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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (25-7-1999 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Many things are said about 1 Corinthians 13. It is often
read at weddings and memorial services, or for occasions needing lofty
sentiments, high quality literature but no overt Christian statement. One writer
remembered its use by a school chaplain at his boarding school to describe the
perfect gentleman – a good sport, doing the decent thing, wearing the right
clothes, using the proper spoon, and not a cad or a bounder! “A gentleman is
kind, does not envy, is not puffed up….”
Others stress its literary
quality. It is one of the most beautiful passages, not only in Scripture, but
also in the whole of literature. Indeed it is one of the most wonderful chapters
in Scripture, and a lifetime is not long enough to unlock its full meaning.
Others, with good reason,
replace “love” by “Jesus”, and there is a perfect description of the
Lord’s character. But if we want to get the real message, we need to see it in
context. Earlier, Paul was speaking about spiritual gifts of miracles, healing,
tongues, wisdom etc. The church members at Corinth had spoilt these because they
were boasting about them, and were scornful of those with less spectacular
gifts, and there was jealousy.
Paul seeks to emphasise that
love is more important than all these things. You can have all the most
wonderful gifts, but if you have no love, the gifts are worthless.
There are several Greek words
for “love”. storgh refers to family
affection. filia is used for friendship.
erws is used for sexual passion. But
here we have a new word used by Christians, agape,
love for the unworthy. Love that recognises, cares and considers,
demonstrated supremely on the Cross. Love that is lavished on others without
wondering if they deserve it. Love that sees men as God sees them. This
“agape” word for love is used 116 times in the New Testament, and sometimes
translated in the AV as “charity”.
This chapter is always very relevant to the Christian life and the life of the church, where people often behave and speak as though it is not in their Bibles! It exposes our weaknesses and failures, cuts us down to size, and humbles us. It shows us what really matters to God. The Christian church that is not marked by this chapter’s qualities is worse than useless and doing untold damage, ruining the cause of the Gospel.
Paul begins by saying a man can
have any gift possible, but if there is no love behind it, it is a waste of
time, and useless. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians
13:1). He would not be engaging in Christian worship, but only in heathen
worship. He may have the gift of prophecy, be able to pronounce “Thus saith
the Lord” and declare something or some truth in the name of God. He may have
the gift of intellectual knowledge, be able to handle the Word of God and
understand all the doctrines. He may have a strong enough faith to be able to
move mountains (a reference to great difficulty). But if he has not love, he is
nothing. Rather than being filled with love, he would just be filled with a
spirit of superiority and intellectual snobbery, be contemptuous and look down
on people without his gifts and powers and achievements. He could be generous to
the extreme – doling out with his own hands all he possessed, drawing from
every bank account he had and giving it all away. He could even be like
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and give his body to the burning fiery furnace.
But if he did not have love, this would all be totally worthless.
How this challenges so much
charity, generosity, good deeds and acts of heroism, which the world often talks
about. What is behind it all? Is it not often done to draw attention to selves,
or out of duty, or just reserved for those who belong to us, or to make a name
for ourselves, to display ourselves and win men’s admiration, to get a nice
warm feeling inside, or make up for wrong doing in our lives, or because we
imagine it earns us some favours from God?
The Bible forces us to get below
the surface to what is really beneath. It is not our actions, but our motives,
that tell the truth about us. Not what we do, but why. Much that the world
praises as marvellous, self-sacrificing, heroic and charitable and exemplary is
actually an abomination to God. Because if we go deep enough and look behind the
façade, there is self, and not God. Instead of disinterested love we find
pleasing, glorifying, displaying, and attention drawing to self.
The great test of all our actions is whether or not they are done to bring glory to God, and out of a heart filled with love for all men. Anything less is valueless in the sight of God. How this humbles our pride. How this tells us we need to be born again. How it challenges the Christian about the place of self in his life. Is it on the cross, and is Christ on the throne?
In v4-7, Paul lists fifteen
characteristics of love. Love is patient. The man of God is slow to
anger. He does not avenge himself even when he has the power to do so. He
remembers how continually patient God is to him, day by day, because he is so
stubborn and slow to learn. This kind of patience is not a sign of weakness, but
rather it is a sign of real strength of character.
Love is kind. Not just
good or righteous or moral or upright. It is possible to be all those things and
still be hard and cynical.
