1 Corinthians 13 -Corps 18
Publication Date: February 2, 1983
Walter J. Cummins graduated from the Power for Abundant Class in 1962.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Ohio State University in 1968 and his Master of Education degree in Secondary School Administration in 1978 from Wright State University.
He was ordained to the Christian by The Way International in 1968. He has studied at The Way International under Victor Paul Wierwille and K.C.Pillai. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he was director of the Research department of the Way International and served as assistant to the president.
February 2, 1983
Nineteenth Corps Night
(Quick review of I Cor. 12 then I Cor. 13)
Many foundational truths are in PFAL and RHST (7th edition), books. Study them.
UI Cor. 12:4-6
"same spirit, same Lord; same God."
"same," is a key word in Corinthians.
UI Cor. 1:11
deals with practical problems at Corinth and had to be said by way of reproof before God
could get into the great subject of the manifestations, in order to correct the practical
problems they had.
UI Cor. 12:
Could not have appeared before this. Pagans worshipped many gods - they had a different
idol for everything. In contrast, it is the same God that energizes each manifestation, each
gift, and each service.
UI Cor. 12:7
"to each," is the second key word. Given to each believer.
"profit," is another key word. There has got to be a profit for it to be a genuine manifestation
of the spirit.
UI Cor. 12:11
Summarizes it.
UI Cor. 12:12
URHSTU, page 155
Ties verse 12 into verse 7 & 11 respectively.
Ties analogy in verse 12-26 into the manifestations of the spirit.
Manifestations collectively treated as a body, a unit, and each of the nine manifestations
are members of that one body. All NINE given to each believer for profit. But if you
neglect to operate certain manifestations when they are needed in the Body, you become
deficient in all of them. When one member suffers, the rest of the members suffer with it.
UI Cor. 12:27
This brings out the second analogy, or the second purpose of this analogy, comparing it to
the Body of Christ, that each member in the Body of Christ is a member of this one unit.
Analogy In I Cor. 12:12-26 has a double meaning:
1) speaks of the manifestations collectively
2) speaks of all the believers collectively
UI Cor. 12:28-30
Uses both analogies
First of the gift ministries which are members as well as the other helps and governments
in the one body; and the manifestations which are all members in the collective body of the
manifestations of the spirit.
UI Cor. 12:31
"best gifts," - those needed in a particular area. But it does not say to covet the best
manifestations, because you need all the manifestations in each believer for profit. If one is
not utilized, the rest of the members suffer with it.
UI Cor. 12:23
"umcomely," - was the "shameful" or the private parts - the parts that you cover up; that
you do not display publicly, like your sexual organs. Same way with SIT, without
interpretation, it is not for public display. Yet, it has more abundant comeliness.
UI Cor. 12:24
If you are not speaking in tongues, then you are not going to operate the other eight
effectively and you are going to be deficient.
UI Cor. 12:31
More excellent way than simply earnestly desiring it and that is to utilize the
manifestations in the Body of Christ where the needs are with the love of God In the
renewed mind in manifestation.
That is why I Cor. 13, s where it is.
This is what turned E. W. Bullinger off to the manifestations of the spirit; because he saw
them used, not for profit in the Church, it was indecent and out of order. And, because of
other men like Welch he moved the beginning of the Administration of the Church from
Acts 2 to the end of Acts. By doing this he moved Romans, Corinthians and Galatians
from the body of the Church epistles and removed speaking in tongues from the Church.
In England, in that time, speaking in tongues, was done indecent and out of order. Tongues
were genuine, but the practice was wrong.
UI Cor. 13
URHSTU Book, pages 167 & 168 define "love." Love of God is received at new birth, but the
Love of God in the Renewed Mind into Manifestation (Love of God in the Renewed Mind
in Manifestation), is in the category of UworksU.
VPW - Sunday night tape #841 — This is perhaps the greatest chapter in the whole Word
of God, when it comes to putting into practice the greatness of the new birth and living the
mystery in a practical way.
VPW - Sunday night tape #571 — Defined, "agape," love as a relentless devotion
stemming from the absolute admiration of One so great that you are absolutely sure of your
commitment to Him.
John 3:16 - Wouldn't you say that God had a relentless devotion to the world; stemming
from His absolute admiration of one so great that He was absolutely sure of His
commitment to the world in giving His Only Begotten Son!?!
When you are born again of God's spirit, you have the love of God, and as you walk by the
spirit with the Love of God in the Renewed Mind in Manifestation, then you have a
relentless devotion to God, stemming from your absolute admiration of God, that you are
absolutely sure of your commitment to Him.
If you do not walk with the Love of God in the Renewed Mind in Manifestation; if you just
practice the manifestations because you are supposed to, or it is a neat thing, then you are
not at the place where you are absolutely sure of your commitment.
But, once you get to that place where you are absolutely sure of your commitment to Him,
then you are walking with the Love of God in the Renewed Mind in Manifestation.
UJohn 3:19
They had a relentless devotion to darkness because of their absolute admiration of that
darkness and that is what makes them sure of the commitment to darkness.
