Bible Study Lesson 3 — Love (1 Corinthians 13)

In preparing a study on the awesome theme of agape in the New Testament, I have decided to present the study in parts. To begin, I will cover Paul's "Love Chapter" — 1 Corinthians 13 — then John's writings about agape.

The commands from Jesus — "you love (agapao) one another, even as I have loved (agapao) you" and "By this all will know that you are My disciples (mathetes), if you have love (agape) for one another" — are the key texts that launch our studies. We will spend time on them in the next part.

In chapters 12 through 14, Paul is discussing spiritual gifts and their abuses by the Corinthian Church as they fought over supremacy of gifts. Paul tells them "the most excellent way" is Love — without it you have nothing; with it you have everything. Love is the character of God. As you look at this chapter, you can substitute for the word "love" (agape) the words "Jesus" or "God" and you will see the revelation of God as revealed by, in, and through Jesus Christ.

The Most Excellent Way — Verse by Verse

1 Corinthians 12:31

"But zealously desire (zeloo) the greater gifts. And yet I will show you a more excellent (huperbole) way (hodos)."

zeloo — to have warmth of feeling for or against; affect, covet earnestly, have desire, move with envy, be jealous over, be zealous huperbole — a throwing beyond others; (figuratively) supereminence; preeminently, abundance, far more exceeding, excellent, beyond measure hodos — a primary word; a road; by implication a progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, a mode or means, journey, highway

Chapter 13, Verse 1

"Though I speak with the tongues (glossa) of humanity (anthropos) and of angels (aggelos); but do not have love (agape), I have become a noisy (echeo) gong (chalkos) or a clanging (alalazo) cymbal (kumbalon)."

glossa — uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired) anthropos — humanity; a human being aggelos — probably derived from "to bring tidings"; a messenger; especially an angel agape — love; affection or benevolence; a love-feast; dear, love echeo — to make a loud noise; to reverberate, roar, sound chalkos — the idea of hollowing out as a vessel (this metal being chiefly used for that purpose); copper (the substance, or some implement or coin made of it) kumbalon — a cymbal (as hollow) alalazo — from alale (a shout, "halloo"); to vociferate, to wail; figuratively, to clang

Paul tells us that the gifts of eloquent speech — whether human, ecstatic, or angelic — are just noisy and out of place. They are worthless without love.

Verse 2

"If I have the gift of prophecy (propheteia), and know (eido) all mysteries (musterion) and all knowledge (gnosis); and though I have all faith (pistis), so that I could remove (methistemi) mountains, but do not have love (agape), I am nothing."

propheteia — prophecy; prediction (scriptural or other); prophesying eido — properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication to know, be aware, consider, have knowledge, look on, perceive, be sure, tell, understand, wish musterion — from a derivative of muo (to shut the mouth); a secret or "mystery" (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites) gnosis — knowing (the act); by implication knowledge, science pistis — persuasion; credence; moral conviction of religious truth; especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; assurance, belief, faith, fidelity methistemi — to transfer; carry away, depose or (figuratively) exchange, seduce, put out, remove, translate, turn away

The prophetic gifts include preaching and teaching, and the gift of knowing all there is to know — including so-called secret knowledge — and faith that can move mountains. Paul says that even these amazing gifts are worthless without love.

Verse 3

"And if I give all my possessions (huparchonta) to feed (psomizo) the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits (opheleo) me nothing."

huparchonta — things extant or in hand; property or possessions, goods, substance, that which one has psomizo — to supply with bits; (generally) to nourish, to feed opheleo — to be useful; to benefit: advantage, better, prevail, profit

If we give everything we have to the poor, and even suffer martyrdom — something that would make others look upon us with awe — our actions are meaningless and worthless without love. When applied to God — since He is love — everything about Him is valuable and awesome.

Verse 4

"Love is patient (makrothumeo), love is kind (chresteuomai) and is not envious (zeloo); love does not brag (perpereuomai) and is not arrogant (phusioo)."

makrothumeo — to be long-spirited; (objectively) forbearing or (subjectively) patient; bear (suffer) long, be longsuffering, have long patience, be patient, patiently endure chresteuomai — to show oneself useful; to act benevolently; be kind zeloo — to have warmth of feeling for or against; covet earnestly, have desire, move with envy, be jealous over, guard zealously perpereuomai — to boast, vaunt itself phusioo — the primary sense of blowing; to inflate; (figuratively) make proud, haughty, puff up

Looking at the descriptive words Paul uses in verses 4–7, we can see what God is and what we are not. We can praise the LORD for the great gift of Salvation. In Jesus we are justified, sanctified, and glorified. This is the joy of the Gospel message. We can proclaim along with David his words in Psalm 92:

It is good to give thanks to Yahweh
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your loving kindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night.

