THE LOVE OF GOD
In The Renewed Mind In Manifestation
I Corinthians Chapter 13
This chapter in the
Church Epistles is dedicated entirely to the topic of the Love of God in the
renewed mind in manifestation. This is the love that God shows to us, and that
we should have for each other. In the Greek texts of the New Testament, it is
the word 'agape', which was then translated as 'charity' in the King James
version of the Bible. We will refer to it as the 'Love of God'.
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.
The chapter starts off
by showing us the extreme importance of manifesting the Love of God in
everything we do. Speaking in tongues is a manifestation of the gift of holy
spirit, wherein we pray to God, edify our spirit, and praise God. Only born
again believers can speak in tongues. Yet, if we do it without the Love of God,
we are just making noise. If we speak in tongues because we think we have to,
or to show off, or any other reason other than that we love God, we won't
receive the desired effect. Note in the verse that the word 'as' is in italics,
meaning it was added by the translators. Without the 'as' it reads: 'I am
become sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal'. If you speak in tongues without
the love of God, you are just banging on a big gong or clanging cymbals.
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.
Literal translation
according to usage: And though I can prophesy, and have seen
or perceived mysteries of the Word, and have all knowledge, and though I have
great believing so that I could remove mountains, but have not the Love of God,
I am absolutely nothing.
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.
If I sell all my
possessions in order to feed others, and give my body to be burned (offer to
sacrifice everything), but have not the Love of God, it does not benefit me at
all.
4. Charity
suffereth long, and is kind;
charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
The Love of God is
enduring, patient and slow to anger. The Love of God is kind, gentle, and does
not envy. The Love of God does not boast, and is not vain, inflated with
self-importance.
5. Doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil;
The Love of God does
not behave indecently and is not selfish. The Love of God is not incited by, or
reactive to, what the enemy throws at us. The Love of God thinks no evil (See
Philippians 4: 8 to see what the Word says we are to think about).
6. Rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
The Love of God
rejoices not in wrong-doing or injustice, but in the truth (the Word).
7. Beareth
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
The word 'bear'
actually means to cover like a roof. So the Love of God covers or protects. It
always believes, always trusts, and always endures -- and it stays behind when
others have left.
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.
Although the word
'fail' is used twice in this verse, the Greeks words were different, and had
different meanings. The Love of God never fails, or falls to the ground and
becomes void. But, prophecy and speaking in tongues will someday fail, or be
done away with because they are no longer necessary. So this verse is telling
us that the Love of God will be forever, but the others will end someday.
9. For we
know in part, and we prophesy in part.
Right now we can only
have partial knowledge, and partial prophecy. We can't know it all until Christ
returns.
10. But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
'When that which is
perfect' refers to the return of Jesus Christ. 'Perfect' means mature or
complete. When he comes back, everything will be complete. Then our partial
knowledge and partial prophecy will not be necessary, because we will have the
complete package.
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.
We are God's children,
and the manifestations of the spirit (word of knowledge, prophecy, speaking in
tongues, etc.) are our toys while we are here. When Christ comes back, we will
be mature, and will no longer need these things.
12. For now
we see through [as in] a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in
part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Now we are looking into
a puzzling, obscure mirror. We can't really see what we are looking at. When
Christ returns, we will be able to see face to face. Right now our knowledge is
partial; then it will be complete.
13. And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity [the love of God in the renewed mind in
manifestation].
And right now, there
remains believing, hope (expectation and trust in the return of Jesus Christ), the
Love of God, but the greatest of these is the Love of God.
This verse contains a
figure of speech (Asyndeton) where there are no 'ands' used between the list of
words. It means that the conclusion to the sentence is more important
than the words that make up the list. In this example, faith, hope and charity
are listed, but they are not the important message. The conclusion is what is
important: 'But the greatest of these is the Love of God'.
I Corinthians 13 has
only 13 verses, but they are all extremely important. They tell us that the
Love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation should be paramount in our
lives. Anything we do without it does not really benefit us. The Love of God
never fails. It will always be with us in this world and throughout all
eternity.
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