1 Corinthians 13 - 14

The Greatest Is Love

Paul speaks about love in chapter 13. The "love" (some translations have charity) spoken of in these verses is the Greek word, agape, meaning a benevolent love for another's soul.  This is the type of love that God bestows in a Christian through the Holy Spirit.  This is beyond phileo love, which is human love.  Agape has an element of grace and forgiveness in it.  Therefore, in this chapter, Paul is stating that having and manifesting all types of spiritual gifts and great revelation is meaningless, i.e. nothing, without the agape of God.

This love expects nothing in return.  We do not brag about this love. There is no quid-pro-quid with agape. This love endures in spite of circumstances and personal feelings.  This love can only come through the Holy Spirit and God's presence.

Chapter 14 speaks specifically about the gifts in the church, particularly speaking in tongues and prophesying.  Paul had detected in the Corinthians a tendency to have an outward showing of spirituality, especially the idea that if a person spoke in tongues, this demonstrated how spiritual they were.  While chapter 13 places this as "nothing" when the person does not have love, chapter 14 further places speaking in tongues in the proper perspective as compared to the other gifts.  Paul exhorts them to seek prophesy and gifts that edify the whole church and not gifts that edify only the exhibitor of the gift.

Paul continues the lesson with an admonishment to do things in order.  For example, only two or three should prophesy or speak in tongues and interpret, instead of everyone going on and on.  People should not prophesy simultaneously. A person should not speak in tongues if there is not another person there with the gift of interpretation. God enjoys order and expects his people to worship in order and respect.  This is not a call to formality, but a call to edification of the whole church body and a call to respect for the gifts.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.