Fruit of the Spirit: Love (1 Corinthians 13)
(Our Reforming Group Guides are designed to be inductive, using the COMA form of study: Context, Observation, Meaning, Application. For more on this method, check out this article.)
By way of introduction: Why do you think love is such a powerful subject of songs, poems and desires in our world?
Read 1 Corinthians 13
The Corinthians had an ‘impressive’ church with plenty of gifted people, but is that enough? Read 1 Corinthians 12:31, and discuss what Paul desires for them more than giftedness.
Look closely at verse 1, why are words without love just noise?
In verse 2, why does having all power and knowledge and faith still make us nothing if we don’t have love?
From verse 4, why do sacrificial and heroic actions gain us nothing without love?
Read again through verses 4-8 and see, what is love like? And what is love not like?
In all honesty as you read through the list of loving and not loving - what is the diagnosis of your heart?
As you read through this list (in verses 4-7), how does Christ fulfil this?
We know that we ought to love one another, so how does God bridge the gap and help us to bear the fruit of love? (See John 15:16-17, Galatians 5:22-23)
Of everything that is mentioned in this passage, why is it that love is the fruit that lasts?
Pray for one another of Reforming, and for friends of Reforming - that we would love one another like Jesus love us.
