Untitled Sermon (6)

IRRITABLE

8.Not irritable

Is not easily provoked (AV/KJV).

Do one who loves, is not easily angered! Fee

At Corinth, one group paraded their gifts and status with ill-mannered impropriety because they thoughtlessly ignored the well-being and feelings of others; the less gifted or less status-endowed group allowed themselves to become exasperated into pique at the aggressive triumphalism and ostentation of the others because they were more wrapped up in their own feelings than in sharing the sense of joy or liberation of others. Many local churches and many theological colleges contain some who parade their “gifts” while others nurse their “hurts.” Does either side, Paul asks, genuinely put the other before the self? Thiselton.

What can provoke us to anger and it is good? Acts 17:16 - the sin against God!

Only God is allowed to let Himself be exasperated - Num. 14:11.

RECORDS OF WRONGS

9.Keeps no records of wrongs

Noting something down and reckoning it to someone. Morris

Does not take evil into account. BAGD

“Instead of nursing the memory of an injury … charity refuses to notice that anything has happened’’ Spicq.

The ‘paying back’ injury is in view here. Garland

It keeps no score of wrongs. Conzelmann

So, what’s the score?

David, the psalmist: the score is high, my son.

- How are you today? - Fine. - But I see you have a notebook, what’s that for? - Well, I just want to wait until I can write down #490. - Why is that? - Because then I am free to not forgive him.

The real love doesn’t have that kind of notebook in itself! No records. At all.

There was one day when the Love itself said these words: (Luke 23:34) - don’t keep the score for this sin!

Rejoice at wrongdoing

9.Doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing

Love takes no pleasure in seeing wrong or injustice done to someone else! Fitzmyer

Malicious joy over people’s failures. Thiselton.

How many times did someone hurt somebody else in the church and we simply stayed there and said nothing? That means to rejoice at wrongdoing. That’s not love. That’s hate. When I cannot simply listen to someone hurting someone else, then I love. 

Christians can’t defrauding other Christians in pagan courts. Garland

The love cannot be happy when it sees any kind of injustice! Any kind of injustice!

Rejoices with the truth

10.Does rejoice with the truth

The other side of the same problem: the one who loves can rejoice only when the Truth is triumphant, only when the truth had overcome our existence.

Joyfully celebrates. Thiselton

Let us be happy, that your brother came back!

Love delights in integrity. Love cannot just be joyful because someone is happy: it matters the reason of happiness.

11.Love always protects

Everything! The absence of all limits. Hering

On the other side, it’s not about ‘servile mediocrity’. Thiselton

This is what the love continually does. Garland

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

“love throws a cloak of silence over what is displeasing in another person” (Harnack).

It is alway the best not to publicly talk about the problems that others have. But is always the best to help people and not to hide their problems!

12.Love always believes

It’s not about having always the most favorable interpretation of everything. That doesn’t always help

Always eager to believe the best, but still rejoicing in the truth!

13.Love always hopes

Not an unreasoning optimism, which fails to take account of reality. Morris

The hope is based on God’s grace

14.Love always endures

Because it always believes and hopes, the love can endure everything.

This is love...