⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”^(A) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.^{(B) 7} For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?^(C) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

⁴ Love is patient,^(A) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.^{(B) 5} It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,^(C) it is not easily angered,^(D) it keeps no record of wrongs.^{(E) 6} Love does not delight in evil^(F) but rejoices with the truth.^{(G) 7} It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.^(H)

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,^(I) they will cease; where there are tongues,^(J) they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come,^(A) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(B) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(C)

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.^(D) Anyone who does what is good is from God.^(E) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.^(F)