Epistles of Paul 43

Well, good evening, brethren. I hope you all had a good feast. And as we continue now with our study on the book of Corinthians, today we're going to start on chapter 13, which is the love chapter. I really hope and pray that we all, including myself, we all may learn from the lessons of this chapter for us to be more loving and more godly in applying God's love in our lives.

In 1 Corinthians, we saw in chapter 1 that the church in Corinthians had many spiritual gifts. All right at the beginning in chapter 1, starting between verse 4 through 7, he said that God has given them and reached them in every way with a lot of gifts.

However, they were misusing a number of them. And that's why we see in this epistle of 1 Corinthians, we see a number of corrective instructions, which Paul tries to do in a loving way. And he brings to them those instructions so that in the outcome, the final outcome, there will be greater unity. There was less division amongst the Corinthian brethren.

And as I was mentioning, they had a number of gifts. And one of them, which was particularly important for that area, was because it was a city which was in a hub, in a specific geographical location, which was very much a center of business, a business hub. And a lot of people from different nationalities and speaking different languages came through. And therefore, a need to be able to communicate the Gospel as Christ and explain about the Gospel of the Kingdom and how Christ is our Redeemer and Savior. And this was important to actually get the Gospel spread out through the Gentile world. And so they had a very specific gift, which was very applicable to them, which was the gift of languages, of speaking and understanding different languages.

In chapter 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about various gifts, spiritual gifts. And in our last study, we talked about those gifts. And so chapter 12 is basically about the giving of spiritual gifts, the giving or the endowment or the allocation by God of special gifts to different brethren. And he allocated, you know, was he God allocated or endowed or gave those gifts to different people as God desired, as God pleased.

And that's what we see in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and where we read in verse 18, But God now has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased. And so God has put the members in the spiritual body of Christ, which is the church, as he pleased, and he gave them specific spiritual gifts as God pleased. And one of those gifts, one of those blessings to the church was also the appointing of apostles and prophets and teachers. As we read in verse 28, God has appointed these in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.

After that, miracles, then gifts of healings. So all these are gifts from God that God has given either to the church, spiritual gifts, or God has given to the church leaders, which also have specific talents and gifts that God has given them to serve. The main purpose of spiritual gifts is to serve. And so in the last study, we talked about basically two types of gifts. One type of gift is more like quiet gifts, and the other type of gifts is more like demonstrable gifts. And we talked about those quiet gifts, and gifts of serving quietly, and people have certain spiritual gifts to serve in a quiet, private way to different people.

While other people, other brethren, other people in the church, have demonstrable gifts, such as gifts or talents or capabilities or spiritual capabilities for speaking, for evangelizing, for prophesying in the words. And whichever one of those gifts, when they're quiet gifts or demonstrable gifts, they are there to serve and to preach the gospel. And understanding that preaching the gospel is also a way of serving mankind, because the gospel is good news for mankind. And so God has appointed different people, different positions, different leaders, and different gifts as He pleased, and those were appointed in the church as He pleased.

And as we read in verse 28, He did that so that there would be no division, no schism in the body. It was in the spiritual organism, in the body of Christ, which is the church of God. But that the members should have the same care for one another. So God has given these gifts, some people, one sort of spiritual gift, another person, another spiritual gift to serve, so that in the end, we all learn to take care for one another.

It's like a physical body, a physical body, a certain part of the body as a certain talent, physical talent, physical capability, physical thing that it can do. Maybe the finger can pick things up and make things, whilst the hands can move those things, and on the other side, the arms can actually move the hands. So every part of the body has got its function to serve one another. Now, some gifts are greater than others, just like in the body. Some may appear greater than others, but they all serve an important function.

And so we see in verse 31 of chapter 12, it says, It is earnestly desired the best gifts. So some gifts are greater. Greater what? To serve. We have gifts to serve, so desire gifts to serve, but that requires work. Serving requires work. You know, it's like the power of the talents. You know, some people had a number of talents, and they multiplied them, and they grew, while others hid the talent in the ground. So God wants us to use and multiply these gifts.

