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Tag: paul

If I.. How NOT to worship
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, …

Modern Translations of 1 Corinthians 13:1

And though I have .. so that I .., but have not love, I am nothing.

Classic Translations 1 Corinthians 13:2

and if I give away all .. and if I give up my body.., and do not have love, I am profited nothing.

Literal Translations `1 Corinthians 13:3

IF I – Paul’s conditional approach to God’s love & ours

WE worshipers typically overlook conditional statements where WE ought to evaluate and discern OUR own approach to Jesus Christ, worship and others in OUR church.

In fact, the Apostle’s entire first letter to the Corinthians seeks to heal divisions between factions of Corinthian saints of Christ by exposing the conditions of our spiritual refining in the Lord.

Before we get to OUR favorite part of Paul’s letter (so often emotionally recited over christian marriages), let’s look briefly at where the Apostle fits love into the overall themes of his instructive letter to the saints of Corinth.

First Corinthians overview

John MacArthur :: Bible Introductions – 1 Corinthians

This epistle was most likely written in the first half of A.D. 55 from Ephesus. His departure for Corinth was anticipated even as he wrote
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The Apostle Paul ministered  in Corinth for over a year and a half (Acts 18:11)
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Unable to fully break with the culture from which it came, the church at Corinth was exceptionally factional, showing its carnality and immaturity.

John MacArthur commentary

So far Paul has addressed:
- His Calling and Benefits of Sainthood for the Corinthians
- Disunity in the Church
- Immorality in the Church
- Marriage in the Church
- Liberty in the Church
Are ANY of these challenges for YOUR 21st c. Common Era christian CHURCH?

NOW (as MacArthur points out), the Apostle’s focus moves on to:

Worship in the Church (11:2–14:40)
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with focus on three separate, yet related points
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1. Roles of Men and Women in the Church
2. The Lord’s Supper
3. Spiritual Gifts (12:1–14:40)
  - 3 chapters, in which so far we have only covered 1 Corinthians 12.
What IF YOUR fruit is rotten?
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First of all,  ἐὰν - IF.. which the Apostle uses in this letter 48 times!
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For if^G1437 you were to have countless tutors in Christ,

1 Corinthians 4:15

If G1437 I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1 LSB

ἐάν;
I. a conditional particle (derived from εἰ ἄν), which makes reference to time and to experience, introducing something future, but not determining, before the event, whether it is certainly to take place;

Each of the Apostle’s conditional references here point toward the evident sweetness of what ought to be the fruit of our salvation in Christ.

If I speak..

λαλέω – A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb

Yet we do speak G2980 wisdom among those who are mature.. But we speak G2980 God’s wisdom in a mystery..

I Corinthians 2:6a,7a LSB
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And you mature saints will likely know some translation of this to which Paul will proceed soon:
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When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

1 Corinthians 13:11
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AND note: this too points to a conditional change. 
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Human or Angelic tongues

Though I speak with the tongues of men [the KJV translates] and of angels,

Men [anthrōpos – both men and women] of course have tongues [glōssa] in order to speak [regardless of what language].

and angels [angelos ] – a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God

If I shall speak with every human and Angelic language and have no love in me, I shall be clanging brass or a noise-making cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:1 Aramaic Bible in Plain English
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"If I shall speak with every human and Angelic language.." 

Perhaps like me you had never read this translation; making the conditional connection so clear. 

The 'IF' we speak -- even messages supposedly from God -- conditionally connects to the sound that proceeds into the ears of others.
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ἔχω – the familiar sounding echo

to have and to hold…

13:1 – Though I ..have G2192 not charity,

13:2 And though I have G2192 the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have G2192 all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have G2192 not charity, I am nothing.
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It's ALL conditional -- Spiritual Gifts yet no fruit
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Spiritualities – ‘I would not have you ignorant’

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have G2192 not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3 KJV
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AGAIN, It's ALL conditional --
EVEN IF YOU have Spiritual Gifts 
BUT bear no fruit, which is the love and charity of God and Christ. 
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ἀγάπη – agapē

the LOVE of Paul’s “love chapter”

LOVE is so misunderstood by 21st c. C.E. ears that I have recently addressed agape as ‘Biblical jargon’ READ more

agapē a fruit of Love from a Higher Branch

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love G26 one to another.

