What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13 and why is it popular?

Love is patient, love is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud.He does not dishonor others, he is not selfish, he does not get angry easily, he keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not rejoice in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails(1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Love is mentioned somewhere between 360 and 550 times in the Bible, depending on which translation you dig into. Friend, that's a lot of love!

Perhaps this is mentioned so often because we have a God who is the pure image of love. Throughout His Word we see His love poured out and lavished upon us.

From the beginning of its creation to its countless promises, its unwavering grace and mercy, and even its righteous discipline. God's love is proven by the attention He gives to every detail of our lives.

God's love comes without conditions. It's totally unconditional. It's perfect in every way. The love of God is the core and heart of the gospel. 1 Corinthians gives us insight into the kind of love God has for us and asks us to share that kind of love with others.

Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth was to challenge believers to examine their lives in relation to the image of Christ. He particularly emphasized love - the love of Christ. His mission was to unify the church and bring them together in fellowship.

At the time, church gatherings were a bit chaotic and disorganized. While their mission was to share the good news, they focused more on being heard and becoming proud rather than delivering and dispensing their knowledge in love.

So it's no coincidence that this chapter on love is perfectly sandwiched between two passages on spiritual gifts.

Paul was encouraging the church to use their knowledge of Christ and their spiritual gifts to spread the love of Christ, but to do so — in love. Basically, saying you can do all good things, but if you don't have love, you don't have anything (1 Corinthians 13:2-3).

The underlying meaning of 1 Corinthians 13 is that as disciples we should imitate the love of Jesus by using our gifts while serving and loving others as He did!

So how do we do it? This is where the well-known and beloved verse of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 comes in. If we are called to share the love of Christ, we must first understand how he loved.

Although many of the characteristics listed below are self-explanatory, we must view them through the lens of Christ. Also note that these characteristics of love can be easy to say, much harder to actually experience. Let's discover them together.

1. Love is patient and kind. Patience is not an easy virtue to maintain in our daily lives. Whether it's an eye roll from my teenager or a sarcastic remark from a neighbor, impatience can quickly set in, leaving a reaction that's almost kind.

Yet we are called to be exactly that. Patient and kind. If we want to share the love of Christ with others, we must do so gently, with a patient approach.

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with much patience and careful instruction(2 Timothy 4:2).

2. He doesn't brag. We see a contrast at this point in the verse. While love ispatient and kind, we now hear what it is not. Love is neither boastful nor selfish. Yet how often do we like to be proud of the good we do with selfish intentions?

Unfortunately, selfishness is part of our human nature. We want to be heard, loved and recognized for our good deeds.

However, this verse completely reverses that train of thought. As believers, we must put ourselves aside and magnify the needs of others.

Not only that, but we should boast only of our Lord, acknowledging that He is the One who uses every circumstance for good.

That is why our testimonies are essential, because we can share how God is so good and faithful.

Not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, for we know that suffering produces perseverance...