1 Corinthians 13:8

Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 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... 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. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:8–13)

Spiritual gifts are imperfect and temporary, but love endures forever—and it is the truest mark of Christian maturity.

The Corinthian Problem: Gifts Mistaken for Maturity

As we have seen through chapters 12 and 13, the church at Corinth manifested spiritual gifts and, based on those gifts, believed themselves to be spiritually superior, even elite. Paul has made the case clearly, and he continues in this final paragraph of chapter 13, that the gifts of the Spirit are not signs of final perfection, nor are they evidence of spiritual maturity.

The Corinthians did possess many spiritual gifts. Paul recognizes this in 1 Corinthians 1:7, where he says their testimony is that they come behind in no spiritual gift. But Paul establishes that the gifts are themselves imperfect, and therefore not a sign of spiritual perfection. Furthermore, they are temporal. When perfection comes—and a perfect is to come—these gifts go away. The Corinthians treated these things as if they were enduring and eternal, but Paul makes clear they will cease.

The focus of the Corinthians was wrong, and Paul seeks to reorient their attention. They were enamored with tongues, with prophecy, and with spiritual knowledge—revelatory knowledge given from God—because these things put them on display.

Gifts Are Grace, Not Achievement

In 1 Corinthians 12 we saw that all believers are gifted by the will of the Holy Spirit with at least one, and probably many, spiritual gifts. If we are all gifted these things from God, there is no boasting in having them. Paul says the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for the profit of all, and that one and the selfsame Spirit divides to every man as He wills.

So if you have spiritual gifts, they are a gracious gift from God, not something you attained by your own work. They are given at conversion. There is no possible way to point to them as signs of maturity. The Corinthians equated final perfection with spiritual giftedness—if you had the gifts, you had arrived. But final perfection, a perfection that mirrors sinless perfection, is not achievable in this life. If you think you have attained it, ask your spouse.

What Christian Maturity Looks Like

Final perfection is not achievable here, but we ought to seek maturity. What does Christian maturity look like? In a word, Christlikeness. The practical evidences of Christlikeness we considered in our last three studies, in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7: patience, kindness, humility, meekness, selflessness, consistency, compassion. Where do these come from? Love suffers long and is kind; love does not behave rudely; love does not boast; love is not easily angered. These things issue forth from love.

The defining characteristic of Christ is this kind of love—not the American or Western ideal of love, but love as described here in 1 Corinthians 13. I made a statement last week that I believe was from the Lord: love is the essential Christian ethic. This is why Jesus said the world shall know that you are my disciples by your love for one another—not by your spiritual gifts, not by your good doctrine, important as those are.

The Divine Triad: Faith, Hope, and Love

Such love comes from God, for 1 John 4 says God is love. How does it become part of our lives? Paul gives us three words in the remaining verses of chapter 13 that are incredibly important to Christian maturity—we might call them the divine triad of the Scriptures: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love.

Paul begins in verse 8: love never fails. The remainder of the passage proves this thesis. Ultimately, love issues forth from faith, through hope. It is faith which brings hope, which gives rise to love, and love never fails. It produces patience, kindness, humility, and meekness. The fruit of the Spirit is love, and from that love flows joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. This is the evidence of God's Spirit working in our lives—not spiritual gifts, since non-believers can exhibit things that look like spiritual gifts. You shall know them by their love.

Faith and Hope in Romans 5

Romans 5:1–5 lays out these three words clearly. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ... and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

We are justified—declared righteous before God—by faith in the finished work of Christ, which brings peace between us and God. Jesus' last words on the cross were, "It is finished." Our confidence in His work gives us peace with God, and through Him we now have access into God's grace, standing and rejoicing in hope.

Biblical Hope Is Not Blind Optimism

This word "hope" is important. The Greek word elpis does not mean blind optimism. Ask a child near Christmas if he'll get what he wants, and he says, "I really hope so—I haven't been a good boy this year." His hope depends on his actions. Ask an unbelieving co-worker if he'd go to heaven if he died tonight, and he says, "I hope so—I'm a pretty good person." Again, hope based on his works.

But this Greek word means to anticipate with pleasure—a sure expectation with confidence. My confidence is not in me but in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Therefore I have absolute expectation that I will be with Him in eternity. That is biblical hope built on sincere faith. Faith in the finished work of Christ births a steadfast hope.

