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1 Corinthians 13

KJV · Chapter 13/16

1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2And 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, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

In this chapter, one of the most well-known in the Bible, Paul describes the superiority of love over any spiritual gift, however impressive it may be. He details the characteristics of true love and states that, among faith, hope, and love, love is the greatest.

Explanation

Strategically placed between two chapters on spiritual gifts, this passage corrects any temptation toward spiritual pride: speaking in tongues, prophesying, having knowledge, or even an extreme sacrifice are worth nothing without love. Paul then describes love not as a feeling but as a series of practical attitudes — patience, kindness, freedom from envy and pride, a hope that endures all things. The statement that love 'never fails,' while gifts like prophecy and tongues will cease, points to an eternal reality that transcends the temporary spiritual abilities of this life. Today's application is simple yet challenging: to measure every religious activity, every talent, and every sacrifice by the standard of genuine love for one's neighbor.

Fun facts

  • The Greek word used for 'love' here is 'agape,' a term the early Christians came to use in a special way to describe a love of self-giving and commitment, distinct from romantic love ('eros') or friendship ('philia').
  • This passage is one of the most-read texts at weddings around the world, even though its original context is not about romantic love but about the love that should govern all of community life in the church.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1“Sounding brass” and a “tinkling cymbal” bring to mind the bronze instruments used in pagan worship, which made noise but said nothing. Paul compares this to speaking in tongues without love: pure sound, with no meaning.
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:2Paul expands the list from the previous verse: even having the gift most valued in Corinth, prophecy, understanding all mysteries, and having faith to move mountains, without love the person is “nothing” — the church measured spirituality by gifts, not by love.
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:3Even the most extreme acts of generosity — giving away everything, handing over one’s own body — are worth nothing without love; not even the most radical gesture replaces the motive behind it.
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:4Begins describing love through concrete actions, not feelings: patient and kind, without envy, without showing off, without swelling up with pride — the exact opposite of the status rivalry in chapter 12.
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:5Continues the practical list: love doesn’t act rudely, doesn’t seek its own advantage, doesn’t get easily irritated, doesn’t hold grudges or suspect the other person — hitting directly at Corinth’s real conflicts.
  6. 1 Corinthians 13:6Love doesn’t rejoice when someone makes a mistake or is wronged, but rejoices together with the truth — the opposite of using someone else’s error to win an argument or a factional dispute.
  7. 1 Corinthians 13:7Four verbs sum up love’s endurance: bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things — not because it’s naive, but because it doesn’t give up on the relationship.
  8. 1 Corinthians 13:8Paul says that gifts like prophecy, tongues, and “knowledge” are temporary, made for a stage where knowledge is still partial. The debate over exactly when this ends still divides Christians today, and that isn’t what he’s trying to settle here.
  9. 1 Corinthians 13:9Explains why even the most impressive gifts, prophecy and knowledge, are limited: what we have now is partial, an incomplete kind of knowing, however spectacular it may seem at the time.
  10. 1 Corinthians 13:10When “that which is perfect” comes, probably the fullness of meeting God face to face, the partial gifts that cause so much rivalry in Corinth today will no longer be needed.
  11. 1 Corinthians 13:11Paul compares spiritual gifts used without love to a childish way of acting; growing in faith means leaving that stage behind, the way an adult puts away a child’s way of thinking.
  12. 1 Corinthians 13:12The mirrors of that era were made of polished metal, not glass, and gave a blurry image, “darkly.” Paul uses this picture to say that the knowledge we have of God now is partial and distorted, but one day it will be direct, “face to face.”
  13. 1 Corinthians 13:13Closes the chapter with a ranking: among the three permanent marks of the Christian life — faith, hope, and love — love is greatest because it continues beyond this present life, while faith and hope are fulfilled at the final meeting with God.

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