A Short Study on I Corinthians 13- The Love Chapter




I Corinthians 13
"1.Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity. I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
        I can shout "I love you, I love you, I love you" but it doesn't mean a thing unless I show you that I love you. If it is just words then I am just making a bunch of noise...like a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal...James says that if we see our brother in need and tell him to be filled or be warmed and don't do anything to meet that need then how can we say that the love of God is in us. Don't be just talking love, live it.

"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."
        Why does God give us faith to operate in these things? So that we can reach out to others. So we can see the same faith emparted to them. They, in turn, operating in and flowing in the life of God.
        God's nature is love and he is even called love in the word and the gifts that he gives should motivate us to move in his love as we operate in his gifts. They are to be tied hand in hand. Don't separate them. Be thankful for the gifts but love as he loved us and that is accomplished by submitting to God and resisting the devil.

"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."
        We can do all the 'religiously' right things to do and still be missing it. It must be more than the outward things but the inward things of the heart. You can be doing all the things written here from your sinful nature, to get self-exaltation, etc. if you are not ministering, flowing in the life of God...

"4.Charity suffereth long, and is kind, charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,"
        As we move in this love, we won't be quitters but walking as Jesus Christ walked in a strong love, we won't be desiring what others have if we don't have as much, complaining cause people aren't noticing us enough, etc...

"5.Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;"
        We won't be embarassing others and ourselves as we fight to get what we want, we won't be getting upset easily cause we aren't getting what we want or it isn't going the way that we think it should be going, and we won't be thinking evil of others.

"6.Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;"
        We won't be happy when we see evil flourishing instead we will be overjoyed when truth and righteousness prevails. Hopefully we will be some of the reasons that cause the good to take place in others...

"7.Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
        When things look the bleakest, the darkest, we will continue to believe in God and his word, his promises because we KNOW all things work together for the good to them that love God...

"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."
        As we move in this love, we cannot fail because it is part of God's nature...
        I John 4:8 says,
        "8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
        As I shared before though, let's not separate his love from his justice, his light, his jealousy, etc...

"9.For we know in part and we prophesy in part."
        We are all learning as we look to him, none of us have it all together, we are finite beings with finite understanding but we can tap into the infinite mind of God...

"10.But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
        Some say this is the word of God and they will tell you that the things in part are done away such as prophecy, tongues, etc. but if that is the case then knowledge is done away based on this logic. They say that it is, any new knowledge... That which is perfect is Jesus Christ and when he comes again all will be fultilled to the last letter. When he comes to set up his kingdom, we will see him face to face then we will know even as we are known...

"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.
"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."
        We are growing, learning by the word of God and experience down here.

"13.And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
        God's nature is love (I John 4:8) and when we move in this perfect love then all other things are fulfilled.

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