1 Corinthians 13:1-13 - The Need to Use the Spiritual Gifts in Love
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 - The Need to Use the Spiritual Gifts in Love
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Shalom, my dear brothers and sisters. We are continuing together with the study of the book of 1st Corinthians. This letter, 1st Corinthians, is an important letter that the apostle Shaul Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth. And we are always reminded of the fact that this letter was written as a corrective ministry to a local assembly, a Corinth, which did not live up to the requirements with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, desire them to live as believers who are functioning in their local assembly in a way that it is pleasing to the Lord. To the Lord. And especially here, beloved brothers and sisters, when we arrive to the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians.
Will you please open your Bibles? And I would like you to follow me as I'm reading 13 verses of 1st Corinthians chapter 13. So please follow me. So please follow me. We read in verse 1. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love. I become a 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 no love.
It profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long and is kind. Love envious not. Love wanteth not itself. Is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemingly. Seeketh not her own. Is not easily provoked. Thinketh no evil. Rejoices not in iniquity. But rejoices in the truth. Beareth all things. Believers all things. Hopeth all things. Endueth all things. Love never faileth. But whether there be prophecies. They shall fail. Whether there be tongues. They shall cease. Whether there be knowledge. It shall vanish away. For we know in part. And we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come. Then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child. I speck as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man. I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass. Darkly. But then face to face. Now I know in part. But then. Shall I know even as also. I am known. And now by the faith. Hope. Love. These three. But the greatest of these. These love. Here beloved brothers and sisters. And dear friends. With. Verse 13. Of 1st Corinthians. Chapter 13. It is very interesting. That this 13th chapter. Is placed here. In the canon of scripture. Within the book of.
1st Corinthians. Right between. These very interesting. Two chapters. 1st Corinthians. Chapter 12. And 1st Corinthians. Chapter 14. And if you remember. Beloved. Brothers and sisters. And dear friends. The 12th chapter. Of. 1st Corinthians. Was written. To. Present. Before. The Corinthians. The spiritual. Gifts. That. The glorified. Messiah. Gave. To the body. Of Christ. The body. Of Messiah. And these. Spiritual. Gifts. That were given. To the body. Of believers. They are. To be used. In such a way. That. All. The people. Of God. Will benefit. From the. Spiritual. Gifts. That were given. To the assembly. To the church. And so. If you remember. Beloved. Brothers. And sisters. And dear friend.
We have spoken. In our previous. Chapter. 12. On the gift. Of the spirits. That they were giving. For the unity. Of the body. Of Messiah. The body of Christ. The gifts. Were given. This is the gift. Of the Holy Spirit. Were given. With. Diversities. Of gifts. For the benefit. Of the body. Of Christ. And we also realize. As we study. Chapter 12. That these. Diversities. Of gifts. Were given. To diversity. Of members. Of the body. Of Christ. The body. Of Messiah. Of Messiah. And it is. The. Each member. Is called. To fulfill. The will. Of God. Within. The body. Of Christ. And so. It is. Interesting. That now.
That the apostle. Paul. Emphasized. In chapter. Twelve. That every. Believer. Have entered. Into this body. By the. Holy Spirit. Of God. First. In chapter. Twelve. And verse. Thirteen. For by. One. Spirit. Are we. All. Baptized. Into. One. Body. Whether. We. Be. All. Made. Into. One. Spirit. And so. All. Believers. True. Believers. Have. Been. Placed. Into.
