Skip to content Agape: More Than a Feeling in 1 Corinthians 15-16 Oct 3 · 15 min ...more
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The Love Chapter: Understanding God's Definition of Love 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 love others. Now in this1:21 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. Yet, because1:34 they were the most dramatic, I guess, you could see them because they happened they were doing them during their their gatherings together. So the Corinthians were elevating them above the other gifts, and this1:46 misplaced priority is what Paul addresses in chapter 14 that we're gonna look at today. Alright. Beginning of verse 1, chapter 13. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become1:57 sounding brass or clanging a 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 but2:09 have not 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 here for just a moment. Now we live in a2:20 time when we have to define words, okay, in this postmodern world. You know, in this postmodern world, people are defining their own truth. They also redefine the meaning of2:32 words. We've seen that. Male, female. It's it's but it's the logical conclusion of denying truth. Paul discusses, Paul's discussion here of love is2:43 love defined by God. Right? 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 love to preach. Does it all have2:55 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 words that are translated into3:07 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. The the verb form is referring3:20 to the love of god, 1 of the kinds of love we are to have for other people. Agape is the very nature of God, for God is love. Agape is not a feeling. It is a decision that3:32 results in action. John 3 16, for God so agape, he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but3:44 have everlasting life. He took action. It was a decision. Phileo is a bond. We find this in John chapter 21 verse 5. It's a bond between3:56 friends, Philadelphia, city of brotherly love. Now eros is a romantic love. It's not actually found in the New Testament. That's, for those Andy Griffith fans, that's the4:07 earnest tea type of love. I love you. And there is store storge. Now that is, love and affection that naturally occurs between parents4:19 and children. Like eros, the Greek word is not found in the New Testament, but its opposite is. A stargos, which means without natural affection toward family,4:31 is used twice. So the prevailing meaning of love when used in the New Testament is not feelings, it's not emotions, not affirmation,4:43 but an intellectual choice. For instance, when Jesus says that we are to love our neighbor, the word is agapeo. It's not phileo.4:55 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 reverse is not true. Okay?5:07 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. What, love does not5:19 count, what does not count love is essential, but look at what he says. It it trumps, prophecy, knowledge, faith, compassion, and even being a martyr.5:31 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, prophecy, knowledge, faith,5:43 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 useless unless you5:55 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 love our fellow human being,6:07 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 love is exceptional.6:18 Alright? True love establishes you or enables you to live in a way that is radically counterculture. Alright. Look at verse 4. Love suffers long and6:30 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 no evil, does not rejoice6:42 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 not brag, it is not arrogant, it is6:53 not rude, it is not self seeking. It is not easily provoked. It does not rejoice with iniquity or evil. So what does7:05 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 not love.7:17 Okay? That's not love. Many people say, well, we just have to love everybody. We just have to love this. That is not love. Love does not gloss over the truth. It is patient. It takes7:29 evil but does not return it. Rather, it is kind, extending good to others. It bears all things, endures without giving up.7:41 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 all things, sees7:53 god, sees the god given potential in others when most have given up, and endures all things. Persecution, is patient in persecution and loving8:05 in a loving 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, they will fail.8:17 Where there are tongues, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done8:29 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 to grow up spiritually.8:40 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 now abide faith, hope, love, these8:52 3, but the greatest of these is love. So what is gonna end? Well, the gifts of the spirit, they will cease when Christ returns. Prophecies,9:03 tongues, knowledge. We will not need the gifts of the spirit when Christ returns because these things are temporary, which are partial and dim. They're dim reflections of the real thing,9:16 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 forever in his presence. Hope for our eternal9:27 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 never fall away. It9:39 will never end because god will never end. God is the definition of love. First John 4 16. And we have known and believed the love that god has for us.9:51 God is love, and he who abides in love abides in god and god in him. That's the love chapter. Alright. Chapter 14 continues Paul Paul's discussion of10:03 spiritual gifts focusing particularly on tongues and prophecy, the 2 gifts that were most prominent and sought after in Corinth. Now as noted earlier, there is a wide10:15 range of theological views on prophecy. I talked about this, I think, last time. Defining them defining this is, I think, defining this term properly is is,10:27 very important. Alright? The prophecy Paul describes here is not primarily the foretelling of future events, events, but spirit given insight applied in teaching and exhortation.10:40 Prophetic words may also carry local or personal application, but they are all they are always to be weighed carefully according to scripture. Now some hold that prophecy ceased10:52 with the 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 to11:04 the 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? What we11:52 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 spiritual gifts,12:04 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, since12:39 you 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, 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. The this gift that you have is not about you. It is about glorifying god13:15 and edifying others, and that is how we are to use our spiritual gifts. Father, we thank you for this teaching, fundamental teaching of the apostle Paul. And, Lord, we we13:27 can, what was we can so relate to the Corinthians who were immature, were jockeying for position, and were making it about themselves.13:38 Lord, I pray that, lord, the church today, that we, that are that are on this journey through your word. Number 1, we would see our spiritual gifts as we follow you, as we know you as lord and savior, that we would13:50 recognize that's the spiritual gifts that you have given to us and that we would use them to glorify you, father, to lift up the name of Jesus, and to edify the body of Christ. Lord, creating14:02 create in us the humble hearts of servants. Lord, that there would be no competitiveness in the body of Christ. But, Lord, that we would realize we are 1 body, many members, all14:14 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 this morning. Couple of reminders, coming up, October seventeenth and eighteenth, the pray14:25 vote stand summit at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. More information at pray vote stand dot o r g. I invite you to, to join us there. Also, we will be beginning our stand on the14:37 word journey through the Bible again coming in January. We'll start back with Genesis. So be praying about who you might invite to join you on this next journey.14:49 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, 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 God's Definition of Love
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