![]() But Paul notes that if we don’t have love, the most basic of gifts, all the other gifts are meaningless. It’s important to notice this because the prior gifts – prophecy, wisdom, charity, for example – are the ones that get the most attention in the world. But then he goes on in chapter 13 to speak of how love the most important spiritual gift of all. He appeals to the gospel as the one thing that binds them all together. ![]() In this letter it’s the topic he speaks on longest, because it’s at the core of the divisions in the church. Paul has just finished speaking about spiritual gifts – the foundation of the body of Christ. And then it’s at this point that he points them to the “why” behind the “what to do”. Paul responds to a number of their questions about the order of the service and so on, points out where he sees them in error. The church was “majoring in the minors” to borrow a phrase. They were boasting about their wisdom and knowledge, but Paul was pointing out that their wisdom was futile. There were rival groups fighting for attention and power while more serious issues were being ignored. ![]() When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he was writing to a church divided. But in reflecting back over an entire life we can see how that love flowed out to others, to see the hard work that it did in tough times, and to see that love is not merely something that is felt but something that one does. In marriage we see the romantic side of love, the love of one for another. These words are often heard at weddings, not at funerals. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 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 have not love, I am nothing. It does not store any personal data.1 Cor 13:1-7 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
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