Lesson for August 21, 2022
The Book of I Corinthians
Chapter 13:1-13
The subject of chapter 13 is the superiority of virtue-love over spiritual gifts in the Church. The legalists in the Corinthian church were a group of believers who were arrogant, egotistic, and self-righteous. They were the cause of division in the church, and they thought their spiritual gifts were superior to others. The thing they lacked the most was virtue-love. Paul therefore gave them a lesson on the superiority of virtue-love over all spiritual gifts.
Verse 1
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Paul began with an assumption – suppose I could speak in foreign languages and the language of angels but lack virtue-love. Virtue-love is personal love for God and impersonal love for all mankind. What would be the outcome for me? I would sound like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
The noisy gong is a reference to a marketing technique used by ‘supermarkets’ of the ancient world, which was used to bring attention to them. The analogy is that believers who attempt to exercise a spiritual gift they do not have or to exercise the gift they do have apart from the filling of the Spirit is like a supermarket gimmick calling attention to themselves. This practice was totally incompatible with John 16:14 where we are told that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ, not self.
A clanging cymbal had nothing to do with musical instruments at all. It was the noise made by professional (paid) mourners. All Paul was saying was, “Look, if I can speak in all the languages of mankind and angels, and I am not exhibiting virtue-love, I’m doing it for the wrong motive.” Professional mourners were often paid to “mourn” for people they didn’t even know, at wakes and funerals.
Verse 2
“If I have the gift of prophecy [temporary gift], and know all mysteries [mystery doctrine of the church] and all knowledge[temporary gift, understanding the doctrine before the Canon of Scripture was complete], and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains[not faith-rest, this is the gift of faith, the gift that can remove mountains], but do not have love, I am nothing.”
The Corinthians were magnifying their spiritual gift above their love for one another, attempting to look spirituality superior. They were out of fellowship with God and were causing divisions within the church. Regardless of a believer’s spiritual gift, they are nothing without virtue-love for one another. When believers are being controlled by their sin nature, regardless of what they do, they are nothing, spiritually speaking.
Verse 3
“And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
The first illustration is sacrificial giving. If you give all your possessions in a state of carnality, it counts for nothing spiritually. The same is true of martyrdom. When a believer gives with the wrong motivation, they are imitating an unbeliever. The whole point is that if you operate out of fellow with God, no matter what you do is still wood, hay, and straw. (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22)
Verses 4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Virtue-love is patient is characteristic number one. The Greek word for patient means to have a mental attitude of grace toward others. It is a relaxed mental attitude toward everyone and everything. It means that we allow others the right to be wrong and still exhibit virtue-love toward them. Live and let live!
Virtue-love is kind is characteristic number two. This refers to showing mercy. It means to treat everyone graciously and not on the basis of what they deserve or what they can do or not do for us. These first two characteristics indicate that a believer is oriented to God’s grace.
Virtue-love is not jealous is characteristic number three. It refers to a mental attitude of resentment toward someone else who has something you want. When a believer is operating under the filling of the Spirit, the virtue-love which is produced is totally free from jealousy and resentment.
Virtue-love does not brag is characteristic number four. Brag means to speak with excessive pride of self. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit your “bragging” will not be about self, but about Jesus Christ. Virtue-love produces a genuine understanding of who you are as a believer.
Virtue-love is not arrogant is characteristic number five. Arrogance is not compatible with virtue-love because it focuses on self. Application of virtue-love eliminates arrogance in a believer. Virtue-love gives a believer the true perspective of who they are as Royal Family of God.
Virtue-love does not act unbecomingly is characteristic number six. Unbecomingly means to act in a shameful manner. Believers in Christ should behave like the Royal Family of God. This means believers should live their testimony before others as Royal Ambassadors of Christ.
Virtue-love does not seek its own is characteristic number seven. A believer with virtue-love always seeks the best for those they love. This eliminates selfishness and greed.
Virtue-love is not provoked is characteristic number eight. Provoked means easily angered or easily irritated. The Greek word for provoked is used for tantrums. It is impossible to be filled with the Holy Spirit, exhibit virtue-love and be angry with another person by throwing a tantrum in a fit of emotion.
Virtue-love does not take into account a wrong suffered is characteristic number nine. This phrase means that when you suffer a wrong at the hands of another, do not harbor bad thoughts about them, or dwelling on the event in your mind. This also eliminates revenge motivation. (Romans 12:17; I Peter 3:8-12)
Virtue-love does not rejoice in unrighteousness is characteristic number ten. When a believer is filled with the Holy Spirit and advancing in the Christian life, they will exhibit virtue-love by celebrating the actions of others that are compatible with the teaching of the Word of God, regardless of their relationship with them. Virtue-love rejoices in what is right and good and not in what is wrong and bad. Virtue-love does not try to find ways to get away with bad behavior. Virtue-love is not happy when someone is caught in sin.
Virtue-love rejoices with the truth is characteristic number eleven. Truth refers to Bible doctrine. The filling of the Spirit produces a hunger for the Word of God. Rejoicing is inner mental happiness directed toward the Word of God in this case. Personal love for God includes a love for His Word.
