Lovingly Practicing the Spiritual Gifts - A Lesson from 1 Corinthians

You may be familiar with Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 13 “love is patient, love is kind” and “love never fails” because they are often read at weddings. But this chapter isn’t about marriage at all. Paul is talking to the Corinthians about how they are supposed to use their spiritual gifts.

Just as a person's body is made up of many parts that have different skills, Paul says that God had given the believers in Corinth different spiritual gifts and skills with which they can support and love one another (1 Corinthians 12:27-28). But some of the Corinthians had begun to think they were spiritually superior because they practiced a rather special gift—namely, speaking in languages they had never learned. It didn’t help that when they practiced this gift, no one could understand them! In short, the gifts God had given the church for their unity, the Corinthians were using for its division.

Paul’s answer to all this competition and one-upmanship was to say that none of these gifts are worth anything if they are not done in love. He says that if his gift for tongues is not loving his brother in Christ, then it doesn’t matter if he can sing in all the languages of heaven and earth; he is just making noise (1 Corinthians 13:1). Similarly, if the gift of prophecy isn’t used to love others, then the gift amounts to nothing, no matter how marvelous the revelation (1 Corinthians 13:2). Love is meant to build up the body of Christ, so believers must use their gifts to that end.

This is why Paul says that love is patient, not competitive. Love is kind, not rude. Love does not boast or seek self-promotion. Spiritual gifts used in love will not humiliate others or promote sin but will protect others and promote truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). If the Corinthians focus on loving each other, then they will use their gifts as God intended and achieve the goal for which God gave them—unity. This is why Paul points out that, ultimately, love will outlast all spiritual shows.

So, Paul’s words are not only for married couples on wedding days but for every believer every day. God has given the body of Christ diverse gifts so they can build one another up in love.