1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Think no evil? That is pretty generic. Could we expound on that? Can we find something a little more reality based?
ESV it is not irritable or resentful; that version clarifies it a little, but still could use some clarity.
PHILLIPS It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. That helps but I must say it sounds a little like proverbs. Maybe that is wisdom.
NASB does not take into account a wrong suffered, OK now we are getting somewhere.
NIV it keeps no record of wrongs.
Now I see something I can sink my life experiences into. Love doesn’t keep score. This matches up well with the rest of the characteristics of love in this section 1 Corinthians 13. So sometimes it is helpful to look at many versions of the bible to help relate to general terms.
The Greek word for evil here is kakos. The meaning of that one word is so broad, boiling it down to one meaning is very difficult. Here is the usage of kakos.
- of a bad nature
- not such as it ought to be
- of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting
- base, wrong, wicked
- troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful
This is perhaps why these passages mean one thing to you at one time and something else at another. It is dependent upon your current life experiences and how you relate to it today.
Today I am feeling like love doesn’t keep score.
Thank you for this good posting, brother. That score keeping can go both ways – the other being, I can out give you (and I don’t receive with simple thanksgiving). We often glibly say, “But who’s keeping score?” but I fear we often are.
Your scriptures and comments are the example that “the Word of God is LIVING and powerful”. I’m sure there are many of us who can relate to the times when a certain scripture meant 1 thing at one time and at a different time, the Spirit of God applied it differently.
So thankful you were able to go where and when needed, and trust all is well. Thank you for this great message today.