Keith and Nathan take a brief look at the opening lines of first Corinthians 13. There’s a lot to unpack in the short amount of time that we have.
It’s always a good idea to study the genuine article, so a counterfeit item can be duly recognized. The same is true for genuine love. Paul opens up this passage talking about language, and contrasting that to the monotonous sound of a gong. The point being, that no matter how eloquent the speaker may be, if there is no love behind the message you may as well be blowing sour notes from a trumpet, or banging on a bell.
The same can be said for the topics of prophecy, knowledge, or even faith. The best preacher in the world, or the most active pastor who does include love and what they do is meaningless. They might speak the truth, but sometimes what’s more important is having the right attitude of love as that message is being delivered. Possibly even restating the truth to soften it to meet the need in the moment. The old adage has some truth behind it. People don’t care about what you know, until they know that you care about them.
What about works? Doesn’t it prove that you care if you’re doing things for others? Without love in it, the sacrifices and deeds a person might do turns out to be self-centred action. Actions alone are futile when it comes to salvation. Only the work of Christ himself can do that. Once a person is aware of the need for Christ, and repents, at that point there works matter. Christians are called to do good works, not to be saved by the good works.
With our time running short, we have to stop our discussion at this point. Stay tuned as we return to look at more of what Paul wrote about love in this chapter. If you just can’t wait to hear back from us, on your own, and use our contact form or email us with what you find. Would love to hear from you.
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