Bible Study - 1 Corinthians Chapter 13
Bible Study - 1 Corinthians Chapter 13
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At the end of chapter 12, verse 31 begins a section of specific instruction regarding spiritual gifts that is found in chapter 14. But before Paul could do this he needed to put spiritual gifts in the proper context by teaching about the role of love. The teaching on love in this chapter is about how the Spirit works in the church just as much as chapters 12 and 14. Most Pastors like to read this chapter at weddings. However, this chapter is not about marriage. While love is certainly applicable to marriage, this chapter is about how the church should operate. To be sure, the directions in scripture on how to live as a Christian should be followed in all aspects of our lives including in marriage. And there is little specific instruction on marriage. However, 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5 do address marriage specifically. Yet they are never read at weddings. 1 Corinthians 7 would be a bit of a bummer at a weddings. But Ephesians 5 would be far more appropriate than 1 Corinthians 13. Ephesians 5 has specific guidance about marriage that addresses the differences between men and women in how are made and what they need from the other. That passage is much more appropriate, helpful, and needed in a marriage ceremony. | |
| 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. |
Every word translated as love in this chapter is agape in Greek. While the definitions of the four loves in Greek are different, there is some interchangeability between them, such as between agape and phileo in John 21. Agape is the highest love in Greek philosophy. This is incorrectly called unconditional love as it is conditional. Agape is a love that does not require a return of love, or a benefit to the one expressing it. This is a love that comes from the will, a decision. Even when getting hate in return agape continues. But it is not unconditional. It can be ended by choice, which is usually because of a change in conditions. A person can have agape love for another even though the other does not return it. But it can stop, such as when the other does a heinous act. The most accurate way to describe agape is love regardless of a lack of return or benefit. As agape is the highest form of love in Greek it can be used in a more generic sense to speak of all love. Therefore we should not overemphasize that agape is used here. To "have" love is in the sense of an attribute or characteristic of person. For example, one can have patience or humility. But these attributes are not innate things we are born with. They are the result of choice and will of the individual. The gong and cymbal are an allusion to the pagan temples where the Corinthians would worship before they became Christians. This is to illustrate that, despite their wrong perception that speaking in tongues shows spirituality, it is just as useless as those pagan practices if it does not edify the church. I have yet to see tongues used in an edifying way a single time in a church, Bible study, or small group. Every single time it has been a narcissistic and selfish use of tongues. The evidence points to it not really being a gift of the Spirit in those instances. This verse is used to assert that Christians can get the gift of angelic tongues. However, that belief requires this verse be taken completely out of the context of these chapters. Verse 2 is undeniably hyperbole as no one ever gets to know all mysteries and knowledge before eschaton, (judgment day.) Thus verse 1 is also being hyperbolic like verses 2 and 3. And the most obvious argument against a gift of secret angelic language is that it would absolutely violate all of the instruction on gifts of the Spirit in this letter and others. Gifts of the Spirit are for the edification of the community of believers, not for the individual. Logically it doesn't make sense either. Lucifer and his demons are fallen angels. Thus they would know the angelic languages, making them anything but secret. While it is possible that the Spirit could gift someone the ability to speak an angelic language, there is no support for it in scripture. And scripture actually teaches against it. |
| 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. |
These are three of the manifestations of the Spirit in chapter 12. Paul hyperbolically uses the word "all" with each manifestation to say that even if the person achieved absolute perfection and achievement with their gift, if it was without love it was nothing. The Greeks were obsessed with mysteries. Five of the pagan idols were about learning "the mysteries." Even Greek religions that did not involve idol-worship made learning mysteries a tenet of salvation. Love requires a focus. It cannot be selfish as that is the opposite of love. Thus, any use of spiritual gifts must be for the benefit of others or it is nothing. Over and over Paul argued for life in community with other Christians. This is so important he came at this teaching from many different angles. It was a foundational principle. |
| 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. |
Here Paul turned his hyperbole towards works. Doing works purely for selfish reasons is worthless to the giver. Doing works for the motivation of the benefit of others is the motivation of love. The giving over to be burned is highly unlikely to be referring to martyrdom by fire. Nero's persecutions were years in the future. This is just hyperbole referring to extreme self-sacrifice. Love is not set in opposition to gifts of the Spirit. It's not an either/or proposition. Love is a Christian requirement. A follower of Christ is known by their love. The proper use of the manifestations of the Spirit is for the benefit of others. Thus Spiritual gifts are to be done from a place of love, even when it seems harsh to a secular viewpoint. A real Christian should reject the secular world's false and twisted view of love anyway. John the Baptist's ministry was mainly yelling at people in correction. Contrary to the lies of secular society, that is real love. 1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. 1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love. |
