New Testament
1 Corinthians 13
Overview
Promised as "a still more excellent way," chapter 13 is Paul's sustained meditation on love, set deliberately within the discussion of spiritual gifts. He begins with a triple hypothetical: tongues of men and angels, prophecy that fathoms all mysteries and knowledge, faith that moves mountains, and even the sacrifice of all his goods and his body—without love, he is nothing and gains nothing. He then portrays love's character in a string of active verbs: love is patient and kind; it does not envy or boast, is not arrogant or rude, does not insist on its own way, is not irritable or resentful, does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth; it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. Finally he contrasts the permanence of love with the impermanence of gifts: prophecies will pass away, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass; for now we know in part and see in a mirror dimly, but when the perfect comes we shall see face to face and know fully. Three things abide—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
3If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
4Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
5doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
6doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
9For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.
11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.
12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.
13But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.