Corinthians 13
Outline:
I. \\#1:1-4:21\\ In Answer to Chloe’s Report
II. \\#5:1-6:20\\ In Answer to Common Reports
III. \\#7:1-16:4\\ In Answer to the Church’s Requests
A. \\#7:1-40\\ Counsel Concerning Marriage
B. \\#8:1-10:33\\ Meat Offered to Idols
C. \\#11:2-16\\ God’s Authority
1. \\#2-3\\ God’s Authority over Others
2. \\#4-6\\ God’s Authority Displayed
3. \\#7-16\\ God’s Authority Explained
D. \\#11:17-34\\ Abuse with the Lord’s Supper
E. \\#12:1-14:40\\ Spiritual Gifts
1. \\#12:1-3\\ Marks of the Holy Ghost
2. \\#12:4-11\\ Lessons about the Holy Ghost
3. \\#12:12-26\\ Believers, like gifts, Are Many, Different,
and One
4. \\#12:27-31\\ See Among Yourselves
5. \\#13:1-13\\ The Better Way
(a) \\#1-3\\ The Missing Ingredient
(b) \\#4-8\\ Characteristics of Love
(c) \\#8-13\\ All Gifts Will Cease
\\#12:1-14:40\\ Spiritual Gifts
\\#13:1-13\\ The Better Way
Note that Paul has NOT finished discussing spiritual gifts. He
closed what we would call the last chapter by saying "covet… gifts,
but let me show you something even better." That which is even
better than spiritual gifts is LOVE.
I. \\#13:1-3\\ The Missing Ingredient - The missing ingredient is not
a gift at all but an ability that excels all the gifts, love.
A. \\#1\\ The word "charity" should mean about the same as what
we mean when we say love.
1. It is the Greek word "agape."
2. It means affection or benevolence.
3. The King James translators translated it charity to
emphasize the "giving" nature of this word.
4. The love that Paul refers to is "a giving love."
1Cor 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, and have not charity, I am become
as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
B. OUR WORD STUDY
1. The word that we are studying is "glossa."
a. Used 48 times in the New Testament, 23 times in a
vague sense so that we cannot tell what kind of
language Paul meant when he used it.
b. It is used 3 times outside of the book of
1Corinthians; 20 times inside of the book.
c. This is the 5th time it is used within the book.
d. It is also used in \\#1Cor 13:8\\.
2. This is the only time in the entire Bible the word is
associated with the "angelic" or "heavenly" languages.
a. Paul did not say that when the word "glossa" is used,
it is an angelic language.
(1) Nor did he say that when the word "glossa" was
used, it was an earthly language.
(2) What he did say is that no matter what kind of
gifts and abilities we have to speak with, it
amounts to nothing if we do not love one
another.
(3) If nothing else, that means the spiritual gift of
glossa—no matter what language it may be-—is
first and foremost a gift that tests our love
for one another.
(a) Tongues should not be a gift that divides
but proves.
(b) Seeing that makes me think I have missed
something very important all of my
Christian life.
(4) Speaking in glossa is a demonstrative gift of our
love far and beyond it being a demonstration of
our Bible knowledge or our filling of the Holy
Ghost.
(5) If I do not learn that, nothing else I learn
about this gift will be worth anything at all.
(6) I will be a "sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal.
b. Those who speak in today’s tongues argue that the very
fact Paul compared earth’s languages to the language
of angels, means the gift of tongues is an angelic
language.
(1) To be honest, that seems sound and reasonable to
me.
(2) However, that is not the issue.
(a) The issue is not whether the true gift of
tongues is a heavenly language or not.
(b) To that we should all agree.
(3) The issue is, "Does the Bible teach that what is
practiced today IS that heavenly language?"
(a) So far, from the Bible, the gift is the
ability to speak and to understand in the
language one was born in
\\#Acts 2:8, 10:47\\.
(b) What we call the gift does not matter.
(4) We are looking for a Biblical reason to believe
the heavenly language of tongues is something
other than the ability for someone to speak and
the people to hear and understand in their
native tongue.
(5) This passage does not give us that.
c. It also needs to be pointed out that when Paul wanted
his readers to know that he was speaking of an
angelic language instead of an earthly language, he
added the Greek words "anth-ro-pos, of men and
"angelos," of angels to point that out.
(1) It seems logical that he would have done that in
other places IF he were describing a gift that
was completely different from what had been
exercised in Acts 2.
(2) Do the angels speak in a different language from
mankind? From this passage, I would say YES.
(3) Is the gift that was displayed in Acts 2 and 10
the ability to speak in an angelic language?
(a) That is a very good possibility.
(b) I do not believe angels need to learn
Hebrew, Greek, English, or any other
language.
(c) When they speak, whatever it sounds like,
those they are speaking to understand.
