The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-08-24
JT7e
Sla7oasg- School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR AUGUST 30.
Subject: Paul ON Christian Love, 4
Cor. 13:1-1S-Golden Text:
Cor. 13:13-C Commit Verse s.

Cor. 13:13-Commit Verse s.
Commentary.
TIME.--A. d. 81 (Spring).
PLACE.--Ephes
EXPOSIIION.-I. Love Exalted.
1-3. Paul brings forward in rapid
succession five things that were held
in great esteem in Corinth and shows
the pre-eminence of love over them
all. II love be lacking, these all count
for nothing. Cd The gift of tongues.
The saints in Corinth seem to Shave
been peculiarly gifted in this direc.
ton, and to have been very proud of
their gifts (ch. 14:2-23). Each was
eager to outstrip the other in the dis
play of the gift (ch. 1923, rs, ~,
28). Paul tells them that their much
boosted gift amounts to little. That
the grace of love is so far "a more ex-
cellent way than the gift of tongues
that, II love be lacking, speaking with
the tongues not only of men but even
of angels would leave them only
sounding brass or changing cymbal.
Cd The gift of prophecy, in its very
highest potency. Surely that is some
thing to be greatly coveted and much
admired. The man of great theolog-
ical and spiritual insight must oc-
cupy very high place in the mind of
God. If he has love, yes; if not he is
just nothing" CD Miracle working
faith. A man can have that in the
most powerful form conceivable, and
yet, if he has not love, he is moth
ing" (4) Beneficence. You can
give all you have, and that for the
most philanthropic purpose-to feed
the poor-but, if you have not love,
you will gain by it just nothing"
How many false hopes that annihi-
rates! comp. Matt. 6; Ia; 1850.
(5) Martyrdom. If ! give my body
bring me great reward. Not neces-
sarily. The more excellent way"
the supreme gift, the one and only
absolutely essential thing, is love.
III. Love Described, al. Love has
fifteen marks that are never want
ing: I'd 1t 'suffereth long," it en-
dures injury after injury, insult after
insult, and still loves on. 1t wastes
itself in vainly trying to help the I'M
worthy, and still it loves on, and
helps on Comp. Gal 5:22; Eph. AZ;
Col. 1:11). (2) 1t lis kind" 1t
knows no harshness. Even its neces-
sary severity is gentle and tender
(Eph. 4:32; Gal. 5:22, R. VI. 90
1t "envieth not" How can it? Is
not another's good as pleasant to.
''love" as our own? Do you ever Sc
cretly grieve over and try to discount
another's progress, temporal or spir-
itual (Jas. 3;14-16, r. Va? Love
never does. (4) "Vaunteth not it.
self" If another's greatness is as
precious to us as our own, how is 1t
that we talk so much of our own, and
are so anxious that others see it and
appreciate it? There is no snrer
mark of the absence of love and pres
ence of selfishness than this. (5)
1T is not pulled up" If we love, we
will be so occupied with the excellen-
cies of the others, that there will be
no thought of being inflated over our
own (Phil. 2:3, AZ. CD Doth not
behave itself unseemly" Love is too
considerate of the feelings of OF eSSs
to do indecorous things Nothing
else will teach us what is good
form" so well as love. Those Chris
tians who take rude delight in
trampling all conventionalities under
foot and playing the boor would do
we'll to ponder these words. Love
will make perfect gentleman. (7l
"Seeketh not her own" That needs
exemplification more than it does
comment (cf. Oh. 1924, SO; Jno.
B:16, II. r. "; Tim. 210). (8)l
''Is not provoked" 1t may be often
grieved, but never irritated (9)
'Taketh not account of evil" Love
never puts the wrong done it down
in it's books-nor in it's memory. (10)i
Rejoiceth not in unrighteousness.
Why is it we are so fond Of dwelling
upon the evil that exists in church
Icfa4 4<~Sa l. Il. 4
truth" Oh, if we love, how are
hearts will bound whenever we dis
cover truth in othersl How gladly
we will call attention to it! (12)
"Beareth all things" (13) "Believ-
eth all things" How proud we are.
of our ability to see through men and
the impossibility of quilting us. t14)
'Hopeth all things. No boy is so
bad but mothers love. with eyes Of
hope. sees in him future angel. (15)
"Endureth all things" Let Jesus
and Stephen stand as illustrations
(Luke 1884; Acts 1900.
III. The Permanently Of Love. g.
IS. Prophecies, tongues, knowledge,
have their day. Love has eternity.
"God is love- and love partakes of
His eternal nature. Our best knowl-
edge is only partial, and the divinely
inspired prophecy tells but part OF
what is to be. When the perfect
knowledge comes in, our partial
knowledge will become idle and be
laid aside. When the event comes
to pass of which prophecy gave US
only outlines, prophecy will be rem
dered useless by fulfillment. We are
now, the wisest of us, but children;
but a day is coming when we shall be
men knowing all things. In COM
parative sense we are some of as
men now, and if we are we should
have laid away childish things. Our
tlearest vision now is but as in a
mirror, as Tin riddle" Or. ".
Marg.). But a time is coming when
wc are going to see face to face"
(cf. / Jno. 3:2), We now know I'm
part" but time is coming when we
shall know even as we have been
known, |. e., we shall know God as
perfectly as God now knows US.
r. -