1 Corinthians 12:31 ; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 St. Paul has been treating of spiritual gifts as they then existed in the Church of tongues, of prophecy, and the like. They were things to be courted and attained if it might be so. Still, there was one thing better; one way of living and proceeding, which... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:3 The statement of the text appears at first sight even to surpass in paradox those which precede it. For to one superficially considering the matter it seems almost impossible that a Christian man should bestow all his goods to feed the poor, and even give his body to be burned in... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:4 I. "Love envieth not." Envy is the shadow of jealousy, apes its form and mimics its movements, but is constructed out of more airy material and clothed in darker garb. The jealous man grudges another advantages which he claims for his own; the envious man, advantages which he nev... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:4 "Love Suffereth Long, and is Kind.". I. We have here brought before us the two sides, the passive and the active sides, of a loving disposition. "Love suffereth long." It is perhaps remarkable that this feature should be presented to us first of all, as if suffering, enduring som... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:5 Individual Faithfulness. I. No sincere worker for God is long left with nothing to do; for God's ways and works are very manifold. Martha is working one way while she is providing for her Lord, Mary at another while she listens humbly at His feet. Savonarola serves his Lord in o... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:5 I. Love is not easily provoked. This characteristic follows upon "seeketh not her own," and very naturally self-regard is the great secret of easy provocation. It may be hidden self-regard, lurking in the by-ways of the character; the generous and self-denying man is often easily... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:6 The Rejoicing of Charity. As St. Paul depicts the features and behaviour of his Divine charity, are there not many whose feeling would be, that while beautiful and sublime enough, it could hardly have much to do with joy? She suffereth long, is slow to assert herself, or insist u... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:9 I. "We know in part." This limitation is imposed upon us briefly. Of all that is, of all that ever we, with our present faculties, feel must be, we can know but a small fraction. Our knowledge is limited in range. And again, our knowledge of that small fraction of being, which is... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:11 Christian Manhood. I. Consider our love of the pleasures of life. I am willing to allow that there is an innocent love of the world, innocent in itself. God made the world, and has sanctioned the general form of human society, and has given us abundant pleasures in it. I do not... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:12 The First Five Minutes after Death. I. At our entrance on another state of existence we shall know what it is to exist under entirely new conditions. What will it be to find ourselves with the old self divested of that body which has clothed it since its first moment of existen... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Corinthians 13:13 I. There are three Christian graces as distinguished from all imperfect and transitory gifts which shall never pass away, but abide for ever which, in the perfect state, shall constitute between them the character of the glorified children of God. These three are faith, hope, an... [ Continue Reading ]