1 CORINTHIANS 13
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
1 CORINTHIANS 13 LOVE IS ETERNAL
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Like God who is love, love is eternal
All things ends but love prevails
While we are on earth, we will know little
But if we are one with God, all will be revealed
If we walk in love, we will never be misplaced
Hold on to love so you can experience God’s full grace.
In this letter, Paul is giving the Corinthian church a glimpse of heaven as he continues to reassure the believers that the way to eternal life is to walk in love. He wants them to see that only in loving will they fulfill the promise of eternity.
In 1 John 4:7-21, the apostle whom Jesus loved was given the revelation of who God is. Those verses say that we love because God gave us that love through his only begotten Son Jesus. That is the greatest love of all because he sacrificed and gave up his only Son to save mankind from the sinfulness that we all have inherited from Adam and Eve. Because he loved us so much, he was willing to sacrifice his own Son for our sake. These verses further talk not just what love is but who love is. God is love. He is “love” himself. It is not just an attribute or characteristic of his. He is the epitome of love. He is all about love. Since God himself has no beginning or no end, we know that anyone who believes in Christ will be transformed to God’s own likeness. The concept of love is deeper and greater than we all humans can fathom. It has no limits and it has no end just like God.
REFLECTION
· How does verse 13 reiterate 1 John 4:8 which says anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love?
