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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain 1 Corinthians 13:4:
I Corinthians 13:4-7
Excerpted from: LoveRemember this: this is the mind of God that you are hearing here. This not John Reid, or John Ritenbaugh, or somebody else. This is the mind of God.
“Love suffers long.” I would like to touch each one of these quickly and tell you what Strong’s Concordance says. It literally means love has a long mind, to the end of which neither trials, adversities, persecutions, or provocations can reach. In other words, you cannot destroy it. Love has a long mind. It is patient with people, it not given to hasty anger or retort. It endures patiently, not losing faith or giving up. So you can measure yourself against that: do I lose my patience, do I get angry quickly? Then I had better convert myself, and go back to having a long mind, and being long suffering.
“Love is kind” means to be obliging, to be willing to help or assist, to act beneficially towards others. To have tenderness and compassion, and to be mild and gentle, even in a trial. This part of love goes to visit the sick, helps the poor, encourages, lifts up, supports. It is kind.
“Love does not envy.” Love is not jealous. It is not grieved because someone has a greater office. It is not grieved because somebody possesses greater material goods or greater intelligence, or more beauty, or more handsomeness. It just does not do it. It rejoices that others are so blessed, without any jealousy in there at all.
“Parade.” That means to act rashly or insolently. Love does not parade itself, it does not act rashly. We would say “smart mouthed” today. Love is not “smart mouthed,” it does not brag or boast. It does not think highly of oneself, or try to elevate oneself above others. If somebody else does that, it is their problem—you do not do that. It is not haughty, does not exercise violence, or use one despitefully. It does not lift itself up with pride. It does not need to be applauded. That is part of love.
“Puffed up.” It means just what it says. My wife bought a $15 ball the other day, it almost killed me blowing it up. But when it was all blown up, what was it full of? Hot air. That is just what it means, to be filled with pride or conceit, puffed up. Love is not that way. If you are in God’s church, you know what it says in Isaiah 66:2: who will God look to? The person that is humble and contrite, and fears God’s Word. You also know that if you are filled with pride, that it is going to breed sin and end up in destruction. It just is. So love is not that way.
“Love does not behave itself rudely.” To bring another to disgrace. We are not to cause anyone shame or disgrace. We should try to be all things, in a sense, to a person, to help them come along and be strong, and be sound. We do not criticize, and we do not point out their faults.
“Provoke”. That means to exasperate. To provoke to anger or indignation. In some translations, it says, “Love is not easily provoked.” That is a wrong translation. Love is not provoked, period. Period! Love does not cause trouble. Period. Love may have to deal with it, but love does not cause it.
“Thinks no evil.” Literally, it means, evil, bad, worthless, a soldier who is cowardly. I do not know just how that fits, but that is what that particular thing in Strong’s means. “Thinks no evil” exists where it appears to be. It gives the person the benefit of the doubt. Never suppose a good action has an evil motive.
In this sense, “thinks no evil,” we are not to cause anything evil or harmful. Love does no harm or injury to anyone, mentally or physically, and love does not keep an account of evil. It forgets it.
“Thinks no evil” applies to all of us. In dating, a young man would never do anything that would harm a young lady, her reputation, or anything. And a young lady would never provoke or tease a man, to cause him to try to … . . .
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