E h 1-3. Love the pre-eminent grace.
i 4-8-. Its characteristics.
h -8-12. Gifts only transient.
i 13. Love abides and is supreme.
1 Corinthians 13)
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass (see Matt. 10:9. Rev. 18:12), or a tinkling cymbal. (See Mark 5:38. Cp. Josh. 6:20. Judges 15:14. 1 Sam. 17:20,52; &c. When God's Spirit is in you, people can sense that love coming from within you. Tongues should be translated languages.)
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. (You may have all kinds of gifts, but if you don't love your Father, the gifts are worth nothing. God isn't going to bless you unless you love Him. The choice is yours. You may receive a blessing or a curse.)
3 And though I give away in doles (see Rom. 12:20. Cp. "sop", John 13:26) all the things belonging to me to feed the poor, and though I deliver up my body in order that it may be burned, and have not charity, I am nothing profited.
4 Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, (See 4:6. Love isn't proud, nor does it parade itself.)
5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not roused to anger, thinks no evil; (Love is not rude. It isn't easily provoked to anger and thinks no evil. Are we able to fit this description perfectly? No, but we try. And, Father counts that as good.)
6 Rejoices not at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; (i.e. as it wins its way, truth being personified. Stick with God's truth. You will always be blessed.)
7 Bears all things (here it means "is forbearing in all provocation"), believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Charity never fails:
but whether there be prophecies, they shall be brought to naught (see Rom. 3:3); whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (Same as "fail". While all other gifts may fail, love never fails.)
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. \(Same as "fail". Perfect means mature. When we mature, that which we partially understood becomes complete.)
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I did away with the things of a child. (When we mature, we no longer need childish things.)
12 For now we see through a mirror, darkly (See Num. 12:8. 1 Kings 10:1. Prov. 1:6, &c.) but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I fully know even as I was fully known also.(To see through a glass, darkly, means that it seams like a riddle. What I know in part, I will know completely, even as God knows me.)
13 And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (You may have all the other gift in the world, but without love they are nothing. Love your Father, and He will love you.)