Love does not envy. Someone
has said there are two classes in the world – those who are millionaires and
those who would like to be. How much of people’s attitude to others and their
possessions and positions are governed by envy.
Love does not boast, it is
not proud. It does not crow over itself to humiliate others. Instead it is
self-effacing, more impressed with unworthiness rather than importance. William
Carey, the BMS missionary and great linguist, who translated parts of the Bible
into 44 languages, started life as a cobbler. He was treated by English high
society in India with contempt. At a dinner party once, someone trying to
humiliate Carey said in a loud voice, “I understand Mr Carey you once worked
as a shoe-maker?” The humble reply was, “No, your lordship, only a cobbler,
not a shoe-maker.” This spirit is also reflected in Carey’s dying words,
“When I am gone, don’t speak of Dr Carey, but speak of Dr Carey’s saviour.”
Love is not rude. It does
not act in bad taste; it is not uncouth, vulgar or indecent. Some Christians
delight in being blunt, brutal and crude. They show strength – but no grace.
The Christian ought to be courteous, tasteful and polite.
Love is not self-seeking. Love
does not insist on its own rights. The worldly man is always concerned with his
own rights and privileges, not his duties and responsibilities. How society
would be transformed if this were reversed. But the Christian ought to be
willing to go the second mile.
Love is not easily angered. It
does not fly into a temper, or rise to the bait. It is not prickly. The man of
God keeps his head when everyone else is losing theirs. The man who can master
his temper can master anything.
Love keeps no record of
wrongs. It does not store up in the memory and pass on at every occasion all
imagined slights or wrongs, brooding over injuries and nursing grievances.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth. It has no pleasure in evil doing. One of the
worst features of human nature is pleasure at the misfortune of others. This is
the stuff that fills many newspaper columns. We enjoy hearing something bad
about others. But love finds no pleasures in the evil reports of others. Rather,
it is pleased with the truth.
Love endures anything. It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. It bears
insult, as Jesus did from His enemies. It trusts God, His word and His promises.
It believes the best about his fellows. It is not stupid and gullible, but it
faces facts. It treats someone as innocent till found guilty, gives people the
benefit of the doubt, and does not immediately suspect the worst, and impute the
worst possible motives. It makes every allowance for failure. Even when there is
little reason, it hopes for the best. It doesn’t take failure as final, but
hopes for the dawn of a better day. The silver lining is always looked for.
Consider how much, in your own experience, you owe to people who did not wash
their hands of you, but who continued to encourage you.
Love bears all with courage and fortitude. It does not lie down under troubles, but conquers them. George Matheson, who wrote “O love that wilt not let me go”, lost his sight, experienced disappointment in love, and everything seemed against him. He prayed that he might accept God’s will, not with dumb resignation, but with holy joy and a song of praise. Love does this, because it knows the Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear.
Then we come to the final three
things about love in v8-13. It is absolutely permanent. Love never fails. When
spectacular gifts (prophecy, tongues, knowledge) are things of the past, there
will still be love. These gifts have their place now, but will not always be
there. But love will always be there. It is eternal; present in time and
eternity. Lasts beyond the last day.
Love is absolutely complete. We
see things as reflections in a mirror, c.f. Corinth was famous for mirror
manufacture, highly polished metal, but at best they were very imperfect and
distorted the image. Our understanding is very imperfect. There is much mystery
in the world, and we only have the knowledge of a child. But one day the veil
will be removed. Then we shall see face to face… Then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12). We can only do that because
of love (because God is love). Only he who loves can see God.
These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is absolutely supreme. Faith is great because it admits us to salvation. Hope is valuable, because it keeps us going. But love is supreme. It is the most God-like characteristic, because God is love. Fulfilment of Jesus’ new commandment (John 13:34). Most powerful influence in the world.
This chapter leaves us with two impressions. Firstly, any
explanation of this exquisite chapter is using clumsy hands to touch something
beautiful and delicate. Treatment of it is so weak and inadequate.
Secondly, we realize how demanding and beyond us God’s standards are. How it shows us up. Who is sufficient for these things? It drives us to grace. How we have grievously failed. Take this passage in all detail, depth and breadth. Remember all have sinned, need forgiveness, new heart, daily grace, the Saviour’s Cross and the Holy Spirit’s life. Shed abroad the fruit of the Spirit.
