1Corinthians 13:1-13 comments: Charity

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. 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. 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.

Charity, the love a Christian should have for their brothers and sisters in Christ, is the highest level of gift, more important than speaking in other languages, discerning spirits, or any other ministry. As Peter wrote;

1Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Remember this verse in Proverbs;

Proverbs 10:12  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

2Peter 1:1 ¶  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

    5 ¶  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote that this love for the brethren makes us complete or perfect.

Colossians 3:12 ¶  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Jesus Christ Himself said this;

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Considering how we know many of us to be; our personalities, fears, prejudices, personal baggage, etc. this is the single most difficult thing for a Christian to express toward other Christians. It cannot be expressed consistently without the fruit of the Spirit permeating our lives, as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

Charity is greater than faith, greater than what we normally call charity, giving to those in need, and greater than martyrdom. This is a powerful statement. If a Christian does not have a love for their brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what their works or devoted deeds for Christ on this earth, they will stand naked before Him in a spiritual sense.

1John 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Considering how Christians can be a backstabbing lot and how churches can have dominating people vying to see who can control others in them this is a tough, tough mandate. Paul is next going to define the nature of Christian love.

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

For Christians to love each other as Christ loves the church they need to consider what Paul is saying here. Our love is to be longsuffering and kind. It puts up with a lot but is kind and gracious in return.

Think of how God has been longsuffering toward you and how kind He has been to you in spite of your sin against Him each day.

It does not envy, the affection that makes people grieve and fret at the prosperity or success of others. Envy was murderous in this culture in ancient history.

Proverbs 27:4  Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

It made the high priests jealous of the influence Jesus had and the love the people had for Him.

Mark 15:9  But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10  For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

Charity does not encourage a person to lift themselves up.

1Peter 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Matthew 23:10  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Charity will not permit you act unseemly, to be possessed of a vile, immoral affection toward another. Charity also doesn’t permit you to, “look out for number one,” or to go after just what you want.

Charity looks out for others, not just ourselves.

Philippians 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Charity is not easily provoked and doesn’t always think the worst of someone and their motives. In fact, the implacable spirit of many Christians is not pleasing to God. For some, everyone has an evil, or malicious, motive in their words and deeds from their pastor to their spouse to their family members to their employer and they are never happy with the efforts of others. In fact, an implacable, unmerciful spirit is a key component to being a miserable, joyless Christian. An implacable spirit is easily provoked and questions everyone’s motives, assuming the worst from them at all times.

In verse 6 iniquity is contrasted with truth as opposites. Iniquity is defined Biblically as transgression against God and sin. Notice how in the following verse from Exodus the word and joins things as synonyms as it often does in the Bible.

Exodus 34:7a  Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…

Notice also elsewhere how truth is linked with Christ.

John 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Ephesians 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Notice also how, in another of the Bible’s ways of presenting truth the word substitution between an Old Testament verse and the New Testament rendering of it giving the meaning in context of the words.

Isaiah 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Matthew 12:20  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

1Corinthians 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Charity between brothers and sisters in Christ is to be patient, putting up with a lot, not doubting the intentions or motives or words of others, hoping for the best, but enduring the worst, in love.

1Corinthians 6:7  Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

   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. 9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 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. 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. 13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

  

True Christian charity will not give up, will endure, as God’s love for us endures. Prophecies will come up short, gifts unique to the time of the Apostles will fail, and presumed knowledge will vanish like a puff of smoke. The gifts we have are unique to us and not complete and perfect. We are all frail beings who know Christ only imperfectly on this earth, in this life. Loving your brothers and sisters in Christ, next to loving God Himself and showing your love for God, Charity is the highest most complete expression of the Christian faith.

We see Christ now through a glass that is dim and we can’t make out all of His features. Our finite existence and flesh distort our view. But, soon, we will see Christ face-to-face and know Him as He knows us.

There are three things to consider here but charity outshines them all in the doctrine of Christ. It is often the hardest of the three. There are abusers in a congregation, socially dominant men and women, sometimes narcissistic sociopaths, control-freaks, people possessed of an implacable spirit and a self-righteous nature. It is not always easy to love Christians. It is a gift from God to be able to do so.