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Text: 1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:13 Introduction:
I. Definition of love – four words in the Greek.
A. Eros – Not found in the New Testament. It refers
to passion; the English word “erotic” is derived
from this Greek word. It is a base word denoting a
passion which is selfishly seeking satisfaction; it
refers to sexual love.
B. Stergein – Nor found in the New Testament – natural
affection, it refers to the love, which a parent
has for his children or any close relation has for
another.
C. Phileo
1. “to love; to be friendly to one…prompted by
sense and emotion.” Thayer
2. “that phileo more nearly represents tender
affection.” Vine
3. “love, have deep feeling for; love, like (to do
or be something), kiss.” Newman
4. Scriptures:
a. Matthew 6:5
b. Matthew 10:37
c. John 5:20
d. John 11:3, 36
e. Titus 1:8
f. 2 Peter 1:7; 1 Peter 1:22
g. Titus 2:4
h. 1 Timothy 6:10
D. Agapao
1. Verb:
a. “to have a preference for, wish well to,
regard the welfare of.” Thayer
b. “the love of reason, esteem.” Berry
c. “to love (in a social or moral sense).”
Strong
2. Noun:
a. “affection, good-will, love, benevolence.”
Thayer
b. “love, benevolence” Berry
c. “love, i.e. affection or benevolence.” Strong
d. “love (primarily of Christian love); concern,
interest.” Newman
3. This love is a love of will, we decide to
“love”…
4. Scripture:
a. John 3:16
b. Matthew 22:37
c. 1 John 4:19, 21; 5:1-2
d. Romans 13:8-10; 12:9 (New American Standard)
e. Matthew 5:44
f. Luke 6:25-33
g. Ephesians 5:25-33
h. Colossians 3:19
i. John 13:34; 15:12, 17
j. Ephesians 4:2
k. 1 John 2:10; 3:10-11, 14, 18, 23
5. This is the love that is under consideration in
our text. II. The context of chapter 13.
A. The Corinthians had a problem concerning spiritual
gifts.
B. They held the gift of speaking in tongues above all
other spiritual gifts.
1. The Corinthians were troubled by rivalry on
every hand including spiritual gifts.
2. Probably; some were impatient, rude, jealous,
arrogant, braggadocios.
3. Also, the lack of love for each other.
C. Paul devotes three chapters to this problem.
1. All the spiritual gifts were important and have
their place and function. Chapter 12
2. Prophecy is more important than the gift of
speaking in tongues and the use of spiritual
gifts in the assembly. Chapter 14
3. A way that is more excellent than any spiritual
gift.
4. Read text.III. Chapter 12:31
A. Paul is not drawing a comparison between love and
gifts, but shows that it (love) is the only way in
which gifts can be made effectual in the highest
sense.
B. Remember that in the context, Paul is talking about
our attitudes toward and how we should treat our
brethren in Christ.Body:
I. Without love, everything is worthless. 13:1-3
A. 13:1
1. Tongues – languages.
2. If a person had the ability to speak in the
languages that men speak in or angels but do not
have love, this ability does not profit the
person any.
B. 13:2
1. Prophesy – making known God’s will by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
2. Understand all mysteries – the secret thoughts,
plans, and dispensations of God, which are
hidden from the human reason and which must be
revealed by to man.
3. Knowledge – the supernatural gift of knowledge.
1 Corinthians 12:8
4. These two are hypothetical, no one has ever had
so complete knowledge.
5. All faith – supernatural gift of faith. 1
Corinthians 12:8 He is using this as the
supreme example of faith.
6. If a person could be able to do all these
things, but does not have love, it does not
profit anything.
C. 13:3
1. I bestow all my goods…
2. I give my body to be burned.
3. Both deeds mentioned are such as ordinarily are
held to be the fruits of love, but they may be
done without it, and if so, are worthless. II. The main characteristics of love. 13:4-7
A. “Having already shown the superiority of love by
his hypothetical cases which demonstrate the utter
worthlessness of own who has a great gift but no
love, Paul turned to enumerate some of the
characteristics of love. You will notice that Paul
uses verbs to designate what Christian love is like
indicating that Christian love is active. The
special characteristics of love which Paul
enumerated are related to the faults of the
Corinthians and, particularly, to the faults
pertaining to the spiritual gifts.”
B. “Paul does not describe love in its greatest works,
sacrifices, martyrdom, triumphs; he goes into the
ordinary circumstances of life as we meet them day
by day and shows us the picture of love as it must
be under these.”
C. The characteristics:
1. Love is patient.
a. Basically – long-tempered.
b. Used in LXX to described that characteristic
of God which prevented Him from suddenly
letting His wrath fall on Israel. Exodus
34:6
c. 2 Peter 3:9
d. It describes the man who, having the power to
avenge himself, yet refrains from the
exercise of this power. It is that self-
restraint which does not hastily retaliate a
wrong; it endures injures and evil deeds
without being provoked to anger or revenge.
e. “In the Scriptures ‘longsuffering’ has to do
with injurious persons and does not let their
ignorant, mean, or malicious actions arouse
the resentment and the anger which they
deserve.” Lenski
2. And is kind.
a. Love is not caustic or sharp-tongue; it is
mellow and kind. It mellows all which is
harsh…; harshness, roughness, and bitterness
are banished by love.
b. When this evil strikes us, and our natural
reaction would be resentment, indignation,
anger, bitter words, blows perhaps, then love
steps in, ‘suffers long’, keeps calm,
endures, and does this continually no matter
long the offense may persist.
c. Some of the persons in Corinth were jealous
of the other’s spiritual gifts; hence they
became bitter, hash, and caustic in their
treatment of each other. Paul, therefore,
reminded that love is always kind. (present
tense – always kind).
d. 2 Timothy 2:24; Romans 12:20.
