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1 Corinthians 13 New King James Version
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Sermon Notes: For The Love Of God
What was on Paul’s mind was not romantic love, it was the church.
The love chapter is actually an appeal to a church to embrace the selflessness that is key to us functioning as a team.
Love is the way that we the church will be recognized by the world and as a community that truly belongs to Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 13:1-3 describes something that happens when no love permeates the Body of Christ.
Notice the metaphor here, without love, I am a resounding gong. A clanging cymbal.
Then Paul talks about merit, sacrifice, and value.
You can have all the faith to do all that, even lay down your life in sacrifice but it’s all about you.
If you do, you gain nothing.
In 1 Cor 13 verses 4-7
Paul says that Love is a set up for action.
There is no loving way to be envious, boastful, proud or rude.
It is in this context that Paul says, the love that comes from God, is a love that no matter the circumstances, trust, hope and persevere.
Love says I will trust, I will hope, I will carry on.