1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Verse-by-verse



1 CORINTHIANS chapter thirteen

jack

see fische for very well documented detailed exegesis

SUMMARY VERSE 1-3

1. PAUL USES HIMSELF IN FIVE HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FALLACY OF NOT WALKING IN LOVE (FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT).

2. The phrase “do not have love” (3 times) refers to the filling of the Holy Spirit.

3. God is love and since we are commanded to be filling of the Holy Spirit who is God, we have “love” when we are under His rulership.

4. This does not refer to human love, but to Divine love which is exhaled by God and man.

5. The Scripture defines with it is and isn't (compare verses 4-7).

6. Those who love God are those who hear doctrine and apply (JOHN 14:15-24).

7. The command to love the royal family is fulfilled by knowing and applying.

8. Hate and jealousy are examples of failure to love or walk in love, Holy Spirit, light.

9. The absence of love (taking the next step in the filling of the Holy Spirit) is followed in this context by three negative results.

10. The first example is speaking in tongues.

a. Paul, who excelled in this gift, did not speak in every known language of men and angels.

b. He uses exaggeration to make his point since the Corinthians had overrated this gift.

c. The individuals who had this gift realized it wouldn’t function apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit (compare ACTS 10:44-46 compare 11:17).

d. So when the church assembled and those who had the gift spoke, they knew they had to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

e. Now we have already established the fact the recipients of this epistle were characterized by sarkiko,j (sarkikos: the flesh, the STA).

f. This doesn’t preclude the filling of the Holy Spirit on occasion.

g. But those who exercised the gift were arrogant about it.

h. This gift was highly touted at Corinth and those possessing it were considered spiritual giants.

i. So the gift was not only overrated (14:1) it was distorted into experiential sanctification.

j. Paul says that the grace ability to speak in tongues is never a gauge of one’s level of growth. (You could speak in tongues and be a spiritual moron. This contradicts Pentecostal dogma that only those who tarry, agonized, deny the STA, get the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.)

k. What is Paul warning against if only Spirit filled persons spoke in tongues?

l. He is warning against the spiritual arrogance that surrounds the gift’s function, both before and after.

m. The gift doesn’t benefit the one using it if he fails to correctly relate it to its proper place in relationship to the other gifts and to grace.

n. Others are edified but not the individual who has it if he/she can't pass the prosperity test.

o. How can you be arrogant about a total grace function not depending on I.Q. or even spiritual momentum?

p. Even an otherwise carnal baby believer could speak in tongues.

q. Paul likens said individual to resonating devices which benefit the hearers but lack content.

r. The mention of these two devices is intended to reinforce the thought ignoring their differences.

s. Such a believer does a marvelous, even perfect, job of allowing the Holy Spirit to use his speech facilities but like those devices are otherwise dead. (Alive, when in use but otherwise going nowhere.)

11. The second statement involves the gift of prophecy with the gift of knowledge implied.

a. Like tongues, the individual is filling of the Holy Spirit at the point of inhale and exhale.

b. But the person privy to all this wonderful information essential to the edification of self and others permits STA discoloration.

c. Balaam is a perfect example of a prophetic gift whose STA drove him to profit from true doctrine.

d. Such a gift could brag or seek its own aggrandizement.

e. Such a person in nothing (like Balaam) since his own isolation of the STA is limited negating spiritual advancement personally. (Great teachers fall prey to the indwelling STA.)

12. The third statement involves the gift of faith (compare 12:9).

a. This is not everyday inhale/exhale faith which is love (compare verse seven: “believes all things.”

b. The gift involved supernatural revelation in which the prayers of the individual led to some supernatural intervention in the course of history, nature, etc.

c. The individual involved fails to control the STA and gets a fat head.

d. Again, as in all three cases, the individual doesn’t handle the STA discolorations that seek to undermine spiritual victory.

e. Only love (the filling of the Holy Spirit) can keep you from being

blind-sided by the STA.

f. The result is that you become nothing if you don’t apply when you aren't utilizing the gift(s).

13. Examples four and five are hypothetical, since Paul never gave all he had to the poor (no record) or gave his body to the flame (the Holy Spirit led him to mention this form of martyrdom), but differ from one through three.

a. The “if clause” switches to the Aorist Active Subjunctive (versus the Present Active Subjunctive).

b. The fourth “if clause” envisages the gift of giving carried to the extreme of divesting oneself of everything.

c. The individual may recognize the gift but abuses it seeking approbation.

d. People do have such strong STA discoloration that they will do anything to gain attention.

e. They also tend to be self-righteous.

f. They don’t give as unto the Lord—they give with the wrong motive.

g. They lose SG3 producing human good; hence the statement “it profits me nothing.”

h. Paul has already taught that one’s mental attitude must be involved in what you do (compare 9:16-18).

i. Martyrdom can also be human good.