that one body, put under by the Holy Spirit of God into that one body which composed of all true believers who are born of the Holy Spirit of God, Jewish and Gentiles, bound and free, male and female, slave or free, all of us have entered into this one body in the same way and there is only one body, not two and that this body is a composition of all the members, true born again believers and the head of that body is none else but our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah who is in heaven, who desired to see his own people here on earth living life in order to honor him but because the Corinthian spiritual
condition was so sad that they have had so much divisions and lack of care for one another, immoralities and taking each other to court and they had many many errors that existed in their local assembly both in doctrine and in practice, it was necessary for the Apostle Shaul Paul to write them this very important letter as a corrective ministry and right between chapter 12 and chapter 14 the Apostle Shaul Paul presented before them the need to use the gifts that were given to be given to the assembly in love, self-sacrificial love in order that the blessing will flow from the Lord to his own people and therefore the Apostle Shaul Paul is presenting this 13th
chapter before he is going into the 14th chapter where he will emphasize the need to use the gifts that were given to the assembly in a right manner, in a right way with the object of edifying the assembly and using the gifts that were given to the believers in love, in sacrificial love and that is why we have here the 13th chapter just before the 14th chapter to remind you beloved brothers and sisters that the Corinthians did not act upon it in the time that the Apostle Paul received this information concerning the condition of the Corinthians and therefore he wrote this letter and trusting that they will change their behavior and have one towards another
love, practical love that will be evident by their behavior one towards another and so as we are moving along here into this 13th chapter you will notice that in this 13th chapter 13 verses we have first of all in verses 1 and 2 the emphasizing that gifts are good but only if they are ministered with love and he will emphasize it in this chapter secondly in verse 3 giving the gift of giving are good but only if they are done with love and in love Shaul Paul will continue in verses 4 to 7 and he will emphasize that love is described here in this 13th chapter because God is love because God is love to
remind you that in 1st John chapter 4 we do read in verse 8 that God is love he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love in Hebrew Elohim who ahava love God God is love God is love in verses 8 to 12 the apostle Paul will emphasize the fact that love is better than our present incomplete knowledge even though we know much and we can know more love supersede love is better than the present day incomplete knowledge that we all have and finally in verse 13 he will emphasize the preeminence of love now let me remind you that in days of old God have required from his people Israel to love him
he wanted Israel the nation his own people to love him we read in Deuteronomy 6 and verse 4 hear o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might this is one of the most famous and central verses in the Hebrew scriptures in the whole word of God and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might now had Israel loved God in such a way with all the heart with all the soul and with all the might Israel would have enjoyed
the unity and the harmony with one another if you and I will love one another as believers of the assembly of the church of the ecclesia the way that God to love the Lord and to love one another the way that God wishes us to love one another and to love the Lord we would never have this issue of division that are happening today in the church in the professing church you remember what God said to Israel in Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 18 thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against thy children the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself this is such an amazing verse this is
exactly what we read in the Brit HaChadasha in the New Testament in the New Covenant that as we just read in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 8 this interesting verse because there we learn how important it is to love one another to love the brethren he that loveth not notice that he that loveth not knoweth not God 1 John chapter 4 and verse 8 why?
because God is love if you don't love if we don't love one another we do not know God because God is love this is exactly what was told to the people of Israel in the days in the days where God led his people through the wilderness to the promised land how important it is to understand the importance of loving the Lord and loving one another this is not merely a feeling but this is a sacrificial love which we often fail to practice in our day by day living you remember what John wrote which the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah before you have gone to the cross to the altar he said a new commandment I
give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have loved one to another he said this in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem to the apostles to the disciples before he went to the cross to pay for the sin of this world love one another three times beloved brothers and sisters it mentioned in John 13 verse 34 and 35 a new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples if you have loved one to another three times love one another had the church the assembly had practiced this as Israel the nation have practiced this there would have not be division among the people of God how sad it is that we fail to practice this and wherever it is practiced in some small measure blessings is provided for the people of God so how much we need the Lord's help how much the Corinthians needed the Lord's help to practice this and to experience this in their day-by-day living with one another as members of the body of the Messiah well notice that here now once the apostle Paul wrote the 12th chapter now in the
13th chapter of course there was no divisions of the letter we have been dividing it just to make things easy for us in the reading of the word in verses 1 and 2 and actually verse 3 the apostle is emphasizing the fact that love is enriching and the importance of love among the people of God now let me remind you that the word love in the scripture the Greek language is found more than four times two of them specifically is found in the new covenant in the new testament in the Hebrew scripture the word love is found many times the Hebrew word is Ahava the first time it is mentioned in the word of God