So he says, desire the greatest, the best gifts, yet, yet, I show you a more excellent way. And so Paul, in chapter 12, talked about, as I mentioned, the giving of gifts, and then God gives those gifts as he desires into the body. And in chapter 14, he's going to go into how to use some of those gifts, the function of some of those gifts. But in chapter 13, before he gets onto the function in chapter 14, in chapter 13, he discusses the attitude that is required for all offices in the church, for all services in the church, for all positions in the church, for all gifts in the church, all spiritual gifts.

What is the attitude behind those gifts? In other words, how do we use those spiritual gifts? And basically, that is the more excellent way, which is a spirit of love, a spirit of outgoing concern. That's how we are to use those gifts. So what is the more excellent way? He is doing it in a godly way of outgoing concern of love for the other person.

That's why I said in chapter 12, verse 25, that we all should have the same care for one another, the same love, the same outgoing care for one another. And so, as we start reading now chapter 13 from verse 1, he says, I know I speak with the tongues of men and of angels. Oh, angels have languages too. Angels do have languages. I'm not saying which language they are. I don't know. But, though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, I don't have godly outgoing concern, godly love. I've become like a sounding brass or brass or a clanging cymbal, you know, like these plates, clang, clang, clang, just making a lot of noise.

And so, we really need to be careful how to use those gifts because there is a more excellent way, a more excellent way, as we read in verse 31 of chapter 12. Now, jumping ahead to chapter 14 verse 1, we see, pursue love. We are to pursue, to strive, to have this more excellent way of love. And, in parallel to that, desire spiritual gifts. So, we got to pursue this approach, this correct attitude of using those gifts, but we have to desire spiritual gifts. And then it says, but especially, that you may prophesy. In other words, especially, I'll make a part of it, that you may speak and encourage people, help others with the truth, so that people may have that godly hope for the future.

Because that is a way of serving, of serving others, saying things, being ambassadors for Christ in a right way, in a positive way. In other words, preaching, not coming across as a preacher, but preaching or prophesying or speaking what comes out of our mouth, that it may be uplifting and encouraging and serving to others. And that is one of the greatest spiritual gifts, that we can say things in a way that is uplifting to others and encouraging to others.

So let's go back to chapter 13 now, verse 1, and it says, though I may have great talents or great spiritual gifts, I can speak a lot of language, I can understand a lot of language that God has given me that. Once I receive the Holy Spirit, He has given me that extra spiritual capability. But if I don't do it in the right, excellent way, in the spirit of love, it's just a lot of noise. It's just a lot of noise. You see, so, and another interesting point here is that tongues is mentioned first, because that was, in the area of Corinth, a very prominent gift that they had, as I mentioned, because of the geographical position of the city and how the capability of speaking different languages would enable capability, the capability of different people to preach the gospel to other people, to spread the good news of the kingdom of God and how Christ is our Redeemer and our Savior.

So tongues was a gift that the Corinthians particularly had. In other words, the capability of speaking in other languages and understanding other languages so they could communicate the gospel. But we know some were misusing it. Some were trying to impress. others maybe even had a different capability of putting things that came more from Gnosticism and different ideas that were not godly. So, and therefore, the outcome that was happening is that it was causing division in the church.

There were some quarrels, there were some attitudes of selfishness, and as such, therefore, there were divisions in the church. Now, we are nothing. We are nothing. You and I are nothing, regardless of whichever spiritual gift you and I may have, unless we have godly love in the application of that spiritual gift.

We have to have godly love in the application of that spiritual gift. Therefore, that's why love is greater. Now, how do we show god's love? Well, 1 John chapter 5 verse 3 tells us basically how to show god's love. So, let's just turn to 1 John chapter 5 verse 3. He says, for this is the love of god, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. So, to keep god's commandments, to obey god is showing love, obeying god, keeping his commandments. Now, how do we get, therefore, that love of god?

