3 Greatest Integrity

Illustration of children learning and growing. Fascinating to watch them handle the world around them. As they grow to adults we want to see them putting aside their childish ways and living like an adult. Mature. Responsible.

comes after the chapter on spiritual gifts to edify the whole body, and before the conclusion of body building (through prophecy and order).

Greatest Importance – Love as the first fruit of the Spirit is greater than the gifts of the Spirit. Without love the gifts are empty and you are nothing.

Greatest Impact – Love is and Love does. If love can change your heart it can change the world.

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1 Corinthians 13:8–13 CSB

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Temporary Nature of Revelation

1 Corinthians 13:8 CSB

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

love never ends

Love never ends - cease, fail, stop.

Prophecies - cease, stop

Tongues - stilled, silenced

Knowledge - pass away, no longer used, useless.

1 Corinthians 13:9 CSB

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part,

1 Corinthains 13:9

vv.9-10

know = experience and understand

know and prophecy in part, incomplete, not fully. partial revelation

v.10

1 Corinthians 13:10 CSB

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.

Perfect = complete, whole, finished

When the perfect comes = could be complete revelation, end of age type complete, maturing of time, could be referring to Jesus as the complete, perfect.

However, in context, talking about revelation of prophecies and tongues and knowledge passing away, most likely means the fullness of revelation in Jesus at His return in a way that the others are gone.

Enduring Nature of Love

1 Corinthians 13:11 CSB

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.

V.11 uses metaphor of growing to maturity from childhood to manhood and the changing of activity in those ages. This is a comparison to the maturing of revelation in us.

spoke, thought, reasoned

tongues, knowledge, prophecy (maybe not a perfect correlation but gives example)

As a child, did what children do. Learning to talk, learning to think and reason. So much that you don’t know and it all has to be put together.

Trying new words. Always asking why.

In this phase of our spiritual life we are like children. We are still learning, still figuring it out. We have partial revelation to help us – prophecy, tongues, knowledge, etc. These are good and helpful.

Jesus says we are to come to the Kingdom as a small child. But we are also to mature in our faith and walk.

Become a man and cease, put a stop to childish ways.

Cease is same word as v.8 for prophecy and knowledge.

1 Corinthians 13:12 CSB

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.

Another great metaphor -

Seeing just a dim reflection of what is to come.

Know in part - just a fraction of the understanding and experience, but eventually everything will be completely clear and visible and understood.

Eventually, we will grow up, mature, become complete and the complete revelation will be understood. We only see a dim reflection now, but then we will see with complete clarity. Both see and know as we are seen and known.

Fullness of time, fullness of revelation, fullness of love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 CSB

13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Remain - continue, last, as opposed to the gifts that fail, are stopped, ended.

The gifts of revelation and ministry that are innate (born into us at our spiritual birth) through our spiritual birth of Jesus in us by His Holy Spirit are for a time. For building up the body. For the functioning of believers. These will not be necessary any longer when we are reunited with Jesus.

Several things will remain, continue on. Faith, Hope, and Love. The core of all is love.

1 Corinthians 14:1 CSB

1 Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.

Desire spiritual gifts – good gifts, still needed for revelation and building up the church.

Pursue love, Follow the way of love (12:31), to do with intense effort. continuous action, endeavor to take hold and keep pursuing.

Conclusion

Love never ends, the spiritual gifts do, it compares to the maturing process, it’s like seeing things as a dim reflection and then everything becoming crystal clear, like knowing about and then finally meeting and getting to know.

Big Idea: Desire spiritual gifts, but actively pursue love.

Spiritual gifts are temporary. They will fade and be gone.

Desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and use the gifts He gives you to build up other believers and reach the lost.

But also remember, without Love, these gifts are not effective.

Gifts are given, Love is commanded

Gifts are temporary, Love continues on forever.

Love is an intentional outward and relational action driven by a transformed heart.

What About You?

Have you received God’s gift of love – salvation through Jesus?

Has His love completely remade your heart?

Are you living out that love toward others?

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