‘The Love Sandwich’, the name sometimes given to the three chapters in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14. The filling in the sandwich, is LOVE, in chapter 13.
Paul was speaking to the Corinthian Church, a very charismatic church but with certain problems. He acknowledged the gifts of the Spirit in chapters 12 and 14, but says without Love, we gain nothing.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13
Paul goes on to define ‘Love’ (Agape love) according to God’s viewpoint, so different from the world view of today.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others(not rude), it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13 NIV
Sometimes we can improve our understanding by comparing different versions of scripture;
4 This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.
5-6 Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
7-8a Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. JB Philips New Testament Version
Like all sandwiches, the Love Sandwich HAS TO BE EATEN, THOROUGHLY CHEWED ON before we get real benefit from it. To put it another way, we have to Digest it until it becomes part of our own thinking and that takes time and effort.
8 LOVE NEVER FAILS. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 1 Corinthians 13
The Bible is clear, we won’t be taking our giftings with us into eternity, they won’t be needed, everything will be known. We will however, take our character, formed for eternity. An unusual verse from Ecclesiastes states;
3b Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie. Ecclesiastes 11
Someday our destiny will be settled, before that there’s time to grow in the Love of God in our own lives. Take some time to feed on the Corinthian Love Sandwich, YOU WILL BE REWARDED NOW AND HEREAFTER.
God bless and keep you today.