Skip to main content

The Love Chapter: Paul describes the highest spiritual gift of all


Today's reading: 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
During one of the most stressful times of his career, Paul makes his first visit to the Greek city of Corinth (see Acts 17-18 for the details). Lynch mobs chased him out of Thessalonica and Berea. The next stop, Athens, brought on a different kind of confrontation, with intellectual scoffers. Paul arrives at Corinth in a fragile emotional state.

Soon opposition springs up in Corinth too. Jewish leaders become abusive and haul Paul into court. It seems the harassed apostle will have no rest from his enemies. But in the midst of this crisis, God visits Paul with a special message of comfort: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city" (Acts 18:9-10).

Different Kind of Love

These last words must have startled Paul, for Corinth is known mainly for its lewdness and drunken brawling. The Corinthians revere the goddess of love, and their "worship" practices resemble orgies. Corinth seems the last place on Earth to expect a church to take root.

Yet, exactly that happens. A Jewish couple opens their home to Paul, and for the next 18 months he stays there to nurture an eager band of converts.

In his letters to the church in Corinth, Paul must deal with the many controversies that arise in such a diverse congregation. His intimate concern for them produces some of his most memorable writing. This chapter, "the love chapter," endures as one of his most famous. Often quoted at weddings and funerals, it was memorably read by the British prime minister at Princess Diana's funeral. The vision of love Paul describes contrasts sharply with that familiar to most Corinthians.

Life Question

First Corinthians 13 describes ideal love. Which of love's characteristics do you need to work on?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

La amistad: Ayuda para la santidad

Leer | JUAN 15.12-15 20 de julio de 2012 Cuando Dios creó todo, solo una cosa no tuvo su aprobación. Miró a Adán, quien era el único ser en su clase, y dijo: “No es bueno que el hombre esté solo” (Gn 2.18). El Señor creó a las personas para que tuvieran compañerismo emocional, mental y físico, de modo que pudieran compartir su ser más íntimo unas con otras. Jesús explicó esto a sus discípulos, diciéndoles que debían amarse unos a otros tal como Él los había amado. En una amistad que honra a Dios, dos personas se edifican mutuamente y se animan una a otra a tener un carácter como el de Cristo. Sin embargo, muchas no logran entablar y mantener relaciones que estimulen su fe (Pr 27.17). Lo que hacen es hablar trivialidades propias de simples conocidos: el clima y los asuntos mundiales. Lamentablemente, también los creyentes rehúyen la conversación profunda en cuanto al pecado, la conducta transparente y la vida de acuerdo con los parámetros bíblicos, que servirían para enriquecer ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reverenfun

Post a Comment
Read more

The Danger in Being a Christian: It began as a Jewish sect; fierce persecution only helped it spread

Acts 8 Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. In some countries, a person who becomes a Christian forfeits a good education and job. And in a few countries, a person who converts risks his or her life. One church historian estimates that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all preceding centuries put together. Yet, strangely, more often than not, intense persecution of Christians leads to a spurt of growth in the church. An ancient saying expresses this phenomenon: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” The First Big Advance For a while, the new faith enjoyed popular favor. But very soon it involved grave risk. In the book of Acts, the persecution that produced the first Christian martyr, Stephen, ironically brought about the advance of Christianity outside its Jewish base. Forced out of stormy Jerusalem, the scatterin...
Post a Comment
Read more