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Christ’s Better Way for His Church
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
At this time of the year, we’re reminded of God’s love in sending his Son into the world. He so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son. God demonstrated this love. When we were sinners, Christ died for us. And if God is love, we should love one another. If you say you love God, but hate your brother, you’re a liar - the truth’s not in you. But we don’t always love, do we? We’ve been seeing this. The Corinthians were very divided. Church members were trying to outdo one another. They vied for influence. They didn’t care for weaker believers and did whatever they wanted. The rich didn’t consider the poor - finishing the food before they got to church. And they threw tantrums when they couldn’t serve the way they wanted. They were all in one body, but weren’t behaving like they were. Paul’s answer to them was this - it’s not about you. It’s about loving others. And he addressed this issue in chapter 13.
Now, this chapter is typically read at weddings. It’s been set to music. And that’s all good and well, but that was never Paul’s intention. Remember the context! Paul rebuked a dysfunctional church. And in his rebuke, he lovingly taught them 3 propositions: Firstly, Christ’s gifted people must uphold the primacy of love. Secondly, Christ’s divided people must cultivate the character of love. Thirdly, Christ’s imperfect people must rejoice in the permanence of love.
Firstly, Christ’s gifted people must uphold the primacy of love. In the last verse of chapter 12, Paul wanted to show them a better way - “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” Why did he say this? Members looked down on each other. Yes, all were gifted with spiritual gifts, but those with showier gifts like speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing saw themselves as one up. The body of Christ was sickly. They caused confusion in church. Some didn’t have showy gifts - they served with their hands and did servant’s work. And people looked down on them. Maybe they were made to feel less as Christians - so Paul had to affirm how every member is honorable - even the less comely parts. But we see the problem - some in church were proud - desiring influence. And this caused great confusion and division. That’s why Paul said there must be a better way. They must seek the better gift. They still had pagan ideas coursing through their veins and synapses - I’m better because I’ve got knowledge, I’m a mature Christian, others don’t know as much as I do. I can speak in tongues and have a special connection with God! They took God’s good gifts and poured their sin into them, and made gifts that were meant to unite the body into weapons to divide the body. Paul’s point was this - there’s a better way, a better gift as it were - which is love. That’s the principal thing.
So he showed the primacy of love by showing how gifts were nothing by comparison, and that their way of thinking was inferior. In verses 1-3, he compared God’s good gifts to God’s greater love. And boy were these Corinthian believers gifted. Verse 1 - “though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels.” In the early church, the special gift of tongues was given so God’s people would speak the gospel in foreign languages they hadn’t learned to foreigners who hadn’t heard. Verse 2 - “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and have all faith to move mountains…” These gifts of prophecy and knowledge were given to tell God’s people God’s Word before the whole Bible was written. And the gift of faith was the special ability to believe in it wholeheartedly. Verse 3 speaks about the gift of mercy - “and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned.” Those with this gift, gave sacrificially, like Barnabas, to help the poor.
But what did Paul say? Without the accompanying love, they’re nothing. They’re nothing gifts by comparison. And he used hyperbole or exaggeration to make his point - even if he could speak in angel languages (if there’s even such a thing), even if he could understand all mysteries, all knowledge, and have all faith to move mountains, and even if he could have incomparable mercy that sacrifices himself by burning - if he had no love, all of these great gifts, at 100% charge, are nothing. Now, Paul isn’t saying these things are possible, rather, he says it’s impossible for them to be something without love. Your impressive tongues that you speak to draw attention to yourselves? Pure noise! All your knowledge of doctrines and your proclamation that you’re mature and faithful? Nothing. You’ve given millions of dollars? It’s all zero dollars. Your all is nothing, without love. But folks, we often think our gifts are everything. That’s our problem. We think our knowledge on some Bible doctrine is everything. But it’s not even 100%. If 100% without love is nothing, then 50% without love is less than nothing. Do you notice that in many church doctrinal controversies, people with little knowledge try to weigh in with much authority. Brethren, if only we see ourselves as less than nothing, God will overflow us with his love. Only then, can we truly serve each other in love. But they were divided - so they had to emulate Christ’s loving character.
