1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

Christian Standard Bible

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ,^(A) and individual members of it. ²⁸ And God has appointed these in the church:^(B) first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,^(C) next miracles,^(D) then gifts of healing,^(E) helping, leading, various kinds of tongues.^{[a] 29} Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?^{(F) 31} But desire^(G) the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

Love: The Superior Way

13 If I speak human or angelic tongues^[b] but do not have love,^(H) I am a noisy gong^(I) or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy^(J) and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains^(K) but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast^[c] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient,^(L) love is kind. Love does not envy,^(M) is not boastful, is not arrogant,^{(N) 5} is not rude, is not self-seeking,^(O) is not irritable,^(P) and does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶ Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.^{(Q) 7} It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures^(R) all things.

⁸ Love never ends.^(S) But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 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 put aside childish things. ¹² For now we see only a reflection^[d] as in a mirror, but then face to face.^(T) Now I know in part, but then I will know fully,^(U) as I am fully known.^{(V) 13} Now these three remain: faith, hope,^(W) and love—but the greatest of these is love.