– Charity and its fruits by Jonathan Edwards Love is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves all the written word of God for what was then called the law and the prophets, was the whole written word of God that was then extant. In Matthew 22:40, Christ teaches, that on the two precepts of loving God with all the heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, hang all the law and the prophets, I.e. Or if we take the law in a yet more extensive sense, as the whole written word of God, the Scriptures still teach us, that love is the sum of all required in it. So the same apostle again declares ( 1 Timothy 1:5), “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure hear, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned,” &c. Thus, when by the law is meant the ten commandments, it is said in Romans 13:8, “He that loved another hath fulfilled the law ” and therefore several of the commandments are rehearsed, and it is added in the tenth verse, that “love” (which leads us to obey them all) “is the fulfilling of the law.” Now, unless love was the Sum of what the law requires, the law could not be wholly fulfilled in love for a law is fulfilled only by obedience to the sum or whole of what it contains and enjoins. … But, whether we take the law as signifying only the ten commandments, or as including the whole written word of God, the Scriptures teach us that the sum of all that is required in it is love. The Scriptures teach this of the law and word of God in general. – Charity and its fruits by Jonathan Edwards Love is the sum of all that is contained in the law of God, and of all the duties required in his word Let a man have what he will, and do what he will, it signifies nothing without charity which surely implies that charity is the great thing, and that everything which has not charity in some way contained or implied in it, is nothing, and that this charity is the life and soul of all religion, without which all things that wear the name of virtues are empty and vain. This appears from the words of the text, because so many other things are mentioned that natural men may have, and the things mentioned are of the highest kind it is possible they should have, both of privilege and performance, and yet it is said they avail nothing with this whereas, if any of them were saving, they would avail something without it.Īnd by the apostle’s mentioning so many and so high things, and then saying of them all, that they profited nothing without charity, we may justly conclude, that there is nothing at all that avails anything without it. – Matthew Henry Commentary Love is the sum of all virtue Remember, those will not be approved hereafter who seek the chief places, but those who are most faithful to the trust placed in them, and most diligent in their Master’s work. How blessed the Christian church, if all the members did their duty! Instead of coveting the highest stations, or the most splendid gifts, let us leave the appointment of his instruments to God, and those in whom he works by his providence. We must not despise others, if we have greater gifts.
We must be content though we are lower and less than others. The Spirit distributes to every one as he will.
This were to make the church all one, as if the body were all ear, or all eye. What holds the last and lowest rank in this list, is the power to speak languages how vain, if a man does so merely to amuse or to exalt himself! See the distribution of these gifts, not to every one alike, ver. Chief ministers persons enabled to interpret Scripture those who laboured in word and doctrine those who had power to heal diseases such as helped the sick and weak such as disposed of the money given in charity by the church, and managed the affairs of the church and such as could speak divers languages. The offices and gifts, or favours, dispensed by the Holy Spirit, are noticed. The proud, contentious spirit that prevailed, as to spiritual gifts, was thus condemned. It is like the members of the same body being without concern for one another, or quarrelling with each other. 12:27-31 Contempt, hatred, envy, and strife, are very unnatural in Christians.