1 Corinthians 13:13 - Love (2024)

Audio Crossref Comment Greek

Verse (Click for Chapter)

New International Version
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.New Living Translation
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.English Standard Version
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.Berean Standard Bible
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.Berean Literal Bible
But now these three things abide: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love.King James Bible
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.New King James Version
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.New American Standard Bible
But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.NASB 1995
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.NASB 1977
But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.Legacy Standard Bible
But now abide faith, hope, love—these three; but the greatest of these is love.Amplified Bible
And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.Christian Standard Bible
Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. American Standard Version
But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For there are these three things that endure: Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love. Contemporary English Version
For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love. Douay-Rheims Bible
And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity. English Revised Version
But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.GOD'S WORD® Translation
So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.Good News Translation
Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love. International Standard Version
Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.Literal Standard Version
and now there remains faith, hope, love—these three; and the greatest of these [is] love.Majority Standard Bible
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.New American Bible
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.NET Bible
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. New Revised Standard Version
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.New Heart English Bible
But now faith, hope, and love remain--these three. The greatest of these is love.Webster's Bible Translation
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.Weymouth New Testament
And so there remain Faith, Hope, Love--these three; and of these the greatest is Love.World English Bible
But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love. Young's Literal Translation
and now there doth remain faith, hope, love -- these three; and the greatest of these is love.Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Love
…12Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.1 Thessalonians 1:3
and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

Treasury of Scripture

And now stays faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

abideth.

1 Corinthians 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

1 Peter 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

1 John 2:14,24 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one…

faith.

Luke 8:13-15 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away…

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

hope.

Psalm 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

charity.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal…

1 Corinthians 8:1,3 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth…

2 Corinthians 5:10,15 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad…

the greatest.

1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.

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1 Corinthians 13

1. All gifts,
3. however excellent, are of no worth without love.
4. The praises thereof,
13. as love is greatest before hope and faith.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) And now abideth . . .--Better, Thus there abide . . . The "now" is not here temporal, but logical. It is not "now" (i.e., this present life) contrasted with the future, but it is the conclusion of the whole argument. From all that has been urged in the previous verses it follows that these three graces--faith, hope, love--remain imperishable and immortal. Gifts such as the Corinthian Church rejoiced in shall pass away when the perfect succeeds the imperfect; the graces of faith, hope, love shall remain in the next life, exalted and purified. But even in this trinity of graces there is an order, and love stands first. The contrast is not between love which is imperishable and faith and hope which are perishable, but between ephemeral gifts and enduring graces. It is strange how completely in popular thinking this has been lost sight of, and hence we find such words as these--

"Faith will vanish into sight,

Hope be emptied in delight,

Love in heaven will shine more bright,

Therefore give us love;"

which express almost the opposite of what the Apostle really wrote.

There need be no difficulty in understanding that "faith," in the sense of trust in Christ as our Saviour, may continue in the heavenly state; indeed, when we see Him face to face, and see actually how great a salvation He hath obtained for us, that faith may' be expected to glow with a new and increasing fervour Hope, too, need never cease if that new life is to be progressive. If hope lives by feeding on the present as the promise of the future, surely it will have a more abundant sustenance in that life than in this. Yet love stands supreme; indeed, both faith and hope would perish without her. (See Matthew 26:35; Galatians 5:6.)

. . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - And now. The "now" is not temporal (as opposed to the "then" of the previous verse), but logical. It sums up the paragraph. Abideth. These three graces are fundamental and permanent; not transient, like the charisms, on which the Corinthians were priding themselves, but which should all be "annulled." Faith, hope, charity. It might be difficult to see how "hope" should be permanent. But if the future state be progressive throughout eternity and infinitude, hope will never quite be lost in fruition. Even "within the veil," it will still remain as "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19). The greatest of these is charity; more literally, greater than these is love. St. Paul does not explain why love is the greatest and best of the three. Various reasons may be given.

1. Love is the greatest, because it is the root of the other two; "we believe only in that which we love; we hope only for that which we love.

2. And love is the greatest because love is for our neighbours; faith and hope mainly for ourselves.

3. And love is the greatest because faith and hope are human, but God is love. . . . Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

And
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

now
Νυνὶ (Nyni)
Adverb
Strong's 3570: A prolonged form of nun for emphasis; just now.

these
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

three
τρία (tria)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5140: Three. Or neuter tria a primary number; 'three'.

remain:
μένει (menei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

faith,
πίστις (pistis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

hope,
ἐλπίς (elpis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1680: Hope, expectation, trust, confidence. From a primary elpo; expectation or confidence.

[and] love;
ἀγάπη (agapē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[the] greatest
μείζων (meizōn)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

of these [is]
τούτων (toutōn)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

love.
ἀγάπη (agapē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

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1 Corinthians 13:13 Catholic BibleNT Letters: 1 Corinthians 13:13 But now faith hope and love remain--these (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)