1 Corinthians 13 PowerPoint
1 Corinthians 13 PowerPoint
TO OUR
WORSHIP HOUR
1Corinthians 13
It is helpful when studying this chapter
to reflect on the dynamics that
characterized the Corinthian Church:
Party loyalty (Chs. 1-4)
Selfish immoral behavior (Chs 5-7)
Strong not deferring to the weak (Chs.
8-10)
Prideful competition & the Spiritual
Gifts (Chs 12-14)
SO, WE ARE NOT
SURPRISED THAT PAUL
WROTE ABOUT LOVE
• Ch 13 -- The SUPERB nature of LOVE.
– The miraculous was partial, temporary.
– When the complete or “perfect” arrives, the partial
will cease.
– Much like when a child learns to walk it no longer
needs a baby walker.
“The greatest is LOVE…”
Breaking The Chapter Down
• THE GREATEST GIFT IS "LOVE" (13:1-13)
– LOVE IS DEFINED, IT NEVER FAILS (1-8)
– SPIRITUAL GIFTS WILL CEASE (9-12).
– LOVE WILL ABIDE FOREVER (13)
1Corinthians 13:1-3
THE GREATNESS OF LOVE
• 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
• 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and under-stand all
mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as
to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
• 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be
burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
PAUL IS TELLING US HOW FATAL IT IS TO ACT
OR DO ANYTHING WITHOUT LOVE! (VS. 1-3)
• The Corinthians (LIKE MANY PEOPLE TODAY) thought "speaking in
tongues" was the greatest of all the Spiritual Gifts...
• But there were 9 equally valid gifts listed in 1COR. 12:8-11.
– Notice Paul’s reference to the tongues of men and the tongues of
angels.
– “Tongues of men" refers to actual human languages (ACTS 2:1-
4) (i.e., "glossa")
– "Tongues of angels" could refer to 2COR 12:4 where Paul heard
“utterances in heaven.” [Otherwise I have no idea!]
At the close of 1COR 12 as Paul is talking about
Spiritual Gifts, he concludes: “And yet show I unto
you A MORE EXCELLENT WAY.”
• This was his lead-in to 1COR. 13 = his discussion
on the importance of love.
• Paul will exalt the gift of Prophecy over Tongues,
but even it means nothing if not done in LOVE.
• Same goes for Knowledge, Faith and ALL the
others! WITHOUT “AGAPE” (LOVE) WE
ACCOMPLISH NOTHING!
• Paul's Point: "If I speak in tongues which you think
is so great, and do it without LOVE, IT MEANS
NOTHING!"
“Agape” is God-like LOVE
• This supreme love finds its
reward in knowing god loves us
& in turn loving god back!
• When we LOVE God back and
"keep His Commands," it’s not
such a restricting way to live!
• Work that is done because we
LOVE God and what is RIGHT
has a certain kind of "GLORY"
about it! TO LOVE WHAT IS RIGHT!
JAMES 1:27
1Corinthians
THE BEHAVIOR OF LOVE
• 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is
not arrogant
• 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable
or resentful;
• 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the
truth.
• 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
THE BEHAVIOR OF LOVE
• “LOVE IS NOT SOMETHING YOU FEEL....IT IS
SOMETHING YOU DO!”
JOHN 13:34-35
"LOVE SACRIFICES ALL THINGS
TO BLESS THE THING IT LOVES"
• Horace Wood wrote: "Before Christ came into my
life I used people and loved things. After
accepting Christ I used things and loved people.“
• Someone has written: "Every vice is a perverted
virtue. Lust is perverted love. Lust is love
fastened on the forbidden object. Love fixed on
the right object makes man a saint. Love fixed on
the wrong object makes man a sinner."
"Master, which is the greatest commandment
of the Law?" Matt. 22:37-40