RADICAL LOVE - Love Rejoices (Properly) - 1 Corinthians 13:6 - February 23, 2020
Prayer
INTRODUCTION
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud.
It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs.
They will know you are my disciples by your love.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
“Some of the effects of charity are stated, that we may know whether we have this grace; and that if we have not, we may not rest till we have it. This love is a clear proof of regeneration, and is a touchstone of our professed faith in Christ.”
This love is demonstrated by our actions and our attitudes.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV
- LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL
A. No delight in other’s wrong doing
Pulpit Commentary
‘The Greeks had a word, ἐπιχαιρεκακία, to describe "rejoicing at the evil" (whether sin or misfortune) of others (Proverbs 24:17); Schadenfreude, "malignant joy" (Arist., 'Eth.,' 2:7, 15). It is the detestable feeling indicated by the remark of La Rochefoucald, "that there is something not altogether disagreeable to us in the misfortunes of our best friends."’
Elliott’s Commentary for English Readers
“The attitude of our mind towards sin is a great test of the truth of our religious feeling.”
Benson Commentary
“Love rejoiceth not in iniquity — Takes no pleasure to see an adversary fall into an error or sin, by which his reputation should be blasted, and his interest ruined. On the contrary, the man influenced by this love, is truly sorry for either the sin or folly of even an enemy; takes no pleasure in hearing or in repeating it, but desires it may be forgotten for ever.”
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
“Does not rejoice over the "vices" of other people; does not take delight when they are guilty of crime, or when, in any manner, they fall into sin. It does not find pleasure in hearing others accused of sin, and in having it proved that they committed it. It does not find a malicious pleasure in the "report" that they have done wrong; or in following up that report, and finding it established.”
B. No delight in our own, personal wrongdoing
Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“Neither in his own, nor in others; but on the contrary is grieved for it; he mourns over his own iniquities, the corruption of his heart, the infirmities of his life, his secret sins, which none know but God and his own soul; he is greatly troubled at the profaneness and immorality of the men of the world, and the sins of professors cut him to the heart: nor does he rejoice in injustice, as the word used here may be rendered, in any unjust action or injury, that may be done to any, yea, even to an enemy;”
- LOVE REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH
A. Truth
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
“The word "truth" here stands opposed to "iniquity," and means virtue, piety, goodness. It does not rejoice in the "vices," but in the "virtues" of others. It is pleased, it rejoices when they "do well." It is pleased when those who differ from us conduct themselves in any manner in such a way as to please God, and to advance their own reputation and happiness.”
B. Righteousness
Geneva Study Bible
“Rejoices at righteousness in the righteous. For by truth the Hebrews mean righteousness.”
Pulpit Commentary
“Rejoiceth in the truth; rather, with the truth. There are many who "resist the truth" (2 Timothy 3:8); or who "hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18); but love accepts it, keeps it pure, exults in all its triumphs (Acts 11:23 2John 4).”
Bengel’s Gnomen
συγχαίρει, (rejoiceth with) congratulates, with joy. All truth cherishes joy.”
- LOVE IS GRACEFUL
A. Rejoice/Joy/Grace connection
HELPS Word Studies
“5463 xaírō (from the root xar-, "favorably disposed, leaning towards" and cognate with 5485/xáris, "grace") – properly, to delight in God's grace ("rejoice") – literally, to experience God's grace (favor), be conscious (glad) for His grace.
5463 /xaírō ("glad for grace") has a direct "etymological connection with xaris (grace)" (DNTT, 2, 356). S. Zodhiates (Dict, 1467) likewise comments that 5479 /xará ("joy") and 5485 /xáris ("grace") are cognate with 5463 /xaírō ("to rejoice"), i.e. all share the same root and therefore the same core (fundamental) meaning.
[The etymological link between 5463 /xaírō ("rejoice"), 5479 /xará ("joy") and 5485 /xáris ("grace") – i.e. that they are all cognates – is brought out by LS (p 1,976), Zod (Dict), CBL, Wigram's Englishman's Greek Concordance (Ed. Ralph Winters), Word Study Greek-English NT (Tyndale, Ed. Paul McReynolds); see also DNTT (2,356) and TDNT (9; 359,60).
TDNT likewise groups them as cognates, referring to 5479 (xará) as the noun-form (nomen actionis) and discussing them separately in terms of their distinctive connotations.]”
B. Love rejoices!
CHALLENGE
Read 1 Corinthians 13 every day. Memorize 1 Corinthians 13:7. Reflect upon a time when you “delighted” in the unrighteous actions of someone else. Reflect upon a time when you “rejoiced” in the truth (righteous actions) of someone else. Rejoice as much as is humanly possible this week. Write down your reasons for rejoicing and how God’s grace can be seen in them.
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