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.
Paul is continuing from the last
chapter concerning all the different gifts given to the body of Christ. He
says, any man who can speak in tongues, such as all the languages of men and
even angels, but does not have love, it means nothing.
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.
Any man who prophecies and can
understand all mysteries and has all knowledge, and has all faith, so much so
he can move mountains, but doesn’t have love, he has 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.
If a man sells everything he has
in order to feed the poor, and sacrifices himself, but does not have love, it
does not help him, it means nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not
parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own,
is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in
the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things.
Now, Paul explains what he means
when he talks about love. To love means to have patience with others, and to be
kind.
Nehemiah 9:30
Yet for many years You had patience with them, And testified against
them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; Therefore You
gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
YHWH was extremely patient with
His people. He sent His Spirit to the prophets to testify against them.
Remember, His people continued in breaking His Law and the prophets, according
to the Holy Spirit, continually urged them to repent and come back to the ways
of God. Having patience with others who believe can be difficult. It takes time
for people to understand that what they do could be wrong or sinful. This is
the same as it always has been. YHWH had patience with them and we should
strive to have patience with our brothers just the same. We are to be patient
in bearing the offenses and injuries of others slow to anger, slow to punish.
Love does not consists of hatred.
The Greek word used for envy is Strong's G2206 – zēloō and it means to be
heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger. This is coveting.
Exodus 20: 17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your
neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor
his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Love does not boast and is not
prideful.
Deuteronomy 8:11-17
“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His
commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when
you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;
and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are
multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you
through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and
scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you
out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your
fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to
do you good in the end— then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of
my hand have gained me this wealth.’
The Hebrew word used for “lifted
up” has a similar definition of to be proud and in some translations it is
actually translated as to be proud. Paul is saying all these things concerning
the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how we should treat our brothers. I say this
because he is using ideas to help us understand the way we should act by
following the examples found in the Torah. When men become prideful, they
forget the ways of YHWH. His ways are how we show our love for one another.
Love does not act in
inappropriate ways. We are not to act in ways contrary to the positions we hold
in Christ.
Proverbs 14:17
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is
hated.
Love does not put oneself first. If
we love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we won’t have to worry about putting
ourselves first.
Leviticus 19:18
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children
of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
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.
Love does not parish but prophecies
will come to an end. Speaking in tongues will stop. All knowledge will come to
an end.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
We have some knowledge, and we
know some prophesy.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part
will be done away.
When all that is perfect has
come, that’s when all that is only 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.
We start our walk with God as
children. We do not understand fully the things we should because we think as
children. But, eventually we become grown and should put away childish ways of
thinking.
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.
As of the time Paul wrote this
letter he says believers can only barely see. When perfectness comes, we will
know just as we are known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
As for now, remain in faith,
hope, and love. Of these three things, love is the greatest.
Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to
stumble.
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