| 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, |
Love is the essential condition of Christian life. This is the underlying truism behind not just chapter 13, but chapters 12-14. And agape love is not tingly feelings. It is a choice, a way of life, and shows in our behavior and attitudes. Paul began with two things that love is. Love is patient which is a passive interaction with others. Love is kind which is an active interaction with others. Thus in both passive attitudes and active actions our response to other Christians ought to be love. Love is patient and kind despite difficulties in life or difficulties with other people. This is God's love for us. His patience with us, despite our horrible rebellion against Him, and His kindness in His extreme mercy. We deserve neither. But God so loved the world… Those two things love is ought to be the end of the discussion. If we would just accept that we must be patient and kind in love, nothing more would need to be said. However, because we don't get those right just like the Corinthian church, Paul continued to define love by what it is not through verse 6. These are indictments of their behaviors and attitudes, and of us today as well. Love does not envy/is not jealous. Envy and jealousy are self-focused. Christians should be Christ-focused. And because He loved us, we should love others. Being in competition or rivalries between Christians is the opposite of love. It is the self-focused envy Paul is talking about. Love does not boast. The Greek word perpereuetai from perpereuomai literally means "to be a braggart." This is most likely referring to those who were and are leading the church into the teachings of man, abandoning the teaching of the Spirit in scripture. While they reject the Spirit in scripture they falsely claim to be of superior spiritual gifting. Paul was pointing out that this is the opposite of real Christian spirituality. One cannot love and boast at the same time. Love is not proud/arrogant. The literal meaning of phusioutai from phusioo in Greek is "to be puffed up" in arrogant behavior. Paul only used this word in his letter to the Corinthians. It is no wonder as they were arrogant about things they should be ashamed of. The church today is at least as bad in this area. |
| 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, |
Love does not act disgracefully or shamefully. Rude is a possible translation, but does not convey the shame involved. (Paul and Jesus were frequently rude in the eyes of those they confronted, but did not act shamefully.) In short, this is acting self-centeredly, for one's own pleasure or desire, with no regard for the good of others. Love is not self-seeking. While all of the other negatives imply selfishness, here Paul stated it plainly. What is allowed and what is right is not always relevant. Love sometimes requires more. A Pauline example was refraining from eating meat sacrificed to idols in front of someone who has difficultly with it, even though it is not really a sin. Although we should try to help those become more mature Christians that can see through these false standards. Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. This does mean we should be selfless to the point of self-destruction or to the harm of our families that depend on us. If we hurt ourselves it hurts our ability to help others, especially in the future. But if we operate only out of self-interest we are good for nothing in the kingdom. Love is not easily angered. Literally, is not easily provoked to anger. Those who know us best know what are buttons are and how to push them. Love doesn't allow for there to be buttons to push in the first place. People will try to provoke us. Agape love does not take the bait, but remains in love. This does not mean love never gets angry. There are times when anger is appropriate and is actually out of love. But anger can very easily lead us to sin if we do not maintain total control of it. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Literally, it does not count, calculate, or think about wrongs. Keeping track of things done to us and waiting for man or God to get even with them is the opposite of being a Christian. It is so easy to live in the wrongs others have done to us. We all know someone who recounts a wrong done to them over and over as if it was yesterday even though decades have passed since then. This doesn't mean be a patsy for someone who has proven in the past to have evil intent. We are right to protect ourselves from bad actors. But that is not the point here. Love means we focus on Christ who forgave us much more than anything anyone else has done to us. If we review something over and over, out loud or in our minds, we are keeping record and not being Christian. Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. 2 Corinthians 5:19 Namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. |
| 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; |
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness/injustice, but rejoices in the truth. That truth is under attack in secular society is undeniable. Evil people have gone so far as to make the truth illegal, and compel people to accept lies and delusion. All universities, including those that profess to be Christian, teach delusion and attack those who speak the truth. What is truly disgusting is this also occurs in the vast majority of churches. Many will kick out someone who teaches scripture that contradicts their church's doctrines. Let me repeat that; many churches are so in love with their anti-biblical garbage that what is really in God's word is a threat they will rush to remove. Just reading aloud the scriptures that call them out is viewed and treated as an attack. One has to wonder how the leaders of those churches can be so delusional as to think that this is Christian. It is likely that at least some know they are in the wrong. When scripture points out our error a Christian accepts the correction and fixes the problem. A wise Christian does this quickly. To be sure, anger is a normal but fleshly response to correction. But we must not stay there. We need to let that go along with our wrong beliefs and accept the correction of the Holy Spirit that is in scripture. Love does not rejoice when someone gets what they deserve but rejoices when someone turns to the truth of Christ and gets what they do not deserve, which is God's mercy, redemption, and grace. We should never wish for anyone to get what they deserve because we do not want what we deserve. Every human being other than Jesus deserves death and hell. We are all sinners, and much worse than we realize. |
