New Life Bible Fellowship Church
9/20/2026

      • Psalm 59:16–17ESV

  • To God Be the Glory
  • Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

      • Luke 1:57–80ESV

  • Introduction:

    Last week we heard Paul deliver a devastating verdict. Without love, the greatest gifts are worthless. Angelic tongues without love? Noise. All prophecy, all knowledge, mountain-moving faith without love? You are nothing. Total sacrifice without love? You gain nothing.
    The Corinthians prized spiritual gifts above all else. They competed for prominence. They looked down on those with lesser gifts. They divided into factions based on who had what.
    And Paul says: Without love, none of it matters.
    We also defined love, a word that gets tossed around carelessly in our culture. We "love" pizza. We "love" a good movie. We "fall in love" and "fall out of love." Love is treated as a feeling that comes and goes, a warm emotion beyond our control.
    Paul will have none of that. The love he describes is not a feeling but a way of life. It is not passive but active. It is not something that happens to you but something you do. The love that Paul is talking about is selfless, sacrificial, and defined ultimately by what Christ did for us on the cross.
    Paul will give us Fifteen descriptions. Eight things love does. Seven things love does not do. As with the list of Spiritual gifts, these descriptions are not exhaustive, but in the context, every one of them addresses something wrong in Corinth.
    Paul is not writing poetry for wedding ceremonies. He is confronting the Corinthians with their lovelessness. Every phrase is a mirror showing them what they lack.
    Today we learn what love looks like in action, why love outlasts every gift, and why love is the greatest thing there is.
    Let's open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 13:4.

    Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

    1 Corinthians 13:4–13 ESV
    4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

    Main Idea: Because Love is the supreme virtue that defines Christian character, it outlasts all gifts, and leads us from partial to complete knowledge.

    Background:

    The Context of this Chapter—Addressing Corinthian Problems
    Every description targets a Corinthian failure:
    Not arrogant (οὐ φυσιοῦται): The verb φυσιόω ("puff up") appears seven times in 1 Corinthians (4:6, 18, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4). It is Paul's signature word for Corinthian pride.
    Does not insist on its own way: The Corinthians insisted on their "rights" (eating idol-food, suing brothers, exercising gifts without regard for others).
    Not rude: Their behavior at the Lord's Supper was shameful (11:17-22).
    Does not envy... does not boast: The gift-related competition created both envy (wanting others' gifts) and boasting (flaunting one's own).

