So far, we have talked about the leading qualities of love (What love is), the restraining nature of love (What does not), and now we are going to finish this section with the tenacious power of love.
We can see the tenacious power of love in Paul’s use of the word “all:” Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
The first thing that love does is that love bears all things. The verb “bear” in Greek means “to cover, bear up against difficulties, to stand, to endure.” Paul is saying that love covers, supports, and protects. Love bears each other’s burden.
One commentator writes, “Love protects others from exposure, ridicule, and harm. Genuine love does not gossip or listen to gossip. Even when a sin is certain, love tries to correct with the least possible hurt and harm to the guilty person.”
Love believes all things. Augustine said that love believes the best about all people. Love gives people benefits of the doubt. Love believes that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Love does not jump right immediately to blame the other person. Love believes that people can change and improve.
Think about Jesus and His disciples. The disciples of Jesus were argumentative, self-confident, and had lack of faith. Yet, Jesus believed in them. Jesus believed in Peter even after Peter betrayed Him. Any lesser man would have given up on them, but Jesus never gives up.
In Philippians chapter 4, verse 8, Paul writes, “Finally brothers, whatever is lovely, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Paul is telling us to think about these things. However, if we look at the full context of this verse, Paul mentions in verse 2 that there is disagreement between two servants of the Lord, Euodia and Syntyche.
Therefore, in its full context, Paul is telling the Philippian Christians to think highly about one another and have thoughts that are lovely, and commendable, and pure, and worthy of praise about other believers.
Love hopes all things. Even though the situation in the Corinthian church was a mess, Paul never lost his hope. He did not panic. He didn’t give up on them. Instead, he thanked God for them and prayed for them.
In First Corinthians chapter 1, verse 4, Paul writes, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and knowledge.” In Second Corinthians 7:16, Paul says that he even placed his confidence in the Corinthians. Love endures all things. Love perseveres. Love never gives up.