Inspired Words of Love From

 The Apostle Paul

The Apostle Paul gave to us the words of 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, which are truly inspired by God.  These words capture the true essence of love.  Reading and reflecting upon these words will help minister to our heart that wondrous message of love, which can help us in our days of struggle.  Presented below for reading and reflecting is 1 Corinthians NLT* Chapter 13 and 1 Corinthians KJV Chapter 13.  The Holman Christian Standard Bible uses the words of love that are reflected in the picture above.  The KJV of the Bible uses the word charity, which we most commonly refer to as love.

1 Corinthians NLT* Chapter 13

If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I had the gift of prophecy, and I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be?  And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.

Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little!  But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.

It’s like this:  When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does.  But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. 

There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.”

*Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright @ 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.
  

1 Corinthians KJV Chapter 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth; 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.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

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.