McCheyne's Bible reading plan had me in 1 Cor 13 today, which this past year I have come to cherish and cling to in new measure. How fundamental love is. The first 3 verses disrupt all my idolatries and bring me back to Gospel priorities once again. I'm grateful also to study at a place where this is lived out.
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
From this I learn:
Gifting is emptied of profitability without love and is, in the end, annoyance (v. 1);
Knowledge is emptied of insight without love and is, in the end, ignorance (2a);
Faith is emptied of power without love and is, in the end, impotence (2b);
Sacrifice is emptied of virtue without love and is, in the end, worthless (3).
Dane, I'm reading McCheyne as well. I have always loved this reading chart.
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