最大的是爱
哥林多前书十三章1至7节
1我若能说万人的方言，并天使的话语，却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣，响的钹一般。
2我若有先知讲道之能，也明白各样的奥秘，各样的知识，而且有全备的信，叫我能够移山，却没有爱，我就算不得甚么。
3我若将所有的赒济穷人，又舍己身叫人焚烧，却没有爱，仍然与我无益。
4爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈；爱是不嫉妒；爱是不自夸，不张狂，
5不做害羞的事，不求自己的益处，不轻易发怒，不计算人的恶，
6不喜欢不义，只喜欢真理；
7凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。
信息分享
接着，我们就听见这段勾划爱的美妙诗篇。有人称许这段经文，是「保罗所写的一段最深刻有力的伟大宣言」。
保罗刚刚谈到基督的身体、身体中的肢体，以及各肢体的恩赐。但他最关心的，是信徒要学习彼此相爱，而不是互相炫耀恩赐。
当保罗谈到爱的时候，他用了一个很美妙的词。在希腊文中，那词是表示神对我们的那种爱。神爱我们，并不是因为我们配得祂去爱，而是只因祂爱我们。这是一种自发性的爱，是不问回报，或不管对方是否接受的爱。这是一种只为所爱的对象的好处，而不求自己好处的爱。
保罗说，我们若要为基督做任何工作，首要具备的条件，就是要先有这种爱。首先，爱远比语言能力重要；爱本身就是一种最有力的语言。
其次，爱比知识重要。保罗在这里所讲的知识，是指我们即使认识圣经的一切真理，但我们向人传讲真理的时候，心中若没有真正的爱，对别人也难有任何真正的益处。知识虽有其价值，但爱却更加重要。
我们参与事奉，究竟是出于责任，还是出于爱？我们为主作见证，是否基于责任，或是我们热爱失丧的灵魂，渴望他们能及早认识主？当我们细读这段经文时，愿我们都能省察自己的内心有没有这种爱。
祷告：
「主啊，求你以你的爱来激励我，使我能渴望与人分享你的爱。」
THE GREATEST IS LOVE
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
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, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 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.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Message
Then the words begin to flow from the reader, this wonderful hymn of love. It has been called the 'greatest, strongest, deepest words Paul ever wrote'.
Paul had been speaking about the body of Christ and its members and its gifts. He is greatly concerned that the first desire of the Corinthian church will be to love one another rather than just to show off their gifts.
When Paul speaks about love he uses a wonderful word. It means the kind of love that God has for us. He loves us not because we are worthy, but simply because he is love. It is a love given whether it is received or returned or not. It is a love that seeks nothing for itself only the good of the one being loved.
Paul says that kind of love is absolutely necessary if we are ever to do anything for Christ. First of all love is greater than any ability to speak in some other language. Love has a language all its own.
Paul says love is really greater than knowledge. By this he means that we can know all about the Bible, but if we don't have love in our hearts as we share it with other people, It will have no real meaning for them. Knowledge has its place, but love is even greater.
Why are we doing whatever we are doing for Christ? Is it out of some sense of duty or out of a sense of love? Are we witnessing for Christ because we feel we must or because we love the lost souls outside of Christ and long that they might know him too? Let this chapter search our hearts as we read it.
A PRAYER:
'Lord, love this world through me.'