The Love Chapter

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ..."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

     Many people have their views of what love really is. Often times, when used, it's meaning is distorted. Love isn't a term that should be used lightly. It's a term that should be used to express selflessness. This selfless concept is often found within 1st Corinthians, chapter 13, one of the most famous chapters of the entire Bible. In 1st and 2nd Corinthians, on his second missionary journey, Paul started a church in Corinth. After he had been gone a while, he heard about problems in the church and wrote his first letter. His second letter was sent a few months later when he heard that the church had corrected their problems. These letters of Paul are mainly instructions to immature Christians in the city of Corinth.

     Specifically referring to the "love chapter"(1 Corinthians 13), a portion of his first letter was to show the Corinthians how to love and what it actually was. These letters can now be read today, and used to display a solid picture of what real love is and isn't.

      The portion of Scripture above applies to all people, not just the Corinthians. This concept of love in the Bible should be used as a godly standard that should be followed every day. This, along with the "golden rule," should always be on your mind when with friends, family, strangers, and even enemies during agitating moments. If people would just learn to love according to the Bible, the world would be in a much better state than it is right now. There wouldn't be wars or fights, arguments, divorces, etc.

     Although always being loving can seem like such a difficult task, living this way can save many marriages, families, and communities. God is love. Living with this attitude of love bring us closer to Him and makes us more like Him. That's a part of Christian living. Whenever tempted to act outside of godly love, refer to the"golden rule," "Treat others the way you want to be treated," and keep in mind the words of "The Love Chapter."

Haiku

Resources: The Bible; Nelson's Compact Bible Commentary by Earl Radmacher, Ron Allen, and H. Wayne House; Guide to the Bible by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz

Editor's Note; We apologize for the brevity of these few articles. We have all been wrapping up school for the season. Thank you for understanding.