Today, I’m wrapping up the series on charity by looking at the final verses of 1 Corinthians 13. These verses discuss the revelation of charity: how we grow in it, better understand it, and will appreciate it more by and by.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. – 1 Corinthians 13:11-13
Verse 11
When we grow, we naturally put away things of the past. In Ephesians 4:24, Paul instructs new believers to “put on the new man.” As new Christians, we put away old habits, and we pick up new ones. We also put away old knowledge that has failed. We now have new knowledge about Christ. And we are to continually grow in that knowledge. As babes in Christ, we need the “milk of the word” to grow (1 Peter 2:2). But we should eventually begin to look for the “meat” of the word as we continue to grow (Hebrews 5:13-14).
Verse 12
As we grow as Christians, we also understand more about charity. But even what we understand now is not the complete knowledge. That complete knowledge will come in heaven. What we do know now should be applied to our daily lives. And we should study the Word to learn more. The Bible is like a mirror that reflects our lives and shows us areas we need to fix. If we simply read the Bible to check it off our to-do list and walk away, it won’t do us any good (James 1:23-24). But if apply the Word, we can grow and become closer to Christ.
Verse 13
Charity is the foundation of our faith. The foundation of our hope. Without charity, faith is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). Charity is revealed to us throughout the scripture in God’s relationship to us. But by reading the Word, we also find the revelation that because Christ is charity, we should show that charity to others. Charity needs to be the center of our faith. It should guide our everyday actions. It should guide our relationships. And by studying God’s Word, we can actively seek that revelation, learning how to intertwine it in our lives.
This concludes my series on 1 Corinthians 13. If you haven’t checked out any of my other posts, I recommend you start with Speaking with Charity. And if you missed last week’s post, be sure to check out Charity is Forever.
