The Greatest of These is......?

Often, it is assumed that love is the greatest of all but the text says (1Cor 13:13) 'greatest of these'. What are the 'these' in context of 1Cor 13? They are faith and hope.

In this PC/ecumenically charged environment, what gets trampled on and sacrificed on Rodney King's Altar of 'Can't we all just get along?' is "Truth", for without truth those 'truths' in 1Cor 13 would be served on a platter of lies totally unrecognizable from their current form.

IOW the 'truth' about love would be non existent without truthful words expressing love.

This "Love" can only be manifested through the Believer by allowing the Holy spirit to work within our lives, which He does based on our Faith expressed in Christ and the Cross (John 14:21). Failure to live this way, everything you do and everything you have will profit you nothing (1 Cor. 13:3, Gal. 2:21).

“30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the Altar of the LORD that was broken down. (The “Altar” was a Type of the coming Cross, and what Jesus would do there. As is obvious, Israel no longer believed in the Altar of Jehovah and, above all, what it represented, namely the Cross. Elijah repaired the Altar, which had once been used, but had fallen into disrepair. The Church presently desperately needs to “repair the Altar of the Lord that is broken down.” In other words, it desperately needs to re-establish its faith in Christ and the Cross.)” 1 Kings 18:30

JSM

In the light of the current Ecumenical trend, would you say the knowledge of God's love is dependent on the truthfulness of the Gospel or the truthfulness of the Gospel is dependent on man's love to one another? (The Big Hug)

It is the Life of Christ being manifested through the power of the Holy Spirit in the Believer (Rom. 8:2); For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13).

Psalm 115:14-15 King James Version (KJV)

14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

15 You are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.

Love and truth go hand in hand.....there is no love when the truth is compromised for the sake of unity!!

And that is the truth.
My concern is that every so often that potion of scripture that says ‘love is the greatest’ is taken out of context as if love is the greatest of all to push the ecumenical agenda, when in reality and in context Paul is comparing love with ‘faith’ and ‘hope’... ‘the greatest of THESE’.

I like Matthew Henry's thoughts concerning this

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
13:8-13 Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men! Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us. To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another. Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, 1Jo 4:8,16. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.

IMO (only I suppose) charity (Godly love) is the very foundation of truth. God is love. And this truth is what gives birth to all other truths. All the gifts He gives His children are born from His perfect love for them.

Truth is certainly important, but one can not replace His perfect love with anything. He is Perfect Love, and, thus, His Word is Truth. He cannot lie.

There are many truths, as there are many loves........but if I have to choose between truth and Gods Love, I'll choose God's Perfect, Undying Love every time. Because the Truth is I do not deserve His Love, nor is there anything I can do to earn His love.

Love is the Greatest Gift God has given His children in my opinion.

Exactly........and now ABIDES is clear

Just a reminder, yes God is love, but He also is Truth (John 14:6). I’m not so sure you can pit one against the other, as well as His other attributes like Just and Holy.

One cannot and be right they are sisters and go hand in hand.....

That was my point. In the OP, it appeared that you were pitting Truth against Love, as Truth being the greater of the two. That's why I responded that IF forced to choose, I would choose His perfect love always, because the truth is, I am not worthy of His perfect love, and the Truth is there for ALL mankind. Saved/unsaved.

Anyway, may have not understood your point

No, no pitting lol. How about..."Love is truth in action and truth is love verbally expressed"?

These days, even the euphemism is prescribed a euphemism that is "political correctness." Love is the greatest of these in that, without THE truth, there can be no faith nor hope unless love compels us to keep it definitively, rather than provisionally. To do the latter is, in reality, cruel.

The greatest work . . .he works in us is His labor of love . . . the work of His faith with power working in us.

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power 2 thessalonians1:11

The first work of his love working in us is the most difficult for us and takes the unseen will of "long suffering", giving a person the power to be love is kind. .. . the second condition of that condition love. Conditioned on Him in us giving us the power to believe as he works with us . .If we cannot complete the first work. . longsuffering then we cannot be kind. God works all the conditions of His love in every believer.But he alone works them all perfectly .

Western culture don't know what love is, and we don't recognize correction as part of Love.
We think disagreement is hate, and if you dare to exclude someone from an event or occasion because disagreement you are a monster.
Why can't I not take communion with someone because we disagree on the sacrament and still love them. I would say that it is indeed love to do so. We disagree on what it is that we are doing, it is holy to me and holy to you, so you do yours and I'll do mine, then we can hang out.

Lol Aretha says its a second hand emotion as in what does love have to do with love.

Why are 'love the Lord your God' and 'love your neighbor' called greater commandments than 'you shall not lie' ?

If i have all perfect knowledge and fully comprehend the truth of every mystery, but have not love....

You raise a valid point. Love is not always the easy way. If we condone sinful behavior in the interest of love, we become enablers. The sinner is wallowing in the death throws of a broken world. When someone claims Christ as their Lord and Savior, we owe them an occasion to speak up if we see them wallowing in sin.

James 5:19,20 "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

This is how God would have us deal with each other.

That was Tina Turner, lol.