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1 Corinthians 13
Famous as a wedding reading, this chapter is actually wedged between two on spiritual gifts to settle their argument: gifts without love amount to nothing. Tongues become noise, prophecy and knowledge profit nothing, even giving away everything gains nothing (vv. 1-3). The chapter falls into three movements. Love measured against the gifts, love defined by a list of verbs, then love outlasting the gifts that will "be done away with" when the complete comes (v. 10).
- 1
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
- 2
If 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.
- 3
If 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.
- 4
Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
- 5
doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
- 6
doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
- 7
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
- 8
Love 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.
- 9
For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
- 10
but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.
- 11
When 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.
- 12
For 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.
- 13
But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
Partial now, full then
Verses 8-12 argue that prophecy and tongues are provisional. Paul illustrates with growing up out of childhood and with seeing "in a mirror, dimly" (v. 12), the ancient polished-metal mirror giving only a blurred reflection until the face-to-face moment.
The closing trio, faith, hope, and love, remains, and love is named the greatest. This is why the chapter caps the gifts discussion rather than interrupting it: it ranks the enduring above the temporary.
Context layers
Keep these closed by default and open them only when you want more context.
- FaithWhat faith means in the Bible, how it differs from vague belief, and how to read it without turning it into self-confidence.
- HopeWhat biblical hope means, how it differs from optimism, and which passages show its shape most clearly.
- RighteousnessWhat righteousness means in the Bible, how it relates to justice and right standing, and why it cannot be reduced to private morality.
- Acts 26:6Related through the topic "Hope".
- Romans 12:12Related through the topic "Hope".
- Ephesians 2:12Related through the topic "Hope".
- Titus 1:2Related through the topic "Hope".
- Hebrews 10:23Related through the topic "Hope".
- Matthew 12:21Related through the topic "Hope".
- Luke 6:34Related through the topic "Hope".
- Luke 23:8Related through the topic "Hope".
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