How do we get it? Is it something that I put on of my own capability? No. If we read in Romans chapter 5 verse 5, it says, Now, the hope does not disappoint because the love of god has been poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit was given to us. When we receive god's Holy Spirit, we receive god's love because god's Holy Spirit is a fruit that has a number of attributes.

As we read in Galatians 5, 22, which includes love, joy, peace, and many others. So, love is one of the characteristics of the fruit of god's Holy Spirit. Now, if we have godly love, what is the main characteristic of godly love? Well, one of the main characteristics of godly love is giving. It's an outward giving spirit. And as we read in Acts 20, verse 35, it says, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

God is a giver. And when we have god's Holy Spirit, we are focused on giving, not receiving and receiving and receiving and receiving. So, there are various examples of that application. That's why, for instance, in James 1, verse 27, it says, true religion. James 1, verse 27, it says, true religion, or pure and unrefiled religion, before god and the father, is this. To visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

What we are doing here is giving, giving of our time and giving of ourselves to others that have a need, a genuine need. So, the approach must be, as we apply, God's spiritual gifts must be around God's love. Now, in Greek, in the New Testament, it uses three words for love. Now, we do know that in Greek, there are four words for love, but one of those is typically not used in the New Testament.

But the three words for love that are used in the New Testament is agape, philia, and storgy. Basically, agape, which basically means love, but the way it is used in the New Testament, it is referring to godly love. Yes, I understand the word agape. It's just love. But the way it is used in the context in the New Testament, it is godly love. Then there is the other love, which is philia, which is more like bradley love, like Philadelphia. So we read in Revelation chapter 3 to the church in Philadelphia, in other words, the church of bradley love.

And then there is a third type of love, which is fraternal, like madderly love, love in the family, storgy. That sort of love is referred. Let me just give you an example where it's used. In 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 3, it's actually a variant of that word storgy.

It's actually a stargos, which is a variant of that word. It's the Greek 794 in 2 Timothy 3 verse 3. And then we read that it says unloving. Unloving. This is 2 Timothy 3 verse 3. It says unloving.

And that is without natural affection. Unloving. Without natural love. An example of that is people that abuse children or abuse their might. That is unloving. In other words, without natural love. And the word that is used there is astargos, which means without that natural affection. Another example where that word is also used is in Romans 1 verse 31. Romans 1 verse 31. In Romans 1 verse 31, we read the word again unloving. It says, understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, and merciful. So it's talking about the people of this world, which have a debased mind, a corrupt mind, which do not have natural affection. They abuse other people in their actions.

So there are three Greek words used in the New Testament about love. The fourth Greek word, which is not used in the New Testament, but it also is a word related to love, is the word eros. That is not used in the New Testament. So getting back to love towards others, let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 2. It says, although I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and now I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love. I am nothing. So if I don't have the godly love, that agape love from God, I am nothing.

I need to have that godly love, that Christian love, that love which is genuine, outgoing concern, a way of giving, not a way of getting. That's what we have to have. So let's go on to verse 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but I have not love, it profits me nothing.

You know, we have seen sometimes people do some acts of fanaticism. They're just sometimes very fanatical in certain ideas, and they even allow themselves to be burned alive. But that's not love. That's acts of fanaticism in some of those cases. And that's not godly love. That's why it says, although I may give everything to the poor, and even if I'm burned alive, you know, that is difficult to understand in some ways, because it says, I give everything to the poor, and I gotta be poor, but all I need to do is be poor, and be poor, and be poor.

If I don't have love, that's nothing. That is nothing. And even if I die as a martyr, if I don't have love, that's nothing. You see, remember that to God, the motive, the intent, is critical. What is the motive? What is the intent? You see, there's people that died as martyrs, and people that died, killed many others, as crusades for Christianity and things like that.

But that was not love. That's not love. Others are very courageous in certain things they do. Or they do great deeds, but it might have the wrong motive. You and I don't know the motives many times. But God looks for the right motive and the right intent, the right intent of the heart. And so, yeah, love is an action, but it's got to be with the right intent. And so, it explains now a little bit about that intent in the next verses.

