The church in Corinth had many spiritual gifts (I Cor. 1:5-7). Yet they struggled with discontent, striving, and selfish ambition as they deployed these gifts (I Cor. 3:3; 4:7; 12:28-31). Paul emphasized the need for love to govern the ministry of their gifts one to another. This is the background and purpose for one of the most well-known texts in all of the Scriptures, I Corinthians 13, which deals with love.
Since most of the misuse of gifts involved the use of tongues, Paul began there and moved on. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing (I Cor. 13:1-3).
Paul makes the case for the necessity of love in all things Christian – ministry or otherwise. It is not just an ingredient to our life and service for Christ. It is the ingredient! He simply asserts that without the exercise of love, these pursuits are meaningless, empty, and unprofitable. Wow! What then is love? How do I know if I am actually showing love? Paul under the inspiration of the Spirit of God anticipates that question and spends the rest of the chapter explaining the concept of love in practical terms.
He begins with “Love suffereth long, and is kind” (I Corinthians 13:4). To suffer long means that you are slow to be moved to resentment; not quick to assert your rights when mistreated. Note that it is not a feeling, but a behavior. We all suffer some kind of mistreatment periodically and some suffer more than others. Love suffers long with those occurrences. It acts; it does not react. Love does not assert its rights with phrases like “You can’t speak to me that way.” Rather, it responds with meekness and gentleness. Meekness is the ability to endure injury or insult without resentment.
It takes the grace of God to rule one’s own spirit in the midst of unwarranted mistreatment. But Paul goes on and shows that love goes even further. He adds “and is kind.” The word kind means disposed to do good. Love does not retaliate, but contrariwise treats with kindness those who deal unkindly. You would think it would be sufficient to simply remain calm and composed, but that is mere stoicism. Love shows mercy and treats with kindness those who show no kindness. It is the very nature of love to do good and this is the very testimony of Jesus Christ. He told his followers, “But love ye your enemies, and do good…and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6;35-36).
This is a tall order, yet it is but one facet of love. As the badge is to the officer, so love is to the Christian. He cannot and dare not serve without it.
From the Chaplain 