Studies in 1 Corinthians Series 29 1 Corinthians 1314 February 22 2015 Pastor Paul K Kim INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF 1 CORINTHIAN 13 THE LOVE CHAPTER CONTEXT it is a part of Pauls answer 1 Cor 1214 to the ID: 197675
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Slide1Slide2
The Most Excellent Way – Part 1
Studies in 1 Corinthians Series [
29]
1 Corinthians
13:1-4
February
22
,
2015
Pastor Paul K. KimSlide3
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF
1 CORINTHIAN 13 [THE “LOVE”
CHAPTER]
CONTEXT:
it is a part of Paul’s answer (1 Cor. 12-14) to the
Corinthian
problems and confusions regarding spiritual gifts.
31
But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:31Slide4
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF
1 CORINTHIAN 13 [THE “LOVE”
CHAPTER]
CONTEXT:
it is a part of Paul’s answer (1 Cor. 12-14) to the
Corinthian
problems and confusions regarding spiritual gifts.
PITFALLS:
it is NOT a poetic sentimentality, an unrealistic ideology, a list for moralistic goals, a mere concept/theology.
“AGAPE”:
Greek love is
“agape”
which emerges from the loving not from the loved (unlike
eros
,
phileo
, &
storge
).
OVERVIEW:
the apostle Paul expounds on 3 things about love.
13:1-
3
The
Supreme Importance
of Love
13:4-
7
The
Characteristics
of
Love
-- Two foundational qualities & what love doesn’t do/does.
13:8-13
The Permanence
of LoveSlide5
THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF LOVE
1)
Love is supremely important because
without
love,
even the most spectacular spiritual gift is nothing
.
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 understand 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.
(vs. 1-3)
Speaking in tongues was the most spectacular gift that everyone desired—some did thought it was tongues of angels.
So, Paul took this gift in the most superlative form—even angel’s tongues—without love is a useless, annoying noise.
The point is
NOTthat
love is better than tongues but that love is
indispensible
in all areas of the Christian life.Slide6
THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF LOVE
2)
Love is supremely important because
without
love,
even the most powerful gift
to
understand all
mysteries
/
knowledge
is
nothing
.
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 understand 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.
(vs. 1-3)
Another culturally high value in Corinth was knowledge and ability to understand spiritual mysteries.
Knowledge is crucial in faith but as Paul already expounded, “knowledge puffs up but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1)
This applies also our own Christian culture that rightly seeks sound biblical knowledge—but without love it is still nothing.Slide7
THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF LOVE
3)
Love is supremely important because
without
love, even
the most incredible
faith that performs miracles
is
nothing
.
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 understand 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.
(vs. 1-3)
Paul moves onto the third kind of superlative things that all Corinthian Christians desired—a faith that moves mountains.
This kind of faith moves
not
only mountains/impossibilities but also people’s heart and mind in an eye-opening way.
We can also imagine and wish incredible miracles we might be able to do by faith, but this too, without love, is nothing.Slide8
THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF LOVE
4)
Love is supremely important because
without
love, even the most generous self-giving/self
-sacrifice
is nothing
.
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 understand 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.
(vs. 1-3)
Paul’s list is now at the final crescendo of the superlatives—i.e., self-giving and self-sacrifice without any reservation.
This might be, for example, selling everything and giving to the poor/cause, self-sacrifice, or even martyrdom.
But if the motive in such generosity or sacrifice is not love, this is also nothing, so we gain nothing from giving all! Slide9
TWO FOUNDATIONAL QUALITIES
OF LOVE
1
)
Love is
PATIENT
.
8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,
since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:
8
13
bearing with one another and,
if
one has
a complaint
against another, forgiving each
other...
Colossians
3:13
Why is the patience mentioned first as love? It’s because agape does NOT depend on the one whom we love as a reason.
This is how God loves us in Christ Jesus; if God’s love is not patient, Christ would have given up on us in a day!
Patience means forbearance, tenaciously believing in one whom love, forgiving, and accepting without strings attached! Slide10
TWO FOUNDATIONAL QUALITIES
OF LOVE
2)
Love is
KIND
.
24
Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted...
Ephesians 4
:32
4
Let each of you look not only to his own interests,
but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4
Kindness is the other side of the same coin as for how love responds to others—even those who are not lovable.
If patience is an internal side of love, kindness is the external seeking to do good to those whom we love.
Kindness is a choice and action but it eventually melts our hearts towards affection/compassion as well as the hearts of whom we love! Slide11
To Become a More Loving Person
Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
― C. S. LewisSlide12
THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
In what ways are you more convinced of the supreme importance of love? What will you do about it?
What insight about the first primary quality [Love is patient] was most helpful for you? How will you apply it?
What insight about the second primary quality [Love is kind] was most helpful for you? How will you apply it?Slide13