1Corinthians 13: 13. Why is Charity greater than Faith or Hope ?
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References pointing to the treatment of the brethren.
1 Corinthians 8:8 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
1 Timothy 4:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Corinthians 8:8 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
1 Timothy 4:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Corinthians 13:2
“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, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
Love is fundamental for the believer. The word "Love" was first used in the book of Genesis 22:2:
“And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” This is the time when father Abraham was going to offer up his only son Issac for a burnt offering, or a sacrifice. This was a type and shadow of the sacrifice that would eventually take place at the appointed time, when God offered up his only begotten Son for a sin offering; or as John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Love has many merits, in Romans 13:10 we learn that “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”; meaning, love compels you to uphold what is morally right; thus, you don't lie, murder, fornicate, steal, why? because Love worketh no ill toward his neighbour. The Apostle Peter says: “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” In what way is charity (love) going to cover a multitude of sins? by preventing them; out of love you will see that you walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh, or as Galatians 5 says: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Why isn't there any law against the fruits of the spirit? because “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour" “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” -Romans 3:31. That is, we uphold it with Love and obedience to the word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
“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, and have not charity, I am nothing.”
Love is fundamental for the believer. The word "Love" was first used in the book of Genesis 22:2:
“And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” This is the time when father Abraham was going to offer up his only son Issac for a burnt offering, or a sacrifice. This was a type and shadow of the sacrifice that would eventually take place at the appointed time, when God offered up his only begotten Son for a sin offering; or as John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Love has many merits, in Romans 13:10 we learn that “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”; meaning, love compels you to uphold what is morally right; thus, you don't lie, murder, fornicate, steal, why? because Love worketh no ill toward his neighbour. The Apostle Peter says: “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” In what way is charity (love) going to cover a multitude of sins? by preventing them; out of love you will see that you walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh, or as Galatians 5 says: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Why isn't there any law against the fruits of the spirit? because “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour" “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” -Romans 3:31. That is, we uphold it with Love and obedience to the word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
Charity is not "brotherly love". That would be the Greek word "phileo".
Charity in the KJV is the Greek word "agape". It means love that is an act of the will. Agape can either be positive or negative. Charity can indeed "be placed towards sinful lusts".
John 12:43) For they [the Pharisees] loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
"loved" there is "agapeo", the verb form of the word "agape" used in 1 Cor 13. 1 Cor 13 describes the characteristics of the love (or charity, if you prefer) that we are to have towards others.
Sometimes it's beneficial to look at the Greek and not rely on the KJV.
Charity in the KJV is the Greek word "agape". It means love that is an act of the will. Agape can either be positive or negative. Charity can indeed "be placed towards sinful lusts".
John 12:43) For they [the Pharisees] loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
"loved" there is "agapeo", the verb form of the word "agape" used in 1 Cor 13. 1 Cor 13 describes the characteristics of the love (or charity, if you prefer) that we are to have towards others.
Sometimes it's beneficial to look at the Greek and not rely on the KJV.
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After we have been saved through faith, love certainly is the greatest quality of the three because God is love and it outlasts faith and hope. Long after the "evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1) are now seen and we are no longer looking for the "blessed hope" - (expectation of what is sure) and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13) because we are now in His presence, love will still be the principle that governs all that God and his saints are and do throughout eternity in the new heaven and new earth.
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The word charity, as found in the KJV, ALWAYS EXPRESSES CHRISTIAN LOVE FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS. The word charity is never used in the KJV to express the love relationship between God and man, a husband and his wife, between parents and their children, or between the believer and the nonbeliever. It is always used in reference to the love Christians should have for other Christians.
However when the new versions tell us that "love (agape) thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth" (NKJV), then this creates several direct contradictions with the rest of Scripture.
If "love seeks not her own and thinks no evil", and if "love rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth" then what do we do with the following Scriptures where "love" (agape) clearly seeks her own and does rejoice in evil and not in the truth?