Gospel of John 13:35 KJV from the command of Jesus – fruit

What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, G26 and in the spirit of meekness?

1 Corinthians 4:21 KJV

Knowledge puffeth up, but charity G26 edifieth.

1 Corinthians 8:1b KJV

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, G26 I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 13:1 – KJV

Charity [ἀγάπη – agapē] suffereth long..

KJV translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4a

MORE on agape love

NEXT time, God-willing, concluding the LOVE Chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 in the apostle’s instructions about spiritual gifts, we will THEN be ready to apply these fruits to the WORSHIP of the Church the Apostle will address in 1 Corinthians 14.

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
February 28, 2025
agapē a fruit of Love from a Higher Branch
Charity (agape)

This is our chief aim, the unconditional love of the Father given to us through his Son. Affection, friendship and romantic love are each the training ground for charity to grow. It’s also a rival to the three.

C.S. Lewis – Four Types of Love

Even with a half-dozen mentions of the agape love including definitions last time, as you can see from Lewis’ quote this is a fruit of a higher UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – a gift of God the Father through Jesus Christ.

All you need is Love Love Love

ἀγάπη – agapē

– feminine noun

The KJV translates Strong’s G26 in the following manner: love (86x), charity (28x), dear (1x), charitably (with G2596) (1x), feasts of charity (1x).

From ἀγαπάω (G25)

We also followed a relational connection between some of ‘The 4 Loves’ last time, but let’s see some of the connecting branches of the love agape as well.

ἀγαπάω (G25) – agapaō

verb

The KJV translates Strong’s G25 in the following manner: love (135x), beloved (7x).

You may say, ‘God is love,’ a use of agape as a noun; but the relational verb for love — agapaō requires an action of personal relationship.

The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

First Letter of the Apostle John 4:8 LSB

a LOVE of persons OR of things
- of persons
  - to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
- of things
  - to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing
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Lewis also cautions that these could become idolatry as well, rather than the intended love of God the Father through His only Son Jesus Christ. 
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Root Word (Etymology)
Perhaps from agan (much) [or cf φιλέω (G5368) phileō, also a verb to love or to kiss ]

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

the Apostle Paul writing to the churches

or

Greet one another with a kiss of love.

the Apostle Peter writing to the churches
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We certainly cannot avoid the worldly love-connection to the idolatries of Eros attributed to the genuine signs of affection the Lord and Apostles modeled for the saints of our local churches. 
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The KJV translates Strong’s G5384 in the following manner: friend (29x).

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Gospel of John 15:13 KJV

How would you describe your LOVE for a friend?

Agape embraces another with affection like no other love.

ἀγαπητός – agapētos

the adjective from From ἀγαπάω (G25) agape
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Strong's Number G27 matches the Greek ἀγαπητός (agapētos), which occurs 61 times in 60 verses in the MGNT Greek.
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Outline of Biblical Usage

beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love
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God the Father, Jesus and all the Apostles use it. 

Peter, for example:
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Therefore, beloved G27, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved G27 brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, \

2 Peter:3:14-15 LSB
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And the Apostle Paul in several epistles: 
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I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved G27 children.

Therefore, my beloved G27, flee from idolatry.

Therefore, my beloved G27 brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 4:14, 10:14, 15:58 LSB

For the Love of God [O.T.]
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And recalling love from the Scriptural roots of Jesus and the Apostles in the Hebrew Bible: 
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A song. A psalm of David.

(WLC 108:5)כִּי־גָדוֹל מֵעַל־שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ וְעַד־שְׁחָקִים אֲמִתֶּךָ׃

For your faithful love is higher than the heavens,

and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Psalm 108:6 CSB

Yet from the root word חֶסֶד
ḥeseḏ:

For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.

