Sunday School July 30th

Sunday School July 30^{th,
2006} 1^st Corinthians 13(1-13)

1^st Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Charity

The word translated “charity” is the Greek word “agape;” it means: not what is meant by charity in our common use of the word, which most men understand of alms—giving, but love in its fullest and most extensive meaning, true love to God and man, a benevolent disposition of mind towards our fellow-Christians, growing out of sincere and fervent devotion to God. It is translated in other places as love, but here as charity. You can give charity without love if you have other motivations, but “agape” love is love in action. It is true love that withholds nothing for the benefit of the one who is loved. It is the highest form of human emotion. Mankind continually seeks for it, but few understand it only comes from our relationship to God. Agape is often called a God type of love. It is not love of word or tongue, but a love demonstrated by deeds. God so loved the world and He proved that love by giving His only Son to die in their stead. If God had allowed mankind to all die and suffer eternal punishment, He would’ve been just, but He wouldn’t have shown the love that goes beyond human understanding. Love which comes from God is the most important characteristic of a Christian life. Our lesson today will reveal that without love, nothing else matters much.

Charity superior to tongues

Paul is said to have understood 9 different languages. He realizes he is probably unique in this talent, but rather than brag about his ability to understand languages, he asserts the superiority of love. If a preacher could understand the Greek & Hebrew languages so that he could completely translate the Bible, but had no love for his brethren, his ministry would be worthless. Love overcomes weaknesses. Without love no ministry can exist.

Sounding brass and tinkling cymbals

What is being referred to is brass basins which were beaten typically in the worship of idol gods. It made a hollow, ringing noise. It was not considered musical at all. It did not inspire the soul of man; it was a worthless and hollow noise. Great ability to speak without charity is also worthless and hollow.

13:2 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, and have not charity, I am nothing.

The superiority of charity

Charity, or love demonstrated, is greater than prophesy, the ability to understand all the mysteries of the Word of God, and the faith that can remove mountains. Prophesy is important, but without love nobody will care what you are saying. The old saying is that they don’t care what you know unless they know that you care. The ability to understand the mysteries of God is something I crave, but without love it is nothing. We might be able to speak great hidden truths, but without love nobody would care. Faith is wonderful. I am praying for increased faith. I covet to be able to yield my life and future more entirely to Christ. Faith is wonderful and great things can happen through faith, but without love it is vain. Charity is superior. Consider this; we spend a lot of time seeking these talents like prophesy, knowledge, and faith, but according to this Scripture, we should be more involved in developing our love for the brethren. We cannot allow ourselves to become so involved in church work that we forget what church work is about. It is about the brethren; it requires love to reach them.

13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Good deeds

This verse may seem incredible. Could someone actually give their own body in sacrifice for others and not have love for the ones it is given for? I think the answer is yes. Some people do great deeds, but they do them for selfish reasons. They give great amounts of money, but they make sure the paper and TV know about the gift. They may volunteer to minister to folks in far off lands, but they do it for awards and self esteem. They look forward to folks bragging on them and spreading the details of their largesse. God is looking for someone to give alms out of love, without receiving notice or fame for their gift. That is pure charity. When we seek rewards on earth for our good deeds, we cannot expect to receive any reward in heaven.

13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Characteristics of Charity

Suffereth long- The phrase means to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others, to be mild and slow in avenging, to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish. Charity is more interested in the benefits of others instead of vengeance. It is patient with the shortcomings and evil doings of others. God demonstrated this characteristic with us. Human beings did nothing to deserve His sacrifice, but He gave His only Son because of charity. He could’ve sought vengeance towards mankind, but He offered mercy. We need to be of the same mind.

