1 Cor 13 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Cor 13:1-7

1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

A. Find Out:

1. What is the first worthless gift if there is not love? v.1
2. What further gifts are worthless without love? v.2
3. What further might we do that’s worthless without love? v.3
4. What negatives does love NOT do? v.4-6
5. What positives DOES it do? v.4-7

B. Think:

1. What point is Paul making in verses 1 to 3?
2. What is he doing in verses 4 to 7?
3. What is the warning for us & the Corinthians here?

C. Comment:

Remember, the subject that Paul is now discussing is that of spiritual gifts and unity. The Corinthian church appears to have been strong on spiritual gifts, so strong in fact in some people, that it made others feel inferior and was a source of division. It is this that Paul directly deals with now.

Look, he says, it doesn’t matter how spiritually gifted you are, but if you don’t have love all your gifts are worthless. We need to avoid the error of going to the opposite extreme here. Paul is not saying don’t have spiritual gifts, indeed he has just said “eagerly desire the greater gifts” and will soon repeat that (14:1). Chapter 13 does not provide grounds for anyone to say we shouldn’t have spiritual gifts. It is saying when you have spiritual gifts make sure that you use them in an attitude of love. God is love (1 Jn 4:8,16) and we are commanded to love (Jn 15:17) so anything that we express from God must come in love.

To hammer home this point Paul then describes some of the characteristics of love: first note the positives – it’s patient, kind, rejoices in the truth, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres. Then the negatives – it doesn’t envy, boast, be rude, be self-seeking, get angry easily, hold onto wrongs or delight in evil. We need to meditate on these two lists and check our lives against them.

D. Application:

1. Gifts are best used in an environment of love.
2. Love kills off negative attitudes and behaviour.

Passage: 1 Cor 13:8-13

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

A. Find Out:

1. How is love contrasted with prophecy etc.? v.8
2. How do we do things now? v.9
3. What will happen? v.10
4. What happens when we grow up? v.11
5. How are now and in eternity different? v.12
6. What remains and what is the best? v.13

B. Think:

1. What is Paul’s point in verses 8-10?
2. How does he then illustrate that?
3. Why is he saying all this?

C. Comment:

Pursuing the subject of spiritual gifts and unity, Paul now points out that spiritual gifts will eventually pass away but our experience of love will never pass away. He is of course referring to when we pass into eternity and see Jesus face to face.

When that happens there will be no need of prophecy or tongues or words of knowledge, because we’ll be with him and our communication will be open and direct, we’ll just know Him who IS Love. We live and use the gifts in a period when we are imperfect but when we see Him face to face we’ll be made perfect.

It’s a bit like when I was a child, says Paul, and thought childishly, but when I grow up the things I did as a child pass away. It will be like that when we meet Jesus. At the moment our comprehension of him is like looking in a poor mirror, but when we see him face to face we’ll see him perfectly and have no need of spiritual gifts. For now faith, hope and love are key ingredients to the Christian life but in eternity, it will only be love that is left!

In all this Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to have a right perspective about spiritual gifts. Yes, they are important in service but not as important as love. THAT is what they should major on.

D. Application:

1. Gifts are temporary and for this earthly period. We need them now.
2. When we see Jesus face to face we won’t need spiritual gifts.