(4) However even if all of this is true, it does not
mean what is being practiced today is the gift
of angelic tongues.
(5) We have no Bible verse or example to tell us that
it is.
(a) And that is all we can say from the use of
the word "glossa."
(b) Based on the use of the word, the Bible does
not say that what is practiced today is the
gift of tongues but neither does it say it
is NOT.
(c) Hence what I have said repeatedly.
(d) We cannot assume the gift being practiced
today is the Biblical gift just because the
Bible does not say it is NOT.
C. \\#2-3\\ Paul’s Points:
1. It does not matter what gift we have, if we do not have
love, we are nothing.
1Cor 13:2 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, and have not charity,
I am nothing.
2. It does not matter what we do, if we do not have love, we
profit nothing.
1Cor 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to
feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing.
II. \\#4-8\\ Characteristics of Love
A. By "characteristics," I mean two things:
1. These are traits of love that we should be personally seek
to give in love.
2. If these Traits are not present or, even worse, their
opposites are present, love is not present.
B. Characteristics
1. \\#4\\ …suffers long.
1Cor 14:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind;
charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up,
a. Suffering is a part of every relationship—marriage,
parenting, ministry, pastoring, even
employer/employee relationships.
b. Hopefully, our relationships do not bring us excessive
suffering, but the question is not will you be hurt.
c. The question is will you continue to love once you
have been hurt?
d. The answer should be YES because that is what love
does.
2. \\#4\\ …kind. Kindness is the lubricant of unity. Without
kindness, people won’t get along.
3. \\#4\\ …envieth not. Jealousy of other’s blessings is not
a part of love.
4. \\#4\\ …vaunteth not itself. Self-promotion is not a
characteristic of love.
5. \\#4\\ …is not puffed up. Pride.
6. \\#5\\ …behaves properly.
1Cor 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
a. Love or the lack of it can be seen in our behavior.
b. belittling, ignoring, cutting down, dominating,
demanding.
7. \\#5\\ …seeketh not her own. Selfless.
8. \\#5\\ …not easily provoked. Short tempers are a sign of
lust not love.
9. \\#5\\ …thinketh no evil.
a. Love is not necessary stupid or blind.
b. It just is not given to suspension.
10. \\#6\\ …rejoiceth not in iniquity.
1Cor 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth;
a. Wanting wicked things to happen to or being happy when
bad happens is not love.
b. Wanting to get to, hear, and have the truth is love.
11. \\#7-8\\ …never faileth.
1Cor 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth:
a. The fact that true love never fails is the conclusion
to how love behaves in \\#7\\.
(1) It bears all things - from without and within.
(2) It believes all things
(a) Again, love is not blind or stupide.
(b) The idea is that love’s default value is to
believe in the goodness, honesty, integrity
of the beloved.
(3) Love hopes for all things - Even in the face of
obvious failure, love hopes their beloved will
rise above it.
(4) Love endures all things.
b. After saying all of that about love, Paul concluded
"Charity never fails."
c. Based on this description of love, I would have to say
that I have not learned to love as yet; and worse,
some people are and may always be incapable of true
love!
d. Reality Check
(1) Too many people call what they have "love" when
it obviously is not.
(2) Two things would change if we really loved.
(a) People would treat people better.
(b) People would stay with people.
III. \\#8-13\\ All Gifts Will Cease
A. Paul began to teach about something that WOULD happen.
1. To him, it was a prophecy.
2. Some consider it to still be prophecy.
3. Others believe it has come to pass.
1Cor 13:8 Charity never faileth…
B. Love will never fade.
1. This chapter is often read out of its context.
a. That is not a problem in that what it says is still
true regardless; however by reading it in context, we
can see an important thought that Paul was giving.
b. He was sharing why love is better than any gift, and
here is the reason why.
2. Every spiritual gift will eventually end, but love never
will.
3. Love is not a spiritual gift but an attribute of God so it
will be as eternal as God is eternal.
4. If we love as God loves, our love should be a "forever"
love too.
C. But the spiritual gifts will end:
1Cor 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether
there be tongues, they shall cease; whether
there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1. Three gifts are specifically mentioned.
a. Prophecies (the gift of prophecy) will fail (end).
b. Tongues (the gift of tongues) shall cease.
c. Even knowledge will vanish away.
(1) The word used for "knowledge" is "gnosis," which
typically means to have learned or received
information.
(a) One concordance added the word "scientific"
to the definition.
(b) I suppose the point was to emphasis the word
is used to refer to information that can be
measured, tested, and verified.
(2) Is that the ability that will pass away?
(a) It seems that we would always need the
ability to retain information.
(b) I think (but cannot prove) that here Paul
was referring to the gift to know truth a
part from it being learned or received or
reasoned out.
(c) The remainder of this section indicates that
this is the gift to "just know" something
without it being passed along to you or
being computed by the mind.
