"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
Love is the more excellent way that the last chapter alluded to. Love is more important than any or all of the spiritual gifts that the Corinthian believers has clamored for. People in the church then and now foolishly want recognition, prominence, and influence, and they earnestly desire spiritual gifts that will give them these things. But if they wanted what God wants for them, they would desire love and not a more important position.
Any spiritual gift exercised without love is worthless. We give lip service to this truth but we fail to understand the depth of this reality. A pastor who preaches faithfully for thirty-five years, never committing a moral sin or violating any code of ethics, if he did not love his people, his ministry was nothing. A seminary professor who has unpacked weighty truths and prepared countless students to accurately handle God’s word, if his teaching was not motivated by love, it was a waste of his time. A Christian (perhaps a missionary like me) who sees God’s power and faithfulness in life and comes to understand God’s trustworthiness, trusting that he can do anything, if his faith is loveless, he is nothing.
While we know that these things are true, there is something in us that still objects: they helped so many people; they did many great things; they were faithful for so many years. Yes, but they left off the greatest thing. It is love that empowers ministry and gives it meaning. If I am going to do something of value, I must first learn what it means to love.
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