In verse 4 through verse 7, in a sense, it's like a spiritual checklist that you and I can use and ask ourselves, how am I doing? How am I doing?

How am I living? How am I treating others? How am I thinking of others? And so, yeah, is a very important checklist because it's talking about love, which is an action, which is doing something, but based on the correct motive.

Sure, it's thinking. Sure, it's feeling. Not saying it's not thinking. Not saying it's not feeling. It's not emotional, of course it is. But it's doing. It's an action of doing.

And so, it says, let's look at this list of items here from verse 4 through verse 7. It says, Love suffers long and is kind. You know, how many times we go through difficult trials and we just have to ongoing and ongoing and ongoing suffering long, but still being kind.

That demonstrates an attitude, a motive, which is godly because that's really only possible when the motive is correct.

Then the next one is, Love does not envy. In other words, you're not jealous. You're not just lusting over other people's things.

You're not disdain others that have. Not saying, I am better because I'm poor. See? Because it does not envy.

It's not comparing yourself with others. So, Love does not envy. So, it has many ways of looking at it. Like I said, it does not lust. It does not disdain those that have it.

It does not say, I'm better because I'm poor. Because, in a sense, that is related to envy. There is a little envy out there when you're comparing yourself with others that way.

Love does not parade itself. Look at what I've done. Look, I'm better because look at what I've done. I've done these things. I am better. I'm a better person. In other words, parading yourself. Or, well, you know, you start talking about the other, but you know, look at what I've done and things like that.

We've got to be careful with that. Because sometimes we've got to look at ourselves and say, what is in our heart? Is our heart right?

Then, the next one, love is not puffed up. Now, we know very well. Every year we go through Passover and we talk a lot about being unleavened, being flat like unleavened bread.

It was not being puffed up, not being proud, but being humble. And humility is a great and extremely important key of Christianity. And lack of humility can come across sometimes very subtly the way we talk. It may come across that we're not humble. Are we really caring for others in the way we say things, how we say it, that we don't hurt, that we don't create offense, the way you say it?

It's easy. It's easy to create offense the way we say something. And so, let's be careful not to be puffed up because pride is a great destroyer of relationships. And so, and in the end, pride was in a sense Satan's original sin because he got puffed up and then he became a liar and all the things that followed with it because you wanted to be like God. You wanted to be greater than what really was.

Then the next one he says, does not behave rudely. Do we behave rudely? Do we behave in a way which is not decent? For instance, in our language, are we rude or are we tactful? How we speak?

Do we say something in a way that we try and we meditate and we carefully worth it so that does not come across in an offensive way?

You know, sometimes we have to gently guide somebody in a correct way, particularly as a minister. Sometimes you see some people doing certain things, maybe being a little bit, let's put it mildly in the get way.

And we have to kindly guide them and show them that they are on the get way and not on the give way.

And sometimes to a minister, it is difficult to guide them in a kind and loving way because you don't want to discourage those people.

But you want to be constructive to help them for them not to resist what you say, but see what you say in a positive light and see, yeah, I need to change that.

So I find it particularly difficult as a minister to say things sometimes to people that need to be corrective, but in a tactful way that I'm not going to discourage them.

And sometimes it takes me a long time, a long time, to write a very short letter or note.

And that's a thing that we all need to be careful how we say things.

And so does not behave rudely, has many implications in many ways for us to look how we can apply that, for instance, in what we say, in what we write, how we are sometimes with other people.

And sometimes we say something without meaning it, but it can be interpreted the wrong way and cause a lot of problems. So it's something for us to think carefully about that.

All right. And the next one is does not seek its own. In other words, we're not selfish. I don't want it just for myself.

And therefore we look at from the other person's perspective to be cooperating rather than, well, I want it this way and I think this way is the right way.

And this can even happen in the church with little feelings or little ideas of how we should do something which may be minor.

But some people may have a very strong feeling it's got to be my way or nothing. And quite often he's for the small thing.

And we've got to be careful that we're not seeking our own. We really have to be cooperative in a number of things which do not affect God's laws. But it's just, well, I would like it to do this way. No, I'd like it to this way. No, no, this way has to be this way because whatever. So we just have to be careful and not seek our own.

