The Love Chapter – 1 Corinthians 13
Week of November 7, 2016
Monday
Of all the writings in the world, perhaps no other compares to the rich image of love described in 1 Corinthians
13. Often read at weddings, this chapter type-casted into this notion of romantic love. Certainly this is an
appropriate scripture for such a holy occasion but we miss the depth of the invitation to be a community marked
by this way of love.
Paul invites the church in Corinth to contemplate, and live into, the meaning of being God’s people. Before we
dive into the 13th chapter, I think it is important to understand the larger context of this writing. Paul has been
speaking to issues regarding authentic worship, in the 11th chapter, and then begins to dive into the role each
person is invited to play within the community of faith, in the 12th chapter.
A key to understanding these chapters is to center ourselves in the language of ‘us’ rather than ‘me.’ These
chapters are an invitation to see the impact of an ‘us’ mentality rather than a ‘me’ mentality. Humanity’s great
sin is rooted in ‘me-ism’—the propensity to focus solely on me and mine. Yet Paul boldly invites us into a bold
reality: that we are interdependent on each other in order to find wholeness! We are created, literally, for each
other! No lone rangers in God’s Kingdom: rather an intertwined community which reciprocates blessings…and
love!
Tuesday
I remember racing to the mailbox as a kid to see if I got any letters that day. Would a pen pal have written? Did
my grandparents send a card (hopefully with cash inside )? It was thrilling to receive a letter and hear from a
friend or loved one about their life and thoughts.
In the ancient world, letters were a prime communicative avenue. This letter to the Corinthian church was a
letter, not scripture. It was a letter from Paul, who had lived among them just a few years prior, teaching them the
way of Christ. Paul had learned of disputes in the church and divisiveness threatening to separate that which God
had brought together. This letter was a method by which Paul could help correct the problems and give them a
reminder: teaching them a deeper truth about God and the community.
The letter wouldn’t have had chapters and verses, nor headings, of course. It would have been read as a whole
without division. With that in mind, to gain the depth of insight into this 13th chapter, we need to see the flow
coming out of the previous chapter. Read 1 Corinthians 12:26-31 (this is of course taken out of the whole
conversation of chapter 12!). What does the final verse say? That is the key which opens the door to a deeper
understanding of chapter 13!
Wednesday
Love—what does it mean? The word love has many different connotations and is context based. When I use the
word to describe love for children, we get what we mean. Or, when used of a spouse, it is clear what that love is
like. When used of a childhood friend, it is quite clear as well. We have learned over the years how to interpret
the word love based on its context!
In the ancient world, they actually used different words to be descriptive of the type of love they inferred. For
example, to say I love my friend, the word was philio (brotherly love—the root of Philadelphia). Or, to say I love
my parents was storge which infers a love for family. Saying I love my spouse was eros—a passionate/physical
or romantic love. The final love was one that really became a normative term within the Christian context. It was
agape which grants the vision of unconditional, ever-present love; a self-giving love! It is used over 300 times in
the New Testament to describe God’s love for us…which in turns inspires us to love in the same manner. For a
moment, spend some time looking at these four images of love and ask how you have experienced them and
shared them with others.
Why is this study of love so important? 1 Corinthians 13 is a condensed study on this agape love. It is the
fullness of love lived out, for it is the root of the love that God has for all of creation! Mother Teresa wisely
quipped, “When you know how much God is in love with you then you can only live your life radiating that
love.” That is the agape love!
Thursday
The 13th chapter shines above all others in terms of envisioning agape love. Read the entire chapter through.
After reading it, write down your thoughts about what you heard. Then, read it through a second
time…slower…and underline each time a word or phrase jumps out at you.
Though this chapter is really one fluent idea, we’ll look first at verses 1-3. In a church marked by the endless
debate of who is better and who has better gifts, Paul challenges them to root themselves not in the eloquence of
their language (vs 1); their supernatural gifts which can impress others(vs 2); or even their piety to do good (vs 3).
Instead, without the root of love, all else is useless. The Message version simply says that without love, our
actions and abilities are bankrupt!
The challenge with love is that the word is often flung around haphazardly to the detriment of clarity of what we
mean by agape love. This love is without strings, without measurements, without a worthiness scale. It is a love
which is given away for that is the full nature of love! John profoundly says that “God so loved (agaped) the
world that he gave his only son…” Did you see it? Jesus is given to us out of the agape of God’s infinite love!
You are loved!!! And so is every. single. person! Thanks be to God!
Friday
Love lacks labels or conditions. It is impossible to say “I love you if…” or “I love you when…” the proper poster
is “I love you always…” We will spend our whole entire life learning how to live that love! The hope of heaven
is that we will live forever-more, in the fullness of the agape love that God has for us and that we, in turn, will
reciprocate the love to God and others.
Today, read 1 Cor. 13:4-7. Just to warn you…this is rich! Drink deeply and listen intently to what agape actually
is! What strikes you about this love?
Here’s a challenge…look at each stanza, write it down, and try to think of an example of how you have seen this
and how you have given this type of love. Of course, the antithesis to this is a good teacher as well! Are there
moments where your love hasn’t been patient, kind, etc?
Jesus gave us a command: To love God with our whole self and one another in the same capacity. One, simple
command. An invitation to live into the infinite vastness of a love that has no bottom, top, condition or drought.
An invitation to be love, in a world that knows too well the conditions we place on love. A love that flows as
freely as a waterfall into us, that then flows out of us. Let’s live love!
Saturday
It was a holy moment—Rev. Palmer contemplating what banner shall CUC gather beneath in every season of life.
It was the early 1920’s and a simple request for a handful of characters to adorn the sanctuary, which has since
inspired countless of people around the globe. You know the phrase—Love Never Faileth.
Today, we dive into the depth of our motto in the hopes that it takes on an even deeper reality in our lives. Read
1 Cor. 13:8-13. In the context of the writing, it is a statement of hope, of faith and of truth. When all of this—our
lives, our world, our reality—ends, love doesn’t. Love never fails for we are always only seeing parts of love.
Yet when nothing is left, love is there.
From before the creation, love was. That is the fullness of God—love. The Trinitarian belief is that love is what
binds the Trinity together! Creation is the byproduct of love. God creates out of the endlessness of love in order
to share the love. God comes to us, right where we are, out of the deep desire to love. When this world passes,
this love remains. It is the constant, the fullness of eternity, the hope of heaven.
Yes, we experience love, yet we know there is something always deeper still. It is seeing the shadow through
hazy windows, knowing that there is more to see on the other side. It is the draw that pulls our souls towards the
light of love. It is the culmination of all that is and will be. Love, you see, never fails, never ends and is the
greatest of all realities. Love wins!
- Central Union Church -