“A Still More Excellent Way”: Love Is Patient and Humble
Though 1 Corinthians 13 is largely regarded as a cozy part of the Bible, a closer look reveals that it is actually deeply challenging. These “feel-good” verses confront us, humble us, and begin to show us that the things we think matter most are not what matter most to God.
The church in Corinth faced circumstances from within that threatened its existence. So, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul showed the church “a still more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31)—that is, the way of agapē, the kind of love that is rooted in the very character of God and revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. Paul needed to help the Corinthians understand that it is only by growing in Christlike love that we can grow in our Christian maturity and effectively handle such difficult situations.
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Hymn: “I Often Say My Prayers” by John Burton
I often say my prayers,
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?
Topics: Hymns and Worship
Wallpaper: Pursuing Love
“The Lord Jesus comes and, in His pursuing love and wonderful amazing grace, gathers us to Himself.”
—Alistair Begg
Topics: Weekly Wallpaper
“Everyone Will Be Salted with Fire”: Making Sense of Mark 9:49
Many have described Christ’s words in Mark 9:49–50 as being among the New Testament’s most challenging passages. They read,
Continue reading …Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.
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4 (More) Bible Verses about the Bible
James 1:22–25 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Commentary from the sermon “Don't Kid Yourselves” by Alistair Begg:
“What James is pointing out is simply this: that if the Bible is going to be effective in our lives, it must not only be listened to but also received and acted upon. Not simply listened to but received and acted upon. James has urged everyone to make sure that they’re ‘quick to listen,’ in verse 19, but he now says, ‘But make sure that you are not merely listening.’
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5 Bible Verses about the Bible
Commentary from the sermon “Why Bother with the Bible? — Part One” by Alistair Begg:
“What is the Bible? …
“First of all, the Bible is a library; it is a collection of books. It is one book, but it is one book encompassing sixty-six other books. Anybody who takes a Bible and opens it up will notice that it is apparently broken into two disproportionate pieces. There is a part which in the table of contents is called the Old Testament, which goes from Genesis to Malachi, and then there is the New Testament, which goes from Matthew through to Revelation. The Old Testament is made up of the books of the Prophets, and of the Law, and of the Psalms. …In the New Testament, we have the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and John; and then we have the Acts of the Apostles, the minute book of the early church, or its history book; then we have the Letters, written by different individuals to different gatherings of God’s people; and then we have the book of Revelation … the insight into a realm yet experienced that was granted to the apostle John. …
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Wallpaper: There Will Be No End
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High … and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33
Topics: Weekly Wallpaper
“A Still More Excellent Way”: Love and Christian Maturity
First Corinthians 13 is largely regarded as a cozy part of the Bible. It’s prone to be read at weddings; it shows up on stationery, keychains, and home decor; and its detractors are few, even in secular society. This is hardly a surprise, since it is poetic, it is beautiful, and it meditates on a word that nearly anyone can get behind: love.
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Hymn: “Jesus Paid It All” by Elvina Hall
“Thy strength indeed is small.
Child of weakness, watch and pray;
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Topics: Hymns and Worship
Hymn: “Be Still, My Soul” by Kathrina von Schlegel
Topics: Hymns and Worship