The Way of Love

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have a prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, b so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 c If I give away all I have, and d if I deliver up my body to be burned, 1 but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 e Love is patient and f kind; love g does not envy or boast; it h is not arrogant 5 or rude. It i does not insist on its own way; it j is not irritable or resentful; 2 6 it k does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but l rejoices with the truth. 7 m Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, e 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 n we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but o 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 p now we see in a mirror dimly, but q then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as r I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

  1. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 14:1
    Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
    1 Corinthians 14:39
    So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
    Matthew 7:22
    On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?
    Acts 2:18
    Even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
  2. Cross References
    Matthew 17:20
    He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
    Mark 11:23
    Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
    Luke 17:6
    And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
  3. Cross References
    Matthew 6:2
    Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
  4. Cross References
    Daniel 3:28
    Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
  5. Cross References
    Proverbs 10:12
    Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
    Proverbs 17:9
    Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
    1 Thessalonians 5:14
    And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
    2 Timothy 2:10
    Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
    1 Peter 4:8
    Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
  6. Cross References
    2 Corinthians 6:6
    By purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love.
    Galatians 5:22
    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
    Ephesians 4:32
    Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
    Colossians 3:12
    Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
  7. Cross References
    Acts 7:9
    And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
  8. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 4:6
    I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
  9. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 10:24
    Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
  10. Cross References
    Romans 4:6
    Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
    2 Corinthians 5:19
    That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
  11. Cross References
    Romans 1:32
    Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
    2 Thessalonians 2:12
    In order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
  12. Cross References
    2 John 1:4
    I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.
    3 John 1:3 - 4
    For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.
  13. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 9:12
    If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
  14. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 13:4
    Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
  15. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 8:2
    If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
  16. Cross References
    John 15:15
    No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
  17. Cross References
    James 1:23
    For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
    Numbers 12:8
    With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
    Job 36:26
    Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.
    2 Corinthians 3:18
    And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
    2 Corinthians 5:7
    For we walk by faith, not by sight.
  18. Cross References
    1 John 3:2
    Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
    Matthew 5:8
    Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  19. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 8:3
    But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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