"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." I Cor. 13:1-3
There is, perhaps, no New Testament principle more telling than that unfolded in this remarkable chapter from which our text is drawn today. It is rooted in the Savior's "new commandment" in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."
The Greek vocabulary of the New Testament employs two distinct words translated "love" in the KJV. One is used most generally to describe what we may call fond affection. It is the love of those who have a cordial relationship with one another, one finding the other congenial and appealing. The other term is more consistently used with reference to divine love, the love of God. It suggests a love which is inherent, spontaneous, springing from the nature of the lover, not the object of the love. God loves because He is love; love is His nature. So, He loves His adversaries as well as His "friends." It is this latter word that is used in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world…" —a world alienated and at enmity with Him, and for which He was, in consequence, willing to undergo the indescribable agonies of the cross to provide redemption and opportunity for sinners to be restored to fellowship with Him.
It is this same word which is employed in urging believers to love one another. We are not here instructed to cultivate a "feel good" love, but love that springs from our new nature; the love of God. The Savior said, "as I have loved you." He loved us before we were saved, when we were still His enemies. He loves us after we are saved while we are still failures. It was the love that included Judas Iscariot "When," we are told, "Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father [and] having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end (John 13:1)." Judas was still there, still included. Christ knew "who it was that would betray Him (Jn. 13:11)," but He loved him just the same. Oh what love! That is the love with which believers are to love one another. It does not come naturally, but supernaturally!
This same term is set before us in our text for today, though peculiarly rendered "charity" throughout I Corinthians 13 by the KJV translators. Throughout the chapter it is enlarged upon in magnificent detail, but its priority is amplified and underscored in our selected text. In John 13 this love may be identified as the "badge of discipleship." Here it is set before us as the real measure of acceptable service to God. The test of one's spiritual walk and work, if this passage has any meaning, is not how gifted one may be as a preacher, how much prophetic insight he may have, how much "faith" he exhibits, how many and large the charitable gifts he may have given, nor even whether he should suffer martyrdom for "the cause of Christ." The real test is how much the love of Christ is evident in what he is and what he does. It is a most sobering revelation! The least service rendered with His love is fragrant to God; the most magnificent efforts, performed without that love, is a stench in the nostrils of God and adds up to "nothing."
Here is another telling text: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (I Sam. 16:7b)." And what the Lord is looking for is a heart that mirrors His own love toward others. Such a heart loves not only those who like us, but those who do not. It loves not only those who are "right," but those who may be wrong. It loves another not because he or she agrees with me, or meets my standards, but simply because he or she is a fellow believer, a brother or sister in Christ.
The Savior, employing the same term, pressed this responsibility even further when He said, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:43-48)."
Some wag has remarked, with tragic insight, that most Christians will never learn to love their enemies, because we have not yet learned to love our friends! Orthodoxy and service are important. Love is even more important. Orthodoxy and "christian service" lacking the love of Christ, are sterile, pharisaical, empty. Without love, I am just a noise, a "nothing," unprofitable. Read the text; you have HIS word for it!
Echoing the Truth,
"Pastor" Frasier
***************
LOVE IS PATIENT
LOVE IS KIND
LOVE DOES NOT ENVY
LOVE DOES NOT BOAST
LOVE IS NOT PROUD
LOVE IS NOT RUDE
LOVE IS NOT SELF SEEKING
LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED
LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS
LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL
LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH
LOVE ALWAYS HOPES
LOVE ALWAYS PERSEVERES
LOVE NEVER FAILS
There is, perhaps, no New Testament principle more telling than that unfolded in this remarkable chapter from which our text is drawn today. It is rooted in the Savior's "new commandment" in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."
The Greek vocabulary of the New Testament employs two distinct words translated "love" in the KJV. One is used most generally to describe what we may call fond affection. It is the love of those who have a cordial relationship with one another, one finding the other congenial and appealing. The other term is more consistently used with reference to divine love, the love of God. It suggests a love which is inherent, spontaneous, springing from the nature of the lover, not the object of the love. God loves because He is love; love is His nature. So, He loves His adversaries as well as His "friends." It is this latter word that is used in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world…" —a world alienated and at enmity with Him, and for which He was, in consequence, willing to undergo the indescribable agonies of the cross to provide redemption and opportunity for sinners to be restored to fellowship with Him.
It is this same word which is employed in urging believers to love one another. We are not here instructed to cultivate a "feel good" love, but love that springs from our new nature; the love of God. The Savior said, "as I have loved you." He loved us before we were saved, when we were still His enemies. He loves us after we are saved while we are still failures. It was the love that included Judas Iscariot "When," we are told, "Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father [and] having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end (John 13:1)." Judas was still there, still included. Christ knew "who it was that would betray Him (Jn. 13:11)," but He loved him just the same. Oh what love! That is the love with which believers are to love one another. It does not come naturally, but supernaturally!
This same term is set before us in our text for today, though peculiarly rendered "charity" throughout I Corinthians 13 by the KJV translators. Throughout the chapter it is enlarged upon in magnificent detail, but its priority is amplified and underscored in our selected text. In John 13 this love may be identified as the "badge of discipleship." Here it is set before us as the real measure of acceptable service to God. The test of one's spiritual walk and work, if this passage has any meaning, is not how gifted one may be as a preacher, how much prophetic insight he may have, how much "faith" he exhibits, how many and large the charitable gifts he may have given, nor even whether he should suffer martyrdom for "the cause of Christ." The real test is how much the love of Christ is evident in what he is and what he does. It is a most sobering revelation! The least service rendered with His love is fragrant to God; the most magnificent efforts, performed without that love, is a stench in the nostrils of God and adds up to "nothing."
Here is another telling text: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (I Sam. 16:7b)." And what the Lord is looking for is a heart that mirrors His own love toward others. Such a heart loves not only those who like us, but those who do not. It loves not only those who are "right," but those who may be wrong. It loves another not because he or she agrees with me, or meets my standards, but simply because he or she is a fellow believer, a brother or sister in Christ.
The Savior, employing the same term, pressed this responsibility even further when He said, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:43-48)."
Some wag has remarked, with tragic insight, that most Christians will never learn to love their enemies, because we have not yet learned to love our friends! Orthodoxy and service are important. Love is even more important. Orthodoxy and "christian service" lacking the love of Christ, are sterile, pharisaical, empty. Without love, I am just a noise, a "nothing," unprofitable. Read the text; you have HIS word for it!
Echoing the Truth,
"Pastor" Frasier
***************
LOVE IS PATIENT
LOVE IS KIND
LOVE DOES NOT ENVY
LOVE DOES NOT BOAST
LOVE IS NOT PROUD
LOVE IS NOT RUDE
LOVE IS NOT SELF SEEKING
LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED
LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS
LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL
LOVE REJOICES IN THE TRUTH
LOVE ALWAYS HOPES
LOVE ALWAYS PERSEVERES
LOVE NEVER FAILS
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