EXPOSITION OF I CORINTHIANS 13 – Part 5
February 23, 2010
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I Corinthians 13:5 – Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
DOTH NOT BEHAVE ITSELF UNSEEMLY,
Love is concerned with giving itself, not with demanding its rights. Only God knows how many times I have be
haved myself unseemly in my conduct when I felt a person was infringing on my territorial rights, like an animal protects its territory.
In the more extreme cases of my time in the National Security Agency, my conduct bordered on being disgraceful, dishonorable, or what one might consider indiscreet, which is what the idea of this phrase carries. How many times have you blown up when a situation arose that you misunderstood, and then had to suffer extreme embarrassment when you discovered your conduct was totally out of line, and if you had simply kept your mouth shut in love, none of the embarrassment would have been experienced. The absolute extremity of the word used for “unseemly” is used by Paul to refer to the act of erotic love between two men in Romans 1:27, but he does not use it in this manner in his first epistle to the Corinthian church.
Romans 1:27 – And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men work
ing that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
SEEKETH NOT HER OWN,
Some people learn to “use” other people to accomplish their objectives,
to reach their goals and dreams in life, without regard to the feelings and welfare of those they use. A goal oriented person often sacrifices others to get what he thinks is important to achieve success. The love of Christ is quite the opposite.
Philippians 2:3-5 – Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. [4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
[5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
IS NOT EASILY PROVOKED,
The word translated “provoked” means to sharpen by rubbing on anything, as one would sharpen a razor. In the concourse of life we constantly rub our wills against one another, and sometimes our will turns razor sharp with cutting remarks against those who rub us. A love that lets the rubbing roll off, rather than sharpening the will to anger, manifests God’s love. If we are going to provoke someone, we need to provoke (stimulate) them to love others in the church.
Hebrews 10:24,25 – And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
THINKETH NO EVIL;
The word translated “thinketh” has the meaning of an act of “imputing” wickedness to them by imagining they are performing it.
It implies the questioning of their motives in what they do, imputing an “evil motive” as the reason for
their action. If I had a quarter for every time I had thought a person had an evil or self-serving design in what they were doing, and then discovered I was quite wrong, I would be a wealthy man.
There are times in the Scriptures we are told to judge the conduct of those who disobey the directives of God, and indeed we should, but the judgment in the phrase “thinketh no evil” goes to motive, and we should be very careful in passing judgments on a man or woman’s motive for the acts they perform as being evil.
Have you ever considered that the degree of glory manifested from your glorified body might be proportional to your motive for your works?
Romans 14:12 – So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Luke 6:37 – Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
II Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I Corinthians 15:38 – But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
I Corinthians 15:50,51 – Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. [51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
I Corinthians 15:41,42 – There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. [42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
Daniel 12:3 – And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Hebrews 11:35 – Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: