In 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 accordingly, the apostle enters on a full statement of these spiritual powers. Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Then when I started looking through the Greek manuscripts, I find it doesn't appear in any of the Greek manuscripts. We can't see clearly. They had forgotten this, and were in a sense trafficking with these powers of the Spirit of God. What, then, is the weapon that the apostle uses in this case? Another thing is to be observed, that the Holy Spirit's scale of sin is not that of man. It is a danger for the saints of God to be tinctured by the atmosphere of the world outside when the first fervour of grace cools, and they begin to take up their old habits. Accordingly he marks the first departure from what was right by the woman's losing the sign of her subjection. Thus, we see too much hype within the church as man is trying to promote a program, or worse yet, trying to promote himself. There was no more religious a man than Philip the Second of Spain, and yet he founded the Spanish Inquisition and thought he was serving God by massacring those who thought differently from him. The sense is, love does not envy others the happiness which they enjoy; it delights in their welfare; and as their happiness is increased by their endowments, their rank, their reputation, their wealth, their health, their domestic comforts, their learning etc., those who are influenced by love "rejoice" in all this. There was a man who visited his doctor and was informed that his heart was tired and he must rest. At Corinth there was a wholly different state of things. He does not here say, "the blood" or the "body of the Lord." But love envies not. He taxes them with walking as men. Indeed self-love, in some degree, is natural to all men, enters into their very constitution. In fact, nothing is said or implied in the early verses of the assembly at all. Thinketh no evil The loving man indeed cannot but see and hear evil things, and know that they are so; but he does not willingly think evil of any, neither infer evil where none appears. The laws of morality do not apply to me." Those who possess true love seek to have a humble spirit (compare James 4:10). Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness: Seeketh not its own, does not inordinately desire nor seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Unlike speech that is rash and hurtful (Proverbs 12:1 a) or threatening (1 Peter 2:23), kindness causes people to speak words of health and healing (Proverbs 12:1 b). 1 Corinthians 13:3. Nay, not so, cries the apostle; you must consider your brother. In what account the apostles ought to be regarded. Prophecy seemed to be somewhat despised amongst the Corinthians. The habit of evil speaking stamps him who practises it as a railer; and such a man is unfit for the company of the saints, for God's assembly. How his heart would rejoice in that day with them! This would falsify the conscience and turn the eye from off the point to which the Holy Ghost was directing attention. XI. Off-scrapings. The Greek word (makrothumein, G3114) used in the New Testament always describes patience with people and not patience with circumstances. Whenever we start thinking about "our place", we are drifting away from Christian love. I would say, "No." The apostle draws their attention to another warning in the history of Israel. And this, he lets us see, affects not merely this particular or that, but the whole working of divine grace and power in man. They were accustomed to the feasts of the heathen, where people thought nothing whatever of getting drunk, if it was not rather meritorious. Only she must take care how she does exercise it. Man requires a divine power to work within him, just as he needs the Saviour outside himself. Like the African missionaries, Thomas Cooper was longsuffering. Great as faith and hope are, love is still greater. He (exposes the stupidity of their questions, wise as they flattered themselves to be. (782) This rendering is followed in two of the old English translations, viz. . He was like a man with a race that was going to be run, and who gets his body into training. 1 Corinthians 13:4. A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. He had vindicated the glorious character of the resurrection; he had proved how fundamental, and momentous, and practical, is the truth that the body is to be raised again, which they were disposed to deny as though it were a low thing, and useless even if possible. You know, if she were beautiful or something it might have been different. It wasn't until about the thirteenth century that they really began to create mirrors, using glass with a silver backing painted on. Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. 2 Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. And is kind - The word used here denotes to be good-natured, gentle, tender, affectionate. It is hardly possible that women should ever put themselves forward in the church unless Christian men have deserted their true, responsible position and public action. 