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.
Although with the tongues of men, I be speaking, and of messengers, and have not, love, I have become resounding brass, or a clanging cymbal;
And, though I have [the gift of] prophesying, and know all sacred secrets, and all knowledge,—and though I have all faith, so as to be removing mountains, and have not, love, I am, nothing;
And, though I morsel out all my goods,—and though I deliver up my body, that I may boast, and have not, love, I am profited, nothing.
Love, is patient, is gracious. Love, is not envious, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Acteth not unbecomingly, seeketh not her own things, is not easily provoked, imputeth not that which is base,
Rejoiceth not over unrighteousness, but rejoiceth in sympathy with truth,—
All things, covereth, all things, believeth, all things, hopeth, all things, endureth.
Love, at no time, faileth;—but, whether prophesyings, they shall be done away, whether tongues, they shall cease, whether gaining knowledge, it shall be done away;
For, in part, are we gaining knowledge, and, in part, are we prophesying,—
But, as soon as that which is complete is come, that which is in part, shall be done away.
When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, to prefer as child, to reason as a child: now I have become a man, I have laid aside the things of the child!
For we see, as yet, through a dim window, obscurely, but, then, face to face: as yet, I gain knowledge, in part, but, then, shall I fully know, even as I was also fully known.
But, now abide—faith, hope, love,—these three; but, the greatest of these, is, love.