Paul wrote this first letter to the church at Corinth with the hope that they would become unified in building the work of God which Paul had begun. Corinthian believers had allowed disunity and personal opinion to distract them from those things which were most important. It is obvious that the Christians at Corinth possessed spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit to edify the church (1 Corinthians 12), but their disunity and lack of concern for each other had caused them to remain ineffective in their witness of the crucified Christ. The words penned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 revealed the one characteristic missing from the Corinthian church – love. Even though they possessed spiritual gifts and doctrinal truth, they were void of sincere love for each other. Paul writes, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (13:1). Possessing spiritual gifts and right teaching means nothing without the presence of love – the absence of love by believers is similar to a “sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” whose sound is briefly heard but then quickly gone (13:1). Without love, our efforts mean nothing (13:2-3). What does love look like? Paul defines it for his readers by saying, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…” (13:4-8a). These actions are the model of true love and Paul expected the Corinthians to follow this pattern in the church.
Although love is eternal, spiritual gifts are not. Prophecy, tongues (temporary confirming sign to unbelieving), and knowledge will eventually come to an end, which is the reason Paul desired the Corinthians to make love primary in everything (13:8b-9). Love outlives spiritual gifts. Even though spiritual gifts are meant to bring us to a fuller maturity, we will not be completely perfected or mature in this life (13:10-11). It is only when believers see God face to face that they will fully understand and have no need for spiritual gifts (13:10-12). Until that time, followers of Christ should walk in love at all times because it is the greatest thing we can do (13:13).
Dear God, may I be known for my love toward You and others.
