It’s a great privilege for me to stand here before you all to share this chapter about Christian Love.
With the time that we have today I’ll be able to scratch the surface and give an introduction, but there’s so much more to be said.
We’re following on from Paul’s message in chapter twelve about unity in the church. The key takeaways from those verses are that we’re baptised by one Spirit into one body. We’re all individually members of the church and yet we are called to live in harmony with one another with our complimentary gifts.
As Paul finishes that chapter he writes “And yet I will show you the most excellent way.”
So as we read today’s passage, we ought to remember that we are reading what Paul calls the most excellent way. Whatever we’re learning now is more important than the various gifts of tongue, prophecy, teaching and so on that he writes about in the previous chapter.
I’m going to walk us through three points about Christian Love:
Prominence of Love
Practice of Love
Permanence of Love
But before we start with that, I want to first caveat something really important. These verses are neither discussing the continuation nor the cessation of spiritual gifts - which is a contemporary debate.
I’m going to demonstrate that as we go along, but it’s not the focus of today’s message. The focus today is on love.
So, let’s get started shall we?
The Prominence of Love (Verses 1 - 3)
If you would like to keep your bibles open and follow me to verses 1 through 3, Paul makes several statements that each contrast a miraculous gift and its value without love:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV
There are three distinct comparisons:
Verse 1: gifts of tongues
Verse 2: gifts of faith and revelation
Verse 3: gifts of generosity
Before we look at each one in-depth, let me point out that the foundation is love. Without love then all these other things are worthless. That’s why I call this section the prominence of love because Paul is about to show us that love must be prominent. It is the “most excellent way”.
But notice that Paul provides no qualifying criteria?
In these three verses there are no instructions, corrections, guidance, or models that are intended to be recreated. We shouldn’t read these verses as though they’re intended to be replicated. He is writing that love is something other and separate from these gifts, yet love is integral for them to have any value.
So how do we understand these verses?
In verse 1, Paul writes:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV
The verse is broken up into three logical chunks.
A conditional if statement
A conditional but statement
And an outcome
Paul uses this exact structure three times and the ‘but’ clause is always love as the pivotal condition. You can insert whatever argument you want on the left, but if you have not love, then the outcome is nothing.
Now, while we are here I’m going to address this statement about angelic tongues as it’s quite a curious statement and one that shouldn’t be the focus here but is commonly misunderstood.
What does Paul mean by tongues of men and of angels?
The first interpretation could be that Paul meant a common tongue of men and of angels. It’s one tongue for men, but the same tongue for angels.
The second is that there are two distinct types of tongues: one tongue for men and a separate tongue for angels.
The third is that he simply means the tongues of men, but exaggerates it as though it was spoken with divine eloquence.
I’m inclined to believe the truth falls somewhere between either a common tongue for both, or speaking with divine eloquence.
There’s much that can be said about why, but to keep it brief there are no references in the Old or New Testament where God or his angelic messengers use an independent language that is different to human languages. In fact, Peter writes this:
He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
2 Peter 1:17-18 ESV
I won’t go on, so it will have to suffice to say that it seems unlikely Paul intended to form a new doctrine of heavenly languages.
Moving on to the second verse:
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV
Again, the focus is on love, not the gifts.
Imagine how remarkable it would be if you witnessed somebody move a mountain. Jesus didn’t move mountains during his ministry, so any person that could command mountains would be impressive.
Now, I want to point out that for whatever reason there’s a doctrine of angelic tongues supported by the first verse, but to my knowledge there are no doctrines of moving mountains. I’ve not yet come across any Christian that is claiming the power to move mountains, which I’m sure climate change activists will be happy to hear.
But even more remarkable and significant than that is love. It’s essential to the Christian experience and it’s more impressive than any gift.
Let’s now consider verse 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.
1 Corinthians 13:3 ESV
Perhaps you’re like me and you read this verse and nod your head to agree, then you swiftly move on. In part I think that’s because it’s such a confusing verse that we don’t feel comfortable dwelling upon it.
The first part I think we’re all quite comfortable categorising. To give away all that I have seems tied to generosity. But “if I deliver up my body to be burned” is a different level of intensity.
So what does he mean?
John Calvin took it to mean martyrdom, but I would push that further. You can dedicate your entire life to God and never be martyred, but a hollow religion is one where you dedicate your entire life but never experience God’s love.
At the end of life you gained nothing, because the foundation was love.
The key is to put God’s love above and before all things. Therefore, we can summarise these three verses as the prominence of love.
The Practice of Love (Verse 4 - 7)
Now, let’s move on to the second section that we’re calling the practice of love in verses 4 through to 7:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
This poem is remarkable and nowhere in the New Testament do we see such an encouragement towards love.
In fact, many of you may be familiar with these verses if you’ve ever attended a wedding. Perhaps you’ve had them read at your own wedding.
