Saint Paul the Apostle was inspired by the Holy Spirit and writing to his beloved friends in the Body of Christ in Corinth, Greece. Paul gave testimony concerning what God had taught him. The Holy Spirit had transformed him in Jesus. He had not only learned what follows, in Christ Paul had become love in the image of God Who is Love.
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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 completeness comes, what is in part 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 the ways of childhood behind me.
"For now we see only a 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.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” [1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)]
Quite a while I was taught that I could make the above passage a prayer for others or for myself like this:
If Kathy speaks in the tongues of men or of angels, but does not have love, She is only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If she has the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if she has faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, she is nothing.
If Kathy gives all she possesses to the poor and gives over her body to hardship so that she might boast, but does not have love, she gains nothing.
In the love of God in Christ Jesus, Kathy is patient and kind. She does not envy, nor does she boast, nor does she have false pride. Because she is love in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, Kathy does not dishonor others, she is not self-seeking, she is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs. Kathy does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. In the love of Jesus Christ, Kathy always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Because of God's Love in Christ, Kathy 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 completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When Kathy was a child, she talked like a child, she thought like a child, she reasoned like a child. When Kathy became fully grown, she put the ways of childhood behind her.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now Kathy knows in part; then Kathy will know fully, even as she is fully known by God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love, and because Kathy is in Christ, she remains as well." [1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)]
Nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus --
"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
"God’s Love in Christ Jesus
"What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“'For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. "[Romans 8:28-39 (RSV)]
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have 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 do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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 completeness comes, what is in part 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 the ways of childhood behind me.
"For now we see only a 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.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” [1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)]
Quite a while I was taught that I could make the above passage a prayer for others or for myself like this:
If Kathy speaks in the tongues of men or of angels, but does not have love, She is only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If she has the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if she has faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, she is nothing.
If Kathy gives all she possesses to the poor and gives over her body to hardship so that she might boast, but does not have love, she gains nothing.
In the love of God in Christ Jesus, Kathy is patient and kind. She does not envy, nor does she boast, nor does she have false pride. Because she is love in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, Kathy does not dishonor others, she is not self-seeking, she is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs. Kathy does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. In the love of Jesus Christ, Kathy always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Because of God's Love in Christ, Kathy 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 completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When Kathy was a child, she talked like a child, she thought like a child, she reasoned like a child. When Kathy became fully grown, she put the ways of childhood behind her.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now Kathy knows in part; then Kathy will know fully, even as she is fully known by God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love, and because Kathy is in Christ, she remains as well." [1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)]
Nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus --
"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
"God’s Love in Christ Jesus
"What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“'For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. "[Romans 8:28-39 (RSV)]
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