Once you are born again, your relentless devotion changes and you start retaining the
Word in your life with conviction, because of your absolute admiration for One so great,
namely God, and then your fellow-believers, because you want them to get help with the
Word.
VPW - Sunday night tape #571 — To set your life like a point of a Damascus steel sword,
unalterably toward the goal. The goal of helping others, the goal of worshipping God, the
goal of moving God's Word, rather than your previous goals of serving darkness.
Agapē, is more than just an emotion, it is a determination.
UI John. 4:7-11
Love not just God, Him first, but then you love your neighbor as yourself. That is why it is
the love which unifies the one body. Without the Love of God in the Renewed Mind in
Manifestation, you cannot really have unity in the Body of Christ.
It also, takes the unity of the manifestations in operation in order to do it — you couldn't
just do one.
UI John. 4:18
No fear in your relentless devotion . . . If you are absolutely sure of something, would you
have any reason to doubt, worry or fear? Where you have love, you will absolutely have no
hesitancy or no fear.
UI John. 4:19
Delete, "him."
We are able to love with that type of relentless devotion because He first had that type of
relentless devotion for us. (I John 2:5.)
UI Cor. 13:1
"love," - not just spiritually. The context is works (I Cor. 12 & 14.) It is on a horizontal
level.
"Brass," - used of any instrument, implement, or weapon made from brass. Corinth was
known for its' brass — it was a chief commodity. They had both brass coins and brass
trumpet, in the first century.
Coins - If you have coins in your pocket and jingle them you do not hear a big brass sound,
you hear a jingling sound.
On wind chimes - it is the wind which makes them make a sound. Same with the trumpet
— sound is produced by the wind.
"sound," - Greek - ēcheō; we get "echo" from the Greek word, which is a sustained sound
you get from a wind instrument like a trumpet.
Only used here and in Like 21:25 in the NT - Used of the roaring of the sea.
The wind on the sea can also be used to quiet your heart — making the sound like the one
you would hear in a seashell.
Noun form is used three times:
1) Luke 4:37 - fame of him went out and sounded of him; people talked (used
breathe) about him.
2) Acts 2:2 - sound from heaven - heavy breathing (wind again.)
3) Hebrews 12:19 - sound of a trumpet (wind again.)
Two major categories of instruments in Biblical times:
1) used with wind to produce sound - either by blowing or like an organ when you
pump it.
2) Pluck or strike something - like a harp or a drum.
Genesis 4:21 mentions only two instruments; harp (pluck or strike) and the organ (wind).
Ezekiel 28:13 - "timbrel" = percussion instrument that you hit. pipe = wind instrument.
Many times you see just two listed to represent all of them.
UI Cor. 13:1
"sounding brass," - believe it is a wind instrument, "tinkling," is wrong - it is a crashing
cymbal - a shrill - a more boisterous term.
UI Cor. 14:6
"profit," - key word.
UI Cor. 14:7
"pipe," - wind instrument
"harp," - pluck or strike
UI Cor. 14:8
(like the sound you remember from "F-Troop."
UI Cor. 14:9
Words easy to be understood - in the language of the majority of the people present.
UI Cor. 14:10
"voices," — Sounds
UI Cor. 14:11
"voice," - sound
If you speak in tongues without the LOG in RM in MANIF, then you are one of those
instruments - you are just a noise.
UI Cor. 14:12
When in the Church, speaking in tongues must be interpreted so those present can
understand.
UI Cor. 14:13
in the church,
UI Cor. 14:14-16
no profit on horizontal level if not interpreted.
UI Cor. 14:17
tongues genuine but other is not edified and no horizontal profit.
UI Cor. 13:1
Just like a wind instrument producing a sustained sound or like a percussion instrument
producing a crashing sound; but no one knows what it means if not interpreted; no profit
for that kind of music.
UI Cor. 13:2
prophecy is a manifestation.
This is an idiomatic use of the word, "all." (Check Bullinger's UFigure of SpeechU, book.)
Literally is the greatest of all mysteries. Similar to "all" in James 1:2. How can you have
"all joy?" Means the greatest of all joy.
UI Cor. 2:6, 7
The Mystery.
UI Cor. 4:1
Stewards of the mystery - not a bunch of little mysteries, (the sacraments) but THE
MYSTERY.
Mystery is defined in Ephesians 3.
UI Cor. 2:8-16
There is a lot of great things about the mystery, but it is not a bunch of little mysteries.
UI Cor. 13:2
Greatest of all knowledge - it is that idiomatic usage.
How do you get the greatest of all knowledge; except a word of knowledge and God's
Word?
You cannot understand the Word of God, unless you understand the Church epistles and
the mystery. Unless you understand the mystery you could not put the rest of the Word of
God together. If you do not understand the greatest of mysteries (that wisdom of God) and
the greatest of all knowledge and you do not have the love of God, there is no horizontal
profit. Not spiritually, but UhorizontallyU.
