More excellent than all the gifts with which the twelfth chapter deals, is love. “Charity” is a translator’s mistake which crept into the first complete Bible in the English language, before the invention of printing.
It has been said that the gifts were manifestations of the power and wisdom of God, while love is the manifestation of His nature. Surely every young Christian knows John 3:1616For 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),
“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.” Not so well known is 1 John 3:1616Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16),
“Hereby perceive we the love” (or, Hereby we have known love) “because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
You have believed the first passage to the salvation of your soul; What is your answer to the second?
Turning back in our Bibles to John’s inspired account of the night of the betrayal, what Christian heart can fail to be deeply impressed with almost the first words spoken by the Lord after the traitor left the upper room (chapter 13:34, 35), “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
It is evident that the believers at Corinth had entered but little into this, as in general they fell short of a normal Christian state (chapter 3:1-3). To the infant assembly at Thessalonica, all of them recently emerged from idolatry and associated evil works, the Apostle could however write (1 Thess. 4:99But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. (1 Thessalonians 4:9)),
“But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
This, then, is true in principle of all the children of God. In 1 John 3:1414We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (1 John 3:14), indeed is this word, a means of assurance to every one who is a possessor of God’s gift of eternal life,
“We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.”
Much more on the subject of divine love in the believer, and its exercise, is found in John’s first epistle, and a search of all the epistles from Romans to Jude in the same connection will be very profitable to the young Christian.
The special needs of the believers at Corinth were, of course, before the mind of the Apostle as he wrote, under inspiration, the thirteenth chapter; but as
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”, (2 Tim. 3:16,1716All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16‑17)), the chapter was written for us too, for our blessing.
Verse 1. “Though” (or, if) “I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling (clanging) cymbal.”
The Corinthians were vain over their gifts. In everything they were enriched by God in Christ, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that they came behind in no gift (chapter 1:5-7); but without love, he who spoke, though possessing the tongue even of an angel, was only comparable to an inferior musical instrument, producing sounds without effect, except momentarily upon the ears of the hearers.
Verse 2. Without love, too, he who has prophecy, and knows all mysteries and all knowledge; who has all faith so as to remove mountains, is nothing. Further yet (verse 3) if one should dole out all his goods in food, and should deliver up his body that he may be burned, but has not love, he profits nothing. To the Corinthians, fond of display, verses 1-3 must have been humbling indeed; but they are intended for the consciences of the saints of God, irrespective of time or place. They teach us that, apart from the action of divine love in the soul, nothing one may say or do is of value in God’s reckoning, no matter how devoted he may appear to be.
Young Christian, jealously guard with constant watchfulness your communion with Him; Satan will seek to destroy it; self, (the old enemy within your breast) is ever ready to assert itself, robbing you of communion.
Verses 4 to 8 set out sixteen qualities of divine love which should characterize the Christian; almost all of them are negative – the true opposites of the selfishness in us by nature. Love suffereth long (or has long patience); it is kind; it is not looking with envious or jealous eye at others; it does not boast, and it is not puffed up with pride. It does not behave in an unseemly manner; does not seek what is its own; is not quickly provoked; does not impute evil, and does not rejoice at iniquity.
Love rejoices with the truth; it bears (or covers) all things; it believes all things, it hopes all things; it endures all things; and, it never fails. These are positive showing the energy of love sustained in communion with God through all the difficulties of the pathway that leads to glory with Christ.
Now if we would bring joy to the heart of God, and be in our individual measures channels of blessing for Him here below, these qualities of divine love must be in exercise.
Will you not, dear Christian reader, resolve at this moment that with God’s help, you will henceforth live out, not just one or half a dozen, but all sixteen, looking to Him for divinely given strength for each need?
Verse 8: Though we often have failed in showing it out, love never fails; the supply is inexhaustible, and God is its source (1 John 4:77Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (1 John 4:7)). In 1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17) love with us looks on without fear to the day of judgment, but in Ephesians 1:44According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4), and 2: 4-7, His love is foreseen as active toward us in the endless ages of eternity.
Prophecies are for time; they will be done away; tongues, we are told in the 8th verse shall cease, and they have. Knowledge shall be done away, because we know only in part. Although the whole truth of God has been revealed to us in His Word, our minds are not equal to taking it all in at one time. We now lay hold of it in detail, and bless Him for the knowledge we gain, but in eternity we shall understand the truth as a whole in its unity.
So the Apostle gives the example of a child, with a child’s apprehension, but manhood being reached, the things of a child no longer suffice. Now, he continues, we see through a dim window; but then face to face; now, I know in part; then, shall I know even as also I am known.
Verse 13 presents three provisions God has made for His people on earth; faith that centers in Christ; hope to cheer them on the way, the hope of His coming; and love. And the greatest of these is love; faith and hope will presently have performed their office; the journey to glory with Christ is now nearing its end; then love alone will remain.
May we not say with the Psalmist in Psalm 23,
“My cup runneth over”?