1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most familiar chapters in the entire Bible.  Everyone it seems, has heard of the great love chapter.  And they probably heard the reading of these words at church—at a wedding.  Even non-church going brides and grooms like having 1 Corinthians 13 read at their wedding.  But the Great Love Chapter has nothing to do with weddings.

When these words were first read to the church in Corinth, it is highly unlikely that an engaged couple listening to them would have been leaning over whispering amongst themselves about how this would be a great thing for someone to read in their upcoming wedding ceremony.  And the reason they would have not been saying that is because when you read 1 Corinthians 13, after reading chapters 11 and 12, and on the way to 14 and following, you realize something rather sobering.  The intent of these words, the purpose of these words was actually to serve as a mild rebuke of the Corinthian congregation.  Paul did not write these words as some definitive thesis on the beauty and glory of love.

What was it then that prompted Paul to speak to this great need for love in the congregation?  In the Corinthian church, a strong polarization existed between the “charismatic” Christians and the “non-charismatic” Christians.  Before we go any further I think it is good for us to acknowledge something.  Virtually every congregation faces some kind of polarizing factor.  It could be the polarization that exists between charismatic and non-charismatic expressions of worship as it was in Corinth.  In the context in which we worship, we might define that as contemporary vs. traditional music.  Then there are theological issues.  Some of us stress the sovereignty of God in salvation and others of us place the heavier emphasis on the freedom of our will.  Then there are church government issues.  Some of us believe the New Testament gives elders the role of the overseer while others believe in a more congregational form of government. 

Of course we can’t just pretend that these issues do not exist.  When issues come up in the church—and they always do—you have to deal with those issues.  This is why we constantly study the Scriptures to find clarity on these and other issues that captivate our attention.  This is what chapters 11, 12, and 14 of 1 Corinthians deal with. But there’s something we need to see from chapter 13—something that transcends even the solution to problems.  Love.  Love is vitally important to Christians.  It should govern our relationships with everyone in the body—especially those with whom we strongly disagree.