Well, it has certainly been a while since my last entry, and it is high time for another entry.
As I was reading through 1 Corinthians 13 again, I came to this verse (v8)
”Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
I had always read the first sentence as “Love never fails someone”. As in, when you love as God loves, it never fails. God’s love for us never fails. True love in relationships should never fail. Someone who loves is always there for the other. These are, I believe, all very true.
However, as I read this verse again this morning, the remaining part of the verse jumped out at me as a sharp contrast to the simple words “Love never fails.” Look at this:
Love – Never fails.
Contrast:
Prophecies – will fail;
Tongues – will cease;
Knowledge – will vanish away.
The three items contrasted with Love are all part of what we see in happening in the church. Paul speaks about each of these many times throughout his letters… prophecies, tongues, and knowledge all functioned in the church of Paul’s day. All of fail/cease/vanish away. However:
Love never fails.
Love should be the church. Think of the “Loveless Church” in Revelation. …All these (doctrine, perseverance, mercy, faith) things you have, but you have not love. I will take your lamp stand and remove it from among you…
Where do we place love? Is it the first thing on our mind? Does belief function at the expense of love?
No wonder Paul ends the chapter with:
“…And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
(As an aside, I highly recommend reading the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning)
