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哥林多前书生命读经 · 第60篇

对付恩赐（四）

Dealing with the Gifts (4)
1读经：哥林多前书十三章一至十三节。林前十三章是十二章直接的延续。在十二章的最后一节，也就是三十一节，保罗说，『你们要切慕那更大的恩赐。我还要把极超越的路指示你们。』极超越的路就是爱。因此，十三章是陈明这极超越的路。
1Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 13:1-13 First Corinthians 13 is the direct continuation of chapter twelve. In the last verse of chapter twelve, verse 31, Paul says, “But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And yet I show to you a way of excellence.” The way of excellence is love. Thus, chapter thirteen presents this excellent way
2在十二章保罗强调说话、那灵、身体、以及神的行政。如今在十三章说到爱，这是保罗所强调的第五点。说话把我们引进那灵里，那灵把我们带到身体里，身体又保守我们在那灵里。不仅如此，身体也是为著神的行政。保罗所强调的第五点─爱，乃是运用恩赐的路，在身体里的路，以及为著身体的路。1在哥林多前书里，十三章并不是独立的一段。本章在十二章和十四章之间，与这二章共同组成本书信中对付恩赐的一段。因此，我们绝不该将十三章视为孤立的一章。十三章乃是十二章的延续，并且引到十四章。十四章一节说，『你们要追求爱，更要切慕属灵的恩赐，尤其要切慕申言，』指明这事。十二章的最后一节把我们带到十三章，而十四章的第一节是十三章的总结，同时也把我们带到十四章。在十二章三十一节，保罗说到运用恩赐极超越的路；在十三章，保罗陈明爱这极超越的路；在十四章一节，保罗劝我们要追求爱，更要切慕属灵的恩赐，尤其要切慕申言。因此，这三章组成一个单位，其中十三章接续十二章，而十四章接续十三章。爱只是一条路，还是说，爱也是一种恩赐？根据罗马十二章，我们有理由说，爱是一种恩赐。在罗马十二章六至八节，保罗说，照著所赐给我们的恩典，我们得了不同的恩赐，我们应当照著运用。根据八节，甚至怜悯人也是一种恩赐。然后在九至十节，保罗接著说，『爱不可假冒…爱弟兄，要彼此亲热；恭敬人，要互相争先。』十二至十三节说，『在指望中要喜乐，在患难中要忍耐，在祷告上要坚定持续，在圣徒缺乏上要有交通，待客要追寻机会。』这一切，以及爱，都在关于恩赐的一章被题及；因此，我们可以说，爱至少是在恩赐的边缘。
2In chapter twelve Paul emphasizes speaking, the Spirit, the Body, and God’s ad ministration. Now in chapter thirteen we have love as the fifth emphasis. Speaking ushers us into the Spirit, the Spirit brings us into the Body, and the Body preserves us in the Spirit. Furthermore, the Body is for God’s ad ministration. Paul’s fifth emphasis, the matter of love, is the way to use the gifts, the way to be in the Body, and the way to be for the Body. Chapter thirteen is not an isolated section of Corinthians. Rather, it comes between chapters twelve and fourteen and with them forms a portion in this Epistle dealing with the gifts. Therefore, we should never consider chapter thirteen as if it stood by itself. No, it is a continuation of chapter twelve and leads into chapter fourteen. The first verse of chapter fourteen indicates this: “Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy.” The last verse of chapter twelve brings us into chapter thirteen, and the first verse of chapter fourteen concludes chapter thirteen and brings us into chapter fourteen. In 12:31 Paul speaks of the excellent way to exercise the gifts, in chapter thirteen he presents love as this excellent way, and in 14:1 he advises us to pursue love and desire earnestly the spiritual gifts, especially that we may prophesy. Thus, these chapters make up one unit, with chapter thirteen continuing chapter twelve and chapter fourteen continuing chapter thirteen. Is love only a way, or is it also a gift? According to Romans 12, there is ground to say that love is a gift. In Romans 12:6-8 Paul says that we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us and that we should exercise them accordingly. According to verse 8, even the showing of mercy is a gift. Then in verses 9 and 10 Paul goes on to say, “Let love be without hypocrisy.… Love one another warmly in brotherly love, vying with one another in showing honor.” Then in verses 12 and 13 he says, “Rejoicing in hope, enduring in tribulation, persevering in prayer, communicating to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.” All these, along with love, are spoken of in a chapter concerned with gifts. Therefore, we may say that love is at least on the border of the gifts.
