Bible Study

[kitkatz]

 
1 Corinthians 13:1-13

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels,
but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.

And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.

And if I dole out all my goods, and
if I deliver my body that I may boast
but have not love, nothing I am profited.

Love is long suffering,
love is kind,
it is not jealous,
love does not boast,
it is not inflated.

It is not discourteous,
it is not selfish,
it is not irritable,
it does not enumerate the evil.
It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth
 

It covers all things,
it has faith for all things,
it hopes in all things,
it endures in all things.

Love never falls in ruins;
but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or
tongues, they will cease; or
knowledge, it will be superseded.

For we know in part and we prophecy in part.

But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded. 

When I was an infant,
I spoke as an infant,
I reckoned as an infant;

when I became [an adult],
I abolished the things of the infant.

For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known.

But now remains
 faith, hope, love,

these three;

but the greatest of these is love.



Here is the first question for the Bible study thread here. 

What does this mean to you? 

[Rerun]

I'm thinking about this but what it means to me or you may be completely different then Paul's intent.  I'll have to read the whole book of 1Corinthians again.

This will be good for me.   Thanks Kit~

[Rerun]

Corinthians is the first letter from Paul to the Church of Corinth.  They were an evil bunch, much like us.  The letter warns them on divisions in the Church, lawsuits among believers etc... 

The chapter on Love starts out describing Spiritual Gifts (wisdom, knowledge, faith, speaking in tongues).  Paul describes God's love for us.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son".  Paul is describing God's love for us by saying "if I have faith that can move mountains but have not God or love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not God or love I gain nothing.  God's love is patient, kind, does not envy does not boast is not proud is not rude is not self-seeking etc.

I need to get a study bible, but that is how I read it.  Any thoughts??

                         

[Stoday]

Love never falls in ruins;
but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or
tongues, they will cease; or
knowledge, it will be superseded.

For we know in part and we prophecy in part.

But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded. 

How I read that:

Love is constant, unlike prophecies which will fail
Or languages that are not understood; they will be lost
Knowledge will become obsolete

Because we don't know everything and prophecies are incomplete

In the end, perfection will rule, the imperfect will disappear.

Perhaps it's a warning against arrogance.

[Rerun]

Languages that are not understood; they will be lost."

Have you ever heard some speak in tongues?  Then someone will stand up and interpert it.  Scary to me.  I'm not saying I don't believe in it, but I hope I'm not chosen to do that. 

[looneytunes]

This is one of my favorite passages in 1 Corinthians.  What it says to me is that I could do all kinds of great things in my life.  But unless they are done in the spirit of God's love which is described as kind, not jealous, not boastful, not inflated, not selfish, not irritable, etc, then those things that are done are imperfect though they may be truly wonderful things I chose to do.  Even the gifts of  wisdom, knowledge, faith, and tongues are are imperfect because I can not fully understand those gifts in this mystery of my current life.  In time, with faith, hope and love, I will understand.  But in this part of my journey, I must accept the mystery of it and ask for the gift of God's love to live within me. 

I hope this is what you had in mind for this thread, Rerun.  Great thought provoking thread. 

[Stoday]

Have you ever heard some speak in tongues? 

Babble IMHO. "Tongues of men" refers to the different languages spoken by man. Not babies' babble.
This is reinforced by Mark 16:15-17. To go to all the world you have to speak new tongues, i.e. the language of the country.

[Jean]

Good interpretation Looney Tunes. My thought exactly. Sometimes ( most times) it is difficult for me to express myself, but you did a great job. And thanks to Kit too.

[Hemodoc]

I Corinthians chapter 13 must be understood in the context of chapters 12 and 14 which are speaking of the spiritual gifts which had not been applied properly in the Corinthian church.  Chapter 13 is an admonishment to covet the gifts of the Spirit, but to do so with out the love of God was meaningless.  Paul has an entire chapter on this issue alone of speaking in tongues in chapter 14.  He sums up the purpose of speaking in tongues and it goes back directly to a prophecy in Isaiah for the people of Jerusalem.  Take a look at the two posed against each other.

I Corinthians 14:20] Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
[21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
[22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Isaiah 28:[9] Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
[10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
[11] For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
[12] To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
[13] But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
[14] Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

Paul is stating that tongues is for a sign unto "this people" who Isaiah says are in Jerusalem.   I believe that this is not the usual way that this is thought of today, but that is what Paul had to speak on this issue.  He felt instead of speaking in an unknown tongue, it is more profitable to prophecy, or simply to speak the word of God openly for all to hear and understand. Take a look again at what Paul states:

I Cor 14:[18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
[19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
[20] Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
[21] In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
[22] Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
[23] If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
[24] But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

How can that apply to today, we must first understand that one of the meanings of the word prophesy is simply to preach God's word.  Understanding that it is by the word of God that we are saved, what Paul is stating is that he would rather have us preach the word so that those that are unsaved can hear, understand and be saved instead of speaking tongues where they will simply be confused and not understand what is going on.

Prophesy definition:

1 : to speak as if divinely inspired
2 : to give instruction in religious matters : preach
3 : to make a prediction

When we look at chapter 14 in light of chapter 13, it is clear that Paul is telling us that charity, or as some have defined that, love in action is much more important than of any of the spiritual gifts.  The goal of the church of God is to bring the message of the gospel to all to be saved.  Chapter 13 tells us to do it with love in action, chapter 14 tells us that preaching God's word is much more important than speaking in tongues especially to that that are lost who will not understand tongues, but they can understand the preaching of God's Holy word which we have complete today that they did not at that time. Chapter 12, 13 and 14 are best viewed in the full context of them all together as a set and not separately as many have done.

[fc2821]

Have you ever heard some speak in tongues?  Then someone will stand up and interpert it.  Scary to me.  I'm not saying I don't believe in it, but I hope I'm not chosen to do that. 

     I grew up in a church where this was common.  Yes, it was scary at times.   

[Hemodoc]

I would just add the context also of chapter 12 where Paul sets in order the ranking of the importance of all of the different spiritual gifts:

Acts 12:28: And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

The least important of all of the gifts in this list is speaking in tongues.  In chapter 13, he tells us that love is more important than all of the spiritual gifts.  In chapter 14, he tells us that preaching God's word is more important than speaking in tongues.