Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth (Part 4): 1 Corinthians 11:2–13:13

This is one of the more famous chapters in the Bible.

After listing some of the main spiritual gifts and explaining how they’re all needed, just like a body needs fingers, toes and other parts to work, Paul explains that love is what brings it all together:

^{1 Corinthians 13:1-3} If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

And Paul made it clear: those public, high-profile gifts that people love to display will eventually be useless. Faith, hope and love is what has eternal value.

^{1 Corinthians 13:8,13} Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! … ¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.