1 Corinthians 13: The Greatest Is Love

Paul shows the more excellent way: love. Without love, even the most impressive gifts, knowledge, faith, and sacrifice are worth nothing. Paul describes love as patient and kind, not envious, proud, or self-seeking, and as bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things. Spiritual gifts will one day pass away, but love never fails. Now believers see dimly, as in a mirror, but one day they will see face to face. Faith, hope, and love remain, and the greatest of these is love.

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Read 1 Corinthians 13

World English Bible · 13 verses

¹ 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.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
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.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
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.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ Love 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.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part;This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ When 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.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² For 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.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

Worksheets

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1 Corinthians 13 · Preschool

Love Is Greatest

Name Date

Color the big heart. God's love is the greatest!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Make a heart shape with your hands. Say: God loves us, and He helps us love others.

Open Grade 4 on its own page

1 Corinthians 13 · Grade 4

Love Never Fails

Name Date

Read and Think

The Corinthians valued impressive gifts, especially speaking in other languages. Paul says that without love, even speaking with the languages of angels is only noise. Prophecy, knowledge, great faith, and even sacrifice profit nothing without love.

Paul then describes what love does. Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, brag, or act proud. It is not rude or selfish and is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. It does not rejoice in wrong but rejoices with the truth. Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.

Paul says love never fails. Gifts like prophecy and knowledge are partial and will one day pass away. Like a child growing into an adult, believers will one day put away partial things. Now they see dimly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Faith, hope, and love remain, and the greatest of these is love.

Show What You Know

What did the Corinthians value?
What does love keep no record of?
Why will gifts like prophecy and knowledge pass away?
How will believers one day see?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

knowledgechildlovelanguagesFaith

The Corinthians valued impressive gifts, especially speaking in other .
Paul says that without , even speaking with the languages of angels is only noise.
Prophecy, , great faith, and even sacrifice profit nothing without love.
Like a growing into an adult, believers will one day put away partial things.
, hope, and love remain, and the greatest of these is love.

Think About It

Read the list of what love does. Which quality of love is hardest for you, and how could you practice it this week?
Paul says love is greater than any gift. Why do you think love matters more than talent or knowledge?

Memory Verse

“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for Your love that never fails. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

Which part of love is hardest for you?
Why does love matter more than talent?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

1 Corinthians 13 · Grade 5

Faith, Hope, and Love

Name Date

Read and Think

Chapter 13 sits between two chapters on spiritual gifts. It is Paul's corrective to a church that ranked believers by their gifts. With a series of conditions, he imagines the highest spiritual achievements: speaking in the languages of men and angels, knowing all mysteries, faith to move mountains, giving away everything. Without love, the speaker is a clanging cymbal, nothing, gaining nothing.

Paul's portrait of love reads like a description of Christ and a mirror held up to Corinth. The Corinthians were envious, boastful, puffed up, and self-seeking, yet love is patient and kind, does not envy or boast, and is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, is not provoked, and keeps no account of wrongs. It rejoices with the truth and bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.

Love's permanence sets it above every gift. Prophecies, languages, and knowledge belong to the present age and will cease when the perfect comes. Paul uses two images: a child growing into adulthood and seeing in a mirror, dimly (13:12). Now knowledge is partial, but then believers will know fully, even as they are fully known. Faith, hope, and love remain, and love is the greatest, because love will continue forever.

Show What You Know

Why does chapter 13 sit between two chapters on spiritual gifts?
How does Paul's portrait of love function as a mirror for Corinth?
What two images does Paul use for present partial knowledge?
Why is love the greatest?

Crossword

Across

When I was a ____
It profits me ____
____ is patient and is kind

Down

Where there are various ____
And know all mysteries and all ____

Think About It

Try reading the description of love and replacing the word love with Jesus. What does that show you about Christ?
Paul says that without love, great gifts gain nothing. How can a gifted person make sure love stays at the center of how he or she serves?

Memory Verse

“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for Your love that never fails. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How does this chapter describe Christ?
How can gifted people keep love at the center?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

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‹ All 1 Corinthians chapters · All books

1 Corinthians 13: The Greatest Is Love

Read 1 Corinthians 13

Worksheets

Love Is Greatest

Prayer

Take It Home

Love

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

Love Never Fails

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

The Greatest Is Love

Prayer

Take It Home

Love Is Patient

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

The More Excellent Way

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

The Greatest Is Love

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

Love Never Fails

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

Faith, Hope, and Love

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

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