08/30/2026
Facebook Sunday school lesson 8-30-26
Damien:
- To finish up our lessons on Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we’re going to look at the most well known chapter in his letter; chapter 13, the chapter on love. The divisions within the church were great, but they all pointed back to the same problem. The source of the divisions was simply that the individual parts of the church has turned their eyes inward & they could only be concerned with how they felt. Paul’s correction on gifts in chapter 12 & then again in chapter 14, as well as positions, or offices in the church. Every topic drove Paul to take a closer look at the fact that God had given the gifts & that they were specifically for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God. In other words; they uniquely showed that God greatly loves both you & me.
- So, how does Paul tell the Corinthians this? Let’s take a look at the first three verses of chapter 13.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
- The Church admired the ability of being able to speak a foreign language. Could you imagine being in the group as Peter spoke at Pentecost? It was in this moment that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon man & in this moment they each could understand what they were saying. It was as if there was no language barrier. Wouldn’t you love to go to the jungle of a distant land & speak to native Indians without any restrictions? If you go back to the time Paul wrote this letter, language was a huge barrier.
- So, Paul penned it this way; If I were this that could speak the languages & even the unheard language of angels it would seem phenomenal. However, if I only spoke for my own profit, & not out of love for man, this gift would be useless. God did not give you this amazing gift for you to hoard for yourself. No! He gave it to you to share. Is there any greater reason to share than in showing that you love someone?
- Paul compared the empty selfish use of a gift to the religious worship practices being held in the center of Corinth. You could hear the wailing, & clanging, but nobody was being saved. Whatever we do, we must do it outwardly, not inwardly.
- If Love is supposed to be our motivation to serve; then what does it look like?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
- Charity, or Love, is not selfish or proud. Just look at Paul’s list. Each thing is the result of us taking our dependence away from ourselves & placing it solely of Christ. Love suffers long, because you know Jesus has you. You are kind, because you know Jesus gave you kindness when you didn’t deserve it. You don’t bother envying, because Jesus is giving you all that you need. There’s no need for you to feel any better than anyone else, because we are all part of the same fallen creation that Jesus died for. It’s not about you anymore, because in Christ you are saved. What really matters is those who aren’t saved. You see the list from verse 6 to 7 tells us that we are the witnesses here on this earth. Literally, people will watch us & we need to show them that we have hope, because Jesus did it all to save us.
- Jesus did it all is what Paul was thinking of after he wrote that list, because in verse 8 he clarified that the works of man will fail, but God will not fail.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; in these Words we have the foundation of life eternal. This foundation was given because God chose to Love us no matter what. This Love is what we call the Agape love, & yes it is a love in which you are willing to lay down your life for another no matter who they are.
- If you were to compare all the great gifts to the Agape Love of God; they each would fail, because eventually we’d stop, but God will never stop loving us. So, what is the most important thing in this world? When we were little, let’s say toddlers, it was ourselves that was the most important. We cried for a bottle, we cried to be changed, & if we wanted something we’d cry for that. Now, when we got older we came to realize that it’s not just us here, but others are here too. So, we cried less. Paul used this example to show the church that there are a lot of people around us & they’re just as important as we are. One day we, the church, will see Jesus face to face. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the whole world would get to see Him? It would be, Wouldn’t it? Well, that won’t happen if we are selfish & hateful.
- Let us share the Love of God with this world that doesn’t know Him & let this be our reason for living.