Next one is not provoked or not easily provoked. Not easily angered. Are we easily upset? Do we get upset easily? Do we easily get irritable? Do we easily get into a rage? We're all human and we all err.

So that's why this is a good Christian checklist for us to look at ourselves. Let's move on to the next one.

Think's no evil. Well, that's a big one. Do we have evil thoughts? You think about Genesis 6 verse 5 where God, to the people before the flood, we said every thought in their minds was evil, evil. And brethren, we are. We are today in an age where everything, a lot of things with a lot of people, is just evil and people don't see it.

And so we should be changing from that carnal mind to a divine nature. And that's what's happening in society today. There's a lot of evil, a lot of evil thoughts, and we've got to change that.

Think no evil. Be careful with that. And then it says, does not rejoice in iniquity. Oh, wow! Is there a lot of iniquity? Because iniquity shall abound. The love of many will wax cold. Isn't this what's happening in the world today?

So we must not be happy when others sin. We've got to be repugnant to sin. And today the society has lost that. There's no more that common sense of values of what is sin. That has been lost in society today.

People, people don't want the consequences. Yes, they don't want the consequences. But they want God's mercy. But they don't want to change.

And therefore, we've got to be careful not to get mixed with the world and be affected with those ideas of the world.

We've got to be careful that we don't approve sin. We've got to be really careful of that. Then it moves on. Rejoices in the truth. Do we rejoice in God's truth? Thy word is truth.

Yeah, nowadays there's so much fake knowledge. What are we going to do? We are going to look for the truth. And thy word, the Bible, is the truth. We are rejoicing in the truth. Verse 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and jewers all things. Do we are really sticking to it, bearing it, believing the best?

Sure, we know that. A lot of people that by their fruits they can see the evil. Be a part of it. But in a number of cases, particularly with, for instance, with Allah, when there's arguments between Christians, we really got to believe the best and hope all things and enjoy all things. And so these verses from verse 4 to verse 7 are quite a checklist that you and I can take quite a bit of time and meditate around them and look at ourselves and examine ourselves. Remember always, we examine ourselves. We don't examine other people. We examine ourselves.

All right, let's move on to verse 8. Verse 8 says, Love never fails. Now, Yah is an interesting thing because the word fail appears a number of times. So there are basically three words you use Yah for fails or will never cease or will vanish away. There are different words. So let's look at those three words of failing Yah. The first one is Love never fails. The word Yah for fails, the Greek 1-6-0-1, ek-pipto, which is drop away, is driven out, of course, become inefficient. It was Love, genuine, godly, outgoing Love. It never drops off. It never deviates. It always goes on and it always endures. Genuine, godly Love is enduring. It doesn't fail.

And then it goes on. But whether they are prophecies, they will fail. Now, the word for fail Yah in prophecies is a different word. Prophecies fail is the Greek 2-6-7-3, katar-geo, which means become idle, become unemployed, become inactive, become inoperative, becoming no further effective or vanished away. Prophecies in the future, once they fulfilled, they inoperative, they inactive, they no further effective. They vanish away because they know more prophecies. They're now history. For instance, 10,000 years beyond the millennium, prophecies about the millennium will cease because it will be history.

Prophecies about the first resurrection will end because it will be history. So when it says prophecies, they will fail, it means that once they are fulfilled, they no longer operative. They are vanished away. Then it goes on. Whether they are tongues, they will cease.

Now, the word for cease is another word where they will stop or they will fail is paru-ah, which is desist or leave off. In other words, tongues will cease, it was desist or will fail. In other words, there's not going to be ultimately into beyond the millennium and all that, there's not going to be all those languages. There will not be all those languages. There won't be. There will just be a pure language. Well, let's say we're looking at a new heaven and new earth, why would you have different languages? tongues will cease. And then it says, and whether it's knowledge, it will vanish away.

Knowledge, the word for knowledge that will vanish away is again, katargio, Greek 2673, which is the same word and was tied to the word prophecies. They will fail. So prophecies will fail and knowledge will fail. He uses the same word.

