1 Corinthians 13:1-3 - In the first section of this famous passage on Love, Pauls sends up many of the things that modern Christians hang their hats on. Are you a Charismatic? Read verse 1. A social justice Christian? Read verse 3. Standing on "faith alone"? Read verse 2. All of those things are important and valuable, but worthless unless practiced and championed under an umbrella of love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - The passage you head at so many weddings. How many marriages would be saved if each partner went pack and reviewed them on a regular basis and strove to love like Paul describes here?
1 Corinthians 13:8 - In the NIV, it says "love never fails", in the ESV it says "love never ends". I like the NIV's wording better. :-D Anyone have insight as to what may be more accurate?
1 Corinthians 13:9-10 - I've seen these two verses, in the broader context of tongues & miraculous gifts, used to suggest that now that the perfect Bible is here, the imperfect miraculous gifts are no longer present. I like the logic of that argument, however, it always seemed like a forced use of these verses. I would tend to agree that the point of the miraculous at that time was validation that those were of God and therefore their message could be trusted. Today, we can fact check our teachers with the Bible, we do not meed miraculous confirmation of a messenger. I don't believe, however, that the point that Paul was making here was that someday tongues will not be necessary. His point was that Love is supreme, even the miraculous is secondary.
1 Corinthians 13:11 - Immaturity seeks for showy confirmation of one's status in the kingdom. Maturity simply seeks to love.
>How many marriages would be saved if each partner went pack and reviewed them
Umm. All of them?
It's a great illustration of all life, though. In any divorce both partners have failed, and in most divorces one has failed much, much worse than the other. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And it really is weak. Really weak.
Without a firm understanding of the powers attacking our flesh and our flesh's weakness, the strength of love is easy to miss.
I like what you said, though. If we fail to see our weakness and what stands against us, the power of love itself is easy to dismiss. And when we misunderstand what love truly is, as defined here, then that "love" isn't able to fix anything.