1If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
4Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, 5doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. 11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. 13But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
Love Trumps All
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
In the early church, various spiritual gifts existed that are rarely or no longer seen. I know that some parts of the Body of Christ claim that all these supernatural gifts are still exercised today. The truth is that they are not. Even in the most charismatic and Pentecostal circles, we do not see people going through hospital wards curing one person after another, nor do we know of any believer raising people from the dead. Some might claim this, but I guarantee you if such people existed, there would be millions calling upon them, and they would be on every Christian TV or radio program discussing the work and ministry of such saints. Paul is clear that some supernatural gifts would cease at some point in time. We can all argue about when that might have been and what it might have included. This does not mean that God is no longer involved in some of the things that the early church witnessed. God can do whatever He wants to do because He is God.
Paul is explaining here that regardless of what gift one believer has or claims to have, love is the most important thing of all. Paul clearly says that if he has the supernatural gift of speaking any language, regardless of whether he has studied it or not, it is nothing if he doesn’t exercise that gift with love. He says it is no more effective and communicates nothing more than a bell that would be clanging away somewhere without a purpose. It communicates nothing.
He then says that if he can preach a sermon and reveal all sorts of incredible mysteries hidden in the Bible, or perhaps even have some spiritual discernment about future events, if love is lacking, it is of no benefit to anybody. It is what the Bible calls wood, hay, and stubble (ie, works of the flesh). He says even if his own faith is so strong that he can pick up a mountain and put it down somewhere else, it's just useless stuff if there is no love involved. He notes that if he were to do something as noble as selling everything he has and giving it away to the poor, it would contribute nothing if it were not done with godly love. I add that I have no idea what could be virtuous about giving up one’s body to be burned (unless he’s talking about some kind of sacrifice). If that too is done absent love, IT PROFITS NOTHING. He will go on in this passage to say that IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE. It’s all about what Jesus called The Great Commandment. Make all you do be about that, or it is of no good or profit to anyone, and it is a waste of your precious time on earth.