It is not about semantics. It’s not about being cute or clever. It is about an in-depth look at the meaning of the words which, when defined and examined, will reveal the depth of the wisdom in Chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians.
1st Corinthians, Chapter 13
“1. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
If I can speak many languages of Earth or of Heaven, but don’t have love, I am just noise. Gongs and cymbals, even though they have musical pitch, sound like noise, especially when out of the context of a symphonic orchestra. By themselves, they are noise. If I have no love, I am simply and only noise. Noise is not pleasant. Noise is irritating and disturbing. Consonance as opposed to dissonance is like love as opposed to no love.
If I am clairvoyant and can see into or foretell the future, if I have all the knowledge that there is and so much understanding that nothing is mysterious, and if I have such strong faith that can move mountains, but I don’t have love, I am what? I am nothing.
If I give away all I own to the poor and also work very hard physically, so hard that I can brag about it, but I don’t have love, I will gain nothing. There will be no reward. There will be no pay.
Love is the ultimate. It is the pinnacle, and it is the epitome of God Himself. The importance of love cannot be overstated, as it has been so clearly pointed out in the first three verses of the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians.
What is love?
What are its characteristics?
“4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Five words are stated, with deep meanings. To understand the message, we must understand the words within that message. If we don’t fully the words understand, we may as well be listening to a foreign language, one not known by ourselves.
From Oxford Dictionaries come all definitions herein –
Patient– adjective
- able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
Kind– adjective
- having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.
Envy– verb
- desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable thing belonging to (someone else).
“5. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
The commandment to “Honor thy father and mother.” is to command love because love does not dishonor others. The fifth verse does not exclude anyone. Love is love. Love is not a selfish thing. It is not easily angered. It can be angered, but not easily. “It keeps no record of wrongs.” How can that be without the combined effect of not only forgiving, but also of forgetting? If no record is kept, then things won’t be thrown up from the past. If they are, then love is absent. Love doesn’t do that. Hatred or resentment may, but love does not.
verb: Honor
- regard with great respect.
What, precisely is ‘respect’?
verb: Respect
- admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
What does admire mean? We cannot know the meaning of ‘dishonor’ without knowing the meaning of ‘honor’. ‘Admire’ is necessary to know, to fully understand ‘honor’
verb: Admire
- regard with respect or warm approval.
“I admire your courage”
Digging deeper, we find some synonyms or expressions.
Similar:
applaud
praise
express admiration for
commend
approve of
express approval for
favor
look on with favor
think highly of
appreciate
respect
rate highly
hold in high regard
hold in high esteem
look up to
acclaim
compliment
speak highly of
put on a pedestal
worship
adore
love
cherish
dote on
be enamored of
be infatuated with
Definitely, we don’t want to worship or put parents on a pedestal. Synonyms give insight into words, but are not accurate, explicit, and perfect definitions of words. Knowing where a word comes from, its derivation and/or etymology may be more correct than a synonym. Still, synonyms can be helpful and shine some light on each other.
“6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Love “rejoices with the truth.” Why? It doesn’t delight in evil. Lies must therefore be evil. Lying is evil. Love rejoices in truth. What is ‘rejoices’?
verb: Rejoices
Third person present: Rejoices
- feel or show great joy or delight.
Great joy and delight are strong emotions. A strong response to truth or evil are indicative of the reaction of having observed those things through the lens of “love’. Truth is in love and love is in truth. They are inseparable, in effect.
“7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Four times, the word, ‘always’ is stated. That is emphatic. It is precise and exact.
Always– adverb
- at all times; on all occasions.
This leaves no exception, no variation, and no exclusion. It is immutable; it is literally unchanging over time.
Always: protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. It’s not a “pick and choose” or an optional thing. If it is truly love, then it is as it has been stated.
“8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
It is a very bold statement, the first three words. “Love never fails.” It says ‘never’. We can conclude that if it fails, it is not love. It is apparently more than just a feeling. It has action, this thing called love. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. It has descriptive attributes, but also has action. It is not dead. It is not dormant. Love is a living and ongoing force.
“9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
10. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
11. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part: then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
We are not capable of seeing all and knowing all. We may feel still, but the galaxy in which we reside is traveling through space at 1.34 million miles per hour. We cannot see molecules, atoms, or sub-atomic particles, but they are in existence, vibrating, and in motion.
We cannot fathom the spiritual aspects of existence, but Paul intimates that one day, we will “know fully.” Yes, this is religious in nature. The concept is appealing and fascinating, nevertheless.
“12. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Faith and hope are great. There is no disputing that. It is implied by calling love what it is, the “greatest” of the three. Since it is the greatest, the others are also great, we may assume.
We have looked, a little, into what love is and what it is not. Are we capable of perfect ‘love’? Maybe not. Still, we have a yardstick or a meter or something to which to aspire.
The 13th Chapter of 1st Corinthians is a guide, a code of the operation of how to care for others and maybe even ourselves. Things to aspire to, to learn, and to strive for, we can use to adapt and adopt and become better at knowing how to treat others as we wish to be treated.
We don’t have to or need to boast, to envy, to lie, or keep records of wrongdoings. We can protect, trust, hope, and persevere with our love for others. We can start by being patient and kind, as the chapter describes. These are skills to learn and to practice and are not always easy.
Skill requires practice. Patience is also the cure for frustration. Your choice is to do or not do. It is to be or not be. Your legacy will be based upon the truth of your love for others. How do you wish to be remembered?