Episode 209 - "Love never fails" 1 Corinthians 13:8-12

1 Cor. 13:8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

I have a confession. Sometimes, I handle longer passages because I feel what is most important about it necessitates it being handled as a complete unit. Other times I break a section down more because there is so much to take in that it’s best to take it in small bites. But I’m breaking down this section on love into smaller segments simply because I am savoring it. It’s just that beautiful to me.

In our last episode, we looked at a list of things that love is and a list of things that love is not. In these few verses, Paul brings his comparison of the importance of love in contrast to spiritual gifts into vivid clarity. Beginning with the three words, “Love never ends,” Paul explains why love is superior to spiritual gifts. There is a sense in which this can mean that love never fails. That doesn’t mean that people never fail to love. It means that love, when exercised, doesn’t have a limit. It doesn’t run out of gas. The best example of this is God’s love for humanity demonstrated in Christ’s death on the cross for the sins of the human race past, present, and future, appropriated by those who accept the gift of forgiveness of our sins through trust in Jesus Christ. It was a one-time act that occurred 2,000 years ago but is still perceived by people today when they realize this love is available to them. That act of love still has its power upon people today.

It’s also important to understand that love will never end. God’s love will be eternally experienced by those who have received it. I would suggest that in God’s eternal realm, our love toward each other will be made perfect through Christ. The fallen condition in which we endure now will be done away with, and there will be nothing to stop or hinder our love for each other.

But what about the spiritual gifts? Look at verses 8-9. They are temporary and limited. At some point, after Paul writes this, they would cease. When? This is another one of those sticky points between some Christians. People in the church where I grew up liked to say or teach that tongues ceased when the canon of Scripture was completed and that they no longer have a purpose today. Paul’s answer to that question is, “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” (v. 10) What is the perfect? I think the perfect is when Christ returns, and Christians are given a glorified body. Notice the “Now and then” argument he gives in verse 12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” When will we fully know and be known? When we are made whole and in God’s presence.

I have friends who claim to have certain spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues. I also know there are churches at which this “gift” is regularly manifested on Sunday mornings. As a believer who does not possess this gift, I must confess that I question the validity of such programmed manifestation of these gifts. Is that the way the Spirit moves, at 10:30 on Sunday morning? I am more concerned by the insistence of some that the gift of tongues is an indication of one’s salvation. This teaching is clearly in contrast with the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures. Furthermore, Christians aren’t the only ones who claim to speak in tongues. This is why the apostle John writes in 1 John 4:1-3 to “test the spirits to see if they are from God.” This same idea is present here in Paul’s letter when he explains that these gifts are “in part” and will end. Yet, I can’t say they are completely invalid or have ceased. I choose to conclude that God is free to manifest these gifts according to his will and timing. However, they are limited. They will end at some point and will not be necessary in eternity. I believe that we will all be speaking one language or that we will all understand every language.

If it’s not clear enough that Paul understands and upholds the value of these gifts but contrasts them with the importance of love that can and should be demonstrated by every believer, he compares the gifts to “childish” things. (See verse 11) As the Lord is bringing the body of Christ (the Church) to maturity, love is what is to remain and be a chief characteristic of Christians worldwide. That should be our priority in how we treat each other and toward the world as we desire to lead them to God’s love.

Episode 208 - "High Definition Love" - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1Cor. 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

I would suspect that John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known verse in all the Bible. But this passage in 1 Corinthians 13 may be the second for the very reason that it is often read at weddings. It’s beautiful, profound, and I believe it resonates truthfully within the minds of all people. At least in principle, people believe it’s an idealistic view of love.

I must admit that studying this passage this time was the first time I noticed that Paul tells us more about what love isn’t than what it is. He says that love is patient, kind, rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love is/does NOT envy, boast, arrogant, rude, insist on its own way, irritable, resentful, and does not rejoice in wrongdoing. By my count that’s 8-7 in favor of what love is not. My suspicion is that Paul is highlighting the attitudes and characteristics that have been creating division and conflict among the believers at Corinth. In other words, Paul is telling them (and us), “Who cares if you have the gift of tongues if you are arrogant? What good is the gift of prophecy if you are rude to your brothers and sisters in the faith? Why should anyone listen to you if your boasting or always insisting that things are done your way? That’s not love and love is more important than all of those things! The gifts are only valuable if exercised in love.”

Sometimes we need a reality check, a correction in our thinking and attitudes, before we can move forward and grow in our faith. In way of application, it seems good to ask ourselves if we have self-serving, arrogant attitudes among others and confess that to the Lord.

Love IS patient and kind. Love rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I don’t know about you. But verse 7 threw me a curveball especially in the statement that love “believes all things.” Really? Am I supposed to believe everything I hear? I don’t think that is what Paul is saying. Why? Because he already said that love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with truth.” He is not saying that we should believe everything people say because people believe and say things that are not in-line with God’s truth. Reading all of this within the context helps guide our understanding, doesn’t it?

It would seem then that what Paul is saying is that we should not have a cynical spirit in interacting with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, demonstrating love would be evident by listening with a true concern for the other person. We can be discerning and even disagreeing if something being taught is in contradiction with God’s truth. A common problem in our society today is the notion that I must agree with you to demonstrate love or that if I don’t agree with you, I must obviously hate you. This is a lie. If someone has an addiction that is clearly harmful to them or others and we tell them that or attempt to get them to stop, we don’t hate them. On the contrary, we’re showing more love to them than they are showing to themselves. Self-destruction is self-hate. More universally, we have rules for our children for the purpose of protecting them and guiding them toward that which is good, safe, and healthy. We don’t hate them by imposing such rules. We demonstrate love.

It is in these tough situations in which loves “bears” and “endures” all things. Love is not only manifest when things are going good. The addict won’t necessarily respond to our advice in love. We don’t need to compromise truth. We find ways to stand our ground on truth without being arrogant and we can be patient and kind.

That brings up one more thing that I would suggest that love isn’t. It isn’t easy. This means that we need to draw upon the love of Christ towards us to guide us and sustain us as we seek to hold to and rejoice with truth while demonstrating patience and kindness with others.