Category: 1 Corinthians 13

But the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor.13:13

Smith Wigglesworth called it “priming the pump”. He said sometimes we should start doing what we know we should do even when we do not feel especially anointed or benevolent. Once you step out, the Lord shows up. That is a truth that can be applied in many different circumstances. Jesus often told people to start out in faith; stretch forth your withered hand, pick up your pallet and walk, go show yourself to the priest, and roll away the stone. This is true in all aspects of walking in faith. This is often a way we begin in ministry. You may not want to lead a group, do evangelism, or work in the children’s ministry but you know the Lord is nudging you that way. Step out in faith; open up that life group, pray for the sick, go out on the streets and share your faith. I believe that when you do that, another form of addiction will grab you, you too will become addicted to love and and to ministry to helping hurting people. Here is how Andrew Murray describes this phenomenon.

“John Wesley’s ministry was at first powerless and, according to him “without the joy and love that a Moravian colleague possessed”. He asked the Moravian what he should do. The answer was, “Preach love because you believe it is what God’s Word teaches, and you will soon find what you are seeking. Then you will be able to preach it because you possess it.” Wesley took the advice and soon began to preach with such power that many were converted. This has been my own experience. Often in preaching, or in writing, I have asked myself, ‘But do you possess what you preach to others?’. And I have followed this advice: Preach it, because you believe it to be the teaching of God’s Word and heartily desire it. Preach the truth by faith, and the experience will follow. Let the minister who feels impelled to preach about love not hesitate to do so, and he will soon be able to preach it because he has himself received that which he commends.”

When you find yourself looking into the eyes of a young woman recovering from heroin addiction, or a young man who has lost his way drowning in alcohol, or an abandoned elderly person who has lost their hope in life; you will be caught up in God’s love for broken lives. This place of love is God’s place of power and the place you finally discover why you are alive.

1 Cor.13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

In 1 Corinthians 13:1 Paul speaks about the tongues of angels. It seems like most commentaries by pass this part and focus on their perceived view of the heavenly language, the part that says that tongues are useless without love. So is everything else! Evangelism is worthless without love, preaching is worthless without love, even giving to the poor can be hypocritically done without love. The amazing thing is that praying in tongues is actually the language of intimacy and love.
1Cor. 14:2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. Actually the Message Bible says “If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him.” Praying in the Spirit is the love language of the heavenly beings, after all, heaven is a world of love. Here are some interesting comments about tongues of angels from the Barnes’ NT Commentary.

“The language of angels here seems to be used to denote the highest power of using language. It is evidently derived from the idea that the angels are superior, in all respects, to men; that they must have endowments in advance of all which man can have. It may possible have reference to the idea that they must have some mode of communicating their ideas one to another, and that this dialect or mode must be far superior to that which is employed by man. Man is imperfect. All his modes of communication are defective.”

There were numerous angelic appearances in the early church according to the book of Acts. Peter was released from prison by an angel, an angel appeared to Paul during the storm, an angel was involved with Phillip’s ministry to the Ethiopian treasurer, an angel was even involved with Peter’s ministry to the gentiles at Cornelius’ house. I think angels are involved with all of our services today. I think angels become more obvious when churches begin to step over into the heavenly realm. That brings us back to the tongues of angels. We need a greater emphasis on the heavenly language of love. Personally and corporately there needs to be extended times of worshiping God in the language of the angels. As we do, don’t be surprised if the angels join in as they hear The Lord being worshipped in their own language.