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The people of Corinth were very new in their faith and had many questions for Paul. He had ministered to them earlier in person, and later wrote to them several letters. Our book in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians, is one of those letters. The context of this letter was to help them grow in their faith. In Chapter 13, he wanted to reveal to them what real, true love is all about. The love that Paul communicated in this letter is agape love. Agape is the unconditional, sacrificial love of God; you can do nothing to deserve more or less of God's love. His love is unconditional and never wavers. Paul's letter was meant to convey to the Corinthians the value of real, true love.

Paul demonstrated in verses 1-3 that accomplishments and speeches without love are just noise and have no value. But one who acts and speaks with love, stands out among the rest. Without love, all that you give and do means nothing. Love is necessary, just as the air we breathe and the food we eat. There is real value in true love.

In verses 4-7, Paul shows the characteristics of this love. These show us the way we should treat one another. And that is not always easy, but even then we are not alone. It is with God's help, because He loves us, that we can truly love. When we look at patience, kindness, humility, trust, hope, perseverance and all the traits of true love, would it be a stretch for us to consider that many of us today do not have a clue what real true love is all about. There should be a re-focus on those qualities. We should focus more on the positives and less of the negatives because life is just too short.

In verses 8-12 Paul shows the permanency of true love. "Love never fails." There is a real message in those three words. We have God's promise that with His love, for sure, our love can never fail. There will come a day when all we know of this world will be no more. When that day comes our hopes will be realized. All will be clearly seen and we will have no need for faith. But Love will live on forever. Love is the fire that kindles our faith, the light that turns hope into a sure thing. As great as hope and faith are, Love is greater.

True Love

God bless,
Paul

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:1-12

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"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13