DR. GORDON HUGENBERGER
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2003 (Mother's Day)
1 Corinthians 13
Love


MAIN POINT:
We need God's help to learn how to love each other the way He intends. This morning we will stress the indispensable importance of love (verses 1-3) and just the first two or three wonderful characteristics of true love which Paul enumerates in verses 4-7. Characteristics that are not covered in this sermon will be the subject of the sermon on June 1.

STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. Imagine that your friend Rupert has just met the girl of his dreams. He exclaims that he "loves" her and is sure that this is the one! Naturally, you are thrilled for him. "That is wonderful. I am so glad for you. But tell me, you only met Agnes a couple of months ago. How do you know you love her?" He answers, "She makes me laugh. You should hear us: we have a blast whenever we get together. We can spend hours, and they're just like minutes. We are on exactly the same wavelength: she loves Chinese food, Coltrane, the Red Sox, you name it. This is the first woman I have ever met who really listens." What's the problem, based on 1 Corinthians 13?



2. 1 Corinthians 13 has been described as "the deepest thing Paul ever wrote" and one of the most powerful and beautiful rhapsodies on love in any language. With good reason it is a favorite text for weddings and sermons. On closer examination, however, most of it is fairly obvious - especially if you have ever been on the receiving end of love! "Love is kind," for example, hardly qualifies as earthshaking news. Why do you think the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to include this description of love in the Bible? What are some reasons that you personally need the lessons in this chapter?
   
3. Lee Iacocca, the former Chairman of Chrysler Motors, once said: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” What is the main thing in all that we do as Christians, according to the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3? In what ways were the Corinthians in danger of allowing the main thing to neglected or forgotten?



4. Although we will wait for another occasion to go into detail about the gift of prophecy, it is notable that Paul insists in 1 Corinthians 14:3 that "Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort." Based on your experience, how could any such gift be exercised without love? Similarly, based on your experience or on scriptural examples, describe how "knowledge" and even "faith" could be exercised without love [Hint: compare 1 Corinthians 8:1 and James 2:14-19].



5. Offer an illustration for how someone could be guilty of making an extraordinary sacrifice of some kind, similar to that mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:3, and yet lack love. Share an example from your life where this has been a struggle.
   
   
6. What are some temptations we face at Park Street Church that keep the main thing from being the main thing? What can we do to minimize or overcome those temptations?



7. St. Augustine once said, "My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner." Social psychologists report that most people consider themselves well above average in their ability to get along with others. As Eric Fromm once observed, when people have a problem with their "love life" they almost always assume that the problem is with the other person: they have not yet found someone who is sufficiently attractive, or who is "the marrying type," or who welcomes their overtures. Based on 1 Corinthians 13, however, it is clear that our greatest struggle is not in finding someone to love, but in loving those we have found. Describe (omit names) some people in your life whom you need to learn to love more. Which aspects of love, as Paul lists these in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, do you most need to develop in order to love the person(s) you are describing?



8. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4, "Love is patient." Some people may flatter themselves by describing their indifference or apathy as "patience." In older translations, the Greek term for patience is often rendered "longsuffering." Although "longsuffering" is an archaic synonym for "patience," it may have an advantage in that it suggests the pain experienced by genuine love as it bears up under some adversity or disappointment. What are some typical circumstances where the patience of your love seems thin or lacking? What could you do to cultivate a love that exhibits more patience?



9. Paul goes on to assert, "Love is kind." Although it may seem insulting to be reminded of such an obvious point, it is remarkable at times how unkind people can be toward those they claim to love (for example, spouses, best friends, etc.). Describe some situations where you have witnessed or experienced instances where love was anything but kind.



10. What are some typical circumstances where your own love has not been as kind as it should be?
    
    
11. It would be easy to come away from a meditation on a text like 1 Corinthians 13 and feel very discouraged at the glaring failures in our ability to love as we should. For some of us, we may be aware of psychological and experiential obstacles that get in our way. This is Mother's Day. Although many of us were blessed with wonderful mothers whose love for us embodied the qualities that Paul enumerates, others of us may find the celebration of this day a very painful reminder of the maternal love they ached for or still wish for, but perhaps have only rarely experienced or, in some cases, have never experienced. As grievous and heartbreaking as these problems are, what are some ways that God could overcome these obstacles over time? Given whatever issues you face, how can God produce in your life more of the kind of love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13? [HINT: see also 1 John 3:16; 4:19.]
    
    
    May the Lord use this meditation on His Holy Word to increase our love for Him and for each another, as we put it into practice with the Spirit's help.

    Gordon