1) If you are martyred just because you are a believer.

2) You see others being martyred and seek it.

3) Again we see strong STA approbation.

14. A martyr is one who of his own free choice chooses to die for the sake of religion.

a. The Greek word means simply “witness” in the legal sense.

b. Stephen was appealed to as the “perfect martyr” (compare ACTS 22:20).

c. The deaths of Paul and Peter were by martyrdom.

d. Antipas (REVELATION 2:13), an otherwise unknown, is cited for his supreme sacrifice.

e. Polycarp who died in the amphitheater after interrogation became a model for all subsequent resistance.

f. The two witnesses in the tribulation and the tribulation martyrs face martyrdom.

g. But those who seek it die the sin unto death and their supreme act is just more timber for the BEMA.

LOVE’S (filling of the Holy Spirit) “READ-OUTS”

WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T (VERSES 4-7)

PARTIAL SUMMARY VERSE 4: LOVE IS PATIENT

1. THE INTERPRETATION OF THIS STATEMENT IS THAT THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF PATIENCE TOWARDS OTHERS (PEOPLE).

2. There are two families of words for patience/longsuffering:

a. makroqumia/makroqumew (makrothumia, makrothumeo)

b. u`pomenw/upomonh (hupomeno, hupomone)

c. Makrothumia is used of patience towards people, while hupomone is used of patience with respect to circumstances (compare verse 7: “endures all things.”

d. Further evidence of their difference is when they are used together as in COLOSSIANS 1:11.

e. The words are used together with faith and imply faith/rest over an extended period of time (HEBREWS 6:12; 1 TIMOTHY 6:11).

f. They are associated with love (filling of the Holy Spirit read our), joy (+H), peace, faith, etc.

g. Makrothumia is used of God towards man, but hupomone never is (ROMANS 2:4).

3. Patience towards others who are not as spiritually advanced, who fail, who lead us, who are above and beneath us in the royal chain of command, is essential.

PARTIAL Summary verse 4: love is kind

1. AGAIN, THE INTERPRETATION IS “THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CHARACTERIZED BY KINDNESS.”

2. Crhsto,j (chrestos) originally denoted usefulness and was eventually used of the capacity to show kindness to others.

3. As a noun, it meant a friendly nature, in the plural kind actions.

4. The word group in the New Testament:

a. crhsto,j (chrestos): adjective, mild, pleasant, kind, good (7x).

b. crhsto,thj (ccrestotes): goodness, kindness, friendliness (10x, Paul only).

c. crhsteuomai (chresteuomai): show kindness (a hapax found in

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4).

5. Uses in the New Testament:

a. Used of things to denote their goodness (LUKE 5:39: good wine; chrhsto,j; translated “better” in the King James Version.

b. Divine chrestos toward even the ungrateful and the evil (LUKE 6:35; ROMANS 2:4 “goodness of God”; ROMANS 11:22; EPHESIANS 2:7;

1 PETER 2:3).

c. A characteristic of the filling of the Holy Spirit (love)(GALATIANS 5:22; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4

6. Of God:

a. As a way of describing His love towards fallen, sinful, and antagonistic mankind.

b. Mirrored in Jesus Christ at first advent (EPHESIANS 2:7).

c. In spite of little return on the part of mankind.

7. Of believers:

a. A characteristic of the filling of the Holy Spirit (GALATIANS 5:22).

b. It is commanded (COLOSSIANS 3:12 “Put on…compassion, kindness.”

c. This is to be our royal mental attitude towards even hostile, negative types as well as towards positive believers (EPHESIANS 4:32).

PARTIAL summary: is not jealous (verse 4)

1. INTERPRETATION: THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT CHARACTERIZED BY THE MENTAL ATTITUDE SINS OF JEALOUSY.

2. It denies grace and that God has the highest and best for you.

3. Jealousy is a mental attitude sins arising in the STA.

4. Learn to recognize it and refuse to be run by it.

summary verses 4,5

1. THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT CHARACTERIZED BY ARROGANCE OF SPEECH OR MENTAL ATTITUDE.

2. The believer who boasts or takes pride in his abilities, possessions, spiritual assets is not grace oriented.

3. The STA seeks to warp the facts about God's grace.

4. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not characterized by sexual immaturity either in speech or action.