    I. Love’s Active Character (vv. 4–7)

    4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
    Love is patient… - μακροθυμέω (makrothymeō) — "To be patient / To be long-suffering" - From μακρός ("long") + θυμός ("passion, anger"). Literally "long-tempered"—slow to anger, patient with people. This is not passive resignation but active restraint. God Himself is μακρόθυμος (Exod 34:6; Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9).
    Exodus 34:6 ESV
    6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
    Love is…kind - χρηστεύομαι (chrēsteuomai) — "To be kind / To show kindness" - Related to χρηστός ("kind, good, useful"). This verb appears only here in the NT. Love actively does good to others.
    love does not envy… - ζηλόω (zēloō) — "To be zealous / To envy / To be jealous" - The same verb used in 12:31 ("earnestly desire"). Context determines whether the zeal is positive (desiring good things) or negative (envying others). Here it is negative: love does not envy others' gifts or blessings.
    love does not…boast - περπερεύομαι (perpereuomai) — "To boast / To brag / To be a braggart" - A rare word, appearing only here in the NT. It describes the windbag, the self-promoter. Love does not parade itself.
    it is not arrogant - φυσιόω (physioō) — "To puff up / To inflate / To make arrogant" - Paul's characteristic word for Corinthian pride (4:6, 18, 19; 5:2; 8:1). Love is the opposite of the inflated ego that plagued Corinth.
    5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
    it is not…rude - ἀσχημονέω (aschēmoneō) — "To behave disgracefully / To act improperly" - From ἀ- (negative) + σχῆμα ("form, appearance"). Behavior that is unseemly, shameful, inappropriate. The Corinthians' behavior at the Lord's Supper was ἀσχήμων (cf. 11:22).
    It does not insist on its own way - οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς (ou zētei ta heautēs) — "Does not seek its own things" - Love is not self-seeking. Compare 10:24: "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." The Corinthians insisted on their rights; love yields its rights for others.
    it is not irritable… - παροξύνω (paroxynoō) — "To provoke / To irritate / To stir to anger" - Love is not easily provoked, not quick-tempered, not touchy. The noun παροξυσμός can be positive ("sharp disagreement," Acts 15:39) but here the context is negative: love is not irritable.
    it is not…resentful - οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν (ou logizetai to kakon) — "Does not reckon the evil" - The verb λογίζομαι is an accounting term: "to reckon, to credit, to keep records." Love does not keep a ledger of wrongs. It does not maintain a mental file of grievances. Compare the opposite: God "does not count their trespasses against them" (2 Cor 5:19).
    6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
    it does not rejoice at wrongdoing - οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ (ou chairei epi tē adikia) — "Does not rejoice at wrongdoing" - Love takes no pleasure in evil—not in one's own sin, not in others' sin, not in others' failures.
    rejoices with the truth - συγχαίρει τῇ ἀληθείᾳ (synchairei tē alētheia) — "Rejoices with the truth" - The verb συγχαίρω ("rejoice with") appeared in 12:26: "if one member is honored, all rejoice together." Love rejoices when truth prevails, when righteousness advances, when others succeed in godliness.
    Paul now describes four things to show loves comprehensive nature:
    7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
    Love bears all things - στέγω (stegō) — "To cover / To bear / To protect" - The word can mean "to cover" (as a roof covers a house) or "to bear up under." Love covers others' faults (cf. 1 Pet 4:8: "love covers a multitude of sins") and bears up under difficulty.
    Love provides a protective barrier, holding up under pressures and difficulties and keeping out negative influences that might undermine relationships.
    Love…believes all things - πιστεύω (pisteuō) — "To believe / To trust" - Love is not cynical or suspicious. It believes the best about others, gives the benefit of the doubt. This is not gullibility but charitable judgment.
    Love…hopes all things - ἐλπίζω (elpizō) — "To hope" - Love does not give up on people. It hopes for their growth, their repentance, their transformation. Hope is forward-looking trust.
    Love…endures all things - ὑπομένω (hypomenō) — "To endure / To remain under / To persevere" - Love stays the course. It does not quit when things get hard. The word implies active endurance, not passive resignation.
    The Fourfold "All Things" - The repetition of πάντα ("all things") creates a rhetorical crescendo. Love's capacity is unlimited: it bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all. There is no situation love cannot handle.
    Quick caution here: this is not a prescription for exploitation. Paul is not saying we should cover over people’s sin or keep trusting them even though they continue to violate our trust, or allow them to harm us, all in the name of love.
    Paul is describing the power and costliness of agape love—not literal prescriptions for how believers should respond to exploitation.
    When Paul writes that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,” he’s painting an comprehensive portrait of love’s character, not creating a manual for tolerating abuse. Paul mentions the importance of judging from within:
    2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 ESV
    14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
    So then, in the context, the “all things” shows love’s resilience and commitment to others’ welfare, not tolerance of those who exploit that commitment. Love protects—both others and oneself—from destructive relationships. In the end, discernment and healthy boundaries are expressions of love, not violations of it.

    II. Love’s Permanence Over Spiritual Gifts (vv. 8–12)

    8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
    Love never ends - οὐδέποτε πίπτει (oudepote piptei) — "Never falls / Never fails" - The verb πίπτω can mean "to fall" or "to fail." Love never collapses, never becomes obsolete, never ends. This is the thesis statement for verses 8-13.
    As for prophecies, they will pass away…as for knowledge, it will pass away - καταργέω (katargeō) — "To abolish / To render inoperative / To pass away" - Paul uses this verb frequently (25 times in his letters). It means to make something cease to function, to put out of use. Prophecies and knowledge will be καταργέω—rendered obsolete when their purpose is fulfilled.
    as for tongues, they will cease - παύω (pauō) — "To cease / To stop" - Tongues will παύσονται—cease, stop. Some note that this is middle voice ("will cease of themselves"). This seems to indicate tongues will “wind down” and simply stop when they are no longer needed, while prophecy and knowledge will be actively superseded by something greater.
    Paul is about to explain to us why…
    9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
    we know in part and we prophesy in part - ἐκ μέρους (ek merous) — "In part / Partially" - Our present knowledge and prophecy are partial, incomplete. We know truly but not fully.
    10 but when the perfect comes - τὸ τέλειον (to teleion) — "The perfect / The complete / The mature" - The adjective τέλειος means "complete, mature, perfect." What is "the perfect" that is coming?
    the partial will pass away - this partial knowledge and prophesy will pass off the scene as a result.
    Interpretive Options (when the perfect comes):
    The completed canon of Scripture: When the NT is complete, gifts of “revelation” will cease.
    The maturity of the church: When the church matures, childish things end.
    The eschaton / Christ's return: When Christ returns, we see "face to face."
    Why Option 3 Is Most Likely:
    Verse 12 describes seeing "face to face" and knowing "fully, even as I have been fully known"—language appropriate to the displaying or conferring completeness of our sanctification, not to the completion of Scripture.
    The contrast is between the present age ("now") and the age to come ("then").
    "That which is perfect" stands in contrast to "that which is in part"—suggesting a qualitative difference between this age and the next. In other words, these gifts are now needed because we are not yet perfect. Paul illustrates further…
    11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
    νήπιος (nēpios) — "Child / Infant" - The word emphasizes immaturity, not age. Paul is not criticizing the Corinthians for being children but illustrating the relationship between the present and future ages.
    The Three Childish Actions:
    λαλέω: “speak"
    φρονέω: “think / have a mindset"
    λογίζομαι: “reason / reckon"
    These are not sinful activities. They are simply appropriate to childhood. When adulthood comes, childhood ways are naturally set aside.
    The Analogy - Our present knowledge and gifts are not bad—they are simply appropriate to this age. When "the perfect" comes, they will be set aside naturally, the way an adult sets aside childhood toys. The point is not that gifts are immature but that they belong to the present age, which will give way to something far greater. Paul continues…
    12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
    mirror - ἔσοπτρον (esoptron) — "Mirror" - Ancient mirrors were polished metal (bronze, silver, or copper). They provided reflections but not with modern clarity. The image was real but imperfect.
    dimly - ἐν αἰνίγματι (en ainigmati) — "In a riddle / Dimly / Indirectly" - The word αἴνιγμα (from which we get "enigma") means "riddle" or "obscure saying." Our present vision of God is indirect, mediated, puzzling. We see truly but not clearly.
    face to face - πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον (prosōpon pros prosōpon) — "Face to face" - This echoes the OT language of theophany. God spoke to Moses "face to face" (Exod 33:11; Num 12:8; Deut 34:10). The eschatological hope is unmediated vision of God—the vision of complete happiness and joy!
    Now I know in part; then I shall know fully - γινώσκω vs. ἐπιγινώσκω (ginōskō vs. epiginōskō) - The compound ἐπιγινώσκω intensifies the basic verb: to know fully, to recognize completely. Our present knowledge is partial (γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους); our future knowledge will be full (ἐπιγνώσομαι).
    even as I have been fully known - καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην (kathōs kai epegnōsthēn) — "Even as I was fully known" - God already knows us fully. One day we will know Him with the same fullness. This is not equality of knowledge (we will never be omniscient) but completeness appropriate to our nature—no more distortion, no more riddles.