But is marital love what Paul is referring to here?
The Greek word used for love is “agape” and it includes the concepts of charity and God’s own divine love. You don’t need to follow me, but in the 1st letter of John chapter 4 and verse 8 we read that God is agape:
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8 ESV
Further down that same chapter in verse 16 we read again that God has agape:
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
1 John 4:16 ESV
These aren’t marital vows, they’re the type of love that we as brothers and sisters should show to one another. But importantly, while Paul doesn’t highlight instructions in verses 1 to 3, here he gives us a model.
Paul writes that we should:
be patient and kind with each other
do not envy one another or boast before one another
do not be arrogant or rude to one another
do not insist on our way or seek our own interest
do not to be irritable or resentful to one another
do not rejoice at wrongs done, but rejoice in the truth
That’s not to say that this list is an exhaustive list on love, rather it seems to be targeted at specific issues within the Corinthian church. Let’s examine each statement:
Love is patient.
There’s no need to follow me but in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 17 to 23 we can see that they were not patient:
But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
1 Corinthians 11:17-23 ESV
Love is not boastful.
I’ll read from 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 6 to 7:
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
1 Corinthians 4:6-7 ESV
Love is not envious.
You don’t need to follow me but in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 3:
For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV
Love is not arrogant.
Taken from 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 2:
And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
1 Corinthians 5:2 ESV
Love does not seek its own way or its own benefit.
Yet in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 7 to 8 we see that they took each other to human courts:
To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
1 Corinthians 6:7-8 ESV
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Let me read 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 6:
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
1 Corinthians 561 ESV
Paul is lifting up a mirror to show the error in their ways. That’s why Paul needed to show them this more excellent way.
If the first three verses are the prominence of love, then these three are the practice of love.
The Permanence of Love (Verse 8 - 13)
Finally let’s look at the final five verses in this chapter and continue our theme on love. Paul’s final point is that love is permanent.
Follow me down to verse 8 through to 13 and we read:
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 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. 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.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The first few words read as “love never ends” and is sometimes translated as “love never fails”.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 ESV
Gifts are given by God, but they’re also temporary. They are signs of God’s redemptive plan but there is a day when signs are no longer needed. On that day, Paul is saying we will need love.
Now, at the start I said that this passage is not about continuation or cessation of gifts and I want to draw our attention to this phrase “but when the perfect comes”
There are several different interpretations of when that might be, but here are three major views in the debate:
Believers reach full maturity in the presence of God, with emphasis on seeing God face-to-face.
The Church continues to progress in maturity, with notable moments such as the inclusion of Gentiles into the church.
The church reached maturity with the closing of canon, which Peter writes is “perfect for every good work.”
Answering this question is outside the scope of today’s message, but suffice to say that many Christians argue for the continuation of these gifts while holding a variety of interpretations.
What Paul is most interested in is not when the gifts will cease, rather, the purpose for which they cease.
Perhaps the most clear example is verse 13:
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV
Faith and hope are good things, both of which we have available today. They are essential in our Christian lives. Yet, even these are not as important as love.
So why is love the greatest of these three?
Faith is for the things yet unseen, but one day we will be face-to-face with God. So while we currently have faith in the unseen, when it becomes seen we’ll no longer need faith.
Likewise, hope is for a thing that is not yet attained, but one day we attain that inheritance. So while we currently hope for our future with God, one day we’ll have that and no longer need to hope for it.
Yet as John wrote, God is love. God is eternal and therefore God’s love is also eternal.
More important than whether or not the gifts have continued or ceased is the fact that God’s love for us never ceases.
It was the same in the beginning and will persevere forever. His love for us is demonstrated on the cross, with Christ willingly dying to take our place. Offered as a ransom for many, God’s love is permanent.
Therefore we can conclude this final section as being about the permanence of love.
Conclusion
To wrap up, I truly hope that I’ve demonstrated that love is the most excellent way. It is worth us remembering:
The prominence of love - so we place love at the heart of all that we do.
The practice of love - so we live according to the standards of love, which is godliness.
The permanence of love - so we know that God is love, therefore His love will never end.
Please bear with me one more minute as I lead us into prayer and then we can go for worship and enjoy time in fellowship together:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for gathering us here today as your church. We glorify your holy name because you have once and for all demonstrated your love for us through Christ Jesus who died for our sins. Lord, thank you that your love is the greatest gift that any of us could receive.
Lord, we pray that love would be prominent in our lives. Help us each to reflect upon our own love for one another. How might we serve one another? How might we encourage one another?
Lord, we pray that we would experience the fullness of your love as we draw nearer to you. Help us to live according to your word and encourage each of us to live by the example of Christ so that we may be imitators of him.
Lord, we pray that we would place your eternal love above all things that are temporary. Open our hearts and our minds to your ways, so that we may experience your love for eternity.
We pray all of these things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen