I Corinthians 13:7-13 (Part 63) The More Excellent Way

• The necessity of love, vv. 1-3

• The character of love, vv. 4-7: 1) The unselfishness of love, v. 4; 2) The conduct of love, vv. 5-6; 3) The optimism of love, v. 7

• The permanence of love, vv. 8-12

• The superiority of love, v. 13

The optimism of love, v. 7—love . . .

• Bears all things

• Believes all things

• Hopes all things

• Endures all things

The permanence of love—vv. 8-12

• The permanence stated, v. 8a

• Comparison of three gifts—v. 8—all three said to come to an end . . .: 1) Knowledge and prophecy—they will be acted upon and will come to an end: a) When?—when the perfect arrives, vv. 9-10; b) The perfect?—this is the canon of Scripture. Tongues will cease in and of themselves.

Illustration of v. 11

• I spake—tongues

• I understood and thought—prophecy and knowledge

• These were done “as a child”

• When he became a man—he did away with childish things

Now and then of v. 12

• Now—pre-canon

• Then—post-canon

The superiority of love—v. 13

• Hope and love are not doctrines; they are virtues.

• Love is the superior virtue.

• Love and truth (doctrine)—cooperate