The connection in which love is introduced in 1 Cor. 13, must, I suppose, have struck most who study God's word. It bears the same impress of power and of suitability which ever characterizes His word. May we, therefore, led by the Spirit, the Inditer, dwell upon it for a little.
The cause of all the mischief in the Church at Corinth was a remarkable one—one which testifies surely of the great goodness of God. It was the abundant grace and goodness of God acting upon unsubdued flesh. The testimony of Christ was confirmed among them (i. 6); they were in everything enriched by (or " in ", as also in ver. 4) Him, in all utterance and all knowledge. But though there was much gift, grace was not in the same proportion. The seed had been cast abroad richly, but the earth had not been deeply plowed up; consequently, it much mixed its own productions with the gift of God. The testimony which had been brought among them was estimated by some external characteristic, rather than as the testimony of God, as was happily the case with the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:13). And consequently, one was for Paul, another for Apollos, and another for Christ: showing that in a sectarian, independent spirit we may stand (or apparently so) for Christ.
Their moral state too, showed that there was not much depth of earth. In chap. iv. " they were full, they were rich, they reigned as kings " without the more faithful saints; they found themselves comparatively at ease in the world, a state which rendered them an easy prey to a doctrine which, in chap. 15., assured them that there is no resurrection of the dead; a doctrine which could not so readily suit one who had to say, " I die daily." Even when terrible evil came in, it did not disturb the light complacency of the flesh (chap. 5.), they were " puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he which had done the deed might be taken away from among them." The same lightness of work, too, made them bad judges about Christian liberty (chap. viii); for Christian liberty does not consider so much what we may do, as what will be for the glory of God, and the welfare of our brethren.
The same state of soul made them also but badly prepared for the use of the spiritual gifts which were so richly amongst them, (chap. 14:26) " every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a revelation, etc." a thing which he does not check, but regulates: therefore he says, " Let all things be done unto edifying." It is only in the Spirit that we can handle rightly the things of the Spirit.
It is, therefore, to meet this state of things that the apostle introduces this digression in the midst of his discussion about, gifts; for without it, gifts would just split up the Church of God. He proposes it as the tempered mortar. " Though I speak," he says, " with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." It is that which gives fullness to the sound, like the High Priest's bells of old, the bells of the sanctuary. " And though I have prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains;" yea, and even though apparent grace and devotedness come in, so that we either crumble our property into bits (see Greek) to bestow it on the poor, or even give our body to be burned, and yet have not love, we are profited nothing. What a declaration by the Spirit of God that nothing external—power, devotedness, whatever it may be—is of value before God without that love which makes it of savor to Him, and of real refreshment to others. “ Love," he says, " suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly [and this love teaches us our place, Eph. 5:21]; seeketh not her own [and, therefore, of all things most of Christ, Phil. 2:21]; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil." It is remarkable that the quieter fruits of the Spirit indicate more of His power. Gal. 5:22, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Love is holy in its tastes and feelings, " It rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth " (in kindredness of spirit); " beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." How fully, then, does He let us into the real and noble nature of Love. It is the highest of all: those things which we are so apt to glory in, as setting us forth, tongues etc., are only arguments of our imperfection. They are only to supply our mutual need, and are in us imperfect; " we know in part, and prophesy in part," until we obtain the perfect state of things. But when all need is satisfied, all imperfection is done away, love will still find its full element, as it will ever have to do with God who is love, but light too.
I have dwelt upon this, because it may be particularly suitable to those who are desirous of standing for the Lord and maintaining His truth in a, day like the present. Contention against evil has been the great thing to which God has called such latterly. This has broken through, in some measure, that false love or charity, which is, perhaps, the great sin of this professing age, and which is just a counterfeit of the true. That false charity lets anything become of God's truth, rather than speak out faithfully and disturb the robber in his prey. But, " it is required of stewards that they be found faithful:" a man may dispose as he will of his own property, but if he dispose, in the same ready way, of another's, we remind him that he must be just before he is generous. And the truth is God's property, of which we cannot dispose, save as He guides us by His Spirit. Now that same Holy Spirit (who is also the Spirit of truth), would have us careful of the trust, and enjoins us (James 3:17) that, "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable." Let us who, through grace are the Lord's, remember that we are all in this sense "stewards of the mysteries of God " (1 Cor. 4:1, 2).
Paul, we find in Gal. 2, approached his elder brethren in Jerusalem with something of trembling, lest, through his own weakness, he, by any means should run, or had run, in vain. But when God's truth was really in question, he gave place by subjection not for an hour, but " withstood Peter to the face, because he was to be blamed."
We are " exhorted " by Jude " earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," and there has been, and is, very, very much all around that will call us thereto. Yet, meanwhile, let us seek to be careful, that, whilst contending against evil, we love fervently and cherish all that is, and all that are, of the truth. John, after telling them (1 John 4) not to believe every spirit, "but try the spirits. &c.," then returns to his more pleasing, and still most incumbent occupation (ver. 7), " Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God." It is " the bond of perfectness " (Col. 3:14), which throws its golden charm around all. We are so apt in securing one truth, to let go another kindred one: but how carefully does the Spirit of truth maintain the balance in 2nd and 3rd epistles of John, " Whom I love in the truth' " for the truth's sake, etc.," " in truth and love " " this is love, that we walk after His commandments, &c." (see 2 John 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 3 John 1, 3, 4, 6).
Beloved, let us seek grace to combine these two things, steady faithfulness against evil, and yet frank, confiding, upright and hearty love where it is fairly warranted.
Our Lord Himself will come soon, very soon: happy indeed to " be found of Him (through grace) in peace, without spot and blameless!" (2 Pet. 3:14).