It's not 1 Cor 13 . . .

[Bartholomew Jones]

It's not 1 Cor 13 except it include 12:31 and 14:1, which, altogether, is an equivalency with Micah 6:8, "He has told you, oh man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with (before) your God."

(Remember, indexing came long after the Scripture)

 

[amadeus]

It's not 1 Cor 13 except it include 12:31 and 14:1, which, altogether, is an equivalency with Micah 6:8, "He has told you, oh man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with (before) your God."

(Remember, indexing came long after the Scripture)

And did writing the Word in a person's heart come even before it was written in a Book?

 

[Bartholomew Jones]

Yes. And shouldn't the same person question himself, in the same light, daily?

 

[Bartholomew Jones]

Jeremiah, when called as a youth, was REMINDED of his HAVING BEEN called from his mother's womb. This may be discerned by Jeremiah's response, when read out loud with voice. Chapter 1

 

[amadeus]

Yes. And shouldn't the same person question himself, in the same light, daily?

In the same light by the same Spirit!

 

[Bartholomew Jones]

And did writing the Word in a person's heart come even before it was written in a Book?

Would you say, the one man, reading 1 Cor 13, in its own right as true, and the other man, requiring of others, and ultimately of himself, the preceding and following 2 verses, are of the same seed, the Word being sown and reaped there in the heart?

You ask a hard question for a sensitive conscience.

 

[amadeus]

Would you say, the one man, reading 1 Cor 13, in its own right as true, and the other man, requiring of others, and ultimately of himself, the preceding and following 2 verses, are of the same seed, the Word being sown and reaped there in the heart?

You ask a hard question for a sensitive conscience.

My old pastor, now 95 and pushed out by misguided people used to call it a sandwich with the innards of it consisting of chapter 13. It was not open faced with only one slice, but a regular sandwich with two slices enclosing those innards. Does not the proper order come from God? The Book alone unread accomplishes nothing but then some man consumes it and as it is quickened by the Holy Spirit in him, no?

 

[Mayflower]

Following

 

[Bartholomew Jones]

Yes, it's just I find myself having to "preach" things in the vein of the original post, because in my experience as a Christian and regular churchgoer I find too many deficiencies among the sheep, and i'm finding the neglect being for lack of severity by the preachers falling short of anything like the texts of the apostles and prophets.

I tried my darndest many years to agree with contemporary preaching but the age is becoming darker faster, and I'm feeling thrust into a role like that which the prophets warned, a day of restoration of "judges as they were at first." Such things are coming to my attention as these: Jesus didn't say without qualification, do not judge. In fact the end of that discourse goes, "then you will see clearly to (judge)." Also, there is a time for everything, as Jesus said at first, take nothing extra; then, now I say, sell your cloak and buy a sword; etc.

Jesus' gospel became more severe as he approached the cross. Just before the cross he turns to his closest crowd, now the tree green. How awful the days will be when it is dry. So how much more severe should we be?

 

[Bartholomew Jones]

My point in the original post is that 1 Cor 13 without that immediately preceding and following is like Micah saying, "love mercy," when that's not what he said, rather, "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly before your God," being much closer. But the world presses Christians to do ONLY the love mercy part, and the church seems to conform, because it seems, the preachers don't preach a severe gospel.

 

[Bartholomew Jones]

The ones that do seem to preach more severely don't preach carefully.

 

[DNB]

It's not 1 Cor 13 except it include 12:31 and 14:1, which, altogether, is an equivalency with Micah 6:8, "He has told you, oh man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with (before) your God."

(Remember, indexing came long after the Scripture)

Love has many facets to it, it is not always defined by gentleness and patience, often rebuke and austerity is required. 1 Corinthians 13, in my mind, was in context towards summating the general Christian attitude that all motives and intents should be derived from - but, it is not an exhaustive list.
Jesus turned over the tables and chased the marketers from the temple area, with whips and chastisements, Paul made Bar-Jesus go blind, Ananias & Saphira were killed instantly for lying and avarice, Herod Antipas was struck down and eaten by worms, Paul openly rebuked Peter, Jesus called the Sadducees and Pharisees white-washed tombs, ...

Christians often erroneously believe that love means overlooking sin, and never uttering a harsh word. But even forgiveness is conditional, just as salvation is. Without contrition and repentance, one should not acquit the culprit. This does no do anyone any good, for the wicked become empowered and the victims go into hiding. One's redemption bears the same conditions - forgiveness and love is not tantamount to being blind, naive or a push-over.

 

[amadeus]

@Bartholomew Jones

One more time...

"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." I Cor 12:31

"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." I Cor 14:1

Where do we start and where do we finish? What is this "more excellent way"?

"Charity/love suffereth long, and is kind; charity/love envieth not; charity/love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." I Cor 13:4-7

But many put those other things before it and do not understand what came before. They seemingly do not understand how empty their efforts are and/or why they are empty:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
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.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." I Cor 13:1-6

The emptiness of men who fill the pews and the pulpits without charity/love!
What is faith?
Where is hope?

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity/love, these three; but the greatest of these is charity/love" I Cor 13:13

So then again where do we begin and where do we go?

"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." I Cor 12:31

"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." I Cor 14:1

How does one receive this love, this charity?

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8

And then to the one who insists he has asked but remains seemingly empty:

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." James 4:3