3保罗在林前十三章八节的话也指明，爱不仅是一条路，也是一种恩赐。他说，『爱是永不败落；但申言终必归于无用，方言终必停止，知识也终必归于无用。』保罗在这里将爱和申言、方言、知识这些恩赐并列。毫无疑问，申言、说方言、用知识的话教导都是恩赐。虽然申言终必归于无用，方言终必停止，知识也终必归于无用，但是爱却永不败落。我曾指出，有些弟兄姊妹表面看来，似乎没有甚么恩赐。可是，他们却绝对为著身体。为著身体就是爱；照顾身体上的肢体需要爱。我们若没有爱，怎能照顾人？为要照顾肢体，爱是必要的，好叫身体得著建造。所以，爱是最大的恩赐。没有甚么比爱更造就人。爱是属灵的抗生素。一个地方召会中若有爱，就不必担心有属灵的疾病。爱是治疗这些疾病的良方。爱是一种恩赐，甚至是最大的恩赐。要得著爱这恩赐并不难。我们无须禁食或祷告，才能得著爱。不仅如此，我们也不必模倣、伪装或表演。爱就在我们里面。只要你藉著重生得著了神圣的生命，你也就有了爱，因为爱是生命的表现，是生命的另一种形态。
3Paul’sword in 1 Corinthians 13:8 may also indicate that love is a gift and not merely a way: “Love never falls away; but whether prophecies, they shall be done away; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be done away.” Here Paul lists love along with the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. There is no doubt that to prophesy, speak in tongues, and teach with the word of knowledge are gifts. Although prophecies will be done away, tongues will cease, and knowledge will be done away, love will never fall away. I have pointed out that there are certain brothers and sisters who apparently do not have any gifts. However, they are absolutely for the Body. To be for the Body is a matter of love, and to care for the members of the Body requires love. If we do not have love, how can we care for others? Love is necessary to care for the members so that the Body may be built up. Thus, love is the greatest gift. Nothing edifies people as much as love does. Love is a spiritual antibiotic. If there is love in a local church, there will be no need to worry about spiritual diseases. Love is the best medicine to cure such diseases. Love is a gift, even the greatest gift. It is not difficult to have the gift of love. There is no need to fast for love or pray to receive it. Furthermore, there is no need to imitate, pretend, or perform. Love is within us. As long as you have the divine life through regeneration, you also have love, for love is the expression of life, another form of life
伍 极超越的路─
V. THE EXCELLENT WAY
为著运用恩赐
FOR EXERCISING THE GIFTS
4一 爱的需要保罗用整章圣经来强调爱这件要紧的事。他强调的第一点─说话，只占了
4A. The Need of Love Paul takes a whole chapter to emphasize the crucial matter of love. His first emphasis, on speaking, occupies
5三节。他强调的第二点─那灵，用了
5just three verses; his second emphasis, on the Spirit
6九或十节；他强调的第三点和第四点身体和神的行政，分别用了十六节和三节。但是，当他题到爱这件要紧的事时，却用了整章圣经。这表明爱是何等的重要。
6occupies nine or ten verses; and the third and fourth matter he emphasizes, the Body and administration, occupy sixteen verses and three verses respectively. But when Paul comes to the crucial matter of love, he devotes an entire chapter to it. This shows how important love is
7爱是生命的事。有些恩赐也和生命有关，因为牠们是从圣灵和神圣生命这些初期的恩赐发展出来的。可是，有些别的恩赐，尤其像说方言、繙方言、行异能、医病等神奇的恩赐，却不是从生命中发展出来的。因此，保罗在十三章一开头就说，『我若能说人和天使的方言，却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣、响的钹。』鸣的锣和响的钹，发出声音却没有生命。这是说方言的真实写照。在十二章和十四章，保罗把说方言和繙方言摆在最末了。但在这里，他首先题到说方言，却是从反面来说，这指明说方言并不是生命的事。
7Love is a matter of life. Certain gifts are also related to life, for they are developed from the initial gifts: the Holy Spirit and the divine life. However, other gifts, especially miraculous gifts such as speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, works of power or miracles, and healings, are not developed out of life. For this reason, Paul opens chapter thirteen by saying, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” Sounding brass and clanging cymbals give sounds without life. This is a genuine illustration of tongue - speaking. In chapters twelve and fourteen Paul places tongues and interpretation of tongues last. But here he mentions tongue-speaking first, but in a negative way that indicates that it is not a matter of life.
