But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. (13:1) And though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. (4) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; (5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (8) Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. (9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (12) For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I as known. (13) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul writes with majestic language, lofty idealism and practical advice to the Corinthians who were distracted and divided by contentious behavior and cults of personalities – they were envious of each other’s gifts of the Spirit – love for God and man was wanting and therefore the Spirit’s gifts were worthless to them. Love is the key which opens up the effective use of spiritual gifts – Paul is showing the Corinthians a more excellent way to please God. Love is superior to all extraordinary gifts; it is inherently excellent and abides in perpetuity. The gift of tongues, so valued by the Corinthians was nothing without love. It became as a senseless noise of brass or a clanging of cymbals. All outward acts are of no avail without love – there is no substitute of what is outward for what is inward. God requires our hearts. This chapter is not a dissertation on Christian love but an exhibit of it as contrasted with deformities of character. Paul is saying to the Corinthians that the gifts in which they took so much pride were small matters compared to what is in store for the people of God.
Love lasts – endures forever – is not designed just for our present state of existence but to our future state of being. The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are temporary but faith, hope and love remain. Faith and hope as we experience it now will not continue in the future but will continue in another form – confidence and expectation will continue forever. Love NEVER fails but abides forever. Paul exhorts his readers here to seek the better gifts – the abiding gifts – the useful gifts for living in this world. Love here is greater than either faith or hope as faith saves us but love benefits others. A Christian community can make do somehow if gifts of character are lacking but it will die without love.
The character of love takes pleasure in what is right, true, not concealed; it looks for mercy and justice for all; puts up with everything and perseveres in trials. Love outlasts temporal things. Our present state is that of a child and we are now concerned with things of temporary value. Maturity is concerned with things of eternal value. Now we see indirectly, not meaning irrationally but inadequately. Our views of the divine will be hereafter very different from those we now have. Love here is a decision of will which leads to sacrifice of self to another. It valves feeling but not primarily based on feeling – it is a giving, not taking, love