Intro: Chapter 13 is typically called the “Love” chapter, even though the word “Love” is no where to be found in this chapter. Since Christianity has gone the way of the world, and gotten more “liberal” with each passing year; they have chosen to use manuscripts that are corrupt, to translate God’s word. These manuscripts give a more “left-leaning” liberal translation where you lose the cross references, and what God intended for the verses.

Case in point, check out these verses in any new Bible, and compare them to the verses in the King James AV1611, and you will see what I am talking about:

Matt. 5-7; Psa. 23; Ex. 20 (10 commandments); 1 Cor. 13

13:1 “Tongues of men” - Acts 2:8

“Tongues of angels” - Angels speak in Hebrew (Acts 26:14). When Paul is knocked to the ground in (Acts 9) the voice speaks to him in Hebrew. In (Rev. 19:1-6) when rejoicing over the destruction of Babylon, they speak the word “Alleluia” which is Hebrew. The first words ever written on earth was in Hebrew. The Old Testament book of Job which is the oldest book ever written, was written in Hebrew.

“Charity” - This is the highest form of love that there is. This is the kind of love that God has for mankind. Charity is a “handout.” As the old say goes - “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” (1 Jn. 4; Jn. 3:16) God so loved the world that he “gave” his only begotten son.

If can speak with the tongues of men & angels and don’t have charity, it is as if you were playing the wrong instrument in a concert. When you should be playing a brass horn, you play a tinkling cymbal, it just doesn’t sound right. It is the difference between a loud (cymbal) and soft sound (tinkling brass).

13:2 Prophecy, understanding mysteries, faith, are all nothing if you don’t have “charity.”

13:3 It all boils down to what your motive for service should be. That motive should be Charity!
A martyr can die for the wrong motive. Muslim terrorists and those that kill Christians think that blowing themselves up is doing God service. Problem is they are following the wrong god who doesn’t have charity himself. “Love” is not found in the Koran.

13:4 Here are the attributes of true love, (Charity):

[1]. Longsuffering
[2]. Kindness
[3]. Not Envious
[4]. Not Boastful (vaunteth)
[5]. Not Puffed up (Proud)

13:5 [6]. Does not have Wrong Behavior (unseemly - unbecoming - unsightly)

[7]. Not Self Centered
[8]. Does not Think Evil

13:6 [9]. Does rejoice in Iniquity

[10]. Rejoices in Truth. Man should love the Bible, not try to change it to suit their needs.

13:7 [11]. Beareth - does not expose other peoples faults.

[12]. Believeth - what God says in his word.
[13]. Hopeth - trust, future salvation of the body.
[14]. Endures - Doesn’t give in, or give up when the going gets tough.

13:8 All else fails, but Charity never does.
Prophecies fail - because they come to pass.

Tongues cease because they were a sign to Israel (1 Cor. 1:22; 14:22) and the signs are done away with in the millennium.

Knowledge vanishes because we will have perfect knowledge after the Rapture.

13:9 Before the Old & New Testaments were complete there was only a partial revelation through prophecy & knowledge.

13:10 “That which is perfect” - a reference to the 2nd Advent of Christ. It is not a reference to the Bible because it is perfect, (in spite of what some scholars say). It is not a reference to the Holy Spirit, because he is already here indwelling the believers.

It is clear that this is a reference to the 2nd Advent for in (vs. 12) the term “face to face” is used, and that can only mean face to face with Jesus Christ (Rev. 22:4) where God himself will wipe away all tears (Rev. 21:4).

“That which is in part” - Prophecies, Tongues, etc.

13:11 When you become a man, you do a willful act of putting away childish things.
“Childish things” - things that you know now. What's up ahead is much more mature, than the childish things that we know now.

13:12 Again this is a reference to the 2nd Advent. When we are “face to face” -
(2 Jn. 12; 3 Jn.13-14) with the Word of God we will have no need of the Written Word.

“Know in part” - We will know everything (1 Jn. 3:1-2). This is where the perfect knowledge comes in.

“Know even as I am known” - You will have all knowledge that God has about yourself, Him, and other believers. You will be able to recognize immediately any believer that has ever been on planet earth and has gone to heaven; and you will have full knowledge about his life.

13:13 Faith, Hope, Charity - These remain, but Charity sets atop all of them!

Return to Index | Chapter 14