The supremacy of love referred to as a better “Way” in 1 Corinthians 12:31, is in the sense of a road rather than a manner of life. 14:1 indicates a path of life superior to one spent in seeking and displaying spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 13:1, The power of expression is determined by the heart, not diction. The tongues of angels have understood speech. v.2. The ascending order from tongues to faith without benefit to others given in love, is nothing – zero. v.3. Display of virtues: “goods to feed the poor”, and “body to be burned” is valueless without love. v.4. The Corinthians were impatient, discontented, envious, selfish, inflated, suspicious, and resentful; and the contrasts are listed: “suffers long” – patient under provocation; “kind” – active goodness; “not envious” – pleased that others are honored and exalted; “vaunts not” – nothing in a man to be proud of. v.5. “does not behave rudely” – courteous and considerate; “seeks not” – interested in what will assist others; “not provoked” – willing to endure slights and insults; “thinks no evil” – not attribute bad motives to others. v.6. “does not rejoice in wrong but in truth” – there is a mean streak in people, but love rejoices when truth triumphs. v.7. Love hides or conceals the faults of others; tries to put the best construction on actions and events; desires that things work out for the best; endures persecution and bad judgment. v.8. Gifts are temporary, love goes on forever.
The permanence of love is contrasted by three gifts that are temporary – tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. v.9. Two gifts: revelatory knowledge; prophecies by direct revelation are partial. v.10. Complete revelation (perfect) is a reference to the written Word of God. Otherwise, the Bible is still being written. v.11. Illustration compares partial to complete – the process of bringing scriptures to completion. v.12. Illustration: the mirror is given again in James 1:23. Puzzling things needed clarification. Not referring to heaven but at the conclusion of the canon – clarity. v.13. The graces of the Spirit are superior to the gifts of the Spirit. Love is the essence of Christianity because it is of God, and God is love. The practice of love will save us from the misuse of gifts.
The preeminence and value of love are clearly stated. v. 1. Love should be Supreme in the Human Heart (controlling our emotional powers). The power of expression is not determined by the length of vocabulary, but by the depth of the human heart. Language without love is noise without music; the clang of a gong without an organ. v.2. Love should be Sovereign in the Human Mind (controlling our intellectual powers). Prophecy is a valuable gift to bring understanding regarding things that are unknown. It includes the power to interpret and declare life in terms of eternity. Balaam had inspirational power but no love. Mysteries: understanding divine secrets; discernment of spiritual things. Caiaphas had spiritual discernment but no love. Knowledge: intelligence in the truth. The truths of God are able to be understood. Judas had knowledge of divine things but no love. Faith: firmness of belief brings mastery over life's difficulties. Gifts without love can be selfish. v.3. Love should be Sovereign in the Human Will (controlling our volitional powers). The extreme exercise of the human will lead to the sacrifice of property and personal life. Even those sacrifices may be made without love.
Verses 1-3 are what the church at Corinth was and should not have been. Verses 4-7 were what they were not but should have been. Verses 1-3 were gifts without love. Verses 4-7 are about love without gifts. Love's value remains even without gifts. Verses 4-5 is love in restraint - holding back. Verses 6-7 is love in constraint - letting go.