But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet I show unto you a more excellent way. (I Corinthians 12:31)
And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these [is] love. (I Corinthians 13:13)
I Corinthians 13 is a familiar chapter frequently spoken of as the "love" chapter. It speaks about the greatest spiritual gift of all, which is love. The King James version of the Bible, which is generally an accurate translation, unfortunately translates the word for love as charity in this passage. However, the more correct translation would be love in this case. Following is the entire chapter (though it is brief) with the word charity rightly translated as love:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
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 love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long, [and] is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;
6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall 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.
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.
13 And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these [is] love.
The chapter that follows this, chapter 14, continues the love theme by instructing us to do those things which might edify others rather than ourselves, to have a spiritual concern for others' salvation and edification -- the highest expression of true love which is outwardly focused on others' eternal well-being. So there is much deeper substance to the love spoken of in Chapter 13 than what most understand the word love to mean today.
God defines love in the Bible according to His infinitely rich and holy meaning, not as the world narrowly defines it. It is much higher than the way we might normally think of it. Consider the words of Jesus in John 14:15:
If you* love me, keep my commandments.
He says further in John 15:
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If you* keep my commandments, you* shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That you* love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 You* are my friends, if you* do whatsoever I command you.
God is teaching us that to love Him is to keep His commandments, which are the whole law of God as found in the Bible, and to lay down our lives on the alter of service for others as Christ did for us if we are His (another reference to being concerned for the eternal well-being and salvation of others). And since Jesus is God Himself in the flesh, and since the Bible is consistent throughout, we are not surprised to find that God wrote the same thing in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 5:10:
[God is]...showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
So the love God has in view in I Corinthians 13 and 14 has to do with living a life of a believer who does the commandments of God in the Scriptures and has an intense desire that others might become saved. So these spiritual commandments are both God- and others'- focused. But since no one can ultimately please God as an unsaved individual, and since no one can perfectly keep the commandments of God unto salvation, it can only be that someone who is already redeemed by the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ and has been given the Spirit of God can and will be able to love (to keep God's commandments and truly be concerned for others' salvation) according to I Corinthians 13.
To see this more clearly, let's look at the preceding chapter, I Corinthians 12. Chapter 12 speaks about the various gifts of the Spirit, which then leads into chapter 13 about the greatest gift being that of love. We see from this chapter that these gifts are all given by the Spirit of God, and therefore, they are given to those who have the Spirit of God (that is, they are saved). Verses 1-13 read:
1 Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 You* know that you* were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as you* were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
So these are (or were, as some are no longer given today) Spirit-given gifts -- illustratrating that one must have salvation, one must have the Spirit of God in order to truly possess them. Romans 8:9 says, "But you* are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." So chapter 12 is speaking of the gifts that the Spirit gives to true believers who have become saved. Chapter 12 then leads into chapter 13 which speaks about love as the greatest gift. That is, love is the greatest gift given by the Spirit to those who are saved, one must be saved in order to truly love as God intends.
But the love of I Corinthians 13 is deeper still! We read in I John 4:
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
8 He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
First of all, this again confirms that only the true believer can love in the way that God intends, "everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God." John 3:3 says, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." We must be born of God and know God to see or to know the kingdom of God. So those who love according to the biblical meaning of love are born of God, they know God, they are saved.
But more than that, we see very clearly from I John 4 that GOD HIMSELF, Jesus Christ Himself (who is God in the flesh), is love. And in this context, too, it speaks of God so loving us (if we are His) that He sent Christ into the world to save us from eternal death (ie. "to be the propitiation for out sins" -- meaning to atone for our sins and avert the wrath of God on our behalf), thereby giving us eternal life in Him! And this, that we might, in turn, have the same love and concern for the salvation of others. So it is through the work of the love of God the Lord Jesus Christ that we become saved and therefore begin to love according to I Corinthians 13! We are beginning to see how infinitely high and rich this word love means in God's vernacular! Now we see why love is the greatest gift of all because it is God Himself, it is Christ Himself.
Looking once again at I Corinthians 12, which speaks of the gifts of the Spirit and leads into the greatest gift of love in Chapter 13, God gives us a clue that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the greatest gift as He uses the language of love through chapter 13. The closing verses of chapter 12 read:
27 Now you* are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 [Are] all apostles? [are] all prophets? [are] all teachers? [are] all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.
