But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. (4:1) 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.
The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today he moves on from discussing spiritual gifts to discussing the essential ingredient for effective Christian living and ministry – love was needed. Christian ministry without love is external and the same as empty pagan practices. For example, in pagan Corinth worship of idols was accompanied by gongs, cymbals and trumpets and the pagan rituals meant nothing because they worshipped false idols. Paul compares his preaching – without love – to this empty worship. We are warned not to do anything our of mere obligation, legalism or recognition – all means nothing without love. Wow.
The church at Corinth did not yield to the Spirit; it was prideful, selfish and ill motivated resulting in no meaningful spiritual life. All gifts, knowledge, power of prophecy; all understanding of all mysteries of God and His sovereign plan without love amounts to nothing. Paul is saying that it doesn’t matter what gifts you have, without love you have nothing.
Love is not an abstraction; it is a divine quality. Love is the essence of Christ. Love is not emotion but an act of the will. It is a yielding to the life of the Spirit. Our closing verses today tell us that when the faithful enter eternal life, he/she will be perfect in enduring love and all the spiritual gifts will be unnecessary. Love alone will endure. Love never fails.