Enter a topic, struggle, doctrine, or passage to receive an AI-assisted study guide with related Scriptures, key themes, and a concise explanation.
Get the main movement of the selected chapter or verse range in plain language.
Ask a focused question and keep the answer tied to the passage you opened.
Create a few questions for observation, interpretation, and application.
13:1 all the languages of earth (literally the tongues of men) and of angels: Tongues was the spiritual gift most highly prized by the Corinthians (see also 12:10, 28; 14:1-25, 27). Some may have thought tongues to be the language of angels; in Acts, Luke uses the same term to refer to natural human languages (see Acts 2:4-13).
13:1-13 Paul interrupts his discussion of spiritual gifts (resumed in ch 14) to emphasize that love is more important than any spiritual gift (cp. 8:1-3). The most important thing for Christians is to become deeply and consistently loving people.
13:12 The contrast between now and then is between this age and the coming age. • Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror: In Paul’s day, mirrors were usually made of polished bronze, so the view was imperfect. Our perception in this life is limited and our understanding is partial and incomplete. • then: When the end comes and C...
13:12 The contrast between now and then is between this age and the coming age. • Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror: In Paul’s day, mirrors were usually made of polished bronze, so the view was imperfect. Our perception in this life is limited and our understanding is partial and incomplete. • then: When the end comes and Christ establishes his eternal kingdom, we will see everything with perfect clarity. Then the spiritual gifts that give knowledge will be unnecessary.
13:13 Faith, hope, and love are more important than spiritual gifts because they last forever (see also Rom 5:1-5; Gal 5:5-6; Col 1:4-5; 1 Thes 1:3; 5:8). Of the three, the greatest . . . is love, because love is the quintessential nature of God himself (see 1 Jn 4:7-12, 16-21). So love should epitomize our relationship with him and others.
Corinth
Corinth Corinth was one of the oldest cities of Greece, with evidence of settlement going back to at least 3000 BC. Its prime location along both east-west and north-south trade routes enabled it to become a center of commerce and trade, and it reached the height of its strength and power between 800 and 600 BC. When in the mid-100s BC the Roman military machine began a relentless march to forge a vast empire, Corinth led the Hellenic League to oppose Roman dominance in Greece. They were no match for the Romans, and in 146 BC Corinth was completely destroyed, its men executed, its women and children sold into slavery. Corinth lay in ruins for a century. In 44 BC Julius Caesar established a Roman colony at Corinth. The colony attracted a mixed group of Italians, freedmen (freed former slaves) from Rome, and dispossessed Greeks. With great industry and ingenuity the new inhabitants quickly reestablished the city as a prosperous center for trade, commerce, and industry. By the time Paul came to Corinth, it was a bustling cosmopolitan city with a population of almost 700,000, including many wealthy people, and many others who were struggling to become so. Corinth attracted trades...
leviticus 19:18
hosea 6:6
matthew 7:12
matthew 9:9-13
matthew 9:13
matthew 12:1-13
matthew 12:7
matthew 22:37-40
Loving Others
Loving Others Jesus spoke of loving one’s neighbor as the second most important of the Old Testament commandments (Mark 12:31). In fact, love summarizes the entire Old Testament law (22:40; cp. Matt 7:12; 9:9-13; 12:1-13; see Rom 13:8-10). Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their failure to show love (Matt 9:13; 12:7; 23:4, 13-14, 23). Love is the mark of a true follower of Jesus (John 13:34-35) and of an authentic experience of God (1 Jn 2:9-11; 3:11-18; 4:7-21). For Paul, love is more important than any of the spiritual gifts and the most important virtue. Love “binds us all together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14). Without love, ministry has limited value (1 Cor 13:1-3). Paul summed up the whole of Christian ethics as “faith expressing itself in love” (Gal 5:6). Love is the natural outworking of Christian faith, the primary fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), and the most important motivation for ministry. As believers grow in Christ, they will seek more and more to love others as he did. Passages for Further Study Lev 19:18; Hos 6:6; Matt 7:12; 9:9-13; 12:1-13; 22:37-40; 23:2-4, 13, 23; John 13:34-35; Rom 13:8-10; 1 Cor 13:1-13; Gal 5:6, 22-23; Col 3:12-14; 1 Jn 2:7-11;...