Love. Puffed Up or Built Up

Part 1

In this series we will be using 1 Corinthians 13 – the love chapter – as the base. We will move around a bit as the Holy Spirit leads. It is our firm belief that the love of God is the answer to everything. The love of God, as we will learn, is strong and not weak. It was strong enough to bring Jesus to the cross. It compelled Him to live a life of love that embodies all of the things spoken in the love chapter and more. Come along as we gain new eyes of what the love of God really looks like.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” 1 Cor 8:1b)

Here Paul makes a compelling distinction between knowledge and love. He said that knowledge puffs up and love edifies. To understand the differences and contrasts let’s dig into the Greek a bit.

Puffs up – physioō “to make natural, to inflate, blow up, to cause to swell up.”
Edifies – oikodomeō “to build a house, erect a building.”

To be puffed up means to be inflated with pride. Have you ever seen what happens to a balloon a day or so after it has been blown up? What happens to it? The air begins to leak. If you wanted a full balloon you would need to keep blowing it up again. The same is true with knowledge alone. It artificially fills the space of our minds but must be maintained.

Being edified is quite different. The materials used are strong: brick, wood, steel. The building is meant to last. When you build a house there is no need to fill it with artificial air to keep it standing.

When we have only knowledge about God’s Word but we don’t have a relationship with Love Himself we get puffed up with the pride of religion. But when we know Him and are personally touched by Him, love edifies (builds) us up. In that place we will not need artificial air (knowledge) to temporarily puff us up.

We can point to the lives of the disciples who were with Jesus. They encountered Love every day and were built up as people. That is why after Jesus died and ascended to heaven they were able to continue. Not only did they continue – they turned the world upside down! Do you suppose mere knowledge would have sustained them? In no way!

Only listen to those preachers who have Love. Don’t settle for those with good communication skills alone. Be around those who build up with love rather than rattle off Bible verses.

Love is a language that is easily understood. At our church we have a good number of Ukranians who now call Eastern Tennessee home. I can understand little of what they say but have been built up by their love. (many speak very good English btw!) I can feel their love building up those around them.

Father, thank you for your love that builds us up. We are not interested in being artificially puffed up with knowledge. We ask you to build us up with your love and give us the honor of edifying others. In Jesus’ name.