The More Excellent Way, Part 1
The Necessity of Love
1 Corinthians 12:31—13:3
The More Excellent Way
• The Necessity of Love (13:1-3)
• The Description of Love (13:4-7)
• The Duration of Love (13:8-13)
1 Corinthians 12:29 13:1
“Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all
teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all
possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with
tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly
desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a
still more excellent way. If I speak in the
tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging …”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to
remove mountains, but have not love, I am
nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I
deliver up my body to be burned, but have
not love, I gain nothing.”
(ESV)
Love is at the Heart of Christianity
• It is the simplest description of God
– “God is love”
(1 Jn 4:16)
Love is at the Heart of Christianity
• It is the simplest description of God
• It is the most telling description of a
follower of Christ
– “By this all people will know that you are
my disciples, if you have love for one
another.” (Jn 13:35)
Love is at the Heart of Christianity
• It is the simplest description of God
• It is the most telling description of a follower
of Christ
• It is the highest gift
– “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these
three, but the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Cor 13:13)
Love is at the Heart of Christianity
• It is the simplest description of God
• It is the most telling description of a follower
of Christ
• It is the highest gift
• It is the only environment in which true
spiritual gifts can operate
– 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
Greek Words for Love
• Eros—sexual passion. A love that stresses
passionate desire.
Greek Words for Love
• Eros—sexual passion. A love that stresses
passionate desire.
• Philos—affection. A love that enjoys the
company of the people you like.
Greek Words for Love
• Eros—sexual passion. A love that stresses
passionate desire.
• Philos—affection. A love that enjoys the
company of the people you like.
• Storgos—familial love. A love born out of
natural affection or obligation.
Greek Words for Love
• Eros—sexual passion. A love that stresses
passionate desire.
• Philos—affection. A love that enjoys the
company of the people you like.
• Storgos—familial love. A love born out of
natural affection or obligation.
• Agapē—selfless love. A love that seeks
only the good of the one loved.
Eloquence without love is Nothing
“If I speak in the tongues of men and
angels, but have not love, I am a noisy
gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1)
Tongues of Men and Angels
• Some separate this phrase into two
categories.
– Tongues of men—human languages
– Tongues of angels—utterance unknown to
man
Tongues of Men and Angels
• Paul is saying,
– “Even if you can speak all kinds of human
languages with great fluency and even do
it with angelic eloquence—and you don’t
have love—your eloquence is worthless.”
Noisy (ēcheō)
• An endless reverberating sound with no
pitch.
– Word from which we get “echo.”
Cymbal (kymbalon)
• A thick metal plate that when struck
sounded forth an intrusive, invasive
noise—not a musical sound.
– Used in the Dionysius cult to scare away
demons, wake God up, and excite
worshipers to speak in ecstatic utterances.
Perfect Knowledge without
love is Nothing
“And if I have prophetic powers, and
understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have all faith, so
as to remove mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing.” (2)
• A Jewish proverb for a task that was
impossible.
– Used as hyperbole—even if you had an
impossible measure of …
Prophecy (prophēteia)
• To proclaim, declare, or interpret.
– In the Bible it is used primarily of the
declaring of the Word of God.
– It is more “forth-telling” than “fore-telling.”
Mysteries (mystērion)
• Secret truths. Truths that people could
never find out for themselves without it
being revealed to them by God.
Sacrifice without love is Nothing
“If I give away all I have, and if I
deliver up my body to be burned, but
have not love, I gain nothing.” (3)
Give Away (psōmizō)
• To give away bit, by bit. To give a small
piece of bread.
Deliver up my body to be burned
• Some manuscripts read, “deliver up my
body that I may boast.”
The More Excellent Way, Part 1
The Necessity of Love
You may not be eloquent, able to do
spectacular things, or have amazing talents
… but if you truly love people, you are able
to do wonderful and significant things.