(1) “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. (2) And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. (4) Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; (6) rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; (7) beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (8) Love never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. (9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; (10) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child; I felt as a child; I thought as a child: now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. (12) For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. (13) But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
Golden Text.—“Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13: 13.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What will make of none effect the grandest words that can be spoken? To what does the apostle liken such speech? Verse 1. Note . (2) What would this lack of love do for one who even possessed the gift of prophecy? For the one who had a knowledge of all mysteries? For one who might have all faith? What would be the true value of one who possessed all those things without love? Verse 2. (3) What great deeds might we do to no profit? What is lacking in this case? Verse 3. (4) How does love bear ill treatment? What characterizes its treatment of others? How does it conduct itself toward others in their prosperity? What does it refuse to do for self? Verse 4. (5) What is said of its own personal conduct? What else does it refuse to do for self? How does it take ill usage? How does it relate itself to evil? Verse 5. Note . (6) How does love relate itself to unrighteousness? In what does it rejoice? Verse 6. (7) What four things does it do? To what extent? Verse 7. Note . (8) How long will it endure? In this respect how does it differ from prophecy? From the gift of tongues? From our finite knowledge? Verse 8. (9) What is lacking in knowledge and prophecy? Verse 9. (10) When will the imperfect be done away? What will take its place? Verse 10. (11) What do we do when children? When manhood comes, what change does it bring? Show the connection between this and the preceding verse? Verse 11. Note . (12) What is now the characteristic of our spiritual vision? When sin is removed and God's kingdom set up, how shall we see? What is the characteristic of our knowledge now? When that day comes, what change will it bring in this regard? Verse 12. (13) What three things remain? Which is the greatest? Verse 13. Note .