Ps 108:6 NASB95

For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.

Ps 108:6 NKJV

Do you see the high relational LOVE between God the Father, Jesus the Son and those who in and by the Spirit love the Lord?

Mercy, Lovingkindness and agape love cannot be simply jargon among those saints saved in Christ Jesus.

agapētos agapaō .. agapē
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Finally, your search for LOVE in New Testament Greek will draw you to one holy Scripture penned in a letter of the one Jesus loved. 
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ἀγαπητοί ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν

Α΄ Ιωάννη (1 John) 4 :: Morphological Greek New Testament (MGNT)
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It's all Greek to me too, so let me help you out. 
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Beloved

Strong’s G27 – agapētos From ἀγαπάω agapaō (G25)

let us love

g25 agapaō

one another,

allēlōn

for love

hoti agapē (G26)

is from God;

eimi ek θεός theos

and everyone who loves

kai pas ho agapaō (G25)

has been [begotten] born of God

gennaō ek θεός theos

and knows God.

kai ginōskō θεός theos

1 John 4:7 LSB

INTERLINEAR MORPHOLOGICAL Greek New Testament

Questions of Agape Love

source: BibleHub.com STUDY Questions

Beloved,

In what ways can you demonstrate “agape” love to those in your church community this week?
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And, dear friend, here's one to make it yet more personal
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How does the command to love one another serve as evidence of being “born of God” in your personal spiritual journey?

more from 1 John 4:7 study

Talk of JESUS .com

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
February 22, 2025
Your Communions in Church and in Christ
Communions, gatherings, worship services, church services — call them whatever you like. But the Apostle Paul provides some pointed correction for the church as we continue in 1 Corinthians 11.
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Communion - TOPIC on TalkofJesus.com  

Although our frequent focus on communions often points toward Good Friday, Christians frequently place Holy Communion at the center of our controversies between Protestants and Roman Catholics. However today we will apply the Apostle Paul's exhortation of the Corinthian church in the context of his first letter to these saints. 
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Communion – Sharing in the Lord’s Supper

What’s the Apostle Paul saying to the Church?

It’s an Exhortation

“..your gatherings do more harm than good.
1 Corinthians 11:17b Berean Standard Version

Pretty strait-forward

Paul addresses these communions (as the idolatrous feasts of Corinth he has already addressed) presenting a clear choice for godly saints of the Church at Corinth.

v.17 In the following instructions I have no praise to offer, because your gatherings do more harm than good. – BSB

for the Church
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Would you like to hear Paul's introduction in another way? 
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1 Corinthians 11:18
- For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. – NKJV
- In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. – NIV
- For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it. – HNV
  - Source
This is simply Paul’s FIRST POINT following the Apostle’s exhortation about sanctified living AND following his FIRST POINT about ROLES in Christian Worship within this section of his Epistle ordering Christ’s instructions for worship.

The Apostle Paul specifically points to times when we assemble [or come together] συνέρχομαι – synerchomai as a CHURCH ἐκκλησίᾳ – ekklēsia.
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Many of you know this Greek word for church. 

LOOK at its definition
(nothing specifically yet about communion here. But read on.) 
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The Apostle then continues in his outline for Christian gatherings.

Sharing in the Lord’s Supper ( 11:17⁠–⁠34 )

An exhortation for social and festive meals in the church community

Now then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat.

21 For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.

22 Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?

What can I say to you? Shall I praise you for this?

No, I will not!

The Apostle’s transition into this section had been:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. – 1 Cor 11:1 KJV
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Paul's focus:
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Our communions other than Holy Communion

In order to view the seriousness in Paul’s challenge, let’s back-up a moment to view Paul’s instructions concerning DIVISIONS [*schisma] from the King James Version.

For there must be also heresies among you,

that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

1 Corinthians 11:19 KJV

* In the first major schism of the Church in the A.D. 11th century the Roman Church divided from the Orthodox Church. See the Timeline in the link above.
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Common Era christians dare not mention such things as HERESY, lest we offend some unbeliever in our gathering or sharing in breaking bread with us at an occasional community evangelism feast. 