| 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. |
Bears, believes, hopes and endures are all selfless verbs. There is nothing that love cannot face. Bears: No matter the circumstance, adversity, opposition, or wrong done by another, love continues forward. Believes: Not that we think the best of everyone, but that we trust in God and His justice. Thus, we do not focus on the wrongs done, but believe that all will be right at eschaton. Hopes: Never ceases to believe that the gospel is true, and we cannot be separated from God. This is not the hope of the secular world where hope is interchangeable with "wish". This is the expectant looking forward with confidence of a Christian. If something takes a long time to happen, even if it doesn't happen until Christ returns, Christian hope continues in the sure knowledge that God will do what He said He would do. Endures: Does not give up or get tired, no matter the opposition. |
| 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. |
Love never fails is probably deliberately worded to have a double meaning. It is both the end of the previous section, that love does not give up, and is the beginning of the next section which describes the things that will endure and those that will cease because they aren't needed in the new heaven and new earth. The manifestations of the Spirit of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will end at eschaton. That knowledge will end does not mean human knowledge will end, or that we will have our minds wiped. It is the special manifestation of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8 that will end as it will no longer be needed. We will see Jesus face to face and will know by first hand experience. Tongues will not be needed as we will all be able to understand each other. And prophecy won't be needed as we will all be able to hear directly from God without an intermediator. |
| 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; | Verses 9-12 explain why these manifestations of the Spirit will end. Paul is comparing the now with the end times. What we know is incomplete. And what our gifts produce is likewise incomplete. But they give us what we need for now. |
| 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. |
When the new heaven and earth comes at eschaton, the end times, these will be done away with because we won't need them anymore. We will have full knowledge then. Luke 12:2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Right now we are living in a dark, frozen wilderness. And these gifts are like warm clothing keeping us warm and protecting us from the cold darkness. When the new heaven and earth come, we will be living in a tropical paradise, and will have no need for winter clothing ever again. Theologian Karl Barth's analogy is that the lights are turned out when the sun rises. |
| 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. | This verse is an analogy again comparing now with the end times using the analogy of us as children growing up to be adults. As we are now we are like children behaving childishly. At the resurrection we will be fully grown, in knowledge, reason, and deed. This is not an instruction, but a truism that ought to be obvious to all. That is why Paul used it. However, secular society is actively encouraging and promoting perpetual childish behavior and against maturity and growing up. Is there any better way for the enemy to derail people from becoming like Christ? |
| 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. |
There has been a great deal of incorrect exegesis of this verse. The word translated into English as "dimly" is ainigmati in Greek, which literally means an enigma or riddle. Mirrors of the day were a polished plate of metal. As chrome plating was not invented until the 1920s, the resulting reflection would be entirely dependent on the quality of the polishing. Corinth was known for making the finest bronze mirrors in the world at the time. The image presented would be very clear and accurate. However, a reflected image is only a two-dimensional and partial view of the subject, not to mention it is flipped backwards. When face to face we can see all of what we are looking at. What Paul was alluding to is that we can see part of God very well through scripture and true spiritual gifts. But that view is just a small part of the whole, and is two dimensional. A person standing outside Westminster Abbey looking at a small portion of it in a pocket mirror will see that tiny bit clearly. But they will have no idea of the magnificence of the entire structure, let alone the incredible beauty and majesty inside. In the same way we only see a tiny part of God now. But then we will see him face to face and will see him completely. Then we will know God fully, just as He knows us fully today. |
| 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. |
Faith, hope and love are for now and forever. They will remain after eschaton. We will still have use for them. These should be visible in a Christian life today. To be clear, this is love as God defines it, real love. The fake love of the secular world wrongly says love means to accept whatever crazy and self-destructive thing a person does, and that to contradict their insanity is hate. Scripture says the opposite. To leave someone in their self-destruction means you hate them. And to try to correct someone means you hate them. |
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation.