Skip to content Spiritual Gifts and True Love Oct 2 · 15 min ...more
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
94K followers
Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
94K followers
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Up next Autoplay More from Tony Perkins Michael Rubin, Bob Maginnis, Kelly Shackelford, Chris Smith, Arielle Del Turco Tony Perkins
11/12/2026 The Consequences of Recent Elections Become Clearer as We Move into the Final Months of 2026 Tony Perkins
Steven E. Moore, Robert Spalding, Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Josh Brecheen Tony Perkins
11/11/2026 The Jewish Vote Shift Amid Rising Anti-Semitism, American Security Targets, and Peace Talks Tony Perkins
Woe to the At-Ease: Amos' Call to Repentance Tony Perkins
Seek the Lord and Live: A Call from Amos 3-5 Tony Perkins
Harriet Hageman, Peter Doran, Joel Griffith, Glenn Grothman, Casey Harper Tony Perkins
11/10/2026 Ending Wars, a Lame Duck Congress, and Biblical Instruction for Leaders, on Today’s Washington Watch Tony Perkins
Ron Johnson, Andrew Clyde, Blaise Misztal, Michele Bachmann, Gary Hamrick Tony Perkins
11/9/2026 Reflections on How the Midterms Will Shape the Future Congressional Agenda and Foreign Policy Tony Perkins
From Tekoa to Bethel: A Shepherd’s Warning of Judgment Tony Perkins
The Love Chapter: Understanding 1 Corinthians 13 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to stand on the word. You're gonna love today's chapter because it's the love chapter. First Corinthians chapter 13, and we're also gonna take a look at chapter 14. In fact, verse 1, chapter 14,0:22 pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. No doubt, you have been to a wedding and you've heard chapter0:33 13 of first Corinthians used to describe love. That is not the context for this chapter. Alright? Not that it doesn't apply, but that's not the context. Our study today is0:45 gonna show us once again why a systematic, in our case, a chronological study of scripture is so important because we see in the context this passage, and it makes it even more powerful and instructive for0:57 us as we follow the lord Jesus Christ. So in chapter 13, Paul is actually continuing his instruction on spiritual gifts. The Corinthians, they were using their gifts competitively, which1:09 caused division rather than building up and unifying the body of Christ, which is the true purpose of spiritual gifts. So Paul redirects their focus to the law of Christ, which is to love God and love1:20 others. Now in this in the previous chapter, Paul had listed the gifts in what appears to be an order of significance. Tongues in their interpretation, they're placed last,1:32 yet because they were the most dramatic, I guess, you could see them because they happened they were doing them during their gatherings together. So the Corinthians were elevating them1:44 above the other gifts, and this misplaced priority is what Paul addresses in chapter 14 that we're gonna look at today. Alright. Beginning in verse 1, chapter 13. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,1:59 clanging 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 but have not love, I'm nothing. And though I bestow all2:09 my goods to feed the poor, and though I give love, I'm nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. So so let me stop here2:18 for just a moment. Now we live in a time when we have to define words, okay, in this postmodern world. You know, in this postmodern world, people are defining their own2:30 truth. They also redefine the meaning of words. We've seen that. Male, female. It's it's but it's the logical conclusion of denying truth. Paul discusses, Paul's2:41 discussion here of love is love defined by God. Alright? Love in our culture is an overused word. Alright? So we say I love my wife. I love pizza. I love my dog. I love to2:53 preach. Does it all have does love have the same meaning in all of those sentences? No. Of course not. So to better understand the meaning of love, we have to look at the biblical words3:05 that are translated into English into English into the English word love. There are 4 different Greek words that are translated into the English word love. Agape. This is a noun.3:17 The the verb form is referring to the love of God, 1 of the kinds of love we are to have have for other people. Agape is the very nature of God, for God is love. Agape is3:29 not a feeling. It is a decision that results in action. John 3 16, for God so he so loved the world that he gave his3:41 only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He took action. It was a decision. Phileo is a bond. We find this in3:53 John chapter 21 verse 5. It's a bond between friends, Philadelphia, city of brotherly love. Now eros is a romantic love. It's not actually found in the New Testament. That's,4:05 for those Andy Griffith fans, that's the earnest t type of love. I love you. And there is store storge. Now that is, love and affection that4:17 naturally occurs between parents and children. Like eros, the Greek word is not found in the New Testament, but its opposite is. A stargos, which means4:28 without natural affection toward family, is used twice. So the prevailing meaning of love when used in the New Testament is not feelings, it's not emotions,4:41 not affirmation, but an intellectual choice. For instance, when Jesus says that we are to love our neighbor, the word is agapeo.4:53 It's not phileo. It's it's it's not which would be an emotional bond. Feelings and emotions may come from the decision to love someone, but the reverse5:05 is not true. Okay? So having established this definition of the word used here, let's take a deeper look at what Paul is teaching us regarding love. First, love is essential.5:17 What, love does not count, what does not count love is essential, but look at what he says. It it trumps, prophecy, knowledge, faith, compassion, and5:29 even being a martyr. Look. That's what he lists in the first 3 verses. So love is essential. Love is more important. This is a representation of the spiritual gifts, as I said, persuasiveness,5:41 prophecy, knowledge, faith, compassion, martyrdom. The Corinthians were focused on their gifts as the be all and end all, and Paul says you're wasting your time. It's useless5:53 unless you add love. Love is the catalyst that gives life to our spiritual gifts. Again, what is love? Love is the decision to love God and to love6:05 our fellow human beings, especially believers. Without love, our actions become legalistic, but with love, all that we do is brought to life and empowered by God. So love is essential, and love6:17 is exceptional. Alright? True love establishes you or enables you to live in a way that is radically counterculture. Alright. Look at verse6:28 4. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. Love is not puffed up, meaning arrogant. Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no6:40 evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. So here's what love does not do. Love does not envy, does not does not6:52 brag, it is not arrogant, it is not rude. It is not self seeking. It is not easily provoked. It does not keep a list of wrongs. It does not rejoice with iniquity or evil.7:04 So what does it do? Well, he lays it up here. Rejoices with the truth, the gospel truth. False love will attempt to gloss over truth, and it tolerates evil. That's not7:16 love. Okay? That's not love. Many people say, well, we just have to love everybody. We just have to love this. We have to that is not love. Love does not gloss over the truth. It is7:28 patient. It takes evil, but does not return it. Rather, it is kind, extending good to others. It bears all things, endures without7:40 giving up. Okay? It it perseveres, takes things in stride. It believes all things, and and that is sees and believes the best in others and has faith, hopes all7:52 things, sees God, sees the God given potential in others when most have given up, and endures all things. Persecution, is patient in persecution8:04 and loving in a loving spirit. Spirit. So love is, is essential. Love is exceptional, and love is eternal. Look at verse 8. Love never fails, but where there are prophecies,8:16 they will fail. Where there are tongues, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is8:28 in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. And when I became a man, I put away childish things. So once again, he's encouraging the Corinthians to8:38 grow up spiritually. Verse 12, for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am known. And now8:49 abide faith, hope, love, these 3, but the greatest of these is love. So what is gonna end? Well, the gifts of the spirit, they will cease9:01 when Christ returns. Prophecies, tongues, knowledge. We will not need the gifts of the spirit when Christ returns because these things are temporary, which are partial and dim.9:13 They're dim reflections of the real thing, and will be done away with when the perfect has come. So what endures? Faith, hope, and love. Faith toward god, it will no longer be necessary when we are forever9:25 in his presence. Hope for our eternal destiny with him, it too will no longer be needed when our hope is realized in eternity. Love, this is the greatest because love will never9:37 fall away. It will never end because God will never end. God is the definition of love. First John 4 16. And we have known and9:49 believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. That's the love chapter. Alright. Chapter 14Spiritual Gifts and the Call to Edify the Church 10:01 continues Paul Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts focusing particularly on tongues and prophecy, the 2 gifts that were most prominent and sought after in Corinth. Now as10:13 noted earlier, there is a wide range of theological views on prophecy. I talked about this, I think, last time. Defining them defining this is, I think,10:25 defining this term properly is is very important. Alright? The prophecy Paul describes here is not primarily the foretelling of future events, but spirit given insight applied in teaching10:37 and exhortation. Prophetic words may also carry local or personal application, but they are all they are always to be weighed carefully10:52 apostles, while others believe that the gift of prophecy continues, though not with the same authority or the binding nature of scripture. Prophecy does not add to the11:04 closed canon, but may serve the church in a timely way. All we again, always subject to the judgment of scripture. I hold this latter view. I believe the gift of prophecy11:16 continues for local, edification, but always, to be held in subjection to the scripture. And I think it's an exhortation. I think it it it teaches. It's,11:28 it's declaring the word of God, the existing word of God and its application to us today. Paul begins by reminding the Corinthians that the11:40 starting point for the exercise of any gift must be what? We just read about chapter 13, love, an intentional commitment to seek the well-being of others and11:52 to glorify God. Not about exalting ourselves, not about, you know, it shouldn't be coming out of pride or competition. Verse 1, pursue love and desire spiritual12:03 gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who seeks or for he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no 1 understands him. However, in the spirit, he speaks12:15 mysteries, but he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the12:27 church. So Paul goes back to the theme of chapter 12. The purpose of gifts is to is for the benefit of the whole, not the individual. Verse 12. Even so you, since you12:39 are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. How is it then, brethren? Whenever verses 26. Whenever you come together, each of you has12:51 a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. Bottom line, your spiritual gift, and you have 1.13:03 Every follower of Christ, every believer has at least 1 spiritual gift. It's given to you by the Holy Spirit.13:21 Lord, And, Lord, we we can, what was we can so relate to the Corinthians who were immature,13:33 were jockeying for position, and were making it about themselves, lord, I pray that, lord, the church today, that we that are that are on this journey through your word, number 1, we would13:45 see our spiritual gifts as we follow you, as we know you as lord and savior, that we would recognize that's the spiritual gifts that you have given to us and that we would use them to glorify you, father, to lift13:57 up the name of Jesus, and to edify the body of Christ. Lord, creating create in us the humble hearts of servants. Lord, that there would be no competitiveness in the body of Christ.14:09 But, Lord, that we would realize we are 1 body, many members, all put in place to glorify the head, and that is Jesus Christ. For it's in his name we pray. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this14:21 morning. Couple of reminders, coming up, October seventeenth and eighteenth, the Pray Vote Stand Summit at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. More information at pray vote stand dot o r g. I invite you to, to join14:33 us there. Also, we will be beginning our stand on the word journey through the bible. Again, coming in January, we'll start back with Genesis. So be praying about who you14:45 might invite to join you on this next journey. We need, in these days in which we're living, we need to be in the word of God. So, so important. Alright. With that,14:57 until next time. Keep standing on the word.15:02 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you15:14 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Love Chapter: Understanding 1 Corinthians 139:57 Spiritual Gifts and the Call to Edify the Church
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.