8同样的原则，神医可能并不是生命的事。有一种医治是藉恩赐而来，有一种医治是藉恩典而来。后者乃是出于生命，甚至是出于复活的生命。在我基督徒的一生中，曾经历过医病的恩赐。但是我愿意见证，我多次享受了恩典的医治。从一九四三年九月至一九四六年春，约有两年半的时间，我罹患了严重的肺结核，必须卧床数月之久。我每天都向主祷告，也受主对付。起初，我只为自己的情形祷告，并没有为召会和工作祷告。后来，对我而言，重要的不是我得医治，乃是我必须彻底被洁净、炼净。我能见证，在那段期间，我的动机、意念、内里的每一部分，都受到对付。然后，主就医治了我，不是用大能的恩赐，乃是用生命的恩典。这样的医治是彻底的，也是绝对的。我说到我的经历，是要指出，靠恩赐医治和生命完全无关；然而，有一种医治，是凭著在生命里的恩典而得的。我珍赏生命的恩赐，远过于珍赏神奇的恩赐。我认识一些信徒，他们真的领受了神奇的恩赐，但后来却不信而离弃了主。我们需要的乃是上好的恩赐─爱和生命，这些才能把生命服事给人。我们既都爱主，对祂是绝对的，也寻求祂身体的建造，好叫祂得著一个凭藉，能在地上执行神的行政，以完成神永远的定旨，我们就必须追求爱。长老和同工们，你们需要爱。弟兄姊妹们，你们需要爱。只有爱能建造身体。还有，从十三章来看，爱的恩赐是永久的，因为爱是由神圣的生命构成，是神的彰显，是永远生命的表现。因此，我们都必须追求爱。
8In the same principle, divine healing may not be a matter of life. There is a healing which comes by gift and a healing which comes by grace. This latter kind is of life, even of resurrection life. During my Christian life I have experienced the gift of healing. But I wish to testify that many times I have enjoyed healing by grace. For two and a half years, from September, 1943, until the spring of 1946, I was seriously ill with tuberculosis. For many months I was confined to bed. Every day I prayed to the Lord and was dealt with by Him. I did not pray for the church or for the work, but for my own situation. Eventually what mattered most was not that I would be healed, but that I would be thoroughly cleansed and purified. I can testify that during that period of time, my motives, intentions, and every part of my inner being were dealt with. Then the Lord healed me not by a gift in power, but by grace in life. That healing was thorough and absolute. I draw on my experience to point out that to receive healing by means of a gift has nothing to do with life. However, there is a healing by grace in life. I appreciate the gifts in life much more than the miraculous gifts. I have seen some believers who genuinely received certain miraculous gifts only to later turn from the Lord in unbelief. What we need is life and love, the best gift, which ministers life to others. As those who love the Lord, who are absolute with Him, and who are seeking the building of His Body so that He may have the instrument to carry out God’sad ministration on earth for the accomplishment of God’s eternal purpose, we must pursue love. Elders and co-workers, you need love. Brothers and sisters, you all need love. Only love builds up the Body. Moreover, according to chapter thirteen, the gift of love is everlasting, for it is constituted of the divine life and is the expression of God, the expression of eternal life. Therefore, we all should pursue love.
