Conference yukon::christian_v7

744.0. "The Love of Christ" by PAULKM::WEISS (For I am determined to know nothing, except...) Tue Jun 06 1995 12:37

In my reading this week I read 1Cor 13 again.  It's a really intense chapter,
if you focus on what it actually says.  This is one of the most complete
descriptions of the nature of Christ, that nature which we is offered to us as
a gift and which we are called to appropriate.
 
This is *IT* folks, the real deal.  This is who Christ is, and who we are to
be.  Some parts of it are easy to deal with, like "Not rude."  Others, like
"Does not seek self" we want to run screaming from.  But this *IS* the nature
we are called to.  I used LOGOS to expand the definitions of the words:

The Love of Christ:

Is Patient

	The KJV translates the greek as "suffereth long," which is probably a
	better translation.  There's a definite connotation of bearing up 
	under misfortune and mistreatment.  Definitions of this word are: 

	1) To persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and
	   troubles
	2) To be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others.
	3) To be mild and slow in avenging
	4) To be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.

Is Kind

	To be kind, virtuous, good, mild, pleasant.

Is Not Envious

	To be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger.

Is Not Boastful

	To extoll one's self, to indulge in self-display.

Is Not Proud

	To be puffed up, inflated, to bear one's self loftily.

Is Not Rude

	To act indecently or unbecomingly

Is Not Self-Seeking

	Literally, "Does not seek himself/herself"  The word "Seek" in greek
	means "Seek, meditate on, think about, inquire into, strive after, aim
	at."  The himself/herself is a reflexive pronoun that generically means
	"itself," regardless of what you were talking about.

Is Not Provoked to Anger

	Though the NIV and KJV and others include the word "easily" here, as in
	"Not easily angered," the concept of "easily" doesn't seem to be in the
	original text.  The NAS justs says "Is not provoked."  There's only one
	word here (other than NOT), and that word means: "To irritate, spur on,
	provoke, arouse to anger, scorn, despise, make angry, exasperate, to
	burn with anger."  Unless a deeper study on that word would indicate
	that the word includes the concept of "easily," it appears that the
	command here is stronger than that:  "Is NOT provoked to anger."

Keeps no Record of Wrongs

	Two words in Greek:  "To reckon, count, compute, calculate, make an
	account of, deliberate, weigh, meditate on," and "wrong, wicked,
	injurious, destructive."  The definintion of the word for "Reckon etc"
	makes a specific note that the word is only used to deal with facts,
	not suppositions.  So this says not to keep record or accounting even
	of *real* injuries.

Does Not Delight in Evil

	The word "Rejoice" here carries a connotation of "To salute, hail,
	greet."  The word "Evil" means injustice, iniquity, or unrighteousness.
	My personal note, not in the text: Clearly we would not rejoice over
	most injustice.  I believe this command it not to 'salute' even when
	bad things befall even those who 'deserve' it.

Rejoices with the Truth

	The word "Rejoice" used here is a different word, which carries a 
	connotation of entering into joy with someone: "To rejoice with, to
	take part in another's joy, to rejoice together, to congratulate."
	The word "Truth" here refers either to absolute objective truth, i.e. 
	God's truth, or to personal excellence, that which is free from 
	affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, or deceit.

Always...

	In each of the four "Always" clauses, the word used means "each, every,
	any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything."  It doesn't
	leave anything out.

Always Protects

	Protects means "By covering to keep off something which threatens, to
	bear up against, hold out against, and so endure, bear, forbear,
	preserve."

Always Believes

	The word used for "Believe" here is the verb form of the same word 
	which in noun form is translated throughout the New Testament as 
	"Faith."  It means "To entrust one's fidelity, adhere to, trust,
	rely on."

Always Hopes

	To wait for salvation in joy and full confidence

Always Perseveres

	Abide, not tarry or flee under trials or misfortunes, to endure, to
	bear bravely and calmly ill treatments.

Never Fails

	Never falls away, loses, perishes, falls powerless, is without effect.


The Bible says that if we don't have this nature alive in our hearts, then
nothing else we do is of any real use.

Yikes.  :-)

Paul

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 are very telling verses.  I always find tha pondering 
over each point reminds me of what I should be.  And where I am not, I am 
so grateful that He is.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with
the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres. 

That 'patience' or long-suffering, combined with the latter qualities 
amounts to a patient confidence in the loved one as being the ultimate they 
are designed to be; as if they have achieved what is being worked in them.  
That is how God seems to see us, even now!  As if our lapses which are 
loaded onto Him on the cross are just passing shadows in the light of His 
love.

"While we were still sinners, Christ did for us" 
								Romans 5:8
"... enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour..." 
								Colossians 1:21

"God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms..."
								Ephesians 2:6

 - past tense.  That's where He sees us.  That's what we *will* be.  
That's how He sees us now, and so obviously 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is how we
behave... 


Thanks Paul....

								Andrew