1 Corinthians 13:1-3 - Love Is Supreme.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV) If I speak in the
tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I
am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can
fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I
have a faith that can move mountains, but have
not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I
possess to the poor and surrender my body to the
flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NLT) If I could speak
all the languages of earth and of angels, but
didnt love others, I would only be a noisy gong or
a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of
prophecy, and if I understood all of Gods secret
plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had
such faith that I could move mountains, but
didnt love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave
everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my
body, I could boast about it; but if I didnt
love others, I would have gained nothing.
INTRODUCTION
In chapter 12 Paul gave evidence of the
Corinthians' lack of love in the utilization of spiritual
gifts; chapter 13 defines real love; and chapter 14
shows how love works. Love is more important than
all the spiritual gifts exercised in the church
body. Great faith, acts of dedication or
sacrifice, and miracle-working power produce very
little without love. Love makes our actions and
gifts useful. Although people have different
gifts, love is available to everyone. [Life
Application SB]
Spiritual gifts were present in Corinth
(1:7); right doctrine was even in place (11:2); but
love was absent. This led to the quarrels and
exhibitions of selfishness and pride that plagued the
church notably in the area of spiritual gifts.
Instead of selfishly and jealously desiring showy
gifts which they don't have, believers should
pursue the greatest thing of all love for one
another. This chapter is considered by many the
greatest literary passage ever penned by Paul. It is
central to his earnestly dealing with spiritual
gifts (chaps. 12-14), because after discussing the
endowment of gifts (chap. 12) and before presenting
the function of gifts (chap. 14), he addresses
the attitude necessary in all ministry in the
church (chap. 13). [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Life Is About Relationships, Not
Accomplishments
If you dont live a life of love, then
nothing you say will matter, nothing you know will
matter, nothing you believe will matter, and nothing
you give will matter.
Finally, if you dont live a life of
love, nothing you accomplish will matter.
You can rack up an incredible list of
personal achievements. You can get your picture on
the cover of Fortune magazine. You can win the
Nobel Peace Prize. You can have enormous
accomplishments, be entrepreneur of the year, build a
billion-dollar company, have incredibly great successes in
your field of endeavor. But the Bible says it
isnt worth much if you dont love. The Bible
says - God says - relationships are more
important than accomplishments.
Life is about relationships, not
accomplishments.
Its as simple as this: You can have
the eloquence of an orator, the knowledge of a
genius, the faith of a miracle worker, the
generosity of a philanthropist, or the achievements of
a superstar, but if you dont have love in
your heart, it is worth zero. It doesnt count.
The only thing that matters to God is this: Do
you love him, and do you love other people?
One day youre going to die, and
youre going to stand before God. When he evaluates
your life, hes not going to look at your bank
account or your list of accomplishments or your
grades. He wont care about all your sports
trophies. Hes not going to look at your
endorsements or your resume.
God is going to evaluate your life on one
basis: your relationships. Hes going to ask,
How much did you love me and other people?
Thats called the Great Commandment. Did you love
God with all your heart, and did you love your
neighbor as yourself? [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
ILLUSTRATION
Have love. Be something.
How could I work this out? Tomorrow was
my meeting with a small circle of women who
gathered to critique one another's writing. By far
the least experienced, I felt honored to be so
warmly included at their last meeting. How could I
miss my second one?
Let's see. I could drop my husband off at
work. He wouldn't have a car, but that would give
me a vehicle to drive. A babysitter could pick
up my son from his violin lesson at noon. Then,
perhaps, she could take my daughter to her art
lesson. Of course, this all meant I had to get four
children up very early. Such a lot of work for a
little meeting. But it was important - at least to
me. Father, what should I do?
I heard the faint whisper of a familiar
phrase: "If I speak in the tongues of angels if
understand all mysteries but do not have love, I am
nothing."
Stay home? Was that God's answer? But
there are words of angels to translate, prophecies
to reveal, and mysteries to decipher. Was I
destined to be something? or nothing? Though "I have
all faith . but do not have love, I am
nothing."
It wasn't until the next day as my
husband drove away and I sat with my rested children
on the couch that I realized I had unknowingly
written something special. I had written "I love
you" on their hearts. God had critiqued it. And I
think he liked it.
Elizabeth Bridges Hiett, a registered
nurse, has been happily married for fifteen years
and is a homeschooling mother of four children.
[The One Year Bible Live Verse Devotional re 1
Co. 13:1, 2 NRSV]
CLOSING THOUGHT
No matter how high the profession, he whose
heart is not filled with love for God and his
fellow men is not a true disciple of Christ. Though
he should possess great faith and have power
even to work miracles, yet without love his faith
would be worthless. He might display great
liberality; but should he, from some other motive than
genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor,
the act would not commend him to the favor of
God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr's
death, yet if not actuated by love, he would be
regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an
ambitious hypocrite. {AA 318.2}
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
1 Corinthians 13 - The Love Chapter
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070820-1119.html
1 Corinthians 13 - Love Is Like That.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190611-0928.html
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 - Love Is Supreme.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20231002-0945.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