Envieth not. The word means to covet or earnestly desire something to the point of jealousy. When you desire to have what others possess you cannot have a loving mind toward them. Envy causes mistrust and malice towards others. I am reminded of Saul who grew envious of the popularity of David. Although David was innocent of any guile, Saul allowed jealousy and envy to destroy their relationship. It eventually destroyed Saul.
Vaunteth not itself. This phrase means to brag or boast about yourself to excess. Charity cares about the self esteem of others. Pride causes us to boast about our own exploits. We need to care about the feelings of others. We must consider their value. If we exalt others and humble ourselves, God will exalt us in due time.
Puffed up. The phrase means to be inflated or swelled up. We use the phrase “having the big head” today. We are not thinking of others; we don’t have time, we’re too busy promoting ourselves. It is not very appealing to God or to others.
Behave unseemly. This means to act unseemly or shameful. It carries the connotation of behaving righteously and also warns against filthy communication. Christians should behave like gentlemen and ladies and with proper manners and civility.
Seeketh not her own. This means it is not interested in self promotion or profit, but seeks the things of God, and what will work best for his honor and glory; and the things of Christ, and what things which work to help spread of his Gospel, and the enlargement of his kingdom; and also the things of other men. Charity is interested in the physical and spiritual welfare of the saints. The idea is to put others ahead of our self.
Not easily provoked. The phrase means we should avoid actions and words which irritate, provoke, arouse to anger, cause us to despise, be provoked, make angry, to become exasperated, or to burn with anger. Charity is patient and caring. It does not allow others to get “under our skin.” This is something which needs to be developed in the life of a Christian. It is not natural. We must learn to overcome the desires of the flesh to get angry and strike out at others.
Thinketh no evil. The word translated “thinketh” means to reckon, count, compute, or calculate evil. It has the connotation of remembering offences which have been committed against us by others. In other words, holding a grudge against others for actions they have committed against us. Charity forgives and attempts to forget the evil. It does not stew constantly and seek revenge.
Rejoiceth not in iniquity. This means charity does not celebrate sin by the person nor others around him. Sin is to be grieved over. It is serious. It has repercussions. Charity understands sin does damage and attempts to foreswear sin to avoid the damage.
Rejoiceth in the truth. The phrase means the truth as taught in the Word of God, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the unsaved and the inventions of Atheists, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians. You cannot love someone and allow them to go to hell without warning. Charity causes us to attempt to win others to the truth in Christ Jesus.
Beareth all things. Charity bears the burdens and infirmities of others. It does not spread gossip, but seeks to help and sustain reputations. Instead of seeking to destroy others, it seeks to heal others. It causes Christians to seek the face of God on behalf of others. If you cannot keep a confidence, have the courtesy to tell others to avoid speaking of sensitive things to you.
Believeth all things. This does not mean charity is gullible. God does not expect us to believe conmen, false teachers, every evil spirit, or fools. It means charity believes every thing from the Word of God. It believes the promises and truths made in the Bible. It trusts God to be true and counts all men who disagree with the Word as liars.
Hopeth all things. Charity hopes for the best to all men; even those who do not deserve good. Charity sees potential in the worst sinners. Charity believes men and women can change. Charity has hope for alcoholics and drug addicts. Charity hopes for the hateful and nasty. Charity causes preachers to continue to offer salvation to those who have turned it down numerous times. It does not assume the worst, but seeks happiness and salvation for others.
Endureth all things. Charity endures things that are disagreeable to the flesh; all afflictions, tribulations, temptations, persecutions, and death itself, for the elect's sake, for the sake of the Gospel, and especially for the sake of Christ Jesus. It looks at things with an eternal perspective. It looks beyond how it affects me, but how it affects others.