5. The filling of the Holy Spirit does not place self above the plan of God.

6. The believer seeks the welfare of the plan of God.

7. An individual who is always placing self and his own interests and gratification ahead of doctrine (inhale/exhale) is not “spiritual.”

8. On the other hand, the believer who pursues his gift(s) finds that the things that he isn't pursuing, will pursue him.

9. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not characterized by being provoked. (STAs will be provoked.)

10. Instead of outbursts of anger mental attitude sins you remain “cool” (GALATIANS 5:20).

11. The Spirit filled believer does not base his current attitude or actions towards someone based on a past injustice.

12. You are to forgive as Christ forgave; you can't carry a grudge and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

13. No matter what they did to you (i.e. Christ) or how often, you must forgive (compare MATTHEW 6:14,15 compare MATTHEW 18:21-35).

Summary verses 6,7

1. THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (LOVE) IS NEVER CHARACTERIZED BY REJOICING IN E1 (E2,3,4).

2. Such rejoicing is STA sponsored.

3. The righteousness hate evil.

4. The filling of the Holy Spirit is always responsive to the truth either as academic information or in action.

5. Three aspects of patience are characterized by the filling of the Holy Spirit:

a. Patience with respect to others (makroqumia makrothumia; verse 4).

b. Patience with respect to circumstances that we can't change regardless (stegw stego; verse 7). (Inflation is an example.)

c. Patience regarding circumstances we can alter but must not if we are to stay in God's will and under the filling of the Holy Spirit (u`pomenw hupomeno; marriage out of God's will, indebtedness, etc.).

6. The filling of the Holy Spirit is characterized by an receptivity to all realms of Divine viewpoint (Christian way of life doctrines, LDE, origins, angels, history, eschatologically, etc.

7. No matter the subject at hand, the individual seeks to understand it and interlineate with knowledge.

8. You must tell yourself that the information at hand is important and be motivated to apprehend it. (It is part of the mind of Christ.)

the filling of the Holy Spirit and the temporary gifts teaches a far better way (verse 8)

REASON FOR TEMPORARY GIFTS NOT TONGUES (VERSE 9)

REASON FOR CESSATION OF CERTAIN GIFTS (VERSE 10)

THE TEACHING ILLUSTRATED (VERSE 11)

SUMMARY VERSES 8-11

1. THE PASSAGE DOCUMENTS THE CESSATION AND ABOLITION OF THE TEMPORARY GIFTS (APOSTOLIC).

2. The filling of the Holy Spirit is superior to the temporary gifts in that it survives them.

3. Prophecy and knowledge were designed to take up the slack until the Canon (New Testament) was completed.

4. Tongues ceased with the first era.

5. Tongues was a sign toward unbelievers, while prophecy and knowledge were designed to edify believers.

6. Tongues was a sign to Israel:

a. Evangelized in Gentile languages by Gentiles.

b. Were a sign of the fifth cycle.

c. Ceased in 70 A.D.

7. Tongues wasn’t designed to take up the slack until the Canon was completed.

8. Since the message was always the same—the gospel—only the language varied.

9. But verses nine and ten clearly state that prophecy and knowledge pinch-hit for the New Testament Canon, called here “the perfect.”

10. The partial was the doctrine which came to the churches via the temporary gifts.

11. This isn't to imply that believers then lacked Divine viewpoint to fulfill operation BAM.

12. Paul employs an analogy to establish this teaching:

a. The time of life from ages one to ten parallels the apostolic era.

b. The church was viewed as a child and the temporary gifts were the things of childhood.

c. The vocabulary of a child = tongues.

d. The thinking and reasoning = the gifts of edification like prophecy and knowledge.

e. The setting aside of the things of childhood = the cessation of the temporary gifts.

13. Further observations on verse eleven:

a. Paul isn't being critical of the childhood era.

b. Or the toys (gifts).

c. He isn't implying that the church was experientially more mature now that it has entered manhood (the opposite is true).

d. But he is implying the potential superiority of manhood (the church from about 100 A.D. to the Rapture) due to the completed Canon.

e. Only if the adult man exploits the new stage is he experientially better off.

f. That is to pursue the epignosis of the entire Canon.

g. Which the church hasn’t generally done.

h. He isn't passing judgement on either the childhood or the adulthood eras.

i. Only the change positionally:

1) The first century had no completed Canon, but temporary gifts.

