Many Christians don’t exactly know the essence of God’s love, or may confuse and redefine His love. They take what they know about worldly love and apply it to His love. This can be anywhere from simply helping others to expressing an attitude of the “tolerant,” all-inclusive, can’t-we-all-just-get-along, “coexist” side of things. That’s what love is, right? Not making anyone upset. Not offending someone. Helping someone in need. Donating money or time. Isn’t that love? To answer this, I’ve broken down 1 Corinthians 13—the well-known “love chapter” in Scripture. So, let’s take a look:
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.”
We can say and do anything in this world, but if it’s not done in love, it’s worthless—nothing but annoying noise, bringing attention to ourselves and not God (as a friend has pointed out).
2- “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ”
We can have all the faith in the world and all Biblical knowledge (memorizing Scripture, knowing which verses to spout out in response to certain situations, etc.), but if we don’t use that knowledge in love, it means absolutely nothing. We can use our Biblical knowledge to be rigid rule-makers or kinder grace-givers in truth.
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.”
We can be self-sacrificial, we can give to those in need, we can do “good deeds” or acts of kindness, we can even “suffer,” but if these are not driven by God’s love in us and our utmost love for Him, if they’re not done with Christ as our motive (by sharing His Gospel and being His representative—2 Corinthians 5:20), then they accomplish nothing. They are meaningless.
4a – “Love is patient”
From the original Greek word makrothymeō, meaning “to be patient in bearing the offences and injuries of others; to be mild and slow in avenging; to be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.”
4b- “and kind”
From the original Greek word chrēsteuomai, meaning – “to show oneself mild, to be kind, use kindness.” This Greek word is a verb. There is no verb form of the definition I could find, and kindness can mean a great many things in modern dictionaries, however, I used Merriam Webster’s definition (those which directly correlate with the original intended use in Scripture) of kindness (noun) as “a sympathetic concern for the well-being of others…the capacity for feeling for another’s unhappiness or misfortune…mercy…sensitivity.”
4c- “Love does not envy”
From the original Greek word zēloō, meaning “moved with jealousy.” We must be content in our surroundings. Being envious means having “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage” (Merriam Webster)
4d- “or boast”
From the Greek word perpereuomai, meaning to vaunt oneself (brag): Vaunt meaning— “to make a vain display of one’s own worth or attainments…brag…to call attention to pridefully… a vainglorious display of what one is or has or has done” (Merriam Webster). It doesn’t glorify oneself or praise oneself of accomplishments. It doesn’t go around showing off its good deeds either but takes Matthew 6:1-4 to heart.
4e- “it is not arrogant.”
From the Greek word physioō, meaning “to be puffed up, to bear oneself loftily, be proud.” In other words, it is not arrogant or puffed up—showing behavior that demonstrates false pride by means of conceit, excessive self-esteem, being showy, trying to impress, and—again—bragging about oneself and accomplishments, class, relationships, possessions, etc.. It isn’t being “untouchable,” above everyone else, but humble, lowly.
5a- “or rude (dishonors others)”
Dishonor—from the Greek word aschēmoneō, meaning “to act unbecomingly or unseemly,” not according with established standards of good form, inappropriate or improper behavior. In other words, in violation of good manners.
5b- “It does not insist on its own way (not self-seeking)”
Requiring things or demanding things for oneself.
5c- “it is not irritable (not easily angered),”
From the Greek word paroxynō, meaning “to irritate, provoke, rouse to anger”
5d- “or resentful (keeps no record of wrongs)”
Forgives and forgets any wrongdoing committed. Wrong—from the Greek word kakos, meaning “wrong or crime… of what is morally or ethically ‘evil,’ [of] qualities, emotions, passions, deeds.”
6a- “it does not rejoice at wrongdoing (does not delight in evil)”
Delight = chairō, ” to rejoice, be glad,” be happy or content/satisfaction with, have or possess, or support and participate in.
Evil = From the Greek word adikia, meaning “unrighteousness of heart and life and iniquity” (“morally bad…morally reprehensible, sinful, wicked” – Merriam Webster). Anything that contradicts God’s holiness and standards.