3. Is not jealous.
a. that dishonorable envy of the good which
appears in another which manifests itself by
berating or maligning the other person’s
good.
b. Romans 13:13; James 3:14-16
c. Galatians 5:20 (emulations – KJ)
d. Acts 7:9; 17:5
4. Does not brag.
a. Emphasis is on boasting, which wounds others,
causes unrest, and discord.
b. Love doesn’t brag. Apparently, some in
Corinth were bragging about the particular
spiritual gift that they had and considered
themselves better than others because they
had it.
5. Is not arrogant.
a. Does not have an inflated concept of its own
importance.
b. this is the attitude.
6. Does not act unbecomingly.
a. Definition – to behave disgracefully,
dishonorably, or indecently.
b. Love is mannerly; it does not conduct itself
in a way that is contrary to the accepted
standards of decency.
c. “When pride puffs up the heart, unseemly
bearing and conduct naturally follow,
tactlessness forgets its own place and fails
to accord to others their proper dues of
respect, honor, or consideration. Love is
forgetful of self and thoughtful toward
others.
c. Apparently, some in Corinth were just plain
rude toward others. 7. Does not seek its own.
a. Love does not insist upon its own rights; it
is not selfish.
b. It takes into consideration the wants and
needs of others.
c. “True love is always unselfish.”
d. Romans 10:24; Philippians 2:4
8. Is not provoked.
a. Love is not irritated; it does not go around
with a chip on its shoulder.
b. The injuries which come to it are borne
without bitterness or resentment; it does not
fly into fits of rages.
c. “…is not embittered or enraged by abuse,
wrong, insult, injury…Romans 12:14…Instead of
vicious outbursts (negative), he (Paul)
entertained good wishes and gave blessings
(positive).”
d. Colossians 3:8; James 1:19-20
9. Does not take into account…
a. the idea is that love does not allow its mind
to dwell on the offense which it has
incurred.
b. To do this would be to allow bitterness and
resentment to fill one’s life.
c. Love will not allow that to happen.
d. “It is neither enraged at the moment, nor
does it hold a grudge in vindictiveness
afterward.
10. Does not rejoice…
a. Love cannot find pleasure in sin. Anything
that is wrong in God’s sight should grieve
the heart.
11. But rejoices…
12. Bears all things.
a. That love is able to bear whatever
afflictions or persecutions that come upon
it.
b. “The figure has reference to enduring and
quietly suffering inflictions. Love never
complains that it is made to endure and to
suffer too much; its capacity for suffering
is very great. Remember all that the Lord’s
love suffered.”
13. Believes all things.
a. When love has no evidence to the contrary, it
believes the best about its fellowman. It
refuses to yield itself to unfounded
suspicious and doubts; it grants the brother
the benefit of every doubt in believing the
very best he can about the object of love.
14. Hopes all things
a. When the evidence is conclusive that a man is
not to be trusted, love goes even further.
It hopes for the best in its fellowman even
when the evidence leads one to believe
otherwise.
b. Hope knows no pessimism.
c. It hopes for the best.
15. Endures all things.
a. The steadfastness with which the Christian
contends against the various hindrances,
persecutions, and temptations that befall
him in his conflicts which life is able to
throw at him.III. The permanence of love shows its superiority. 13:8-13
A. “That which is perfect.”
1. An understanding of what the word “perfect” will
help us to have a correct understanding of this
passage.
2. TELEIOS (teleios)
a. Vine: “signifies having reached its end,
(telos), finished, complete, perfect.”
b. Green: “brought to completion; fully
accomplished, full developed…”
3. This shows that the Pentecostal position that
the word “perfect” refers to Jesus Christ is
wrong.
B. “Love does not fail…” 13:8-10
1. The superiority of love is shown by the fact it
shall never cease to exist where as the
spiritual gifts will cease.
2. The spiritual gifts are to last until the
prefect comes.
3. The things in part must be of the same nature as
the thing that is complete.
C. Spiritual gifts was for the infancy or childhood of
the church. 13:11
D. A comparison of James 1:23-25 and 1 Corinthians
13:12.
1. Illustration of stepping out of the bathtub and
the mirror is steamed up.
2. You can take the word of God and look into it
and see:
a. your true spiritual condition.
b. you can know what to do to live a life that
is pleasing to God.
E. The greatest of these is love. 13:13Conclusion:
I. The main point of this passage is that love is greater
than spiritual gifts because it will endure while they
will not.
II. But in learning this let us learn the various lessons
of love which are given in this chapter.
III. We must learn them and apply them if we expect to go
to heaven after a while.
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