    III. Love’s Supremacy Among Christian Virtues (v. 13)

    13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
    νυνί (nyni) — "Now" - "so, as things stand" (drawing a conclusion): "So then, faith, hope, and love remain."
    abide - μένω (menō) — "To remain / To abide / To stay" - Faith, hope, and love abide. They endure. They remain when other things pass away.
    The Triad: πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη (pistis, elpis, agapē) - This is a common Pauline grouping (cf. 1 Thess 1:3; 5:8; Col 1:4-5; Rom 5:1-5). These three virtues characterize the Christian life.
    μείζων... ἡ ἀγάπη (meizōn... hē agapē) — "The greatest is love" - Why is love the greatest?
    Love is eternal. Faith will become sight (2 Cor 5:7). Hope will become possession (Rom 8:24). But love continues forever because God is love.
    Love is the nature of God. “God is love" (1 John 4:8,16). Love is not merely a divine attribute but God's very character.
    Love encompasses the others. Faith works through love (Gal 5:6). Hope does not disappoint because God's love has been poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5). Love is the context in which faith and hope operate.

    So What?

    Do we understand that according to Paul's description of love, that love is not a warm fuzzy feeling but an actively moving commitment?
    Are you patient? Kind? Free from envy and boasting? Not arrogant or rude? Not insisting on your own way? Not irritable or resentful? Do you rejoice with truth? Use verses 4-7 as a diagnostic.
    You cannot wait until you "feel" loving to act lovingly. Love is a choice—especially when you don't feel like it.
    Do we understand that love was the Corinthian antidote—and ours, as it covers, believes, hopes, and endures all things?
    Every failing Paul addresses in Corinth exists in modern churches. Where you see arrogance, envy, rudeness, self-seeking—the remedy is love.
    Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? Do you hope for their growth? Do you stay when things get hard? Love's capacity is unlimited.
    Do we understand that we are not to overvalue our spiritual gifts, since our present knowledge is partial, and long for the face-to-face vision?
    The Corinthians prized spiritual gifts above all. Paul says gifts are temporary tools; love is eternal character. Pursue love more than gifts.
    You see dimly. You know in part. Humility is appropriate. One day you will see face to face—but not yet.
    The Christian hope is not merely heaven but Christ Himself—unmediated, direct, face to face. This is what we were made for.
    Do we understand that the reason love is the greatest of all Christian virtues is because God is love?
    Faith and Hope are wonderful Christian virtues, but they are given to us for our earthly sojourn and will cease in eternity. Whereas love is as eternal as God is.

      • 1 Corinthians 13:4–13ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 13:4ESV

      • Exodus 34:6ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 13:5–7ESV

      • 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 13:8–12ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 13:13ESV

  • There Is A Redeemer
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
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(302) 945-8145
https://newlifebfcde.org
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