Really, chapter 13 begins at the end of chapter 12 as Paul says there in the latter part of verse 31, after discussing the manifestations, the gifts, the operations of the Holy Spirit, and even the appointments within the church, Paul says, “And yet I show you a more excellent way.”  The word for excellent is literally “beyond measure.” No comparison.  It’s not more excellent as in a discussion of what is primary and what is secondary, first or second…this is an entirely different universe.  All by itself…nothing comparable…Listen man, in terms of importance, nothing else even exists.  Here’s what I said at the end of our time last week…

All this talk about gifts…all of this focus on spirituals…and yet the bedrock for anything of goodness…anything Godly…anything worth anything eternally…the way in which, from which, and to which all of the functions of the church must be from, at and go to…the greater than any spiritual gift…the king, the lead, the monarch, the majesty…the important…the everything…is love. 

1 Corinthians Chapter 13, in many ways, is the Holy of Hollies certainly of Paul’s letter but perhaps also even the Bible.  Since the beginning of 2018, Merriam-Webster has added over 1,600 words to the dictionary.  Words like “swole.”  As in, “My goodness, that pastor is swole.”  HA!  (It means muscular)  And “cheesemonger,” which is a person that works at a cheese shop…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cheese shop…HA.  You say, “Your preaching is a cheese shop,” well then I say, “Why don’t you stop being a Monterey Jerk!”  HA!! 

Well, this chapter is given to us by God because when He poured out His Holy Spirit upon man, when His heart was fully revealed, the full revelation of God was given to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, there was no word on earth to describe His splendor, His distinction.

The word agape does not appear in classical Greek.  It’s not there.  Agape, a new word for love essentially, was coined in the biblical text.  In our language, we have one word for love.  I love Legend’s Coffee, really, I love any coffee…and…I love my wife.  I can assure you, I do not have the same love for coffee as I do for April…that would be…bizarre…but I guess it is possible in this ridiculous world…

In the classical Greek there are three words for love.  Eros, the physical love…love in a fleshly manner…coffee.  Phileo, reciprocal, relational love, brotherly love.  And storge, the generality of love found in a family…the bond among fathers, sons, mothers, sisters and daughters.  And so when describing God’s heart, a fourth word was added via the text of the biblical Greek and that word is Agape.  Agape is the word created to describe the attitude of God and the love of God. 

It describes with precision of measure the need of every human heart.  You’ve heard it said that every person has a God sized hole in their heart that cannot be filled by the things of the world.  That God sized hole, its measure is agape.  Not found in the classical Greek, only found in the Word of God…just as love as we were created to have and to know and to walk in and to give…is found no where in the world…only in the word made flesh, as Jesus enters into the heart of man…then the heart is finally complete.  Satisfied.  Settled. 

And just as is with the dictionary, when a word is added, it must be defined.  Agape being added in the biblical Greek, Chapter 13 defines it for us…agape is love fully revealed…it is gift love…love that is truly love…love that requires nothing, asks for nothing, places no condition and no expiration possibility.  It is strength because it can never be broken.  It is determination and resolve, because it can never be denied.  It is pure, because it has no circumstance.  We say I love you and many believe they walk in love towards others, But it’s coffee…circumstantial and centered upon self…when the love that God has for you and for me, and the love that we are to reciprocate to Him and extend to our fellow man…is agape…there have been some that have said that every wrongdoing that has ever been done has been because of a lack of love…and so Paul begins…

(One more thing.  This is a chapter of particular importance and interest to me as a husband.  God says in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”  That word is agape.  Chapter 13 gives me the details.  Especially, and I am keenly interested in verse 8.  “Love never fails.”  So, this chapter is my privilege and calling and key to never failing as a husband.  NEVER failing.  That is something I must have.)

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 1

• The tongues of men, the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom…and the tongues of angels, the spiritual gift of tongues…if I have those gifts present and prevalent in my life…I can tell you what is right, I have great understanding of the intricacies of this life and I’m one of the most spiritual members of the church…if I have not love…I’m nothing but a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Extremely, insatiably…annoying.
• If you are about you, may I tell you today, in love, you are annoying. People get all bent out of shape if they are called annoying.  Listen, if you thought only of the other person, there is no possibility, being a nuisance is not possible.  You won’t exhaust someone as you complain about things in your life that those less fortunate would consider blessings…you won’t frustrate someone by describing every detail of the story that they can never understand nor process…you won’t stop them in their tracks when they are headed to the hospital or somewhere important to describe to them something that only pertains to you…you will see their task in their eyes because you’re looking for it…that’s what love does…and agape is never in the least…a nuisance. 

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 2

• Four things that anyone would want, that I read and say, “yes please!” And yet, Paul says you can have all of that and if you don’t have love…the word he uses is   That word literally means…zero.  And he actually doesn’t say that he has nothing…he says that he IS nothing!  This is crazy serious!  Tongues, prophecy, understanding, knowledge, faith…are all irrelevant, equal to nothing…without and apart from love!
• I can share the word with anyone…I can memorize scripture and then apply the Word of God correctly to any situation…but you’re not loving. Its nothing.  I can understand and see things that others can’t.  I can see the mysterious ways in which God works and I can understand the connections between Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation…but you’re not loving.  You’re understanding and amassed knowledge…is worth nothing. 
• I’m filled with faith! I know I can trust God, take Him at His word and because of that, my path is charted with clarity.  Not just faith for the moment, Paul says the greatest expression of faith…ALL  But you’re not loving.  Your faith is false…it’s such a hard truth…but you’re solid-state-proof of relationship with God is not that you trust His Word or believe Him…the demons do both of those things…they have to!  Does the love of God reside within you and flow through you?  The real question is really…have you received His love yourself?  Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
• And there is revelation here in this verse as well…Paul says “all faith so that I could remove mountains…” But Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.’”  And so know this…you don’t need Hulk faith…all faith is mustard seed faith…just the smallest tiny seed…all you need and God gives the increase!

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 3

• Generosity of giving, even laying down your life…without love, no prevailing profit…no lasting advantage. Everything described in these first three verses, tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, giving and sacrifice…all of these things are good…but love is so valuable, so important, that apart from it, every other good thing loses all of its worth…entirely.  Don’t miss what is best, seeking after what is good.  I don’t want you to waste time and life and ultimately end up frustrated and filled with failings because love, not an emotion, love…true strength revealed, was not your focus and highest goal.
• This really is the Holy of Hollies…and within it is the presence of God because God is love…if you do not yet know Him, then you do not yet know this agape love. Listen, it all has to start there…not knowledge, not talent…not worthiness, not circumstance…not anything…love.