1 Corinthians 13 is known by many as the love chapter of the Bible. I don’t believe that Paul intended to write a treatise on the subject of love, but rather he wrote this section to address the needs of the Corinthian saints and our needs as well. There are many subjects that are taken up in this letter to the saints at Corinth, and many of them include a corrective rebuke by the apostle as he reveals the failings of those in this assembly. In chapter 13 he relates true, self-sacrificing, agape love to each of their failings.
In verses 4-8 there are sixteen characteristics of love that are mentioned. Eight of them tell what love is and eight of them tell what love is not. Each of the negative characteristics was being displayed by the Corinthians in their actions and attitudes and these needed to be corrected. We can learn from their failings as well.
Love envies not. “For you are yet carnal:for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor. 3:3). True love for our fellow believers causes us to “rejoice with those who do rejoice” (Rom. 12:15) instead of longing for what others have.
Love vaunts not itself or love does not boast. “For who makes you to differ from another? and what have you that you did not receive? now if you did receive it, why do you glory [boast], as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7; also 3:21). It is harmful to elevate one man over others in the assembly and to boast about our connections with powerful men. Love for the Lord and for others will give us humble hearts, realizing that all we have comes from the Lord.
Love is not puffed up or love is not arrogant. “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but charity [or love] edifies” (1 Cor. 8:1). “Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you” (1 Cor. 4:18). “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Cor. 5:2). The Lord hates “a proud look” (Prov. 6:16,17) and pride about sinful actions surely is detestable to the Lord. Humility of heart must accompany our love.
Love does not behave itself unseemly or love is not rude. “When you come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one takes before other his own supper:and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have you not houses to eat and to drink in? or do you despise the Church of God, and shame those who have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not” (1 Cor. 11:20-22). Their behavior was rude toward each other and toward the Lord as they treated the Lord’s Supper like a party. When they came together to eat common meals at a separate time from partaking of the Lord’s Supper, they were instructed to “tarry one for another” (1 Cor. 11:33) or share what each one had with others.
Love seeks not her own or love does not insist on its own way. “For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by those who are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:11,12). Love for our brethren will keep us from dividing and will motivate us to “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10).
Love is not easily provoked or love is not irritable or resentful and love thinks no evil or love does not suspect evil or keep account of wrongs done. “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” (1 Cor. 6:7). How quickly disputes can escalate if we allow ourselves to be provoked easily. It is much better always to put others in the best possible light. If kindness is at work, there will be ways to settle disputes between brethren instead of taking each other to the world’s courts.
Love rejoices not in iniquity. “Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Cor. 5:6). There was sin in their midst and they were rejoicing in it instead of judging it. A loving response to these sinning individuals would have helped the wrongdoers see the error of their ways and encouraged them to repent and turn from their sin.
Love suffers long and is kind. Love rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and it never fails. The Lord Jesus Christ is our model for these positive characteristics in that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). May these corrective rebukes search our hearts so that we may display God’s love in our lives.