So I explained in prophecies that once they have been fulfilled, then they vanished away. It's no more a prophecy. It's history. Likewise, knowledge, just like prophecies, some knowledge will become ineffective, no further ineffective. Why? Because we nowadays know in part. Verse 9 and 10 explain that as far as knowledge, a little bit better.

Why will knowledge vanish away? Look at verse 9. It says, for we know in part and we prophesy in part. You see, just like knowledge and prophecy use the same word. So we know in part and we prophesy in part. So, and then he says, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

You see, our knowledge is incomplete. And our incomplete knowledge will be done away. For instance, when you and I enter the spiritual dimension and we become spirit beings, we will know a lot more. And so, for instance, nowadays you may have knowledge of what it is a spirit being. But when you are a spirit being, you'll really know what it is to be a spirit being. So the current knowledge that we have about that will be ineffective because it's incomplete.

It's in part, as it says, and that what is in part will be done away. You see, you and I have various Bible verses that tell us, for instance, how Christ looks like. We look in the book of Revelation, gives you a little bit of understanding how Christ looks like. But you know, when you and I will be spirit beings, we'll see Christ as he is. And our knowledge will be formal, complete. Formal, complete. For instance, we read in the Bible and in Ezekiel about carob and seraphim. But can you really understand how they have four faces? Can you understand carob and seraphim and four wings or six wings?

Can you really see that? But once you are a spirit being, that knowledge will be perfect. You will have a lot greater knowledge about that. And therefore, this knowledge that we have in part will be done away, as we read in verse 10. You see, how is the world held together? All these laws of things being put together, once we spirit being, we'll understand this and we'll say, ha ha, now we understand.

You see, so that's why Daniel continues in verse 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. You see, we in our physical human beings, it's like in God's eyes, we just physical children. We're not spiritual yet. When we become spirit beings, then we'll see things in a far more better way, a far clearer way. And so, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. And that's what he says.

The knowledge that we have, which is in part, that will be put away. That's why I say it will vanish away, like knowledge and prophecy. That will vanish away. Verse 12, for now we see in a mirror, doubly, but then face to face. When we spirit beings, we'll see God face to face. We'll see angels face to face. We'll see the spiritual world face to face.

We will have a spiritual body and a mind that understands spiritual things. Then we'll really know fully. That's why our knowledge today is katarjio, you know, will vanish away. Our current knowledge becomes inoperative. It's no further defective. It will vanish away. So that's why it says, continuing in verse 12, now I know in part, but then I shall know just I also am known.

You see, it's like, like it says, you're looking through a mirror. It's like sometimes if you use glasses, and sometimes your glasses get so dirty, you don't even realize yourself, they're so dirty. But if you take them out and look at them, oh, no wonder I can hardly read. Wow, I very clean them. So that's just a simple explanation of how much better we'll see things when we are spirit beings. And so Paul has been explaining about how godly love is so encompassing.

It suffers long. It is kind. It's not envious. It does not show itself off. It's not arrogant. It doesn't behave rudely. It does not seek itself, etc. And then he says, and what we have today is just very temporary.

It's very temporary. But love, who lost, would get beyond. And therefore, then he concludes this chapter. And now abide three, faith, hope, and love. And, brethren, faith is critical, critical for the Christian growth. Faith is basically absolute trust in God because God is faithful. God does not lie. And we need to trust God, and we need to become trustworthy like he is. Absolutely that. Hope is critical because we need the hope of the resurrection. We need to see that gives us the vision.

That is like the anchor that holds us on to the future. We need that hope. But love is that excellent way of outgoing concern for others. You see, so we have these three. They're absolutely critical. But the greatest of these is outgoing, godly love. We should desire that more excellent way. Yes, we should desire gifts. Like it says, Prasunav, chapter 14, verse 1, and desire gifts. Yes, we need to desire gifts, but we gotta look at this more excellent way, a more godly way of the right, godly, outgoing, giving attitude. That is the way of love.