Love is the Foundation
1 Corinthians 13
Introduction
In my experience, there are two types of people who tell stories. There are those with the laser focus that want to take us on as direct a route as possible from point A to point B. They will share the necessary details but only as much background information as absolutely required to make the narrative journey. The other kind of story teller is the one that sees the detours, not as distractions but as adventures to be embarked on. As they tell the story, a minor character comes up, and they want to give you the entire backstory. Context is everything and they want to share as much detail as possible. They may even forget to tell the main story because they get so caught up in all of the interesting stories that come up a long the way.
My favourite author is J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books. He was someone who told a story, but as soon as he introduced a character or a civilization or a place, he would have to give all of the background behind those details. Thankfully for the smoothness of the plot, most of those details are placed in the extensive appendices. But having to write out that information is what caused Tolkien to take so long in writing his books.
Now what does that have to do with the Bible and why am I talk about this? These questions are key for us to understand 1 Corinthians 13, the passage commonly known as the love chapter. When you read 1 Corinthians 12-14, it seems as if 1 Corinthians 13 is a bit out of place. In chapter 12, Paul addresses the divisions within the church, especially those surrounding spiritual gifts. He provides a theological background as to why all of the spiritual gifts are important and why speaking in tongues should not be lifted above the others. In chapter 14, Paul continues that argument, switching from the theoretical to the practical. He describes what a worship service should look like, including the role of speaking in tongues, if what he said in chapter 12 is true.
So what is happening with 1 Corinthians 13? The question we need to ask here is: Did Paul get distracted in the midst of his otherwise tight argument and before he knew it, he had a whole chapter about love instead of a few words? Or, is 1 Corinthians 13 a necessary part of what he is saying in these chapters, being not a distraction but a necessary bridge from 1 Corinthians 12 to 14? I am going to argue that the love chapter is not an unexpected detour or an interesting but unnecessary addition to what Paul was otherwise trying to say. I am going to argue that the love chapter is actually the foundation, the required teaching to get us from chapter 12 to 13.
Love and the Early Church
Most people identify 1 Corinthians 13, at least verses four to eight, with weddings. Probably these are some of the most familiar biblical phrases among non-Christians. Unfortunately, both Christians and non-Christians tend to misinterpret these words, as if they were speaking specifically if not exclusively to romantic love. We might not realize how much we have been trained by entertainment to think of love as the feelings that exist between two people who are attracted to each other. Think of the phrases “falling in love” and “falling out of love” and you get a sense of what people think love is. It is something that one feels and we get concerned if those emotions are not there.
But what did Paul have to say about love? As already mentioned, he is still very much thinking about what he has taught in the previous chapter and the point that he has been trying to make throughout the letter. He starts by talking about what the Corinthians think of as true spirituality, including speaking in tongues. None of the things that he lists here are bad, in fact they have been important parts of Christian spirituality. But Paul forcefully makes the point that none of these good things are of any importance if there is no love.
A modern equivalent might be something like this. You get hired for a new job and your boss takes you on a tour of the office on your first day. You are told you get your own reserved parking space, an office with an amazing view, an extra long lunch, and your picture on the wall as one of the valued employees. But then the boss sheepishly mentions that they cannot actually pay you a salary. Those other things are nice but the point of having a job is to be paid. In the same way, those other parts of Christianity are nice but the point of being a Christian is to be loving. And this the crux of this passage. The love that is being spoken of is not that of a couple who have fallen in love with each other, this is the love that takes places within a Christian community. Newlyweds might stress out they they are expected to have this kind of love for their spouse, while Paul is actually saying that we are supposed to have this kind of love for our entire community of faith.
I am not going to go into details about Paul’s description of love, that passage that is so often quoted. I will note that no where does he mention the feelings we are supposed to have. The other thing is that the kinds of things that Paul mentions all assume that there will be challenges and issues along the way. Why does Paul start by saying that love must be patient? Patience is not needed when everything is easy and things are running smoothly. Paul also says that love does not keep records of wrongs. This assumes that there will be wrongs done against us. The kind of love that Paul is talking about is not a fairy tale love but love in the real world. Is the love that happens in a community when people have strong personalities, deeply held convictions, a willingness to speak before thinking, and a desire to have our own preferences. In the midst of all that, we are meant to love each other, whether we feel it or not.
How important is love? Paul describes the key Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. All three of those are meant to shape how we live as followers of Jesus. But of those three, only love will survive throughout eternity. There will be a time when faith and hope are no longer required, but love will always remain.
Love in the Modern Church
I would love to tell you that struggles to be a loving church ended with the first century Corinthian church. The truth is that 1 Corinthians 13 is just as relevant for us today as it was for them. Think about that first paragraph that Paul writes where he lists the things that the Corinthians thought were the key to being a Christian. Our list might look somewhat different, but the correction would be the same. Without love, all of those things are a waste of time.
I spend a lot of time on social media, taking in what people who identify as Christians are saying. You will find all sorts of claims of what the key issue is for the Church today but very rarely is it identified as love. In fact, the posture that is often taken is that of attacking our brothers and sisters in Christ because of differences that we perceive. I am not saying that is wrong to disagree but our posture must be that of love for each other. Jesus made this statement: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) I have been a part of some churches where love is rarely mentioned (or practiced). In some congregations, you would never guess that Jesus gave love as the defining characteristic. Some Christians seem to even think of love as a weakness, as a slippery slope toward losing their convictions. Biblically, love is supposed to be our primary conviction.
The love that Paul is talking about is not that warm affection that we feel toward certain people that we have much in common and who tend to build us up. The love that Paul is talking about is a decision, not a feeling, and it is meant for every one in our Christian community, no matter what has happened in the past. By the way, this speaks to the challenge people have about forgiving those who have hurt them. People believe that forgiveness means that we must be able to have loving emotions toward the person. Forgiveness, like love, is not about the feelings that may or may not be there. We choose to forgive, we choose to keep no record of wrongs, however we might feel about the person.
Conclusion
You will likely be at a wedding at some point in the future and you will hear the reading of a portion of 1 Corinthians 13. People will smile at the beautiful words that describe the feelings that this couple have for one another.
While 1 Corinthians 13 is applicable to a married couple, we now know that was not what Paul had in mind. He wrote these words to a church that was struggling. He did not get distracted from his main point but rather dove deeper into the argument he has been trying to make throughout this letter. Christian community is based on love. Not the feelings of love. Not love when things are easy and people are pleasant and agreeable. Rather biblical love that is based on the love that Jesus Christ demonstrated on the cross toward those who followed, those who abandoned and those who killed him. That is how people will know that we are followers of Jesus.
