THIS IS PART OF AN ONGOING SERIES ON THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
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We have already spoken extensively about the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues) heretofore in this series. We made the case that what we refer to as spiritual gifts, the bible calls the manifestation of the Spirit. But can we say anything more about the purpose and usefulness of these activities? 

When it comes to understanding the nature of these gifts we tend to look at 1 Corinthians 12 for their definition and 1 Corinthians 14 for their function. 1 Corinthians 13 tends to be largely forgotten in the context of these manifestations of the spiritual life. Rather than an in-depth conversation about the nature of giftedness, 1 Corinthians 13 is relegated to quotations at weddings, or admonitions to love well. However, 1 Corinthians 13 contains the clues to unlock the meaningfulness of the other two chapters. Without a full appreciation for 1 Corinthians 13 we will fail to fully grasp the depth Paul was attempting to communicate as it relates to the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The first thing that strikes us about 1 Corinthians 13 is how out of place it seems in light of the preceding and following chapters. Where Paul is fairly didactic in chapters 12 and 14, he is very poetic in chapter 13, perhaps that is the consequence of the subject. Love tends to move us towards more meaningful expressions.

Poetry notwithstanding, the chapter starts out by re-stating the gifts mentioned in the previous chapter.

I Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Each of these points has a corresponding manifestation of the Spirit:

If each of these workings is a manifestation of the Spirit as 1 Corinthians 12 states, why would they be pointless absent love? Why does Paul intricately intertwine the working of the Spirit and love?

Further to the point, he also ties in the pursuit of spiritual things with the pursuit of love:

I Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

The Greek word “pursue” literally means “to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing.” Notice that Paul does not say “pursue” gifts, but rather that we would run swiftly after love.

The next few verses in 1 Corinthians 13 paint us a picture of what the life of love looks like: 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8b Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

This clearly demonstrates to us that a vital crux of ministry is love and the heart of man. Without the formation of the inner man, there will be little lasting impact within the context of life in God. The motivation for ministry is love, and ministry is love, and love is life. Without love, all else falls apart.

Simply put, to turn to God is to hear God, and to hear God is to love God and to love God is to love his people. The crux of prophetic ministry is not practice, repetition, or volume. It is not even having a great gift. Paul does not advocate for the practice of prophecy to grow in the spiritual life, but rather, the practice of love.

More on this on our next blog post.