is in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 2 where God said to Abraham to take his son his only son whom he loved Isaac Yitzchak that's where you have the word Le'ehob Ahava Ahavta Asher Ahavta love it is found the first time in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 2 when it comes to the new testament the new covenant the word love is mentioned also many times but the first time the word love is really mentioned in the scripture we might even say it in a different way the times that the word Agapeo is mentioned in the new testament it is found in John 3 16 this famous verse for God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life and then we have once again it's mentioned in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 44 where we read by the word of the Lord but I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you we have this found in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 44 there are more than four times where the word love is mentioned in the Greek language out of them two of them mentioned in the new testament and words that are mentioned in the new testament are
the word Agapeo unconditional love and the love which represents a brotherly love phileo come from the word philadelphia where we have brotherly love there are other words that are not used in the new testament such as eros which is not mentioned this is physical sexual love between husband and wife and of course storge and storge mentioned twice but in the negative way in Romans 1 verse 31 and 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 3 where the word is mentioned astogos which is devoid of natural affection devoid of natural affection in other words devoid of love this is the condition that exists in the world but the word agapeo is mentioned many times and that is
the unconditional love that is described for us in the giving over of the Lord Jesus the Messiah giving over his body as a sacrifice for the sin of this world God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son the giving was that the son of God the son of the father came down to this world to humanity human nature with his divine nature and as men he lived his life here until he went to the shameful cross where he died for the sin of this world amazing love amazing love and so notice this beloved brothers and sisters what we have here in verses 1 2 and 3 let me read you verse
1 of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love I become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbals in other words love regards to even speaking in tongue though I speak with the tongue of men or of angels and have not love I become as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbals you remember and you will see that more in the next chapter the Corinthians have this problem with the desire to have external gifts that had been a showy gift that impressed others and were not really for the benefit of the assembly of the believers in that local assembly that's why we read at
the end of chapter 12 but covet earnestly the best gift and yet show I unto you the more excellent way in other words you are coveting this showy external gift and you are called to desire to have the gift that will be best to minister to the people of God but here I'm going to show you a more excellent way in other words a more excellent way than the way in which you were using the gifts you desire to have the Corinthians apparently these chapters are not written to commend them but actually to condemn their behavior and therefore the apostle is saying to them even though I speak with the tongue of men or angels
and here beloved brothers and sisters we must emphasize that this expression though I speak with the tongue of men or tongues of angels and have not love I become a sounding breath and a tinkling symbol we often time hear that people believers who claim that they are speaking angelic tongues let me suggest beloved brothers and sisters that whenever God shows us that an angel appeared unto men here in this world that angel always at all time in every instance spoke to that person in their own language it is never the reverse it is never that this person that receive an angelic visit in the biblical history they never spoke the angel tongue the angel spoke
man's tongue what the apostle Paul is saying here he is giving kind of an illustration even if there was such a thing that you can speak tongues plural of men of all men M E N all the languages that exist upon the face of this world of all people and all the languages of the angels if I do so and I don't do it in love and I have no love I become as a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol the lesson here is that love with regards to speaking in tongues is essential to speak the languages the gift that the Lord had given to other people to other men to other brothers and sisters
for the ministry of the word of God when they need to hear the gospel in their own language to have this gift to be able to speak a language without to learn in school in a supernatural way to receive that gift from the Lord in those days especially in the early days of the church age to do so with love and care unconditional love because we want to minister to one another my dear brothers and sisters Paul was not saying here that we all have enabled to speak some tongues of angels the word for tongues is glossa language it is strictly emphasizing the fact that if one have received the gift of speaking in languages
in tongues he must do so in unconditional love for the benefit of the other and not for showing and giving the assumption that he has some angelic language that he knows or some all the languages that are upon the face of this earth tongues plural the languages of men of all the people of the world beloved brothers and sisters it is so important to understand that the gifts were given for the benefit of the people of God and not to have this pride in claiming that one knows even languages of angels that no one knows we need to realize that God desiring us to be practical benefiting one another I know that there are many
