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Love One Another - 1Cor. 13
Love One Another - 1Cor. 13
One of the greatest synopses on the nature and the character of ‘love’ is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Many preachers, myself included, have found this useful in trying to illustrate what it means for a husband to love his wife. I will continue to do this, however it is instructive to realize this context is not about marriage but about the relationship of brethren to each other.
The underlying problem of the Corinthians was simply a lack of true love for each other. This showed up in their prideful mistreatment of each other in ch. 1-4, in their selfish lawsuits against each other, and in their willful demanding of their rights over the endangerment of brethren’s salvation in ch. 8-10. Love does not act that way.
The greatest commandment: Love God. The second: love your neighbor as yourself. These were not just ‘neighbors’, they were brethren in the Lord. These were heirs together in the grace of life.
If we can not love our brethren whom Christ died for, then we do not have the love of God in our heart. Corinth was not the last church that had such major inner struggles. History is littered with countless congregations having been troubled over such lack of love for each other. It has shown itself in many ways, but the root problem has remained the same.
The importance of such love for brethren was stated in the opening of this chapter:
“1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1-2).
This is the commandment given by Jesus: “Love one another”. Peter restated it: “Love one another with a pure heart, fervently”. John would mention love over 40 times in his 1st letter. In particular, go and reread chapters 3 and 4!
What does loving one another look like? Now reread 1 Cor. 13!
Are you filled with love, or are you nothing?
Hugh DeLong
