Study on 1st Corinthians: Chapter 013

1st Corinthians Chapter 13

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

If it were possible to understand all languages, speak in the tongues of angels, and have all nine gifts of the spirit operating within each one of us and we had no love for one another, it would profit absolutely nothing.

I'm reminded of the letter to the seven churches in Revelation.

In the letter to the church in Ephesus, Jesus told them that they excelled in all things but one thing they lacked and that was they had left their first love.

This doesn't mean that they were to forsake sound doctrine and just have love, that is the mistake many are making. We see from the other letters to the other churches were false doctrine had crept in, that Jesus corrected them also. Yet it is possible to know all things and understand all things and not have love and compassion. If we do this, we have religion without love and that is dangerous.

1Co 13:2 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 charity, I am nothing.

Paul is bringing out the importance of love when we work for God and present His gospel. We must remain full of love that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

My dad is 90 years old and at the family gathering we had to celebrate this, he stood up and told us all that we are to love one another. If there is anything he has learned throughout the years is that we must not go out into eternity with any unforgiveness in our hearts. Love was the main emphasis that Dad mentioned.
My dad was always a person who believed strongly in the sound doctrine of the scriptures. He would know right away when a popular teaching was false. I use to think he was a skeptic. Yet I remember him always being quick to forgive and not hold grudges. We see so much bitterness in those who are what we would call religious, but my dad did not have that kind of spirit. We don't have to forsake sound doctrine to have love like some modern people believe. If we really love we would also love the truth and want all that is possible to find the truth and be saved.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Usually it is thought that one who gives to the poor would most probably have love but it may not be the case. They could be giving to be seen of men and make themselves look like good people. I guess we could ask the question, "Would they be giving if no one was around to see?" Some businesses give for a large tax write off. It profits nothing if its not done with love being the motive.
It would seem as if even giving one's life for the gospel's sake would not profit if we had no love in our hearts. This type of love is greater than what the world calls love. It is the type of love Jesus had for us when He allowed Himself of bear every one of our sins and die in our place so that we who believe could inherit eternal live.

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Look at the traits of true love (The kind that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit). It is not something we can just make ourselves do. It puts up with people's shortcomings. It is kind, it does not envy, it doesn't exalt itself and does not always want it's own way. In fact true love will be present when things are not going one's way.

1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Love has no bad behavior, it does not cause us to seek things for selfish reasons, it causes us not to be easily offended and makes us prefer to believe the best instead of the worse. We should never desire to hear bad about somebody.

1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

When we see sin and someone committing a sin, it should grieve us. We should not desire to go out and tell someone else at once. Our rejoicing should be in truth, not in seeing someone do evil.

1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

True love wants to see the best in others and does not desire to gossip, spread rumors and desire to see a person brought low for his sins.

1Co 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.

The true agape love of God will never fail. Prophecies are great but some prove false and we have times when we don't hear prophecies. We don't always hear messages in tongues and interpretation. We could go years and not hear it. We are lacking in knowledge and sometimes we don't understand what is going on. In all these things though we can still walk in the love of God. We have love with us even when the gifts of the spirit are not active among us. All churches will go through times when nothing seems to be happening but we still can walk in love during those times. This is when the knowledge of the written word will sustain us. We never should depart from what God has already provided for us. His word must be hidden in our hearts to keep us from sin. We may not always be around great gospel music, or hear messages in tongues and interpretation but the word is with us always. We may not always see great healings and things visible to the eye but the word abides with us continually. All the gifts of the spirit are great and wonderful. We should never downplay them at any time but we should be able to stand true when we go through the times when we do not see anything visibly happening. This is living by faith.

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

There is so much we still do not know but when Jesus returns, we will understand all things. There will be no need of the gifts of the spirit then because Jesus will be among us. There will then be no need to pray in another tongue because we will not need to intercede in prayer. The answer will be among us. There will be no need of the gifts of healing because in our new bodies, there will be no sickness.

1Co 13:11 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.

I don't believe Paul is saying that the gifts of the spirit is childish. They are just limited to our own human weaknesses. Sometimes we do not respond to the spirit and allow the gifts to operate perfectly. Sometimes we resist the spirit and sometimes we allow the flesh to mess up. Yet through the love of God given to us through the Holy Spirit, we can love one another in spite of our weaknesses. When our brothers and sisters in the Lord mess up, we love them anyway and always be slow to condemn.

1Co 13:12 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.

This is why we need discernment accompanied by great love because we do see through a glass darkly. We don't always understand all things and we have to make allowances for those who are weak and make mistakes when it comes to spiritual gifts.

We will find that if we walk in perfect love, things will work out much better. I'm not talking about overlooking out and out open sin that is clear from scripture is sin. Neither am I talking about overlooking false doctrine that is clear from the scripture that it is false. I'm talking about sincere seekers of God who may not know how to yield to the spirit of God and may make a few mistakes in prayer, in worship and in their daily life that we may consider a little strange. Let us walk in love.

Remember Jesus did a lot of strange things that the Pharisees did not understand. Those that loved Him, may not have understood but they loved Him anyway. Jesus did not sin, nor did He teach any false doctrine but some things He did were strange.

Here is an example: Speaking of Jesus.
Mark 7:33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

That was strange but it was not sin, nor a false doctrine.

We may see a brother or sister get out of their car. Walk around the car seven times and get back in. Strange.....yes. Sin......no. False teaching......no. Let us love one another by overlooking the trivial.

Some think speaking in tongues is strange. Love one another. The bible mentions many that speak in other tongues. Do not expect all other Christians to be the same and have the same gifts. If you see one committing adultery, grieve and be concerned. If you hear one speak in tongues rejoice for they are not doing anything wrong. If you still have doubts, leave it up to God and just love one another.

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I've found that those with love usually have faith too and great hope. I can really understand why Paul put this chapter in between the conversation about the gifts of the spirit. He most probably knew that we were still weak and not made perfect in love. He probably could see ahead and see us accusing one another because some spoke with tongues and some did not. Some laid hands on the sick and some did not. Some were able to prophesy and some did not. He could probably see that some would not understand it when one church or pastor worshipped one way and another church worshipped entirely different. He could see that we needed a great love in order to accept one another in spite of the differences. At no time did Paul ever condone sin or false teaching but he did see that in order to have love and true unity, we would have to have a love that was similar to what Christ has for us. We must overlook the trivial, use discernment of course, but do all in love.