views on these subjects and we don't always see eye to eye but beloved brothers and sisters Paul does not say that we now or some of us now speaks angelic language that's why he used the word though I speak if it's not possible we don't have it but even if you could and you speak in all the times of all the people all men and all angels and you do it in pride and not in love sacrificial love notice I am and Paul speaking of himself I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling symbol he used the word agape or unconditional love that's the reason why the gifts were given he continued notice in
verse 2 love with respect to the gifts of even prophecy and even the gift of faith notice we read in verse 2 and though I have the gift of prophecy and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have no love I am nothing now again beloved brothers and sisters notice what Paul does here use the word all prophecies all mysteries all knowledge all faith is there anyone who have all these things of course not Paul is taking it to the extreme just as he has taken it to the extreme if I speak in the languages of men then of angels of all men
of all angels it's not possible it's not gifts of angels language of angels that we are speaking because whenever angels appear here on earth they always spoke men's language to minister to people as we are called to minister to people to the body of Christ to the body of Messiah to believers so though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mystery and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could even remove mountain now beloved brothers and sisters God is not asking us to rearrange this world and to remove mountain from the east to the west or from the north to the south these are descriptions of the impossibility but
even if it can be the importance is love agapeo ahava unconditional love in ministering the gifts that God had given to the believers today among the body of Christ the body of Mashiach and developing this even more speaking of the prominent of love in the assembly of the believers in verse 3 having love is important with respect and with regard to even great personal sacrifices which we might offer here as we live here upon the face of this earth we read in verse 3 and though I bestow not as all my good to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not love it profiteth me nothing again beloved
brothers and sisters you can see how the apostle Shaul Paul is going to the extreme here to emphasize the fact that there are certain things that are just not true no one we see bestow all their good to the poor and give their bodies to be burnt well some may have experiences because another persecute them and put them to the fire or made them pull by taking everything from them and Paul is emphasizing the fact that even if you have done so in fact he's speaking of himself even if I have done so Paul speak of himself although I bestow all my goods to the poor and although I give my body to be burned
Paul did not though he have given his life for the Lord Jesus the Messiah he said but if I have no love it does not profit me you see the preeminence and the prominence of love is essential in the service of God in executing the gifts that the Lord had given to his own people and so in verses 1 2 and 3 love is enriching love is important in the way whereby we are using the gifts among the people of God it is enriching God's people it is making them benefit that's why the gifts were given if you remember we have already read in chapter 12 by the manifestation of the spirit is given this
is verse 7 in chapter 12 to every man to profit with all for the one giving by the spirit the word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another faith by the same spirit to another the gift of healing by the same spirit to another the work of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirit to another diverse kinds of tongues of languages to another the interpretation of languages but all these work the one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will the Holy Spirit of God gave us gifts so we will use it in order to enrich the people of God
spiritually and Paul continued here beloved brothers and sisters and in verses 4 5 6 and 7 Paul emphasized the fact that love does edify what love does for edifying the people of God what it is and what it does in verses 4 to 7 listen to this love's positive qualities is our mention here in these verses beautiful to read this in verses 4 5 6 and 7 let me read them together love suffereth long love is kind love envious not love wanteth not itself in other word love does not boast it is not puffed up does not behave itself unseemingly or not rude seeketh not her own not self seeking is not easily provoked not
easily getting angry think not evil another does not keep record of wrong rejoices not in iniquity don't rejoice in that which is evil but rejoices in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopes all things and endureth all things amazing in these verses 4 5 6 and 7 love's positive qualities are mentioned here and notice in verses 4b to the first part of verse 6 we can see the negative qualities he does not notice he's using the word here beloved brothers and sisters in a negative way to show us what love does not do and how love does not behave where we read that love does not envy love do not pride itself love
is not puffed up love does not behave rudely love does not seek its own you see love does not think of evil love does not provoke love does not rejoice in iniquity beloved brothers and sisters this is amazing now when we search our hearts and we see a time how easily there is that envy and pride and there is rudeness and easily getting angry and a time recording a wrong that has been done to us self-seeking and a time happy when evil happened to someone else how is it possible you see beloved brothers and sisters love is that which is found in the person of our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah did not boast is
if we read that we can even change the word from the word love to Yeshua to Jesus verse 4 Jesus or Yeshua suffer long Yeshua Jesus is kind Jesus does not envy Jesus the Messiah did not boast the Lord Jesus the Messiah is not proud does not behave himself unseemingly he's not rude when we think of the Lord Jesus our Messiah who was the meekest man on earth he said of himself learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart amazing Matthew chapter 11 when we read of him he was not angry whenever the Lord was angry he had righteous indignation because of sin that is happening here in this world he did
