The Love Chapter
I Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter of the Bible. Several years ago when my oldest daughter, Amy, married she asked a friend to read I Corinthians 13 at her wedding. She specifically requested a version of the Bible be used that had the word love not charity.
Just before the wedding was about to begin, we realized we had forgotten the Bible. Fortunately, the church had one available. As the friend began reading the scripture (before the bride had entered) I was horrified to hear the word charity instead of love. Too late to make a change. Funny how things that go wrong in a wedding make the memorable moments.
“Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV
Agape Love
Charity or love in I Corinthians means the same thing. It is translated from the Greek word agape. God commands us to love one another. It is not a choice in the life of a Christian. So, what is agape love?
Love suffers long (having patience with imperfect people) and is kind (active in doing good); love does not envy(it wants other people to get ahead); love does not parade itself (try to impress others or be someone it is not), is not puffed up (treating others arrogantly); does not behave rudely (displays good manners and courteous), does not seek its own (unselfish and insisting on its own rights), is not provoked (graceful under pressure), thinks no evil (does not keep an account of wrong); does not rejoice in iniquity (does not find happiness in others shortcomings), but rejoices in the truth (speaks of good and finds joy in it); bears all things (defending other people), believes all things (believes the best about others), hopes all things (never gives up on others), endures all things (remains loyal until the end). Love never fails.”
I Corinthians 13:4-8a NKJV
(Words in the parenthesis are taken from the Living Bible commentary)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
I John 4:7-8, 11 NKJV
Required to Love
God is love. The Bible makes it clear that we as Christians are required to love. ‘Ought to love one another’ means that we are required or under obligation to love others.
Love From God
Love is not something we can make ourselves do. Love comes from God. Through knowing Him, we can love others.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
I Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
Show Love
Faith, hope and love are necessary for believers while living on earth. In eternal life, faith will be changed to sight, hope will be experience, but love will be eternal because God is love. Show love to others.
https://youtu.be/Z9R5-ftzhn4 Babbie Mason
Paula Wallace
Additional Reading.
