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SEPTEMBER 3
10 Who is she who looks forth as the
morning,
Fair as the moon,
Clear as the sun, 13:1–13 Spiritual gifts were present in Corinth
Awesome as an army with banners? (1:7); right doctrine was even in place (11:2);
but love was absent. This led to the quarrels
THE SHULAMITE
and exhibitions of selfishness and pride that
11 I went down to the garden of nuts plagued the church—notably in the area of
To see the verdure of the valley, spiritual gifts.Instead of selfishly and jealously
To see whether the vine had budded desiring showy gifts which they don’t have,
And the pomegranates had bloomed. believers should pursue the greatest thing of
12 Before I was even aware, all—love for one another. This chapter is con-
My soul had made me sidered by many the greatest literary passage
As the chariots of my noble people. ever penned by Paul. It is central to his
earnestly dealing with spiritual gifts (chaps.
THE BELOVED AND HIS FRIENDS 12–14), because after discussing the endow-
ment of gifts (chap. 12) and before presenting
13 Return, return, O Shulamite;
Return, return, that we may look upon the function of gifts (chap. 14), he addresses
the attitude necessary in all ministry in the
you!
church (chap. 13).
THE SHULAMITE
13:1 tongues of men. That this gift was actu-
What would you see in the Shulamite— al languages is established in Acts 2:4–12,
As it were, the dance of the two camps? affirmed in this text by Paul’s calling it “of
Psalm 104:24–30 men”—clearly a reference to human lan-
guage.This was the gift which the Corinthians
24
O LORD, how manifold are Your works! prized so highly, abused so greatly, and coun-
In wisdom You have made them all. terfeited so disastrously. God gave the ability
The earth is full of Your possessions— to speak in a language not known to the
This great and wide sea, speaker, as a sign with limited function
25
In which are innumerable teeming (14:1–33). tongues…of angels. The apostle
things, was writing in general hypothetical terms.
Living things both small and great. There is no biblical teaching of any special
26 There the ships sail about; angelic language that people could learn to
There is that Leviathan speak. love. Self-giving love that is more con-
Which You have made to play there. cerned with giving than receiving (John 3:16;
14:1; Matt. 5:44,45; John 13:1,34,35; 15:9; Rom.
27
These all wait for You, 5:10; Eph. 2:4–7; Phil. 2:2; Col. 3:14; Heb. 10:24).
That You may give them their food in Without love,no matter how linguistically gift-
due season. ed one is to speak his own language,other lan-
What You give them they gather in; guages, or even (hypothetically) the speech of
28
You open Your hand, they are filled angels, his speech is noise only. In New
with good. Testament times, rites honoring the pagan
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled; deities Cybele,Bacchus,and Dionysius included
You take away their breath, they die ecstatic noises accompanied by gongs, cym-
and return to their dust. bals, and trumpets. Unless the speech of the
30
You send forth Your Spirit, they are Corinthians was done in love, it was no better
created; than the gibberish of pagan ritual.
And You renew the face of the earth.
Proverbs 24:19–20
become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers, 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
Nor be envious of the wicked; understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
For there will be no prospect for the and though I have all faith, so that I could
20
evil man; remove mountains, but have not love, I am
The lamp of the wicked will be put out. nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to
3
feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Though I speak with the tongues of men 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not
13 and of angels, but have not love, I have envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed
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