Notice chapter 12 closes with the admonition to desire the best gifts, and yet God shows us a more excellent way. When we look at the word "way" more carefully in the Bible, we find it has to do with salvation in Jesus Christ. And finally, the Way is Jesus Christ Himself inasmuch as He is the Savior. He is the Path, He is the Door, He is the Way to salvation. (Of course, there is a way to destruction in the Bible as well, but we will only look at "the way" in the context of salvation in the scope of this article).
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:6)
Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:14)
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith has made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:52)
Jesus says unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
So we see that Jesus, who is God, is the Way just as He is Love. Christ Himself is Love, He Himself is the most excellent Way unto salvation through His atoning work on behalf of the believers in His great love for them. So as I Corinthians 12 and 13 speak of showing us a more excellent way, the greatest gift being love, it is ultimately speaking of Christ. Knowing this, we might substitute Christ any time we see the word "charity" or "love" in I Corinthians 13. This is not an attempt to actually change the Bible, it is simply to illustrate that Christ Himself is the love that is in view in this chapter:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not Christ, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
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 Christ, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Christ, it profits me nothing.
4 Christ suffers long, [and] is kind; Christ envies not; Christ vaunts not [Himself], is not puffed up,
5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;
6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Christ never fails: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall 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.
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.
13 And now abides faith, hope, Christ, these three; but the greatest of these [is] Christ.
What a tremendous eye-opener this is! Without true love, that is, without Christ, we are nothing. We may have the most pious speech, we may possess the most wonderful gifts (though they wouldn't truly be spiritual gifts without Christ), we may understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith to remove mountains -- but if we don't have true love, if we don't have CHRIST, we are nothing! Indeed, we may bestow all of our goods for charitable causes like many in the world do. We may even give our bodies to be burned at the stake out of zeal for our god, whomever he or it may be. But if we do not have Christ, we are nothing. And to be nothing means we are still unsaved, it means we are still in our sins, it means we are still heading for eternal death as punishment for our sins. Of course this is so, because without Christ and Christ alone, we cannot be saved no matter what our works! Only in Him is there salvation:
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you* crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him does this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (I Timothy 2:5)
Chapter 13 of I Corinthians even speaks of having all faith to remove mountains. That would be a strong faith that results in very good works in our human estimation. But without love, that is, without Christ, we are still nothing. This is amazing in one sense, considering:
...without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
It is impossible to please God without faith. But to have true, God-pleasing faith also means to have Christ. Christ is synonymous with true faith just as He is with true love. Christ is faith, Christ is love, He is the Way. However, there is a faith that is not the true faith of Christ and is not pleasing to God. It is not the faith that is the substance of the believers' salvation which is Christ. It is a false faith in a false god that produces zealous works, but is not a result of salvation.
Thus, I Corinthians 13 makes it clear that we MUST have Christ, otherwise our faith, our works, yea, even ourselves, are nothing. We see this theme repeated in Philippians 3, where God writes the following through the apostle Paul, who, humanly speaking, had many self-righteous works in which to boast, although not before God:
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.... (Philippians 3:4-9)
So for us to have true, biblical faith, which is Christ, it must be accompanied by true, biblical love, which is also Christ. It is not by self-righteous works, but from faith that works by love from Jesus Christ and given to us by Jesus Christ:
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love. (Galatians 5:5-6)
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you*, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you* might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (I Thessalonians 5:8-10)
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 1:14)
It is therefore only in Christ, by His faith and by His love in saving us that we can love according to the commandment of God in I Corinthians 13.
Finally, to love God above all, and others above ourselves with concern for their salvation, are the greatest commandments of all in the entire Bible. Not only that, but they are the very summary of God's Law, that is, of the whole Bible which is His Lawbook! Someone asked Jesus, "What is the great commandment," in Matthew 22:36-40, and following is His reply:
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
He was asked this again in Mark 12:28-34:
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared ask him [any question].
Thus, the LOVE that we read about in I Corinthians 13, which is Christ Himself, is the greatest commandment, it the greatest gift, and it is the summary of the whole Law of God! No wonder we read about Jesus in John 1:14:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Jesus Himself IS the Word of God in the flesh, He is the Love that encompasses the whole Law of God (the Bible) which is spoken of as the greatest Gift of all in I Corinthians 13! Indeed, as we come to understand this, Christ is revealed to us in His glorious love as our Savior -- if we are truly His!
May all praise and honor and glory be unto His Name forever and ever.
4.15.2007