Studies in

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Studies in 1Corinthians
Presentation 23
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The Supremacy Of Love Chapter 12v31-13v3
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Introduction
I wouldnt be surprised if the Corinthians had a
league table of spiritual gifts, the more
dramatic and spectacular the gift the higher up
the table it appeared. Their behaviour reminds me
of Christmas day when children compare their
presents with one another "My present is bigger
than yours, my bike has more gears than yours, my
dolly can speak and yours can't!" Such childish
comparisons are a mark of great immaturity, when
engaged in by adults within the church. Indeed
the childishness of some in the Corinth went
beyond mere comparison for some expressed a
reluctance to worship with other particular
groups. Two groups reacted in this way. One
because they thought they were too good and too
gifted to play in a minor league with the
others, while the second group became convinced
that they were not gifted or good enough.
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A More Excellent Way
At the end of Chap 12 Paul asks some rhetorical
questions, "Are all apostles, are all prophets,
are all teachers, do all work miracles...?" The
answer of course is "No" Although a great many
would have liked to possess all of these gifts.
Therefore, Paul goes on to expose a major flaw in
their thinking. There is a lot to be said for the
marginal reading of v31 "But you are eagerly
desiring the greater gifts and now I will show
you a more excellent way". The core of Paul's
argument is this, that it is the heart attitude
of the person exercising the gift, which gives
the gift its value. Without the right attitude
the gifts are meaningless.
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A More Excellent Way
There was a covetous and competitive spirit in
Corinth. On the one hand there was a proud
superiority and on the other an envious
resentment. That cocktail often produces a hard,
harsh and critical spirit. What use is a
spiritual gift to a person if his heart is out of
tune with God? Paul addresses those whose
consuming passion is to be spiritually gifted and
says, "Important as spiritual gifts are there is
something infinitely more important for you to
pursue. Namely an attitude of love which will in
turn flavour your gift and make it personally
fruitful". Paul is not saying, "Dismiss
spiritual gifts and pursue love", but he is
saying, "You might as well dismiss spiritual
gifts if love is absent. For without love the
gifts will be misdirected, and abused. You will
possess them in vain".
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The Absence of Love
Chap 13 is not only one of the best known but one
of the most searching and challenging in the N.T.
On one occasion it was set as an interpretation
in the Higher English Examination but it is much
more than a rich passage of prose. It has a
cutting edge which lays bare the attitudes of our
hearts. The word "love" used throughout this
passage is the Greek word 'agape'. A word not
commonly used before the writing of the N.T.
The Greek language has other words for love like
philia which means friendship and eros which
describes romantic love and storge which means
affection. Agape was coined by N.T. writers,
who in the process filled it with new meaning
for they wanted to describe the uniqueness of
God's unconditional and sacrificial love, a
love they further associated with the person of
Christ.
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The Absence of Love
This love transcends mere human love. It is a
love for the unworthy. It proceeds rather from
the nature of the lover, than from any merit in
the beloved. It is a love which is self
sacrificial. This love, when seen to be operating
in the lives of Christians had a profoundly
evangelistic effect upon the unbelieving
community. Tertullian one of the great
apologists in the ancient church comments on
the impact it had upon unbelievers who said,
See how these Christians love one another.
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The Absence of Love
In order to emphasise the absolute importance of
having agape-love in our hearts Paul paints a
number of vivid pictures in v1-3. 1. If I
speak with the tongues of men or of angels and
have not love, I am only a resounding gong or
clashing symbol. Paul focuses our thinking on
the gift of communication. Eloquent speech has
the ability to stir men, to rouse them to perform
great deeds, to set men on fire, to shape and
direct lives. But gifts of communication can be
abused, a harshness and hardness can come
across, which acts like an abrasive sandpaper on
the sensitive soul we may sense that the
speaker is relishing our public discomfiture as
he highlights our sin.
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The Absence of Love
It is possible for young zealous evangelists,
"to win an argument without winning the person".
It is possible to be a Christian communicator yet
the cold and hollow ring of your words is
saying, I have no heart interest in my hearers.
At the same time it is possible to speak with
great passion but not out of concern for our
hearers but out of a desire to build up a
personal following and to persuade people to
follow your party line. There is a possible
side glance here to the Apollos party in
Corinth, who undoubtedly made much of their
rhetoric and persuasive powers. But the
eloquence of the world, if it is not controlled
by love is vain.
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The Absence of Love
Unless our heart goes out to people we'll never
reach their heart We may talk to them forever
but unless we have this loving sympathy we might
as well be silent. Its possible to pelt people
with the gospel and to produce the effect of
flinging stones at them. Much Christian work
comes to nothing mainly for that reason.
