“Set your hearts on the most precious gifts. But I will show you a much better way.”
1 Corinthians 12:31
No gift higher than love
1 Corinthians 13
“If I could speak all the human and angelic tongues, but had no love, I would only be a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”
“If I had prophecy, knowing secret things with all kinds of knowledge, and had faith great enough to remove mountains, but had no love, I would be nothing.”
If I gave everything I had to the poor, and even gave up my own body, but only to receive praise and not through love, it would be of no value to me.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered nor does it seek its own interest.”
“Love overcomes anger and forgets offenses.”
“It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices in truth.”
“Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent and knowledge disappear.”
“For knowledge grasps something of the truth and prophecy as well.”
“And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away.”
“When I was a child I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways.”
“Likewise, at present we see dimly as in a faulty mirror, but then we shall see face to face. Now we know in part, but then I will know Him as He knows me.
“Now we have faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13: 8-13
Strive, then, for love and set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
1 Corinthians 14:1
This particular chapter, Chapter 13, at the First Corinthians tells us that love is more important than any other things.
No material gifts or any other precious gifts can replace love.
No gift of prophecy nor gift of knowledge nor gift of giving nor gift of sacrifice can be equated to the gift of love.
But most often the gift of love is misrepresented. We equate gift of giving or gift of sacrifice to gift of love.
But that is not so.
You may not believe it, but you can perform gift of giving or gift of sacrifice even without love.
Think about it.