“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, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
In order to really understand what Paul is talking about in this Scripture we have to look at some of Paul’s other writings. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Paul said, “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” In other words knowledge without love is incomplete! We have to have both operating in unison in order to be effective because without love, knowledge puffs up the mind of the believer and causes them to stumble and they walk in the flesh, not in the Spirit.
Here is something else to think about. Did you know that every person who has said yes to a relationship with Jesus Christ and are baptized in the Holy Spirit have the fullness of knowledge given to them? And did you know that they have the right to operate in the gifts and are given the power of God to perform miracles, signs, and wonders? For verification of what I just wrote lets read what Jesus said in John 14:12-14 and verse 26. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
But what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 13:2 is that having all of these things are great but without love you are incomplete. Love has to be the motivator behind them! It is good to operate in the gifts and to have solid faith but as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:31 there is a more excellent way. And that way is to love first! This is why in Ephesians 3:19 he said, “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” And again in Colossians 3:12 -14 he says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” Did you catch that? LOVE IS THE BOND OF PERFECTION!
In other words it is the glue that holds us together in our own lives and in our ministries as we will see in the next several days of study. But we have to make the conscious decision to accept God’s love for ourselves and be willing to extend that same love to others or we will be ineffectual in doing what we have been called to do as disciples of Jesus Christ! It is in understanding God’s incredible love for us and how His love operates where we are strengthened and filled with all the fullness of God.
In Ephesians 3:16-19 Paul wrote, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Are you beginning to understand what I am sharing with you? Love is the key that opens the door to being filled with the fullness of God! Only having a partial understanding of love is what has caused dividing lines in the church today. It is what has caused man to adhere to religious doctrine instead of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It is what causes quarrels and strife among the members in the body of Christ. It is what causes us to judge others. It is what causes the body of Christ to be in discord instead of being one accord and like-minded.
It is the very thing that makes us look down on others and view ourselves as better than someone else, instead of doing what Paul told us to do in Philippians 2:1-4 when he said, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Love brings unity and oneness! If the church of Jesus Christ would understand this and operate in love we would not have the divisions we have in the body of Christ. We would not have the quarrels and strife over man-made doctrine. We would not use guilt and condemnation as a tactic to get people to change. We would not judge others. We would not operate in fear. We would see the power of God unleashed like we read about in the book of Acts. We would see miracles, signs, and wonders being reported on every news channel in the world. Love has to be the first and foremost motivator! I will leave you today with Paul’s words to us once again from 1 Corinthians 13:2 and I pray that you are beginning to understand the importance of love. “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, but have not love, I am nothing.”
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