ], I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not [Christ], it profiteth me nothing.
“[Christ] suffered long, and was kind.[22] [Christ] envied not; [Christ] vaunted not Himself, was not puffed up, did not behave Himself unseemly, sought not His own, was not provoked, thought no evil, rejoiced not in iniquity, but rejoiced in the truth; bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, endured all things. [Christ] never failed.…
“And now abideth faith, hope, [Christ], these three; but the greatest of these is [Christ]!”
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be like Christ? God Himself? To love like Christ is to enter into the nature of God.
Tunnel of love - Holly
Entering into the loving heart of God and deciding to love like Christ loves changes us. It changes us into that which is lasting.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Charity
Faileth - pipto - pip-pee-toe - to suffer defeat, failure, ruin - will never lose its authority or cease to have force (power)
Lu 16:17
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
It is God Himself, and therefore eternal. It cannot die!
When one act’s upon the love of God, that work is eternal and cannot die!
Funeral - often the remarks that are made are what? Those loving moments that are selfless and Godlike - those are the memories that are precious and live past the life of a loved one
Prophecies
1 Cor 13:8
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Fail - katargeo - Ka-tar-rio - to reduce to inactivity - Prophecies would be put out of business
3 basic voices that govern verbs in the Greek language
Active - The active voice is used when the subject is doing the acting.
The mother washes the child. - Active voice of the verb - to wash
Passive - The passive voice is used when the subject is being acted upon by another party.
The child is washed by his mother. - that would be the passive voice because the child is getting washed by someone other than himself.
Middle - The middle voice is used when the subject is doing the action upon itself.
The child washes himself - that would be the middle voice of the verb to wash because he performs the action on himself.
Prophecies is used in the passive voice. This means that Somebody is acting upon “prophecies” to cause them to cease and be abolished. That Somebody is God Himself.
Like the prophesies Paul gave to the church in Thessalonica regarding the rapture, tribulation, and end times.
Knowledge
Same voice used for knowledge
Vanish away - katargeo - ka-tar-rio
Knowledge wasn’t something that was studied or learned, but rather a gift of the HS that enabled prophets to hear or read the apostles doctrine, understand it fully through the HS, and then relay the words to the early church before the completion of the NT.
Like “prophecies” this unique gift of knowledge, the ability to “know” supernaturally or by apostolic instruction, apart from a completed written revelation, would be abolished.
Tongues
Middle voice - Literally means that tongues will make themselves to cease.
Cease - pavo - pahv-o - to stop, come to an end
If we see what God says regarding when the prophecies and knowledge will end, then we can know that tongues ended before this.
Prophecies & knowledge - dealt with the impartation of divine NT truth now incorporated in the canon of Scripture and available to the church.
Tongues dealt with the Jews who looked for a sign because of the unbelief and rejection of Jesus Christ and resisting the Spirit of God.
Tongues would be the first to cease!
Pouring cold water over the heated fiery exchanges of contention ravaging through the church in Corinth
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Vs 9 - bit by bit - little by little - Paul was reminding the church in Corinth that they did not have the full complete canon of Scripture.
John would be used of God to pen the final words of Scripture
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
The context here is Paul addressing a church that was fighting over spiritual gifts. Paul instructed that these gifts were to be used to further the Gospel. He then instructs to the power behind every spiritual gift is the action love of God, and now teaches about the never failing nature of love in the context of God giving and completing Scripture.
This portion of Scripture is speaking about the completion of the NT.
Perfect - teleios - tel-ee-ose - mature, whole, and complete without defect or blemish
The goal of the communication gifts (prophecies and knowledge) was the completion of the NT
When the NT was completed, the inspired speaking (prophecies) and supernatural knowledge would no longer be needed.
With the completion of the NT and passing of any need for supernatural phenomena, Christianity became mature. It was no longer adolescent. It was adult.
Exploring 1 Corinthians: An Expository Commentary Part 4: Difficulties in the Church (1 Corinthians 7:1–14:40)
The Holy Spirit gave the various supernatural manifestations as they were required. The apostles needed gifts of wisdom and knowledge. They needed the sign gifts to give them credibility (Eph. 2:20; 2 Cor. 12:12). The prophets also needed the supernatural speaking gifts to enable them to retail revealed truth as, when, and where needed The apostles and prophets have gone. The evangelists, pastors, and teachers remain. The Bible stands supreme. The apostles completed their testimony. The New Testament canon was completed and closed. That which is perfect had come. The New Testament Scriptures, inspired and collected by the Holy Spirit into a single volume, are perfect.
Paul now gives 2 illustrations:
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Speech arises out of understanding and understanding out of thought.
Child matures - the more he thinks - the more intelligent his understanding the sensible and profitable his speech
Personifying Christianity
As God was completing Scripture, the HS had to help them “think” through prophecy, “understand” in knowledge, and show His power through “speaking” in tongues.
Just as a parents goal is to help the child mature, God was maturing Christianity.
When Scripture was fully given, their would be no need for the sign gift of tongues like in Acts 2 nor would there be any more use for the prophecy and knowledge for more Scripture because God had completed His Word to man.
These transitional gifts were for a time, and they would end.
Paul’s focus was upon how a child communicates, and Paul was telling the Corinthians that it was time to grow up and begin to think, understand, and speak like adults.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Glass - looking glass - made with metal - not as clear and reflective as the mirrors we have now
But soon it’ll be as clear as looking face to face with one another
The final completion, assembly, and circulation of the New Testament Scriptures has put in our hands the means to know the entire range of revealed truth. It enables us to know even as we are known. God knows us. Now we can know Him.
Christmas gift:
Waiting in anticipation for the gift - know the gift is coming - Jesus
Seeing the gift - Jesus
Accepting and opening the gift - Salvation in the NT and all that the grace of God through the HS enables us to do - God knew I needed salvation and now we can know Him and the power of the Gospel in our lives
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Charity moves us to grow in faith with our Father
Charity moves our hearts to hope in Him
Charity, God’s love in action, moves us to mature in our relationship with Lord.