Why the greatest of these is charity, why not faith ?

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Siela01

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2015
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And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Honestly I don't understand..why not faith or hope?
 
We know that God IS love. Faith works by love.

Galatians 5:6 (NASB)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
 
Siela01 said:
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Honestly I don't understand..why not faith or hope?
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I don't know what translation you're using, but the vast majority say 'love', not 'charity'. Charity is love in action, but it's not really a broad enough word. Love is all encompassing.
 
Faith is temporary. We walk by faith and not by sight, but when we are in the presence of the Lord we won't need faith or hope, but charity (love) is eternal.
 
Lancelot said:
Faith is temporary. We walk by faith and not by sight, but when we are in the presence of the Lord we won't need faith or hope, but charity (love) is eternal.
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I don't think faith and hope are temporary, I just think love is more powerful than either one. Or anything. After all, God epitomizes Love.
 
Matthew 22:36-40
[SUP]36 [/SUP] "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
[SUP]37 [/SUP] Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
[SUP]38 [/SUP] This is the first and great commandment.
[SUP]39 [/SUP] And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
[SUP]40 [/SUP] On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

We are to Love God and we are to Love our neighbor. These ARE the two greatest commandments!
 
Tintin said:
I don't think faith and hope are temporary, I just think love is more powerful than either one. Or anything. After all, God epitomizes Love.
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I agree, I believe in eternity our faith will be stronger in our Lord..

we will still be bound to trust God and not ourselves. so faith will be so strong, we will never trust self again. That is why we will never sin again, it will be impossible. our faith will be to strong. and that faith will power our love, which will be even stronger.
 
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
 
The greek word used there is the greatest form of the word love, the self sacrificial, unconditional love God showed all of us when he hung on the cross (when we were his enemy) (agape)

o I would agree, the greatest one is love (or charity, which would be unconditional giving to those in need out of agape love)
 
Tintin said:
I don't think faith and hope are temporary, I just think love is more powerful than either one. Or anything. After all, God epitomizes Love.
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"For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" (Rom. 8:24) Faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Heb. 11:1) So if we don't have hope for what is seen, then why would we have faith for what is seen? The whole idea is that we hope for and exercise faith for that which is not seen, so they're only temporal in my opinion.
 
I can see where you get that....my view is that once you get what you hoped for by faith..it's here now..you have it..there will always be things to hope forever in the Lord.

The below scripture looks like "a whole lot of Hoping going on"

Ephesians 2:7 (NASB)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.


Lancelot said:
"For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" (Rom. 8:24) Faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Heb. 11:1) So if we don't have hope for what is seen, then why would we have faith for what is seen? The whole idea is that we hope for and exercise faith for that which is not seen, so they're only temporal in my opinion.
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Lancelot said:
"For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?" (Rom. 8:24) Faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Heb. 11:1) So if we don't have hope for what is seen, then why would we have faith for what is seen? The whole idea is that we hope for and exercise faith for that which is not seen, so they're only temporal in my opinion.
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I think many things in heaven will be not seen until they happen. I think heaven and eternity will be a continual time of learning more and more about the infinate God we can only get a glimpse of in these mortal lives.

Just my opinion though
 
Grace777x70 said:
I can see where you get that....my view is that once you get what you hoped for by faith..it's here now..you have it..there will always be things to hope forever in the Lord.

The below scripture looks like "a whole lot of Hoping going on"

Ephesians 2:7 (NASB)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Click to expand...

thanks, a perfectly awesome passage to show what I said in my last post :)
 
Tintin said:
I don't know what translation you're using, but the vast majority say 'love', not 'charity'. Charity is love in action, but it's not really a broad enough word. Love is all encompassing.
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Charity is the foundation of Love. It is the care of another with with no thought of self.

In modern times it has come to mean alms giving but that isn't true.

Look at the word... CHARITY like charisma or charism. Each of these words have there origin in two Greek words: KAIROS (Lord), CHRISTI (anointed one). So now do you see why Charity is the greatest.
 
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1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

To make it simple.

Romans 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Shalom
 
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Romans 10:16-18Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Faith by hearing, and hearing because we love the voice of God and His words.
Deuteronomy 6:3-5Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.


Thank God He loved us and spoke to us, that we might freely choose to love the sound and language and words of God.
1 John 4:18-20Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
 
Tintin said:
I don't think faith and hope are temporary, I just think love is more powerful than either one. Or anything. After all, God epitomizes Love.
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One fine day, we will no longer need faith and hope because we will be with the Lord but love continues on.
 
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