4Love is patient,(A) love is kind. [Note: Barclay, The Letters . Hence where envy reigns where every one is desirous to be the first, or appear so, love there has no place. Anger cannot rest in the bosom where love reigns. She was to have a covering, on her head; she was to have that which indicated as a sign that she was subject to another. When he made his translation, he was translating from the Latin Vulgate. But this would not be the full truth. This to the Jew was a stumbling-block, and to the Greek foolishness. But if I have all faith, but I have people tell me they have all faith, but I haven't really met anyone yet, I don't think, that has all faith. Philippians 2:4). Hear this weird looking gal through the whole streetcar. Love is completely trusting. We need this quality each and every day for our world is full of evil men, and even in our brethren much evil meets us. All (every) scripture is given by inspiration of God;" but all is not His revelation. Forgiveness means that we wipe the record clean and never hold things against people (Ephesians 4:26; Ephesians 4:32)." If all people were under the influence of true religion, they would always be truly polite and courteous; for true politeness is nothing more than an expression of benignity, or a desire to promote the happiness of all around us. But, answers the apostle, it is the body which is the temple of the Holy Ghost. The whole and sole means of communicating blessing to us must be the Holy Ghost. He brings Christ in. At Corinth some regarded themselves as spiritual hot-shots (be sure to compare 1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 8:1). That is not so easy as it sounds. Christianity deepens our estimate of every want. If we loved others; if we rejoiced in their happiness, we should not envy them. Fairchild, Mary. 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. There will be a fullness when I stand in the presence of my Lord; I will be complete. 1 If I speak in the tongues a of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. But without love they have gained nothing (3).Paul then describes some of the qualities of love. Sanctified they were in Christ Jesus. This fact he uses in order to humble them because of their pride and licentiousness. It was not so at Corinth. Of honour in the world, and ease for the flesh, he at least could not, if they could, boast. There are times when we may not want to suffer long (the preceding quality) or be kind because we are tired, someone irritates or annoys us, or we are in a bad mood. God says we do not display the qualities of love only when feel like it. (iv) He may have a passionate faith. The physician envies another physician more learned or more successful; the lawyer envies another lawyer; the clergyman is jealous of another clergyman. They have not injured us; and we should not be unhappy, or seek to injure them, because God has blessed them, or because they have been more industrious, virtuous, and successful than we have. Though such a man be free to tell his brother his faults in private, he is very unwilling to expose him by making them public. The voice of the verbs used by Paul is also important. That is, at the end of that period of long-suffering, its response at that time is one of kindness. Love bears everything with triumphant fortitude. What care each servant needs to take how and what he builds! Sometimes it was a prophecy of the future, sometimes a communication of God's present mind according to His eternal purpose. is kindthe positive side. Let's turn to the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians.The thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians actually begins with chapter 12. Besides there is this most important sense of the church never to be forgotten namely, that divine institution viewed as a whole on. They themselves were not fit; they were but babes. and if she was waiting to get on, I would get off the back door if she came on the front door. Then we have various forms of ministry noticed. It is not here gifts as such, but persons devoted to labouring in the Lord; for there is a difference between the two things, as this chapter shows us strikingly. And there is nothing which shows more the importance of that hope as a practical power. He had reproached them with walking not as Christians but as men (that is, with their habitual life and conversation formed on human principles instead of divine). Grace is so feebly known, that the first thought you will find amongst godly people is what they ought to be; but the ground and weapon of the apostle Paul is what they are by God's grace. The apostle, as a wise master-builder, laid the foundation. Quite often the reflection was distorted, so we look in the mirror, but we see sort of distortions. Thus, too, he goes forward into new ground, the deeper spiritual motives, the appeal to Christian affection as well as to faith. "Put away from" not the table of the Lord merely, this he does not say, but "Put away from among yourselves." Waiting for the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Lexicogr. Hey, God is going to work. They had not entered in the smallest degree into the spirit of the moral glory of Christ humbled here below. What would a man do without a heart, or liver, or lungs? I am desiring Him to. "Boys," he said, "if you say so, it must be true--I believe your word." There will surely be cases where our kindness is misunderstood or misinterpreted, but generally speaking, kindness is one way to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14). Joel Ryan, Why Must Love Be Patient and Kind? I have spent hours in discussions. