1 Corinthians 13

¹ If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

² If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.

³ If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

⁵ doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

⁶ doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

¹⁰ but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have 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 will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.

Around 1 Corinthians 13

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

1 Corinthians 13 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

In the middle of a long argument about spiritual gifts, Paul stops and sets down a hymn to love. If he could speak in the languages of men and of angels but had no love, he would be only a clanging cymbal. He could have prophecy, all knowledge, a faith that moves mountains, and give away everything, even his body, but without love he would be nothing.

Then he describes love by what it does. “Love is patient and is kind.” It does not envy or boast, is not proud, does not seek its own way, takes no account of evil, and rejoices with the truth. It bears, believes, hopes and endures all things.

Gifts will pass away. “Love never fails.” For now we know in part, and we see in a mirror, dimly. Then we will see face to face and know fully. The chapter ends on three things that remain: faith, hope and love. “The greatest of these is love.”

Background

This chapter sits between two chapters about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12 and 14) and is meant to correct how the Corinthians used them. It is often read at weddings, but Paul wrote it for a quarrelsome church, and every line is aimed at their behavior. The words “when that which is complete has come” are read in different ways: as the return of Christ, as the final state of things, or, in some traditions, as the completion of Scripture. The mirror in verse 12 is thought to refer to the polished metal mirrors of the time, which showed a dim reflection.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 16 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes