WELCOME

TO OUR

WORSHIP HOUR

1Corinthians 13

It is helpful when studying this chapter to reflect on the dynamics that characterized the Corinthian Church:
Party loyalty (Chs. 1-4) Selfish immoral behavior (Chs 5-7) Strong not deferring to the weak (Chs. 8-10) Prideful competition & the Spiritual Gifts (Chs 12-14)

SO, WE ARE NOT SURPRISED THAT PAUL WROTE ABOUT LOVE

Ch 13 -- The SUPERB nature of LOVE.
The miraculous was partial, temporary. When the complete or perfect arrives, the partial will cease. Much like when a child learns to walk it no longer needs a baby walker.

The greatest is LOVE

Breaking The Chapter Down
THE GREATEST GIFT IS "LOVE" (13:1-13)
LOVE IS DEFINED, IT NEVER FAILS (1-8) SPIRITUAL GIFTS WILL CEASE (9-12). LOVE WILL ABIDE FOREVER (13)

1Corinthians 13:1-3 THE GREATNESS OF LOVE

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and under-stand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

PAUL IS TELLING US HOW FATAL IT IS TO ACT OR DO ANYTHING WITHOUT LOVE! (VS. 1-3)
The Corinthians (LIKE MANY PEOPLE TODAY) thought "speaking in tongues" was the greatest of all the Spiritual Gifts... But there were 9 equally valid gifts listed in 1COR. 12:8-11. Notice Pauls reference to the tongues of men and the tongues of angels. Tongues of men" refers to actual human languages (ACTS 2:14) (i.e., "glossa") "Tongues of angels" could refer to 2COR 12:4 where Paul heard utterances in heaven. [Otherwise I have no idea!]

At the close of 1COR 12 as Paul is talking about Spiritual Gifts, he concludes: And yet show I unto you A MORE EXCELLENT WAY. This was his lead-in to 1COR. 13 = his discussion on the importance of love. Paul will exalt the gift of Prophecy over Tongues, but even it means nothing if not done in LOVE. Same goes for Knowledge, Faith and ALL the others! WITHOUT AGAPE (LOVE) WE ACCOMPLISH NOTHING! Paul's Point: "If I speak in tongues which you think is so great, and do it without LOVE, IT MEANS NOTHING!"

Agape is God-like LOVE

This supreme love finds its reward in knowing god loves us & in turn loving god back! When we LOVE God back and "keep His Commands," its not such a restricting way to live! Work that is done because we LOVE God and what is RIGHT TO LOVE WHAT IS RIGHT! has a certain kind of JAMES 1:27 "GLORY" about it!

1Corinthians THE BEHAVIOR OF LOVE

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.

THE BEHAVIOR OF LOVE

LOVE IS NOT SOMETHING YOU FEEL....IT IS SOMETHING YOU DO!

JOHN 13:34-35

"LOVE SACRIFICES ALL THINGS TO BLESS THE THING IT LOVES"

Horace Wood wrote: "Before Christ came into my life I used people and loved things. After accepting Christ I used things and loved people. Someone has written: "Every vice is a perverted virtue. Lust is perverted love. Lust is love fastened on the forbidden object. Love fixed on the right object makes man a saint. Love fixed on the wrong object makes man a sinner."

"Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?" Matt. 22:37-40

Loving God & Loving Each Other are inseparable! 1JOHN 4:16-21
The Bible teaches that you cannot LOVE God without LOVING His Creatures.... Mankind!

LUKE 15:11-32
The Prodigal Son The Elder Son THE FATHER WENT OUT TO THE ELDER BROTHER AS HE HAD RUN TO MET THE PRODIGAL COMING HOME....HE LOVED THEM BOTH!

THE POSITIVE EXCELLENCE OF LOVE...ITS BEHAVIOR

LOVE FORBEARS. LOVE IS KIND. LOVE IS GENEROUS. LOVE IS MODEST. LOVE IS UNSELFISH. LOVE IS CHARITABLE. LOVE REJOICES. LOVE IS TRUTHFUL. LOVE IS HOPEFUL.

1Corinthians THE IMMORTALITY OF LOVE

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.

BOTTOM LINE
The Corinthian Church must stop its senseless arguing over tongues, prophecies, and special knowledge... because none of these have any meaning without LOVE!
prophecies will fail tongues will cease knowledge will vanish

1Corinthians 13:11-13

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

FAITH, HOPE & LOVE

FAITH BINDS US TO GOD. HOPE BINDS US TO HEAVEN. LOVE MAKES US LIKE GOD & FIT FOR HEAVEN!

1Corinthians 13