Virtue-love bears all things is characteristic number twelve. The word bear means to be able to handle unjust persecutions, suffering, or testing with virtue-love. Virtue-love when applied to persons or circumstances “covers” the sins of others in the sense that virtue-love does not gossip, intentionally listen to gossip, or spread gossip. Whether the accusation of sin is true or not is not the issue. Virtue-love treats others with kindness and understanding. (I Peter 2:19; Galatians 6:2)
Virtue-love believes all things is characteristic number thirteen. A believer under the filling of the Holy Spirit with virtue-love believes the best about someone until there is evidence to prove otherwise. And even then, a believer with virtue-love will continue to believe in the principle that there is hope for everyone to correct their mistakes and move forward.
Virtue-love hopes all things is characteristic number fourteen. Hope means confidence in the Bible. It means to have a personal sense of destiny. With a personal sense of destiny from Bible doctrine, a believer can live their life in light of eternity, knowing what God has prepared for them in Heaven. This gives a believer total confidence in God and courage toward others.
Virtue-love endures all things is characteristic number fifteen. This means that there is inner peace no matter how great the pressure or the suffering. It means to be relaxed under pressure, to have happiness and peace in the midst of pressure, knowing that God is working everything together for our benefit. (Romans 8:28)
Verses 8-13
“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. “But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
“Love never fails” summarizes all other characteristics. “Fails” is a word which has been taken from Greek drama. It is a dramatic word which means to be “hissed off the stage.” One of the worst things that could happen to an actor in Greek drama was to be “hissed off the stage.” This is saying that virtue-love under the filling of the Spirit is never “hissed off the stage of life.” When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are fulfilling one of the main purposes for which God leaves you in this life – loving God and loving others. (Matthew 22:34-40)
There were certain spiritual gifts that were going to be removed. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, they hadn’t been removed yet, but they would be very shortly. The gift of prophecy was necessary in the early Church, but there would come a time when it was no longer needed. So, when the Canon of Scripture was completed, the gift of prophecy was no longer operational.
The spiritual gift of tongues (languages) would also cease. The words “will cease” is future tense, which means that when Paul was writing to the Corinthians, it hadn’t occurred yet. The spiritual gift of tongues was a miraculous operation early in the Church Age recorded in Acts 2:1-11. The gift of tongues would no longer be used after the Canon of Scripture was completed.
The spiritual gift of knowledge refers to the gift of knowing doctrine which was not yet written in the Scripture. The gift of knowledge also ceased. All knowledge today comes by learning accurate Bible doctrine from a man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. The meaning of in part means as opposed to the whole. The whole is the Canon of Scripture which was completed in 96 AD. The “part” they had in those days was the Old Testament, followed gradually by other New Testament epistles. The word “part” means they were moving toward the whole and when the New Testament Canon was completed, the gift of prophesy and the gift of knowledge would go from “the part” to the whole.
But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. Verse 10 is one of the most important verses to understand in reference to temporary spiritual gifts. But is a conjunction of contrast, and the contrast is between the pre-canon period and the post-canon period. In verse 9 we have knowledge in the pre-canon period. The Canon isn’t complete, your knowledge isn’t complete. We don’t have all the information yet because the Canon isn’t finished. “But” is the contrast between the partial knowledge in the pre-canon period to full knowledge now. Full knowledge doesn’t mean that everyone understands everything, it just means that it is all available in writing.
When the perfect comes is not a reference to Jesus Christ. The word “perfect” is in the neuter gender, so it doesn’t refer to a person. Christ is never referred to in the neuter gender. “The perfect” is a reference to the Word of God. James 1:25 explains what “the perfect” means. James called the Word of God the “perfect” law of liberty, a reference to the Canon. This phrase is in the nominative singular neuter, which means it refers to a thing. It is in the singular which means it refers to one thing. It is in the nominative case which means it is the subject. Comes is in the aorist tense referring to the point of time when the Canon of Scripture is completed. The active voice means that it will be completed; it was the part moving toward the whole. The subjunctive mood indicates that it was not yet completed, but its completion was potential.
The production of the Holy Spirit, which is virtue-love in this passage, is permanent, while gifts such as tongues, apostleship, knowledge, and prophecy were temporary.
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. The childish things refer to the temporary spiritual gifts. A child knows in part and understands in part until they grow up. The Church was in a maturing stage with regard to the Canon of Scripture. Therefore, the Canon of Scripture was being completed, and certain temporary spiritual gifts were becoming inoperative. Once the Canon was completed, all temporary spiritual gifts ceased.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Corinth was the center for the manufacture of mirrors in the ancient world. They were usually made out of a brightly polished metal. When each mirror was sold, it came with a pumice stone for the purpose of cleaning the mirror. And the more you polished it the better you could see yourself, but when you were through polishing you still saw an obscure form, that is, obscure compared to seeing someone face to face. The mirror is the Word of God and as the Canon was being completed it because clearer, like a well-polished mirror.
Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I have been fully known. This is used as an illustration to bring out the contrast between life on earth and life in eternity for believers. In other words, “As the pre-canon period is to the post canon period, so is the post-canon period to eternity” meaning we will know a lot more when we get to Heaven than we do now.
But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. The temporary gifts are going to cease, but faith, hope, and love will remain. Faith is a reference to the Faith-Rest Technique, hope is a reference to a personal sense of destiny and virtue-love is a reference to personal love for God and impersonal love for all mankind. And the greatest of these is virtue-love because love for God and love for others is the greatest motivation in the Christian life.