Paul is letting us know in this verse that love is very important. In the King James Version of The Bible, love is translated as charity. Other versions of The Bible do translate charity as love, but I am going to stick with the King James Version of The Bible in this study because the the word "love" that we talk about today just does not get across the point that Paul is trying to make. The love spoken of here is true love; it is the kind that expects absolutely nothing in return. It is the kind of love that if applied to our life will strengethen our relationships, not only with God, but with others in our lives as well.

Paul continues to write in the next verse:

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (I Corinthians 13:2, KJV)

In the second verse, Paul continues to explain that love is very important and that no matter what gifts God gives you, if you don't love, then it does you no good. As Paul says, you are nothing unless you love. Many Christians have a lot of faith in God and in the Lord, yet they lack love for others and sometimes even for God. Paul makes it crystal clear, that though you may have strong faith in God (and non-believers will put their faith in the things of the world), you are nothing if you do not love.

Paul continues to emphasize in verse three that love is important. Paul says:

"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (I Corinthians 13:3, KJV)

Some people will give money to help various organizations like The Red Cross. It is great to help others in need, whether it is giving time or money, but Paul emphasizes that if you don't love along with helping others, then you are not going to get anything that is truly good out of it. I can hear some people saying to themselves, "Well don't people who give their money love those who they give it too?" And I can answer that question very simply: No, not always. Many people, unfortunately, like only giving things to help others so that they will look good to the world. This can range from the giving of money, time, or whatever it may be. Even in some churches, during ties and offerings, people will boast about how much they give to their church. I'm not putting any church down nor any person, but just stating a sad fact that does occur. Also, some people in the public life will give money or something else so they can look good to the public. I'm sure that many of you know what I am talking about. Paul does want people to help others, but you truly need to do it because you love and not because you want to look good to the world.

In verse four now, Paul begins to tell us what love is. Paul says:

"Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." (I Corinthians 13:4, KJV)

This verse is greaet! Paul gives us two qualities of love. One quality of love is that it is long suffering, meaning love is patient. How patient are you? Do you sometimes have a temper? Are you someone who wants something right now rather than being patient and waiting for it to happen at the right time (When God says it is the right time)? The second quality of love Paul mentions in this verse is that love is kind. Of course that seems like common sense, doesn't it? Of course love is kind! How kind are you to others? Next, Paul gives us some qualities that love is not. The first non-quality of love is that love does not envy. True love does not want the things that others have and become jealous. This does not mean you can not admire someone, but don't be somebody that is envious just because you don't have what someone else does. Envy is something that comes from Satan, not God. Two more qualities Paul states that love is not are, selfishness and boasting. True love does not possess either of those qualities. True love puts others before themselves. How are you doing in that department, friend?

Continuing with Paul's statements:

"Charity does not behave itself unseemly, seekseth not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;" (I Corinthians 13:5, KJV)

In the fifth verse, Paul gives us some additional qualities that love isn't. Love does not seek itself (again referring to being selfish). Furthermore, love does not get angry easily. How often do you get upset and say mean things? Finally, love does not think evil. Has someone ever done something to you that you did not like, and you wanted to get revenge by doing something just as bad to them? True love does not do that.

Paul says:

"Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;" (I Corinthians 13:6, KJV)

In verse six, Paul gives us a third quality of what love is. Paul, quite simply, says that true love rejoices in the truth, rather than in lies and schemes, and things of a similar nature. If you read verses 4-6, you will see the quite simply love is three things: patience, kindness, and honesty. How patient are you? How kind are you? How honest are you?

In verse seven, Paul says:

"Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (I Corinthians 13:7, KJV)

This is a beautiful verse. Love bears all things! Hey, life can get rough out there, but do you let it get to you and allow it to pull you down and not love? Or, do you deal with it properly? Paul also says that love believes all things. This does not mean to be stupid (for lack of a better word) and if someone tells you they are going to give you $1,000 if you send them $200, and you go and do it. DON'T BELIVE THAT! Paul is only saying that love has hope, and that it does not give up. And geeze, Paul does continue on to say in that verse that love hopes all things! And finally, Paul states that love endures all things. What sort of things does he mean he says talks about enduring? Well, it means to endure life, endure the fact that not everyone is going to like you and that if you love someone they may not return that love. Paul wants people to be sure and to trust in God that He is still in control. Of course, I'm just giving an example in that last sentence about enduring life's hardships, but I think that is a good way to put it.

