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Welcome to this course on building better relationships.
Relationships form the foundation of who we are and how we interact with each other. Through them, we learn what it
means to be human. But good relationships take work to be healthy and meaningful; they are built on love and respect.
The apostle Paul wrote "Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13
Charles Schultz, creator of the comic strip Peanuts, often addressed the difficulty of getting along with other
people. In one comic strip Lucy accuses her borther Linus of not loving his fellow man. "I love mankind,"
he replied. "It's people I can't stand." Have you ever felt that it is much easier to love all the people in the
world than it is to love one particular person?
One of our basic needs is to be loved by people, but human love will always fall short of meeting our deepest need.
God's love never falls short. In 1 Cor. 13:1-13, Paul notes how love is the greatest gift of all. If a person does not
love, then ultimately, nothing they do is of any value.
1 If I speak in the language of men and of angels, but
have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift
of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,
but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But
where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will
pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I
put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then
we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (New International Version)
V 1 - 3. Here Paul is essentially saying that no matter how 'spiritual' a person may be, how good a
teacher or preacher they are, how much faith they have, how many good deeds they do, even to the point of martyrdom, without
love it is all meaningless in the greater scheme of things. They are like a child banging on pots and pans
making usleless noise. It may get one noticed, but will gain no reward on the Day of Judgment.
V 4 - 8. These verses are familiar to many people. They have been used in countless marriage ceremonies.
These are the attributes of true love:
patience, kindness, not boastful, not conceited, doesn't act improperly, is not selfish, not provoked, doesn't keep a
record of wrongs, does not rejoice when others fail, rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things, never ends. WOW! Have any of us ever experienced such love from
another person?
V 8 - 12 Things of this earth will end. Whether it is speaking in tongues, prophesying, having
knowlege, all these things will cease to exist when Chirst returns. Chirst is perfection. At His return,
imperfect things will no longer be needed, and anything we do is imperfect, no matter how sincere or spiritial we may
be. It is like looking in an old, cloudy mirror. The image is poor at best. But someday we will
Christ face to face. Not only will we know in full, we will also be known in full.
Verse 11 has always seemed a little out of place to me. But I think what Paul is saying is that we are nothing
more than children. And as children, we speak, think and act like children. However, when Christ returns, we will
no longer need the childish things we so cling to in this life.
V13 But three things will remain when Christ comes. Faith, hope and love. Love is the greatest
gift because God is love. (John 4:8) After everything else is no longer needed, love will still be the governing
principle.
Think about it.
What is the greatest expression of love you have received from another human being?
How is God's love different from human love?
What does God's love mean to you?
How does the love described in this chapter compare to love as typically defined in our culture?
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