Greatest of all believing = manifestation of believing.
All nine manifestations in these verses: UTonguesU and UinterpretationU implied in verse 1.
Verse 2 - UprophecyU, understand greatest of all mysteries in the wisdom of God which
makes available Uword of wisdomU by the spirit and greatest of all knowledge is Uword of
knowledgeU and the greatest of all believing is the Umanifestation of believingU. Removing
mountains is a UmiracleU. If the mountain you remove is a devil spirit then it is Udiscerning of
spiritsU and UhealingU.
UI Cor. 13:3
"bestow," = pour it all out (material things.)
"the poor," - it is in the Aramaic, not in Greek. Good if you understand "poor," form a
spiritual perspective. Category of abundant sharing to meet the needs of the believers of
the body of Christ — not welfare-type poor.
Giving and receiving - but no profit on horizontal level in service to the body.
"to be burned," - Greek & Aramaic = to be burned. In the Aramaic, it is related to the word
used in burnt offerings, which represents a commitment or a surrendering of yourself to
God. Both Greek & Aramaic words are used in a metaphorical sense of emotions, (Luke
24:32.) One source says it is used here as a brand, burned in; the mark of a slave, UdoulosU.
To give your body in a branded, committed sense, where your heart burns within you,
where you are inflamed, excited; you put your all Into it; you would burn yourself out if
necessary. All these ideas are inherent in this word.
1) Pour out all my material good, and
2) Pour out myself physically.
First three verses have an alternating structure:
A) Man, B) not love, C) result = no profit.
UI Cor. 13:4
"longsuffering," = patience. You cover for people many times because of your longsuffering.
Like the sign at the end of Wierwille Road.
If you are longsuffering, you will be kind.
Figure of Speech = UantipersonificationU = persons are represented as things or abstractions.
Here, the individual is represented by the love of God.
"vaunteth," - ego implied. Making yourself appear more than you are. Like Simon the
Sorcerer, who was making out that he was the great one.
"puffed up," = egotism, head trips.
You can have ego in your head, but when it comes into manifestations, then that is
vaunting.
UI Cor. 13:5
"behave unseemly," - indecent and out of order. Like speaking in tongues and rolling
around on the floor.
"seeks not her own," = not wanting to get, get, get.
"easily," = not in text.
"provoked," = not reactive. But you are active, you take a stand on the Word. You act on
the Word; act on the revelation God gives you, but you do not react to what the devil
throws at you.
"thinketh no evil," - that is the destructive aspect of evil. Does not think destructively. But,
if you react you are thinking destructively.
UI Cor. 13:7
"beareth," = estegō, = related to the word meaning roof, which covers you to keep out the
elements. Covers by keeping off something that is threatening to you; to protect; to hold
out against.
"all things," = all with distinction. Is conditioned by what the Word says.
"believeth all things," - in accordance with the Word, "hopeth all things," - for the future
according to the Word, "endureth all things," - is patient with all things in accordance with
the Word.
UI Cor. 13:4-7
Structure is introverted:
A) Suffers long and is king
B) Does not envy.
C) Does not think or act egotistical, out of order or greedy.
D) Is not reactive, thinking destructively
E) Rejoices not in unrighteousness.
E) Rejoices in the truth.
D) Covers by keeping off their threats, (if you do not react, you will cover
by keeping a roof over you. Protect yourself and do not react.
C) Believes what God says. (When you believe in yourself, that is when it is
egotistical, out of order, and you act out of greed.) When you believe what
God says you have a whole different orientation.)
B) Hopes (when you see something someone else has, you either envy him or you
have hope for what God is going to give you at the time of the return.)
A) Patient
UI Cor. 13:8
"fails," = falls. The person with the Love of God in the Renewed Mind in Manifestation
never falls because he loves. When you do fall - you do not have the Love of God in the
Renewed Mind in Manifestation.
Prophesies will terminate, or be rendered inoperative. Tongues shall stop. Knowledge will
terminate or be rendered inoperative.
UI Cor. 13:9
"part." When? Now ! — prophesies cease when Christ returns; in the future.
UI Cor. 13:10
Future.
UI Cor. 13:11
comparing childish things to the present. Putting away childish things compares to the
future.
UI Cor. 13:12
"glass," = mirror. Their mirrors were either bronze or brass and had knicks and tarnished
94 I Corinthians
spots, so you could not make out the picture too well. " Now we see," . . . refers to the
present, "then," - refers to the future. "known," - is to have full, complete knowledge; not
just a word of knowledge.
UI Cor. 13:13
"now," - present. — love activates both believing and hope. You must believe to operate
the manifestations of the spirit - that is the thing in part. Continue to believe day-by-day.
You must hope for the full and precise and complete knowledge in the future.
The Love of God in the Renewed Mind into Manifestation is for all times and it will last
even in the future. UProfitU is the key! In order to have the greatest profit to each believer you
have to have agapē. Manifestations of the spirit is how you get the profit and you've got to
do it with LOVE.
End of Teaching