1 Corinthians 13
Ps Paul Cheng
~3 min read
Dear Bethelites,
In the secular world out there, perhaps love has been the most written and discussed topic, whether it is in poetry, songs, books, television and movies. We see this subject of love popping up time and again.
The Bible also has written much about love. In 1 Corinthian 13, the Apostle Paul spent an entire chapter about this topic of love. Ultimately in Christianity, almost two thousand years ago, the perfect love was manifested on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of love that Jesus came into this world, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). It is because of love that Jesus was crucified on the cross, and not the Jews, Pilate or the Romans who forced Him to go the way of Calvary. Jesus said, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again (John 10:18). However, today, after so many years, and though love was so much spoken and written about, people are still unclear about the nature of true love.
Have you ever heard anyone say to you, “The church is not loving, or that believer has no love”? Why do they say that, and on what basis do they say that? Sometimes, maybe it was because of some doctrines that the church holds to, or some decisions that the church has to make, or some actions or words that the believer has made. But when you consider deeply into the reasons behind those decisions, actions and words, you may realize that the church or the believer has been misunderstood. In fact, the basis of those decisions, actions and words is love!
By way of illustration, oftentimes children would say to their parents, “Daddy and mummy do not love me. If they love me, why would they discipline me? Why would they do this to me?” Children just do not understand! The same is true with spiritual children, and they think that the church, or the pastor, leaders or members, do not have love. The sad reality is that until they grow up spiritually, they may never understand.
Before we embark on the qualities of love discussed in 1 Corinthians 13 which is commonly known as the “love chapter,” we first need to understand what biblical love is.
One must remember that this chapter of love was written in the context of a discussion about spiritual gifts. In other words, the Apostle Paul was trying to say that even if a person had all the spiritual gifts, but if he did not have love, he gained nothing. Spiritual gifts had to be exercised in the spirit of love!
The word used for charity here is the Greek word agape. In English, there is only one word for love, but the Greek language has four different words for; sexual love, family love, brotherly love, and God’s love. This word agape is God’s love. It is love in its purest sense; it is the love which God manifested through His only begotten Son.
In this chapter, Paul was not really focusing on what love is, but rather what love does or does not do. Love is active not passive. As one theologian explains, “Love does not only feel patience, it is patient and it practises patience. Love does not only have some gracious feelings, it is also gracious and it does gracious things. Love is not jealous, does not boast, is not proud, does not behave indecently, is not selfish, is not easily irritated, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, rejoices in the truth, bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love is powerful, for it brings about change. It impacts lives. It is a great testimony. It is supernatural. It is only present in the life of someone who has been transformed. Only believers who have experienced the agape of God, would have this kind of love!” How true!
Indeed, as we seek to understand the characteristics of love depicted in this amazing chapter, we must bear in mind that it is the believer whose life has been indwelt and transformed by the Holy Spirit, and living in obedience to God’s Word, is able to demonstrate the qualities of this agape love.
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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