1 Corinthians 13 - Love

This is one of Paul's most famous passages. It is often read out at weddings, but we need to remember that Paul did not write it for a wedding, but for everyday church life! It is not about romantic love, but about something much more substantial. 

First he declares that without love everything else is worthless. No words or tongues, be they human or even angelic, are worth anything. Prophetic gifts are worthless, faith is worthless, giving all we have to the poor is worthless, sacrificing our very lives is worthless. Absolutely every type of Christian life or service is covered here: charismatic, evangelistic, social action. You name it is covered and declared worthless if we have not love.

Paul then tells us what love is. First it is patient and kind. It seeks the good of others over itself. It does not seek to exalt itself. It is forgiving, always looking and hoping for the good in others. It seeks the truth and always perseveres.

None of these are easy virtues, but involve risk and cost. When we trust and hope for the best in others there will be times when we are disappointed. Patience requires endurance. Overlooking hurts is costly.

Yet love never fails. Prophecy, tongues and knowledge are all temporary. They are also only partial. When we prophecy we prophecy in part, but when we love we truly touch God. It is easy to become captivated by gifts and manifestations of the Spirit, but love is what we should seek above all.

There are some who use verse 10 as a justification for saying that the gifts were only for the New Testament era, and that since the Bible is now complete there is no need for them, and no place either. I must say that I really do consider this teaching to be complete nonsense. For one thing it makes no sense, and moreover has no support in Scripture. The canon of the New Testament was not firmly established until sometime after the 1st century (even though the books had been written before then). Moreover, prophecy, as we find it in the New Testament, was not doctrinal in nature. The books of the New Testament, with the exception of Revelation, are not books of prophecy.

Perhaps most importantly, today we really have a need for the word of God to be followed by signs and wonders, just as much as they had in the New Testament era. We would do better to follow Paul's advice and seek to be filled with love and to live in love, so that we use the gifts properly.