Secondly, Christ’s divided people must cultivate his character of love. And we see what he says about love - what it is and what it is not. First, we’ll see what it is not. It’s not jealous - charity or love envieth not. The list of sins in Galatians 5:19 has envy - “Now the works of the flesh are manifest; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry…envyings, murders, drunkenness…” It’s in the same category as murder and idolatry. And this is our natural state. Without love, we envy people’s abilities, intelligence, possessions, families, and positions. Instead of being happy for one another, we become jealous. Cain killed Abel. Why? Envy. Saul sought to kill David. Why? Envy - he killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands. And because of envy, the Pharisees had our Lord crucified. Here in Corinth, people envied others’ gifts, position, and wealth. But this happens every where doesn’t it? But on the other hand, our Lord was jealous for God’s honor and his people’s purity - he was consumed by it when he saw the money changers at the temple. It was for God. But not us. Because of envy, Eve took the fruit that could make her like God. But Jesus came to earth to bring us to God. In the church, they were jealous over position. Christ is jealous over our purity.
It’s also not proud - it doesn’t boast - “charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” In other words, love doesn’t allow God’s people to compete. Those who had knowledge stumbled those who didn’t. Men covered their heads to assume high position; and women uncovered their heads to assume independent position. The rich rushed to eat the food, because, well, they could. Others were slaves. Pagan ideas still coursed through their veins and synapses. After all, Romans and Greeks saw no use for humility - they valued power, control, intellectualism. But our Lord Jesus laid aside heaven’s glory to save us. That’s why he was born. His birth was lowly. His death was lowly. And at the Last Supper, he did the work of a servant, by serving the meal and washing feet. So he taught us that if there’s any competition to be had - it’s to esteem another better than ourselves. The greatest of all is the servant of all. And if there’s to be any boasting, it should be in our weakness.
Love is also not selfish or self-absorbed - “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” Because they were selfish, they were behaving shamefully. We’ve mentioned the men who covered their heads and women who uncovered their heads. We saw how they rushed to eat the food - maybe even dabao-ing before others could eat. And the rich were doing this. They were shaming the poor. But they were actually shaming themselves. And because they were self-absorbed, they were easily provoked and cantankerous. Now, the Greek word means to stir inwardly. Positively, it means to stimulate; but negatively, to irritate. And in this case, they were so irritated, they thought evil. Meaning, they kept records of the evil done against them. Remember, Paul said they were divisive, carnal, quarreling. Why? Because they were puffed up. 100% triggered when their 50% knowledge was disrespected.
But our Lord Jesus was selfless - giving of himself for sinners. If he calculated our wrong, none could be saved. But he forgave our debt of more than 10,000 talents - we who find it hard to forgive 100 denarii. Because our Lord was stimulated and moved by love for sinners to go to the cross. When he saw the multitude as sheep without a shepherd, fleeced and exhausted from sin, he was moved with compassion. And as victim of the shameful behavior of sinners, he opened not his mouth.
All these examples of what love is not were given because we struggle with carnality. But love doesn’t rejoice in iniquity. Instead, it delights in the truth. Now, this is a Hebraism. What is it really saying? Wisdom in the Bible is not simply knowledge; wisdom is purity. As Proverbs says - “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” If you’re pure and reverence God, you’re wise. In Corinth, knowledge was sought after; but they were puffed up. So for all their knowledge, they weren’t truly wise. Truth includes obedience. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Love delights in holy truthful obedience. And we see what that love is.
How do you demonstrate love? Love is patient and kind - “charity suffereth long, and is kind.” These were what the Corinthians weren’t. But this is God. God’s long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And the kindness and the love of God our Savior appeared to man, not by our works of righteousness, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit. And so we’re to adopt this love by putting off what loves is not, and by putting on what love is. Remember 1 John 4:7 - “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” We’re given instructions in verse 7 - Love “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Love motivates a 100% pursuit of these things. Remember? 100% in all things without love is nothing. But love in all things is everything. The Corinthians wanted to be something, but were nothing. Paul showed what it takes to be something - it’s to love. And love is not just a feeling. All these verbs are in the present active indicative tense. They denote continuous action. And that’s why our Bible translates this love as charity. It’s not romantic love, or love between friends, or love between family members - it’s an active love that gives. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. And we see how love motivates in us.