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Agape
John 12:42-43 they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they LOVED the praise of men more than the praise of God. Agape
Luke 6:32 for sinners LOVE those that LOVE them. Agape
2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having LOVED this present world... Agape
2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam to son of Bosor, who LOVED the wages of unrighteousness. Agape
1 John 2:15 If any man LOVE the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Agape
It should be clear that the one who insists the word 'agape' means an unconditional, God-type love has not compared Scripture to Scripture. Words have different meanings in different contexts, and in 1 Corinthians 13 the King James Bible's rendering of "charity" is far more accurate and consistent with the rest of Scripture. It is the modern versions that create the contradictions!
However when the new versions tell us that "love (agape) thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth" (NKJV), then this creates several direct contradictions with the rest of Scripture.
If "love seeks not her own and thinks no evil", and if "love rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth" then what do we do with the following Scriptures where "love" (agape) clearly seeks her own and does rejoice in evil and not in the truth?
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Agape
John 12:42-43 they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they LOVED the praise of men more than the praise of God. Agape
Luke 6:32 for sinners LOVE those that LOVE them. Agape
2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having LOVED this present world... Agape
2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam to son of Bosor, who LOVED the wages of unrighteousness. Agape
1 John 2:15 If any man LOVE the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Agape
It should be clear that the one who insists the word 'agape' means an unconditional, God-type love has not compared Scripture to Scripture. Words have different meanings in different contexts, and in 1 Corinthians 13 the King James Bible's rendering of "charity" is far more accurate and consistent with the rest of Scripture. It is the modern versions that create the contradictions!
Charity as translated in 1 Cor. 13:13 in two uses is from the Greek -26. ἀγάπη agápē; gen. agápēs, fem. noun from agapáō (25), to love. Love, affectionate regard, goodwill, benevolence. With reference to God's love, it is God's willful direction toward man. It involves God doing what He knows is best for man and not necessarily what man desires. For example, Jn 3:16 states, "For God so loved [ēgápēsen] the world, that he gave." What did He give? Not what man wanted, but what God knew man needed, i.e., His Son to bring forgiveness to man.
Charity is a love directed at someone because of the source of the love and not the object.
Charity is a love directed at someone because of the source of the love and not the object.
There seems to be a lot of division about this word. Correct me if I am mistaken but is charity not love in action?
Look at it this way a homeless person is sleeping on the street near the highway he is filthy smells and has clothes that are so tron you can see part of his body.
A person walks by he is wealthy compared to most people sees the man and walks on thinking to himself scum of the earth an elderly Christian lady walks by she is having trouble paying her house bill and will likely lose soon she sees this person and instead of assuming they are just buying beer and drugs she gets her bag off her wakes him up and begins to clean his face with her own bottle of water and clothes she gives him all the money she has and calls a friend to bring supplies like food new clothes water and a place for him to stay at and be taken care of.
Later in heaven she meets this man again and learns that her act of love saved his life because it turns out he had cancer and had he not been taken care of and sent to a place to get help they never would have found it and the simple act she did saved him. Charity is not simply an action or a form of something it comes directly from the persons heart it is literally love in action so separating the two words as if they are two different things doesn't work you cannot have one without the other they are one and the same
Look at it this way a homeless person is sleeping on the street near the highway he is filthy smells and has clothes that are so tron you can see part of his body.
A person walks by he is wealthy compared to most people sees the man and walks on thinking to himself scum of the earth an elderly Christian lady walks by she is having trouble paying her house bill and will likely lose soon she sees this person and instead of assuming they are just buying beer and drugs she gets her bag off her wakes him up and begins to clean his face with her own bottle of water and clothes she gives him all the money she has and calls a friend to bring supplies like food new clothes water and a place for him to stay at and be taken care of.
Later in heaven she meets this man again and learns that her act of love saved his life because it turns out he had cancer and had he not been taken care of and sent to a place to get help they never would have found it and the simple act she did saved him. Charity is not simply an action or a form of something it comes directly from the persons heart it is literally love in action so separating the two words as if they are two different things doesn't work you cannot have one without the other they are one and the same
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