Paul had been writing to the Corinthian Christians about their use of the spiritual gifts that the Lord Jesus Had given them. Spiritual gifts are special endowments that the Holy spirit gives to each believer in Christ to bless and serve one another in love. But the Corinthian Christians were misusing these gifts —exalting some gifts above others, and serving themselves with them rather than one another in love. They were using these gifts without regard to the essential ingredient of love. Paul wrote them about a particular kind of love called ‘agape’. This word ‘agape’ describes a self-giving, self-sacrificing kind of love that seeks the good of the other person at the cost of one’s own personal rights. Love was the essential ingredient that was missing in their use of the spiritual gifts.

Paul wanted to encourage them to let agape love become the guiding principle in how they determined which of the gifts were best to use in certain situations and how best to use them to edify one another. And, in order, for them to make agape love the guiding priority in their use of the gifts, they needed to know what that love really is. And so, Paul gave them the authoritative definition of agape love that we find in verses 4-8.

Paul wanted the Corinthian brethren to know what agape love truly is, so that they can increase in their love walk with God and in their fellowship with one another.

The first thing Apostle Paul said about agape love is that it is patient. It means that love is far from anger. It means to have a ‘long fuse’ with people. Sometimes, we are rather ‘short-fused’. We are not supposed to be so because love suffers long. We easily get impatient with people, but true agape love does not get impatient with others. Such impatience is actually an expression of too much self-love. The true love that Jesus exemplifies to us is one that is willing to sacrifice self for the needs of others. Paul went on to tell us that love “is kind.” When we have God’s kind of love, we will be tender, caring, compassionate and considerate to others, and will create trouble for no one.

Another quality of agape love is that it does not envy. It is not grieved because another person possesses a greater portion of earthly, intellectual or spiritual blessings. Many of the Corinthian brethren were envious of one another’s spiritual gifts, and were jealous of each other’s ministries. To be jealous of others is the very opposite of agape love; which is a love that seeks the blessedness of others.

Paul also told us that love does not boast. Agape love does not parade itself or brag. Love is not self-seeking nor seek the applause of others so that all the glory will be to God. Jesus did not behave this way in His love toward people. He would often withdraw from the crowds that wanted to applaud Him. Paul went on to say that love is not proud. Love is not inflated with a sense of its own importance; for it has nothing but what it has received by grace from God. Paul’s teachings in 1Corinthians 13 are really nothing else, but a portrait of Jesus’ kind of love. By drawing close to Him, then we can live in this world as copies of His portrait of love toward others.

•Today’s nugget: Love seeks the good of others
Prayer: Increase my love for one another. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.