1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

March 14, 2012


 *(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #17 - 12:31b-13:13)*


 *B. 12:31b-13:13 LOVE: IDEAL MOTIVATION FOR SPIRIT MANIFESTATION*

*a. 12:31b And I show you moreover an excellent way.*

Kai Eti kath’ hu-per-boL*E*N hoDON huMIN DEIKnu-mi.


 *b. 13:1 TONGUES WITHOUT LOVE ARE EMPTY*

*If with the tongues of :men I speak, and of :angels, but have not love,*

E-AN tais GL*O*Ssais t*o*n anTHR*O*p*o*n laL*O*, kai t*o*n agGEl*o*n, aGAp*e
*n de m*e* Ech*o*,

*I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.*

GEgo-na chalKOS [5475] *e*CH*O*N [2278], *e* KUMba-lon [2950] a-laLAzon
[214].


 *c. 13:2 OTHER GIFTS WITHOUT LOVE: LEAVE US AS NOTHING*

*And if prophecy I have, and all the mysteries I know and all knowledge;*

ka’ ’AN Ech*o* pro-ph*e*TEIan [4394], kai eiD*O* ta musT*E*ri-a [3466] PANta
kai PAsan t*e*n GN*O*sin;

*and if all faith I have, so as to remove mountains,*

ka’ ’AN Ech*o* PAsan t*e*n PIStin [4102], H*O*ste Or*e* me-thisTAnein,

*but have not love, I am nothing.*

aGAp*e*n de m*e* Ech*o*, ouTHEN ei-mi.


 *d. 13:3 ALMSGIVING FOR SHOW IS PROFITLESS*

*And if I dole out all my :goods,*

ka’ ’AN ps*o*MIs*o* [5595] PANta ta huPARchonTA mou,

*and if I give my :body that I may glory, but have not love,*

ka’ ’AN pa-raD*O* to S*O*-MA mou HIna kauCH*E*s*o*-mai [2545], aGAp*e*n de m
*e* Ech*o*,

*it profits me nothing.*

ouDEN *o*-pheLOUmai.


 *e. 13:4-7 HOW LOVE ACTS*

*:Love suffers long, is kind;*

H*e* aGAp*e* ma-kro-thuMEI [3114], chr*e*sTEUe-tai [5541];

*:love envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,*

h*e* aGAp*e* ou z*e*LOI [2206], ou per-peREUe-tai [5068], ou phu-siOUtai
[5448],

*5 is not unseemly, seeks not its :own,*

ouk as-ch*e*-moNEI [807], ou z*e*TEI ta he-auT*E*S,

*is not provoked, takes not account of :evil;*

ou pa-roXUne-tai [3947], ou loGIze-tai [3049] to kaKON;

*6 rejoices not in :unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;*

ou CHAIrei [5463] ePI t*e* a-diKIa [93], sunCHAIrei de t*e* a-l*e*THEIa
[225];

*7 **covers all **things, **believes all **things, **hopes all
**things,**endures all
**things.*

PANta STEgei [4722], PANta pisTEUei [4100], PANta elPIzei [1679], PANta
hu-poMEnei [5278].


 *f. 13:8 LOVE OUTLASTS OTHER GIFTS*

*:Love never fails: but whether **there be **prophecies, they shall be done
away;*

H*e* aGAp*e* ouDEpo-te PIPtei [1601]: EIte de pro-ph*e*TEIai, ka-tar-g*e*TH*
E*son-tai [2673];

*whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall be done
away.*

EIte GL*O*Ssai, PAUson-tai [3973]; EIte GN*O*sis, ka-tar-g*e*TH*E*se-tai
[2673].


 *g. 13:9-10 GIFTS ARE IN PART: LOVE IS THE WHOLE*

*For we know in part, and prophesy in part;*

ek MErous gar giN*O*Sko-men, kai ek MErous pro-ph*e*TEUo-men;

*10 but when the perfect is come, what is in part shall be done away.*

HOtan de ELth*e* to TElei-on [5046], to ek MErous ka-tar-g*e*TH*E*se-tai.


 *h. 13:11 MATURITY: SEES LOVE OUTLASTING GIFTS*

*When I was a child, I spoke as a child,*

HOte *E*m*e*n N*E*pi-os [3516], eLAloun h*o*s N*E*pi-os,

*thought as a child, reasoned as a child:*

ephROnoun [5426] h*o*s N*E*pi-os, e-lo-giZOm*e*n [3049] h*o*s N*E*pi-os:

*when I became a man, I put away the things of the child.*

HOte GEgo-na aN*E*R [435], kaT*E*Rg*e*-ka [2673] ta tou n*e*PIou.


 *i. 13:12 RESURRECTION STATE: WILL REVEAL ALL THIS CLEARLY*

*For now we see by a mirror darkly;*

BLEpo-men gar ARti di’ eSOPtrou [2072] en aiNIGma-ti [135];

*but then face to face: now I know in part;*

TOte de PROs*o*-pon [4383] pros PROs*o*-pon: ARti giN*O*Sk*o* ek MErous;

*but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.*

TOte de e-pigN*O*so-mai [1921] kaTH*O*S kai e-pegN*O*Sth*e*n.


 *j. 13:13 But now abides faith, hope, love, these :three; and the greater
of these is love. *

nuNI de MEnei PIStis, elPIS [1680], aGAp*e* [26], ta TRIa TAUta; MEIz*o*n
de TOUt*o*n h*e* aGAp*e*.* *


 *NOTE:* And why would the Holy Spirit lead the apostle Paul to suddenly
insert this section between chapters 12 and 14?


 I think it is probably because the temptation to pridefully use, misuse
and abuse the gifts of the Spirit is such a possibility for new believers
and carnal Christians. In a sense, chapter 12 deals with the understanding
and theology of the gifts of the Spirit. Chapter 14 talks about the use and
misuse of the gifts, especially prophecy and tongues.


 This section points out that *love*, which heads the list of the fruit of
the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, is the greatest safeguard for those
tempted to misuse the gifts.


 As stated before in 12:12-31a, manifestation of the gifts should normally
take place immediately following the new birth – but the development of the
fruit of the Spirit – especially love, the very nature and character of God
– continues throughout our lifetime. Jesus clearly lays out in Mark 8:34
the high cost of discipleship – “If any man would come after me, let him *deny
himself* , *take up his cross*, and *follow Me*.” There is a progression in
these three steps, and when arrived at, allow us to claim like Paul in
Galatians 2:20,* “**I am crucified** with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet *
*not** I, but Christ lives in me; **and the life which I now live in the
flesh, I live** by the faith of the Son of God, **who loves me, and
gave**His life for me!
*” See again Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” to identify with Him
in this way.


 In *this* state there is safety when we manifest the gifts of the Spirit.
We do so in the same spirit in which Jesus Himself manifested them in His 3
year ministry on earth. It is always safe to live in the 4 Gospels. There
we see Jesus manifesting these supernatural gifts to the glory of God His
Father – and the well-being of His fellow man.


 So yes – there is tremendous wisdom of the Spirit in having Paul place
this *love* chapter between the two “gift” chapters.


 Andrew Murray of South Africa in his scores of books to the whole body of
Christ - continually emphasizes the necessity of doing *all* things in
love. Faith *works* by love! God *is* love! It is His basic essence, which
He consistently manifests as an attribute. When one of Andrew Murray's
family members sought confirmation from him after she told somebody off -
his response was - that it would be better to give a loving word. As flies
respond to honey before vinegar, so people respond to love more quickly
than rebuke.


 We took the Kostner Avenue Baptist Church of Chicago as leaders in 1953.
Its founder was Lewis (Dad) Crittendon, Superintendent of Pacific Garden
Mission, and President of the Chicago branch of the Kimball Piano Company.
He was *never* known to speak an unloving word to anyone - believer or
unbeliever. A friend one time challenged him, “Dad - I'll bet you've even
got a good word for the devil!” That temporarily set him back. But then he
brightened and responded, “Well - we *could* emulate his zeal!”


 Very early this morning, I felt led to look up this passage, update it,
print it up, and put in at the top of my daily devotional list, to run over
*every day*. Perhaps some of you would like to join me. J.A.Watt



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