John 1:17 → For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Grace the exceeds our sin and our guilt.
Romans 5:15 → But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
Ephesians 1:7 → In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Revelation 7:14 → And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Acts 20:24 → But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Romans 3:24 → Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
1 Corinthians 15:10 → But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Romans 5:20 → Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying, we must ask the following questions:
What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations, and notice the words that stand out)
Biblegateway (NIV, CSB, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a greatapp, better on computers or on a smartphone)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer, especially if you have a Logos account)
OUTLINE AND LINKS TO PERICOPES (considering ebible, listeners' commentary & Serendipity)
Summarize the main story: Describe the events and context of the chapter in your own words.
I am totally open to changing my mind on this passage but I do currently think this is the right way to understand it and I didn't come to this opinion rashly.
My research project on the topic of women in ministry and related issues is going to start once I'm done teaching through the Gospel of Mark (probably less than two months from now) and I hope I can offer real clarity on all this stuff. I know how important the issue is and how important it is that we strip away confusion and truly follow what God is telling us.
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying, we must ask the following questions:
What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations, and notice the words that stand out)
Biblegateway (NIV, CSB, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a greatapp, better on computers or on a smartphone)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer, especially if you have a Logos account)
OUTLINE AND LINKS TO PERICOPES (considering ebible, listeners' commentary & Serendipity)
Summarize the main story: Describe the events and context of the chapter in your own words.
Paul opens by establishing that spiritual accomplishments—eloquent speech, prophetic insight, comprehensive knowledge, mountain-moving faith, and sacrificial giving—amount to nothing without love. (1 Corinthians 13) This opening salvo reframes the Corinthians’ obsession with spiritual gifts by insisting that love takes precedence over tongues, prophecy, knowledge, and faith.
Paul then catalogs love’s characteristics: patience, kindness, freedom from envy and boasting, humility, respect for others, selflessness, emotional restraint, forgiveness, opposition to evil, alignment with truth, and unwavering protection, trust, hope, and perseverance. (1 Corinthians 13) Rather than defining love abstractly, Paul describes what love actively does—a practical orientation suited to the community’s relational conflicts.
The chapter’s final movement addresses the theme of permanence. While love endures forever, prophecies will cease, tongues will fall silent, and knowledge will fade away. (1 Corinthians 13) Paul illustrates this through maturation—childhood understanding gives way to adult comprehension—and through vision: currently we glimpse God dimly as through a mirror, but eventually we’ll encounter Him directly and know ourselves fully as we are known. (1 Corinthians 13) The chapter concludes by affirming that faith, hope, and love endure, with love standing supreme. (1 Corinthians 13)
Theologically, Paul presents love as both the present reality of Christian existence—rooted in Christ’s cross and resurrection—and the anticipated future when love reaches perfection. The chapter functions as the interpretive key not only for understanding spiritual gifts but for resolving the divisions fragmenting the Corinthian congregation.
OPEN:
What was one of your favorite love songs when you were a teenager?
When in your life have you felt the most loved?
DIG:
Given the Corinthians' quest for spiritual gifts and power, what is Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3? What have you done that has become a substitute for really loving others?
In what ways has God loved you according to the qualities of love you found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8? What have you done lately that is an example of what love is not?
Have you ever done a religious act without love? What was it like?
REFLECT:
In your opinion, what is the best way to develop the ability to love others?
How does 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 help to put your church in perspective? Your personal life?
What does it mean to you that you will see Jesus face-to-face?
1 CORINTHIANS 13
This is the famous love chapter.
I. The Importanceof Love (13:1–3)
A. The gift of tongues is useless without it (13:1).
B. The gift of prophecy is useless without it (13:2a).
C. The gift of knowledge is useless without it (13:2b).
D. The gift of faith is useless without it (13:2c).
E. The gift of giving is useless without it (13:3).
II. The Impeccabilityof Love (13:4–7)
A. In relation to saints (13:4a): It is patient and kind, not jealous.
B. In relation to self (13:4b–5a): It is not boastful, proud, or rude, and it never seeks its own way.
C. In relation to sin (13:5b–6): It is not irritable, nor does it keep a record of wrongs; it is never glad about injustice or unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth.
D. In relation to situations (13:7): It never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
III. The Indestructibilityof Love (13:8–12)
A. Unlike the other gifts, love is permanent (13:8).
1. Prophecy will cease (13:8a).
2. Tongues will cease (13:8b).
3. Knowledge will cease (13:8c).
B. Unlike other gifts, love is complete (13:9–12): Paul offers two illustrations.
1. The child/adult illustration (13:9–11)
a. The gifts, if used without love, may be likened to the attitudes and actions of an immature child (13:9–11a).
b. Love may be likened to the attitudes and actions of a mature adult (13:11b).
2. The mirror/face-to-face illustration (13:12)
a. In the present, through the gifts, we see but a mirror-like reflection of God (13:12a).
b. In the future, through love, we will see God face-to-face (13:12b).
