TEACHING NOTES Introduction In the last session, we learned about spiritual gifts in the church. The church is the body of Christ and each believer is a body part with a specific function. But we are not an isolate body part. We are called to be a collective body that is healthy and every part works together. This is only possible when we practice the greatest gift of God. ‌ The Background Context: ‌ Most Christians in Corinth were former pagans. ‌ The pagan ways of life and relationships were the opposite of the Christian way of life. ‌ So, the Corinthians need to learn how Christians live and love one another. ‌ 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. ‌ Tongues of men and angels = Paul seems to be implying that humans have languages and angels have languages. Some have used this phrase to teach that there is a “heavenly or spiritual language” that we need to receive from the Spirit. However, when we see angels appearing to humans the angels speak in human languages. When prophets (like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John) receive a vision of heaven, they always hear the heavenly beings speaking in the language that the prophet understands. Therefore, Paul likely means that both humans and angels can have the gift of speaking various languages. ‌ Have not love = As we will see, Paul is going to mention most of the spiritual gifts from the previous chapter and argue that without love none of these matter. ‌ Noisy gong, clanging cymbal = Gongs and cymbals played by themselves only sound harsh and annoying. These instruments are meant to be played with other instruments and are meant to accent or support the music. The same is true of practicing spiritual gifts without love. ‌ Prophetic powers = Just as in chapter twelve, Paul connects prophetic powers to wisdom and knowledge. Understanding all mysteries and knowledge is useless without love. A man with all knowledge who loves no one will keep it all to himself, rather than sharing with others for their benefit. ‌ All faith = Here Paul is drawing from the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 17:20 “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”” Jesus was speaking of the mountain on which the city of Jerusalem sat. The disciples faithfulness to Jesus, and Jerusalem’s rejection of Jesus, led to its destruction. Without love, faith and faithfulness have no purpose or function. Faith and faithfulness come from love. ‌ Without love I am nothing = This is Paul’s main point. Without love there is no purpose and no value. Love (Grk. agape) seeks to create value and make us into what God created us to be (the image/reflection of God). ‌ Give away all I have = It may seem that a person who gives away all of their possessions proves that they have love. However, people give all the time for selfish reasons: attention, fame, vanity, etc. The motive behind the giving is more important than the giving. ‌ Deliver my body to be burned = Paul is likely referring to Daniel 3 when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the Babylonian king’s statue and elected to be thrown into a fiery furnace instead. Paul’s point is that anyone can die for what they believe and still not have love. For example, Islamic terrorists kill others while hoping to be martyred, but no one considers this to be loving. Additionally, Islamic terrorists are self-seeking in that they believe they will be rewarded with virgins to sleep with for all eternity. Christians do not die for their faith for selfish rewards, but because we refuse to deny our relationship with our Savior. Christians die for their faith out of love. ‌ 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 4 The love is patient, the love is kind; the love does not envy or boast; does not become conceited 5 does not behave dishonorably. It does not seek its own way; does not become irritable, does not keep a record of wrongs; 6 does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 The love bears all things, is faithful in all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8a The love never ends. ‌ Love = Grk. He agape - The love (noun). Paul include the article “the” (Grk. he or ho) before “love” (Grk. agape), which seems to indicate that this is a specific kind of love. This is the kind of love that comes from God, is offered to us, and we are called to give this kind of love to others. In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), agape is used for the Hebrew hesed, which means “faithful loyal love” and is often translated as, “steadfast love” or “lovingkindness.” This tells us that God’s definition of love is defined by faithfulness. There were other Greek words for love as well: phileo (friendly love), storge (family love), and eros (lust). In the New Testament, agape and phileo are used interchangeably. Interestingly, eros is not even used in the Bible. It seems the biblical writers did not consider eros (lust) a form of love as the pagans did. ‌ Notice: In the Greek, He agape “The love” is a noun, but is going to be described with verbs. This means that “the love” is defined by action, not words or feelings. ‌ Patient = Grk. makrothymei - to remain in peace while waiting. Kind = Grk. chresteuetai - to show mercy. ‌ Does not envy = Grk. ou zeloi - not jealous, no intense feelings against another’s success. Envy is not merely wishing you had what another has. Envy is having negative feelings about the person who has success. ‌ Does not boast = Grk. ou perpereuetai - to praise oneself, brag. To