9在十三章二至三节保罗说，『我若有申言的恩赐，也明白一切的奥秘，和一切的知识，并有全备的信，以致能彀移山，却没有爱，我就算不得甚么。我若将我一切所有的变卖为食物分给人吃，又舍己身叫我可以夸口，却没有爱，仍然与我无益。』三节的舍己身，就是殉道。『叫我可以夸口』，有些古卷作『叫我被焚烧』。
9In 13:2 and 3 Paul says, “And if I have prophecy and know all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I dole out all my goods, and if I deliver up my body that I may boast, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” To deliver up the body in verse 3 is to die as a martyr. Instead of “that I may boast,” some manuscripts read “that I may be burned
二 爱的定义
B. The Definition of Love
10在十三章四至七节，保罗给我们爱的定义。这定义包含爱的十五项美德：恒久忍耐、有恩慈、不嫉妒、不自夸、不张狂、不作不合宜的事、不求自己的益处、不轻易发怒、不计算人的恶、不因不义而欢乐、与真理同欢乐、凡事包容、凡事相信、凡事盼望、凡事忍耐。在四节保罗说，『爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈。』生命是神的元素，爱是神这生命的彰显。因此，神就是爱。（约壹四16。）那是生命的神，乃是在爱里得著彰显。林前十三章四至七节所列，爱的十五项美德，都是神生命的神圣美德。这样的生命与十二章所列外面的恩赐不同。哥林多人追求外面的恩赐，却忽略爱，就是神生命的彰显。因此，他们仍是属肉的，属肉体的，或属魂的。（三1，3，二14。）他们应当在生命里长大，（由他们顾到基督身体的爱而显出，）追求爱，而不追求外面的恩赐，使他们成为属灵的。（二15。）保罗在十三章四节说到爱是不自夸。这里的自夸，与夸口有点不同。自夸乃是夸耀自己以至于破坏别人。这样的自夸把别人贬低并践踏。爱当然是不自夸的。
10In 13:4-7 Paul gives us the definition of love. This definition includes fifteen virtues of love: suffering long, being kind, not being jealous, not bragging, not puffed up, not behaving unbecomingly, not seeking its own things, not provoked, not taking account of evil, not rejoicing over unrighteousness, rejoicing with the truth, covering all things, believing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things. In verse 4 Paul says, “Love suffers long, and is kind.” Love is the expression of life, which is the element of God. Hence, God is love (1 John 4:16). God as life is expressed in love. All the fifteen virtues of love listed in verses 4 through 7 are the divine virtues of God’s life. Such a life differs from the outward gifts listed in chapter twelve. The Corinthians were after the outward gifts, but they neglected love, the expression of life. Thus, they were still fleshy, fleshly, or soulish (3:1, 3; 2:14). They needed to grow in life, expressed by love, by pursuing love, not the outward gifts, so that they might be spiritual (2:14). In verse 4 Paul says that love does not brag. Bragging is somewhat different from boasting. To brag is to boast of one’s self in away to damage others. It is a kind of boasting which depreciates others and puts them down. Love certainly does not brag
11在五节，保罗指出爱是『不计算人的恶』。这里原文指明爱不像计账员把收支记录下来。这就是说，你若爱别人，就不会把他们所犯的错记录下来。六节说，『不因不义而欢乐，却与真理同欢乐。』不义的总和乃是撒但，真理的总和乃是神。爱既是神生命的彰显，就不因撒但的不义而欢乐，却与神的真理同欢乐。爱不因任何人的不义欢乐，乃是与真理同欢乐。
11In verse 5 Paul points out that love “does not take account of evil.” The Greek word here indicates that love does not keep a record like a bookkeeper. This means that if you love others, you will not keep a record of their mistakes. Verse 6 says, “Does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” The totality of unrighteousness is Satan, and the totality of truth is God. Love as the expression of the divine life does not rejoice over Satan’sun righteousness, but rejoices with God’st ruth. Love does not rejoice over anyone’sun righteousness; instead, it rejoices with the truth.
