Audio Article
As we talked about in part one, the Bible emphasizes the importance of love in the church. In this article, we will dive into 1 Corinthians 13 and review the nature of this love as described by Paul. In this passage, Paul lists the attributes of love and encourages us to form the agape love we talked about in the last article. Today we’ll be focusing on how important love is for the Church’s success in representing Christ, and we’ll discover what proper love looks like for the Church. Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 13.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
The word "charity" in the Bible refers to the act of doing something in love or grace. The use of this word highlights the idea that love should be demonstrated through action. In 1 Corinthians 13, it states that even if one were to speak with the tongues of men and of angels, if they do not have charity (love in action), they are like a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
This verse emphasizes the idea that love is not just about words but about actions as well. It’s not enough to simply say that we love others; we must show it through our actions and demonstrate love in the way we treat them. Charity is a key component of the Christian life and should be a central part of our relationships with others. Let’s break this passage down bit by bit.
The Emptiness of Unbacked Words
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1
The illustration of a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal is a relevant one. It reminds me of a child in his first music class playing his trumpet at full force, without regard for whether they’re good at it or not; it’s a vivid representation of what it means to lack charity. Just like the sound of the unskilled child’s trumpet can be irritating and drive people mad, although he is attempting to do good. It reminds us that words alone are not enough to demonstrate love. Just like the trumpet player, we may be enthusiastic and passionate about our faith, but if we don’t put that love into a meaningful action, it’s just a lot of noise and annoyance to those around us.
The mention of a "tinkling symbol" brings to mind images of those clapping monkey toys with cymbals. Just imagine placing such a toy near someone and watching as it slowly drives them to madness. It’s a safe bet that if your kids brought home such a toy, it wouldn’t be long before it mysteriously disappeared.
On the other hand, the idea of "speaking with the tongues of men and of angels" is meant to conjure up images of a skilled orator, a speaker who commands attention and respect. Such a person would undoubtedly have the right words to say and would present a beautiful and powerful oration. However, without love, all that beauty and power becomes like the annoying clanging of the cymbals. No matter how often you speak “words of love,” if you lack genuine agape love behind it, it’s all meaningless noise. Words are nothing without actions to back them up. You might be able to fool some people for a time, but eventually, people will see through the lack of sincerity. Words without love will eventually become a source of irritation and offense.
I personally experienced this before when I first started writing articles for "Nerd in the Word," I could easily tell if someone had read one of my articles. In the early days, there were only a handful of daily readers, so I could keep track of who had read an article after I told them about it.
For example, I remember some people coming to me at church and saying, "I loved your website! I just read one of your articles a couple of minutes ago, and it was the best thing I’ve ever read." But when I checked my website stats, I discovered that, in fact, no one had actually visited my site that day at all. These people had intended to encourage me, but their words were empty. They didn’t have the actions to support their words. This wasn’t genuine agape love. It was merely "sounding brass and a tinkling symbol." Instead of feeling encouraged, I was left feeling unfulfilled. Their good intentions were there, but the love wasn’t. Our lives shouldn’t be like this. We should aim to make our words and actions match.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2
We have many different roles in the church. Here, it talks about prophecy and mysteries. In other words, we’re talking about wisdom. Our modern church is made up of diverse roles, and some members may be highly educated and knowledgeable, with titles and degrees to match. They may have gone to college, attained advanced education, and be considered intelligent. But the Bible states that if their knowledge and wisdom lack love, it is meaningless. No matter how much you understand the Bible, if you can’t apply it to your life through love, it’s all for nothing.
The same goes for faith. No matter how much faith you have in Jesus, if it’s not rooted in love, it’s useless. Faith without love won’t make an impact or draw others to Christ. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." People need to feel that you care about them before they’ll be interested in what you know. If you don’t show them love, all your hard work will be in vain and have no effect.
The Profitability of Love
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:3
Here we see someone doing something good. In this example, giving large amounts of money to the poor makes a positive impact on their lives. Providing aid and support to those in need is certainly a noble act, but as Paul states, "it profits me nothing." The emphasis here is not on the lack of benefit for the recipient but rather on the lack of profit for the giver. God is not pleased when we perform good deeds for the wrong reasons. Doing what the Bible instructs is important, but if our primary motivation is to be seen as a good Christian or to earn praise from others, we will not receive blessings from God; we have our reward.<
In relationships, simply buying a gift or performing a single kind act is not enough. To truly show love, we must consistently act out of love and demonstrate that we care. True love does not act for the benefit of self but for the sake of love itself. Love must be shown and acted out, not just expressed through words or monetary gifts.
So once again, in a relationship, you can’t just buy a gift to make everything better. You have to show that you care. You have to show that you love. You have to act out your love and be consistent in that love.
Concluding Thoughts
As we have seen today, the church cannot function without love. It is a crucial part of our walk with God. All the good we do loses its power when it is done without love. God doesn’t want us to act godly solely for the sake of moral status. He calls us to do what is right in the spirit of love. Our calling is not just merely to do good for the sake of good. But to do good because of our love for those around us. Food for thought, does your love for others draw out the best in you?
