Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails… 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

            Love cannot be summed up in one word or an easy sentence.  Paul tried to explain love in 1 Corinthians 13 but needed four verses that have become very popular at weddings, trying to explain what brought these two people together and what will help them to explore this love in years to come.   

Paul recognized love as multi-faceted, multi-dimensional and defined love with sixteen different points, seven of them positive “is” and “does” definitions and nine of them negative “does not” explanations.  Love is not only what you do, but what you don’t do.

If you do and don’t do these things, you’ll discover the depths of love.

1.      Patient

2.      Kind

3.      Does not envy

4.      Does not boast

5.      Is not proud

6.      Does not dishonor others

7.      Is not self-seeking

8.      Is not easily angered

9.      Does not keep records of wrongs

10.  Does not delight in evil

11.  Rejoices in truth

12.  Always protects

13.  Always trusts

14.  Always hopes

15.  Always perseveres

16.  Does not fail