Lesson 31

Perfect Love

I Corinthians 12:31-13:8a

We are in the rather lengthy spiritual gifts section of Paul's letter to the Corinthian church. The entire section is three chapters long (12-14). Today, we have arrived at 12:31.

Regarding this matter of spiritual gifts, some spiritual gifts are better than others. Paul says so in 12:31. We are told to "covet earnestly", that is, be zealous about having the "best gifts" - those that are stronger or nobler. The verse goes on to speak of "a more excellent way" - literally, the best route. This more excellent way, I believe, refers to and introduces chapter 13.

Everybody loves I Corinthians 13. The "love chapter", as it is often called, is often read at weddings and other sentimental occasions. At times, I suspect that this chapter has been trivialized by thoughtless overuse. No doubt, many short-lived marriages began with these words in the couple's ears but never realized in the couple's hearts.

It is unfortunate that the meaning of "charity" has changed so drastically since the King James Version translators used this word in 1611. In our mind, charity refers to benevolent feelings toward those in need, generous donations and actions to aid the helpless and needy or even just a leniency in judging others.

The Greek word used here is one of most well-known of all Greek words. It is the word "agape". It is one of several Greek words for love - two of which are in the Bible. I suspect that the translators used the word charity because it was a synonym for love in their day and so that they could distinguish this Greek word for love from the more ordinary kind of love. Agape expresses the deepest form, the richest, the most unselfish kind of love. It refers to the kind of love that God has. Every time the word charity is used in this chapter, nine times, in these verses, it is the Greek word "agape." This chapter is about perfect love, about God's love, not our's.

It would very easy to lift this chapter out of its context and force it to stand alone. In fact, that is often done with I Corinthians 13, the love chapter. However, to really grasp the significance of what Paul writes about love, we must see it in its context. Paul is explaining about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. Beginning in chapter 12, he began by speaking about the gift (singular) of the Holy Spirit. That is, the Holy Spirit himself is a gift to every believer from God. "We have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (12:13b). At the very moment of regeneration, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within the life of a Christian. Beyond the gift of the Holy Spirit, there are also the gifts (plural) of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are the enablements of the Holy Spirit for service in the local church. Some are gifted to speak; others to serve, some to lead; other to help. Prior to the completion of the New Testament, during the apostolic period, apostles and prophets were gifted with supernatural abilities (languages; healings; supernatural knowledge, etc.) for the purpose of confirming the message and the messenger as being from God. There seemed to be much confusion in the Corinthian church regarding the use, misuse and abuse of the gifts, so Paul had to slow down and explain some details about some of the gifts. We will address some of those details in the days to come. There is the gift of the Holy Spirit; there are the gifts of the Holy Spirit; finally, there are the graces of the Holy Spirit, that is, there are attributes of godly character that God intends every believer to manifest. I Corinthians 13 is about the greatest of all Christian graces that come to us through the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 13 says that the greatest of all the Christian graces is love (v. 13)- but not just any and all kinds of love - agape - perfect love.

It's not easy to talk about love, especially these days, because love has been so perverted. The love of these days is something other than agape. It is emotional feelings, or romantic feelings, or ecumenical feelings of tolerance or even lustful feelings. None of these things is agape. These feelings are not what I Corinthians 13 is about. Love has been so perverted that it is not easy to even speak about clearly.

You need to know two other Bible verses about love. Romans 5:5 says that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which (God) has given unto us." Galatians 5:22 says that "the fruit of the Spirit is love..." I Corinthians 13 amplifies these two verses in order to describe the qualities of the love that God gives to us by the Holy Spirit.

Love Is Essential, vs. 1-3.

The text begins by expressing the absolute necessity of love.

The phrase "though I" is used five times here by Paul.

Love Is Greater Than The Gifts Of The Spirit. According to verse 1, languages (tongues) without love is nothing but noise. Paul uses hyperbole to make his point. Hyperbole is intentional exaggeration and overstatement. "If I have the ability to speak every language on earth and in heaven, but I don't have love, my eloquence is nothing but noise." Supernatural speech, understanding, knowledge and power are all nothing without love, v. 2. Verse 8ff says that love is going to outlast the supernatural gifts of the Spirit.

Love Is Greater Than a Generous Spirit, v. 3. Charity without love and even martyrdom without love earns a person nothing.

Love Is The Greatest Of The Graces Of The Spirit, v. 13. There are three Christian graces of the Spirit. Faith, hope and love. Faith is not eternal. Someday faith will end in sight. Hope is not eternal. Someday hope will be replaced with reality. But love will never cease. Love is essential.

Love Is Effectual, 13:4-7.

In my early teenage years, my best friend was always saying that he was "in love." His mom would snort and say, "You don't even know what love means." And so he looked up the word love in the dictionary and memorized it. "Love - a special feeling for someone or something." Sort of shallow wouldn't you say? But love is hard to define. Perhaps seeing it in action will help us to understand it better. Thus, in verses 4-7, Paul doesn't so much define love as he describes love to show what it looks like in action. The apostle lists thirteen characteristics of love.

1. Love is longsuffering. Love has a long fuse. It patiently puts up with insults and errors of others. It forgives, not just seven times, but seventy times seven.

2. Love is kind toward others. We need more of that toward each other. In a town in Georgia is the Harmony Baptist Church and the New Harmony Baptist Church. In Amarillo, Texas there is the BYKOTA Baptist Church - Be Ye Kind One To Another. It was a split off another church. We talk about it and claim it and name it, but do we really demonstrate kindness at home, and at church.

3. Love is not jealous. Love has the ability to rejoice in someone's success.

4. Love does not have a superiority complex. It "vaunteth not itself." Love never shows off.

5. Love is not proud, not puffed up.

6. Love has good manners - not blunt and brutal, rude and crude.

7. Love is not selfish. True love does not only look out for its own interests, it first thinks about others.

8. Love is not touchy or sensitive. It does not easily blow its cool. It is not easily provoked.

9. Love is forgiving. It thinks not evil. It does not keep accounts of another's wrongdoings. Love does not get historical.

10. Love is not gossipy. Love would rather hear the good news about someone and not the bad news. Love rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth.

11. Love is sensitive. It beareth all things. The word beareth is defined in Strong's as "to cover with silence." It has to do with putting a roof over a structure. This does mean that love condones sin. It means that love covers from public view out of sensitivity to the person. Love is willing to suffer for another.

12. Love is always optimistic. It believes all things and hopes all things. Love expects the best.

13. Love is enduring. It preserves and conquers those things that are threatening to it.

As I read and wrote, studied and prepared this sermon, I found myself very convicted. I tried putting my name in place of charity. (do this). I discovered that I've got a long way to go to manifest the love of God.

Love is essential. Love is effectual.

Love Is Eternal, 13:8a.

In contrast to the supernatural gifts and the other graces, love never fails. It's good to know that God's love for us is eternal. It is a love that will not let me go. We need to experience God's love. We need to express God's love. We can only do this through the work of the Spirit within us.

True spirituality is not about keeping a long list of rules - should's and ought's and musts. It is not measured by our rule keeping. Think about it. Spirituality is manifesting the Spirit's work within us. The Spirit is our personal possession. The Spirit is our personal enabler. The Spirit produces godly character in our lives and the greatest of these godly character traits is love.