THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE
Key verse: 13
NIV
13 If I speak in the tongues[a](A) of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy(B) and can fathom all mysteries(C) and all knowledge,(D) and if I have a faith(E) that can move mountains,(F) but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor(G) and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b](H) but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient,(I) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.(J) 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,(K) it is not easily angered,(L) it keeps no record of wrongs.(M) 6 Love does not delight in evil(N) but rejoices with the truth.(O) 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(P)
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,(Q) they will cease; where there are tongues,(R) they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part(S) and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes,(T) what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood(U) behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;(V) then we shall see face to face.(W) Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.(X)
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.(Y) But the greatest of these is love.(Z)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames
Cross references
- 1 Corinthians 13:1 : ver 8; S Mk 16:17
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : ver 8; S Eph 4:11; S Ac 11:27
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : 1Co 14:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : S 2Co 8:7
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : 1Co 12:9
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : Mt 17:20; 21:21
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : Lk 19:8; S Ac 2:45
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : Da 3:28
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : 1Th 5:14
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : 1Co 5:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : S 1Co 10:24
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : S Mt 5:22
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : Job 14:16, 17; Pr 10:12; 17:9; 1Pe 4:8
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : 2Th 2:12
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : 2Jn 4; 3Jn 3, 4
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 : ver 8, 13
- 1 Corinthians 13:8 : ver 2
- 1 Corinthians 13:8 : ver 1
- 1 Corinthians 13:9 : ver 12; S 1Co 8:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:10 : Php 3:12
- 1 Corinthians 13:11 : Ps 131:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : Job 26:14; 36:26
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : Ge 32:30; Job 19:26; 1Jn 3:2
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : 1Co 8:3; Gal 4:9
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 : Ro 5:2-5; Gal 5:5, 6; Eph 4:2-5; Col 1:4, 5; 1Th 1:3; 5:8; Heb 6:10-12
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 : Mt 22:37-40; 1Co 16:14; Gal 5:6; 1Jn 4:7-12, 16
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Way of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have (A)prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, (B)so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 (C)If I give away all I have, and (D)if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 (E)Love is patient and (F)kind; love (G)does not envy or boast; it (H)is not arrogant 5 or rude. It (I)does not insist on its own way; it (J)is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it (K)does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but (L)rejoices with the truth. 7 (M)Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (N)endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For (O)we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but (P)when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For (Q)now we see in a mirror dimly, but (R)then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as (S)I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing
Cross references
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : [ch. 14:1, 39; Matt. 7:22]; See Acts 2:18
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 : Matt. 17:20; Mark 11:23; [Luke 17:6]
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : [Matt. 6:2]
- 1 Corinthians 13:3 : Dan. 3:28
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : [Prov. 10:12; 17:9; 1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 4:8]
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : [2 Cor. 6:6; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12]
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : Acts 7:9
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 : See ch. 4:6
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : See ch. 10:24
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 : [Rom. 4:6; 2 Cor. 5:19]
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : [Rom. 1:32; 2 Thess. 2:12]
- 1 Corinthians 13:6 : [2 John 4; 3 John 3, 4]
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 : ch. 9:12
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 : [See ver. 4 above]; [Prov. 10:12; 17:9; 1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 4:8]
- 1 Corinthians 13:9 : [ch. 8:2]
- 1 Corinthians 13:10 : [John 15:15]
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : James 1:23; [Num. 12:8; Job 36:26; 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:7]
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : 1 John 3:2; See Matt. 5:8
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 : See ch. 8:3
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. The one necessary thing (1-3)
Love is the one indispensable ingredient of Christian character. Jesus commanded us to love one another. He commanded us to love our enemies. Love is the glue which holds the Body together. No matter what other virtues one may have, if he does not have love, his strengths are all liabilities. If he has love, then even his weaknesses are strengths.
2. The nature of Christian love (4-7)
Verses 4-7 tell us what love is. Jesus set the example of love. He wants us to follow him. When impatience, pride, selfishness and a rebellious spirit dwell in our hearts, there is no room for love. Human love demands a response; it sometimes even destroys the one loved. But Jesus' love is unconditional; it builds up.
3. Love is eternal (8-13)
Prophecies are fulfilled; knowledge becomes obsolete; even faith turns to sight. But we must grow in love until the image of Jesus is formed in us. We can know perfect love when we meet him in heaven.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love others.
One Word: The greatest of these is love