Even before Christ's coming, it was commonly held that love of God and neighbour contained the whole essence of ‘the Torah and the Prophets’, as Holy Scripture was then called. But in the context of Christian revelation, the concept of love acquired a different, new content. Of course, love—at least in the biblical sense—had already meant, above all, an attitude towards another person that...
Even before Christ's coming, it was commonly held that love of God and neighbour contained the whole essence of ‘the Torah and the Prophets’, as Holy Scripture was then called. But in the context of Christian revelation, the concept of love acquired a different, new content. Of course, love—at least in the biblical sense—had already meant, above all, an attitude towards another person that wished them only good, and dealings with them that would be for their good. Biblical love has little to do with likes or dislikes, with how personally pleasant or unpleasant we find our neighbour, or even with how that neighbour behaves. Even if they prove to be an enemy, we must not hate them, take revenge on them or repay them with evil, although sometimes, of course, we must stop such a person from trying to harm someone, and stop them quite firmly. Yet even then, love of neighbour implies the possibility of giving them another chance to restore normal relationships with those whose enemy they were, if there are any grounds at all for hoping that such restoration is possible.
All this belonged to the understanding of righteousness and of the righteous person's attitude towards their neighbours that had developed before the Christian era. Paul insists that everything said above remains valid for Christians. But he also speaks of something more. Previously, righteousness was a possibility that might or might not be realized in a particular person's life. Such a person might fall short of the fullness of a righteous life, but everything they had done along the path of righteousness still had its meaning. Even if someone could not manifest the fullness of love, they could sometimes still say that they had moved in the right direction and achieved some success. Paul, however, says: all that is wonderful, but unless you go all the way and learn to build relationships of love with your neighbours, everything else is worth nothing.
For only relationships of love are possible in the Kingdom. If they are absent, if a person has not learned to build such relationships with their neighbours, they cannot enter the Kingdom. Not because someone wants to punish them or disregards their achievements, but because without that ability it is impossible to live the life of the Kingdom. That is why the apostle speaks of love as the one thing that gives meaning to every other achievement: without love, a person will still remain outside the Kingdom, with all their achievements.
13 The necessity of love is shown, Co1 13:1-3.
The nature and properties, Co1 13:4-7.
The duration of it, Co1 13:8-13
13:4 The love of God, and of our neighbour for God's sake, is patient toward, all men. It, suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; all the malice and wickedness of the children of the world: and all this, not only for a time, but to the end. And in every step toward overcoming evil with good, it is kind, soft, mild, benign. It inspires the sufferer at once with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection.Love acteth not rashly - Does not hastily condemn any one; never passes a severe sentence on a slight or sudden view of things.Nor does it ever act or behave in a violent, headstrong, or precipitate manner. Is not puffed up - Yea, humbles the soul to the dust.
13:5 It doth not behave indecently - Is not rude, or willingly offensive, to any. It renders to all their due - Suitable to time, person, and all other circumstances.Seeketh not her own - Ease, pleasure, honour, or temporal advantage. Nay, sometimes the lover of mankind seeketh not, in some sense, even his own spiritual advantage; does not think of himself, so long as a zeal for the glory of God and the souls of men swallows him up. But, though he is all on fire for these ends, yet he is not provoked to sharpness or unkindness toward any one. Outward provocations indeed will frequently occur; but he triumphs over all. Love thinketh no evil - Indeed it cannot but see and hear evil things, and know that they are so; but it does not willingly think evil of any; neither infer evil where it does not appear. It tears up, root and branch, all imagining of what we have not proof. It casts out all jealousies, all evil surmises, all readiness to believe evil.
13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity - Yea, weeps at either the sin or folly of even an enemy; takes no pleasure in hearing or in repeating it, but desires it may be forgotten for ever. But rejoiceth in the truth - Bringing forth its proper fruit, holiness of heart and life. Good in general is its glory and joy, wherever diffused in all the world.
13:7 Love covereth all things - Whatever evil the lover of mankind sees, hears, or knows of any one, he mentions it to none; it never goes out of his lips, unless where absolute duty constrains to speak. Believeth all things - Puts the most favourable construction on everything, and is ever ready to believe whatever may tend to the advantage of any one character. And when it can no longer believe well, it hopes whatever may excuse or extenuate the fault which cannot be denied. Where it cannot even excuse, it hopes God will at length give repentance unto life. Meantime it endureth all things - Whatever the injustice, the malice, the cruelty of men can inflict. He can not only do, but likewise suffer, all things, through Christ who strengtheneth him.