The Sunday School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 5, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 30.

The Sunday School

International Series.

LESSON VIII.—SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 1897.

THE EXCELLENCE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE.

Note.—The historical setting of this lesson is the same as that of last week. The epistle was written during the latter part of the third missionary journey, while Paul was at Ephesus. As this lesson is upon charity, or love, a study can profitably be made of the following scriptures: John 13:34, 35; Matt. 22:36-40; Gal. 5:14; 1 John 4:7, 11, 12. Note especially 1 John 5:2, 3. The lesson section includes I Corinthians chapters 12 and 13. Two suggestions are made with reference to the chapter from which our lesson is taken: that it be learned by heart; and that it be read or repeated frequently. This chapter is called The Psalm of Love.

Lesson Scripture, I Cor. 13:1-13, R. V.

“1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I have been known. 13 But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Golden Text.—“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13:13, R. V.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) To what does the apostle liken speech that is lacking in love? Verse 1. (2) How extensive and perfect might be the powers of such a fruitless speaker? Same verse. Note 1. (3) What other gifts does he mention that are likewise worthless of themselves? Verse 2. (4) What does he say of himself when lacking love? Same verse. (5) Yet how perfect may have been his possession of these wonderful gifts? Same verse. (6) What commendable deeds might he perform, and still gain nothing as a Christian? Verse 3. (7) What made the actions worthless in this respect? Same verse. Note 2. (8) Repeat consecutively the characteristics of love as named by the apostle. Verses 4-7. Note 3. (9) What is said of love and prophecy in regard to their respective perpetuity? Verse 8. Note 4. (10) What is said of love and languages? Same verse. (11) What is said of love and knowledge? Same verse. (12) To what are knowledge and prophecy necessarily confined? Verse 9. (13) When will this uncertainty and imperfection cease? Verse 10. Note 5. (14) What does Paul say of himself in his childhood? Verse 11. (15) What had he done in his manhood? Same verse. Note 6. (16) What occasions now a lack of wisdom and imperfect obedience to God's law? Verse 12. (17) When will this condition be changed? Same verse. (18) What does Paul say of his own knowledge? Same verse. (19) When that which is perfect has come, what will be the knowledge of the redeemed? Same verse. Note 7. (20) But what three virtues exist now and will ever exist? Verse 13. (21) What is their relative importance? Same verse.

NOTES.

1: If I speak, . . . but have not love.—Paul does not liken himself even to a real musical instrument, when speaking without love. It was a piece of clattering brass, whose only product was senseless sound. Love, the attribute of God, was the necessary property to the speech even of the apostle Paul. It has been said that it is as impossible to define love as to define life. This is right; for God is love, the source of love, and God is also the source of life—he is life. God is love and God is life. To define one is to define the other; and to define either is to define God, which you can not. Tongues of men.—That is, the gift of tongues, the gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

2. But have not love.—The word “charity” in the common version is better translated “love,” as in the Revised Version. The word from which “charity” is translated occurs about 116 times in the New Testament, and in all cases but twenty-three is translated “love;” and in these the departure from the common usage is altogether arbitrary. That it should be so translated in this verse is seen from the verse itself; for the bestowal of all one’s goods to feed the poor is charity, and it would be impossible to exercise charity without having charity. Love is more than charity. What are known as good deeds, when done for self-emolument or to enhance our virtues in the eyes of men, weigh nothing in the balances of God.

3. Suffereth long.—Peloubet likens love to a fixed star, not a flash of lightning, “but the sun shining regularly year in and year out on the evil and on the good.” And is kind.—Active in the performance of kind deeds—not a passive kindness. Envieth not.—The original word means “knoweth neither envy nor jealousy.” It has no desire to pull down others to build up self, for selfishness is the tap-root of envy. Vaunteth not itself.—Does not “blow its own trumpet;” does not put itself forward to receive the admiration and applause of others. Is not puffed up.—With self-admiration; is modest of its own acquirements. Doth not behave itself unseemly.—With impropriety, shocking a sense of good taste. Pride in self leads to most of the unseemly conduct of the world. Seeketh not its own.—This is more than to simply refrain from seeking those things which belong to others; but love does not seek even its own selfishly. Is not provoked.—The common version reads, “Is not easily provoked.” But the Revised Version is stronger. Taketh not account of evil.—Does not cherish suspicion or seek to hunt out the faults of others; is willing to make allowances for the failings of others. Rejoiceth not in unrighteousness.—“Is not glad when others sin; hates to report the weaknesses and faults of others.” Rejoiceth with the truth.—Is glad and rejoices when the truth is presented, and accepts it heartily when its requirements are seen, no matter what the cost. Beareth all things.—Refuses to be discouraged under the worst hardships. Believeth all things.—A trustful disposition, willing to look for the good in others. Hopeth all things.—Is not discouraged at any turn in events, but goes on working for men, whatever the difficulties or disappointments experienced. Endureth all things.—There is no obstacle that can be thrown in its way that will cause it to turn back, but it goes right on, doing everything in its power to hasten the triumph of good over evil.

4. Whether there be prophecies, etc.—This scripture does not teach that the prophecies of the Bible can not be relied upon, for the close student of prophecy can read the history of the world in advance; but prophecies pass away in their fulfilment. They come to an end when the event to which they pointed transpires. The fulfilment of a prophecy closes that prophecy; but love endureth forever. It goes on to all eternity. As long as God lives, love endures, for “God is love.”

5. When that which is perfect is come.—The perfection to which Paul was looking, when he should see the Lord “face to face,” and learn of him the things that are now “hard to be understood.” In a word, it is the coming of Christ, for when he comes, that perfection will be reached to which the Christian looks. When all the prophecies relating to the second coming of Christ are fulfilled, he will have come, and they will have expired.

6. I have put away childish things.—He uses this figure to illustrate the difference between the imperfection of our present knowledge and the knowledge which will be possessed by the redeemed.

7. But then shall I know.—It would seem from this verse that Paul expected to know fully what he now knew only in part. As perfectly as the Lord knows Paul now, so perfectly will Paul then know the things which now he sees through a glass darkly.