Alexander McLaren This first verse may also
refer back to the gift of speaking in tongues
mentioned in chap 12. It is possible to employ
this form of ecstatic utterance for the purpose
of self-gratification. To parade it before
those who dont possess it in a wholly boorish
and unattractive manner. It is possible to be
dismissive of the feelings of those who are
either unaccustomed to or unsympathetic towards
this gift.
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The Absence of Love
Without love which is sensitive to the feelings
of others, we become resounding gongs, clanging
symbols. Instruments which are neither melodious
or capable of producing harmony. The
inhabitants of Corinth were used to the heavy
monotone which was beat out by these instruments
as the worshippers of the Greek mystery
religions paraded through their streets. You
are sounding just like them says Paul, if you
exercise your gift without love.
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The Absence of Love
2. "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom
all mysteries and all knowledge". Paul presses on
to say that its possible to have prophetic gifts,
to impress others persuading them that you're a
spiritual giant and yet to be a dwarf in grace.
Think of people like Balaam, King Saul and
Caiaphas, all of whom spoke prophetically , yet
their hearts were hard and loveless and
self-seeking. They had no reputation before God.
Now the man in Paul's example is more than a
prophet, he's a man who is knowledgeable about
a vast range of truth and experience, a man
who's begun to understand spiritual mysteries.
He may be held high in the esteem of men but
without love he's at the bottom of God's league
table.
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The Absence of Love
It is possible to be a theological giant, a
person of great intellectual ability, whose
thinking is clear and incisive and yet develop an
inflated ego. Such a person can, because of his
gifts, develop an international reputation,
become theological advisor to countless
committees but says the apostle, without love
this man is a nobody.
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The Absence of Love
3. "And if I have the gift of faith that can move
mountains". Now on the surface of things this is
a very desirable and practical gift. For by faith
in God great things are attempted and achieved.
New ventures begun, new areas and avenues of
Christian work can be opened up. Such a man may
see spectacular results. He may be admired
appreciated and applauded but as far as God and
eternity is concerned, the man who has operated
the gift without agape love in his heart is
nothing. Cf Matt7.22
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The Absence of Love
4. "If I give all I possess to the poor" This
concern for humanity seems praiseworthy. But what
is the motive of our heart. Do we do it for the
publicity, to be well thought of in the
community, to have our name etched in stone in
some hospital wing, which we have been
responsible for funding? For even this kind of
demonstrative service can be given from the
wrong motives and without love and thus such an
act of self sacrifice gains me nothing. Think of
the motive of Ananias and Sapphira in selling
property and bringing some of the money to the
apostles. What was their motive? Was it love for
the poor in Jerusalem? NO! It was love for
themselves and a yearning to be well thought of.
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The Absence of Love
Some early Christians sold themselves into
slavery in order to relieve the needy with the
money their slave-masters paid for them! The
marginal reading of v3 may be referring to this,
"If I deliver my body that I may boast but have
not love I am nothing. Yes, says the apostle,
even something as apparently self-sacrificial
as selling yourself into slavery can be done out
of self-love and so mean absolutely nothing in
the balance of eternity.
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The Absence of Love
5. If I surrender my body to the flames Paul
is speaking here of the martyr. Those who are
willing to lay down their lives for their faith.
But wait, says Paul, even here we must ask,
what the motive is? We know from history that
some martyrs did not face the arena out of love
for Christ but out of a longing for recognition
by others in the church. Do you see what the
apostle is saying? We can give the ultimate in
our Christian service, we can lay down our very
lives but that act can be a meaningless thing
without love.
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The Absence of Love
Henry Drummond addressed a group of eager young
would be missionaries in the 19th century with
these words You can take nothing greater to
the heathen world than the impress and reflection
of the love of God upon your own character. That
is the universal language. It will take you years
to speak in Chinese or in the dialects of India.
From the day you land that language of love,
understood by all will be pouring forth its
unconscious eloquence. It is the man who is the
missionary not his words. His character is the
message.
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Conclusion
These verses must have left Paul's readers in a
state of shock. So many of them perceived
Christian service in terms of a platform, where
they would gain recognition and use the gifts of
the Spirit as a means of drawing attention to
themselves. How much Christian service is
unfruitful because it springs from self-love and
not from selfless agape love? Agape love is
indispensible to fruitful, useful service and in
these few verses Paul drives that lesson home.
What kind of love motivates our Christian
service? Is it self-love or agape-love. I dont
want God to write WORTHLESS over all that I do
for him. Do you?