1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of 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 understood 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 also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
With all the emphasis on spiritual gifts in Corinth, they needed to be reminded that godly love trumps all of them. Without love, any true gift given by God for the body is misdirected and ineffective. The scriptures here liken loveless exercise of a gift as a talentless musician making offensive noise instead of beautiful music. Who desires to go to a concert and hear only banging and clashing on a metal pot or cymbals smashing together without rhyme or rhythm of purpose or pleasing melody. It is as if gifted in prophecy to understand the depths of the mysteries of the Lord and His word yet being unable to communicate and build up others because there is no love to add the color of pleasing beauty to understanding in a purposeless effort to help others. Even faith given by the Lord requires love to fuel its purpose and outcome or the one trusting God is only doing it for himself and not for the good of others (Romans 14:19, 15:2, Hebrews 12:14) as intended to be entrusted and bestowed. Giving to meet the needs of the destitute to boast has no eternal profit either without love, but is by mere wood, hay, and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12-13, 14-15) in light of eternity. What does love aim to achieve then and how? It suffers instead of demanding immediate results, it is not envious of others to covet what they have in spiritual or material possessions as the commandments tell us, love also does not point to the worth of self above another in fruitless comparison (2 Corinthians 10:12), it is not rude or self-seeking without regard for another’s good. Love does not allow oneself to be easily prodded and provoked into an angry response to match the offender as it does not consider to dwell on evil motives and responses. True godly love does not therefore love what is sinful but focuses on the truth of God’s word and the right execution of its teachings and commands according to the good examples given us and not to imitate the bad (1 Corinthians 10:6, 2 John 1:11) with the resulting consequences. Not only then should our love seek truth, but it must also pursue holiness as it bears, believes, and hopes all things good from God’s sovereign hand of purpose in the works He has prepared (Ephesians 2:10) for us to do after calling us in His own love and grace in mercy. We endure all in the name of God’s love for us in loving others through the gospel of Jesus Christ! Such love cannot ever fail us, especially in the ministry of the spiritual gifts and calling we are given. Yes, the gifts will fail and fade aw as the examples given here testify to us; prophecies, supernatural speaking of known languages, deep knowledge of the things we grasp and minister to others will all vanish away as they fail and cease being necessary. When the perfect Savior returns we will no longer need these incomplete gifts because He who is perfect will be present in His perfect love in the future kingdom of heaven come to earth in the New Jerusalem. We then as children in this faith come to a point where love conquers all as we mature to the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13) and put aside childish pursuits of pride and prejudice in the gift we have been entrusted with for the edification of the body, one heart at a time. It is as looking long and hard in a mirror until we realize that we only see a partial view of ourselves and others in God’s hand and plan for eternity. What little we know and grasp now will be unveiled to us when we stand in His presence at last (Job 19:25-27) to see Him face to face (Revelation 21:3, 22:4-5) forevermore! As to faith, hope, and love, we will find that love trumps them all along with every good and perfect gift (James 1:17-18) we are entrusted with. Love rules over all gifts. Emphasize this to serve God and the body in humility and forbearing love.
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