Love Hymn - 1 Corinthians 13

image: “Forever” by SidewaysSarah (source)

image: “Forever” by SidewaysSarah (source)

May 17, 2020

 1 Corinthians 13

Initial Thoughts

  • One of the most well known and beautiful parts of scripture

    • NOT INTENDED FOR WEDDINGS!!!

    • This is about love within a divided and divisive community - this is a message more to those on the brink of divorce than the beginning of a relationship

  • Should not be preaching in isolation from I Corinthians 12 - the unity of the community and the value of each individual finds it foundation in love above all things- EVEN FAITH - a radical declaration for a church founder

    • However- Christ as the basis for that love and the exemplar of love is established previously in the letter: 1:30, 3:7, 8:6

  • Love is greater than any individual gift or status

  • Hannah Haddad’s Letter

Bible Study

  • Agape vs phileo – used interchangeably, often used to justify a later interpretation of the word – e.g. mansions in John 14 (not what the word meant 400 years ago)

  • Kenneth Bailey, New Testament Scholar, suggests that 1 Corinthians 11-14 is a series of six homilies organized chiastically (A, B, C, D, C’, B’, A’). These are laid out below- what do you think of them? Do you find this structure compelling? Why?

In the Church, Love is Central

  1. Men and Women Leading in Worship: Prophets and How They Dress (11:2-16)

    1. Order in Worship: Sacrament—The Lord’s Supper (12:1-30)

      1. Gifts and the Nature of the Body (12:1-30)

        1. The Hymn of Love (12:31-14:1)

      2. Spiritual Gifts and the Upbuilding of the Body (14:1-25)

    2. Order in Worship: Word—Prophets and Speakers in Tongues (14:26-33a)

  2. Women and Men Worshiping: No Chatting in Church (14:33b-36)

What Love Is: Love is Greater Than Spiritual Gifts

  1. The Spiritual Gifts (12:-21)

    1. Love and the Spiritual Gifts (13:1-3)

      1. Love defined (13:4-7)

    2. Love and the Spiritual Gifts (13:8-13)

  2. The Spiritual Gifts (14:1-25)

What Love Isn’t: Christian Love Does Not Boast in Its Gifts But in Its Giver

  1. Continue in zeal for the higher gifts and I will show the way (12:31)

    1. Love and the spiritual gifts (13:1-3)

      1. Love defined positively (13:4a)

        1. Loved defined negatively (13:4b-6)

      2. Love defined positively (13:7)

    2. Love and the spiritual gifts (13:8-13)

  2. Purse love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts (14:1)

[Original: “Continue in zeal for the gifts and run after love.” KB overlooks the reversed ordering of love and spiritual gifts; the reversal mirrors the earlier combination (12:31) and stitches the two (love and spiritual gifts) together. All this from David S Schrock https://davidschrock.com/2013/08/29/love-like-christ-a-look-at-1-corinthians-13/]

  • Being not doing (see more on this from Brian Peterson at WorkingPreacher.com)

    • Love does a lot. The traditional translation Love is patient, Love is kind, etc is incorrect. In vv. 4-8a, love is the subject 16 times in a row.

    • Better translation, “Love shows patience” and “Love acts with kindness”, love is paired with action verbs- Love is doing these actions not simply being these things. (see more on this from Yung Suk Kim at WorkingPreacher.com)

    • “love is a busy, active thing that never ceases to work. It is always finding ways to express itself for the good of others.” (Peterson)

    • “Paul never says that such love feels good, ... But true love is not measured by how good it makes us feel. In the context of 1 Corinthians, it would be better to say that the measure of love is its capacity for tension and disagreement without division.” (Peterson)

Thoughts and Questions

  • What difference does it make for you to locate 1 Corinthians 13 in the larger context of the church at Corinth and its challenges (and to take it out of the context of, say, a wedding service)?

  • Paul uses many powerful images in this chapter, (ex: a noisy gong). List all of the images you find here. Is there one that you find particularly provocative or memorable? Why?

  • The previous chapter was about Spiritual gifts and this chapter is about love. What is the relationship between spiritual gifts and love?

  • The term “love” may be used in many ways. We may “love” our job or a great book or chocolate. How should we define love? How does Paul define love?

Year 2Eric Fistler1 CorinthiansComment