Pursue love, and
desire spiritual gifts,
but especially that
you may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14: 1
Greater love has no
one than this,
man to lay down one's
life for his friends.
John 15: 13
Paul in the
previous chapter, a chapter, we call the loved chapter, now instructs us to
pursue love, and to desire spiritual gifts.
A note: the word gifts is italicized because the Greek word is a plural
accusative neuter word and is supplied in English with the word gift, but the Greek
speaking person would understand from the context that Paul was speaking about
gifts. Then Paul says that we are to
pursue love and then to be emulous, or desirous of spiritual things and
especially that one would be able to prophesy.
The word for prophecy is in the subjunctive mood, present tense, and
second person and in English we often use the words "were,"
"should," "might," or "would" when we are
speaking in the subjunctive mode. It
simply means to be speaking of the possibility of something, to do something,
or not, and this is what's being considered for the reality remains contingent
upon future developments, this case is being contemplated with the action tat is
hypothesized. The root from what this
word comes tells us that this word means to be a spokesman for another, as in
the case for a Christian to be able to be gifted for the exposition of divine
truth. This can also mean to foretell
the future, and also to set forth a matter of divine teaching by a special
faculty. Therefore, we are not to
confuse this word that it simply means to be able to foretell something in the
future. The word that we have
translated as pursue, in the King James says to follow, follow after charity in
the Greek word used here, διώκετε, is an imperative in the present tense and it
is plural also it is an active word. So
that it means to follow after eagerly, to endeavor earnestly to acquire
something, and to pursue with a rapid motion, do not simply to walk along by
following but to seek with great energy something. This is the word Paul used and it is active,
in other words, we are not to just to sit by and think that God is going to push us in
some way, no we are to pursue and Paul uses the Greek word and putting into the imperative
it is a command or a directive, and it is active. We don't just sit by and
somehow follow.
Love, a
word in our day that is kicked around and used in so many manners and ways that it
is almost lost its meaning. I
brought this up before that the love that is being spoken of is not a simple
love for a brother or a simple love that is a friendly type of love, or even an
intimate love as with a love that should be between a man and a woman, no it is a
principled godlike love. It is this
type of love that we are to pursue, to desire to acquire, it is this greater
love that Jesus spoke about and that love is one by which a man would lay down
his life for his friends. Does this
mean I have to die for my friends?
Maybe! But Jesus did not say
that you have to die for your friends, no, he said you are to lay down your
life. If you just want to say that you
are to die for your life He would use the Greek word for that, but He did
not. The Greek word used here is an aorist and the word is singular and it is subjective and it is also active,
and it is to be translated lay, to set something in place, to deposit
something, to commit something. We are
to deposit our life, to lay our life down for another. Jesus is not here
asking you or me to die for Him, but to lay your life down for Him. Notice this very important fact: it is
easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with a sense of the
high calling, calling to which you were called. You are called the ones that are called out, the word that we
translate into English as church. So
many times and this is what was happening in the Corinthian church and we find
the same thing happening in those churches that believe in the special divine
revelations in exercise various forms of spiritual gifts as though they were
made for brilliant moments like this. No,
we do walk in the light of gifts but in the ordinary ways. For 33 years Jesus Christ laid down His life
to do the will of His Father. Oh! Here
is where the rubber meets the road: to lay down our life in this manner is
contrary to our human nature. Remember
this, if you are a friend of Jesus then you are to deliberately and carefully
lay down your life for Him. Yes,
it is difficult! But we do have the
Holy Spirit so we can thank God though it is difficult, for fit was easy,
if salvation was easy, then what kind of salvation and what kind of God do we
have. If all was simply ease, then this world would not be opposed to you, and especially Him. This is the God we have; this cost
him much. Did it not? He had to come to be incarnate in human
flesh to die horribly upon a cross when He had done nothing in this life to
deserve such a death. God has saved you
and has endued you with the Holy Spirit and now He says work it out, be
loyal to Him, even though things around you, the nature of things around
you would do everything to make you disloyal.
If you are pursuing love as Paul also instructed us and directed us to
do, then we are to stand loyal to our Friend.
Now! This is important! We must remember that His honor is at stake
in your life. This is a love
we are to pursue, and what we are to follow, yes, we are desired spiritual
gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.
Now remember prophecy, the words of God spoken by another through his
direct and was a special revelation before the Bible was canonized. How can we prophesy today? Simple!
Study God's Word and allow His word to make you able to tell others the
Gospel. Not as some do, as the school
of The Supernatural taught by the Bethel Church of Redding. And as they so often do come running around
trying to heal people and pray for people, these supposed supernatural things,
without telling people what people really need to know, they are to prophesy,
and that prophecy is telling about Jesus Christ. TO PROPHESY IS TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT A GOSPEL!
What is the
love that you are pursuing? Are you
just seeking some emotional experience?
Or, is this love, this God love, is what you are pursuing in that
pursuit leads you to not only tell people about the Gospel we are to uphold His
honor.
Restore us, O God;
cause Your
face to shine,
and we shall be saved!
Psalm 80: 3
Stir up your strength
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