LOVE NEVER FAILS
1) Unfailing Love in 1 Cor 13:8-13.
a) Contrasting "unfailing love" with certain
gifts, v8-12.
We mentioned earlier that the phrase “love never fails” is the end of
the description of love in v4-7. It is
also a transitional phrase to the rest of 1 Cor. 13. Love never fails; but there are some things
that will fail. In 1 Cor. 12-14 Paul is
teaching the Corinthian Church about God’s provision for the Church. Three of those provisions are mentioned in 1
Cor. 13:8.
i) v8: The three gifts...
(a) Defined as forth-telling, preaching, not simply
telling the future as we sometimes think.
(b) 1 Cor 14 emphasizes the value of
"preaching".
(2) What is the second gift? ______________
(a) Literally "languages," known languages.
(b) As in Acts 2: foreigners heard the gospel in their own
language.
(c) According to 1 Cor 14:21-22: tongues are a sign for
unbelievers, the fulfillment of a prophecy to Israel in Isaiah 28:11-12.
(3) What is the third gift? ______________
(a) May refer to the "word of knowledge" gift in
1 Cor 12:8.
(b) Or may refer to a "teacher" whose gift is
founded on "knowledge".
Unlike love which never fails, these three gifts will come to an
end. The specific wording is important
to note.
ii) v9-12: The end of
prophecies and knowledge.
(1) v8 has the same Greek term for each of these. The NKJV says “prophecies they will fail” and
“knowledge, it will vanish away”.
Different in English; same in Greek.
(2) It is also the same Greek term in ...
(a) v10: NKJV “will be done away.”
(b) v11: NKJV “put away.”
(3) v10: these 2 things come to an end when the perfect comes.
(a) "perfect" = teleion = that
which is finished.
(b) The two most prominent explanation of the perfect are:
(i) When Scripture was completed, near end of 1st century.
(ii) Or when the eternal state comes ... the only time we
see God face to face. (I believe this is
correct.)
(c) Paul notes that today we prophecy and know in part; that is, these are limited by
our finite existence. Only when eternity
will we know as we are known (v12).
What about the end of tongues;
what does it say about that?
iii) The cessation of tongues.
(1) v8 uses a similar but different term.
(a) Tongues will cease
(not radically diff idea).
(b) But the voice
(a Greek aspect of language) is the middle voice meaning, they will cease in and of themselves.
(i) I.e. they don't cease bec. of the outward influence of
"the perfect".
(ii) Rather their reason for existence ceases.
(2) This fits the nature of "sign" gifts:
(a) They have a specific purpose, to evidence the revelation
of new truth and the messengers of new truth.
(b) They are not the norm but are meant to be temporary.
What is Paul saying here? In the
context the Corinthian Church was having disunity over the matter of
gifts. If you read chapters 12 and 14
you will see that some thought their gifts to be more important; others wanted
to minimize the gifts of others as not important. In the Body of Christ today there is often a
lot of disagreement about gifts. Paul is
saying that what actually is unfailing
is love; it will outlast all the gifts.
He did not say this to minimize the importance of these gifts given by
God. But he said it to remind people
they need not or must not sacrifice
love in the use of the gifts.
b) Contrasting unfailing
love with other unfailing
qualities, v13.
i) What three abiding
qualities are mentioned in v13?
a. b. c.
ii) Note: all of these remain. But remain in what sense?
(1) They will remain after judgment.
(a) 2 Cor 5:10: Judgment seat.
(b) 1 Cor 3:10-15: fire of judgment reveals the gold, silver
& precious stones.
(c) Second: they will remain after tribulation. (1 Tim
5:24-25)
iii) What makes love the greatest?
(1) Bec. love is essential to faith & hope.
(a) 1 Cor 13:7: love believes, hopes all things.
(b) Gal 5:6: faith works thru love.
(2) Bec. love is an attribute of God.
(a) God is the God of all hope (Rom 15:13)
(b) BUT God IS
love (1 John 4:8,16)
2) Conclusions about "unfailing love"...
a) To love is to be like God.
b) Love is defined by God.
c) Service without love is fruitless.
d) Love will outlast spiritual gifts.
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