Hope Strengthened by Trial

Notice in Romans 5 that this steadfast hope is not injured or destroyed by trial and tribulation; it is actually built up by it. Blind optimism is devastated by trial. But steadfast hope based on confidence in Christ's finished work is encouraged by trials, for the person who has it looks at tribulation and says, "Nothing can take me away from what God has promised." The sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. These things only fuel our hope for heaven.

This kind of hope does not make one ashamed. A blind optimism is ashamed when the Christmas package is opened and the hoped-for gift isn't there. But steadfast hope founded on confident trust in Christ's finished work will never be ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

The Down Payment of Our Inheritance

We will not be ashamed of our steadfast hope because God has already given us the down payment of our eternal inheritance. That inheritance is not merely heaven—heaven is a byproduct. The inheritance is God Himself. As proof, He has given us a part of His divine nature now: His indwelling Holy Spirit and His love. Ephesians 1:13–14 tells us the Holy Spirit is the guarantee, the first installment, of our eternal inheritance.

Perfection is heaven, guaranteed by the finished work of Jesus Christ. Maturity is what we should seek now. Some who have been Christians 20 or 30 years still lack it. One defining characteristic of an immature Christian is immature faith and immature hope—therefore they lack love. Ask such a person if they'll be in heaven, and they still say, "I hope so, but I'm not sure," because their faith is in their own works rather than in Christ's finished work. We ought to strive for spiritual maturity, which is not spiritual giftedness but the increasing abundance of spiritual fruit, that is, love. The Corinthians were gifted but not mature, and that was the problem.

"Love Never Fails": What It Does Not Mean

Paul's thesis statement is verse 8: love never fails. We find these verses on greeting cards, calendars, and bumper stickers because our culture loves love—but a misunderstood love. "Love never fails" does not mean that love conquers all, succeeds without fail, or always wins.

If "love never fails" meant "love always wins," then Israel should never have backslid from a God who loved them with an everlasting love. If love always wins, Judas should never have betrayed Jesus, the religious leaders should not have crucified Christ, and no one would ever reject God's offer of love. Yet many do reject our offers of love.

So what does it mean? Paul is speaking about the eternality of love—the fact that love never ends, but endures and continues. God is love, and God is eternal; therefore love is eternal. The English Standard Version is helpful, translating it "love never ends."

Gifts Will Cease When the Perfect Comes

In contrast to the enduring nature of love, what fails? Verse 8: prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away. Love never ends, but spiritual gifts will. When? Verses 9 and 10: "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."

The temporality of spiritual gifts makes it absurd to view them as the essential evidence of maturity. The Corinthians had spiritual gifts yet were clearly immature. This does not mean we cast aside spiritual gifts—they are important and should be utilized. Every church should have a deep bench of spiritually gifted individuals functioning within their gifts for three things, as we saw in chapter 12: the glorification of God, the edification of the body, and the evangelization of the world. But gifts cannot be benchmarks for spirituality.

Why Paul Names These Three Gifts

Paul does nothing haphazardly. He names tongues, prophecy, and knowledge because these were the gifts the Corinthians fixated upon—they set them forth as powerful. We understand why they grabbed tongues and prophecy, but why knowledge? The Corinthians believed they had a special spiritual knowledge of things spoken in tongues and given prophetically, and they arrogantly felt spiritually superior as a result. Paul says these things are temporary; they will pass away, because we know in part and prophesy in part. When the perfect comes, we will have full and complete knowledge—we shall know even as we are known.

Three Views of "the Perfect"

Commentators differ on what "the perfect" is. There are three primary views.

The first, which I believe is least faithful to the text and essentially baseless, is that the perfect is spiritual maturity—that gifts help the church mature and then are gone. This makes no sense, especially since the Corinthians equated maturity with gifts.

The second view is that the perfect is the completed canon of Scripture and the end of the apostolic age. This is the cessationist view, held by John MacArthur, a great Bible teacher whom I think is dead wrong here. Cessationists believe certain gifts—"sign gifts" like tongues, knowledge, prophecies, and miracles—ceased when the last apostle died. MacArthur is an incredibly gifted expositor, but he does amazing gymnastics to reach that view.

The third view, which I believe is correct and which we hold at Calvary Chapel, is that the perfect is not a time or a state of being but a person: Jesus Christ. One day the perfect Jesus will come—for us individually at death or corporately at the end—and when He appears, the imperfect, spiritual gifts, will cease. We will not need prophecy or tongues in eternity; we will know as we are known. These gifts are important only in the earthly realm.

