By Timothy W. Burnett
In 1Corinthians 13, the word "charity" is more accurately translated the love that is from God. This love is distinguished from brotherly love which is the earlier known Greek word "philadelphia." Agape love is on a vertical plane from God to mankind. It is impossible for this love to be directed from mankind to God. For it was God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Since Adam's initial disobedience, all his descendents have been in a perishable state. According to Romans 5:12, because of Adam's disobedience, death passed upon all men. Then the second Adam, who is our Lord Jesus Christ, demonstrated God's love by willfully and voluntarily giving his own life as the final blood sacrifice for all of mankind. Mankind did not deserve this wonderful love from God. Yet He gave it to all who would believe with the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). The epistle of 1John covers this subject beautifully, "My little children let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1John 3:18). To love in deed and in truth figuratively means to love in true deeds, or in deed truly. This word "deed" is also used in Luke 24:19, "...Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people." The Gospels of Jesus Christ and the book of Acts are packed with examples of how to show God's love. It will be seen that God's love can only be shown by those who walk by the spirit that is from God.
Now we can dive in to 1Corinthians chapter 13 with a better understanding of God's love toward mankind. We can speak in tongues until we are blue in the face, but it will be meaningless if we are holding back the love of God. We can excel in prophesy, understand all mysteries and knowledge, and believe even unto removing a mountain if God gives the word, and yet even all this is nothing when God's love is being restrained in our lives. We can burn ourselves out feeding the poor, but without God's love it is of no profit. The love of God suffers long. It is with kindness, and without envy. It is not with self-boasting and selfinflating. The love of God never results in failure.
We come to verse 13, "And now abides faith, hope, and charity, these three. But the greatest of these is charity." We can believe God's word for dynamic results in our lives. We have the hope of the return of Christ for all the members of his body. And we have the love of God. The greatest and strongest of these is God's love toward mankind.
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