Psalm 92:1–2

Verse 5

"Does not act unbecomingly (aschemoneo); it does not seek (zeteo) its own, is not provoked (paroxuno), does not take an inventory (logizomai) of evil (kakos)."

aschemoneo — to act unbecoming; behave uncomely, unseemly zeteo — to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, to worship God, or in a bad sense to plot: desire, endeavour, enquire for, require paroxuno — to sharpen alongside; to exasperate; easily provoke, stir up logizomai — to take an inventory; to estimate (literally or figuratively): conclude, account, despise, esteem, impute, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think on kakos — worthless, depraved, or injurious: bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked

Verse 6

"Does not rejoice (chairo) in unrighteousness (adikia), but rejoices (sugchairo) with the truth (aletheia)."

chairo — to be "cheerful"; calmly happy or well-off; be glad, God speed, greeting, joy, rejoice adikia — legal injustice; morally, wrongfulness of character: iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness, wrong sugchairo — to sympathize in gladness; congratulate, rejoice in or with aletheia — truth, truly, verity

Love is never selfish. It does not keep a record of wrongs — it is forgiveness as God forgives. God is always honest and upfront.

Verse 7

"Bears (stego) all things, believes (pisteuo) all things, hopes (elpizo) all things, endures (hupomeno) all things."

stego — to roof over; to cover with silence; endure patiently pisteuo — to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to a person or thing); to credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ) elpizo — to expect or confide; (have, thing) hoped for, trust hupomeno — to stay under (behind); to remain; figuratively, to undergo (bear trials); have fortitude, persevere, abide, endure, suffer patiently, tarry behind

Love is as solid and enduring as the Rock of Gibraltar.

Verse 8

"Love never fails; but if there are prophecies, they will be done away with (katargeo); if there are tongues, they will cease (pauo); if there is knowledge (gnosis), it will be done away with (katargeo)."

katargeo — to be entirely idle, useless; abolish, cease, destroy, do away, become of no effect, fail, loose, bring to nothing, put away, vanish away, make void pauo — to stop, restrain, quit, desist, come to an end, cease, leave, refrain gnosis — the act of knowing; (by implication) knowledge, science

God will never fail His people because He is Love. We have just read the ultimate definition of what love is and therefore what God is. Jesus is the revelation of God, and Love reveals His character and His motivation while He was on earth.

Verse 9

"Because we know in part and we prophesy in part."

We only know very little, because our knowledge and wisdom are marred by sin. Therefore, even our concept of love is flawed by sin.

Verses 10–12

"But when that which is perfect (teleios) comes, the partial (meros) will be done away with (katargeo). When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with (katargeo) childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I am fully known."

teleios — complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character); completeness, of full age, man, perfect meros — a division or share (literally or figuratively): partly, piece, portion, respect, some

As we mature, we grow out of the childish things we did; we adopt adult ideas and thinking. The same is true in Christ. We grow daily and mature in our relationship with Him. The more we get to know Him and His love, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the more we can love others. This is what true discipleship is all about.

Verse 13

"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

The ultimate has been reached — love is the greatest of all that remains. Because love is the character of God, and the characteristic of His people, it is worthy of our pursuit and study. We, as His people, are defined by our love for God and for others. There is no other qualification. Love sounds so simple, but as we contemplate it, it is profound. It appears easy to love, but when we apply it in our lives it is difficult. By God's grace, and by the indwelling Spirit, we can really LOVE.

Study Questions

Answer each question below based on what you have read in 1 Corinthians 13. Submit your answers and we will respond with additional study notes.

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Q1. In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul says he will show the Corinthians a "more excellent way." What is that way, and why does he call it more excellent than the spiritual gifts?

Q2. According to verses 1–3, what three impressive things can a person do that are still worth NOTHING without love?

Q3. Verses 4–5 describe what love IS and what love IS NOT. List as many characteristics as you can from memory.

Q4. What does it mean that love "does not take an inventory of evil" (v. 5)? How does this apply to forgiveness in your own life?

Q5. Verse 9 tells us we "know in part and prophesy in part." The study note observes that our knowledge and wisdom are marred by sin. How does this humbling truth change the way you approach your understanding of God and Scripture?

Q6. Verse 8 says "Love never fails." What three gifts does Paul say WILL eventually cease or be done away with? Why do you think love outlasts them all?

Q7. In verses 10–12, Paul compares our current knowledge of God to seeing "in a mirror dimly." What do you think it will mean to know God "face to face"?

Q8. Verse 13 says faith, hope, and love all abide — but love is the greatest. The lesson notes that love "sounds so simple, but as we contemplate it, it is profound." In your own words, why is love the greatest of the three?

Q9. The author suggests you can substitute "Jesus" or "God" wherever you see the word "love" in this chapter. Try it with one verse that means the most to you and write it out below.

Q10. What is one specific area of your life where you feel God is calling you to grow in love toward another person? How will you apply this lesson?

Thank You!

Your answers have been received. We will review them and get back to you with encouragement and further study notes. Keep seeking God in His Word — He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

"Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." — 1 Corinthians 13:13