Exposition
of 1 Corinthians 13
1.
The gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit must be operated with
the fruit of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
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.
·
Tongues have no meaning without love; it is an
empty noise
·
Prophecy,
wisdom, knowledge, faith without love do not make
a person a man or woman of God. We are
nothing without love no matter how great our ministry appears to be.
·
Generous giving or martyrdom without love will
gain no eternal reward.
The gifts and ministries mentioned:
·
Gift of tongues
·
Gift of prophecy
·
Word of wisdom
·
Word of knowledge
·
Faith
·
Giving
·
Martyrdom
All must operate with love the fruit of the
Spirit.
2.
The
fruit of the Spirit is seen in the character of the believer
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
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.
‘Love suffers long, (longsuffering)
and is kind; (kindness, gentleness)
love envies not (rejoices in the exaltation of others)
love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, (meekness)
Does not behave itself unseemly (self control),
seeks not her own (seeks the good of others),
is not easily provoked (not aggressive),
thinks no evil (pure thought life);
Rejoices not in iniquity (hatred of sin),
but rejoices in the truth (joy for God's word);
Bears all things (meekness to carry burdens),
believes all things (faith),
hopes all things (hope),
endures all things (patience).
3.
Spiritual gifts will pass away but love is eternal
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
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.
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 abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
· The enduring character of love
Love never fails
(dependable
and lasting):
Prophecy
will cease (become
unemployed, abolished)
Tongues
will cease (be
restrained)
Knowledge
will cease (become
unemployed, abolished)
Knowledge
and prophecy is in part.
Will
be done away when perfection comes.
·
Illustration:
A child has partial understanding of the world.
Maturity removes the childish thoughts and understanding.
·
The gifts are necessary because perfection has not
come.
When we
see the Lord face to face and enter eternity then we will know all things.
Faith
Hope
Love
Greatest
is love because love endures.
The interpretation of v10 that the gifts operated
until the canon of scripture was complete is shown to be false by v12. The gifts will cease to operate when we enter
eternity and see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face.