The Only Eternal 'Gift of the Spirit'

This is now, the Study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting October 9 to study 1 Corinthians 13.  Since no one showed October 2, we'll try this again on the 9th.  This chapter is probably made more difficult by its familiarity more than anything.  There are few real problems with translation but we will spend most of our time in word study through verses 4 through 7.

Read this chapter through slowly.  Then go back and read chapters 12, 13, and 14 together.  Then read through thirteen again slowly.  Jot down observations.  What are your thoughts about the overall tone, and unpack some of the implications of how Paul describes love.  What would this sort of love look like on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at home, work, school, traveling, and shopping?  Be sure to use several translations, especially on the middle four verses, but really everywhere you will see some diversity in translations.  I suspect this is more an attempt to shake up the familiarity so we think more, than it is about some difficulty in understanding the words.

After reading through the chapter a few times, read back through with the questions below:

• What do you think the 'context' of verse 1 means for the 'clanging' and 'noisy' instruments?  In other words, where does the 'speaking in tongues of men and of angels' happen that they would correlate to such horrible 'music'?
• If, in verse 2, Paul says the result of not having love is nothing, and then in verse 3, gain nothing, what do you thing the 'nothing' is in verse 1?  Is it 'sound like nothing'? or what?
• The first 'gift' referred to in verse 1 is tongues; then prophecy, knowledge, and faith in verse 2; then giving, and martyrdom.  What do you think about these as 'gifts of the Spirit'?  The list differs somewhat from chapter 12, so do you think these are all truly spiritual gifts?
• Look at Galatians 5:22, 23.  How many of these qualities of love in this chapter match those in the list of 'Fruit of the Spirit'?
• As you read these qualities in verses 4 through 7, what are your fears?  What concerns you about this list or living this way every day?
• There are 'is' and 'is not' qualities listed.  How many of each kind do you find? (I found 7 'is' and 8 'is not', but I only looked in verses 4 through 7)
• With the list containing 'is not' qualities, Paul contrasts love with other, possibly more common, behavior.  What do you think the people of Corinth thought of this list?  What do you suspect may have been their qualities?  Now, what about you?  How do your qualities match up?  Is your 'is' and 'is not' list somewhat inverted from this one? (Mine is)
• In the last verses of this chapter, Paul moves to another set of contrasts that demonstrate the priority of love.  Why will prophecy, tongues, and knowledge all 'pass away'?  When do you think that will happen?  Why do you think that will happen?
• What do you think Paul means by his illustration of being a 'child' versus a 'man'?  When does that happen in this discussion?
• When will we see face-to-face and know fully?  So, Paul is pointing to a future when none of these 'gifts' will be necessary, yet love will remain.  What does that mean for 'gifts' today?
• Look at Hebrews 11:1.  Since faith substantiates hope, what do you think 'substantiates' faith?  Or do you think Love is also substantiated by faith, or hope?  How do these relate in such a way that love is 'greatest'?  Do you think James 2:14-26 sheds light on this relationship?  If so, how?

That should keep us busy for an hour.  Hopefully, at the end of this we will really have a better understanding, not of love itself, but how we are to love every day.  How's that for a challenge?