not seek himself he actually gave himself over for the sin of this world we read this amazing passage in the book of Philippians chapter 2 you remember these verses beautiful verses concerning our Messiah in Philippians chapter 2 Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being found in a fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross think think think about it beloved brothers and sisters what lessons we can learn from our beloved
Messiah the Lord Yeshua the Lord Jesus himself of him we read through the prophet Isaiah it says in Isaiah chapter 42 he shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised reed shall he not break and a smoking flag shall he not quench he shall bring forth justice unto truth amazing this is the Messiah this is Christ our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah amazing beloved brothers and sisters and so while in verses 1 2 and 3 we have the prominence of love as the gifts are being used verses 4 5 6 and 7 we have really the way where love is expressed itself the amazing way
in which love is expressed it is love not only enriching God's people but love is edifying God's people what love is and what love do that's what Paul is emphasizing here in these verses of 1st Corinthians chapter 13 verses 4 to 7 and so beloved brothers and sisters he does say in verse 6 at the end of it it says but love rejoicing in the truth and then continue bear all things believe all things hopes all things and endures all things things that's what love is and if we will place the name of our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah we learn from verse 6b Jesus rejoiced in the truth Yeshua Jesus is bearing all things
he believed all things he hoped for all things and he endues all things thinking about the fact that he endued beloved brothers and sisters as we read the book of Hebrews that the Hebrew believers were encouraged to realize looking unto Jesus unto Yeshua the author and a finisher of faith who for the joy that was set before him endued the cross despising the shame and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God consider him the author said to the Hebrews as Paul saying to the Corinthians here and so in verses 4 to 7 Paul is emphasizing the fact that love does edify it is love enrich God's people as we use
the gift that God had given to us in the power of the Holy Spirit of God for the benefit of God's people it will enrich God's people and even more love will edify build up God's people the user of the gift and the recipient of the gift will benefit and will be edified because of what love is and because what love does every one of us remember times in our lives that we have experienced the love of the brethren the love of the believers in a practical way how wonderful it was to experience this how wonderful it is to experience this but also how wonderful it is to extend this in ourselves in our life
to others and to use our gift always always with the help of the Spirit of God always with an attitude of love of ahava of agapeo and so Paul now as he continues on towards the end of this second half of 1st Corinthians chapter 13 in verses 8 9 10 and 11 and even 12 he emphasized the fact that love is enduring not only enriching not only edifying but also enduring it is being remembered for long time by others amazing when you really think about it and here he shows the contrast between love and simply the gifts that are temporary because gifts are only to be used here under the sun on earth among the
people of God but beloved brothers and sisters when we are going to be taken out of this world we will not use these or need these gifts in glory in the presence of God because there we will have no longer the old sinful nature that we have here we will no longer fail God and sin against God none of us and therefore we will not need all these gifts to build up one another because we will be like him like our Lord Yeshua the Messiah for we shall see him as he is we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is so in verses 8 to 12 the apostle Paul shows
us love in contrast to the spiritual gifts emphasizing the fact that love is greater than all the gifts that we might have especially when we use them to show off and to pride ourselves and to exalt ourselves because using the love of God and ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit of God expressing our love unconditional love towards God's people that is that which is enduring and lasting so he says in verse 8 notice that love never fail but whether there be prophecy they shall fail whether there be tongues or languages glossa they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away now interesting that we learn here from verse 8 that tongues
will cease now notice the apostle Paul saying prophecy they will fail and not as knowledge will vanish away but tongues will cease now it's interesting why does he emphasize the fact that tongues will cease again because tongues languages was that which the Corinthians seems to try themselves with and the whole chapter 14 of this book you will notice how the apostle is emphasizing the fact that they fail in activity of speaking in tongues because they have done so for a show and not for ministering to God's people wherever it needs to be used and so interesting when it comes to prophecy prophecy will fail why because sometimes we speak of something and it will come
to a point that a prophecy will fail because of the fact that we speak the word of God and the Lord in his purposes and plans does things in his own way and we are here in using the gift in much failure and therefore we might always be having the mind of the Lord and therefore it failed because sometimes we assume God says one thing and we don't follow this through or we don't have the spirit of God to lead us in a right way and therefore we say something which is not necessarily the mind of the Lord tongues languages they will cease it will stop and even knowledge will vanish away why because the
moment that we will be in the presence of the Lord we will know all things will be known even as he is known and so love never fails love never fails why because it remains when we get to glory we will no longer need the gift of languages because we will be in the presence of the Lord when when we get to glory we will no longer need prophecy because we are going to be in the presence of the Lord when we will be in glory we will no longer need to know because we know in part here but we will be like him and we will know that which the Lord wants us to
