{"id":3548,"date":"2022-07-18T08:32:16","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T12:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/?p=3548"},"modified":"2022-07-18T08:32:16","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T12:32:16","slug":"1-corinthians-134","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/?p=3548","title":{"rendered":"1 Corinthians 13:4"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Verse 4 \u2013 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spiritual experience (v.1), insight (v.2), and sacrifice (v.3) are not definitive markers of true spirituality, love is. So, what is love?<\/p>\n

Paul does not provide a definition of love. Rather, he describes love in action. With fifteen verbs (running through verse 7) he provides descriptors of love on the move. Love is not static, but active. Love is not inert, but always on the move. We discover that love makes itself known both in what it embraces and in what it rejects. In what follows Paul will state positively seven times what love does and negatively eight times what loves does not do. He begins with two positive statements about what love is (v.4a), then lines up the eight statements about what love is not (vv.4b-6a), and then closes with five more positive statements about love (vv.6b-7).<\/p>\n

We learn first that \u201cLove is patient\u201d (\u1f29 \u1f00\u03b3\u1f71\u03c0\u03b7 \u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5\u1fd6). Note the definite article (lit., \u201cthe love\u201d). The verb (\u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u1f73\u03c9) means \u201cto bear up under provocation without complaint.\u201d[1]<\/a> Thus, \u201cpatience\u201d involves three elements: a provocation that creates a weight that presses downward upon us, remaining under that weight rather than fleeing, and refusing to complain while waiting for relief from that weight. It is \u201cto be patient in bearing the offences and injuries of others; to be mild and slow in avenging; to be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.\u201d[2]<\/a> The root word is a compound, comprised of \u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u1f79\u03c2 (long) and \u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u1f79\u03c2 (anger\/wrath\/rage). The resulting sense is \u201cto take a long time to become angry.\u201d Patience holds out a long time before it gives way to emotion, before breaking out into flames of anger. We might say, then, that patience is inflammable. Paul used the same verb to tell the Thessalonian believers to be \u201cpatient with everyone\u201d (1 Thess. 5:14, NASU). Some need admonishing, some need encouraging, others need helping, but love sees that everyone gets patience. The present tense pictures the ongoing and abiding nature of love.<\/p>\n

In addition (\u201cand,\u201d not in Greek text) Paul tells us that love is \u201ckind\u201d (\u03c7\u03c1\u03b7\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u1f7b\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f21 \u1f00\u03b3\u1f71\u03c0\u03b7). More literally it might be rendered, \u201ckind, the love.\u201d The verb is used only here in the NT. It means \u201cto provide something beneficial for someone as an act of kindness.\u201d[3]<\/a> The middle voice is deponent, thus having an active meaning.[4]<\/a> The cognate noun is used ten times in the NT, all of them by Paul. It refers to goodness, kindness, and generosity, either of man (2 Cor. 6:6; Gal. 5:22; Col. 3:12) or of God (Rom. 2:4; 11:22; Eph. 2:7).[5]<\/a> The unredeemed man has no such \u201ckindness\u201d in himself (Rom. 3:12). It can only come from him as God produces it in him (Gal. 5:22).<\/p>\n

With a turn toward the negative consideration, Paul says, \u201clove does not envy\u201d (\u03bf\u1f50 \u03b6\u03b7\u03bb\u03bf\u1fd6, [\u1f21 \u1f00\u03b3\u1f71\u03c0\u03b7]). In each case of negation Paul uses the adverb \u03bf\u1f50 (\u201cnot\u201d), which denies a thing categorically or absolutely.[6]<\/a> This first verb means to desire intensely and earnestly. That desire can be positive (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 3:19), but here is negative, pointing to \u201cintense negative feelings over another\u2019s achievements or success.\u201d[7]<\/a> Interestingly, Paul brackets the entire discussion of love with the command to \u201cearnestly desire [\u03b6\u03b7\u03bb\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03b5] the higher gifts\u201d (1 Cor. 12:31a) and \u201cPursue love, and earnestly desire [\u03b6\u03b7\u03bb\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03b5] the spiritual gifts\u201d (1 Cor. 14:1). And he then closes out the entire discussion of spiritual gifts by exhorting them, \u201cSo, my brothers, earnestly desire [\u03b6\u03b7\u03bb\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03b5] to prophesy\u201d (v.39). Thus, he does not deny the legitimate and holy use of such strong desires put into action, but only their sinful tendency. Love is the great constraint on all human passions.<\/p>\n