Two Illustrations: Childhood and the Mirror

When we see the perfect risen Lord Jesus, we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2). We shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:50–53). Now we are childlike in our comprehension of spiritual things, so gifts are important; but in eternity we will have full understanding, and gifts will not be necessary.

Paul illustrates this in verses 11 and 12. First: "When I was a child, I spake as a child... but when I became a man, I put away childish things." The Greek word for child speaks of an infant. Now is like being an infant; then is like being an adult—a vast difference in how we speak, think, and reason. This does not mean we neglect maturity now; that is the focal point for the Christian. But in eternity we will put away the temporal things, including gifts.

Second illustration: now is like looking at your reflection in a mirror; then is like seeing face to face. A modern mirror, with silver-backed glass, is a near-perfect representation. A first-century mirror was polished brass or silver, and if tarnished, your reflection was hard to see. Now is like looking into a tarnished mirror; then is like seeing face to face. Our understanding and experience of God today is partial and limited because of the limitations of our flesh; therefore we need spiritual gifts today, given as a down payment of our eternal inheritance, which is the Lord Himself.

The Greatest Is Love

Paul finishes with verse 13: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." These three are not natural abilities. Paul is not describing someone who naturally finds it easy to believe, nor a naturally optimistic person (a weakness, in our largely pessimistic culture), nor a warm, outgoing, loving personality. He is speaking of characteristics developed in us by the work of God. Our familiarity with this verse fuels our cluelessness about these qualities. They are spiritually established, brought about by confidence in Jesus Christ, hope built on that confidence, and love shed abroad in our hearts.

Why is love the greatest? Because love endures while faith and hope are temporal. When faith becomes sight, you no longer need faith. When you reach heaven, you won't need hope—you won't wake up wondering, "I hope I'm still here." God has no use for faith and hope; in what would He put His faith, and what would He hope for? He is love, and love endures for eternity.

What Faith Truly Is

Saving faith is not merely a mental recognition of the claims of Christianity. You might ask someone if they believe in Jesus, and they say yes—but their faith may be limited. They believe Jesus was a man who lived 2,000 years ago and died on a Roman cross, but do they believe He was dead, buried, resurrected, and is the eternal Son of God? Saving faith is an unfettered confidence in the finished work of Jesus Christ—wholesale putting yourself upon the work He did, trusting that His death on the cross atones for your sin and the sin of all humanity. That is why He said, "It is finished."

From that unfettered confidence issues hope: absolute, steadfast assurance that I will be with Him in eternity, based on His finished work and not my works. Biblical hope cannot be apprehended apart from full confidence in Christ's finished work; therefore hope depends on faith. If our faith is divided—if it is not a complete confidence in what Jesus has done for our justification—then we will only have an immature, blind, optimistic hope, with reason to doubt whether we will be with the Lord.

Love Refined from Faith and Hope

Love is the greatest because it is refined from the ore of faith and hope, and all of these are essential to maturity. When I have full confidence in Christ's finished work, I have absolute expectation of eternity with God and an eternal inheritance in Him. Stepping back, I realize how awesome His love is, for if I am completely sinful—as I know I am—then His finished work for my sins is an awesome demonstration of His love. He who is forgiven much loves much. From faith issues hope, which establishes my love for God, and the overflow is love to others.

What, then, should be the focus of the Christian? Excelling in love. Spiritual gifts are God's doing in our lives. But through the building up of our faith and the establishing of our hope, we should seek to excel in love for God and one another, for all the commandments are fulfilled in this: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

If you know this love only mentally and have not experienced it, I plead with you today: cast your wholesale faith on the finished work of Jesus Christ, not your confidence in what you can do, because that will never work. Stand with steadfast assurance of hope for eternity, recognizing how great a sinner you are and how great a love He has shown to forgive your sins. Then, as the body of Christ functioning in the gifts He has given, let us stir one another up to love evidenced by good deeds. This should be the focus of this church and every church—love for God and love for one another, established upon steadfast confidence in the finished work of Jesus and our absolute expectation of eternity with Him.

Closing Prayer

Father, I recognize that we have had to use our minds to follow this line through these last verses of chapter 13. I ask that You would make these things clear. If I have been unable to clarify them, would You by Your Spirit bring clarity. Help us to recognize Your love, and let Your love so permeate our lives that those who don't know You would recognize Your love in us and recognize us as Your followers because of the love we have for You and for one another—a love different than the love of this world, a love that evidences itself in patience and kindness, humility and consistency. Lord, work these things into our lives, things not natural to us but an essential part of Your nature and character. Bring them about in our lives, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.