Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogantor 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
Understanding this verse requires us to understand the context. The Corinthians were a divided church with much quarrelling and sin. They were arrogant, boastful and settling their disputes in courts of law against each other. Amidst all of these errors, the Corinthians wanted to know more about spirituality.
Paul seeks to correct their behaviour by reminding them that love is the most important part of any spiritual person. In the first three verses of this chapter he contrasts miraculous signs with worthlessness if done without love (see more on 1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and he goes on to show that love is permanent.
In these verses Paul is teaching the Corinthians how they should practice and perfect love. He is contrasting behaviours that they have exhibited with the behaviours they should have as Christians.
They were not patient with the Lord's supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-34); they resented one another and took them to court for wrongdoings (1 Corinthians 6:1-11); they were arrogant about sexual sins in the church (1 Corinthians 5:1-13). Paul is now telling them that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things with the goal that they may be united to one another.
Comments