1 Corinthians 13: Faith, Hope, and the Greatest of These
Without love, Paul says, even great gifts and sacrifice mean nothing.
Called the 'more excellent way' promised at the end of 1 Corinthians 12, this chapter opens with Paul insisting that tongues, prophecy, knowledge, and even self-sacrifice are worthless without charity, or love.
If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.
And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.
For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.
But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.