Love As Described To The Corinthians
I.
INTRODUCTION:
II.
DISCUSSION:
A.
THE POWER OF LOVE [ I
Corinthians 13:1-3
] :
LOVE IS GREATER THAN –
1.
Eloquence:
speaking clearly with forceful feeling and meaning
[
I
Corinthians 13:1 ]
= “If
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.”
2.
The gift of prophecy:
The gift of divine utterance.
[
I
Corinthians 13:2 ]
= “And
if I have (the gift of) prophecy,
…. but have not love, I am nothing.”
3.
Knowledge: Clear
perception of truth;
the sum of what one knows.
[
I
Corinthians 13:2 ]
= “And
if I … know all mysteries and all knowledge;
…
but have not love, I am nothing.”
4.
Faith: Complete
obedience belief and trust in God
[
I
Corinthians 13:2 ]
= “And
if …
I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have
not love, I am nothing.”
5.
Abundant giver:
The bestowing of all that one possesses to aid others
[
I
Corinthians 13:3 ]
= “And
if I bestow all my goods to feed (the poor),
…
but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.”
6.
Sacrifice:
The giving of one’s self
[
I
Corinthians 13:3 ]
= “And
if I give my body to be burned, but have not love,
it profiteth me nothing.”
B.
THE DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE
[ I
Corinthians 13:4-7
]:
Note:
Love is the origin of all that is good, or the fertile soil from which Christian characteristic is
manifested -- for example:
1.
Patience: Longsuffering
and enduring – that is not aroused by provoking
[
I
Corinthians 13:4 ]
= “Love
suffereth long, …”
[
I
Corinthians 13:5 ]
= “…Is
not provoked, …”
2.
Kindness: To
show one’s self useful to others
[
I
Corinthians 13:4 ]
= “Love
… is kind;
…”
3.
Generosity: The
absence of boasting -
does not act in an unbecoming manner.
[
I
Corinthians 13:4-5 ] =
“…;
Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not
behave itself unseemly, …”
4.
Unselfishness:
Free of seeking to please only self.
[
I
Corinthians 13:5 ]
= “…,
Seeketh not its own,
…”
5.
Forgiveness:
Ready to forgive the wrongs of others.
[
I
Corinthians 13:5 ]
= “…,
Taketh not account of evil;”
6.
An appreciation for that which is good:
[
I
Corinthians 13:6 ]
= “rejoiceth
not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;”
7.
A charitable attitude:
Merciful in judging others.
[
I
Corinthians 13:7 ]
= “Beareth
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things.”
1
Peter 4:8 =
“above all things being fervent in your
love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins:”
[ASV]
C.
THE IMMORTALITY (UNENDING EXISTENCE) OF LOVE
[
I Corinthians 13:8-12 ]:
I
Corinthians 13:8-12
= [ASV] “Love
never faileth: but whether (there be) prophecies, they shall
be done away; whether (there be) tongues, they shall cease;
whether (there be) knowledge, it shall be done away. For we
know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which
is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child,
I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put
away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, darkly;
but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall
I know fully even as also I was fully known.”
1.
These have all passed away and are gone:
a.
Miraculous gifts have passed away.
b.
Prophecies have been done away.
c.
Tongues have ceased.
d.
Knowledge has ceased.
2.
These gifts were “in part”,
the same as those of that day prophesied
“in part”. [
I Corinthians 13:9 ]
3.
These gifts were like the garments of a child that
are put away when one is full grown.
a.
So the garments of the infant church are laid aside
when the state of infancy is passed and gone.
[ I
Corinthians 13:10-12 ]
b.
But LOVE continues on --
“Love never faileth” [ I
Corinthians 13:8 ]
III.
CONCLUSION:
A.
COMPARING OF THREE ABIDING GRACES [ I
Corinthians 13:13 ]:
1.
Faith has to do with the present.
2.
Hope has to do with the future.
3.
Love has to do with the
present and future.
[
I
Corinthians 13:13 ]
= “But
now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest
of these is love.”
[ASV]
B.
CONTRASTS:
WHY LOVE IS SO GREAT!
1.
Because it is God’s nature:
a.
“God is love”.
b.
This cannot be said of either faith or hope.
2.
Because it is comprehensive:
Romans
13:8-10 =
[ASV] “Owe
no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth
his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and
if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this
word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore
is the fulfilment of the law.”
a.
Love in one’s heart will cause one to manifest
God’s graces.
b.
Love in one’s heart will cause one to obey every
command of God.
John
14:15 =
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
3.
Because love will outlast faith and hope.
C.
HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD IN YOUR HEART?
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