1 Corinthians 13:3  “…it profits me nothing”
This isn’t a warm fuzzy feeling.  He’s speaking of love as it comes from being in Christ.  An all sacrificing love.  Without it, anything you do won’t help you in the end.  People find this hard to swallow, but it is the difference between selfishness and self sacrifice.  I may benefit from what happens, but my motivation was based in love for Christ and for His glory, not my own.

4-7  Description of that self sacrificing love.  Absence of self.

8  “Love never fails…”
As opposed to other gifts.  Love continues after death or after the return of Christ.  The others won’t be needed anymore.

9  “…we know in part and we prophesy in part”
We don’t see everything now, so we can only speak of what little we know and see, which is the reason for the other gifts.  But once we reach the point of knowing and seeing all, we won’t need the gifts.  Since love will continue beyond what we have here, it is the greatest.

11-12  Examples showing the relationship of now and then.

12  “…then I shall know just as I also am known”
Know God clearly as He knows me now.  Oh, the veil of this sinful nature.  It blocks so much of our vision.  I think Paul could see that as he mentions in a mirror, dimly.  So much will be revealed just by having the nature removed.

13  “…abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love”
The only one that will make the cut.  Other three won’t be needed.  My faith and hope in Christ will become sight, but love will still be there.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.