I would like to stress that we should not love everything. There are things that God does hate (which you can read about in Proverbs 6:16-19), and we should hate those things as well. Another example that comes to mind is back in the 1960's here in the United States, people had love for other things of this world. Today, people have a strong love of money. Be wise in what you love. These precious verses from First Corinthians 13 are referring to love towards God, as well as to others. Love is precious, don't take it for granted.

I recently took a look at my life, and asked myself the question, "Do I love the way God says to love?" My answer was, sadly, "No." When I took a hard look at that fact, I decided that I was going to change my answer by changing my life. I did a lot of thinking about the relationships I had in my life, and I thought about how recently I had not been able to keep a girlfriend for very long. I was sick of not having a steady girlfriend, and as I studied First Corinthians 13, I began to understand why.

I realized the reason I had not been able to keep a girlfriend was because I did not love the way God commanded me to. Sure, I would tell these girls "I love you," but I loved them according to the definition that the world gives to love. The ways of the world were not the ways that were working. The next time I got a girlfriend, I made sure I loved her the way God commanded me to love. I applied First Corinthians 13 to that relationship, and the outcome has been marvelous! It is very difficult to love the way that God loves, but it is possible to do so if you have God in your life. There are no words that could express how much loving in the way God commands to love has changed my life. I'm so much closer to God now, I rarely get upset, I have lost a lot of stress in my life, and my relationships are in great standing. I praise God for the greatest gift called love!

It is hard to love in this manner, and many people may think that they can't do it. Well, I know that you can! You can not within your own strength, but by having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ! God can give you the power to love. Jesus said:

"'The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.'" (Luke 18:27, KJV)

It is very hard own our own to love someone so much that we don't ask for anything in return or not to expect something in return, but God can and will give us the power to truly love someone! All we have to do is ask for it. Have you asked God for that awesome power?

Continuing own with Paul's writing in First Corinthians 13, he begins verse eight by saying:

"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." (I Corinthians 13:8, KJV)

I like verse eight a lot. Did you hear what Paul said, "Love never fails!" Isn't that awesome? Well, you may think to yourself, "Love doesn't fail? That is not true." If you feel that love fails, then you love the way the world defines to love. This is not to say that if you apply God's defination of love to your love life that something won't go wrong or that you will always be togehter. This should get you to see, however, that God is in control and that iif you are loving how He wants us to love, then it won't fail because what happens will work out His way. Notice I said His way, not your way or the world's way. Thinking about it!

To continue with Paul's teachings in this chapter, he said in verses nine and ten:

"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (I Corinthians 13:9-10, KJV)

What is perfect? Man certainly isn't, but God is! God is love, to put it in simple terms. When God comes (or when love is present), those things of the world which prevent us from loving the way God says to love, is done away with. Speaking of things that prevent us from loving in this manner, what is it that prevents us from being patient, kind, and honest? A few things come to my mind: Envy, selfishness, anger, evil, etc. Didn't Paul tell us in verses 4-six that love is not any of these things I just mentioned? If we can get the envy, anger, jealously, hate, evil, and all those other things that are not love out of our lives and out of our relationships, we will be truly loving the way God says to love and as Paul said in verse eight, "Love never fails."

In verse eleven, Paul says:

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (I Corinthians 13:11, KJV)

When I read verse eleven, I receive this manner of love as a maturing process. Sometimes we have to go through a series of hardships in order to see the truth. In my case, I went though a series of break-ups, which hurt me greatly, but I matured and made a good decision to read this great chapter and follow it as God commands. We mature into God's word and into doing things His way, rather than our own. Things usually don't change overnight, it is a maturing process. Here are some other verses that may help you out on this:

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." (Ephesians 4:15, KJV)

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." (I Peter 2:2, KJV)

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." (II Peter 3:18, KJV)

Continuing on with First Corinthians, Paul says to us in the next verse:

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (I Corinthians 13:12, KJV)

This verse can be somewhat hard to understand, but as I have read it and have had God to guide me with a good understanding of it, this verse seems to say that before we truly love, its like staring into a dark glass. Those familiar with God's Word know that darkness is from the Devil, and in darkness there are lies, confusion, chaos, hate, and death. However, by loving, we see the light. The light is Jesus Christ, He gives us light to love, light to see the truth, light to be patient, light to be kind, light to be honest. When you are in the light which is Jesus Christ, you will know what love is.

Something interesting I noticed, if you insert "Jesus" into every place the word "charity" is used, you will notice that "Jesus" fits in there quite beautifully. Try reading these verses with "Jesus" in replace of "charity" and see if you aren't amazed!

Paul closes out First Corinthians 13 with verse thirteen:

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (I Corinthians 13:13, KJV)