The Bible Says Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13 supplies the "still more excellent way" Paul promised at the close of Chapter 12 (1 Corinthians 12:31): love, the motive that makes spiritual gifts useful.

Chapter 12 laid the foundation Chapter 13 builds on. One Spirit distributes a variety of gifts among all believers, and every distribution has one aim: "to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The love this chapter describes is the Greek noun "agape." In Scripture, agape operates as a choice and a commitment expressed in action: treating others as God treats us, and choosing actions that align with God's commands.

Paul contrasts love with all other desirable spiritual gifts and deeds. He poses the hyperbolic picture of himself, or any believer, knowing how to speak in the languages of all men and spirits, to know all mysteries and all knowledge, to move mountains with faith, to give all material things to the needy, to die a martyr’s death. None of these things matter if he does not do them with love. A proud man who lives this superior spiritual life on the outside but has no love alongside his actions is simply an empty man making empty noise failing to fulfill God’s purpose for him.

Paul then describes love in fifteen verbs. Love acts with patience and kindness, turns away from jealousy, bragging, arrogance, rudeness, self-seeking, irritability, and the record-keeping of wrongs. It refuses joy in unrighteousness while rejoicing with the truth, and bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. It is a force for good to others. It looks to bless outwardly and overcome all that sin and the Enemy throw at us. It is the foundational and central virtue for the obedient believer.

Paul contrasts the permanence of love with the temporary service of spiritual gifts: prophecy, tongues, and knowledge belong to the present season of existence. Right now, on this earth, we only have partial knowledge. Our spiritual gifts are helpful for the time being, but when the Kingdom of Christ comes, the partial will be done away. Love will continue.

Paul illustrates the progression from the partial to the finished work with two analogies. When a human is in the child stage of life, their speech, thought, and reasoning are appropriate yet limited, but as they grow up, these abilities give way to a grown man or woman’s abilities. They become mature and complete. Likewise, our current state of life is like looking into the dim reflection in a mirror, but when we reach eternity with God, it will give way to seeing God face to face and knowing Him fully, just as God already knows us.

Paul concludes the chapter with the three things that abide: faith, hope, and love. He names love as the greatest, because faith will give way to sight and hope to possession, while love expresses God's own character and continues forever. We ought to live our lives based on these three, with love as the primary and foundational quality.