13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Charity is permanent

This is another section of Scripture which good men disagree. I am just going to give you what the Scripture says and let you come to your own conclusions. Let me define the phrases so we can understand the whole:

Charity never faileth. This means that charity supersedes all other gifts and will be with the church forever. It will be a part of the Christian character as long as the world lasts and even throughout the ages in eternity.
Prophesies they shall fail. The words translated “shall fail” means they will be rendered inactive, pass away, or be done away. When the church was immature and a new dispensation of Grace was coming in, God used these miraculous gifts to draw attention to the church, but now they have passed away. We don’t need someone to operate in the office of prophet today for the Bible is finished. The Holy Spirit has revealed the conclusion of the entire matter. What more can a man tell me. There are a lot of people running around today calling themselves “prophet” but I think they are flattering themselves. All Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit today. If God needs to tell us something, He can do it direct through the Spirit. He no longer needs an intermediary to deliver a message. This also is why we see a decrease in the appearances of angels in the New Testament and the early church. An angel is a messenger of God. The holy Spirit now fulfills that mission.
Tongues, they shall cease. Languages will never cease, but the supernatural ability to speak languages as given by the Holy Spirit has ceased. The word means something transitory temporary. I don’t believe the gift of tongues spoken about in the Book of Acts is present in the church today. It was needed at time for the church to spread the gospel, but it is not necessary today. We have interpreters to accomplish the task now.
Knowledge shall vanish away. This does not mean mankind will be unable to obtain knowledge; it means the supernatural knowledge of events which was given to some men in miraculous circumstances will vanish away. For example, Samuel revealed to Saul that the asses he was seeking had been found and that he would meet men on his journey home that would do such and such things. These things were God-given facts which were revealed to Samuel by the Holy Spirit to confirm to Saul the promise made of his destiny as king. We don’t need this today as we walk by faith and not by sight. We possess the Holy Spirit which guides us into all paths of righteousness.

13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

That which is perfect

As long as we are in this body we will only have partial knowledge. Those who claim to know it all, don’t. There are mysteries which no man knows. Certainly I don’t. I can only understand partially and, if I am smart, I can only preach what I know. One of the biggest disasters known to the ministry is when someone tries to preach something they do not understand.

That which is perfect

There are two main schools of thought on this verse and I think they are basically the same. Some think “that which is perfect” is Christ which makes this mean we will know all things when He comes to rapture His church. Others believe this means “that which is perfect” means when the church is perfected in glory. I wont argue with either idea. I think they mean the same thing. The conclusion is that when we get to heaven we will “know as we are known” which means we will understand all mysteries and know the why’s of which we often receive no answers in this life.

13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

A child

As long as we are immature, we will often speak as children, but when we become fully mature in Christ we need to put away these childish things. Some churches are very childish in their worship. They miss out on the really important things such as the personal relationship that be achieved with Christ and seek fleshly things. They want to be thrilled and healed. They seek prosperity and comfort. The real world does not work that way all the time. We will walk through tough places in this life. We will struggle and feel discouraged, but we must remember, when we are discouraged He still is God. He is God whether I am broke or have a pocket full of money. He is my savior whether I am sick or well. He is my Messiah whether I am laughing or in tears. I must learn to “be content” wherever I find myself. That is true maturity in Christ. If you base everything on feelings you are headed for a great disappointment.

13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Know as I am known

The phrase “through a glass” refers to seeing something in a mirror. We need to understand that the mirrors of the day in which this was written were polished pieces of brass. The reflection they put forward was dark and not very clear. It was not like today with our clear glass mirrors. Details were not apparent. As long as we walk in this life we can only see shadows and outlines of some things. We will never completely understand God and His ways until we get to heaven. I don’t know why good people suffer. I can’t explain why children die. I don’t know why floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, and disease come. I only know what has been revealed to me through the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit. I am reminded of the great hymn: “Farther along we’ll know all about it, farther along we’ll understand why, cheer up my brother live in the sunshine, we’ll understand it all by and by!”

13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Faith, hope, and charity

The three things which will not pass away, cease, or vanish are faith, hope, and charity. They are eternal. They will exist as long as the church exists and the church is eternal. The greatest, or the one who supersedes the others and gives them valuecx, is charity. Faith is in God. Hope is due to God. Charity is towards God and towards our fellow man by God which dwells in us.

New Living Translation (to be used as a commentary only)

1 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear. 9 Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! 10 But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear. 11 It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.13 There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

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PASTOR RICK BARCUS