We prefer a gentler approach of translations of αἵρεσις - hairesis like: factions or divisions or differences.
 
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11:20 συνερχομένων οὖν ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔστιν κυριακὸν δεῖπνον φαγεῖν

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 11:20 KJV

Does the Apostle then instruct the Church NOT to share in Holy Communion?

NO, certainly not.

Only not to participate in such a community meal alongside unbelievers (EVEN ‘at church’ ), including those who are not in Christ in this Holy Sacrifice of Communion as worship.

The Lord’s Supper
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Many worshipping Christians can recite some of several Gospel references from various communions celebrated either casually or as rites by various Christian factions or divisions or differences. 
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You may want to READ some of the Gospel including these Holy Scriptures, but I urge you for now to remain focused on the Apostle’s INSTRUCTION specifically to saints of the Church at Corinth (in ~ A.D. 55).

Gospel cross-references to the Lord’s Supper

– King James Version
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FURTHER STUDY of 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (various versions) 
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a HOLY Communion in Christ celebrated by the Body of Christ

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you..
1 Corinthians 11:23a KJV
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Before we forget, although many rites of communions of some churches treat this text formally, the Apostle is instructing believers in Corinth this time by LETTER (an epistle).
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Paul here reiterates from the Gospel accounts that which the Apostle had already instructed in person.

.. That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat:

this is my body, which is broken for you:

this do in remembrance of me.

The APOSTLE PAUL just reminded those saints faithful to Christ in the Corinthian Church of JESUS’ instruction for disciples (followers) to break BREAD as His body would be broken for us.

THEREFORE, remember our Lord Jesus in this dedicatory communion. BUT Christ continues His command of the New Covenant with taking the same cup.

After the same manner also he took the cup,

when he had supped, saying,

This cup is the new testament in my blood:

this do ye, as oft as ye drink it,

in remembrance of me.

First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 11:23-25 King James Version

An Apostolic Application

Again, I remind us that Paul proclaims that which the Apostle has already taught to the saints of Corinth.

And now he will apply it their challenging current situations where some communicants of Corinth no longer observe the Communion commanded by Christ as HOLY – that is SEPARATED, for Holy saints of the Lord set apart from the festive communions of their pagan community.

Once again, Paul has already WRITTEN:
- NOT to eat Food Sacrificed to Idols AND taught lessons of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt concerning their idolatry.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:26 ESV

The Apostle had reminded the saints of Corinth earlier in his letter of both his authority and humility in Christ confirming:
- I have applied these things to myself [THEREFORE] learn from us not to go beyond what is written.
- Paul’s instruction consequently will require the saints of Corinth:
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

Note the Apostle’s CAUTION to communicants:

27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. – BSB

Commentary – Study Bible [below]
- The term “unworthy manner” suggests a lack of reverence or self-examination
- The “bread” and “cup” symbolize the body and blood of Christ, and partaking in them requires a heart of humility and repentance.
- To be “guilty of sinning” implies a serious offense, akin to profaning something holy.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 11:29 King James Version

If we would judge ourselves
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The Apostle offers a few additional reasons to examine ourselves before these communions with the world and the Holy Communion of the saints of our local church. 
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- That is why many among you are weak and sick,
- and a number of you have fallen asleep.
- Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.
- But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
In conclusion, Paul reiterates about their divisions over their communions.

ἐκδέχομαι – ekdechomai

33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat,

tarry one for another.

translates the King James
1. to receive, accept
2. to look for, expect, wait for, await: ἀλλήλους ἐκδέχεσθε wait for one another, namely, until each shall have received his food, 1 Corinthians 11:33, cf.
PAUL closes this section of his letter about divisions stating that he has more to say about other issues later in person.

“.. And when I come, I will give instructions about the remaining matters.

Judge for yourself

Is ANYTHING wrong with the Communions of your local church?

What do the Apostles and Christ instruct?

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
February 13, 2025