1 Corinthians · 13 verses
1 Corinthians 13
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
The grandest speech imaginable ends as household percussion when love is absent, and even mountain-moving faith receives the verdict: nothing.
Without love, the splendours collapsevv. 1–3
Tongues of men and angels, prophecy, mysteries, knowledge, absolute faith, lavish giving, and the surrender of the body are all placed before love. Without it, the grand performance is noise, the mountain-moving faith is nothing, and the costly generosity gains nothing.
The curious conduct of lovevv. 4–7
Love is described less as a grand sensation than as remarkably good behaviour: patient, kind, unboastful, unproud, unruffled, and unwilling to keep accounts of wrongs. It takes no pleasure in evil, rejoices in truth, and bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things—a formidable little catalogue.
What remains when the partial passesvv. 8–13
Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge have an appointed diminishment: they cease, are restrained, and are dismissed. The present is partial, like a dim reflection in a mirror, while the coming perfection brings face-to-face sight and full knowledge. The chapter ends with three things remaining—faith, hope, and love—and love greatest among them.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
1 Cor 13:1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Cor 13:2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Cor 13:3If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Cor 13:4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Cor 13:5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
1 Cor 13:6Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
1 Cor 13:7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Cor 13:8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed.
1 Cor 13:9For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
1 Cor 13:10but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.
1 Cor 13:11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
1 Cor 13:12Now 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.
1 Cor 13:13And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 294 passages were voted onto 13 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 131 Corinthians 16:14Do everything in love.
- 13Colossians 3:14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
- 41 Peter 4:8Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
- 111 Corinthians 14:20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- 131 John 4:7–18Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
- 4Ephesians 4:32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
- 131 Corinthians 13:1–8If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
- 4Galatians 5:21–22and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- 11 Timothy 1:5The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
- 13Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.
- 4Proverbs 10:12Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- 4Colossians 3:12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- 13Mark 12:29–31Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
- 71 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- 6Romans 12:9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
- 1Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
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