1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13
A Psalm of Love. 1 Cor. 13,1-13.
A description of true love: V. 4. Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, v. 5. doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; v. 6. rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.
The apostle here pictures brotherly love, in personifying it, from both the negative and the positive side; he gives no abstract definition, but describes love in its substance, conduct, and actions. In the midst of the sins, evils, and trials of the fallen world, love suffers long, is long-tempered, patient toward injurious and provoking persons.
As Luther writes: "In the first place, love is long-suffering, that is, patient, is not hasty and quick to wrath, revenge, impatience, and to insist upon its own rights: but is patient and suffers the unrighteous and weak until they finally come."
Love is kind, benignant; it renders gracious, well-disposed service to others, is full of good will toward everybody in deeds, words, and conduct. Just as the Lord has patience with sinners, with the weaknesses of His elect, 2 Pet. 3, 9; Luke 18, 7; just as He is good and kind, 1 Pet. 2, 3, and has shown His kindness in Christ to all men, Titus 3, 4, even so all Christians should be found engaged in the virtues of the Lord.
The next sentences show that love will abstain from all forms of conduct that may hurt or harm one's neighbor. Love envies not, is not filled with selfish zeal, with passionate impetu-ousness; if there is need of striving in the interest of truth, it will never be done in passionate outbursts; if others have excellencies of person or of fortune, love is stimulated only to rejoicing admiration.
Love makes no self-display, carefully avoids vaunting, boasting, magnifying its own real or supposed advantages; ostentation of superiority, especially of supposed superiority, is the very opposite of love.
Love is not puffed up, is not guilty of moral indecency, of bad taste, is not proud in its own conceit, looking down upon others as inferior.
Love does not act in an indecorous manner; it has the proper instinct for that which is seemly toward one's neighbor; it always exhibits a dignified, noble conduct; it is never guilty of a tactlessness that forgets its own proper place and duty, failing to give to others the respect, honor, or consideration due them. Conduct of this kind is opposed to the essence of love, which demands a quiet, meek, and humble behavior, seeking to excel, in the interest of one's neighbor, in that which is virtuous, honorable, intended to win the heart of one's fellow-Christian.
The apostle now continues his description of love in bringing out its manner of thinking, its inner character. Love does not seek its own advantage, its own pleasure, profit, honor; it is willing to give up its own gain if one's neighbor will but be profited.
And therefore love is not embittered; it refuses to be irritated by the show of ingratitude which men return for the kindness shown them. On the contrary, under those very conditions love takes no account of evil, does not charge it against any one, does not keep it in mind, but forgives it gladly and freely.
And in general, love rejoices not at wrong, is never gratified at the evil that comes upon one's evil neighbor, nor at the fact that he persists in his evil ways.
Love rather rejoices with the truth, with those that are on the side of right and truth; when God's truth wins its way over the powers of darkness and makes men free from all unrighteousness and wrong, that is a cause of great joy to all true Christians. And particularly when a Christian brother receives that which is his in justice, then love feels the pleasure of fellow-feeling.