12按照七节，爱是凡事包容。包容，原文与九章十二节的忍受同字。这字不仅有（一）（如容器）包容，容纳；和（二）（如房盖）遮盖（人过）；且有（三）如房盖遮蔽，遮护等意思。这辞在福音书是用在有人拆了房顶，好把一个病人带来见主耶稣。他们把房顶拆通了，就把那人缒下去主耶稣所在之处。（可二4。）这辞原文的意思是在某人的房顶拆一个洞。我们说别人的闲话，可能就是这样。我们谈论别人，就是拆别人的房顶，因而暴露了他们。然而，爱是凡事包容，不会在任何人的房顶拆洞。我们看看这几节所列爱的十五项美德，就会发现爱不是别的，爱乃是神自己。除了神自己以外，谁能有这一切美德？我们无法凡事忍耐，凡事相信。我们也无法真正有恒久忍耐。惟有神有这一切美德。因此，这里所描写的爱乃是神自己。不仅如此，圣经中还有别处清楚说到，神就是爱。（约壹四16。）神也是生命。生命是神的素质，爱是神的彰显。神在祂自己里面是生命，但神彰显出来乃是爱。爱就是神自己，而神的神圣素质乃是生命；这爱有十五项美德。因此，保罗在哥林多前书里，吩咐信徒要在生命中长大。他们缺少生命、缺少爱。换句话说，他们缺少神，他们需要在生命中长大。
12According to verse 7, love covers all things. The Greek word, also used in 9:12, can be rendered “bears.” Literally, it means to contain (as a vessel), to conceal; hence, to cover (as a roof). This word is used in the Gospels regarding the incident where some people broke up a roof in order to bring a certain sick man to the Lord Jesus. They made a hole in the roof and then lowered the man to the place where the Lord was (Mark 2:4). This Greek word means to make a hole in someone’sr o of. We may do this by gossiping about others. As we talk about them, we make a hole in the roof over them; that is, we uncover them. However, love covers all things; it does not make a hole in anyone’sr o of. If we consider the fifteen virtues of love listed in these verses, we shall realize that love is nothing other than God Himself. Who other than God could have all these virtues? We cannot endure all things or believe all things. Neither can we truly have longsuffering. Only God has all these virtues. Hence, the love described here is God Himself. Furthermore, the Bible elsewhere says clearly that God is love (1 John 4:16). God is also life. Life is God’s essence, and love is God’sex press i on. In Himself God is life, but God expressed is love. The love which is God Himself with His divine essence as life has these fifteen virtues. This is the reason that in 1 Corinthians Paul charges the believers to grow in life. They were short of life, short of love. In other words, they were short of God and needed to grow in life
13三 爱的超越在林前十三章八至十三节，保罗说到爱的超越。在八节他宣告说，『爱是永不败落；但申言终必归于无用，方言终必停止，知识也终必归于无用。』爱是永不败落，意思是爱比一切存留得更长久，并且永远保有其地位。爱永不败落、永不衰残、永不终止，就像神永远的生命一样。一切恩赐，无论是申言，或方言，或知识，都是神运行的凭藉，并不是那彰显神的生命。因此，这些终必停止，也终必归于无用。这些都是时代的。惟有爱所彰显的生命，是永远的。根据下文，一切恩赐都是为著今世未成熟的孩童，到来世都必归于无用。惟有爱是属于成熟的人，要持续直到永世。因此，当我们凭爱而行，就豫尝了来世和永世。
13C. The Excelling of Love In 13:8-13 Paul speaks concerning the excelling of love. In verse 8 he declares, “Love never falls away; but whether prophecies, they shall be done away; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be done away.” For love never to fall away means that it survives everything, holds its place forever. Love never fails, never fades out or comes to an end. It is like the eternal life of God. All the gifts, whether prophecies, or tongues, or knowledge, are means for God’so per at i on; they are not life to express God. Hence, they shall cease and be done away. They are all dispensational. Only life, which love expresses, is eternal. According to the following verses, all gifts are for the immature child in this age. They will all be done away in the next age. Only love is of a mature man and will last for eternity. When we live and act by love, we have a foretaste of the next age and of eternity
14没有甚么能摇动爱，或把爱挪去。所有其他的恩赐，包括申言在内，至终都会归于无用，惟有爱是永远长存的；爱是永不败落的。在来世只有爱，而没有方言、繙方言或申言。最幼稚的恩赐─方言，和较成熟的恩赐─申言，都会归于无用。在九至十节保罗接著说，『因为我们所知道的是局部的，所申言的也是局部的；及至那完全的来到，这局部的就要归于无用了。』在今世，我们所知道的和所申言的，都只是局部的，不是全部的。而十节的『及至』指在来世，国度时代。『完全的』也指成熟的，与下节的孩童相对。此外，『这局部的』是指八节所题的申言、知识等。十一节说，『我作孩童的时候，说话像孩童，思想像孩童，推究像孩童，既已成人，就把孩童的事废掉了。』在今世，信徒乃是孩童，有各种幼稚的恩赐。这里的孩童，意思是未成熟的。推究像孩童，原意是像孩童一样推算事情。在来世，成熟的信徒要成人，一切幼稚的恩赐，特别是最小的恩赐─说方言和繙方言，也就都要废掉了。然而，我们在今世就可藉著活出爱的生活，豫尝来世。爱使我们在生命里成熟；恩赐使我们留在孩童时期。