2) Since then, to the Rapture, no temporary gifts, but the completed canon.

14. At no time in the Church Age has positive volition been slighted.

Summary verse 12

1. THIS VERSE DEALS WITH THE PERCEPTION OF PH3 IN TIME VERSUS PERCEPTION IN PH2.

2. Paul's observation comes in a context dealing with perception via temporary gifts versus the completed Canon.

3. Perception of the Plan for the royal family comes through the Canon, referred to as “the Perfect” and a mirror.”

4. Both of these references are found in James chapter one (JAMES 1:25,23).

5. Paul, in verse twelve, likens Ph2 perception to seeing one's reflection in a mirror:

a. The mirror is Scripture (Bible doctrine) which reflects your spiritual status (2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 see).

b. The Ph2 seeing (GAP) is sufficient to effect experiential sanctification.

c. But is not sufficient to bring home the full impact of actually seeing the objects of faith.

d. Reading and hearing about a place is not the same as actually visiting it. (You can become quite knowledgeable about a place without actually having beheld it.)

e. Through Scripture, we see a reflection of our place in God's eternal plan.

f. And dimly at that since we will never, in this body, be able to achieve the impact of the glories of Ph3.

6. So Paul contrasts the present imperfect seeing (which is vital to adjustment) with the perfect eschatological seeing.

7. The word riddle supports the interpretation since it is used of prophetic revelation (NUMBERS 12:8; EZEKIEL 17:2).

8. Also a riddle implies things which require elucidation.

9. “Knowing in part” is used in two ways in this chapter:

a. Information via the temporary gifts versus information via the completed Canon.

b. The present imperfect seeing versus the perfect eschatological seeing.

10. We will possess Ph3 epignosis as to the full significance of our position and Ph2 input.

11. We will see ourselves in a perspective that God alone fully possesses.

12. We will see the significance of our Divine good and our level of growth.

13. That reality will never lose its luster (compare EPHESIANS 1:3-9; 2:7).

14. You then will see perfectly the value of application and growth.

15. Now we live by faith; then by sight.

16. The worst and the greatest will all acknowledge the surpassing nature of

PpSG3.

17. We will share God's read-out as to:

a. The honor of being royal family.

b. The justice of God in our eternal niche.

c. The surpassing nature of SG3.

18. As long as you remain in Ph2, you can, under grace, carve out as large a niche as you want.

19. God supplies all the Divine operating assets:

a. The completed Canon and latter rains.

b. The local church.

c. Pastor-teacher.

d. The indwelling Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

e. Logistical grace, tested but provided (money, time, freedom, privacy, body).

20. The enemies remain the world, the flesh, the devil.

21. But those who consistently isolate the STA (love, filling of the Holy Spirit, crucify the flesh, die, circumcision) lay hold of SG3 (also called the salvation [deliverance] of the soul Ph2)(see JAMES 1:21; PHILIPPIANS 2:12 “work out your own salvation.”).

22. First John 3:2 sheds light on verse twelve.

Summary verse 13

1. LOVE REFERS TO LIFE UNDER THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

2. When the Holy Spirit fills, the life is under the influence of God who is love.

3. Love, or walking in love, is commanded for Ph2.

4. Faith is a Ph2 phenomenon, but must have the proper object.

5. Which love (the filling of the Holy Spirit) identifies.

6. We are to walk by faith and in order to do so, we must:

a. Have love or the filling of the Holy Spirit (compare verse 7).

b. Have the correct object (Bible doctrine).

c. Have both inhale and exhale faith.

7. The same is true of hope which is a nuance of faith.

8. Hope is generally used of Ph3 blessings though not exclusively.

9. Faith and hope exist where the objects are not seen (2 CORINTHIANS 5:7; context 6-8; ROMANS 8:24).

10. Love, however, is for time and eternity.

11. So Divine love is greater than either faith or hope for two reasons:

a. Both depend on love for the correct content in time (see verse 7 “believes all things” and “hopes all things.”

b. Love survives time, there being no need of faith and hope in Ph3.

12. Notice the absence of joy and peace in this verse (GALATIANS 5:22; ROMANS 14:17; PHILIPPIANS 2:2).

13. Eternity will be one continuous love response to God's perfect essence by each saint and the overt blessing on each will be indexed to your love response in Ph2.

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