If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

The priorities of the Corinthian saints were majorly misplaced when it came to miraculous spiritual gifts.  In trying to teach them the proper perspective, Paul had just directed them to “earnestly desire the higher gifts” (12:31a), specifically the gift of prophecy instead of speaking in tongues (14:1-2ff).  Yet the apostle also wanted to show them “a still more excellent way” (12:31b), something that God required of them that far surpassed all miracles and would indeed outlast them…love (agape, willful self-sacrificial love that puts others before oneself).

To show how important love is, Paul starts by explaining to Corinth that even if one could speak in tongues, that miraculous spiritual gift which they so coveted, to the point that they could converse not only with any man from any nation but even with angels, it would be meaningless without love (13:1).  If they lacked love, then having some of the higher gifts the apostle wished them to have like “prophetic powers,” the wisdom necessary to “understand all mysteries,” the miraculous possession of “all knowledge,” or even the faith necessary to work notable miracles like the removal of mountains (13:2a; cf. 12:4-11; Matt. 17:20) would ultimately mean nothing (13:2b).  To emphasize his point, Paul moves away from miraculous spiritual gifts by pointing out that lacking love results in “gain(ing) nothing” even if they were charitable to the point of impoverishing themselves or were willing to martyr themselves for the cause of Christ (13:3).

Knowing therefore the high importance of having this kind of love, it would do us good to know exactly what this kind of love would require of us in our interactions with each other.  For this reason, Paul lists the various attributes of agape love.  “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (13:4-7).

When we really think about each of these characteristics, it’s easy to see the primary commonality among them all: putting others before yourself.  One can’t be truly patient without considering the one with whom you’re patient as more important than yourself.  Kindness is easy when you’re not inconvenienced…but what about when you are bothered and are now faced with the choice of putting the needs of others before your own?  Envy, boastful arrogance, rudeness, selfish narcissism, irritability, resentfulness…all of these sins require putting yourself before others, while their loving antithesis requires the exact opposite.  “Rejoic(ing) with the truth” of God’s Word, even when it steps on your toes, instead of “rejoic(ing) at (your own) wrongdoing” cannot happen unless you love God more than yourself.  The forbearance (“bears all things…endures all things”), the willingness to give someone the benefit of the doubt (“believes all things”), and the continual hopeful expectation for their ultimate good (“hopes all things”)…all of these require agape love.

Brethren, do we have this kind of love for God and our fellow man?  Without it, our obedience to the gospel, our worship in spirit and truth, our benevolence and evangelism, our involvement in many good works of the church…ultimately it will all be in vain.

God is love.  Christ is love.  Christianity is love.  Let us never forget that.

— Jon