IV. The Invincibilityof Love (13:13)
A. Faith and hope are among God’s greatest gifts (13:13a).
B. Love is God’s greatest gift (13:13b).
When the Perfect Comes: Understanding 1 Corinthians 13:10 and Spiritual Gifts
In this episode of the Radically Christian Podcast, Wes McAdams joins Austin McCrickard and Nate Miller on their show The Thinking Kingdom Podcast to discuss 1 Corinthians 13 (often called the “love chapter”). They focus particularly on verse 10, where Paul says, “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” The conversation explores what Paul meant by “the perfect,” how the passage fits within the larger context of 1 Corinthians 12–14, and how Christians today should understand spiritual gifts in light of love being the ultimate goal.
Wes explains that the Corinthian church had been divided and worldly, using their spiritual gifts—such as prophecy and tongues—for self-promotion rather than for the common good. Paul’s corrective was to teach a “cruciform way of thinking,” where love, not power or eloquence, defines spiritual maturity. Extraordinary gifts were temporary, serving a purpose in the early church, but love, faith, and hope endure. Paul’s message, Wes argues, is not about when or how gifts will cease, but about how Christians must use their gifts in love and unity.
Wes concludes that regardless of how someone interprets “the perfect,” Paul’s point remains: love is the measure of Christian maturity. He cautions against forcing passages to say what we want merely to guard against theological extremes, noting that the Spirit equips each generation according to its needs, and the permanence of love outlasts all temporary gifts.
Love... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NKJV)
Wouldn't it be nice if love were like a cafeteria line? What if you could look at the person with whom you live and select what you want and pass on what you don’t? What if parents could do this with kids? “I’ll take a plate of good grades and cute smiles, and I’m passing on the teenage identity crisis and tuition bills.”
What if kids could do the same with parents? “Please give me a helping of allowances and free lodging, but no rules or curfews, thank you.”
And spouse with spouse? “H’m, how about a bowl of good health and good moods. But job transfers, in-laws, and laundry are not on my diet.”
Wouldn't it be great if love were like a cafeteria line? It would be easier. It would be neater. It would be painless and peaceful. But you know what? It wouldn't be love. Love doesn't accept just a few things. Love is willing to accept all things.
“Love is willing to accept all things.” Do you find this difficult? Why?
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What’s Most Important
At the age of 72, Randy Long figured it was time to clean out his Montgomery, Alabama, garage. In one white five-gallon bucket, he found about three dozen old baseballs. These were relics of his younger days, tossing batting practice for his son and then his grandson. But the boys are grown and gone now, so Randy thought somebody else might enjoy them. He wrote out a quick note and then took the stuff to a nearby batting cage, where he left the bucket and its contents.
Under the heading, “Free,” the note read: “Hope someone can use some of these baseballs in the batting cages. I found them cleaning out my garage. I pitched them to my son and grandson for countless rounds. My son is now 46 y/o, and my grandson is 23 y/o. I am 72, and I won’t give to pitch a couple of buckets to them. They have both moved away. If you are a father, cherish these times. You won’t believe how quickly they will be gone. P.S. Give them a hug and tell them you love them every chance you get.” A boy found the baseballs and his family posted the note on Facebook®. Randy Long and his grandson, Ethan Anderson, quickly went viral and have spoken on CNN and ESPN. And although Ethan lives in Birmingham, a couple of hours away, he’s now got plans for more of grandpa’s batting practice. Yogi Berra said, “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.” “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV).
As Paul wrote about the use (and abuse) of spiritual gifts in the church, he gave an eloquent plea for ongoing love among the Christians. He knew that faith would one day vanish when Christ returned and hope would be realized in our heavenly redemption. Yet even then love would continue to grow and burnish all of life to a joyous luster. It might not seem like love for a dad to hurl baseballs past his son while the son tries to swing a bat and launch one out of play. Connected by a game, though, the two develop a bond forged in common experience and shared times. In the minutes of rest and cleanup, priceless conversations occur where wisdom and understanding shuttles between them.
One of the many reasons for the superiority of love in the church is that “side-effect” of wisdom and understanding. When we spend time with each other, learning from each other and enjoying each other’s company, we learn how unimportant are the world’s hysterical passions. Right now, white-hot political harangues and panicky virus hectoring threaten to shred relations between friends and family. Next year, both of these “crises” will be history. We can’t let loving relationships be history, too. Time will quickly be gone from us. None of us wants a hollow nostalgia for the way things used to be. By being people of genuine love for one another we will not only fulfill our Lord’s command, we will also avoid twilight regrets over opportunities missed. Only people last into eternity; that’s why faith and hope will fade but love will never fail. God so loved that He sent His Son . . .
Reminder: Pray to God to set your heart right as you engage His word. The text you are about to study was not written to you but is written for you. So, before applying, we must ask the following questions:
What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
READ THE SCRIPTURE (Multiple times & translations, and notice the words that stand out)
Biblegateway (NIV, CSB, NLT) (My choice of all-round site. It is a greatapp, better on computers or on a smartphone)
Biblia.com (New Century Version) (Great on a computer, especially if you have a Logos account)
OUTLINE AND LINKS TO PERICOPES (considering ebible, listeners' commentary & Serendipity)
Summarize the main story: Describe the events and context of the chapter in your own words.