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away ( 1 Corinthians 13:10 ). Carey, who began life as a cobbler, was one of the greatest missionaries and certainly one of the greatest linguists the world has ever seen. Everyone's head in the car would turn to see who she was talking to, mine also. Longsuffering is used as a noun (makrothumia) in places such as 1 Peter 3:20 (God was longsuffering in the days of Noah). It is vain for people to plead the mighty power of God as an excuse for anything disorderly. If we show that we do not trust people, we may make them untrustworthy. We even find this word used one time in its adverb form (Acts 26:3). So then what is love? It defers to others. Every word of the book of Job is inspired; but did all the speakers utter necessarily the mind of God? And because they have taken that position, then they are forced to interpret this. It is long suffering--makrothymei. 107. Love is benignant. He makes it plain that he is, with characteristic address, dealing with their little-exercised consciences from the statement of his own earnest vigilance over his ways, and then from the sad and solemn history of Israel judged of the Lord. There is no part of Scripture that is less inspired than another. " Christian love has learned the great lesson of forgetting. A demon's power may be uncontrollable: chains, fetters, all the power of man outside, may utterly fail to bind a man who is filled with demons. And now he shows what he felt as to practical state and walk. But it is apt to believe well of all, to entertain a good opinion of them when there is no appearance to the contrary; nay, to believe well when there may be some dark appearances, if the evidence of ill be not clear. The Test of Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) - FBC Media Library What will there be to exhort, to edify, or to comfort when we are there with Jesus? We see that reflection in God's world, for the work of anyone's hands tells us something about the workman, we see it in the Gospel and we see it in Jesus Christ. The addition to this of the New Testament truth of the chance gives immense impressiveness to all, and a fresh force, because it keeps before the Christian the constant expectancy of Christ. And as religion is love, and prompts to love, so it follows that it requires courtesy or true politeness, and will secure it; see 1 Peter 3:8. More likely it means that love can bear any insult, any injury, any disappointment. Accordingly, in 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, still carrying on the thought of Christ crucified, and connecting it with their condition, he intimates that he was in no wise limited to it. None can pretend that it was an assembly where there was a high degree of knowledge or spirituality. Another area of its superiority is that it is enduring; the gifts of the Spirit are not. III. There an Indian had burned himself in public on a funeral pyre and had caused to be engraved on the monument the boastful inscription: "Zarmano-chegas, an Indian from Bargosa, according to the traditional customs of the Indians, made himself immortal and lies here." This the apostle meets in a very blessed way. This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, when he said, 'In the last days saith the Lord, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams, and upon my servants and handmaidens will I pour out of my Spirit in that day, saith the Lord.'" Boasting is not only wrong, it can easily lead to lying. It is, by the great mercy of God, familiar to most of us; we live, I may say, in the enjoyment of it, and know it to be one of the sweetest privileges God vouchsafes us here below. and I bestow all of my goods to feed the poor, and I gave my body to be burned [for the cause of Jesus Christ], if I had not love, it profits me nothing ( 1 Corinthians 13:3 ). Who is he that overcometh, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?". I have taken and taken and taken and I have had it. Love Is Indispensable 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. It isn't jealous of that which you have gained. Men desire kindness in women and women want this quality in men. Present greatness was what he in no wise coveted; to suffer great things for His sake was what the Lord had promised, and what His servant expected in becoming an apostle. conjunction. And so this gift of prophecy has a limited time value. This kind of love endures even through the most difficult trials. This kind of love goes beyond the boundaries of ordinary love. There is generally a root of evil doctrine where you find people wrong in practice. Need one reason on such facts? The opposite is put by Dante: "That swells with love the spirit well-disposed.". 