Neither does love \u201cboast\u201d (\u03bf\u1f50 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b5\u1f7b\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9). The verb is found only here in the NT. It is to act as a braggart, to heap praise upon oneself or one\u2019s accomplishments. The middle voice effectively emphasizes acting upon oneself in such self-preoccupation and self-promotion. While the verb is used only here, Paul has just used a different, but semantically related verb in the previous verse (\u03ba\u03b1\u03c5\u03c7\u1f71\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9, \u201cI may boast,\u201d NIV). Paul uses that verb and its cognates throughout his two letters to Corinth to speak frequently of the matter of boasting. That word group is found ten times in this letter (1:29, 31; 3:21; 4:7; 5:6; 9:15, 16; 13:3; 15:31) and twenty-eight times in 2 Corinthians. How are we to relate love\u2019s prohibition of boasting to Paul\u2019s boasting as the Corinthians appear ready to reject him in favor of other leaders (cf. 2 Cor. 10-12 where the word group is used nineteen times)?<\/p>\n

God has worked through Christ \u201cso that no human being might boast [\u03ba\u03b1\u03c5\u03c7\u1f75\u03c3\u03b7\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9] in the presence of God\u201d (1 Cor. 1:29). And indeed, \u201cbecause of him [i.e., all of God\u2019s gracious doing] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption\u201d and this \u201cso that, as it is written, \u2018Let the one who boasts [\u03ba\u03b1\u03c5\u03c7\u1f7d\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2], boast [\u03ba\u03b1\u03c5\u03c7\u1f71\u03c3\u03b8\u03c9] in the Lord\u2019\u201d (vv.30-31). That is the very opposite of the self-absorbed, self-promoting boasting (\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b5\u1f7b\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9) love prohibits here. Thus, Paul continues to denounce boasting (e.g., 1 Cor. 3:21; 4:7; 5:6). But he does find a place for Christ-centered, Christ-exalting glorying (boasting) for those who deflect all praise to God (1 Cor. 9:15-16; 15:31). This, then, helps us understand the boasting of the apostle in 2 Corinthians 10-12. There he views the very gospel as at stake for in the Corinthian\u2019s rejection of him as Christ\u2019s apostle they are in danger of being led astray from Christ Himself. Thus, he dares, uncomfortable for him though it is (cf. 10:2; 11:1, 17, 21-23; 12:1, 11), to compare their \u201cfalse apostles\u201d (2 Cor. 11:13a; indeed, \u201csuper-apostles,\u201d 11:5; 12:11) to a \u201ctrue apostle\u201d (12:12), as embodied in, though not restricted to (cf. 11:13b), himself (1:1). He only does so by laying out proper boundaries for his actions (10:13-18; 11:30-31; 12:9). He undertakes this uncomfortable and unorthodox practice as a last resort in view of the spiritual danger that looms over them (11:3-4, 14-15). His discomfort with the entire practice and its inherent Christ-centeredness identifies it as in fact an act of love, not a violation of it.<\/p>\n

With love\u2019s rejection of boastful self-promotion, it comes as no surprise then that love \u201cis not arrogant\u201d (\u03bf\u1f50 \u03c6\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9). The verb appears seven times in the NT, all from the pen of the Apostle Paul and all but one here in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 4:6, 18, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:14; Col. 2:18). It comes from \u03c6\u1fe6\u03c3\u03b1 (\u201ca pair of bellows\u201d) and literally means \u201cto puff up\u201d or to \u201cinflate.\u201d[8]<\/a> It came to be used metaphorically of pride and arrogance, as it is here. The fact that six of the seven usages of this verb occur here in 1 Corinthians indicates that they had a particular struggle in this area. In its only other use, it describes false teachers (Col. 2:18). This may indicate that the Corinthian\u2019s arrogance is a fruit of their listening to the \u201cfalse apostles\u201d with whom they had taken a fancy (2 Cor. 11:3). The true gospel exalts Christ. Any other \u201cgospel\u201d (indeed, \u201canother Jesus,\u201d cf. 2 Cor. 11:4) exalts the disciple, not the Savior, for it rests not upon His work and free grace, but upon the disciple\u2019s efforts and the pedigree of their \u201capostles.\u201d<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> BDAG, 4683.2.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Thayer, 3301.2.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Louw-Nida, 88.67.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> BDAG, 7975.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid., 886.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Thayer, 408.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> BDAG, 3375.2.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Thayer, 660.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Verse 4 \u2013 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant Spiritual experience (v.1), insight (v.2), and sacrifice (v.3) are not definitive markers of true spirituality, love is. So, what is love? Paul does not provide a definition of love. Rather, he describes love in action. With fifteen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[42,101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1-corinthians","category-love","post-preview"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgYGxX-Ve","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3548"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3549,"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3548\/revisions\/3549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jkitchen.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}