Reading 1 Corinthians is like reading a letter to a gifted
but chaotic church that has lost its center.
They are doing too much—and none of it with enough love.
Paul is not impressed by their spiritual gifts.
He is not fooled by their activity.
He is looking for something deeper, something richer, something that reflects
the heart of Jesus.
And what he offers them is not just correction.
It is a call to love—real love, Spirit-shaped love, Jesus-modeled love.
The
Gifts Are Impressive. But Love Is the Standard.
The church at Corinth had charisma.
They had tongues, prophecy, deep teaching, powerful worship.
But they also had division, arrogance, favoritism, lawsuits, and moral
compromise.
So Paul tells them plainly:
“If I speak in the tongues of men or
of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong…”
(1 Corinthians 13:1)
That hit me hard.
We can sound deep and still be hollow.
We can be gifted and still be graceless.
We can “do church” and completely miss the point of being the church.
Because love is the point.
Love
Is Not a Feeling. It Is a Choice. A Lifestyle. A Standard.
1 Corinthians 13 is not just poetic—it is powerful.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It
does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…”
(13:4)
As I read that, I felt the weight of every word.
- Love waits.
- Love yields.
- Love does not compete.
- Love does not have to be seen.
- Love is not rude, self-seeking, or easily offended.
- Love keeps no record of wrongs.
- Love protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.
Paul is not just describing love.
He is describing Jesus.
And he is telling us: If you belong to Him, this is how you live.
Love
Is the Correction and the Cure
Every issue in the Corinthian church could be traced back
to a lack of love:
- Division: no love.
- Elitism: no love.
- Boasting in gifts: no love.
- Disregard for the poor: no love.
- Disorder in worship: no love.
So Paul does not just give rules.
He points them to love as the solution.
“Do everything in love.”
(1 Corinthians 16:14)
That is the summary of the whole letter.
Do not just be right—be loving.
Do not just correct—do it with grace.
Do not just show up—show love.
Love
Is the Greater Way. Walk In It.
Reading 1 Corinthians reminded me that I can be “on fire”
and still off base if love is not at the center.
The goal is not to impress people.
It is to reflect Jesus.
And He loved sacrificially.
He loved patiently.
He loved truthfully and tenderly.
He loved to the end.
So I ask myself:
- Am I known for love?
- Do my words reflect it?
- Does my service come from it?
- Do my corrections carry it?
Because if love is not in it, Jesus is not in it.
Let love be the foundation.
Let love be the fruit.
Let love be the legacy.
Because in the end, Paul said it best:
“And now these three remain: faith,
hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Corinthians 13:13)