know but love will never cease never fail love is eternal in verse 9 he continue to say that we know in part here we also prophesy in part for we know in part that's with respect to knowledge and we prophesy in part we are limited that's why we do read in verse a that prophesying shall fail because we are only prophesying in part we are limited here in verse 10 the apostle Paul continues but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away the word here for that is the word telos t-e-l-a-o-s and that has to do with the fact the tamim the perfect when that which
is perfect will come that which is in part shall be done away and many who teach the word of God have a reference here to that which is perfect to refer to the Messiah himself in other word he which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away that is interesting we read in first John chapter three and verse two very interesting verse that apostle John wrote first John chapter three and I'll read verse two where we read beloved now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we
shall see him as he is this is first John chapter three and verse two and often time that those who link that with that verse verse 10 when that or when he that is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away now others would emphasize the that which is perfect rather than he which is perfect is come to refer to the word of God in other words when Paul is saying once the word of God in its completeness will come to be presented for the believers to remind you that the book of Corinthians as it was written was at a time when Paul answered to the Corinthians who did not
as yet receive the book of 1st Corinthians later later later on the apostle Paul wrote a second letter to the Corinthians in other words they were limited and therefore they didn't have the complete canon of scripture they didn't have the full revelation of God which he wanted to reveal to us to mankind to the body of Christ and therefore once the full canon of scripture will be available then that which is in part shall be done away and therefore they will need no longer to be limited with our understanding of the mind of God whichever that may be beloved brothers and sisters one thing for sure love unconditional love is that which not only enriching
God's people and edifying God's people but it will endure because love never fail and all other things are limited here under the sun because when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away and you remember he did say beloved brothers and sisters in verse 9 we know in part we prophesied in part in the previous verse 8 we did read that prophecy will fail that tongue or languages will cease and that knowledge will be vanished away and therefore when that which is perfect is come whether it is the person of our Lord Jesus the Messiah when he will come to take us home or whether it is when
the complete canon of scripture was now completed the divine revelation of God for his own people was given in the full canon of scripture from Genesis to revelation then that which is in part will be done away there there will be no longer need for extra biblical prophetic words or extra biblical speaking in languages and extra biblical knowledge which is not needed because we have the complete canon of scripture and anything that is beyond the word of God is not the word of God at all in fact God did say at the end of the book of the revelation of Jesus the Messiah we do read in the book of Revelation that we cannot add
anything to the word of God beloved brothers and sisters this is very very important we do read listen to this verse 19 of Revelation chapter 22 if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in the book in fact in the previous verse in verse 18 for I testify unto every man that hear the word of this prophecy of the book of this book if any man shall add unto this thing God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and
if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book and therefore we don't need to add anymore we don't need to subtract anymore because we have all the canon of scripture is that divine revelation of God is given to us now and therefore when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away and so beloved brothers and sisters whichever way one will look at this one thing for sure the scripture teaches us that love never faileth and love is enduring as love is edifying as love is
enriching and how important to use the God given gifts among the people of God with the power of the Holy Spirit of God and doing so in unconditional love may the Lord help us all to practice this among the people of God now as Paul continue in verses 11 and 12 or 1st Corinthians chapter 13 in verse 11 he emphasized the fact that spiritual gifts should be used in order to mature the people of God notice that it says you know it is to mature the people of God but also the mature believer will use it in a proper way when I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child
I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things you see Paul is emphasizing the fact that the believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah the brothers and the sisters are called to mature are called to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah so when I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought even as a child but when I became and notice Paul applying this to himself he says when I he wants each and every one of the Corinthians and in fact God wants each and every one of us and each and every
one who is a true believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah to internalize this fact and when and when we were children in the faith we spoke as children we understood as children and we even thought as children but when I became a man when we mature and grow spiritually we put away childish things just like our own children when they were children they were children they spoke like children they understood like children and they even thought like children but as they grow up hopefully they set aside when they become men women grown up setting aside childish things that is the sign of maturity and how important it is among God's people to show the
sign of maturity to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Hamashiach Peter wrote this at the end of his second epistle second Peter chapter three and verse 18 but he said grow grow in grace number one and in knowledge of whom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Yeshua Hamashiach to him be glory both now and forever amen Peter wrote that was the concluding verse of second Peter chapter three and so Paul is saying to the believers of Corinth you see you need to grow and when you were children in the faith you behave like this you thought like this but you see apparently sadly the Corinthians did
