II. THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE, 4-7.

Paul was most anxious that no mistake be made as to what true Christian love was for he gives us a most detailed description here. The first two particulars are more or less an overview of love. It will suffer all manner of evil and engage in all manner of kindness. It is elsewhere summed up by Paul. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good, Romans 12:21. This is that which exists in the heart of God Himself, Rom,” 2:4. Thus, what we are looking at are the motions of a heart conformed to God’s and a partaker of the divine nature, I John 4:16, II Peter 1:4. For ease of study we shall consider the negatives and the affirmatives, remembering that Paul undoubtedly was contrasting love with their own state of heart and how they had sinned against charity.

1. The evils that love precludes.

(A). Envy—charity envieth not, verse 4. James 4:5.

(B). Pride— charity vaunteth not itself . . . unseemly, verses 4-5. Phil 2:3; I Cor 10:32; Rom 12:10.

(C). Selfishness— seeketh not her own, verse 5. Phil 2:21; I Cor 10:24, 33.