12-03-2022

Good Morning All,

          1 Corinthians 12:31; “But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” 

     This verse and some others like it are called “connector verses.”  The Apostle Paul uses them a lot. He uses them to connect one thought to the next thought. We sometimes lose these verses, and it can cloud the meaning of the next section.

     One of the reasons this happens is because a change in the Bible. During the 1200’s, the Bible began to be translated into chapters and verses. The very original manuscripts, the ones that john and Peter and Paul wrote, were actually just long letters.  Some of you have actually written letters maybe even long letters but you probably never wrote in the form of chapter and verse.  While the use of chapter and verse makes it easier to read the Bible; we sometimes miss the nuances of what is actually being said.  This verse is an excellent example of this.

    Most of you are very familiar with the chapter in the Bible which follows this verse; it is 1 Corinthians 13 known to many as the “Love Chapter” (You know, love is patient, love is kind, love never ends, etc.).  It is probable that at some point in time your heard that at a wedding. It is a neat wedding reading but that really misses the point of what Paul is really saying.

    In chapter 12, Paul is addressing the Corinthians about a squabble they are having in their church. The Corinthians were claiming that certain gifts of the Spirit were higher or better than others. Of course, the gifts that I have are way better than your gifts.  This tied in with their faction fighting had a very divided. Paul writes extensively about how the body has many parts and no part is greater than the body as a whole. But then he cuts right to the heart of the problem. Instead of seeking these gifts of preaching or teaching or healing; he tells then to “earnestly desire the higher gifts.”

    Then he tells them “I will show you a more excellent way.” That way is through love. He starts chapter 13 with the equivalent of “without love, every gift is worthless.”  The greatest gift of the Spirit is the ability and the capacity to love another person. Not everyone can teach or preach or heal; but everyone is capable of sharing God’s love.  While this may sound easy, true love, true Godly love occurs even when the reciprocity of that love is not there. God gives us the ability to love others, even when they don’t love us; the same type of love which God has for us.  The same type of love which led Jesus to the cross now resides in us through the Holy Spirit. If we truly love one another, everything else will solve itself.  All the other issues will disappear because through true love, we won’t care who is in the head of the altar society; or the head of the woman’s group or who the head elder is or who is charge of the church.  For we will all know that it is Christ who is the head of the church and through him we will love those around us. It is truly a more excellent way; to love as Christ loves us.

Father of grace and mercy, we confess that we are slow to love, and we ask your forgiveness. Pour your Spirit in us that we may love as Jesus loves. Use us to show your mercy to those around us. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret