1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV Strong's)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Subject: Gifts
Before you can understand the above passage in this letter to the church at Corinth, you have to read the last verse from the proceeding chapter:
1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV Strong's)
But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
In chapter twelve Paul has outlined some issues others have with spiritual gifts. There were those who thought they didn't have any, those who thought the gift they had was insignificant and those who thought the gift they had was superior. Paul states that all believers have gifts and all the gifts are put in place as God wills. There are no believers without gifts and there are no believers with a wrong or insignificant gift. Paul writes to them that the greatest gifts God gave us was faith, hope and love; the greatest being love. He wants us to pursue the greatest gift of Love and use the other gifts through this lens. Love is the fuel, purpose, guidelines and compelling control over all the other gifts. It matters not if you have a superior gift (prophecy) or less influential gift (hospitality), both are to look at the other in love and are in need of the other. Love governs all uses of the gift. This love looks like the above verses. Kindness, patience, no envy are all ways to describe the perfect love that God has given us. We don't rejoice in the evil we see but we believe and hope all things God has said. Love is the ultimate gift that guides everything the believer does. Love for God and love for others.
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