behave as children in their spiritual walk with the Lord that's why already early beloved brothers and sisters in the early part of first Corinthians Paul already told them that they were carnal they were carnal they did not behave in a way that was becoming they did not behave we read he said and I brethren chapter 3 verse 1 could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes babies in Mashiach in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat why for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able for ye are yet carnal for where is there is among you
envyings and strifes and division are ye not carnal and walk as men in other word unregenerated men in other words there were believers who walked and lived as unbelievers and they were behaving as babies and he gave them milk instead of meat they were envying one another there was strife among themselves there were division among themselves they were carnal they were acting in the flesh babasar in Hebrew they were acting according to the old sinful nature and how true it is often time in our lives beloved brothers and sisters lest we just look at the Corinthians and not search our own hearts we need to search our own hearts as well beloved brothers and sisters
and now finally in verse 12 he is saying to them here for now we see through a glass darkly but when he says later on then face to face now I know in part but then I shall I know even as I am known in other words now we do not see clearly everything we see as he says here like through a glass darkly things are not often clear but realize that even if things are not clear wait on the Lord behave in a way that is representing the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah in love and realize that we are limited in our knowledge we don't know everything we don't need to have
any external outward gift to show to pride ourselves and to seek to have glory for ourselves to realize that right now we see through a glass darkly not everything is clear and to wait on the Lord but then we will see him face to face now we only know in part we don't know everything therefore there's no need for pride and arrogance as if we know everything but then we will be known even as I am known amazing to think of these beloved brothers and sisters this is such such such an encouraging verses beloved brothers and sisters and therefore the apostle Paul emphasized in verses 8 to 12 that love is enduring love your brothers
and sisters use the gift that God had given to you in love recognize that the gifts themselves are only given to us temporarily and don't seek pride and don't seek just an external gift to give an appearance as if you are more spiritual than your brothers and sisters what one is called to do is to use whatever gift that God had given to us in love for the benefit of the people of God because love is enriching love is edifying and love is enduring it is lasting and so beloved brothers and sisters in conclusion of 1st Corinthians chapter 13 in verse 13 Paul is emphasizing the preeminence of love love in its abiding nature you
remember the verse that we read in 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 8 where Peter wrote to the early Hebrew believers he said to them whom having not seen ye love in other word they loved the Lord Jesus the Messiah although they have never seen him and they loved him and that's how the attitude that believers have to have today you and I have to have today just like what God called Israel to do to love the Lord and thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind and if we do love the Lord with all our hearts we love one another first John
chapter 4 and verse 7 for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love just as Israel were called in chapter 19 of the book of Leviticus thou shall not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people but thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself I am the Lord Ani Yehovah God said to Israel as John said God is love in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 8 beloved brothers and sisters so Paul concludes here as he emphasizing the preeminence of love here in verse 13 and now abide as faith hope love these three but
the greatest of these is love let me repeated beloved brothers and sisters now abide faith hope love these three but the greatest of these is love whom having not seen ye love love your brethren by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have love one towards another love will remain hope notice that he says here hope is the one that will also remain but it's not going to continue on because the moment we come to see the presence of the Lord Jesus the Messiah we don't have any more that hope because the reality come to pass because we will be in the presence of the Lord when it comes to
faith faith is also for here and now and faith will come to an end when we will see him we shall see his face now we haven't seen the Lord Jesus the Messiah yet but faith will come to an end when we are going to be with him we shall see him for we shall be with him we can be like him so faith will come to an end and hope will come to an end but love is the greatest of all because love never ends never faileth and never ends in heaven in the presence of God beloved brothers and sisters we will enjoy eternally God's love all God's people will enjoy the person of
God and the person of our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah and we will be reminded of his love for us who came down from heaven and loved us even unto death as we read in John chapter 13 at the upper room in the city of Jerusalem Jerusalem where we do read at the Passover night we read now before the feast of Pesach the feast of the Passover when Jesus when Yeshua knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father listen to this in verse 1 of John chapter 13 having love his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end he loved them unto
death and that was the death of the cross beloved brothers and sisters may the Lord help us to use the gifts that God had given to us in love and to do so for the enriching of God's people for the edifying of God's people for the enduring of the blessing for God's people because love never fail may the Lord bless you beloved brothers and sisters until the next time we say to you shalom shalom