Deeper Reflection
Paul’s grand portrait of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is not that of human love – albeit it was meant for the divisive Corinthians to learn and practise among themselves – but divine love. God is love and we are to love as God loves us (1 Jn 4:8; Eph 5:1-2). In painting the characteristics of the love of God, Paul begins with patience – “Love is patient” and kindness – “love is kind” (1 Cor 13:4). “In Pauline theology” patience and kindness “represent the two sides of the divine attitude toward humankind”⁴² . God’s patience is loving patience and God is lovingly kind.We see these two sides of the divine attitude toward Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar to be “be driven away from mankind” and “be given grass to eat like cattle” is “the decree of the Most High” (v.24). The divine “decree” means there is no turning back of God’s intention. It is a divine necessity. But, while there is no turning back for the divine “decree”, there is the possibility of turning back for Nebuchadnezzar. For in God’s dealings with Nebuchadnezzar there is the divine patient “until” – “until you recognise that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind” (v.25). And there is also the divine kind “after” – “after⁴³ you have recognised that it is Heaven that rules”, along with the divine gracious “be assured”– “your kingdom will be assured to you” (v.26).Paul sees God’s grace in this way: “the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7), “which He lavished on us” (Eph 1:7-8a). Are you overwhelmed by God’s grace?

⁴² Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Eerdmans, 1987), 636 ⁴³ “When” in some translations