1 Corinthians 13:8-13 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, which read,
v.8 - Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
The more excellent way given by Paul through the Scripture that is inspired and given by the Holy Spirit is that love be at the core of the believer as he or she uses that spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit. Love is patient and kind, not jealous and arrogant, not rejoicing in unrighteousness but rejoicing in the truth and much, much more. The love spoken of by Paul knocks out any pride being displayed when it comes to the spiritual gifts.
Paul starts this section with the fact that love never fails, it never ends. The gift of prophecy will end because at some point all will be fulfilled. The gift of tongues will cease because that spiritual gift sign is needed no more because there will ultimately be one language, God's. The gift of knowledge will end because someday we will know clearly all things. Love supersedes these gifts because it is something that will continue on as needed for the life to come.
I am also wondering if Paul pulls out these 3 spiritual gifts as the ones that the Christians in Corinth could have been elevating and using to puff themselves up over others with.
v.9-12 - For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Doesn't Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say it so much more eloquently than I do? The perfect is coming, the completion of all things, and when that happens knowledge and prophecy will be not in part but in full. We are in the child stage right now but someday we will be at the adult stage in the presence of the Lord. We look at the Bible as a mirror to see how we are reflecting Christ but someday we will not need the mirror because we will look directly into His face.
One last illustration given by Paul is that we know in part but then we will fully know and then I he tags on "just as I also have been fully known," past perfect tense, done and in full. Someone has fully known us already before we fully knew. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. He fully knew us before we knew Him and before we knew Him in part and before we knew Him in full on that perfect day.
v.13 - But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.
The greatest is love because faith and hope will be fully realized in heaven but love will continue on as everlasting. Our focus right now should be living lives of faith and hope and love and not that of pride. Pride will never add to faith, hope, or love. This is the more excellent way when it comes to looking at the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. As I live a life of faith, hope, and love, the spiritual gift given will be used for its intended purpose within the body of Christ.
"Lord, may we look forward to the day when all is complete. May the love that we have now just be the start for the love we will give and receive for eternity. May faith, hope, and love define our lives before anything said of a specific spiritual gift to the body of Christ. Thank you Lord for giving us the knock out punch against pride in our lives. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.8 - Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
The more excellent way given by Paul through the Scripture that is inspired and given by the Holy Spirit is that love be at the core of the believer as he or she uses that spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit. Love is patient and kind, not jealous and arrogant, not rejoicing in unrighteousness but rejoicing in the truth and much, much more. The love spoken of by Paul knocks out any pride being displayed when it comes to the spiritual gifts.
Paul starts this section with the fact that love never fails, it never ends. The gift of prophecy will end because at some point all will be fulfilled. The gift of tongues will cease because that spiritual gift sign is needed no more because there will ultimately be one language, God's. The gift of knowledge will end because someday we will know clearly all things. Love supersedes these gifts because it is something that will continue on as needed for the life to come.
I am also wondering if Paul pulls out these 3 spiritual gifts as the ones that the Christians in Corinth could have been elevating and using to puff themselves up over others with.
v.9-12 - For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
Doesn't Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say it so much more eloquently than I do? The perfect is coming, the completion of all things, and when that happens knowledge and prophecy will be not in part but in full. We are in the child stage right now but someday we will be at the adult stage in the presence of the Lord. We look at the Bible as a mirror to see how we are reflecting Christ but someday we will not need the mirror because we will look directly into His face.
One last illustration given by Paul is that we know in part but then we will fully know and then I he tags on "just as I also have been fully known," past perfect tense, done and in full. Someone has fully known us already before we fully knew. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. He fully knew us before we knew Him and before we knew Him in part and before we knew Him in full on that perfect day.
v.13 - But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.
The greatest is love because faith and hope will be fully realized in heaven but love will continue on as everlasting. Our focus right now should be living lives of faith and hope and love and not that of pride. Pride will never add to faith, hope, or love. This is the more excellent way when it comes to looking at the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. As I live a life of faith, hope, and love, the spiritual gift given will be used for its intended purpose within the body of Christ.
"Lord, may we look forward to the day when all is complete. May the love that we have now just be the start for the love we will give and receive for eternity. May faith, hope, and love define our lives before anything said of a specific spiritual gift to the body of Christ. Thank you Lord for giving us the knock out punch against pride in our lives. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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