1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 13 begins with Paul emphasizing the essence and importance of “love.” After mentioning various gifts in chapter 12, he explains that no matter how great the gifts, talents, or zeal may be, they are of no use without love. In other words, it assumes that inner love takes priority over outward ability.
1verseIf I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2verseIf 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.
3verseIf 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.
4verseLove is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
5versedoesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
6versedoesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7versebears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
8verseLove 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.
9verseFor we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10versebut when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.
11verseWhen 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.
12verseFor 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.
13verseBut now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
The Characteristics of Love
- Patience and kindness: Love is patient and kind.
- Not putting oneself forward: It is not jealous, it does not boast, and it is not arrogant.
- Decency and selflessness: It is not rude and does not seek its own advantage.
- Forgiveness and self-control: It does not quickly get angry and does not think evil.
- Truth and solidarity: It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
- Acceptance and faith: It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
The Eternity of Love
Paul emphasizes that love is a virtue that surpasses other gifts (prophecy, speaking in tongues, knowledge, and so on). Those gifts are partial or temporary, but he explains that only love is eternal. Even amid all human limitations and imperfections, love is never gone.
A Path Toward Completeness
| Imperfection | Completeness |
|---|---|
| The way a child looks—now only in part | The mature person, fully understanding (as if face to face) |
Paul acknowledges that what we have now is “in part,” and at the same time speaks hopefully that when “completeness” comes, everything will be made whole. In other words, he suggests that love leads us into the world of completeness that even surpasses human limits.
Meditation Points
- Do my words and actions, and my abilities, begin from genuine love?
- Among the 15 characteristics of love, what part do I need most today?
- When I look back at the authenticity of “love” that should be checked before gifts and passion, what changes might happen in my life?
Try Applying It to Yourself
1 Corinthians 13 is not just a lofty ideal; it can be used as a principle that comes alive in everyday life. When you begin or end your day, calmly and one by one, check the characteristics of love described in the passage. The small actions, forgiveness, and kindness that I can practice first are absolutely possible any day, including today.