6b- “but rejoices with the truth”
Truth—from the Greek word alētheia, meaning “sincerity of mind and integrity of character, or a mode of life in harmony with divine truth” (God’s truth). Also, “truth as a personal excellence; that candor of mind which is free from affectation, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit.” God’s truth is absolute truth; He is The Truth (John 14:6)
7a- “Love bears all things (always protects)”
From the Greek word stegō, meaning “by covering to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against, hold out against, and so endure, bear, forbear…The idea of supporting what is placed upon a thing is prominent.”
7b- “believes all things (always trusts)”
From the Greek word pisteuō, meaning that it is “to trust…used in an ethical sense, of confidence in the goodness of men.”
7c- “hopes all things”
From the Greek word elpizō, meaning “to wait for salvation with joy and full confidence.”
7d- “endures all things (always perseveres)”
From the Greek word hypomenō, meaning “to endure, bear bravely and calmly…to abide under, to bear up courageously” (under suffering), in context, translated “patient.”
8- “Love never ends (never fails)”
From the Greek word piptō, “to perish, i. e. to come to an end, disappear, cease: of virtues.” Not ending or replaced by anything else.
LOVE in this entire chapter is from the Greek word agapē, meaning “affection, good-will, love, benevolence, brotherly love…Of the love of men to men; especially of that love of Christians toward Christians which is enjoined and prompted by their religion, whether the love be viewed as in the soul or as expressed.” This word is a noun. It is also seen in verses such as John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:10 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love,” and John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Its sister word, LOVE as a verb, is what Jesus used in His ultimate command summation— “’And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:30-31). This Greek word is agapaō, meaning, (of persons) “to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.” “It is also used in reference of the benevolence which God, in providing salvation for men, has exhibited by sending his Son to them and giving him up to death. An action of true love via sacrifice for salvation.”
Now, with this understanding of what love in Christ really looks like, we can better understand how we are to truly love God (the primary command) and love others (a lesser, yet still important love). When taken as a whole, we will see that redefining “love” to fit one’s desire for tolerance (religious pluralism) or acceptance of sinful living is wrongful. As verse 6 points out, true love doesn’t delight in evil (in sin and lies). True love desires to see others saved—souls brought before Christ, seeking repentance and salvation with a genuine heart. God’s love is a pure, holy, righteous love. Research what those mean – pure (1 Timothy 1:5), holy (1 Peter 1:16), righteous (2 Thessalonians 1:5).
If we have God’s love, we will think like Him wanting none to perish (2 Peter 3:9), and then act on those desires by fulfilling Christ’s last command to “’Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’” (Matthew 28:19-20). If we are truly making disciples, we are spreading His Gospel story, “tak[ing] no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expos[ing] them,” (Ephesians 5:11), and being “a light…bring[ing] salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47)—to everyone, everywhere, always. This should be our ultimate goal in life, while living out His love.
One thing we have to remember is: God is love (1 John 4:8), but love is NOT God.
Just because people love others—gives to and serves others, doesn’t make them Christian; it just means they are a decent person. Christianity isn’t just about generosity and helping others. Those are just a couple by-products of being filled with and walking by the Holy Spirit, living obediently to the Lord. Obedience. Putting off your old self, being clothed with Christ, and being made new—consecrated (set apart from the world, holy, pure, sanctified).
People say, “Look at what they’re doing. They feed these kids all over the world,” and as wonderful as that is, at the end of the day, if they don’t hear a clear Gospel, …this is nothing more than humanism. There’s a lot of atheists with a lot of money that feed a lot of kids. And they bring their cameras there, too, because it makes them look really good.” (Massey).
References
“Kindness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindness. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.
“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envy. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.
“Vaunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaunt. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.
“Evil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evil. Accessed 13 Feb. 2021.
Massey, Paul, Doreen Virtue, and Emily Massey. 2019. Why we quit working for Joyce Meyer, and left the Word of Faith movement. Retrieved February 13, 2021 from, https://youtu.be/imluDBBvTaQ
All Scripture (unless otherwise noted): English Standard Version Bible. 2021. BibleHub.com and
English Standard Version Bible. 2016. Crossway
Blue Letter Bible. Retrieved February 13, 2021 from, https://www.blueletterbible.org/ (various in-text links)