4 Love is patient, love is kind. So it is abiding, it remains. ". And so we take the Greek word eros and we translate it love. True love is not apt to be jealous and suspicious; it will hide faults that appear, and draw a veil over them, instead of hunting and raking out those that lie covered and concealed: it will never indulge suspicion without proofs, but will rather incline to darken and disbelieve evidence against the person it affects. What reflecting spiritual mind could doubt that God sees His saints are not able to bear it? Of course, it may be excited by anything in which another excels, or in which he is more favored than we are. The apostle showed ere long that he had more love for this evildoer than any of them. But he does not dwell on this; it was a withering rebuke even to hint at their forgetfulness of natural propriety. You work at it and you can get me upset, but not easily." The object of desire or resentment could be virtually anything (another persons job, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, health, wealth, house, etc.). This word properly means to be zealous for or against any person or thing; that is, to be eager for, or anxious for or against anyone. To give as a grim duty, to give with a certain contempt, to stand on one's own little eminence and throw scraps of charity as to a dog, to give and to accompany the giving with a smug moral lecture or a crushing rebuke, is not charity at all--it is pride, and pride is always cruel for it knows no love. A brother that loves a sister is not filled with pride or vanity on account of it; a man that loves the whole world, and desires its salvation, is not filled with pride and vanity on account of it. Although modern Christians may be very familiar with this term and what it involves, this was not a common word in first century culture. And this was the question. As the soul does not die, "resurrection" would be quite out of place; to the body it is necessary for God's glory as well as man. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. What dies is to be raised. Need it be said how human influence has dislocated the truth there? neither does it vaunt itself ( 1 Corinthians 13:4 ). 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Meaning and Commentary - Bible Study Tools And therein God is glorified as He is nowhere else. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Holy orders make a man a sort of gentleman if he was not so before. On the other hand there is the preacher who dangles his hearers over the flames of hell and gives the impression that he would rejoice in their damnation as much as in their salvation. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Charity envieth not . Besides, he lets them know the spirit of a servant, which was so lacking in the Corinthians in spite of their gifts; for it is not the possession of a gift, but love which serves and delights in service. It is not so with the power of the Spirit of God. 4 The on. ], "Pauls central section [1 Corinthians 13:4-7] uses anaphora (repetition of the first element) extensively. And suddenly, "that which is perfect is come" was no longer the coming again of Jesus Christ. True love will give us an esteem of our brethren, and raise our value for them; and this will limit our esteem of ourselves, and prevent the tumours of self-conceit and arrogance. How well-natured and amiable a thing is Christian charity? I believe that we are in no small danger of settling down in the conviction that our old way was quite wrong, and simply keeping the money in our pockets. Love doth not frowardly. Ed. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Take, for example, the book of Job, in which occur the sayings of his friends. (3.) In the present world Christians have only a limited understanding of eternal things. In heaven I will have to seek another occupation. Prophesying is that spiritual application of the word of God to the conscience which puts the soul in His presence, and makes manifest as light to the hearer the mind of God. ); but it may be used in a bad sense - to be zealous "against" a person; to be jealous of; to envy. VII. Love in the Bible: From God's Love to the Most Romantic Scriptures, Scripture Mastery Scriptures: Book of Mormon, The Bible Says 'No' to Talking to the Dead, General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center. If persons were grounded in Christianity, he was prepared to go into the greatest depths of revealed truth; but then the power of entering safely was not human, but of the Holy Ghost. I was leaving the room in disgust, and I cried out, "God, I can't understand it. And is kind - The word used here denotes to be good-natured, gentle, tender, affectionate. So the Holy Spirit is sovereign as far as the dispensing of these gifts, yet we are to covet earnestly the best gifts.Just because the Holy Spirit dispenses them does not stop me necessarily from desiring particular gifts. Thus is seen how practical all truth is, and how God casts the bright light of the approaching day on the smallest matters of the life of today. He meant their profit, no doubt; his aim was for them to have their own consciences searched by it. He had come there setting his face against all things that would commend himself. