Indeed, the “love chapter” stands incomparably above any passage on the subject in Scripture. But its position between 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 means it’s not a chapter about love per se, but love in the context of spiritual gifts and the Corinthian misuse of them.
Let’s first dispense with the mistaken notion that Paul is setting love against spiritual gifts. As is clear from 12:31(“But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.”) and 14:1 (“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.”) Paul is admonishing the Corinthians to seek spiritual gifts in love. The “way” is the manner in which the church should exercise gifts.
Second, let’s note that Paul urges upon the Corinthians “the way of love” because (as chapter 14 will make clear) they have self-interest in the gift of tongues instead of a “common good” interest.
Third, let’s realize that for Paul love is an act. Not an ethical concept or motivation for certain behavior. It is behavior.
Finally, “love” is the Greek agapayn—not romantic or friendship love, but love that wills the best for the unlovable. This is especially pertinent for the Corinthians where some are parading their gifts as marking their spiritual superiority over those “less” gifted.
This isn’t soft language. Though beautiful in its cadence, Paul means it to cut the Corinthians down to size. He mentions tongues first, because that’s where the Corinthian abuse lies. And this abuse affects the person (“I am a noisy gong . . . I am nothing . . . I gain nothing . . . “) Without love these activities are merely performance, and performance is an act of pride and God opposes the proud (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
Clearly, the Corinthians and Paul were at odds about the meaning of being “spiritual”. To the Corinthians it meant spiritual gifts. To Paul it meant holiness (the Holy Spirit) with love as its primary expression. Without love the Corinthians’ gifts were nothing more than irritating noise, made them nothing and profited them nothing . . .
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).
” . . . [T]ongues of mortals” refers to unknown human speech inspired by the Spirit. “Tongues of angels” refers to a heavenly language. Do the Corinthians (and Paul) believe that some messages in tongues are languages of angels or is Paul saying, “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and even of angels . . . “? Either way, if they don’t speak in love, they are just irritating noise.
To “have love” is to treat others the way God in Christ has treated us . . .
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
“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” (1 Corinthians 13:2).
In this second sentence Paul includes three gifts from 12:8-10–prophecy, knowledge and faith. Dr. Gordon Fee (Professor Emeritus at Regent College) says Paul means “understand all mysteries and all knowledge” to refer to ” God’s revelation of his ways, especially in the form of special revelation by means of the eschatological Spirit”. Even with this great revelation, if it’s not used in love, the speaking is “nothing”. The
Paul’s third reproof reaches far beyond spiritual gifts . . .
“If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3).
To give all possession is to make the ultimate possessions-sacrifice. How could such a sacrifice for the poors’ sake not be love? If it’s done to impress others.
An alternative reading in the Greek is ” . . .if I hand over my body so that I may boast . . . “. I mention this only because your Bible version may translate it that way. Though good reasons support this reading, I go with the NIV, ESV and NKJ among others.
Paul here names the ultimate sacrifice in which he gives his body to the flames for someone else. If not done in love, he profits nothing.
This statement makes it plain Paul isn’t pitting love against spiritual gifts. Even the greatest personal sacrifice gains nothing if not done in love.
* * * * *
The question is obvious: do I love the people among whom I offer my spiritual gifts? Do I offer my gifts in love?
It seems to me that offering gifts in love requires two changes. First, a change in the church. We need to know one another to truly love one another. Sunday-morning-whole-church-gathering isn’t enough, even if the church is only 50 or so people. Our solution in the last several decades has been small groups. But we banged our heads against a wall: so many people want only Sunday morning. Therefore, maybe we have to change how we “do” Sunday morning church. (I know: easy for me to say; I’m not pastoring any more!) Maybe we have to lengthen the service a little and make time for small groups within the service. Obstacles to that too, I know. But, if we’re going to really love one another and offer our gifts in love, we have to develop meaningful relationships with one another . . .
Second, a change in our hearts. All the outward changes accomplish nothing, if we’re not changed inwardly. That, of course, takes time, because the Spirit’s fruit is love–and fruit takes time to grow. But, in this case, it also takes prayer . . .
“Lord, even after all these years, my heart still bends toward myself. Too often I’m more concerned about how I look and sound, how I feel, what I need or want. Change my heart. Fill it with love, so I really care about what others need. As impossible as it sounds, baptize me in love so I can love as you do . . . “.
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