Love bears - it protects or covers up - love covers a multitude of sins. God forbears with our sins for Christ’s sake. We forbear the weakness of others. It believes all things. Sure, Psalm 118:8 tells not to put confidence in man. We know believers are still being made holy. But they’ll still sin against us. But we love them anyway. When the disciples argued who’d be first, and fell asleep in the garden, Christ bore with them. He knew they’d deny him, but he still loved them. When Peter denied him the third time, Christ looked upon him. He just looked. And thereafter, he restored him. Even when the rich young ruler declined to follow him, the Lord looked at him and loved him.
Love bears, believes, and hopes all things. Yes, even when we look at the Corinthian church and our church - when we think all is hopeless, we must still hope. Because of Christ. Hebrews 6:9 - “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation.” We must believe that Christ in us and Christ in others will lead to maturity. And though at times we have very little hope, we need to persevere. Love endures all things. Many people give up on the church. Some don’t get to serve the way they want, and they leave. Some don’t get to teach - not because they don’t know things - but because of their character, and they leave. Or the church sadly leaves people alone because they’re too prickly. But love endures all things. And this was what our Lord did - to the end, he suffered, because he loved.
And after showing us what love is not and what love is, Paul instructed Christ’s imperfect people to rejoice in the permanence of love. This is the third point. After speaking about the nothing gifts and the better way of love in verses 1-3, he now speaks about the impermanent gifts and the permanent way of love in verses 8-13. He mentioned tongues, prophecy, and knowledge before, he does it again. They’re nothing without love. They should focus on love. But they’re also impermanent! They thought these things gave them a feather in their spiritual cap - but they won’t last forever! Verse 8 - love never fails, but prophecies will fail, and tongues cease, and knowledge vanish away. The showy things the Corinthians treasured were impermanent. Yes, everything on earth is impermanent. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.” We can agree - material wealth doesn’t last. But spiritual things are good no? Tongues, knowledge, prophecy! They’re God’s Word! Aren’t they good? Paul’s response - even those things will disappear. In fact, after the last book of the Bible was written, there was no more need for those gifts. They were not only impermanent, they were also incomplete. People knew in part, prophesied in part. In fact, Paul used a very sharp illustration - children can’t speak well and only have children’s understanding. You who are so enamored by your abilities are not even 50%. And they were carnal - they were babes in Christ - we saw that in chapter 3. But when the perfect is come, these things are done away with. And we may take it to mean the Bible. In fact, with it, no one can claim special knowledge from God? It’s all been given already.
And after talking about the impermanence of these gifts, Paul reminds them that in the end, only love is permanent. Of the three great virtues of faith, hope, and love - in heaven, we won’t need faith - we’ll see Christ face to face. In heaven, we won’t need hope either - our final salvation is fulfilled - we’re walking the streets of gold. But love - love will continue forever. There, we will have all knowledge - 100% - and we will see the love of God the Father for his Son, Christ’s love for his father, their love for us, and our love for them will be perfected.
The problem is our vision is too narrow. We want glory here now. We want influence here. And that divides us. What did this deeply divided church who was proud of her 50% need to hear? They needed to hear about Christ’s love - that it’s a better permanent way to glory. And that’s the message to us. The year is coming to an end. We’ve all had challenges this year. Relationship problems? I’m sure there’ve been. Marital strife? Naturally. Church conflict? Always there. But how did you love in those times? How did you bear, believe, hope, endure all things? Did you rejoice in the truth, or spin lies? Next year will also be challenging. Lots of changes - church building renewal, budgeting for the project, holding site. Possibly a new ministerial student, and additional budgeting for that. There will be many expert opinions. Hopefully more than 50%. But what will get us through and help us as a church is love. And love hopes all things. Christ was the hope of all nations. And because of him, we are confident that he will build his church.
1. Christ’s Gifted People Must Uphold the Primacy of Love
A. The better way
B. The nothing gifts
2. Christ’s Divided People Must Cultivate the Character of Love
A. What love is not
B. What love is
3. Christ’s Imperfect People Must Rejoice in the Permanence of Love
A. The impermanent gifts
B. The permanent way
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2024, Rev. Mark Chen
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