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Yes, walking as men is a departure from Christianity. That is one of the great reasons for believing in immortality. Origen had it that this means that love is "sweet to all." It was far from his mind in the least to deny it. This kind of love appreciates and rejoices when others are blessed with good things and does not allow jealousy and resentment to take root. though I have all faith ( 1 Corinthians 13:2 ). Immediately after he alludes to the schisms that were then at work among them, and calls on them to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment; informing them of the tidings which had reached him through the house of Chloe, that there were contentions among them, some saying, "I am of Paul," others "I am of Apollos;" some, "I am of Cephas," and others "I am of Christ himself." God spoke to my heart and said, "I never did ask you to understand it, I only asked you to believe it." Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, Young's Literal Translation The love is long-suffering, it is kind, the love doth not envy, the love doth not vaunt itself, is not puffed up, 1 Corinthians 13:4 Additional Translations . But they had lost sight of God's objects. He did not even claim to make shoes--only to mend them. But Paul sees all in the light of the eternal day. And it is necessary to give a definition. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor). It was unto His name that they were baptized; it was He that had been crucified. One day a distinguished visitor paid a visit to the school, and the teacher singled out Adam Clark and said, "That is the stupidest boy in the school." He puts this in the strongest way, "Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." So the prophecy of Joel was a prophecy of the last days, carrying you right into the Tribulation and right into the coming of the Lord. Nor need we wonder. This hope filled love encourages others to press forward in the faith. A new commandment give I to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another,John 13:34. Peter, feeling that he was developing in his walk with the Lord, one day said to Jesus, "How often should I forgive a man the same offense? In this famous passage, the Apostle Paul describes 15 characteristics of love to the believers in the church at Corinth. There were some among them who denied the resurrection not a separate state of the soul, but the rising again of the body. It wishes well. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. In his exhortation to covet the best spiritual gifts Paul reminded them that charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up (CBL, GED, 5:171). They had not realized the total ruin of nature. How near do these come to the Papists, whose doctrine they profess to detest and abhor! If we deserve to be praised for something, we should let others do it instead of boasting about our accomplishments (Proverbs 27:2). Undoubtedly, in the midst of the difficulties of the church, in the face of the oppositions and disappointment, manifold griefs, enemies, and sources of sorrow and shame, it requires the power of God to go on without being moved by any of these things. cit., p. 269.. It will always be there. "I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already," etc. The Arabic version renders it, "does not speak deceitfully"; or hypocritically, for nothing is more contrary to true genuine love than this; the Syriac version renders it, "is not tumultuous"; noisy and seditious: such an one is not troublesome in a commonwealth, nor does he go into parties and factions in churches, but is all the reverse: is not puffed up swelled with pride, and elated with a vain conceit of himself, of his parts and abilities, of his learning, eloquence, wisdom, and knowledge, as the false teachers in this church were; knowledge without grace, unsanctified knowledge, mere notional speculative knowledge, puffeth up; but charity, or the grace of love, does not; that edifies and preserves persons from being puffed up with themselves, or one against another. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Kindness has a type of universal language about it; even the Old Testament speaks about it (Proverbs 19:22 says this quality makes people attractive). Patient love is often used to describe God (2 Peter 3:9). Of course, it may be excited by anything in which another excels, or in which he is more favored than we are. Every man, whose heart is full of the love of God, is full of humility; for there is no man so humble as he whose heart is cleansed from all sin. This is the great difference between the power of the Spirit and the power of a demon. There were contentions and strifes among them; there were of course suspicions, and jealousies, and heart-burnings; there would be unkind judging, the imputation of improper motives, and selfishness; there were envy, and pride, and boasting, all of which were inconsistent with love; and Paul therefore evidently designed to correct these evils, and to produce a different state of things by showing them what would be produced by the exercise of love.
Brett Kirschner Tour 2023,
Gracelaced Devotional,
Rock Creek Financial Missoula, Montana,
Articles OTHER