boast is to elevate yourself above others and draw attention. Love does not demote others and does not draw attention. ‌ Does not become conceited = Grk. ou physioutai - not puffed up, not inflated. Does not behave dishonorably = Grk. ou aschemonei - not behaving inappropriately/indecently. ‌ Does not insist on its own way = Grk. ou zetei heautes ta - not seeking one’s own desires. ‌ Does not become irritable = Grk. ou paroxynetai - not provoked. Does not keep record of wrongs = Grk. ou logizetai to kakon - not counting wrongs. Agape forgives and leaves the past behind. ‌ Does not rejoice at wrongdoing = Grk. ou chairei epi te adikia - not glad about unrighteousness/injustice. ‌ But rejoices with the truth = Grk. de synchairei te aletheia - Agape operates in truth and is glad about the truth. ‌Bears all things = Grk. stegei panta - endures all. ‌Believes all things = Grk. pisteuei panta - faithful in all. ‌Hopes all things = Grk. elpizei panta - positive confidence in all. ‌Endures all things = Grk. hypomenei panta - perseveres in all. ‌Love never ends = Grk. oudepote piptei - never falls or fails. ‌ 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 8b As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ‌ Prophesies will pass away = Spiritual gifts are needed on earth while we wait for Christ to return and bring a new creation. Once we are in the new creation there will be no need for prophesy and teaching because we will be in the direct presence of God. ‌ Tongues will cease = There will be no need for various languages and translators in the new creation. ‌ Knowledge will pass away = This does not mean that one day no one will know anything. Paul is referring to the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, which the Corinthians were known to be obsessed with (1 Cor. 1:22). In the new creation we can go directly to God, rather than study and pursue knowledge from other sources. ‌ We know in part = In the current world, we only know what God has provided to us and that is limited to our ability to understand. This is why we need to stay humble and refuse the attitude that we have it all figured out. The Christian life is to be a life-long student, constantly learning and getting to know Christ more. This process includes learning that we were wrong and need adjust our thinking and doctrine to conform with Scripture. ‌ When the perfect comes = Paul is referring to the new creation, which also referred to as the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:19-21). Currently, our practice of spiritual gifts is incomplete and will not be perfect. But in the new creation, everything will be perfect. ‌ The partial will pass away = In the new creation, even the concept of “partial” or “incomplete” will no longer exist. Paul says elsewhere that one day “God will be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28). Currently, God’s kingdom has been spreading throughout the earth for almost 2,000 years. But in the new creation the entire world will be filled with the presence and glory of God. There will be nothing left that is partial or incomplete. ‌ 1 Corinthians 13:11–13 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. ‌ When I was a child = Children have limited vocabulary, knowledge, wisdom, and reasoning. Paul is saying this because the Corinthians had been acting like children. Children often speak, think, and reason toward self-centeredness and entitlement. ‌ I gave up childish ways = Paul says that at some point a Christian needs to grow up and act like an adult. We must put away childish talk, thinking, and reasoning. We must put away self-centeredness and entitlement. We must stop acting like toddlers throwing a fit at every displeasure. We must stop acting like rebellious and entitled teenagers who think they know better than everyone else. We must grow up and leave childish ways behind. ‌ We now see in a mirror dimly = Mirrors in the ancient world were made from polished bronze. The reflection would not have been as clear as the reflection we see in our modern mirrors. The Greek word for “dimly” is ainigmati, which means “a riddle, indirect image” and is where we get our English word “enigma.” What Paul is saying is that currently we cannot know God fully. ‌ Then face to face = In the new creation we will be face to face with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We will see clearly without any hindrance or anything in between. ‌ Know fully, as I am fully known = Paul is saying that when we are face to face with Christ, we will know Him as He knows us. This is about knowing Christ at the level that He knows us, which is to know Him fully or completely. ‌ Faith, hope, and love abide = While the other gifts that we tend to focus on will cease faithfulness, hope, and love will abide forever. The Greek word for “abide” is meno, which means “to stay, remain, reside” and is the same word Jesus uses in John 15:5. Paul wants the Corinthians—who were divided over the other spiritual gifts—to focus on faithfulness, hope, and love. ‌ The greatest is love = Throughout the Bible, the love of God for humanity is the greatest gift. We don’t deserve God’s love and have done nothing lovable. But God chooses to love humanity simply because He wants to love us. ‌ Application ‌ Love is the greatest gift of God. ‌ Love is the foundation of all the other gifts of God. ‌ Christians must learn to grow up and love one another with God’s love, not worldly love. ‌ Next Time (June 26): Prophesy & Tongues (1 Cor. 14:1-25) ‌