(d) In short, it seems to refer to instantaneous
knowledge.
2. The question becomes, "When will these gifts cease?"
a. Some say that the gifts have ceased already.
(1) I do not know of anyone who has these Biblically
defined gifts today; although some say they do.
(2) God does put "impressions" into our mind, but to
say that God is giving new revelation is
something I have not witnessed.
b. Some say they have not.
c. We are not likely to answer that question here, nor am
I trying to do so.
d. My only point has been and is to point out what the
Bible says and to encourage you to build your
doctrine on what the Bible SAYS and not PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE.
3. The Apostle Paul separated two of gifts, knowledge and
prophesy, from the third gift, tongues.
1Cor 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy
in part.
a. Paul mentioned the gifts of knowledge and prophesy but
not tongues.
b. From here to the end of the chapter, Paul taught on
those two gifts.
(1) We are told that these two gifts only partially
worked.
(a) Only SOME had the gift at all.
i. The gift was only partial because only
part of the people had it.
ii. This would mean that there would always
be someone who did not know.
(b) Those with this gift could only know SOME
things.
i. Even with this gift, no one knew all
things.
ii. Those with these gifts may be able to
prophesy (see some of the future) or
preach (proclaim some of the truth),
but even they do not see everything
and could not proclaim what their
gift did not reveal to them.
(c) Paul was still showing that spiritual gifts
are inferior to the superior attribute of
love for even now, we CAN love completely.
(2) And we are told when these two partial gifts will
end.
1Cor 13:10 But when that which is perfect is
come, then that which is in part shall be done
away.
(a) The "partial gifts" will end WHEN that which
is "perfect" or complete has come.
(b) Many would say the "perfect" that was to
come is the completed Bible.
i. With the coming of the Bible, all
believers can know all of the truth
that God has revealed.
ii. The arrival of the perfect made the
partial gifts of knowledge and
prophesy unnecessary.
iii. That is not to say that we know
"everything" for we do not, but we
know what we need to know during this
age because we have the Bible.
(3) Paul described the difference between using the
spiritual gifts and using the "Perfect."
1Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a
child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away
childish things.
(a) It is the difference in having a child-like
knowledge and an adult’s knowledge.
i. There is nothing wrong with having a
child’s knowledge.
ii. It can be accurate as far as it can
understand; but it is greatly limited
when compared to what an adult can
comprehend.
iii. We use the gifts of prophesy and
knowledge and both are greatly
superior to having no gifts, but
compared to what the "Perfect" gives,
they are greatly limited.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but
then face to face: now I know in part; but then
shall I know even as also I am known.
(b) It is the difference between looking through
a dingy mirror and seeing face to face.
i. We can make out the image, but the
details are blurred.
ii. The "Perfect" will give us a "perfect"
understanding.
iii. We will know just like we are known,
apparently of the Lord.
c. Paul’s Conclusion
1Cor 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity,
these three; but the greatest of these is
charity.
(1) Here Paul actually expanded his point.
(a) He had been comparing only the attribute of
love to the temporal spiritual gifts.
gifts, knowledge and prophesy.
(b) But in his final comparison, he expanded the
comparison to include two greater gifts,
the gifts of hope and faith.
(2) Paul’s conclusion is that love is a greater
attribute to be sought for than even faith and
hope.
(a) Since both faith and hope are required for
Christians to maintain their walk with God,
this is quite the statement.
(b) We can conclude that the most important
attribute to be sought is the ability to
love.
4. But what of the third gift, the gift of tongues? When
will it "be done away with"?
a. John MacArthur believes the gift of tongues has ceased
because of the Greek.
(1) The Bible told us when the gifts of knowledge and
prophesy would end, when the "Perfect" comes.
(2) For the church age, I believe they have ceased.
b. As for tongues and John MacArthur’s arguments, I do
not know Greek, but his arguments seem sound, and he
has proven himself to be a man of integrity.
(1) I do not always agree with him, but I do not
think he deliberately misleads or lies.
(2) Anyone can be wrong even an honest person.
c. In short, he states the Greek says that tongues will
stop by itself—even before the "perfect" has come;
and that once it stops, it will not start again.
d. He then shows from history that the gift did stop.
(1) The fact is that the gift of tongues is not
mentioned in the Bible after \\#Acts 19:6\\ and
1 Corinthians, both being set in the same time
period.
(2) None of the other epistle writers refer to the
gift of tongues. Peter, James, nor John refer
to the gift at all in their letters.
e. John MacArthur goes on to show that church history
does not record the gift being practiced by any kind
of "Christian" group that we would be likely to
associate with, at least until the last few years.
https://www.gty.org/library/articles/DD06/the-gift-of-tongues
f. While his argument is not conclusive, even without a
understanding of Greek, it should be considered.
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