[Presented in church March 10th 2018]
(Associate Director/Speaker of Empower Missions and Elder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Bergen, Norway)
http://www.empowermissions.org/1-corinthians-13-the-most-beautiful-chapter-of-scripture/
Many people view 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter of love, as the most beautiful and perhaps the most important chapter of Scripture. While some earnest Bible students would disagree – this passage – penned by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is arguably at least one of the most beautiful and more important chapters in God’s Word.
My favorite author, Ellen White, put it this way:
“The Lord desires me to call the attention of His people to the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Read this chapter every day, and from it obtain comfort and strength. Learn from it the value that God places on sanctified, heaven-born love, and let the lesson that it teaches come home to your hearts. Learn that Christlike love is of heavenly birth, and that without it all other qualifications are worthless.” (RH July 21, 1904).
Imagine how it would be if every professed Christian did this!
As I have been trying to do this the past year, I have learned that I have much to learn. I have been challenged, invigorated and blessed. And it has been a paradigm-shifting experience – in a positive sense. I definitely recommend it and I want to encourage you to follow this counsel – to join me on this journey.
You will be blessed!
Richly!
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The last time I presented to you I told you that my favourite chapter of The Bible is 1st Corinthians 13 in which the Apostle Paul teaches us about love. I also told you that I really like the version that is written in Contemporary English that I had handwritten and posted in my jail cell. At one point I had it almost memorized.
Today I’m going to take a good look at the chapter, but first a reading of it from the Contemporary English version.
What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, then I would be nothing more than a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal.
What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing unless I loved others.
What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing unless I loved others.
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails.
Everyone who prophesies will stop and unknown languages will no longer be spoken. All that we know will be forgotten.
We don’t know everything and our prophesies are not complete. But what is perfect will someday appear and what isn’t perfect will then disappear.
When we were children we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror.
Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us.
For now there are faith hope and love. But of these three, the greatest is love. [1st Corinthians 13 CEV]
So besides the obvious statement that we’re nothing without love, what is the Apostle Paul telling us? I think he uses a number of examples to prove to us that no matter what we do, we must learn to love as God loves us, unconditionally.
What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, then I would be nothing more than a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal.
Its well known that the city of Corinth was a troubled society, there was decandence and paganism taking place even though there were many difference religious societies in evidence. The Pagans spoke in tongues during their worship and the believers thought that that the priests spoke in the language of the Gods. Paul tells us that speaking in tongues is just noise, unless you love those around you.
What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing unless I loved others.
Paul tells us that being able to see the future, and knowing everything, or being highly educated means nothing. Likewise, having the faith that could move a mountain, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20 is still nothing, without having the love for those around us.
What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing unless I loved others.
Paul now explains that giving everything away and allowing himself to be subjected to a most painful death, still would not do anything special unless he had true love inside him. In Daniel 3:14-28 we know that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego submitted themselves into the firey furnace, but were saved by the grace of God through faith. Paul is willing to allow this fate too, but without love, it would be meaningless.
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails.
In these two verses, Paul now begins to tell us what love is and isn’t. The true characteristics of love, are also the true characteristics of God, Himself. We can see the parallel between the two in the descriptions that Paul provides.
Everyone who prophesies will stop and unknown languages will no longer be spoken. All that we know will be forgotten.
The Apostle now goes on to tell us that the ways of the past are will no longer be valid. Prophesying and speaking in tongues will no longer have a purpose as Christ will return, this world will pass and in the New Jerusalam the gift of love is all we will remember and need.
We don’t know everything and our prophesies are not complete. But what is perfect will someday appear and what isn’t perfect will then disappear.
Because we are no longer perfect, due to sin entering our lives, we cannot and will not know everything and therefore any prophesies are not complete. When Christ returns and makes us pure and whole again, everything will become perfect and we will fully be able to understand how the prophesies came true. Christ will make our minds able to understand everything, but until that day we must be careful of any messages about God, to be sure that they follow the scriptures.
When we were children we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways. Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror.
As children, or before we had sinned, we thought and believed as God intended us to do. But then we became adults when sinned entered our lives, and we don’t always choose to follow God’s ways in a perfect manner. Some of what we see of God is veiled in clouds, only to be revealed when God feels the time is right.
Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us.
As God tells us, no one can see the face of God and live, but once we are cleansed and pure, without sin, we will be able to see him face to face. At that time the knowledge of God will pass to us, and we will understand God as he understands us.
For now there are faith hope and love. But of these three, the greatest is love.
The three main gifts that we’ve received from God are:
Faith – an active belief and trust in God. God has given us many promises, and by faith we trust that those promises will come true.
Hope – some certainty. Through the Bible we have sure knowledge that God will do good things for His people.
Love – a gift to share. God gave us the gift of love for ourselves and for those around us. It is His greatest gift to us, and He wants us to share it with everyone.
While I was in jail, this chapter was a great comfort to me. At that time I didn’t fully understand its value, but as I have continued on my journey, I find even greater comfort in what the Apostle is trying to tell us. God is there for us all the time and He truely does love us unconditionally.
I hope we can all learn to love, unconditionally those around us, whether they’re believers or not. God wants us to show them love, and in doing so, maybe plant a small seed that will grow into a mighty oak.
Shiny Side Up 