14Nothing can shake love or remove it. All the other gifts, including prophecy, will eventually be done away with, but love remains. It never falls away. In the coming age there will be love, but there will be no tongues, interpretation, or prophecy. Both tongues, the most childish of the gifts, and prophecy, a more mature gift, will be done away. In verses 9 and 10 Paul continues, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete comes, that which is in part shall be done away.” In this age we know and prophesy only in part, not in full. The word “when” in verse 10 refers to the next age, the kingdom age. The word “complete” also means mature, in contrast with childish in the following verse. Furthermore, “that which is in part” refers to such things as prophecies and knowledge, as mentioned in verse 8. Verse 11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” In this age the believers are children, having the childish gifts. The word “child” here means an immature one. To reason as a child is to take account of things as a child. In the next age the mature believers will become men, and all the childish gifts, especially the least ones, tongue-speaking and its interpretation, will be done away. However, we can have a foretaste of the next age by living a life of love in this age. Love matures us in life; gifts keep us in childhood
15在十二节保罗继续说，『我们如今对著镜子观看，糢糊不清，到那时就要面对面了。我如今所知道的是局部的，到那时就全知道，如同我全被知道一样。』如今，指在今世。关于『对著镜子观看，糢糊不清』，有人说是：经过窗户观看，『就是经过中间多少妨碍视线的凭藉。窗户这辞也指镜子，却是为作窗户用的，这窗户不像时下用透明的玻璃，乃是用半透明的材料作的。』（达秘新译本。）十二节的那时，指在来世。
15In verse 12 Paul goes on to say, “For now we see by means of a mirror obscurely, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall fully know as also I was fully known.” The word “now” refers to this age. Concerning the expression “by means of a mirror obscurely,” J. N. Darby says in his New Translation, “That is, through some medium which, in degree, hinders vision. The word means also a mirror,’ but it is used for window, made, not of clear transparent glass, as now, but of semi- transparent materials.” The word “then” in verse 12 refers to the next age
16到了十三节，保罗下结论说，『如今常存的，有信、望、爱这三样，其中最大13的是爱。』这里原文在句首有一『但』字，指明十三节和前面经节之间的对比。
16In verse 13 Paul concludes, “But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” The word “but” here indicates a contrast between verse and the preceding verses.
17信，接受神圣的事物，（约一12，）并质实属灵、未见的事。（来十一1。）望，收获并有分于信所质实的事物。（罗八24～25。）爱，享受信所接受、质实，以及望所有分于的事物，为著滋养我们，建造别人，（林前八1，）并彰显神，如此就完全了全律法。（罗十三8～。）这样的爱，为著发展并运用属灵的恩赐，使我们在生命里长大，并且是得著更大恩赐极超越的路。因此，在这三样常存的美德中，最大的乃是爱。所以我们必须追求爱。（林前十四1。）爱顾到身体，并建造身体。爱首先把身体联结起来，然后把身体建造起来。因此，我们专注于那建造身体的爱。我们该追求爱，留在身体里，以享受那灵。
17Faith receives the divine things (John 1:12) and realizes the spiritual and unseen things (Heb. 11:1). Hope reaps and partakes of the things realized by faith (Rom. 8:24-25). Love enjoys the things received and realized by faith and partaken of by hope for nourishing ourselves, building up others (1 Cor. 8:1), and expressing God, thus fulfilling the entire law (Rom. 13:8-10). Such a love causes us to grow in life for the 10 development and use of the spiritual gifts, and is the excellent way to have the greater gifts. Hence, it is the greatest of the three abiding virtues. So we must pursue it (1 Cor. 14:1). Love cares for the Body and builds up the Body. First love unites the Body and then builds it up. Therefore, we focus our attention on the love which builds up the Body. We should pursue love and remain in the Body to enjoy the Spirit.