Hey Guys!

As we approach the weekend I wanted to talk about something from 1 Corinthians that stood out to me. It’s about love. Jesus tells us in John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” How has God loved us? This question yields dozens of answers, many of which have a deeper correlation with other areas of scripture, but I want to focus on what the Holy Spirit directs Paul to write about love in 1 Corinthians.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
- 1 Corinthians 13: 1 – 8

In the first section of this scripture, Paul is painting the picture of all the things of God that he possesses or could possess. Yet without having love, the love that Christ showed to us, he has nothing. He could give away everything to the poor, give up his life as a martyr or prophesy the Word of God, yet all these things without love is nothing. This love that Paul is talking about and that Jesus commands us to portray is from the Greek word agape.

Agape love, different from a love that contains passion and fire (Greek word eros) or brotherly love (Greek word philos), describes a love that is based  on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved. This kind of love goes against our human nature. It is a giving, selfless, expect nothing in return kind of love . Which is how Jesus loves us.

Think about the descriptions of love – patient, kind, doesn’t envy, doesn’t parade itself, isn’t puffed up, doesn’t behave rudely, doesn’t seek its own, isn’t provoked, thinks no evil, doesn’t rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Think about how you interact with people – your family, friends, teachers and strangers. Is Jesus’ love pouring through you as you are with others? Or do you find yourself resenting certain people or being impatient with them?

I challenge you to really consider this picture of love and how you can become more conscious in acting like Christ daily. Until then, read up on 1 Corinthians and for those of you who have already read the whole thing, awesome! For those who haven’t, here are some key verses that I would like to encourage you to go over that go with the four themes that we’ll go over on Sunday:

1) Idolatry: 1 Corinthians 10:6-4
2) Division: 1 Corinthians 3:4-5
3) Gifts: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
4) The Resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Peace out homies!