Let’s Talk About Love: What IS Love? Page 2
Let’s look at some other translations of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
Phillips translates the same passage this way: “Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it shares the joy of those who live by the truth. Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope. It can outlast anything. Love never fails.”
From the Living Bible: “Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never hauty, selfish, or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your guard in defending him. All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to a end, but love goes on forever.”
From The Message: “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”
And finally, the Wuest Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13: “The word love in 1 Corinthians 13 is the same used in Romans 12:9 (‘Let love be without hypocrisy.’), Romans 5:5 (‘and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.’), and John 3:16 (‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life.’). It is in its essence a sacrificial love, a love that puts self aside in an effort to help and bless others. The pagan Greek knew nothing of the love of self-sacrifice for one’s enemy which was exhibited at Calvary. They knew nothing about the divine analysis of this love which Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 12.”
Wow! You’ll probably need to meditate on all these translations for awhile, but when you’re ready to move on, we will look a little closer to the meanings of the words used to describe love in order to see a more thorough picture of this marvelous character that God has given us!